Is Atkins Diet really sustainable?

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mjcbills1980
mjcbills1980 Posts: 14 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Trying to decipher if counting calories, OR carbs is best for sustainable long-term weight loss? Is Atkins something people stick with more than short term? I feel people can’t eat low carb for life. Any thoughts?

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  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,028 Member
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    Anyone who doesn't feel satisfied on carbs could easily do low-carb long term. Ultimately for weight loss though it's always going to be counting calories that matter. If you're not counting calories you have no idea how much you're eating unless you happen to be very good at eyeballing. And even then you need some working knowledge.
  • fuzzylop72
    fuzzylop72 Posts: 651 Member
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    Calories is 99% of what that matters for weight loss. Atkins is a restrictive style of eating that some people find suits their preferences pretty well, and find some success with it -- although I suspect keto is a more common way to eat low carb/high fat these days.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    mjcbills1980 wrote: »
    I feel people can’t eat low carb for life.

    What do you mean by "can't"? That they'll literally die if all they had access to was low carb?
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    It is. I've been doing induction or stage 2 for most of the last 3 years, for weight loss and maintenance.

    Those that stick with it do so because of the benefits they get: easier weight loss due to reduced appetite and lower cravings, or health improvements. If you do not have any of those benefits, chances are you won't stick with it over the long term, unless you just really like low carb foods.

    It's a personal thing. For me it was excellent. I do occasionally miss sugars, but I crave it MUCH less than when I had it more regularly. For others, cutting back on carbs (especially in the first 2 weeks) was too hard. YMMV.
  • AlyssaPetsDogs
    AlyssaPetsDogs Posts: 421 Member
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    I was low carb and then Keto and then low carb and now just trying to avoid breads and pastas regularly (I will just eat them nonstop). Throughout all of these ways of eating and now, I was also counting calories and losing weight. I personally found Keto to be too much for me because I wasn’t about to give up on breads and fruit forever - but any cheat day would really set me back. I didn’t mind low carb and did it for almost two years, with cheat days where I would have whatever. I think i would be sad if I cut out something forever. For me, I just make better choices more often and treat myself as needed. There’s a lot of Facebook groups that have Keto or low carb people for life. Maybe check them out!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    mjcbills1980 wrote: »
    Trying to decipher if counting calories, OR carbs is best for sustainable long-term weight loss? Is Atkins something people stick with more than short term? I feel people can’t eat low carb for life. Any thoughts?

    Some people can get away with not counting calories because low carb eliminates enough (favorite) foods to eliminate calories. But if you are going to swap out other calorie dense foods (ie: fats) for the carbs you are avoiding.....you are possibly going to be eating the same calories.

    ALL weight loss (okay surgery excluded) but every other method requires a calorie deficit.

    Can some people eat low carb forever? Sure. People with medical issues have an extra incentive. But I don't "diet" low carb because that will not be part of my maintenance plan. It makes no sense for me to log and measure "diet" food because when I get to goal, I still have to figure out portions for "regular" food.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Some people find doing keto a breeze, others will struggle. Only you know if you will find this way of eating sustainable or not.
    I enjoyed doing low carb, the only things i truly missed was the abundance of fruit in summer. I do enjoy pasta and rice, but i subbed that out for cauliflower rice, i still do now even though i'm not low carbing anymore.
  • OkinoFan
    OkinoFan Posts: 2 Member
    edited January 2018
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    I'm doing Keto. I am Type II diabetic. I am one year out of treatment for Breast Cancer. While in treatment, the Chemo did a number on my kidneys and I had to be hospitalized multiple times for fluids. It never failed, whenever I would go into the hospital, I would be off my diabetes medication (a couple of times they had to give me something to raise my blood sugar). It finally clicked that while undergoing Chemo, I could not tolerate carbs (actually, I couldn't tolerate much of anything). I lost 71 pounds, my A1C dropped to normal, and my blood sugar was registering somewhere between 83 and 95. My oncologist wants me to drop more weight and I think Keto may end up being a lifestyle change for me because of my health issues.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    OkinoFan wrote: »
    I'm doing Keto. I am Type II diabetic. I am one year out of treatment for Breast Cancer. While in treatment, the Chemo did a number on my kidneys and I had to be hospitalized multiple times for fluids. It never failed, whenever I would go into the hospital, I would be off my diabetes medication (a couple of times they had to give me something to raise my blood sugar). It finally clicked that while undergoing Chemo, I could not tolerate carbs (actually, I couldn't tolerate much of anything). I lost 71 pounds, my A1C dropped to normal, and my blood sugar was registering somewhere between 83 and 95. My oncologist wants me to drop more weight and I think Keto may end up being a lifestyle change for me because of my health issues.

    keto is often sustainable for those with diabetes, its also been known to help with PCOS,insulin resistance and people with seizure disorders. mainly epilepsy as thats what the diet was originally for. so yeah for you it may be something you have to do to keep things in check. sorry you had to go through chemo and all that. I hope you are now in remission and feeling better.
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,573 Member
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    It was not for me!! I was ready to hurt people 3 weeks in.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,605 Member
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    All I did was read about it and it wasn't sustainable.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    It's sustainable for some.

    I don't think Atkins would necessarily be all that tough if you are someone who enjoys lower carb eating -- the induction is basically keto, but I think you eventually increase carbs to find a level comfortable for you.

    Calories are what matter for weight loss/maintenance, though. Low carb or counting carbs works if you reduce your calories (or have an easier time keeping calories where they should be eating that way) or if you are someone who just happens to find a lower carb diet enjoyable and thus more sustainable.

    I'd probably start counting calories and then, if interested, experiment with lowering carbs.

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