Thinking of starting Atkins again?

billsrule2015 · May 2016

I lost 80lbs on Atkins back in 2005, and always toy with the idea of doing it again. Problem was I got bored of the choices, went on a weekend binge and never looked back as I regained all the weight and some. I prefer doing myfitnesspal and eating from all food groups, I just find myself always hungry and thinking about food. Anyone have suggestions on whether Atkins is a sustainable lifetime approach, or should I stick with the usual "calories in vs calories out" approach? Thanks!

Asher_Ethan · May 2016

It depends who you are. My mom started Atkins back in 2005, lost 50 pounds and has kept it of all this time while maintaining a low carb life style.
I tried Atkins in 2005 and I hated it. I got super emotional and missed being able to eat pizza and French fries.
I prefer MFP because I can eat what I want.

If you're hungry all the time while doing MFP then your weekly weight loss goal may be too aggressive.

queenliz99 · May 2016

Atkins was tough for me too! I totally get it! I have done so much better just watching my calorie intake. Some people find eating a protein at every meal helps them stay fuller longer.

Sabine_Stroehm · May 2016

I think it really does depend on the person.
Some folks do well calorie counting and plan to forever.
Some folks do well calorie counting and "wean off" that.
Some folks do well with a formal diet.
Some folks do well with a plan like Atkins that "tells you" what to eat.

It really depends on the person.
Good luck!

cross2bear · May 2016

You answered your own question - was it sustainable for YOU?

MynameisChester · May 2016

If you're looking for sustainability, I always liked applying the 80/20 rule. It's not perfect but it's good enough. So In your case you can apply a 80 %Atkins-ish approach and reserve the 20% for wonderful wonderfull carbs!

cbelc2 · May 2016

Talk with your doctor and have labs done first to make sure your kidneys can handle it. Atkins can be amazing for weight loss, and I was on it as a teen, but my very first dialysis patient was doing fine with genetically small kidneys until she went on Atkins to lose weight. Protein molecules are large and hard to excrete. It happens with tissue damage, such as burns, too.

kommodevaran · May 2016

It sounds to me like a happy medium should work for you - take what you've learnt from the two different approaches and create your own diet plan - incorporating all food groups, but leaning more heavily on fat and protein, and making room for moderate amounts of treats.

eldamiano · May 2016

I always thought that once would be one too many times.

MelaniaTrump · May 2016

You will eventually find what fits for YOU.
I think one common success is avoiding the junk carbs.
ex: sugary drinks, chips, cake, cookies, candy.
Another success I see is people that cook their own food and avoid fast food and processed food.

You can lose weight on a high good carb diet. I am.
Lots of beans, lentils, oatmeal, etc. Greens often.
It doesn't really matter what you choose, as long as you stay within your caloric goal.
Choose HEALTH as your goal, and you will win !!!

tlflag1620 · May 2016

I eat LCHF and have for nearly three years now, but I never did any formal plan like Atkins. It seems too contrived for me. I just reduced my carbs over a period of a couple weeks to a point where my appetite was regulated and cravings went away. I don't shoot for ketosis (tho I imagine I probably go in and out of it depending on my carb intake) so I've never deliberately eaten very low carb. Of all the people I know who have tried Atkins, most couldn't get past the induction phase (which is ketogenic). But you don't need to start with induction, you can start in ongoing weight loss. Or you could just play with your macros to find what suits you without following a formal plan. Hunger sucks (and makes any diet harder to sustain), so I can understand wanting to eat in a way that allows you to create a deficit without feeling hungry. LC may help with that, but you don't necessarily need to do Atkins to lower your carbs.

_lyndseybrooke_ · May 2016

Depends on you. I don't personally know anyone that has sustained weight loss using Atkins, but that certainly doesn't mean they don't exist. I did Atkins in high school for four months and lost 40 lbs. It also made me hate a lot of foods because I basically had no variety in my diet. That was my fault, though. I also lost all of that weight without exercising...mostly because I never felt I had the energy to exercise. I eventually gained back 30 of those pounds - again, my fault.

Low carb just isn't for me. I don't know why I thought it might be, because I LOVE carbs. This time around, I lost my weight eating moderate amounts of carbs, fat, and protein. I don't do low-anything because I find it unnecessary. I've kept the weight off without being miserable, and the food does a good job of fueling my 6x/week lifting sessions.

Some people genuinely enjoy low carb diets. I'm not one of those people. Maybe you are, but don't think you need to eat low carb in order to lose weight, because you don't.

murp4069 · May 2016

cross2bear wrote: »

You answered your own question - was it sustainable for YOU?

This. It seems from your post that Atkins was not a sustainable option for you, at least in the past. Why repeat then? Unless you have a medical reason to eat low carb, it's not necessary for weight loss. Your post also indicates that you've already been successful with the MFP straight approach of CICO. Perhaps you just need to play around with your macros (perhaps more protein?) or even increase fiber to keep you from feeling hungry all the time. Maybe you could adjust meal and/or snack timing to work better for you. These are the two areas I would probably start with before seriously considering a diet that I know is probably not sustainable for me.

maxit · May 2016

You might consider 3 weeks on what I called a "modified Atkins" back in the 90s - no alcohol whatsoever, carbs from fibrous, leafy, non-starchy vegetables only, little or no fruit, lower fat meat (lean pork and beef, chicken, fish with occasional fatty fish), higher protein dairy if you can tolerate dairy (i.e. low fat cottage cheese, nonfat greek yogurt without sugar), plus a multivitamin and some omega-3 capsules for insurance. Keep a calorie deficit going (for me it is easy to do eating this way). Keep your protein levels high enough & do resistance training a couple of times of week to spare muscle loss as much as possible. Throw in a starchy carb-y meal every week or so (and don't fret over temporary water gain), and then assess in 2-3 weeks and see what you want to do. I have found it handy to drop some weight relatively painlessly, and then go back to maintenance.

Thinking of starting Atkins again?

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