ATKINS DIET. Anyone else done it? How was your experience?

I tried it once years ago, and the first week was the worst, i was so irritable and starving; I think I flipped out when I saw someone in the house ate my diet specific food! After the first week it gets better, and actually the consumption of so much protein kept me full.

My father also has done it and like like 90lb in 3 months.

Although, i have to be honest I do find your doctor recommending it to be surprising! it's one of those diets that works, but you have to stay on it for life! Once you start eating more normally it comes back. And, I have come to realize that not all carbs are equal, and it is essential for your body to get them.

As for the fats, I would stick to healthier ones like avocados, olive oil, salmon, and things of that nature. Stay away from faux fat like margarine instead of real butter.

Best of luck with your journey!

My mom and I both did this diet I lost 15 pounds but I always felt tired and sick. The minute I started to eat carbs again I gained the weight back. My mother lost close to 75 pounds in 6-8 months. I can't really remember but she looked like a different person but again once she started to intruduce carbs again she gained back most of the weight.

I loved the idea of eating things like cheese and steak lol and did lose a few lbs, but found it was not a style of eating that I couild maintain for long.

Gah!!! Your brain and your body need (good) carbs!!!! "Dr" Atkins should burn in hell, along with "Dr" Bernstein.

I've not done Atkins specifically but I have cut right down on carbs. One thing I can tell you is that the hunger you feel will subside very quickly.... carbs make you feel hunger so much more than other food, so for now, it's tough, but once your body adapts a bit more you will be feeling loads better and suffer far less from hunger pangs through the day.

I used to crash horribly when I was eating my normal/high amount of carbs, by cutting down, my blood sugar stays steady (I'm not even diabetic, just sensitive to the crashes I guess) and so even when I am hungry I don't feel it half as much as I used to!

As to whether the body "needs" carbs - it's debatable. There's a recent surge toward caveman/paleo diets (essentially, meat + veg in a nutshell) and evidence is coming out that they are great for the body. Your body learns to break down fats and even protein instead of carbohydrates for energy and as long as you keep eating well on such a regime it can work great. I've not gone so extreme though - more along the lines of, instead of having "meat, potato, veg" I'll tend toward "meat, veg, veg", still eating granola for breakfast etc.

I've never tried Atkins but my friends did while I followed Carbohydrate Addicts. CA doesn't count out foods entirely but restricts you to eating a serving of carbs once a day. I lost 25 lbs of the 50 I needed to lose but fell off the wagon. My Mom, a nurse, didn't like the idea of Atkins 'cos he pushed supplements. My friends also lost weight on Atkins but have since gained some back because they got tired of dieting.

Did you like the diet? Love it!

How long did you stick with it? I've been on it since Memorial Day...so like 2 1/2 months.

How much weight did you lose? I'm down 27lbs.

Any other suggestions about atikins? I don't follow the program exactly. I eat as many non starchy veggies as I want.

I don't do Atkins per say, but do limit my carbs to around 100 gr per day in order to control my blood sugar. Weight loss has been a wonderful side affect. Eat GOOD fats and they will help satisfy your hunger. And snack on high protein/good fats (like nuts) in between befor you get so hungry. Even though they seem like a lot of calories, your body will thank you for it. Best wishes!

Not that I advocate atkins... some of the principles I think are sound (i.e. reducing carbs, in the modern world we base our whole meals around them and I'm not sure that's right), but the rest is a bit... extreme.

Agreed.

Too much of ANY one macronutrient is not good, your body needs a balance for optimum nutrition. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the circumstances of his (Atkins) death, but one fact is not in dispute: he had heart disease. And from the pics I've seen of him, he appeared to be overweight.

In 2000, Dr. Atkins developed cardiomyopathy, an incurable heart condition which has quite a few different causes. His was thought to be from a viral illness, and his physician stated at the time that there was no evidence that his diet contributed to the condition. His coronary arteries were reported to have been checked at that time and found to be free of blockages.

Cardiomyopathy makes it more likely that a person will have a cardiac arrest (heart stopping), which happened to him two years later. Again, the cardiac arrest was not thought to be diet related. His cardiologist stated that (other than the cardiomyopathy), Atkins had "an extraordinarily healthy cardiovascular system".

He was 6 feet tall and weighed 195-200 pounds. NOT fat.

I am probably the only person on the planet who followed Atkins to the letter and actually GAINED weight - 10lbs to be exact. Not only did I gain weight, but I felt like absolute CRAP while I did it. I had no energy at all the entire time. I wouldn't do it again because it doesn't work for me and because it is tough to follow any "diet" long term.

Too much of ANY one macronutrient is not good, your body needs a balance for optimum nutrition. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the circumstances of his (Atkins) death, but one fact is not in dispute: he had heart disease. And from the pics I've seen of him, he appeared to be overweight.

In 2000, Dr. Atkins developed cardiomyopathy, an incurable heart condition which has quite a few different causes. His was thought to be from a viral illness, and his physician stated at the time that there was no evidence that his diet contributed to the condition. His coronary arteries were reported to have been checked at that time and found to be free of blockages.

Cardiomyopathy makes it more likely that a person will have a cardiac arrest (heart stopping), which happened to him two years later. Again, the cardiac arrest was not thought to be diet related. His cardiologist stated that (other than the cardiomyopathy), Atkins had "an extraordinarily healthy cardiovascular system".

He was 6 feet tall and weighed 195-200 pounds. NOT fat.

And he died from smacking his head against an icy sidewalk. Not sure how those circumstances are "controversial".

I tried Atkins... but it wasn't for me (not to say that it doesn't work for others). My energy levels were SO low and I felt queasy all the time. I did lose about 7 pounds, but I put it right back on. My biggest problem was that exercise was nearly impossible on this diet (for me) because even climbing a set of stairs was too much. If you really want to try it - go for it! It might work really well for you, but if you aren't feeling like yourself or if anything else is going on, don't push it.

I think Atkins is a terrible way to go in terms of overall health, and, based on all the evidence we have now showing how awful Atkins is, I can’t believe people still decide to do it. I also can’t believe a doctor would recommend it. If I had a doctor recommend Atkins to me, I’d get a new doctor, or second opinion, at least.

I did try it a long time ago and then I learned through my trainer and health and nutrition exactly how damaging it is to your body. .. I would definitely advise against it. .

Better to increase activity and limit calories. . .