I would like ADVICE on ATKINS??? :) ***GOOD?**NAY?***

You're probably going to get a lot of hate-speech against all carb-related diets. Personally, I'm not a fan of Atkins. Instead I push South Beach. It recommends limiting simple carbs but encourages complex carbs (the ones your body breaks down more slowly), thus avoiding insulin spikes and the resulting blood-sugar drops.

I previously lost 70 lbs on South Beach, enjoying whole grain rices and pastas.

I think that some people can do well on low carb approaches, and for people with diabetes or other insulin related medical conditions, a low carb approach is pretty much desirable.

If you are capable of using a calorie-counting approach without eliminating or severely limiting an entire macronutrient, then you're likely better off not restricting carbs since it's not going to provide you any metabolic advantage.

The jump-start that you'll get from low carbing will be water-weight reduction.

I've lost 70lbs over the last year and a half on first Atkins (20 lbs, I gave up on it after some personal life issues and it stopped working), and then 50 more on South Beach, which is a much, much better and more flexible plan.

Once you break the carb addiction in the first two weeks and put yourself in a different mindframe its a lot easier. I was consistently losing 2lbs a week and my doctor's tests were insanely awesome compared to what they were before, despite the fact that I was eating red meat, butter, and oil and not denying myself things that tasted good.

Because of some other health issues (Celiac Disease) its too much for me to try to get back on South Beach, so I'm watching calories.

So in summary, try South Beach, not Atkins, but follow the instructions religiously, and it'll work.

I should add that I'm not diabetic and my blood-sugar labs have always been normal.

Atkins does work. Going super low carb not for everyone, for sure. For me and many others it is FINE, you do not keel over from low blood sugar, if anything your blood sugar is far more stable. BUT, super low carb can be tough to face mentally.

I think south beach is fine. Do which ever one you can deal with the best mentally and physically.

If you have ANY health issues, I would suggest consulting your doctor before you try Atkins. I am diabetic and when I asked my doctor about going on Atkins, he said absolutely not. He told me the best and most healthy eating plan he could recommend was Phase 2 of the South Beach Diet. Not the entire program, Phase 2 only.

Of course, that was my doctors recommendation to me, so I'm not sure whether that would apply to your situation. Our neighbors are doing Atkins and are having a lot of success with it, though they haven't been able to maintain the success long term. They'll stick to it religiously for awhile, but if they start to slip and eat too many carbs, the pounds come back. Not sure why that is exactly, just that it's how it worked for them.

Whatever you decide to do, I wish you the best of luck and much success!

Amber

I was on Atkins a few years ago. I lost weight, but I eventually gained that weight and more back because it just wasn't something I could stick to.

No.

I think that some people can do well on low carb approaches, and for people with diabetes or other insulin related medical conditions, a low carb approach is pretty much desirable.

If you are capable of using a calorie-counting approach without eliminating or severely limiting an entire macronutrient, then you're likely better off not restricting carbs since it's not going to provide you any metabolic advantage.

The jump-start that you'll get from low carbing will be water-weight reduction.

^
This is great advice.

+2

Well i have done Atkins many times so i will not say anything bad about it but you have to decide this is a full life change. If you do not believe you can stick with it then dont do it. Atkins effects everyone in your life because you have to eat and prepare to eat according to plan. A lot of calories so just be sure. Good luck in your decision. I have a lot of experience with Atkins and have lost and regain a significant amout of weight on it, so if you need specific info on the diet please send me a message and i will tell you all about it.

Too low of a carb level is not good for your thyroid, this is a published fact.

I had to go on thyroid meds after doing atkins, after taking meds for 3 years and no longer extremely cutting carbs, no more meds needed. I do not think this is a coincidence.

If you have issues with your body digesting carbs, or have a medical illness that requires you cut your carbs, I think it's a wonderful diet to go on. That being said, it is extremely hard. I'm on a doctors required low carb diet. I see a nutritionist every 2 weeks. It does work, not gonna lie. But it is very hard because carbs are in EVERYTHING and unless you understand what good and bad carbs are, you're going to have some issues.

If you decide to do Atkins or South Beach or any of the other low carb plans out there... keep this in mind. Phase 1... the phase where you have no carbs at all, is the worst. SO restrictive! And you'll crave anything and everything carb. Because your body is detoxing from all of the bad carbs through that first phase. Once you start Phase 2 and start reintroducing the good carbs, you'll find the lifestyle becomes a little easier. Although you'll still have to be wary of hidden carbs in foods. It's tough, but it is do-able.

And I do agree with someone who said once you've been doing the diet and go off and start eating all of the different carbs again, you bet you're gonna gain back! And quick!

So the jist of what I'm saying... it can be good for you, but you need to decide if you want to do it for the rest of your life or not. If not, stick with low cal/low fat.

Good luck with your decision!

I did Atkins in 2005 because I wanted to lose weight and I wanted to lose it quickly. I knew a few folks who had done Atkins and lost weight so I got the book, read it, and essentially followed very close to the induction rules for 7 months. I lost 50 pounds during that time (17 pounds in the first month). I then got complacent, and began cheating some. Eventually, I cheated more. Ultimately, I wasn't doing Atkins or anything low carb anymore. I didn't have a transition plan in place (to a nutrition plan I had a better chance of sustaining) and over a few years, I gained all of the weight back plus some. Anyway, while I was doing Atkins, it worked and my blood work was amazing by the time I stopped doing it religiously.

I've learned some things on my current journey through reflection...and some of those things had to do with my failed Atkins experiment:

1. if your motivation is solely weight loss and not to become healthier, then you are thinking more short term and not long term. With a pure "lose weight as quickly as possible approach", I was willing to do any diet plan that would lead to fast results...because that almighty scale meant a ton to my motivation. This time around, although I obviously wanted to lose weight, I chose a more long term goal of living a healthier life on a nutrition/exercise plan I believed I could personally sustain.

2. although Atkins provided me with a quick pop in the weight loss department (17 pounds in the first month), a lot of that was water weight and weight loss slowed significantly after that. This time around, even though I didn't lose 17 pounds in the first month, I lost the first 50 as quickly as I did when I was doing Atkins. The weight loss was slower at the beginning, but steadier over the course of my journey.

3. If you follow a nutrition plan, try to pick a plan that you believe you will be comfortable following for the long term. For me, Atkins was only going to work as long as I maintained some ridiculous will power because I personally like fruit, pasta, bread, pizza, etc. On my current journey, I can eat all of that as long as I do so in moderation...which, for the most part, I have. During my current journey, I don't ever feel like I have to go without something. Even though I have chosen to greatly limit certain foods, I still eat most foods I like from time to time. For example, I really try to stay away from fast food and fried food. However, this past Saturday, I enjoyed a Five Guys burger and fries. I had accounted for the calories in advance and was fine. That would have effed me up on Atkins.

I was on Atkins for 8 years. The first two weeks are definintely NOT no carbs. You get your carbs mostly from veggies. I ate way more veggies on Atkins than I even do now on low calorie LOL

I say read the book, learn it, then do it. It's very healthy (if you do it by the book and not the way people actually think it is).

The major point has to be that you gotta find something you can live with. I LOVED how I ate for 8 years. I then let life get in the way and I failed the plan, it didn't fail me. I decided to do the calorie thing to get things going again but I think eventually I will go back to Atkins because I believe in it and I am not left wondering what next. I know what happens on Atkins. I don't eat bread/flour/real sugar and I can keep the weight off.

BTW I lost 90 pounds and kept them off for close to 8 years. I only gained 40 back when I let life get in the way (quit smokings, moved, work stress etc. )