I have been on this Atkins deal for a week now and its not going so well... I NOW KNOW what heroin addicts feel like when they quit cold turkey. For those of you that dont know you can basically eat anything EXCEPT for carbs. NO bread, NO cake, NO potatoes, and I have been CRAVING cake...its weird I know... I KNOW!!!

Any of you guys done this?? has it worked?? Is it worth it?

My father lost weight with the Atkins diet. And his doctor said it was good for his heart.

My ole man lost 50-60 pounds, maybe a little more on it...

He read the book, I tried it without the book, but with my wife being thin and eating regular food, I didn't have the discipline for it...

I have lost many a pound though...I was about 335, yep 335, in MIDDLE SCHOOL!!!
Joined Navy ROTC for the sole purpose of NOT having to change out for gym in front of other folks in High school.  I was tired of being called "turbo tities" in middle school, so that was a way of getting out of it...

They gave me a pair of size 48 pants that I couldn't come near fitting into for the uniform, so I had to loose some weight to fit into those pants (and BARELY did by the first time I had to wear them)  Than I just kept going!

My diet was pretty much a modified adkins diet (never heard of it at the time) where I cut out ALL SWEETS and sugar drinks...  No sugar... stayed away from too much bread and fried stuff, but still had pasta, potatoes and regular veggies...

And I rode the exercise bike (for hours a night)and did eventually about 1000 sit-ups a day (250 at a time).   I didn't kill myself with workouts, just gradually worked my way up.


Most of the weight came off I the first 2-3 months, like 50+ pounds, and slower after that.

I was about 215 when I graduated and went to Parris Island, and left there right at 195, but I felt like shit...felt too light!

Then I just followed a regular diet, but really fought with weight my whole tour...

Seems like 205-210 was and still is my best weight.

I got out about 210 and slowly gained to 230-35 about a year and a half ago.  Then I decided screw this fatass shit!  I gotta lose some.

It took me about 6 months of some GOOD PT and "half decent eating habits" to get back down to 205-210 right at last Christmas, but I felt great! Even the lady's at work were commenting on my body!!!

But unfortunately I went home for Christmas and got outta the habit, and started taking even more classes at school, and am now about 240.... fat bastard again[:)] But I'll claim work, a new son, and especially time consuming school is to blame[:d]

Kinda long and off point, but the real moral is that you have to be ready to make a "lifestyle change" as the more you lose, the harder it gets to loose more. And age plays a factor too...

I started back to the gym a few weeks ago, and at least for me, the worst part is that it takes a good 2 months now days for me to begin to see ANY difference at all...

Another motivational factor is your status with the womenz...  my biggest motivation was the womenz when it comes down to it.  What woman wants a 300+ pound fat fuckin slob???  
But now I'm married, so the motivation just isn't as high as it was back in those days...

Damn I wrote a book...


 

I did it 4 years ago and lost 50 lb's. The first two weeks were brutal and then all of a sudden the cravings disappeared. If you workout, even lightly, the results are that much faster.
I think the newest version of the diet allows you about 20 grams of carbohydrates a day. The only real drawback I found is the fact that when you stop the routine and up your carb intake the weight can come back with a vengence.

Good Luck !  [:)]

I was on the diet for about two months. Did not exercise at all, first two weeks zero carbs only water, lost 15 lbs.. For the rest of the time I was on the diet kept it under 20 carbs a day, no exercise, drank tea unsweetend and decaffinated, as well as diet caffine free soda. lost a total of 40 lbs. I have been of the dieat since mod october, with no excerise eating like crazy, hey its the holidays, gaind back 12 lbs.. the diet begins 01/02/03

A year ago I tried for 21 days. Lost 10 pounds ; but had terrible joint pains. I stopped when I had to have the Mrs. help me out of bed. 3 days later I started to feel better.

Since then I've just increased my exercise and cut back of pop,candy,donuts etc.... I've lost 22 pounds!!!  

I lost 30 pounds on it, then gained back 5 after I dropped it.  I was 260, the diet put me at 230, and now I've stabilized at 235.  My fiancé was on it as well and lost about 20 pounds.  It was harder for her because she was a sugar junkie.  I liked the diet because I had tons of energy when I needed it - mainly in the mornings, since I'm not a morning person.  My appetite also decreased, and I found myself eating smaller portions.

The only drawback was the feeling of constipation.  Usually solved by drinking enough water (which is a habit I've carried on with even though I've stopped the diet).

We both plan to get started again after the holidays.  I'd like to get back around 210, which should get rid of the remainder of my "spare tire" - though now, it's more like a "cheap retread".

It works, just don't expect the weight to stay completely off when you stop.  Some will come back as your body comes back into equilibrium.

I tried it and lost 30lbs.  It was tough, my girlfriend at the time was a vegan, ie. no meat, dairy, fish or animal products of any kind.  This diet caused us real problems.  Lost the weight and the girl.  My reason "If God did'nt want us to eat animals, He would not have made em out of meat."

i had a client who was on it and lost 160 lbs!!!
this diet changed his life. he was HUGE. almost 400 lbs. now he is running 3x a week, doing pushups and situps every day, and he looks healthy now. i was very inspired by his transformation and started low carb livng Sept 29. so far ive dropped 40 lbs and can almost fit in my BDU's again. the beginning is hard with eating only 20 carbs a day, but after the first 2 weeks you increase your carb intake 5 carbs a day for a week, and keep increasing 5 carbs each week untill you stop losing weight. im up to 50 carbs a day wich allows me to eat whole grain bread, and more veggies etc. my fiance was also on it but felt like shit and quit after week 3. (she lost 15 lbs)here is a link that might help. [url]http://www.escribe.com/health/atkins/bb/index.html[/url]
and the atkins center [url]http://atkinscenter.com/[/url]

I have lost about 35 pounds so far

Worked for me. Lost 30 pounds.

Atkins requires a lifestyle change, but if your doctor recommended it for health reasons such as diabetes, it is a required change.  I know healthy people that have tried it short-term for 5-6 months to lose some extra pounds, but they only keep the weight off long-term because they are normally health concious, eat right and exercise.  Like all diets, if you starve to lose weight, it won't work.  I would highly recommend speaking with your doctor for advice on any diet.

The people that I know that have been directed by their doctor, for medical reasons, are doing well, feel beter with the change of diet, and are losing weight. They have adjusted to the diet and say that they don't feel hungry or starved all the time like they did on other diets.

Some people don't handle chemical based artificial sweetners well, but with the new Splenda sweetner there are candy and ice cream for the occasional sweet craving that don't have that bitter chemical taste to it.  

I think "Coz" is doing it with great results.

Like many here, I have battled weight my whole life.  

I couldn't do the Atkins diet, like carbs too much.  

I think you have to find what works for you.  I've found it easier to join a gym (never thought I'd like it but it's something to look forward to after work, just have to make sure to turn in at the gym and not drive past)

Doing 2-3 times a week of 45 mins stair climber type machines, and cutting back food slightly (no huge supper or big snacks after supper) seems to have done it for me, with a once a week splurge of a big meal.

I tried the Atkins a few years ago and lost about 30 pounds (220-190).  Nowadays I jut go on/off the diet as needed.  If my weight increases, I back off on the carbs until I'm back on target.

Then I can go out and sin again [:D].

-Mike...

From 210lbs to 170lbs

The word "diet" should be removed from our dictionary when talking weight loss.  A "diet" will always fail because it's a temporary thing.  The correct way to lose weight and keep it off is called "lifestyle change".  Changing your eating habits and foods will always produce results every time.  Particularly eat smaller amounts more often during the day.  Chose fruits and veggies to snack and keep your meals light.  Drink lots of water. Oh, and moderate exercise helps too.  

About 9 months ago I posted on ar15.com that I had a high cholesterol problem.  I got lots of useful responses, and I have lost 40 pounds, and now have great cholesterol readings.  What I ended up doing was exercising every day (7 days a week without fail) along with a more reasonable diet.  I cut way down on fat--no more fast food, pizza, or potato chips.  I also cut back some on carbos, eating less potatos and especially rice.  I did eat more low-fat protien including herring, salmon, tuna, sardines, and jerky.  I also eat more fresh fruit and dried fruit and a little more veggies.  I would probably avoid the full Adkins thing myself.

Do a google on "glycemic index" and you will get a good idea of what foods are the worst--white rice is really bad, with a high glycemic index, while better carbos are whole grains--think granola or oats.

PS.  I love the new Kitchenaid fridge I got at the Sears Outlet!

GunLvr

Wow, congratulations!  I thought my 40# loss was impressive, but it isn't at all compared to that.

I did a modified version of the diet.  I ate what I wanted to on the weekends.  That made getting through the week much easier, and I don't think it hurt my weight loss that much.  I was also lifting weights at the time and getting stronger.  The getting stronger part didn't seem to work when I didn't "cheat" on the weekends.  I still can't believe that I was eating half a pound of cheese, sausage, and a pound of grilled chicken a day and still losing weight!



Agreed.  Keeping your blood sugar level nice and even is very important.  When your body starts pumping-out insulin, all of that sugar is stored as fat.z

I couldn't do the actual Atkins Diet, too complex.  So twice now I have used the concept of protine only for two weeks, with AMAZING results.  I know this is not healthy, but it worked for me twice.  I did gain the weight back slowly over a few years.  Mostly when I had my second son and stopped running all together.  

Right on!!! its a good one!

I have not found any reason in life to go on such a diet (yet), as I am 17 and about 160 pounds.  But, I have found through wrestling and making weight, that just eating the same amount of food, spread out through the day can cause a great deal of weight loss (i.e. no sit down meals, just little snacks throughout the day).  I haven't read or heard about the Atkins diet.

Another thing to consider, when people post how much they lost weight-wise, it is important to post how much you were before/after, because it is a lot easier for a 300 lb person to lose 30 lbs. than it is for a 200 lb person to lose 30 lbs.

My diet includes so many carbs that I am afraid to think of life without carbs, as I am naturally very skinny.  However, when I need to lose weight for wrestling matches to make weight, I find that a short treadmill run in the morning (10-20 minutes), and spreading my food out, has caused me to lose anywhere from 2-8 pounds in about 10 hours.  (the 8 pound day was a day where I weighed 154 in the morning and when I weighed in about 10 hours later, was 146.)  Now, 8 pounds in a single day is quite extreme for any diet, and I wouldn't advertise that as a realistic goal.

However, if you are carrying extra weight, and want to drop it fairly quickly, then spreading out the diet and small amounts of old fashioned PT are a real good bet.

Now, to throw off everything that I jsut said... I am 17, I have an extraordinarily fast metabolism when compared to your average 30 yr. old man, and this is the results of 1 person, just me.  It does seem that this diet (Atkins) works fairly well, so I would suggest that people try that before they try what I do.

This is Mrs Grey Ghost talking....


there is no way this diet can't work. But you will find that their are hidden sugars in things you would not expect. Processed meats from the deli, salad dressings,etc. You must be faithful in reading the labels. But if you do not cheat {the least little cheat will actually make you gain weight} it is great if you can get past having to suck on breath mints all the time!

Go to the pharmacy and buy Ketone strips. If you use them, you can see if the diet is working.
I have found that the one problem with this diet is once you go off of it you gain it all back.  Suzanne Somers has a much better plan that is easier to follow for life. You can have complex carbs but not in the same meal as fats and proteins. You must wait 3 hours between eating carbs and proteins.  She has ice cream and desserts and barbecue sauce and alot of products to make it easier when you have a sweet tooth. You can get her book at any book store. Good luck!


Mr GreyGhost talking now...

You would think a high protein diet would make your cholesteral go out of sight but my wifes actually went down,just as it is supposed to do.If you can discipline yourself you can lose weight very fast on this diet.

Was 220 now 187

I remember those days... I was 17/18 in high school, running cross country and track.  I ate all the carbs you could imagine and I weighed a full-on 140 lbs.  That's pretty skinny 6'2" guy.  If I went out to get pizza with my parents, we would order 2 large pizzas.  I would eat mine and finish half of theirs.

I ate pasta 3-4 times a week and my mother would either cook an entire pan of lazagna or cook an entire package of spaghetti JUST FOR ME.  I would eat it all and a few hours later I'd make myself some sandwiches before I went to bed.

Then it all caught up with me and I went from 140 lbs at 18 to 225 lbs at 22.  I'm down to 195-200 lbs now and I constantly have to keep my appetite in check.  I can still finish off a large pizza without blinking.

The Atkins diet is the only one that allows me to shed pounds REALLY fast when I stick to it and helps me keep it off by just reducing carbs when I start to gain weight.  It's also the only diet where I don't get ravenously hungry for a BIG meal while I'm on it.


-Mike...

I tried it about 20+ years ago..........I lost weight.

Now, I got gout............they warn about that in the book.

"Yet" being the operative word.  Give it time brother. From 17-21 I was 6' 5" 175lbs with a 32" waist. I exercised 7 days a week and ran 8 miles every three days. Got a computer job, married, bought a house, had a kid within a 4 year period.

Today I still have a lot of the muscle I had then but it is very well covered. I joined a gym and am there every other morning at 5:30AM. I am not a morning person at all but I refuse to take time away from my daughter in the evening.

If you want to try a diet you can have carbs on...try www.zoneperfect.com

And flawless for diabetics...ask me about my A1C.

Is there directions anywhere on how to do the Atkins? I might be going to florida for a few days, and would like to shed as much as I can, in a month. Thanks!

-Jared

Anyone?

eat 30 carbs or less per day (you can subtract fiber from carb counts, fiber isn't digested)

eat about 100 grams of protein per day

make up the rest of your daily calories with fat (preferably "good fats" whatever that means)


lift weights

Simply put, you can eat all the meat, eggs and cheese you want.  Just cut out all the carbs from your diet (bread, pasta, sugar).  Don't forget to eliminate sugary drinks like Coke.

You can get ketone strips from the pharmacy to make sure it's working.  If the strip turns purple/red, your body is metabolizing fat for energy.

I'm sure you can get plenty of hits on Google if you search for Atkins or low-carb diet.


-Mike...

Well, not all cheese - aged cheeses, to be specific, and no farmer's cheese or cottage cheese.

[url=http://www.atkinscenter.com]Click here to scope out the Atkins Center[/url]

They've got FAQs and recipes, as well as stuff to buy and tips.