Atkins/Carb Counting vs. Calorie Counting?

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laurynh925
laurynh925 Posts: 77 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I had tried counting Calories and i found it extremely difficult and I didn't lose much weight. My grandmother, a lady at my church and the pharmacist I work for all did the Atkins diet and lost a significant amount of weight. I was wondering what has been the most beneficial to you guys and just your thoughts and opinions on this?

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  • jml107
    jml107 Posts: 27
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    Counting calories has worked well for me so far. Make sure you aren't limiting your diet. If you don't get the proper nutrition you won't lose anything because your body is holding on to whatever it can. I tend to keep to a little less than 1000 calories a day, but in that 1000 calories I tend to eat "whatever" I want. It's more about portion control I've found.
  • sarahsmom1
    sarahsmom1 Posts: 1,501 Member
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    I count my calories and watch my carbs
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
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    So I had tried counting Calories and i found it extremely difficult and I didn't lose much weight. My grandmother, a lady at my church and the pharmacist I work for all did the Atkins diet and lost a significant amount of weight. I was wondering what has been the most beneficial to you guys and just your thoughts and opinions on this?


    http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/13897378/ns/today-today_health
  • OregonCountryGirl
    OregonCountryGirl Posts: 53
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    I did the Atkins diet years ago and I did lose weight! However I have done a lot of searching and found that it seems to work really well for certain blood types...... With that said I am a O! I have been doing this site for 20 days and have lost 3 pounds! I find it easier to eat what I want WITH IN my calorie range and like satated from another watching portion control much easier and actually kinda fun to see where I am at and what I have left for each day! I hope this helps you....... I have done several diets and I had a baby 9 months ago and can not seem to lose much weight! So I am going to stick with this for a least 60 days and see what I end up with! Good Luck!:smile:
  • judyfurtado
    judyfurtado Posts: 42 Member
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    I count my calories and eat healthy carbs.
  • BeckyKSmith
    BeckyKSmith Posts: 212 Member
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    I am counting Carbs AND Calories starting tomorrow for at least 2 weeks to see how I feel. I am desperate to lose 10lbs before my first 10K. It should kick me into ketosis, which burns fat quickly. I am curious to see how I feel with the net 1200 calories with that though. Add me as a friend if you want to try this together! I'm struggling with what I will pack for lunch on the road tomorrow though.
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
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    I count calories and carbs staying under 180g of carbs and 1200-1500 calories
  • Sinz2011
    Sinz2011 Posts: 59 Member
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    So I have dont the atkins diet and I ended up loosing 40lbs. After the diet period ended, I use to watch my food but not to the extend on the diet and within 6 months i had put on 60lbs. My body went into a rebound after eating so many protein, that when i started eating carbs for some reason it addded double the weight. Its not feasible in the long run at allm, its good for short term, small weight losses for say an upcomming event where you would need to loose a max of 10lbs.

    I have been doin p90 and p90x and both have worked very well for me. Atleast with these programs you know there arent any side effects. Its pure excercise. I didnt even incorporate the recovery drink and protein bars and still managed to loose 5lbs a week just doing p90x. It is a tough program, i was only able to be on it for 2 weeks, but the results were miraculous. If you are up for a bigg challenge go for p90x, if not try p90 and start from there. :) hope this helps:smile:
  • sweet_lotus
    sweet_lotus Posts: 194 Member
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    Aktins is very helpful for weight loss, but, you have to stay committed to the idea of carb restriction *indefinitely* to keep the weight off. Adherence is an issue for a lot of people but some people, though some are able to stay on Atkins for years. I personally hated it. Try reading the book and see if it is something you'd like to do.

    If calorie counting is difficult for you - maybe try to figure out why, and how to make it easier? Because with Atkins you will have to count carbs - it's the same amount of work.
  • shimila1101
    shimila1101 Posts: 119
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    I read Atkins and didn't agree with the carb restrictions in the maintenance phase. I did the South Beach diet a couple times and each time I lost over 40 lbs in a very short amount of time. Then life happened and I gained it all back. This time, I'm counting calories and watching carbs (if it's white, don't bite!).
  • robertf57
    robertf57 Posts: 560 Member
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    You need to realize that personal preferences and social norms will play a significant role in whether a particular eating style is successful for an individual. The bottom line is that energy balance is what matters in weight loss. It truly is calories in vs calories out. With that being said, the low carbohydrate approach works well for many (but not all) people, helping to limit hunger and cravings. You may want to look at the A to Z weight loss study (JAMA, March 7, 2007—Vol 297, No. 9:969). This was a randomized trial comparing Atkins to Zone to Ornish and the LEARN diets. The low carb approach worked very well for this population. You also may be interested in a study looking a weight loss maintenance published in the November in the New England J of Medicine (n engl j med 363;22). This was a European study which showed that modest increases in protein and a lower glycemic index were better in maintenance of weight loss. The real trick is finding what works for YOU. If you want to try a low carb approach, give it a shot. If simply watching calories works for you: Have at it!

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