Hungry on Atkins...??????

Eat a balanced diet of carbs and protein. Just make sure you are eating a little protein and some veggies and fruits daily. You can keep track of your protein grams here.

Do you know how many calories you burn on a daily basis? To lose 1lb per week...you need to have a deficit of 500 calories per day (so, burning 500 more calories than you are eating). If you have more muscle..then you probably are burning more calories than you think you might need to eat more than 1300 calories. So, if you are burning 2500 calories a day....you should be eating 2000 calories and you will still lose 1lb per week. Then maybe on days where you don't work out...then only eat 1300-1500. I try to watch my carbs too...even though I'm not on Adkins. I usually try to stick to whole grains and I eat them earlier in the day....not for dinner. I think a good balance of carbs, protein, and fat is the healthiest way to go.

I have been a member here for about 2 weeks. I have been Atkins follower since January. Ever since I started logging in food on MFP ( which is great!), I have been hungry. I wanted to lose 1 lbs per week, so my calorie intake is 1300. However, I am hungry on 1300!!!! I know that a lot of you out there are againts the Atkins approach, so this question is more for low-carbers out there... What do I do??? Up my calories and just pay attention to carbs? I do work out about 6 times per week ( Jillian Michaels) and I have noticed that I have a lot more muscles and perhaps am burning more cal just to sustain energy for day to day activies...?
Please, any help would be much appreciated.

Hi! I'm doing Atkins. One reason you may be hungry is that you're tracking your calories. You only need to count your carbs, and not worry about calories. I don't know what phase you're in, but if you're in Induction (phase I), then you should be doing 20 net carbs a day. You should be getting at least 12 of your carbs from veggies and salads (roughly 1 cup salad and 1 cup of veggies from the approved list).

You can adjust your daily food chart on MFP to count carbs and fiber only. I have mine set to keep track of carbs, fibers and sugar, but also calories. I noticed when I follow the Atkins plan, I'm still never over 1700 calories a day, and that's on days when I may have eaten more protein than usual.

Are you following the plan? Are you drinking enough water? If you are doing the plan by the book, your body should be in fat-burning mode (ketosis) and you shouldn't have any hunger or cravings!

You can friend me if you have any questions or need support! Good luck!

It may just be in your head. I know how you feel. My trainer got me on a high protein diet and it was great for a few weeks until I started getting my carb cravings back.. I was like hmm?? why am I always in the mood to snack now?? but its because you're on a diet. I'm supposed to be eating 1200 calories.. 1300 calories isnt a lot so you're basically eating a lot less than your body is used to. Try eating things that keep you fuller longer and don't eat carbs late. Try to find recipes for high protein, low calories snacks (maybe even a low calorie protein bar, or hard boiled eggs?) to keep you throughout the day.

Good luck!


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Although Atkins is very controversial, I believe the way you choose to change your lifestyle is a personal thing. I have done Atkins in the past and had great results and kept it for a long time, then I got a lot of stress (child was sick) in my life and change my eating habits into bad one so yes I did gain but guess what, I didn't gain it all back. The one thing that I did notice on a control carb diet is that you loose fat and not lean body mass (muscles). My family doctor was totally against it at the beginning until she saw the benefits of this diet. I wouldn't keep track of my calories but rather my carb intact if I were you. You're really looking at sugars either simple or complex. Atkins when followed well works and is very healthy, it's not just protein and vegetables. That is the first 2 weeks then you add fruits, grains, dairy... etc. Protein should be portion wise. The reason why so many people are having issues are because they overeat on protein and do not respect portions and don't drink enough water. Example: when eating a steak, lots of people eat almost 3 times their portion. Have you seen the portions we are served at restaurant and do you stop when you are done you portion or do you try eating the whole thing? Knowledge is the best tool. I have read a lot on these issues.
Everyone is different and looses differently. It also depends on your activity level, do you train normally 4 to 5 times per week or are you training for a marathon. Each person's needs will differ from one another and not everybody will metabolize the same. Right now, I'm not really doing Atkins but it's close, I really try to control my carbs and fill up more on good fats, protein and especially veggies. I eat oatmeal in the morning with a serving of fruit like berries of any kind. I eat no more than 2 servings a fruit per day ( berries again if possible), nuts, grains. I eat all the veggies I want since a full plate of raw veggies is only worth 100 calories. The trick is to eat it with cheese, avocado or hummus. Good fats help to keep you hunger at bay. If you are getting to hungry, you could be eating to many carbs. Since April, I have lost 25 lbs and it's because I eat this way. I make good choices and try to make it more like a lifestyle change than just a diet. If I want to eat cake at some kind of gathering, I do. I just don't eat it everyday and I don't eat the whole thing. The trick is not depriving yourself when you absolutely want something. Eat it and enjoy but don't go overboard. If you think you'll loose control, eat right all day then eat your treat before bed time and you won't have anymore time to eat anything else.
I hope it helps and do what works for you. Everybody is different and metabolizes differently! Best of luck!