WELL - I've decided to try Atkins.

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Registered: 03-25-2003
WELL - I've decided to try Atkins.
46
Wed, 04-21-2004 - 8:43pm
After spending 6 weeks concentrating on health and sensible eating without following any particular plan, I have lost NOTHING. I've been averaging around 1500 calories a day - WELL within my supposed range for weight loss, and doing about 1 hour of exercise a night, alternating between cardio and strength. Honestly, you'd think I would have lost SOMETHING, but there is no change in weight, inches or clothing size. My doctor is just as mystified, but I strongly suspect that he thinks I cheating and underestimating my calories (if anything, I've been deliberately rounding "up" to be on the safe side) and his only advice is to "stick with it". Well, I sincerely don't see any point in sticking with something that is NOT working. He is not an Atkins fan, that's for sure, but he grudgingly admitted that there wasn't any "harm in trying", and he did all my blood work already 6 weeks ago. SO... I bet that's a whole lot more than you need to know, eh?? LOL I'm starting Atkins tomorrow, and giving myself the 2 week induction period to see how I feel and if it seems to be making any difference in any way. I'll probably check out the Atkins board, but this is "home" for my limited posting time, and I know there are a few "Atkids" here. That's all. Wish me luck ;-)
Avatar for suamomi
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Registered: 08-23-2001
Thu, 04-22-2004 - 1:51pm
Hey...I'm an Atkins girl too...

I have lost 74.5 pounds in about 8 months.

I would say the easiest way to get off track is to NOT count carbs...it is so important, especially at the beginning. I am kind of slack about counting them right now and I notice I've had a few more "cheats" lately (though i hate saying I'm cheating...because IMO it's all about moderation).

Make sure you realize that with Atkins less carbs DOES NOT equal better...try your best to get as close to 20 g/day for induction. Less than that and you may *not* lose weight.

You don't *have* to do high fat...I did for induction but now I choose more chicken and fish and leaner cuts of meat...just watch out for foods labeled "low fat" as they often have lots of sugar in them...but not all of them! Watch out for hidden carbs in sauces and gravies...

There are a lot of low carb options out there now. Be careful of what you put in your mouth though! The snack bars and shakes have been known to cause stalls. Sugar free candies have been known to cause other side effects (like making the bathroom your best friend). IMO, staying away from processed foods is your best bet with *any* "diet". Try to use fresh veggies and "whole" foods as much as possible. Yes, I do eat a snack bar now and then but I don't stock up on them...I get them one at a time so I am not tempted to gorge on them...lol. And if you have to *go* somewhere to get something it may make you stop and think if you really want it that bad.

Learn to be creative in the kitchen...you'd be amazed at what you can come up with! For example...my favorite "creation" came on a day when I was craving hash browns. I had half of a cooked spaghetti squash...I scooped out some of the sqaush, put a little olive oil in a frying pan and made myself some Squash browns...added a little salt and I was set! I don't have them very often but it's a good substitute for the real thing.

Don't beat yourself up too much if you have an OPE (off plan excursion). Just rememeber that every meal is a chance to get back on plan. and you're human. Don't make it acceptable to go off plan...just realize that it might happen and it's not the end of the world. We'll all be here to kick you in the butt if you need it...lol

Those are my tips! :o) If you have any questions just ask!!

Oh and I had a nasty headache on days 2 & 3 but I don't know if it was from the carb withdrawal or caffiene withdrawal (I cut it out at the same time but have since gotten re-addicted...*sigh*). Other than that, the only other side effect to really be aware of is if you go overboard with carbs...you get a little sick and nauseous (at least I do) and it's not fun. But it is a good reason to stay on plan...lol. That's why it's recommended to increase in 5g increments I think.

I hope this helped! Good luck!

Sarah

Sarah


 


iVillage Member
Registered: 01-25-2004
Thu, 04-22-2004 - 2:09pm
Best of luck to you on your new journey. I've decided to do Atkins again. I absolutely loved it when I did it last year. I think you will love just how easy and simple it is.

I can't wait to really get back into this way of life for good!

hugs,

~danielle~

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-08-2003
Thu, 04-22-2004 - 3:17pm
I hope you can help me w/chocolate cravings. I get them sooooo bad. I had read about some splenda/cream cheese things, but it didn't sound good to me. Also, when you up your caarbs, how did you go about doing it? That was my downfall. In other words, Help!

Dawn

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Registered: 04-16-2003
Thu, 04-22-2004 - 4:25pm
Hi, Dawn. About the chocolate cravings...I never really had them too bad, but whenever I did crave chocolate, I would go buy a SF(sugar free) bar. You just have to be careful with SF chocolate, because depending on the kind of sweetener is used in the bar, it might have a laxitive effect if you eat too much! I didn't really take this seriously at first, until one day I ate too much and was peeing outta my ass for the rest of the evening haha!!! I know, that's gross...sry haha! Maltitol is a sweetener known to cause a laxative effect.

I actually just upped my carbs a few days ago. I'd been doing induction for almost the entire time I've been on Atkins, and it was working really well for me. I was losing anywhere from 5-7 pounds a month, which is a healthy weight loss. But since February my weight loss has been slow, and on top of that, I was having lots of cravings and cheating episodes, so I knew it was time to up my carbs. That was about 4 days ago, and I can tell already that it's working! I just started adding some nuts and more veggies to my diet. I know for sure that I was right about needing to up my carbs, because I've barely gained any water weight and I'm on my period right now. I'm usually about 4 pounds heavier when I'm on my period, but right now I'm actually losing weight, and I never lose weight during my period!

Anyway, hope that helps! ~Sabrina
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-04-2003
Thu, 04-22-2004 - 4:47pm

I forget who asked how to go about upping carbs, but wanted to mention this.

 
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Thu, 04-22-2004 - 4:55pm
Thanks Sarah - I didn't realize it would be a problem if I was too far UNDER the carb count!
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Thu, 04-22-2004 - 5:04pm
I disagree with you on a few points. While it is true that you will lose weight if you consume fewer calories than you expend, if the number is TOO low it is not safe or healthy to do so. I am hypo-thyroid, and so I seem to gain on very low calories - and it is simply not SAFE to go any lower than 1200 or so calories a day. Aside from the obvious health risks, it would also significantly slow my metabolism even further. Also, the point you make about muscle weighing more than fat - you're right, but if it was working then I would see some change in my measurements or clothing size. And lastly - you say that if that formal 1 hour of exercise is the only exercise a person is getting, then perhaps they won't lose...but if they were completly sedentary before, wouldn't adding that hour of exercise be exactly what YOU say works "expending more calories than you take in"? The bottom line here is that science clearly shows that you are wrong in the point that you make so often about calories - they are NOT the whole story to weight gain and weight loss. Where the calories come from is also a major factor as some macronutrients are converted to fat or used for fuel more easily than others. It's also rather contradictory that you want me to follow my doctor's advice, but then you say you believe Atkins is dangerous even though he does NOT and is perfectly willing to let me try it. Which is it - should I listen to my doctor or not?
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2003
Thu, 04-22-2004 - 6:52pm
Kinja, there is no scientific evidence that people who are significantly overweight should not do Atkins. If anything, people who are significantly overweight tend to lose faster than someone who only has 20 pounds to lose.

I think that there is too much inaccurate information around about Atkins, and it's unfortunate because there is proof that it works, and NO proof that it poses a health risk as long as you are following the plan the way Dr. Atkins intended for it to be followed. I hope people realize that judging a plan before you have all the information about it is silly. That is exactly what I did at the beginning...I was so skeptical of Atkins, UNTIL I read the book and realized that it just makes sense scientifically. ~Sabrina
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-19-2004
Fri, 04-23-2004 - 1:18am
I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Hummus.

Did I mention I love hummus ?

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-19-2004
Fri, 04-23-2004 - 1:37am
Tips for Induction

1. Water. Drink ALOT of it. Like four liters a day or more. This helps flush out the incompletely burned fats called ketones. You will pee off several pounds of water stored in your tissues. This happen in a day or two when you get your insulin under control.

2. You will get headaches, greasy pee and poop. Take something for the headaches and maybe fiber like Metamucil (sugar free)for the poop problem.

3. Eat fibrous veggies.

4. Watch your carbs. Stay under 20, but don't go under 15.

5. Aim for leaner meats like skinless boneless chicken, boneless pork tenderloin, fish, including salmon. Try to avoid sausage, bacon, highly marbled steak, tons of cheese. It made my cholesterol go up, and there are still calories involved. I keep it low carb AND low fat and even though Atkins says YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY DO IT THIS WAY, they are wrong. I am proof. (Well ain't I the bee's knees' ! LOL) Atkins says calories don't count, but they DO. There is alot of salt in the processed meats which can make you retain water.

6. People who have more weight to lose (30-200 lbs)generally do better on this than someone who has to drop less than 20. The more weight you lose, the loss generally slows.

7. After Induction, don't be afraid of fruit. Just have it with a little protein like a TBSP or 2 of PB, or an ounce of cheddar. Anyone who tells you to avoid fruit is a flaming idiot.

8. Watch for hidden sugars in things. Learn the names of sugars used in processing. Better yet, eat whole foods and avoid the processed crap.

9. Atkin's can be expen$ive, but it doesn't have to be.

- watch your portions;they will last longer.

- avoid processed foods and meats; they get expensive

- freeze what you can and put things in portions before you freeze them.

10. Try to make things ahead of time so you have food available and ready and you won't overeat.

I know the die-hard Atkids have their hearts set on following this to a T. But listen to your body...I listened to mine and I'm feeling better than ever AND seeing results faster that I cut the fat and watched portion size.

Good Luck!

Amy