Atkins or Weight Watchers

BabyPhat90713
BabyPhat90713 Posts: 120 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I was debating which of the two to do. what's everyone's opinions? I know a few who has lost on both and they are at their goal weight and happy. I was wondering if Atkins could cause diabetes if you ever ate sweets after because you would go along time without that or bread. I don't want to slowly add things in just to wonder about that (which runs in my family) or about gaining it back as soon as I can eat breads and such.

Replies

  • stt43
    stt43 Posts: 487
    Atkins won't cause diabetes. Eating carbs or sugar won't cause diabetes.
    There are a few downsides to Atkins, the only upsides coming from increased protein intake, which you can do without Atkins.
    Weight Watchers is just simplified calorie counting which you pay a lot for. If you use My Fitness Pal you shouldn't need it.
  • DavePFJ
    DavePFJ Posts: 212 Member
    Weight Watchers is essentially tracking just tracking your calorie / macro intake. Most people aren't going to overdo it on fruits and vegetables which is why they don't really count them (and fiber is crucial). It will work, as the people you know can attest to, but you have to figure out of it's really for you. I know they have 'progress' meetings where they sort of put you on the spot, and they most likely also steer you towards buying their products (just guessing but I'm probably right).

    There are thousands of people who can tell you how much you need to eat daily, and what you should be eating to meet your goals. It would also be very beneficial if you learned to decipher labels and figure out what you really need to eat for weight loss without depending on a predetermined points system.

    Atkins? Your body adjusts to burning fat instead of using stored glycogen for energy. You do lose quick due to a lack of carbs which store water - water weight. I think this would just make things harder for you though. I don't know if it would cause diabetes, but yes, if you shocked your body with sugar after it got accustomed to not using it problems may arise. Just make a goal for 80% of your carbohydrates to come from vegetables, and the rest can be from breads, etc.
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    You just had a baby, so you'll likely have plenty of opportunity to discuss post-baby weight loss with your doctor and get good, solid advice. Please do.

    You'll probably get some strong responses on this. Good luck.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Calories in/calories out. You don't have to "do" any diet plan. Just count what you eat, stay in budget and make your life simple plus MFP is free. Losing weight doesn't have to be a big production with a special plan.
  • VeganLexi
    VeganLexi Posts: 960 Member
    Calories in/calories out. You don't have to "do" any diet plan. Just count what you eat, stay in budget and make your life simple plus MFP is free. Losing weight doesn't have to be a big production with a special plan.

    This.
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    If i read your profile correctly, your baby is less than two months old. Want to teach her to make good decisions? Make one yourself by talking to your doctor at your next appointment, particularly if you are breast-feeding.

    It's not just about dropping weight, it's about good decisions for both of you. Seriously,Internet forums aren't the best place to get advice.
  • CaliopeCupcake
    CaliopeCupcake Posts: 19
    Short answer: you can do both--use this site instead of WW, and do high protein a few days.

    Since WW made another change to their program [not counting fruit and vegs, and anything goes as long as you count it] I had no success with it at all last year--up 3# down 3# for 2 months. I thought I was doing something wrong, and after joining here, I know why. I was eating too many fruits; and some vegs. have many carbs and sugar. You can log foods here to learn and keep a hand on your calories, then do high protein 2 - 4 days a week. Try it one day and see how you do first.

    The pioneer of the high protein diet was Dr. Stillman in 1965 [diet without fat--only protein]. It was the rage, and I had great success when needed maintaining a healthy weight through high school and college while competing in 3 sports. I also studied it in Advanced Physiology of Exercise in Masters program for Kinesiology. Dr. Adkins came decades later, and added fats to the diet. I lose faster on the Stillman diet, without fat.

    The body burns protein and fat LAST. When you eat only those things [meat, fish, poultry, some low carb cheeses, eggs, macadamia or high fat nuts]--- you burn fat very fast...it is not water loss. The process puts the body in a state of Ketosis so it is important to drink water every hour to flush ketones [by product of protein synthesis] out of your system. Without carbs or sugar, It can make you feel low energy, but done for short term [a few days a week], can boost your loss and make you feel good. The best news is, there is NO LOSS OF MUSCLE on a high protein diet!

    Many studies have been done on this diet and it has many benefits. For instance, it can "flush" fat from the blood and from the arteries, in spite of rumors that eating fat on a steak is bad for your heart, bad cholesterol levels still will lower quickly. For folks looking to lose 30# or more or obese persons, this is a lifesaver! Adkins himself had many tests done, and there were no negative cardio vascular effects. Keep in mind, you will need to sleep more, or you might get hungry signals when you are actually tired. Stay active and burn more cals than you intake in order to lose.
  • CaliopeCupcake
    CaliopeCupcake Posts: 19
    +1 the body uses insulin to process sugar, whether raw or from any food --everything you eat is broken down to be burned. if you eat too many calories and sugar for your individual liver and endocrine system to handle, you can develop diabetes. everyone's tolerance level is different and inherited factors as well as external/environmental factors play a part in our health.
  • IanBee93
    IanBee93 Posts: 237 Member
    Don't waste your money. Just count calories.
  • sssgilber
    sssgilber Posts: 90 Member
    There are three ways to do WW. The full membership includes meetings, as many as you want to attend, and the on-line tools. The meetings are not "accountability sessions", but a combination of education and support. Most members weigh-in before the meeting, but weights are kept private.

    The on-line membership is the on-line tools only, no meetings.

    The third way is knock-off aps based on WW points.

    WW was the first diet that has ever worked for me, finally showing a direct relationship between what I eat, how much I exercise, and what I weigh, without obsessing over perfection. After two months, I switched to MFP and continue a steady weekly loss of 1-1.5 pounds.

    The key for me is tracking food and exercise. Plan, eat, track, and forget. Don't worry about the next meal. Shop smart, check restaurant menus on-line before you leave the house, and enjoy what you choose to eat.
  • sssgilber
    sssgilber Posts: 90 Member
    Also, if a WW meeting leader pressures you to buy their products, find another meeting.
  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
    Why would anyone go to all the trouble of following ANY "diet"? :huh:

    Weight loss is simple, though it isn't necessarily easy—all you have to do is ACCURATELY count calories. All of them. Accurately. If you know how many calories you burn in an average day, all you have to do is eat less than that number each day. 10-25% fewer, depending on how quickly you want to lose weight.

    That's it! Eat whatever you like, as long as you stop eating when you reach your calorie limit each day you'll lose weight.

    Exercise is optional. Exercise isn't a very good weight-loss tool, though of course it has other health benefits. Most people just use exercise as an excuse to eat more calories each day (often more than they burn through exercise, which leads to "plateaus" that they just can't understand why they're experiencing).

    And I'm speaking from personal experience, two months ago I decided to do ONE thing—count calories, and stay under a certain limit. I didn't stop eating fast food or any of my other regular foods. I didn't start sweating to the oldies or P90X. I didn't start taking this supplement or that. I just did math. And it's worked amazingly well.
  • Rocksiren
    Rocksiren Posts: 9 Member
    LOL I know high protein and Atkins is probably the "smart" thing in the long run...but in the short run, its ROUGH. Feeling hungry despite being able to eat bacon and cheese is ROUGH.

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