Atkins Diet Success Stories

Hi There-

So I am seeing if anybody has done Atkins, and still is doing it with great success? I lost 80lbs on it back in 2005 in 8 months, never counting ANY calories, just carbs and went off the plan due to lots of personal things. Having tried to count calories and always seem hungry and that it's not a cookie cutter approach for everyone, I need motivation from fellow Atkins, low carb peeps who can help me with this low carb LIFESTYLE, not a quick fix and then back to eating all the sugary, high processed carb crappy foods again, only to balloon up and plus some. Thanks!

Replies

  • mjcbills1980
    mjcbills1980 Posts: 14 Member
    Laura, do you think you can eat like this the rest of your life? It seems daunting to me at times, but I don't know if I am over thinking it?
  • mjcbills1980
    mjcbills1980 Posts: 14 Member
    How much weight have you lost doing low carb? I know it works, just got to get my head in the game
  • lradtke72
    lradtke72 Posts: 10 Member
    ITUSGirl51 wrote: »
    I’ve done it multiple times. Lost 50+ lbs every time. Gained it all back every time. I would lose because I literally got sick of eating protein, so I barely ate anything. oh and when the weight comes back, it comes back fast! Also your teeth get coated in plaque very quickly. I had to go to get my teeth cleaned 4 times a year it was so bad. I was an Atkins believer for decades, but I would never recommend it now for people who just want to lose weight.

    I’ve lost 60 lbs following MFP since March. I have learned how to eat what I like in moderation during this time. When I stop the ‘diet’ I will eat the same food I’ve been eating for the past 11 months, I just get to add more of it and maintain my weight. I’m very hopeful I can keep the weight off because I didn’t eliminate the foods I love to lose the weight.

  • TheOldBallCoach43420
    TheOldBallCoach43420 Posts: 119 Member
    My wife and myself are looking to start ASAP. We are not finding many people that do it. We just want to make sure we are doing it correctly to get us started because both of us have quite a bit of weight that we both need to lose. Is it really as simple as making sure you stay below 20-25 net carbs per day? We haven’t really found “the plan” anywhere. We have found the list of foods that have zero net carbs but does that mean you can eat them freely? Seems odd.
    Hi There-

    So I am seeing if anybody has done Atkins, and still is doing it with great success? I lost 80lbs on it back in 2005 in 8 months, never counting ANY calories, just carbs and went off the plan due to lots of personal things. Having tried to count calories and always seem hungry and that it's not a cookie cutter approach for everyone, I need motivation from fellow Atkins, low carb peeps who can help me with this low carb LIFESTYLE, not a quick fix and then back to eating all the sugary, high processed carb crappy foods again, only to balloon up and plus some. Thanks!

  • Longshore
    Longshore Posts: 221 Member
    just do keto. Its Atkins but focus more on whole foods.
  • echmain3
    echmain3 Posts: 231 Member
    Longshore wrote: »
    just do keto. Its Atkins but focus more on whole foods.

    Forget keto, just use MFP.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    dsboohead wrote: »
    Laura, do you think you can eat like this the rest of your life? It seems daunting to me at times, but I don't know if I am over thinking it?

    I did it and lost years ago. But, seriously no more carbs???? Does not work for me as a lifestyle.
    Rather learn to eat realistically as I lose cause do not want to be on a merry go round of gains and losses.

    Atkins doesn't mean "no more carbs", not during the weight loss phase, and certainly not during lifetime maintenance.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Longshore wrote: »
    just do keto. Its Atkins but focus more on whole foods.

    Atkins IS focused on whole foods. Keto is like Atkins early phases.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
  • VictoryGarden
    VictoryGarden Posts: 194 Member
    edited May 2019
    Firstly, if either of you are at all kidney compromised, then low carb is not a good idea. If you are on any meds for diabetes or blood pressure you will need close monitoring by your doctor.

    I strongly recommend joining the Low Carber Daily Forum https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum. They discuss all types of low carb ways of eating.

    They will have loads of info. Atkins at it's core is a low carb way of eating. There are as many ways to do it, as there is just not a one size fits all approach. Some people do great on 75-100g of carbs per day. Some people need less. Some need a lot less. I personally do best on less than 20 net carbs a day (net carbs are total carbs minus fiber). So what you need may be different from what your wife needs. Don't let that discourage you, it is very worth testing the different levels to find out what suits your body.

    You will also need to be aware of the initial side effects of switching from the typical Standard American Diet to a low carb one. "Keto flu" can be avoided, or at least the symptoms can be decreased. There are also the sugar addiction withdrawal to just be aware of as well. Don't let them discourage you. When you come out on the other side of it...... it is so liberating.

  • zeejane4
    zeejane4 Posts: 230 Member
    edited May 2019
    dsboohead wrote: »
    Laura, do you think you can eat like this the rest of your life? It seems daunting to me at times, but I don't know if I am over thinking it?

    I did it and lost years ago. But, seriously no more carbs???? Does not work for me as a lifestyle.
    Rather learn to eat realistically as I lose cause do not want to be on a merry go round of gains and losses.

    Atkins doesn't mean "no more carbs", not during the weight loss phase, and certainly not during lifetime maintenance.

    This.

    As you get further along into the weight loss phase you add carbs and in maintenance you continue adding carbs until your weight stabilizes, with a ball park figure of around 100 net carbs.

    I'm in maintenance and my current goal is 90 carbs (not net). I'm eating an ice cream right now and I'm still going to come in under today. There's a lot of wiggle room with 100ish carbs, plenty of room for lots of veggies, dairy, some fruit and treats and even some grains. Heck, I ate out 4 times this past weekend and was able to stay completely on plan. I haven't found a lower carb way of eating to be that difficult after you make a few adjustments.
  • zeejane4
    zeejane4 Posts: 230 Member
    edited May 2019
    My wife and myself are looking to start ASAP. We are not finding many people that do it. We just want to make sure we are doing it correctly to get us started because both of us have quite a bit of weight that we both need to lose. Is it really as simple as making sure you stay below 20-25 net carbs per day? We haven’t really found “the plan” anywhere. We have found the list of foods that have zero net carbs but does that mean you can eat them freely? Seems odd.
    Hi There-

    So I am seeing if anybody has done Atkins, and still is doing it with great success? I lost 80lbs on it back in 2005 in 8 months, never counting ANY calories, just carbs and went off the plan due to lots of personal things. Having tried to count calories and always seem hungry and that it's not a cookie cutter approach for everyone, I need motivation from fellow Atkins, low carb peeps who can help me with this low carb LIFESTYLE, not a quick fix and then back to eating all the sugary, high processed carb crappy foods again, only to balloon up and plus some. Thanks!

    Sending you a message
  • TheOldBallCoach43420
    TheOldBallCoach43420 Posts: 119 Member
    zeejane4 wrote: »
    My wife and myself are looking to start ASAP. We are not finding many people that do it. We just want to make sure we are doing it correctly to get us started because both of us have quite a bit of weight that we both need to lose. Is it really as simple as making sure you stay below 20-25 net carbs per day? We haven’t really found “the plan” anywhere. We have found the list of foods that have zero net carbs but does that mean you can eat them freely? Seems odd.
    Hi There-

    So I am seeing if anybody has done Atkins, and still is doing it with great success? I lost 80lbs on it back in 2005 in 8 months, never counting ANY calories, just carbs and went off the plan due to lots of personal things. Having tried to count calories and always seem hungry and that it's not a cookie cutter approach for everyone, I need motivation from fellow Atkins, low carb peeps who can help me with this low carb LIFESTYLE, not a quick fix and then back to eating all the sugary, high processed carb crappy foods again, only to balloon up and plus some. Thanks!

    Sending you a message

    We are struggling With what meat we should eat as we are still trying to figure out the “net carbs” and how those work
  • zeejane4
    zeejane4 Posts: 230 Member
    zeejane4 wrote: »
    My wife and myself are looking to start ASAP. We are not finding many people that do it. We just want to make sure we are doing it correctly to get us started because both of us have quite a bit of weight that we both need to lose. Is it really as simple as making sure you stay below 20-25 net carbs per day? We haven’t really found “the plan” anywhere. We have found the list of foods that have zero net carbs but does that mean you can eat them freely? Seems odd.
    Hi There-

    So I am seeing if anybody has done Atkins, and still is doing it with great success? I lost 80lbs on it back in 2005 in 8 months, never counting ANY calories, just carbs and went off the plan due to lots of personal things. Having tried to count calories and always seem hungry and that it's not a cookie cutter approach for everyone, I need motivation from fellow Atkins, low carb peeps who can help me with this low carb LIFESTYLE, not a quick fix and then back to eating all the sugary, high processed carb crappy foods again, only to balloon up and plus some. Thanks!

    Sending you a message

    We are struggling With what meat we should eat as we are still trying to figure out the “net carbs” and how those work

    I sent you a link to another forum I hang out on, that's Atkins/low carb specific (I didn't want to spam the boards here, though it is a free site so maybe it's ok to post?). It has a lot of info on Atkins and an active group of Atkins followers, as well as people who follow other low carb plans.

    Also, a really good book to read is Atkins: Eat Right, Not Less, by Collette Heimowitz. I borrowed it from the library and it has a lot of information about how to follow Atkins, and it didn't push the packaged foods they sell (I don't like the Atkins website because of this). https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071YBXT4G/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,027 Member
    zeejane4 wrote: »
    My wife and myself are looking to start ASAP. We are not finding many people that do it. We just want to make sure we are doing it correctly to get us started because both of us have quite a bit of weight that we both need to lose. Is it really as simple as making sure you stay below 20-25 net carbs per day? We haven’t really found “the plan” anywhere. We have found the list of foods that have zero net carbs but does that mean you can eat them freely? Seems odd.
    Hi There-

    So I am seeing if anybody has done Atkins, and still is doing it with great success? I lost 80lbs on it back in 2005 in 8 months, never counting ANY calories, just carbs and went off the plan due to lots of personal things. Having tried to count calories and always seem hungry and that it's not a cookie cutter approach for everyone, I need motivation from fellow Atkins, low carb peeps who can help me with this low carb LIFESTYLE, not a quick fix and then back to eating all the sugary, high processed carb crappy foods again, only to balloon up and plus some. Thanks!

    Sending you a message

    We are struggling With what meat we should eat as we are still trying to figure out the “net carbs” and how those work

    Why not just eat foods you enjoy but at a deficit, then? You don't need to be low-carb to lose weight.
  • TheOldBallCoach43420
    TheOldBallCoach43420 Posts: 119 Member
    I am not showing a message from you?
  • TheOldBallCoach43420
    TheOldBallCoach43420 Posts: 119 Member
    Because I have done atkins years ago and it worked for me, nothing else has!
    zeejane4 wrote: »
    My wife and myself are looking to start ASAP. We are not finding many people that do it. We just want to make sure we are doing it correctly to get us started because both of us have quite a bit of weight that we both need to lose. Is it really as simple as making sure you stay below 20-25 net carbs per day? We haven’t really found “the plan” anywhere. We have found the list of foods that have zero net carbs but does that mean you can eat them freely? Seems odd.
    Hi There-

    So I am seeing if anybody has done Atkins, and still is doing it with great success? I lost 80lbs on it back in 2005 in 8 months, never counting ANY calories, just carbs and went off the plan due to lots of personal things. Having tried to count calories and always seem hungry and that it's not a cookie cutter approach for everyone, I need motivation from fellow Atkins, low carb peeps who can help me with this low carb LIFESTYLE, not a quick fix and then back to eating all the sugary, high processed carb crappy foods again, only to balloon up and plus some. Thanks!

    Sending you a message

    We are struggling With what meat we should eat as we are still trying to figure out the “net carbs” and how those work

    Why not just eat foods you enjoy but at a deficit, then? You don't need to be low-carb to lose weight.

  • mitziann2012
    mitziann2012 Posts: 2 Member
    Hi,
    Could you please send the Atkins/low carb group? I’m doing Atkins and would like to connect with others.
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