[ARCHIVED THREAD] - ATKINs DIET (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 4/17/2006 8:12:43 AM EDT
| Has anyone done the Atkins Diet? Does it work? Is it easy/hard? Is there a good site for info besides the Atkins site itself? |
| It a derivative of a ketogenic diet. Its VERY HARD the first week. No carbs means you feel like SHIT and by shit I mean TOTAL ASS. Then your body adapts and its not so bad. Expect foul breath, stinky sweat, low energy, etc. It is the fastest way to lose body fat. I would not do it longer than 4 weeks personally. I cant seem to find the discipline to stick to it. Then again I dont have that much fat to lose in the first place. It is NOT a long term diet but a trick to cut lots of fat quickly. |
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I did it a long time ago. Lost over a hundred pounds. Gained it all back, plus more. Watch out for diets that eliminate whole food groups or ones that are so strict that they are boring. Good for the short term, but when I did them for extended periods, I developed cravings that affect me to this day. One program was from a chain of jenny craig like places called Diet Center. I lost over a 100 pounds with them, before I melted down. That's where I developed insane cravings for candy bars, that plaugue me to this day. The diet was so strict and boring that all I could think about was food that didn't taste like cardboard. Candy bars were quick and easily concealable. |
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There are some better diets that work on the same principle. I did the South beach diet. It worked great for me. I went from 204 down to 172 in about 8 months. Never got hungry, no cravings. The meals that we prepared were good, and healthy. One thing we found is for you to stick with this type of diet, you will need to learn to like your own cooking. It is hard to eat out on these types of diets, in the first two phases. Do some research online. There are a lot of recipies out there that are tasty. I still eat a bunch of them. Look around and try them. Discard the ones that you don't like. I hope you like vegetables, cause you are going to be eating a bunch of them along with meat. |
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I have tried the atkins diet and i agree with devl. It does work wonders but the lack of energy sucks. Other things to look out for are that it can cause problems with kidneys and liver. Also very hard on your heart so if you decide to do it check with your doc and have a physical to make sure your body can handle it. I work in a pharmacy so I racked the PhMDs' brains about this and have found through what they said and personal experience that low calorie diet, exercise, some green tea supplement (diet supressent), and a glass od ruby red grape fruit juice (metabolism booster) can go a long way. I have dropped about 35 lbs in the last 3 months. Good Luck. |
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First, Atkins works and it's good for you, despite what current mass media opinion says. The first week like folks have mentioned is rough. The trick, like with any other diet, is just figuring what you can eat that's still alright to eat. I did it about 5 years ago before joining the Army. Didn't do any more exercise than normal and lost somewhere around 25 pounds in 6 weeks. It was actually pretty shocking. The normal daily meals consisted of: Breakfast: Egg white omelet, fat free cheese w/ bacon and some pepper Lunch: Chicken or Tuna Salad on a Caesar Salad. Dinner: Small steak, some grilled shrimp and a side of green beans Snacks: Cheese and meats, sunflower seeds (great for any diet) and fruit/vegetables Keys to getting through Atkins. First, drink lots of water. Your body will be going into ketosis the first week, and you will get a monster headache. This is normal and usually goes away after you rehydrate. So, hydrating early helps out. Second, find and adjust your sweet tooth. The hardest part is giving up on the sweets, so you gotta find a replacement. Diet sodas work great for this. The best is Sugar Free Jello and Ready Whip. Now here's my recommendation (and what I tell my soldiers that have weight issues). Before you change anything you eat, ask yourself how much physical activity you do. It's a hell of a lot easier to workout than change what you eat. Being in the Army, yeah we have regimented PT every day. However, most of us go to the gym at least one more time during the day and I throw in extra PU's and SU's for my team before going to bed. After you've got a solid workout routine down, then reconsider changing what you eat. I'll tell you that eating breakfast for most people is highly overrated. Breakfast can easily be replaced with a Slim-Fast Optima shake (chocolate is great!) and a piece of fruit. Despite what anyone might think, Slim-Fast shakes are one of the best things you can put in your body. It has every vitamin and nutrient you need, plus a very good level of protein. Throw in a piece of fruit or two to fill the stomach as well as provide some roughage. Again, drink lots of water (especially if you're active). I workout twice a day, getting smoked each time plus PU's and SU's before bed and drink about 1.5 gallons of water a day. Adjust for yourself. Too much is bad, but better to have it and not need it. Lunch is a green salad w/ fat free dressing, one serving of meat (about the size of your palm), a little bit of white rice, for a slow release complex carbohydrate and another piece of fruit (or two) for the sweet. Dinner is on you, but keep it light. If you're going to eat before you workout, concentrate on a smaller meal, with slow release carbohydrates. If you're going to eat after, you can go with fast release carbs and stay away from going too heavy. About 2 liters of water and sack out. Snacks throughout the day would be fruit, Powerbar (split up between Breakfast and Lunch and Lunch and Dinner) or other low calorie health bars (Myoplex, Designer Whey Protein, Slim-Fast, et. al.). Bottom line is increase activity and then work on the food. You'll find it much easier to eat healthy once you're being more active, because you'll want to fuel that activity. FWIW, following my plan, and adding some good supplementation, my battle buddy lost 12 pounds and 3% body fat in 6 weeks. These are PERFECT numbers for sustained weight/fat loss. SPC (P) Richard A. White, Senior Medic 249th MP Detachment (EACF) Camp Humphreys, ROK |
| I'm not a big Atkins believer. It works, but I don't think that it's all that healthy or sustainable. As far as what carbs are good, try looking here |
| The Atkins diet is a good short term diet but is not good for long term. Also the Atkins diet diminishes muscle mass. You may want to look into the 3 hour diet. Its a medium carb and low fat diet. You eat every 3 hours. So far its working pretty good for me. The founder of the diet claims that you lose belly fat first. |
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I have not done Atkins, but one of my good friends has. He's been doing it for about a year and a half, and it seems pretty impressive. Several people have said they do not think it's a good long term approach, but did not state why they felt that way. It has worked very well for my friend. |
Atkins is NOT good for you. There are many things that your brain can do but going without sugars is not one of them. The rest of your body can swith energy cycles, your brain can not. Also, the weight lost in the beginning is water loss. The metabolism of most sugars uses water. When you switch metabolism and the body doesnt need water it dispells it, hense the weight loss. DO NOT go without carbs when you dont have too. Hoodyhoo21 B.S Biochemistry; Colorado State University |
| Isn't the real Atkins diet a long term thing, that reintroduces carbs, but only to a certain amount (not the extreme amount that most Americans eat)? And that what most people think of as the Atkins diet is just the shortened version that was made popular by celebrities only following it for the first few weeks? |
Correct. Atkins is strict on carbs in the beginning, but then DOES re-introduce them in the later stages (to your body's tolerance of carbs). If you listen to the media and Atkins detractors, they say things like, "HOW is eating 4 eggs and a pound of bacon for breakfast good for you?!" And of course, this is NOT what the Atkins diet is about. It's about cutting all the excess (read "weight gaining") carbs. |
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Atkins is healthy. Not discounting Hoodyhoo's B.S., but my brother and his PhD in Kinesiology (spelling) and Sports Physiology, says that it is alright. The reason is that you are LOW on sugar for a short time (during the first 1-2 weeks I restricted myself to less than 20g of carbs per day). You're in ketosis for a short period of time (1-2 weeks) and then add in carbohydrates to find out what your "magic number" of carbs per day that you can take in. I seriously doubt (and know) that I did not lose 25 pounds of water in 6 weeks. Not only is that not possible, but I did compare body fat % (by underwater immersion) before and after to see progress. In the 6 weeks of doing Atkins, the 25 pounds went away with about 2.5% body fat. Despite the results, I prefer a more balanced routine of exercise and "proper" caloric intake, while monitoring carbohydrates. The results from my soldiers and their associated PT scores show that A - they're losing fat and gaining/maintaining muscle; B - Performing significantly better on their APFT. Too, after the first 2 weeks, no one complains of "withdrawls" from junk food and reassures me that this to them is now a lifestyle change rather than a "diet". Rich |
I found the opposite to be true. I went from about 240# down to 200# the summer before I turned 66 on a version of the Atkins Diet. While losing weight while eating less than 30 grams of carbohydrates a day, I didn't lose that much strength. Always before when I tried losing weight, my strength went way down. I lost 10# on my bench when I lost that 40# of weight. With my current diet more traditional diet, my bench has dropped from 210# to 150#, and I've only lost about 20# of fat so far. It's depressing since I lifted weights for over 40 years to finally bench over 200#, but I can't do Atkins now since I'm eating three meals a day at work. I would definitely do the less than 30 grams of carbohydrates per day diet again if I could.z |
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How much are you exercising? You would probably be surprised as I was how important that is. I'd skip adkins... Carbs are your primary fuel. The reason people lose weight is because they are malnourished, and their bodies scavenge, which is bad. Another problem is they typically have high colesterol. They skip the grilled chicken sandwich and eat a stick of butter wrapped with bacon. (with a side pork chop) and lose wight. Look into south beach, or better yet, Weight Watchers. And exercise. |
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I did it almost 10 years ago and lost over 50 pounds in less than two months, without any exercise. Of course, I went and got married and sat on my ass, and gained it all back, and just a hair more. Not the diet's fault. MY fault. I just started on it again yesterday when I tipped the scales at almost 280 (which at 6' 3" is just on this side of morbidly obese). I'm shooting for between 220 and 230. I'm not so blind as not to recognize that diet alone is going to solve my problem, or that Atkins is a good thing long-term, but I have to do SOMETHING. Since I live alone, cooking for Atkins is easy, and I enjoy it. I just need to get myself a grill. As for exercise, I've been walking quite a bit, and I've sworn off the elevators at work. Throw in the work I'm doing around the house unpacking and getting the place up to snuff (that's going to be a LONG project), and I'm looking at a decent start. Now if I can just get my ass out and walking/running in the morning or evening, I'd be golden.  I'll ask for prayers. I need to kick this if I'm going to live long enough to see my girls grow up. My next stop is getting in to get a complete physical done. It's been 10 years since I saw a doctor. What an idiot.  ETA: For the record, I've been on the diet only 24 hours, and already I feel lighter, but that's mostly due to the fact that (in my case) the first thing to go is that bloated feeling. I'm surprised at how quickly it came this time, but I'm not complaining. Also drinking lots of fluids to keep the kidneys flushed, which helps. Long-term, I will most likely do South Beach or Weight Watchers. |
Dude, I remember you as a skinny guy. Is my memory AFU? Definitely get to a doctor and make sure that he checks your cholesterol level as well as BP - you may be a candidate for some meds to control blood pressure/chemistry. How much road time does your job entail? If it isn't too much a canine companion can provide that extra impetus to get out and walk. Good luck to you in any case. Follow the red corvette!! |
 Incorrect. This is what the media and the "OMG LOW FAT" dorks will have you believe. You don't eat a stick of butter wrapped in bacon. Sheesh. Research much? |
Huh...... Have you and I met?  The only time in my life (after 8th grade, at any rate) that I could have been called "skinny" was at the end of Plebe Summer, when I went from 215 to 169 in five weeks. Since then, I've always been on the wrong side of trim, but to varying degrees.
You're not kidding on the checkup. I will pay extra if I have to, but I need to know where I am and how the ol' ticker and its pipes are doing.
Oy, vey! That SOB's voice still echoes in my head as if it were yesterday!  I wonder if he's still there? 
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Yeah. I just didn't feel like replying. There are plenty of ways to do Atkins without eating bacon-wrapped butter. You can do lots and lots of chicken and fish, and I challenge anyone to tell me those two foods are unhealthy. Don't believe the hype. The fact is that the diet works, can be done almost fat-free, and requires little or no exercise. That combination has the assholes who brought us "Low-Fat" everything (never mind how they jacked up the sugar and salt to compensate) and all the rest of that crowd running in circles as their rediculous profit margins disappear. |
Back to the Lucky Bag I guess. I will confess that my name/face association is the worst with your class. Anyway, best of luck to you. |
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I lost 55 pounds on Atkins. I fell of the wagon when my second child was born, and gained 45 pounds of it back. I am back on the Atkins Wagon and have lost 10.5 pounds in the forst month. Another 45 pounds to go to my goal weight. This time, I am on it for life. Once I am at my goal weight, I may switch over to PaleoDiet or Neanderthin. ZThey are both variations of low carb diets that emphasise eating natural foods (no frankenfoods or manmade foods). If you cannot eat it raw, then you cannot eat it on the diet. Mark |
I'm doing a good bit around the house, and have done little things like give up the elevator. I had been walking between 1.5-2.0 miles a day during lunch, but that fell by the wayside due to work (I'll start again when I get back from Miami). In Miami, I hope to go for moderate walks/runs to get back up to speed. It's been ages since I've done anything. |
I have a similar one, but I mean a GRILL, as in GAS GRILL, so I can REALLY cook! The Foreman-type grills just don't cut it for long-term use, even though I, too, have lived off it for the better part of two years. |
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Bleh.... Carbs are NOT the enemy. Empty carbs ARE. Stay away from white carbs (white rice, white bread, pasta) and eat only whole grain carbs. Eat lots of fiber and lean meats...get off your ass and move and you you WILL see a difference. Sorry, but I cannot stand the diet industry...it AIN'T rocket science: Eat less, eat smart and move your ass to get the body you want. |
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Part of the problem is the current use of the word "diet". The first definition on dictionary.com is "The usual food and drink of a person or animal." Zone is a "diet" in the true sense of the word, as is the Body For Life. Body For Life especially as an overall plan relies on the person to actually excercise as well. Both are more about being the "usual food and drink of a person or animal", not a way to sit on your ass and still lose weight. They are also both interested in health, not skinny. Quite frankly I don't know why Atkins people don't just turn to bulimia. At least then you get to eat all the junk that these supposedly irresistable "cravings" make you want. |
I think you'll find the Zone to be the easiest transition. It's somewhat light on carbs but not as fanatically so as the Atkins or SoBe. Stay away from www.zoneperfect.com as that's just the marketing hype to sell you overpriced supplements and such. The site with the good information is www.drsears.com. You can also read up on the dietary requirements of www.bodyforlife.com. At the end of the day the best thing to do is to educate yourself, learn about several different diets (in the original sense of the word) and develop your own that works for you. It's like anything else in the world; you're best served by taking a little from each. |
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I have the Body for Life book. Of course, I haven't read it. My enemy is carbs. I love the damned things, and the nastier the better. Bread, cereal (sweetened, of course), cakes, cookies, crackers, ice cream, pasta, etc. Oh, and beer!   The story of my life. I've heard that Weight Watchers (or whatever "point" system it was) is good because you can eat anything so long as you don't violate the points. Of course, with high-calorie foods (the good ones, of course), you can eat for three days in five minutes. Not good. |
I feel your pain on the carbs: I'm Italian...we'd die if we were Gluten intolerant. But Zaph, there are ways around it. The only time I eat "bad breads" is a coupla times a month: otherwise, I keep the breads low carb, high fiber and high protein. I NEVER eat white rice (it's yucky) and brown rice is better for you. Buy whole wheat semolina pasta. eat raisin bran (higher in fiber, yet still sweet---or sweetened oatmeal) cakes, cookies are harder to "substitute" so LIMIT them, DON'T eliminate them (makes you cranky) and crackers: again...whole grain ones are good for you....oh! and switch to vodka.  |
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Keebler Club Crackers. May as well call them Crack. A whole packet goes in one sitting. Raisin Bran? I buy Total Raisin Bran. Problem: Half the box in one sitting (don't ask me about the results). I have ZERO willpower or discipline when it comes to moderation. NONE. THAT is why I "like" doing Atkins, because it's an extreme measure, and I can get my mind around extremes. It's always the long-term that worries me. I went from 270 to 119 in six weeks the first time I did Atkins. I look a those pictures now and I look like a KID (weight adds years as well as blubber). Makes me furious to remember how I let it ALL come back. 
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Er...That's ALOT of Raisin Bran!
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I have tremendous willpower, but only until the commissary checkout. I can go without buying any and all crap food in the store, but once it is inside my kitchen it's all over. That's why I try to limit eating out to once or twice per week (including lunches) and stick to the outside supermarket aisles where the fruit, vegetables, meat, and milk live. |
Hey, buddy, I started at 6' 3" and the same weight, so don't feel bad! You ain't alone! Gotta find a scale around here. My start weight was just over two weeks ago, and my last weight was on Thursday. I wonder where I am now?
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You know, I thought I'd share some of my "secrets" to making Atkins easier to stick to... As all of us who have done the diet know, the most difficult thing about it is the lack of anything sweet. Well, I've solved that problem WITHOUT having to go to these low-carb specialty stores that rape you blind. I can recommend ALL of the following: EAS Carb-Control Products The only bar I didn't like was the Blueberry one. The Chocolate Brownie ones are to DIE FOR. As for the shakes, the only one I haven't tried is the Cookies and Cream one. The others are awsome. One of those will cover you for breakfast after a few days on the diet (when your appetite is down). Note: IT MUST BE CARB-CONTROL! I don't think the Complete Nutrition ones will work! For drinks, anything diet will do. I do Diet Coke, Diet Ginger Ale, Seltzer Water, Diet Lemonade, Diet Sprite, and my all-time favorite, Fresca. But sodas and water only go so far, so I indulge myself with Michelob Ultra Amber beer, which is SURPRISINGLY good, and MUCH better than the original Ultra. For those who can get it, I also recommend Aspen Edge. That stuff is REALLY good. They ain't Beck's or Bass Pale Ale, but they'll certainly do in a pinch! Deserts? I found these babies: Dannon Light & Fit Carb Control Yogurt I can vouch for the Vanilla ones being GREAT! If I remember any others, I'll add them on. 
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Lots of Skirt Steak and italian sausage. Spinach salads. EAS Carb-Control shakes. The stuff above, etc., etc... I AM FUCKING JONESING FOR A PIZZA RIGHT ABOUT NOW!!!!
Thanks. Seems to be working. Haven't weighed myself in a few days, but older clothes (when I was thinner) are getting looser and newer clothes are getting way too big. ETA: My 6-year-old just put a bag of chocolate chip cookies next to my right hand. I'm gonna kill her.
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