Atkins Diet Revisited

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AlanaTedmon
AlanaTedmon Posts: 105 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm curious to know where the Atkins diet gets so much flack sometimes. I started it this week and I love it. You don't get cravings inbetween meals and you always feel full and happy! High-fat and high-protein is awesome! I'm burning off fat while eating cheese and mayo. What's not to love?
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  • AlanaTedmon
    AlanaTedmon Posts: 105 Member
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    Bump
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
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    You've only been on it a week. Come back when you've been sticking to it for months/years.
  • AlanaTedmon
    AlanaTedmon Posts: 105 Member
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    KarenJanine wrote: »
    You've only been on it a week. Come back when you've been sticking to it for months/years.

    I'm curious to know why it's developed a bad rep. My parents turned me onto it because they've used it most of their adult life.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
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    Like most other diet plans, they only succeed while the user is following the plan. Once the diet ends and user returns to 'normal' food, old habits return and sooner or later the weight returns.

    Most diets will only work as long as the person is prepared to stick to it.
  • AlanaTedmon
    AlanaTedmon Posts: 105 Member
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    I've heard people complain that right after they did the Atkins they fell off of it afterwards. Maybe diets don't generally work for some people but if it's something you like doing I don't see it being a big issue. I could honestly see myself eating meats, veggies, eggs and cheese for years.
  • AlanaTedmon
    AlanaTedmon Posts: 105 Member
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    MrM27 wrote: »
    You don't even know if that "diet" will work for you. You just started.

    Why are you using quotation marks? Atkins is a diet.

    I'm asking what's with the bad rap. I'm not trying to convert people.
  • AlanaTedmon
    AlanaTedmon Posts: 105 Member
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    MrM27 wrote: »
    Many people don't feel it's necessary. And again, do it for some time then make an opinion if it works or you can stick to it.

    Have you gone on the Atkins or a low-carb diet before? What do you think of it?
  • AlanaTedmon
    AlanaTedmon Posts: 105 Member
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    MrM27 wrote: »
    Why would I if I don't feel it's necessary? I like eating bagels, ice cream, pizza, rice etc.

    I understand that from your profile. I'm curious to get solid first-hand information from people who've had experience with this particular diet.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    AlanaTedmon wrote: »
    I'm asking what's with the bad rap. I'm not trying to convert people.

    If you're addicted to pizza or breakfast cereal etc you might be alarmed at the prospect of not being able to eat those things. Some people are motivated to attack anything that isn't their way of doing things - gives them a feeling their way is right perhaps.

    I've been eating low carb for 3 or 4 years (I forget !) generally in line with the Atkins program but not using it as a rule book.
  • AlanaTedmon
    AlanaTedmon Posts: 105 Member
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    yarwell wrote: »

    If you're addicted to pizza or breakfast cereal etc you might be alarmed at the prospect of not being able to eat those things. Some people are motivated to attack anything that isn't their way of doing things - gives them a feeling their way is right perhaps.

    I've been eating low carb for 3 or 4 years (I forget !) generally in line with the Atkins program but not using it as a rule book.

    Right, that's the only thing about this diet. Breakfast cereal, pretty much any starch and refined carbs are out but I don't think it's the worst thing since they are pretty addictive and I've never personally felt really filled up from a bowl of cereal or a piece of bread.

    This last year I came off of a pescatarian diet that was pretty high-carb and I lost quite a bit of weight on it at first but then promptly gained it all back and then some.

    I decided to go back to meats and see if this was a better lifestyle choice; since I was raised on a low-carb diet growing up.

    Did you lose any weight from it? How has low-carb worked for you?
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    I lost about 50 pounds, mainly in the first 6 months. Works fine for me. Since losing the weight I've started doing a bit of running and have done two 5k and a 10k event without embarrassing times. Health is good.

    Fish works fine on low carb esp if you get the fattier / oilier ones as Atkins is high fat, moderate protein, low carb and not a "pure meat" diet as portrayed by some.
  • AlanaTedmon
    AlanaTedmon Posts: 105 Member
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    That's awesome. I was wondering if doing long runs or circuit training would be hard with less carbs; at first I would feel really tired doing my insanity workouts when I started the induction phase of the Atkins. It's good to hear that a real runner is able to do well on a low-carb diet.

    I love pan fried tilapia and tuna; I haven't stopped eating fish by any means. I've just reintroduced other meats back into the equation. I missed the red stuff.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    I wouldn't call myself a real runner by a mile, have barely run in my life other than to catch livestock or a bus. There's an adaptation phase to go through where your body gets tuned up to be fuelled by fatty acids and ketones rather than by glucose, once you're past that the half million calories in your fat reserves are available to fuel endurance activities.

    I'm also anaemic (since forever) so my aerobic fitness is compromised, but I have run 5k in just under 30 minutes and 10k in a shade over an hour. I have cycled 19 miles to work and back (with a couple of fairly steep hills in the way) and I have done 1hr circuit training classes quite often. So low carb does not mean couch potato - which is another source of haters who fear they will be trying to lose weight doing a "Biggest Loser" while low carbers sit sipping cream in a hot tub.
  • bigsistruck
    bigsistruck Posts: 125 Member
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    I did low carb for a few months, and strictly at that...staying under 20g of carbs the whole time...no cheating. It DOES take away your appetite and I was amazed by that. I didn't lose any more weight than I did with a low calorie diet though, so that's why I quit doing it. However, I still try to watch my carbs and fill up on protein. It truly works if you can stick with it!
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    AlanaTedmon wrote: »
    MrM27 wrote: »
    You don't even know if that "diet" will work for you. You just started.

    Why are you using quotation marks? Atkins is a diet.

    I'm asking what's with the bad rap. I'm not trying to convert people.

    Do you plan on sticking to a low carb diet for the rest of your life? Don't you think you'll eventually start to miss things like fruit, pizza, beer, ice cream, pie, cake, etc?

    I personally think that all "restrictive" diets are a bad idea because people often get sick of them in the long run and then gain back the weight they lost.
  • peter56765
    peter56765 Posts: 352 Member
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    ahamm002 wrote: »
    AlanaTedmon wrote: »
    MrM27 wrote: »
    You don't even know if that "diet" will work for you. You just started.

    Why are you using quotation marks? Atkins is a diet.

    I'm asking what's with the bad rap. I'm not trying to convert people.

    Do you plan on sticking to a low carb diet for the rest of your life? Don't you think you'll eventually start to miss things like fruit, pizza, beer, ice cream, pie, cake, etc?

    I personally think that all "restrictive" diets are a bad idea because people often get sick of them in the long run and then gain back the weight they lost.

    Yup. Did Atkins for a year. Lost quite a bit of weight and yes, it really does curb your appetite. But it really is a very restrictive diet. Say goodbye to 80% of everything at the grocery store and 95% of everything on a restaurant menu. Eating out or at a friend's house was always awkward. Frankly, I just love all kinds of food too much to be able to live that way for the rest of my life. I gained it all back and then some.

    Now I just count calories and don't worry about much else. If I go over on one day, I make it up the next day. Easy peasy. No miserable "induction phase" to suffer through because I had a slice of cake and scoop of ice cream at my niece's birthday. I've been at my goal weight two years this way and greatly prefer this to Atkins.

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