Atkins diet - your opinion.

W

Winter

Cathlete
**Posted on Cathe forum also.



Hi Cathe & fans,
I am considering trying the Atkins diet and would like your feedback. I have about 25 lbs to lose and think with this diet I could do it fairly quick. I thought I would try it for 2 months then go back to the weight watchers plan as a guideline to keep it off. I know someone that went on it and lost 80 lbs in 4 months. What do you think?
Thanks,
Winter
 
Personally I think it's a bad idea. A lot of people don't feel very good when they go on the Atkins diet. Plus most people gain all of the weight back when they start eating normal again. Although I know that some people succeed on this diet but they tend to be people who commit to eating low carb for the rest of their life. I think it's a big mistake to have to totally cut perfectly good foods like bread out of your diet for the rest of your life. I've read how people on the Atkins diet get really sick if they happen to eat a piece of cake or have a little bit of sugar.

BTW, in general the faster you lose the weight the more likely it is that you will regain it. You might want to do a search for some of MariBeth's posts on this subject.
 
I agree. I think there are some serious problems with a diet that asks you to cut out entire food groups. I mean no fruits? What the #$%%^?
 
You aren't gonna like this but these fad diets cater to the lazy. And you can basically eat all the grease you want , right? This is , of course, what everyone would like to do. You'll lose weight because you are cutting carb calories but all that fatty food cannot be and is not good for your system. And good luck working out with no carbs in your diet.
I tell people this......if you wanna lose weight you gotta move your ass and eat all things in moderation.
Trevor :) :-jumpy
 
I agree w/the others, don't trust eating plans that make you eliminate entire food groups, even for a short time.

By the way, the term "diet" is a four letter word! Better to adopt a healthy way of eating for life!
 
All - I think Atkins doesn't eliminate entire food groups. They do completely eliminate white flour from your diet, and you're supposed to make the most of the carbs they do allow you.

Winter - my humble opinion is there's nothing very special about the Atkins diet that will make you lose weight faster. Any diet that reduces calories will work (that's why Atkins works). But if hopping onto this diet will allow you to lose weight, you should go for it! Sometimes doing something different is all it takes. Just try to eat as healthy as you can along the way. :)

good luck,
 
Thank you everyone. I value your opinion. I think I will get the book and read it and see if it is something I feel comfortable trying. I really really like fruit so that may be hard.

Thanks again,
Winter
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I tried Atkins and it seems that during the induction period, aren't you supposed to eliminate carbs completely? Or was it that one was allowed 20 grams or something like that? 20 grms doesn't even equal one apple.

All I really recall is that I was miserable, tired, headaches and constipated.

I think there are better alternatives.
 
Hi Winter. Just wanted to add my two cents worth and say a few good things about Atkins. My husband and I have been following the diet for about 6 months. I've lost 20 pounds and he has lost 35. There are so many misconceptions about this diet that I won't even try to go into all of them. Basically, you can make this diet work for you by modifying it to suit your needs. You CAN have fruits and vegetables on this diet. The only time they are really restricted is on the first two weeks -the "Induction" part. You don't even have to go on this part of the diet if you don't want to be that restricted. The first fruits you add back are berries and melon. After that you just add things back slowly. The main thing that is truly restricted is sugar and the "white" stuff - white flour, potatoes, refined carbs, etc. You don't have to eat butter, etc., you can use the good fats like olive oils, canola oils, etc, (but if you do use butter occasionally it WON'T hurt you). You will lose faster the lower your carb intake is, but if you are satisfied with losing more slowly and having more carbs, that's fine. My husband and I also take either a day off occasionally, or maybe just one meal every week or so if there is something we really want to eat, then go right back on it. Both our cholesterol levels have dropped drastically and the good cholesterol has gone up, and I feel great - have tons of energy. Yes, if you do go off the diet and eat "normal" you will gain the weight back - that is if eating sugar and all the other things becomes your "normal" again. That's true with any diet. But, this way of eating has really worked for me and now that tests are being done at Duke University and other places, I think some of the misconceptions will eventually go away.

Cheryl
 
Hi Winter:

I just want to tell you that I "did" the Atkins diet a few years back. Everything was great, I lost about 25 lbs - unfortunately after about a year I just couldn't stand it anymore. Then I started eating sugar and gained 30 lbs! Thank goodness I got myself back under control and learned through a program at my church to eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. Nothing is forbidden, but you must learn to stop the emotional or binge eating. I now try to eat a healthy (homemade, not packaged) diet. Mostly fresh vegetables,fruit and whole grains. This is something I can live with. I've lost the 30 pounds I put back on and then some. I'm almost at my goal weight and feel wonderful!

Diets are a mistake because they put too much focus on the food. You start thinking about what you can and can't eat all the time.
Instead of controlling your food, it starts controlling you. The key is to enjoy your food but keep it in its proper perspective -it's only fuel!

I hope I didn't ramble too long on this subject but it's been a major factor in allowing me to live a happy life!
 
Hi Winter,

My husband's doctor (a very reputable Atlanta area physican) has recommemnded he follow the Atkins diet several times. DH has a herditary problem with cholesterol in general, specifically high tryglycerides, which ultimately in his family leads to diabetes and/or heart disease. While he has made significant strides through portion control and exercise, his doctor doesn't believe he can get his tryglyceride level where it needs to be without almost eliminating all breads, pasta and the like from his diet. The doctor suggested Atkins as a plan he could follow to do this. We know several other people with similar problems who have gotten the same suggestions from their doctors. So the Atkins diet is not necessarily a "fad" and certainly not without merit.

Having said that I will also say I don't think I could follow it. I much prefer WW. Good luck!
 
Hello Winter,

If you want to lose weight successfully on a low carbohydrates then you can modify the Atkins diet to suit you. The way it works is to cut out rice, bread, potatoes, bananas, high fat dairy, fats and all sugar from your diet. You can have all other natural foods: fruits, vegetables, lean meat, fish (lots of fish) and low fat dairy. You can have eggs.

I read about the diet and it was very sensible, based around natural whole foods. However, when it was tried and tested on an ordinary housewife, she found her shopping basket more than doubled in price. It was very expensive to eat this way (Atkins too is very expensive and targeted at the rich and famous).

You can modify the rules to suit yourself. The simple rule is to keep your food as wholesome as possible and avoid processed, fat and sugar.

Yen
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Dec-31-02 AT 00:39AM (Est)[/font][p]The diet is rather expensive and now Atkins is making pastas and other high carb foods but using labeling laws to report it differently, such as their nutrition bars.

The thing that I don't like about the diet is that it does eliminate food groups such as legumes. And legumes have a high concentration of Folic Acid which has been proved to cause birth defects in pregnant women if it is lacking. It really doesn’t take into account most of the whole grains food group, such as barely, quinoa, oats, whole wheat (the real stuff, not just bread), whole grain breads and pastas.

It is a restricted diet, no more, no less. One of the things that I look for in choosing an eating method is supplementation. If it requires supplements then a red flag immediately goes up in my mind. Physicians will tell you to take supplements if you are on a reduced calorie diet of under 1,500 calories because you cannot have a diverse enough diet that ensures you will have enough nutrients for a healthy lifestyle.
 
IMHO stay away from any diet that eliminates or severely restricts an entire type of food. The reason it is successful is that total calories are low. However, your arteries could be getting clogged with all that BAD fat.

Weight Watchers is sensible and flexible, and you can live on a weight watchers plan for life with out worring about it risking your health. BTW all that extra protein is taxing on your kidneys in a not good way!

Judy
Live by the golden rule: treat others as yourself :)
 
Good luck!

Sounds like you want to do something pretty quickly and maybe this will work. You aren't saying you will stay on it forever.

I have 2 friends at work who did and had good success. 1 kept it off the other gained it back. So I think it's like anything it's the haul that's most important but if you want to jump start it why not!

I remember YEARS ago - I'd fast to lose weight. I was a freshman in college - sure it wasn't healthy but I did it to lose about 10 lbs and never really gained it back (MANY years and a couple of kids later) so for some of us a quick solution works.

Let us know how it goes
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Dec-31-02 AT 09:34PM (Est)[/font][p]Hi Winter,
I'm glad you asked us all before taking the plunge.

First things first: 80 lbs in 4 months = 20 lbs. lost each month. This is extreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeemely unhealthy to begin with.

Second: the diet: fat and protein. Ketosis: a state unnatural for your body to be in. A diet that is not followable for life: more disordered eating habits to add to the collection ( I mean the general populus' collection; not yours personally
;-) ).

Thirdly: How is your body going to feel while on this diet, eating almost nothing but fats and proteins? I am sure the last thing I would feel like doing is exercising. I think a diet like that would DRAIN energy from my body.

PLEASE reconsider doing Atkins. It makes me ill to even think about another person doing this awful (and dangerous) diet. At the very least, do plenty of research so you know what you're getting yourself into.

HTH,
Kathy

ps. I got myself to a healthy weight (and have maintained for three years in April) by following a diet of my own creation: a low-fat, high complex-carb (mostly lower GI index) moderate protein diet, very high in fruits and vegetables, and I also get plenty of exercise. I feel great, and my diet is not a burden to me, I see it as a source of energy and vitality. Please think carefully about this before you make a decision.
 
I know 2 people who are/were on it. The one woman lost 20lbs in a month. But at our holiday dinner she could hardly eat a thing! No bread or desert. Not fun!

My uncle was on it and also lost a bit. He could only have steak and a DRY (ugh) salad for dinner. Nothing else. He only does it when he gains some weight. The thing is, you gain it back eventually and have to suffer while you're on the diet.

To me, the diet sounds unhealthy and NOT FUN! It just sounds miserable. It's not healthy to lose so much weight so fast and deprive yourself of entire food groups. There are better ways to lose weight: eating sensibly and exercising. I'd see a nutritionist if you'd like a personalized, healthy eating plan.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top