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

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ido10612
ido10612 Posts: 51
in Health and Weight Loss
After losing 12 lbs and plateauing, my dr told me go one Atkins. Its day 2. I think Ill be able to do it. I just feel weird not eating bread!! I feel hungry a lot. The good thing about bread was that it fills you up. I feel like i have to eat a lot more to be satisfied. I feel like im eating way too many fat grams.

Did you like the diet?
How long did you stick with it?
How much weight did you lose?
Any other suggestions about atikins?
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Replies

  • Michellerw1
    Michellerw1 Posts: 367
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    I lost about 7 pounds the first week I did it. It was relatively easy to stick to but only followed it for 2 weeks. This is becasue I have never felt more awful! I was lethargic and just generally felt like trash. This is of course my personal experience. I do incorporate some aspects of this diet (as well as others) in that I try to avoid simple carbs.

    Looking back, I have issues with a diet where you can eat a pound of bacon and not an apple. :)
  • AmerTunsi
    AmerTunsi Posts: 655 Member
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    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!
  • CarolynB38
    CarolynB38 Posts: 553 Member
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    Don't worry too much about the fat in the beginning. It is only two weeks that you are on induction. The fat you are taking in will help you not to feel so hungry and if you are exercising (even just walking) that will help prevent any problems because of the fat. Scientific trials showed that in people who followed atkins and did some form of exercise every day, their cholesterol didn't increase, at least in the short term. It is a while since I did Atkins but it really worked. Eat as much as you need to not feel hungry but it might just be that you are used to having the carbs and your body is adjusting. Also remember to drink plenty of water (8 glasses)

    I am thinking of going back on Atkins when the kids are back at school. Good luck with it. Hopefully you'll find it easier in the next few days
  • TJ26
    TJ26 Posts: 35
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    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.
  • looseal
    looseal Posts: 27 Member
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    I love the Atkins diet. No need to be hungry on Atkins. Just eat some more protein, but don't binge on it. Do stay away from the so-called low carb products. Most of them are awful and curtail weight loss. The sugar alcohol does miserable things to the digestive track.
    Unfortunately I am was only able to lose 20 lbs on Atkins, then weight loss comes to a hault. I needed to stay at very low carbs to lose weight and I wasn't able to do that for the long haul. YMMD
  • Bella1hud
    Bella1hud Posts: 530 Member
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    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.
  • GaiaGirl1992
    GaiaGirl1992 Posts: 459 Member
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    My grandmother has tried it before, and she didn't do well with it....she ended up in the hospital twice because of blood pressure and other problems she didn't have before starting. be very careful and listen to your body
  • CatMauro
    CatMauro Posts: 225 Member
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    Gah!!! Your brain and your body need (good) carbs!!!! "Dr" Atkins should burn in hell, along with "Dr" Bernstein.
  • rrrbecca11
    rrrbecca11 Posts: 477
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    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.
  • suekitchen
    suekitchen Posts: 8 Member
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    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.
  • Michelle9939
    Michelle9939 Posts: 291
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    I have never tried the diet before but know some people that have lost weight doing it. Good luck! Find what works for you and stick to it.
  • karotladee
    karotladee Posts: 10 Member
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    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.
  • soknurdy
    soknurdy Posts: 74 Member
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    Hey.. I can't believe your doctor told you the Atkins was OK... When I spoke to nutritionists, they highly DIDN'T recommend it. It has some nasty side effects including bad breath. The Atkins got popular because that's what people want to hear, they WANT to hear they can eat whatever they want and they WANT to believe that it'll be good for them. :: shakes head :: Ask any person who's serious about fitness at the gym, they won't be on the Atkins diet I promise.
  • hannahmayr30
    hannahmayr30 Posts: 93 Member
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    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.
  • suekitchen
    suekitchen Posts: 8 Member
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    The bad breath is a sign of ketosis - the body breaking down fat for energy instead of carbs (similar to what diabetics get when they can't keep their blood sugar under control as their body can't convert it to energy). It's not always bad though, a lot of people get a sweet one.

    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.
  • Paulette56
    Paulette56 Posts: 66 Member
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    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!
  • Jconner30
    Jconner30 Posts: 311
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    I would recommend you do your weight loss this way...

    1) Eat HEALTHY - that means dont do Atkins! Follow your food journal
    2) Exercise 4-5 times a week
    3) Stay the course! Your in this for the LONG term.

    You wont have to change your diet like you would on Atkins. Also, I have known quite a few people (including my mom and my brother) who went on Atkins - lost a ton of weight - then gained it all back and THEN SOME!

    If you eat healthy - have a few cheat days thrown in there - you will lose weight and keep it off.
  • CatMauro
    CatMauro Posts: 225 Member
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    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.
  • SetecAstronomy
    SetecAstronomy Posts: 470 Member
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    After losing 12 lbs and plateauing, my dr told me go one Atkins. Its day 2. I think Ill be able to do it. I just feel weird not eating bread!! I feel hungry a lot. The good thing about bread was that it fills you up. I feel like i have to eat a lot more to be satisfied. I feel like im eating way too many fat grams.

    Did you like the diet?
    How long did you stick with it?
    How much weight did you lose?
    Any other suggestions about atikins?
    This was years ago, but when I tried it in conjunction with using Xenical (which is now sold over-the-counter as Alli), I did lose some weight. Then I plateaued for a long time (insurance did not cover Xenical and I could not afford to keep buying it so I stopped after one or two months). Eventually gained it back and then some.

    Did I follow the plan to a "T"? No. That was part of the problem. I stayed in "induction" as long as I possibly could. But it also got to be very expensive, buying and consuming low-to-no-carb products.

    If you read the science behind it, and dig up the research, it "looks" like a no-brainer. But it's not going to work for everyone, and I find it difficult for people to stick to it with there being entirely too many temptations (and even worse, if there are other people living with you that will not be on it).

    If you can cut out the bad stuff (sugar, caffeine, carbonated beverages, breads and other "bad" carbs) and get on a regular diet and do regular rigorous exercise, you might not NEED the Atkins plan.

    I'm not sayin'...I'm just sayin'.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    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.

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