ATKINS DIET. Anyone else done it? How was your experience?
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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.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.
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.0 -
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.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.
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".
thank you! I was going to say the exact same thing.0 -
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?
So, wow, there's a ton of mis-information floating around on this thread about Atkins.
First, you have an incredibly learned doctor, for recommending the Atkins diet. He/she must keep up with his research!
I could tell you all of my positive experiences from Atkins, from my 53 lb weight loss in 6 months, how my blood pressure has gone down, my energy level has gone up (yes, it's possible to excercise at high intensity levels on Atkins), how my heartburn has disappeared, my body fat has gone down, I've lost 20% of my body weight, how I feel better than I've ever felt on any other diet (and I've tried the low-fat, calorie counting way many times), how I sleep through the night, how I don't crave sugars or carbs.....
But, instead, I'm going to suggest that, instead of listening to the same old Negative Nellie's (who may or may not have done the diet correctly) or have a "friend" who told them about a mom/aunt/cousin, etc, go pick yourself up a copy of the book, read it, then, go to Netflix and watch a movie called Fathead, then, come back to MFP and go to a thread "Atkins Support Group" to help you with any questions you may have, or friend me. If you are serious about following Atkins, I can only advise you to read the book, stick to the plan, give it a chance to work (at least a month), and don't cheat! Follow the plan! Good luck!0 -
First, you have an incredibly learned doctor, for recommending the Atkins diet. He/she must keep up with his research!
Most doctors (MDs) are trained in disease, not health. MDs do not get much education or training in health and nutrition. And I doubt research on Atkins is at the top of their list of things to read up on.0 -
It's generally accepted that you should get a BALANCED diet planned for your day by day nutrition. This includes eating the dreaded carbs, and fats as some people seem to not think. From what i've read/heard it's 50/30/20. 50% Calories from Carbs, 30% from Fats and 20% from Proteins. While this doesn't mean you can't cut your Carb intake down, you should never dip below like 25-30% in my opinion. The biggest thing to remember is how much you are eating. If you are eating balanced meals everyday, at the appropriate calorie ammounts, you WILL lose weight, and that weight will stay off. Instead of starving your body of much needed macronutrients.
In short, I wouldn't recommend Atkins, or any other "diet" that forces you to feel like crap to lose weight. I've Personally not heard of anyone keeping the weight they lose from low-no carb "diets" off.
IMO of course
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You might look into the Precision Nutrition program. I started a week ago and the scale started moving again! I have cut out all breads, rice, etc. You replace them with at least 4 veggies and fruits per day. I get in around seven along with lean protein and, something I've never done before, added healthy fats!!!! It is working so far and I'm not hungry. I eat 6 meals a day at least 2-3 hrs. apart. I also started drinking at least 10 glasses of water each day. The info is on their website, I signed on for free and they e-mailed me new info over a 5 day period. I got the info I really needed to start right off the website. I like it alot, but bear in mind, I do 50-60 min. of weight training and cardio 5 days a week. It can't hurt to take a look.0
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It's generally accepted that you should get a BALANCED diet planned for your day by day nutrition. This includes eating the dreaded carbs, and fats as some people seem to not think. From what i've read/heard it's 50/30/20. 50% Calories from Carbs, 30% from Fats and 20% from Proteins. While this doesn't mean you can't cut your Carb intake down, you should never dip below like 25-30% in my opinion. The biggest thing to remember is how much you are eating. If you are eating balanced meals everyday, at the appropriate calorie ammounts, you WILL lose weight, and that weight will stay off. Instead of starving your body of much needed macronutrients.
In short, I wouldn't recommend Atkins, or any other "diet" that forces you to feel like crap to lose weight. I've Personally not heard of anyone keeping the weight they lose from low-no carb "diets" off.
IMO of course
I'm not a nutritionist, so could someone please tell me what macro-nutrient comes from pasta, noodles, bread and starches? What nutrient or whole food group have I deprived myself of when I'm not eating refined, processed food? The Atkins diet I've been following--the one that promotes eating lots of salads, veggies, healthy fats and normal amounts of protein--is pretty healthy, unless eating tomatos, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, avacodos....is bad. I must not have got that memo! And, the only time I felt like crap was when I was eating the SAD diet, and constantly hungry, ready for a nap at 2 pm every day, and sugar levels spiking and crashing, like a roller coaster....0 -
It's generally accepted that you should get a BALANCED diet planned for your day by day nutrition. This includes eating the dreaded carbs, and fats as some people seem to not think. From what i've read/heard it's 50/30/20. 50% Calories from Carbs, 30% from Fats and 20% from Proteins. While this doesn't mean you can't cut your Carb intake down, you should never dip below like 25-30% in my opinion. The biggest thing to remember is how much you are eating. If you are eating balanced meals everyday, at the appropriate calorie ammounts, you WILL lose weight, and that weight will stay off. Instead of starving your body of much needed macronutrients.
In short, I wouldn't recommend Atkins, or any other "diet" that forces you to feel like crap to lose weight. I've Personally not heard of anyone keeping the weight they lose from low-no carb "diets" off.
IMO of course
I'm not a nutritionist, so could someone please tell me what macro-nutrient comes from pasta, noodles, bread and starches? What nutrient or whole food group have I deprived myself of when I'm not eating refined, processed food? The Atkins diet I've been following--the one that promotes eating lots of salads, veggies, healthy fats and normal amounts of protein--is pretty healthy, unless eating tomatos, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, avacodos....is bad. I must not have got that memo! And, the only time I felt like crap was when I was eating the SAD diet, and constantly hungry, ready for a nap at 2 pm every day, and sugar levels spiking and crashing, like a roller coaster....
I agree completely. I'm not sure why people are under the impression that while on Atkins it is ok to consume a pound of bacon and a pound of cheese. This just isn't so. He promotes eating whole, healthy foods. Carbs=sugar, the only carbs the human body requires we can obtain from eating fruits and vegetables (Atkins friendly). We do not require refined carbohydrates such as pasta, rice and bread. Most (even whole wheat) is so refined that they have to add the good stuff back in to make it supposedly healthy. Refined carbs are poison in my opinion and I'll never go back to consuming them on a daily basis and certainly not 50% of my daily caloric intake. Read the book and form your own opinion (to the OP), most of the info on this thread is misinformation or people that have not followed the diet correctly. Also, anyone that returns to their previous way of eating is going to gain weight no matter what diet they are following.0 -
It's generally accepted that you should get a BALANCED diet planned for your day by day nutrition. This includes eating the dreaded carbs, and fats as some people seem to not think. From what i've read/heard it's 50/30/20. 50% Calories from Carbs, 30% from Fats and 20% from Proteins. While this doesn't mean you can't cut your Carb intake down, you should never dip below like 25-30% in my opinion. The biggest thing to remember is how much you are eating. If you are eating balanced meals everyday, at the appropriate calorie ammounts, you WILL lose weight, and that weight will stay off. Instead of starving your body of much needed macronutrients.
In short, I wouldn't recommend Atkins, or any other "diet" that forces you to feel like crap to lose weight. I've Personally not heard of anyone keeping the weight they lose from low-no carb "diets" off.
IMO of course
I'm not a nutritionist, so could someone please tell me what macro-nutrient comes from pasta, noodles, bread and starches? What nutrient or whole food group have I deprived myself of when I'm not eating refined, processed food? The Atkins diet I've been following--the one that promotes eating lots of salads, veggies, healthy fats and normal amounts of protein--is pretty healthy, unless eating tomatos, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, avacodos....is bad. I must not have got that memo! And, the only time I felt like crap was when I was eating the SAD diet, and constantly hungry, ready for a nap at 2 pm every day, and sugar levels spiking and crashing, like a roller coaster....
I agree completely. I'm not sure why people are under the impression that while on Atkins it is ok to consume a pound of bacon and a pound of cheese. This just isn't so. He promotes eating whole, healthy foods. Carbs=sugar, the only carbs the human body requires we can obtain from eating fruits and vegetables (Atkins friendly). We do not require refined carbohydrates such as pasta, rice and bread. Most (even whole wheat) is so refined that they have to add the good stuff back in to make it supposedly healthy. Refined carbs are poison in my opinion and I'll never go back to consuming them on a daily basis and certainly not 50% of my daily caloric intake. Read the book and form your own opinion (to the OP), most of the info on this thread is misinformation or people that have not followed the diet correctly. Also, anyone that returns to their previous way of eating is going to gain weight no matter what diet they are following.
Right back at ya! Exactly, read the book and form your own opinion!0 -
Do what works best for you. Maybe you can try Atkins for a month or 2 and see where it takes you. Honestly, I think changing your lifestyle is a trial and error process. What works for someone needing to lose 20 lbs may not work for a pre-diabetic who needs to lose 100+ lbs. Right now, I am insulin resistant and super low carb works for me. I remember when I was about 25 lbs overweight and a high carb, low fat diet was the best prescription for my weight loss.
The way I look at it is, prior to MFP, I ate crap on a daily basis. Eliminating carbs, and upping lean protein and healthy fats (in an effort to gradually find my proper carb level) is an improvement any way I slice it. Good luck to you!
Edited to add: I did Atkins back in 2003 for 2 1/2 months and lost 30 lbs. I kept it off for about 18 months until I started eating whatever, whenever0 -
I did it. I lost weight, had terrible muscle tone, acne, was bitter, regular migranes, drempt about pastries (which made me even more bitter), still had a belly, and put on twice the amount of weight that I took off when I reverted back to a normal diet.0
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I eat the "Atkins" way, and really love it. What is this pound of bacon and cheese that I hear of? Who would do that to themselves? Above anything, Atkins stresses getting healthy carbs from veggies and some fruits. It advises staying away from sugary crap, and filler foods like bread, pasta, etc.
Today I had a grilled chicken caesar salad. It had about 3 cups of mixed lettuces, 1/4 cup of tomatos, 1/4 cup cucumbers, a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, and a standard serving (2 tbsp) of dressing
Tonight I might have some herb roasted chicken with cauliflower mash, some steamed brocolli, and a few shavings of parmesan cheese
...REAL extreme right? LOL0 -
I eat the "Atkins" way, and really love it. What is this pound of bacon and cheese that I hear of? Who would do that to themselves? Above anything, Atkins stresses getting healthy carbs from veggies and some fruits. It advises staying away from sugary crap, and filler foods like bread, pasta, etc.
Today I had a grilled chicken caesar salad. It had about 3 cups of mixed lettuces, 1/4 cup of tomatos, 1/4 cup cucumbers, a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, and a standard serving (2 tbsp) of dressing
Tonight I might have some herb roasted chicken with cauliflower mash, some steamed brocolli, and a few shavings of parmesan cheese
...REAL extreme right? LOL
*Like* button...0 -
First, you have an incredibly learned doctor, for recommending the Atkins diet. He/she must keep up with his research!
Most doctors (MDs) are trained in disease, not health. MDs do not get much education or training in health and nutrition. And I doubt research on Atkins is at the top of their list of things to read up on.
I'm sorry, but any doctor that doesn't keep up with all facets of their patients' health is a doctor that I don't want to go to. Nutrition is a HUGE part of health for say, cardiac patients, diabetes, liver diseases, epilepsy, arthritis and so on. Do you really think that doctors don't keep up with that?
And Nutritionists that don't keep up on it, and mistakenly keep pushing a, failed, food pyramid should be ashamed of themselves. My metabolism isn't the same as yours, or the person behind you, or the person to the left of you. Why should we each have a cookie-cut-out food pyramid?
To answer the OP:
I am an Atkins dieter. After failing at just about every other diet under the sun, I have found low carb works for me. I have no problem staying on this lifestyle forever.
The first few days to a week are miserable because your body is getting rid of the addiction of carbs and learning to burn fat for energy.
Not all people are the same. It may not work for you like it does for others. Research!
Buy an Atkins book and read it. Don't guess and follow myths, please.
If you're afraid of Atkins, you could try something like the South Beach Diet. Which is a little more liberal with carbs.
Best of luck to you in your decision!0 -
I did it. I lost weight, had terrible muscle tone, acne, was bitter, regular migranes, drempt about pastries (which made me even more bitter), still had a belly, and put on twice the amount of weight that I took off when I reverted back to a normal diet.
The diet is definitely not for everybody but it sounds to me like you may not have done it correctly.0 -
Girlfriend did it. Lost a ton of weight. Gained it all back and more. If you think you can go the rest of your life without eating bread products have at it. I know I couldn't. I can't think of many people who could.
You know how whole grains are a recommended part of a healthy diet? They mean that.0 -
Any diet you stop doing and then go back to eating the way you did before is going to "fail." If I stop eating 1200 calories and low fat and go back to 2000+ calories and all of the junk I want, I'll put weight back on, too.Girlfriend did it. Lost a ton of weight. Gained it all back and more. If you think you can go the rest of your life without eating bread products have at it. I know I couldn't. I can't think of many people who could.
You know how whole grains are a recommended part of a healthy diet? They mean that.
But you're right, if someone can't "live" without carbs, Atkins isn't a good choice. Of course, there's nothing saying that you can't have whole grains while eating lower carb. I have a whole wheat tortilla quite often, actually, to wrap my turkey, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. I just wouldn't eat one for every meal.0 -
I did it. I lost weight, had terrible muscle tone, acne, was bitter, regular migranes, drempt about pastries (which made me even more bitter), still had a belly, and put on twice the amount of weight that I took off when I reverted back to a normal diet.
The diet is definitely not for everybody but it sounds to me like you may not have done it correctly.
Maybe, maybe not, but my mom and sister both had the same side effects.0 -
Wasn't a good diet for me since I don't eat a lot of meat. I had an ex boyfriend that lost 30 pounds on it though. If you do go the Atkins route..it is something you have to stick with. I would read everything you can find on it.'
Good luck!0 -
Lost 60+ pounds with Atkins and gained it back just as fast as I lost it. I felt terrible the entire time. It's about a lifestyle change, it took me a long time to realize that. Now, I'm fine with losing just one pound per week and doing it the right way.0
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Lost 60+ pounds with Atkins and gained it back just as fast as I lost it. I felt terrible the entire time. It's about a lifestyle change, it took me a long time to realize that. Now, I'm fine with losing just one pound per week and doing it the right way.
Oh, and YES, I read the book and followed it obsessively. When I started to incorporate regular food back in slowly, the weight kept coming back on. I can't live without carbs forever, so it wasn't for me.0 -
Lost 60+ pounds with Atkins and gained it back just as fast as I lost it. I felt terrible the entire time. It's about a lifestyle change, it took me a long time to realize that. Now, I'm fine with losing just one pound per week and doing it the right way.
Oh, and YES, I read the book and followed it obsessively. When I started to incorporate regular food back in slowly, the weight kept coming back on. I can't live without carbs forever, so it wasn't for me.
But you do eat carbs from day one on Atkins. If you were not getting any carbs in, then you were doing it wrong. Is it that you couldn't live without rice, bread, pasta, and sweets? Not trying to argue with you at all...0 -
I'm a meth addict. When I stopped taking meth, I felt like crap! I was irritable, and wanted to fight everybody so I started using again after a week.
Meth made me feel good, I had tons of energy, so much that I'd clean my bathroom everyday... with a toothbrush. If you can go the rest of your life without meth, more power to you. I couldn't give it up.
</sarcasm>0 -
I'm a meth addict. When I stopped taking meth, I felt like crap! I was irritable, and wanted to fight everybody so I started using again after a week.
Meth made me feel good, I had tons of energy, so much that I'd clean my bathroom everyday... with a toothbrush. If you can go the rest of your life without meth, more power to you. I couldn't give it up.
</sarcasm>
Love this!0 -
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But you do eat carbs from day one on Atkins. If you were not getting any carbs in, then you were doing it wrong. Is it that you couldn't live without rice, bread, pasta, and sweets? Not trying to argue with you at all...
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I get what you're saying. The carbs I craved were not the carbs I was getting. I felt like I was depriving myself and it didn't work forever. If it works for you, that's awesome!0 -
I'm actually on the Atkins diet right now! I've been on it for a good 2 weeks now and before that 2 weeks weeding off my other diet and slowly adjusting to Atkins. It's only early days for me yet but my weight has been at a plato for a couple of months and since being on the Atkins the weight is starting to shift. I've lost about a kilo over the 2 weeks approx: I've only got to loose 1 and half kilo's and I'll be right back to my goal weight again. The Atkins diet is easy for me to follow because my diet before hand was pretty much similar. I love coming in from a serious workout in the swimming pool and diving into a big fry up! and look! NO sugar. after all once that white stuff hits your system it just turns to fat. I don't miss the bready things in life. I'm lucky like that. Pizza? I've never come across a piece of grub that is so over rated! I never touch anyhow.0
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Gah!!! Your brain and your body need (good) carbs!!!! "Dr" Atkins should burn in hell, along with "Dr" Bernstein.
What an incredibly ignorant and disguusting statement.0 -
Girlfriend did it. Lost a ton of weight. Gained it all back and more. If you think you can go the rest of your life without eating bread products have at it. I know I couldn't. I can't think of many people who could.
You know how whole grains are a recommended part of a healthy diet? They mean that.
The low carb diet is a lifetime lifestyle change. If you go into it knowing you aren't capable of giving up certain things for good, or at least knowing you are going to eat them extremely rarely, this is not the diet for you imo.
I don't want to get into a whole debate over whether or not whole grains are necessary or even particularly good for you, however, even lovers of grain have to admit that there are many people with grain sensitivities or outright allergies. Celiac disease and gluten sensitives are particularly common. For such a wonderful substance, a lot of the population don't tolerate grains very well.0 -
My experience: It worked great while I did it, I lost 30 pounds, then I got happy with my weight, stopped doing the diet, and gained it back. To be fair, that's pretty much my experience with every other weight control method too . . .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?0 -
Lost 60+ pounds with Atkins and gained it back just as fast as I lost it. I felt terrible the entire time. It's about a lifestyle change, it took me a long time to realize that. Now, I'm fine with losing just one pound per week and doing it the right way.
Oh, and YES, I read the book and followed it obsessively. When I started to incorporate regular food back in slowly, the weight kept coming back on. I can't live without carbs forever, so it wasn't for me.
The diet isn't about living completely without carbs. Don't you consider vegetables carbs? You can essentially eat all of them them you want on this type diet. What you really need to give up completely are refined sugars and starches. I don't know what you mean by "regular" food because that is pretty vague but if you are trying to incorporate back refined sugars and starches into your diet, then it was bound to fail. I'm pretty sure that is described in the book.0
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