ATKINS DIET

Options
dollaqie
dollaqie Posts: 74 Member
in Food and Nutrition
What is you take on this dieet, and is anybody following it?
«13

Replies

  • SallyJ1985
    SallyJ1985 Posts: 9
    Options
    Hi

    I have done this before for about 6 weeks. It's effective for a short term fix i.e. before an event but i couldn't stick to it long term.

    Pro's: You can have "nice" food i.e. cheese, meat, butter, cream etc; fast results
    Cons: Anti-social; expensive; potential health hazards from following long term.

    I think there is a low carb group you can join xx
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Options
    It's a workable diet providing you can live largely without carbohydrates - bread / pasta / pizza / fruit / cereal / etc are all eliminated or very restricted. Not easy for vegetarians, and even more difficult for vegans. Good if you like meat though.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    Options
    Atkins is about reducing your carb count dramatically. On induction you only eat 20 net carbs a day, mostly from steamed veggies or salad greens. I was advised by my doctor to follow a modified atkins plan several years ago. I started with 50 net carbs a day, and lost 20 pounds in 2 months.

    Net carbs is carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohols. for example....an atkins "candy bar" has 19 carbs--9 fiber and 8 sugar alcohol-- so it has 2 net carbs. When doing atkins, you only count "net carbs".

    Just a week ago I started cutting my carbs down to 50-100 net per day. This morning I am going to go weigh in, hoping I lost at least half a pound over the weekend---it was a crazy weekend with lots of eating out, etc, but I think I made good choices and kept close to my goals!
  • travisseger
    travisseger Posts: 271 Member
    Options
    I've done it before with success. However, after a couple of months, I would start to feel like garbage and couldn't stomach to look at another piece of meat or cheese. So I would quit and put back on the weight I lost plus some.

    As a diabetic, I do eat low-carb to help control my blood sugar, but have developed a way of eating that is much more sustainable for me and one that I feel is much healthier than Atkins - or at least the way I did Atkins.

    But if you can sustain it long-term, I don't see why you can't make it work. There are plenty of people who have.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    Options
    checking in to let everyone know that I lost another 1.5 pounds over the weekend for a grand total of 4.8 pounds in my first week. I didn't even go super low carb--my carbs were no lower than 50 and generally were around 100 net carbs a day. In the past, it took me over 6 weeks to lose that!
  • fatforthewin
    fatforthewin Posts: 33
    Options
    I am doing something similar to Atkins. It is completely do-able. The brain does not have the capacity to run 100% on ketones like other biological tissues (muscles especially), so the "switch" from glucose to ketones takes time - that is the adaptation period. Even then, a certain amount of extra protein or carbohydrate is necessary to keep the brain running and lean mass existing.

    Just remember that a low carb diet is not an attempt to live WITHOUT glucose. That is impossible. The body will derive glucose from other tissues to feed the brain until there is simply no more glucose left (death by starvation). Instead, a low carb diet is an attempt to live a more smooth, physically and emotionally healthy life without the ups and downs of insulin surges and potential diabetes threat. It is also a key to living without hunger (related to blood sugar highs and lows). It may even be a key to reducing body fat directly and with ease.

    Anyway, that's my two-cents' worth. I'm basically just eating loads of fat, some protein (mainly at dinner) and some carbs (30-40 grams). I watch my calories as much as I watch my carbs, so my version is a calorie-restricted low carb diet. I also monitor sodium and potassium.
  • miranda_mom
    miranda_mom Posts: 873 Member
    Options
    I did it once and it did work but I found I wanted things like pasta, french fries, candy, etc. ALL THE TIME. And I'm talking about stuff I don't even like that much but I think I just wanted it because I couldn't have it. Now I can incorporate those things into my day on a small scale if I want them and don't have to worry about the cravings so much.
  • GasMasterFlash
    GasMasterFlash Posts: 2,206 Member
    Options
    I tried eating lots of vegetables -- just vegetables -- and I suffered from very loose stools. I tried this, eating lots of meat, and my stools were much beefier.
  • Marcelynh
    Marcelynh Posts: 974 Member
    Options
    It may make you lose weight but it doesn't change your habits. In fact you end up consuming a huge amount of food, all mostly protein. Then as soon as you go off the diet you are used to eating a large quantity of food and you gain the weight back, usually quite quickly. It has been our personal experience that it does make you drop weight quickly but the lasting results are not there because it actually trains you to eat more food rather than less. If you can live on meat meat meat and little else then fine but most people can't stick with it. I do not recommend it for long term success.
  • lleves9112
    lleves9112 Posts: 1
    Options
    I found the Atkins diet very hard to follow because the foods are so limited. First of all, you better love eggs, because that is basically all you can have for breakfast. I am the largest carnivore on Earth, but even I became tired of eating meat all the time. Plus you have to watch out for hidden carbs, such as sugar in deli cold cuts. I ended up losing 4 pounds or so during the first month, but my cholesterol went way up and I stopped following the diet. Plus, I had zero energy to work out, which is very necessary to become healthy. I decided to try a more balanced diet and eat things in moderation. That has worked much better for me and I have lost 46 pounds.

    Good luck to you!
  • jenniferg83
    jenniferg83 Posts: 278 Member
    Options
    it's dangerous
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    Options
    I did it once and it did work but I found I wanted things like pasta, french fries, candy, etc. ALL THE TIME. And I'm talking about stuff I don't even like that much but I think I just wanted it because I couldn't have it. Now I can incorporate those things into my day on a small scale if I want them and don't have to worry about the cravings so much.

    I think this is the key. This time around I have eaten out, and I even just had a few marshmallow peeps---yet I am still under my net carbs (100) for the day. Today I went out to lunch with my husband. We went to Ruby Tuesday's on, and I got the minis with garden bar. Hubby got the turkey minis. I had one of my minis, and one of hubby's, and a big salad. My plate came with fries, but I only had about 6. I kinda felt odd when I asked the waiter to " Please take my plate before I eat these fries", but it worked for me!! As long as I am losing weight, I am going to eat whatever/wherever I want as long as it fits into my daily goals!
  • fatforthewin
    fatforthewin Posts: 33
    Options
    it's dangerous

    It CAN be dangerous but very often is NOT dangerous. It is oftentimes quite beneficial, in fact.
  • karmah2771
    karmah2771 Posts: 42 Member
    Options
    My husband has done this diet many times. After he lost the weight he went back to eating "regular" and ended up gaining it all back. This time around I convinced him to change the way that we eat "regular" and now he is losing weight in a way that will allow him to keep it off even after he reaches his goal (me too!). This is because the way that we are eating now, is the way that we intend on eating in the future. Healthier choices, more fruits and veggies and more exercise.
  • martinah4
    martinah4 Posts: 583 Member
    Options
    A large amount of the information that the people above are telling you is incorrect.
    Atkins is about eating healthy. You are getting a large amount of your daily carbs in the form of vegetables and salads. You are eating healthy fats from sources such as avocados, olive oil and nuts. Yes, you eat protein, but are not to gorge on it, just eat a normal portion size. You are allowed eggs for breakfast, but you are encouraged to eat veggies, too (think a Denver Omelet). Atkins does cut carbs, though: processed carbs (i.e. junk food, things made in a factory). You cut out starchy carbs like pasta and rice. Potatos, breads, things made from flour.

    It is not limiting. Since the diet has been around since the 1970's, there are a ton of food choices and options. Join one of the low-carb groups on this site, and there are delicious and simple recipes and meal plans.

    The first phase, Induction, is restrictive. But you are only supposed to stay on it for 2 weeks, and then start slowly adding in carbs (including fruits).

    A lot of people blame the diet, saying it failed them. The truth is, they failed the diet. They didn't do it right, didn't stick it through, cheated, couldn't live without their sugar and carbage, and now they can only bad mouth it. I and thousands of others have made low-carb a lifestyle with great results.

    If you decide you're interested, please read a book on Atkins or low-carb. Do your own research.
  • LMSCROGG
    LMSCROGG Posts: 35 Member
    Options
    I am very glad that I found this post, I have been following Atkins (along with my weight loss surgery) and I think that I am going to up my net carbs to the 50-100 range. Hope it works!
  • jsuaccounting
    jsuaccounting Posts: 193 Member
    Options
    I became more comfortable with Atkins after reading Gary Taubes' book, - Why we get fat. I now eat moderately low carb/high fat (maybe 100 grams of carbs per day) and feel fine with plenty of energy. However, Atkins is very low carb and takes some adjustment.

    A bonus I found on lower carbs is that I also only need to eat two or three times per day and can walk or hike for hours without snacks. On days I eat a higher carb diet, I need to eat more snacks.
  • domeister
    domeister Posts: 7
    Options
    I do love the Atkins bars. Never tried the diet.
  • beccadaniixox
    beccadaniixox Posts: 542 Member
    Options
    I don't think any diet is good.
    Make a lifestyle change and live it.
    Diets all have rules... I just enjoy living.
  • MissLexiLoo
    MissLexiLoo Posts: 43
    Options
    What is you take on this dieet, and is anybody following it?

    I'm not saying this diet doesn't work because it does short term, but it is probably one of the more unhealthy diets you could do. It's not based off any scientific research. Your brain NEEDS carbs and fats to keep it functioning. Our brains are made of fat, so we need glucose to keep it running properly. When your body has an overload of protein, your blood becomes more acidic for a couple reasons. One, the protein has to break down in a form that its not meant to, to fuel your brain, which produces ketones (your body could go in to ketosis). Secondly, when you eat large amounts of protein, the nitrogen in protein is excreted in the urine, called urea. Your kidneys have to filter the urea from your blood stream, which is really harsh on your kidneys. If you aren't drinking a TON of water, you can harm your kidneys. Protein shakes are horrible for your body too (I don't think atkins does protein shakes??) but predigested proteins going into your body can actually do more harm that good as a side note. Our body does best breaking down proteins in whole form. Anyways, I hope that helps :)

Categories