Thinking about beginning Atkins. Any thoughts?

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twotoforty73
twotoforty73 Posts: 28 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been eating low carb (averaging about 50 or so grams per day) for a few days and was thinking about getting the atkins books and trying it. I did a low carb diet in my early 20's and lost 35 lbs (from 180 to 145 in 2 months) but got pregnant and gained the weight back. I'm having no trouble sticking to the low carb diet and only have "emotional" cravings for carbs. I'm getting my carbs in the form of salads or greens or low carb veggies (green beans, etc). I have noticed doing low carb that my weight doesn't fluctuate during the day as much as it did when eating a high carb diet. My acid reflux is totally gone just after about 4 days! I do feel pretty lethargic but I think TOM may be to blame. I'm breaking out (zits) but again that may be TOM. I do know that I am a food addict, mostly carbs. I always feel bloated and puffy after eating excess carbs, whether I am on a calorie restricted diet or not. I have not been bloated and not puffy in the last few days. I have the thoughts that humans weren't made to eat all those refined carbs, I want to be a cave woman, eating meat/s and the type of veggies and fruits that a human would have to forage for in the wild. Meats, veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds. For cravings I might try the atkins bars, treats and possibly pastas. I have been a carb addict for way too long!!
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Replies

  • deathstarclock
    deathstarclock Posts: 512 Member
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    Go see a nutritionist. Threads on atkins have a tendency to BLOW UP.
  • tameko2
    tameko2 Posts: 31,634 Member
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    what would the benefit of atkins be over what you already do?

    It seems like what you do is working for you!

    By the wya this is a great article on carbs - http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/how-many-carbohydrates-do-you-need.html

    it doesn't vilify either eating or not eating them but it does have lots of info on how your body processes them,e tc
  • Justyne88
    Justyne88 Posts: 4
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    I do not do the Atkins because it does not moderate the amount of fat you take in. I do eat a high lean protien low processed carb diet and I love it. I feel healthy and I am losing weight. I agree with you that the body was not meant to eat processed foods. They have a ton of chemicals in them that are not good for you. I stick with lean protien , fresh veggies and fruit for the majority of my meals. On the days I work out I eat some oatmeal or brown rice because my body needs it. Good luck and becoming a healthy cave woman.
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
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    Before I start, this post is simply my self-educated experience from reading plenty of fitness books, and personal experience:

    The Atkins diet is hands-down one of the worst things you could possibly do to lose weight.

    I can post over 50 cited websites on the reasons why the Atkins diet is a horrible idea, but I'll simply just summarize it.

    Carbs are what our body uses for fuel.

    Our body digest protein and fat VERY SLOWLY, so it can not use fat or protein as a quick fuel source needed when workout out!

    Even your brain needs a good deal of carbs to keep it running healthy!

    If you don't eat enough cards (for me, that's 200+/day), and you workout, your workouts will suck. Your will not improve quickly, your results will be disappointing, you will fail.

    What you need is a good balance of carbs, both sugars and complex, proteins, and healthy fats (such as omega-3, and so forth. No trans or saturated).

    Feel free to message me and I can give you some good sources to read through.
  • twotoforty73
    twotoforty73 Posts: 28 Member
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    I kind of got the idea that my pregnancy was because of the low carb diet. Before then I had 2 doctors tell me I wouldn't conceive because I didn't have periods. One month into the low carb diet my periods ( I had less than one bleeding period per year as a teenager) came back, and I got pregnant. I haven't had more than 12 periods (with bleeding) in over 15 years. I'm not looking to have any more kids but it had to be healthy to have made me begin my period again and have a child.
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
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    I kind of got the idea that my pregnancy was because of the low carb diet. Before then I had 2 doctors tell me I wouldn't conceive because I didn't have periods. One month into the low carb diet my periods ( I had less than one bleeding period per year as a teenager) came back, and I got pregnant. I haven't had more than 12 periods (with bleeding) in over 15 years. I'm not looking to have any more kids but it had to be healthy to have made me begin my period again and have a child.
    I have heard of quite a number of people with irregular cycles and fertility issues helped by low carb ways of eating.
  • twotoforty73
    twotoforty73 Posts: 28 Member
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    I watched the movie Fat Head and it really clicked with me. thousands of years ago all we had was fire (possibly not even that), animals, fruits, nuts berries and veggies like the ones you find on the ground (dandelion greens, tubers, weeds basically) I'm talking about before wheat and sugar were used as a food source. Back in time people hunted and ate mostly meat. They didn't hunt down candy and bread. They might have found some sweet potatoes for fuel. Or some peanuts. But I definitely doubt that hunters ate bread, candy, cakes, or really any type of refined carbs, but they still had the fuel to hunt wild animals, and the women gathered whatever type of fruit, berries, nuts, or seeds to feed their families.
  • Halothane
    Halothane Posts: 69 Member
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    I'd jump on the Paleo band wagon before doing Atkins!
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
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    I'd jump on the Paleo band wagon before doing Atkins!
    Do the two have to be mutually exclusive?
  • brucedelaney
    brucedelaney Posts: 433 Member
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    Amazing, Atkins is not a bad diet if you follow it to the letter.

    Only the first 2 weeks of Atkins are carb restrictive. After the first two weeks you introduce more carbs each week until you know where your tolerance is then back off just enough to continue losing.

    Once you reach your goal you add carbs again to the point of maintaining that weight and then determine your "magic' number to maintain that weight.

    The reason atkins has a bad rep is because people abuse the diet and stay in the induction phase of 20g Carbs daily forever and that ultimately causes health issues. Following the diet properly isn't dangerous at all.
  • beautybiz
    beautybiz Posts: 50 Member
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    I tried Atkins & found it to be too restrictive and once I started to bring back healthy carbs I started to gain weight.

    South Beach was more realistic for me. Now I am following what I have learned from South Beach in combination with MFP. Mainly because I was eating way too much food on South Beach because I could and I would still loose. This gives me true accountability and so far so good.

    Good luck! :smile:
  • sarahsedaii
    sarahsedaii Posts: 39 Member
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    what would the benefit of atkins be over what you already do?

    It seems like what you do is working for you!

    By the wya this is a great article on carbs - http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/how-many-carbohydrates-do-you-need.html

    it doesn't vilify either eating or not eating them but it does have lots of info on how your body processes them,e tc


    The benefits who be that she would start her body in Ketosis which will help her lose weight. She would have have to do extreme low card >20 a day for about 1 week. Then maybe 2 or 3 weeks at 35-45 and then back to normal. The difference is the way her body processes food.
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
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    The reason atkins has a bad rep is because people abuse the diet and stay in the induction phase of 20g Carbs daily forever and that ultimately causes health issues. Following the diet properly isn't dangerous at all.
    Just wondering if you have sources pointing to long-term ketosis as a health risk. I have heard the opposite, in fact, and that the reason why plans such as Atkins "ramp up" carbohydrates is because of social reasons as opposed to health.
  • zeeeb
    zeeeb Posts: 805 Member
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    i'm not a low carb type of person (i done atkins years ago and will never do it again).

    But if you want to go lower carb, don't do atkins, do a healthyier version where you cut out processed carbs, where you get your carbs from nuts, seeds, fruit and vegies as opposed to breads, pasta, potato and rice. nothing wrong with carbs, maybe it's gluten that causes your problems... ever tried a gulten free? I only say that because of how you got pregnant after cutting carbs, and that you feel bloated and lethargic after eating the gluteny type foods.

    might be something to look into. that way you can still have rices, but not breads / pastas
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
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    i'm not a low carb type of person (i done atkins years ago and will never do it again).

    But if you want to go lower carb, don't do atkins, do a healthyier version where you cut out processed carbs, where you get your carbs from nuts, seeds, fruit and vegies as opposed to breads, pasta, potato and rice.
    Isn't that essentially the end result with Atkins after the short induction period and then gradually adding back in carbohydrates until you find your tolerance?
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    Before I start, this post is simply my self-educated experience from reading plenty of fitness books, and personal experience:

    The Atkins diet is hands-down one of the worst things you could possibly do to lose weight.

    I can post over 50 cited websites on the reasons why the Atkins diet is a horrible idea, but I'll simply just summarize it.

    Carbs are what our body uses for fuel.

    Our body digest protein and fat VERY SLOWLY, so it can not use fat or protein as a quick fuel source needed when workout out!

    Even your brain needs a good deal of carbs to keep it running healthy!

    If you don't eat enough cards (for me, that's 200+/day), and you workout, your workouts will suck. Your will not improve quickly, your results will be disappointing, you will fail.

    What you need is a good balance of carbs, both sugars and complex, proteins, and healthy fats (such as omega-3, and so forth. No trans or saturated).

    Feel free to message me and I can give you some good sources to read through.

    wow...

    i am by no means a low carb defender but almost everything you posted is nonsense

    CHO is not essential

    Hydro/isolate forms of whey are pretty quick digesting

    plenty of people have great workouts on low carb diets, hell i train fasted time to time and have set PRs
  • jbudge1
    jbudge1 Posts: 62 Member
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    I watched the movie Fat Head and it really clicked with me. thousands of years ago all we had was fire (possibly not even that), animals, fruits, nuts berries and veggies like the ones you find on the ground (dandelion greens, tubers, weeds basically) I'm talking about before wheat and sugar were used as a food source. Back in time people hunted and ate mostly meat. They didn't hunt down candy and bread. They might have found some sweet potatoes for fuel. Or some peanuts. But I definitely doubt that hunters ate bread, candy, cakes, or really any type of refined carbs, but they still had the fuel to hunt wild animals, and the women gathered whatever type of fruit, berries, nuts, or seeds to feed their families.

    Back then their average life span was about 25 years or so also......
  • SparkleKittie
    SparkleKittie Posts: 127
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    My only advice right now is to try to steer clear of "diets" altogether, and start eating primarily fresh fruits and vegetables (as boring as that may sound I'm sure). Adopting a new lifestyle of eating, full of whole grains, fresh produce, and lean meats, and just limiting yourself on intake of obvious junk foods, might be just what you need right now. There is no "quick fix" or "quick diet." I did Atkins when I was a teenager, and it was probably the dumbest thing I did for my health besides smoking cigarettes until half a year ago. Think with your mind, and eat with your mind. Screw what magazines tell you, and never trust marketing companies. Trust nature more than packages. You might feel hungry more often from eating mostly produce, but if you do this, you will not only EAT MORE, but you will LOSE MORE. (: Think about it.
  • steffiejoe
    steffiejoe Posts: 313 Member
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    Do what works for you. I started LC by doing Dukan for 30 days, it was much harder to me then Atkins. I am doing my own LC thing now. I did add fats after reading Atkins book. I've been checking out primal but I just cant give up my oat bran.
  • deathstarclock
    deathstarclock Posts: 512 Member
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    I watched the movie Fat Head and it really clicked with me. thousands of years ago all we had was fire (possibly not even that), animals, fruits, nuts berries and veggies like the ones you find on the ground (dandelion greens, tubers, weeds basically) I'm talking about before wheat and sugar were used as a food source. Back in time people hunted and ate mostly meat. They didn't hunt down candy and bread. They might have found some sweet potatoes for fuel. Or some peanuts. But I definitely doubt that hunters ate bread, candy, cakes, or really any type of refined carbs, but they still had the fuel to hunt wild animals, and the women gathered whatever type of fruit, berries, nuts, or seeds to feed their families.

    Back then their average life span was about 25 years or so also......

    Maybe because there was lack of medicine and humans were more susceptible to feral animals?

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