Atkins Diet Revisited
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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.
Low-carb diet for me doesn't mean cutting out fruits forever. Of course I'll always consider eating pizza, pie and cake to be a kind of splurging, but I think those items are on most diets splurge list anyway.
It seems like most people prefer quantitative diets to qualitative, which for me is kind of a nuisance because after doing any amount of circuit training I have a massive appetite. So keeping everything under 2000 calories is sometimes a nuisance because my body demands food.
I feel like also restricting your diet to a certain amount of calories every day is bound to make the idea of binging far more tempting in the long run, so it's better to just restrict the kinds of foods you eat so that you don't feel hungry as often.0 -
peter56765 wrote: »
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.
Doing a no carb diet would be one thing but just a low-carb does allow for many other foods at restaurants and friends houses. To be fair I was raised by parents who only ever did the atkins diet so I was used to hardly ever eating carbohydrates but when I moved out and went to college I gained a ton of weight because I started eating the way most of consumer America eats.
I would have pizzas, cinnamon rolls, humongous salad bowls of cereal and eating those things would be incredibly tasty but they only made me want more because they don't really curb your hunger unless you eat huge quantities.
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bigsistruck wrote: »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!
Absolutely! That's the one thing I've always struggled with. When I'm watching my calorie intake I tend to be hungry all the time; now that I'm focusing on fats and proteins though I'm hardly ever that way. I used to be unable to finish workouts because I would have to stop and grab a banana or a protein bar since I'd be too hungry, waiting two hours after a meal to finally attempt a workout. I feel like this system works so much better for me personally.
You're right though, it's about being able to stick with it in the long run.
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People on this site are MOSTLY here for a lifestyle change. We want to eat in a style we can maintain for the rest of our lives - not be on some restrictive diet that will work for x number of weeks - just to transition to 'real' food - and go back to horrible patterns. So - seriously - can you maintain this Atkins eating style forever? Why not incorporate foods into your life - and a way of healthy eating - that you can maintain forever? Most 'diets' such as Atkins fail because people can't transition to 'normal' food without going back to their old/bad habits. My husband has been on Atkins for about 5+ years - off and on. He's lost the same 50 lbs about 5 times. Now, he needs to lose about 70 lbs. He can't transition from Atkins to 'regular' food. From what I hear - this is the norm, unfortunately.0
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People on this site are MOSTLY here for a lifestyle change. We want to eat in a style we can maintain for the rest of our lives - not be on some restrictive diet that will work for x number of weeks - just to transition to 'real' food - and go back to horrible patterns. So - seriously - can you maintain this Atkins eating style forever? Why not incorporate foods into your life - and a way of healthy eating - that you can maintain forever? Most 'diets' such as Atkins fail because people can't transition to 'normal' food without going back to their old/bad habits. My husband has been on Atkins for about 5+ years - off and on. He's lost the same 50 lbs about 5 times. Now, he needs to lose about 70 lbs. He can't transition from Atkins to 'regular' food. From what I hear - this is the norm, unfortunately.
It really isn't hard for me to stick to an Atkins diet because I was kind of raised on it; I could easily enjoy all manners of meat and cheese and veggies indefinitely but that's because I'm surrounded by people that eat the exact same way. Of course from time to time you're bound to have a piece of pizza and a beer but you always consider it splurging and not really the norm.
I feel like your environment can really play a large role in what kind of diet you're able to forge for yourself. You have to treat the low-carb diet the same way a vegetarian would treat their diet. You just abstain from certain foods. There are plenty of people who manage to live their lives that way indefinitely.0 -
AlanaTedmon wrote: »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?
Because:
1. It's not socially viable. If you go out often or attend events where higher carb food is being served you are either stuck not eating or nibbling on a very limited selection of foods. This may make the host feel awkward or your friends feel like you are not being a part of their social ritual.
2. It's not for anyone who has certain issues such as kidney or liver disease, headaches or constipation.
3. After a while, it makes you smell funny.
4. It's not sustainable long term for everyone. Any diet that has "No" foods isn't, and Atkins has one of the longest list of these foods.
5. You can eat cheese and mayo without swearing off potatoes.
6. It's just not necessary for weight loss.
7. Quite a few people subscribe to the slogan "if it ain't my diet, it ain't good", and since Atkin users are a minority you'll hear a lot of negative comments.
If you like it and feel it's sustainable for you then by all means continue an don't mind the negative comments
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It gets a bad rap because there's no need to stick to 30 grams of carbs or below or whatever it is to lose weight, or to give up fruit and potatoes and ice cream, if you happen to like those foods. But if someone prefers eating that way, I wouldn't criticize. I think it's a fine eating plan for some people, just not me.
Beyond that, I think it's historically gotten a bad rap from some health-oriented types or "experts" because of the idea that it promotes eating lots of red meat and cheese and bacon, etc., which they see as bad for you. So it gets criticized for being about losing weight in an unhealthy way. Personally, I think low fat is a worse diet (if I had to pick one I'd do low carb over low fat, but luckily I don't have to do either) and the problems with saturated fat and red meat are oversold, so I'm not making that criticism, just reporting it.0 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »AlanaTedmon wrote: »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?
Because:
1. It's not socially viable. If you go out often or attend events where higher carb food is being served you are either stuck not eating or nibbling on a very limited selection of foods. This may make the host feel awkward or your friends feel like you are not being a part of their social ritual.
2. It's not for anyone who has certain issues such as kidney or liver disease, headaches or constipation.
3. After a while, it makes you smell funny.
4. It's not sustainable long term for everyone. Any diet that has "No" foods isn't, and Atkins has one of the longest list of these foods.
5. You can eat cheese and mayo without swearing off potatoes.
6. It's just not necessary for weight loss.
7. Quite a few people subscribe to the slogan "if it ain't my diet, it ain't good", and since Atkin users are a minority you'll hear a lot of negative comments.
If you like it and feel it's sustainable for you then by all means continue an don't mind the negative comments
I definitely can see how some people would see it as being tricky to navigate social settings on this diet. I think I've been kind of lucky in that many dinner parties I've been to provide cheese and veggie platters but that's definitely not the case all the time.
It really does have a very long list of restrictions but do the foods really make you smell after a period of time?? I've never heard of that!
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lemurcat12 wrote: »It gets a bad rap because there's no need to stick to 30 grams of carbs or below or whatever it is to lose weight, or to give up fruit and potatoes and ice cream, if you happen to like those foods. But if someone prefers eating that way, I wouldn't criticize. I think it's a fine eating plan for some people, just not me.
Beyond that, I think it's historically gotten a bad rap from some health-oriented types or "experts" because of the idea that it promotes eating lots of red meat and cheese and bacon, etc., which they see as bad for you. So it gets criticized for being about losing weight in an unhealthy way. Personally, I think low fat is a worse diet (if I had to pick one I'd do low carb over low fat, but luckily I don't have to do either) and the problems with saturated fat and red meat are oversold, so I'm not making that criticism, just reporting it.
I definitely feel like following the Atkins to the letter isn't really the best idea; seems like people who have more success with it do an augmented version.
The high-fat portion of the diet does get dicey for some people; being allowed to eat tons of bacon and mayonnaise is pretty strange if you're concerned about your weight since people have believed for awhile that high-fat foods will make you fat. You are what you eat and such.
Thanks for the information; I appreciate it.0 -
AlanaTedmon wrote: »do the foods really make you smell after a period of time?? I've never heard of that!
Only if you're in ketosis. You would need to be very vigilant with your oral and body hygiene on such a diet. I've known quite a few people who struggled with bad breath and sweat that smells like pee.
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I did Atkins for several years about 8-10 years ago. I lost lots of weight and kept it off fairly well. The problem was I did get very bored of the limited food options. I don't eat seafood because it grosses me out so that limited my options even more. It also felt like the minute I decided to splurge on something sweet It set me back by 2-3 weeks.
I think if I'd tried a little harder to stick with it as a lifestyle and learned how to cook more dishes with variety of flavors I would probably have been fine... but after several years of eating the exact same thing every day I just couldn't do it. Even now many years later I pretty much want to throw up at the site of bacon, pork rinds or heavy whipping cream.
(My fault for not creating other stuff or experimenting with new flavors)
With that said. I think Dr. Atkins was a genius and I will always give him props for proving there's another way to lose weight... (people around here will argue with you till their last breath that you cant possibly lose weight eating MORE calories and It makes me smile). Even now 30 years later a lot of studies trying to disprove the low carb lifestyle end up showing its just as good, if not better for you, than low calorie/low fat lifestyles.
These days I'm keeping my carbs low-ish (shooting for 75 and below) so I can still have a bit of fruit and the occasional bit of bread and it seems to be working. Its tricky balancing the numbers but I can have the variety I need this way. Plus, keeping the carbs low and protein up has definitely helped with appetite on a low calorie plan.
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I did atkins when I was teen. I wasnt fat, but thought I could stand to lose a few.
Here is what happened. I got constipated, bloated, heartburn, awful breath (like granny smith apples, that had turned rotten) and ultimately gained weight.
I had dreams of eating a whole loaf of french bread. No joke.
Controlling carb intake is not necessary for weight loss. I personally just ate a big pita with hummus and celery while writing this.0 -
I followed the Atkins method years ago, but didn't last long. I loved the food and was never hungry but other things worried me so I quit. I was very active at the time and I suddenly was too fatigued to finish a workout and my suddenly bad moods alarmed my family. I now understand that had I pushed through those problems until I could get used to this way of eating, they would have faded away.
The bad rep comes from (as others have said) the weight gains when the diet is over. I don't think it was ever intended solely as a weight loss plan, but a way eating for health reasons. You're not supposed to finish and then go off the plan. Of course I can't say whether this is a sustainable way to eat or not.
Another reason for the bad reputation comes from people having been told all their lives that too much meat and fatty foods would kill them in time. So having a guy come out and tell you just the opposite was regarded with suspicion.0 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »AlanaTedmon wrote: »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?
Because:
1. It's not socially viable. If you go out often or attend events where higher carb food is being served you are either stuck not eating or nibbling on a very limited selection of foods. This may make the host feel awkward or your friends feel like you are not being a part of their social ritual.
There are days when I eat less than someone who has been on Atkins for months would eat (as Atkins, done properly, reintroduces carbohydrates into the diet on a weekly basis). I also dine out more than the vast majority of people on this site. I have yet to have a real social dilemma.
3. It's not for anyone who has certain issues such as kidney or liver disease, headaches or constipation.
I think you can safely say that people with kidney or liver disease shouldn't be getting their diet advice from the MFP forums, but should worry about treating their medical condition. As for headaches and constipation, that's pretty much nonsense - it depends entirely on why people are getting headaches and constipation.
5. After a while, it makes you smell funny.
... what? You realize that after a while, carbohydrates have been reintroduced on a proper Atkins diet, to the point that it's more like the average paleo macros than a ketogenic diet. At this point, I'm highly questioning whether you actually know what the Atkins diet involves beyond induction.
7. It's not sustainable long term for everyone. Any diet that has "No" foods isn't, and Atkins has one of the longest list of these foods.
I don't entirely agree, again as carbohydrates are reintroduced over time. But either way, it doesn't matter. Most people use the diet as a tool for cutting weight, and thus only need to sustain as long as it takes to drop weight. It's a nonsense that you need to eat the same way for the rest of your life to keep the weight off.
9. You can eat cheese and mayo without swearing off potatoes.
So?
11. It's just not necessary for weight loss.
So? Lots of things aren't necessary for weight loss. For instance, eating anything whatsoever isn't necessary for weight loss.
13. Quite a few people subscribe to the slogan "if it ain't my diet, it ain't good", and since Atkin users are a minority you'll hear a lot of negative comments.
Indeed. But once you learn to spot the people who don't actually know what they're talking about and think Atkins is all about the 2 week induction phase, those comments shouldn't realy bother you.
If you like it and feel it's sustainable for you then by all means continue an don't mind the negative comments
I don't even follow Atkins, but give me a break.
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lemurcat12 wrote: »It gets a bad rap because there's no need to stick to 30 grams of carbs or below or whatever it is to lose weight, or to give up fruit and potatoes and ice cream, if you happen to like those foods. But if someone prefers eating that way, I wouldn't criticize. I think it's a fine eating plan for some people, just not me.
Beyond that, I think it's historically gotten a bad rap from some health-oriented types or "experts" because of the idea that it promotes eating lots of red meat and cheese and bacon, etc., which they see as bad for you. So it gets criticized for being about losing weight in an unhealthy way. Personally, I think low fat is a worse diet (if I had to pick one I'd do low carb over low fat, but luckily I don't have to do either) and the problems with saturated fat and red meat are oversold, so I'm not making that criticism, just reporting it.
It always surprises me how many people's knowledge of the Atkins diet starts and ends at the induction phase. Doing nothing but the induction phase is essentially a standard ketogenic diet. The Atkins diet slowly reintroduces carbohydrates into your diet over time and the macros for many people end up looking more like a paleo diet without the arbitrary food restrictions like dairy and legumes.
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I was just about to say this Parks. People who have little knowledge of Atkins love to talk about how unsustainable and restrictive a diet it is. Little do they know that the last phase does have bread, fruits, etc.lemurcat12 wrote: »It gets a bad rap because there's no need to stick to 30 grams of carbs or below or whatever it is to lose weight, or to give up fruit and potatoes and ice cream, if you happen to like those foods. But if someone prefers eating that way, I wouldn't criticize. I think it's a fine eating plan for some people, just not me.
Beyond that, I think it's historically gotten a bad rap from some health-oriented types or "experts" because of the idea that it promotes eating lots of red meat and cheese and bacon, etc., which they see as bad for you. So it gets criticized for being about losing weight in an unhealthy way. Personally, I think low fat is a worse diet (if I had to pick one I'd do low carb over low fat, but luckily I don't have to do either) and the problems with saturated fat and red meat are oversold, so I'm not making that criticism, just reporting it.
It always surprises me how many people's knowledge of the Atkins diet starts and ends at the induction phase. Doing nothing but the induction phase is essentially a standard ketogenic diet. The Atkins diet slowly reintroduces carbohydrates into your diet over time and the macros for many people end up looking more like a paleo diet without the arbitrary food restrictions like dairy and legumes.
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KarenJanine wrote: »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.
You do understand Atkins has four phases, the 4th being ongoing? As in forever right? Many people eat low carb as a lifestyle.0 -
It's funny how some people get defensive about their diet as if someone is insulting their loved ones even when it's not being attacked. I could go on and comment on every point you made but I don't feel the need to, because it boils down to one thing: it's easier for most people, socially and otherwise, to not have any restriction for the types of food they are allowed to eat. For those who find it easier to live with restrictions, a restrictive diet is a better choice.
I don't even follow Atkins, but give me a break.
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