Anyone Doing The Atkins Diet?

shantag850 · January 2015

I've seen my mum try it out with some success and am on day 3 of Atkins myself.

Has anyone else tried this diet with success? Does it work?

I'm currently 5"4, 170lbs

im_awesome_because_im_me · January 2015

Atkins has no carbs and you really need them for energy...as far as what I've read is that Atkins is recommended for older people...and essentially if you ween yourself off it you can balloon up one you introduce carbs...try tracking macros...

Chocothundathighs · January 2015

Im_awesome_becasue_im_me I don't think you know what you're talking about. OP I recommend going to this forum http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/. I am doing the keto diet which is essentially the first phase of the Atkins diet. While you consume LESS carbs you get your energy primarily from fat and moderate protein. Most lose a lot of weight the first week because your body lets go of the water that is attached to glycogen in your fat stores. It can be a healthy lifestyle and gives you great weight loss results. Lyle Mcdonald http://aaron.emascc.com/diet/ebooks/Lyle_McDonald_-_The_Ketogenic_Diet.pdf also has a great article all about low carb eating. I highly suggest getting read up on the literature to understand what is going on inside your body. Many people are against low carb diets simply because they don't understand the science, you can tell them to shove off!

dubble13 · January 2015

I'm against low carbs because carbs are delicious.

BodyByButter · January 2015

It scored very low on this recent ranking. An excerpt:

Many of our experts found the popular low-carb Atkins diet leaves much to be desired, at least as an all-purpose diet. Although our expert panel concluded that it could outperform nearly all of its competitors in short-term weight loss, unfavorable marks in other measures – including long-term weight loss, nutrition, safety and heart health – yanked down Atkins in the standings.

http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/best-overall-diets?page=4

Queen_JessieA · January 2015

I follow south beach. My endocrinologist recommended it. I think it is pretty similar to Atkins. And - I honestly do better on lower carb eating plans. I am not as hungry. I have more energy.

Having said that, I can't wait to get to phase two so I can have some fruit. I do miss a fruit!! But bread, pasta and rice don't speak to me.

shantag850 · January 2015

Thanks for the replies. I'm definitely going to check out the links and forums you've suggested.
I'm pretty determined so I don't fear the recoil that people speak about when talking of high protein diets and young so heart health should be fine.
Have experienced some shocking migraines after stripping sugar from my life, they were almost bad enough to make me break. On day 5 now and I seem to be through the worst of it

flabassmcgee · January 2015

I tried it. It made me feel satiated and full, but I felt horrible. Headaches, no energy, dizzy, etc. As soon as I reintroduced carbs, every bit of the "magic" weight loss came back (glycogen stores were depleted, then replenished maybe two days after I quit).

Unless you have a medical reason to lower your carb intake, there's no need to cut carbs. I was worried I might be prediabetic, but a doctor's visit proved me wrong.

Just eat at a calorie deficit and you will lose weight.

LeslieTSUK · January 2015

Try it:
If it works for you then it perfect, if it doesn't then it isn't.

Just do your research and make sure no matter what diet you try, you consume less calories than your body burns.

I did do the atkins diet but I couldn't maintain it, but I learned a lot from it.

I now do a 0% natural and/or refined sugar, medium net carb Lifestyle, and it works perfectly for me, probably be totally useless for anyone else.

But thats the key, do what is right for you and your body, anything else not worth the time or effort.

Best of luck

stevwil41 · January 2015

I started out following Atkins to the letter and had great success. I did start getting a little bored with the food choices as I worked my way up their carb ladder and I started cheating a little. Now I eat between 30 and 50 carbs a day and lose weight consistently. I eat more veggies than I've ever eaten in my life and I feel great and am rarely hungry. I actually feel guilty when I weigh myself because I'm losing and not starving myself.

I did 3 things that I think helped me immensely when I started. First while I was doing the research on Atkins I also started cutting carbs before I started the Atkins Induction Phase. I gave up sugary drinks, then a week later I gave up sugary snacks and the following week I gave up empty carbs with my breakfast. When I started Induction it wasn't quite the shock to the system it would have been otherwise. Second, I chose only to cook using ingredients I could get locally. If I can't get it at a local grocery store, farmer's market or health food store I don't use it. Third, I chose to eat whole foods (not bars or shakes) and not to try and substitute "fake" versions of foods I used to love. I have since found a few recipes for desserts that I like and occasionally have one but that was after several months of not eating dessert at all.

Overall, eating low carb has been the right choice for me. I cook more than I used to but when I eat out I can generally find something acceptable on the menu. Also, going low carb is not a good choice if you just want to lose some weight and then go back to eating the way you did in the past. The weight will come back and will come back fast. That being said, I lost 60 pounds eating at a calorie deficit using MFP a few years ago and gained 65 back so that is true of any sort of dietary change.

My best advice would be to do some research. I think I read 4 or 5 different books before I really started so I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. Good luck, not matter what you choose.

Anyone Doing The Atkins Diet?

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