WELL - I've decided to try Atkins.
Find a Conversation
WELL - I've decided to try Atkins.
| 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 ;-)

Pages
Also, I don't recommend trying a low fat version of Atkins right off the bat. Atkins is meant to be a high fat, high protein, low carb plan. It's true that this version is working for you, but for beginners, I think they need to follow the plan as written, so that they can begin to learn how their bodies react to the plan. THEN they will be able to tweak it, if necessary, in order to get the most out of the Atkins WOE. Everyone's body is different, and everyone's body is going to respond differently to different things. You're right about listening to the body...but I just don't think that not following Atkins as written is the way to start. Afterall, people might get discouraged if they don't see a result on induction, so the best bet is to follow the plan as close as you can until you know your body well enough to change up the plan.
~Sabrina
Goood morning Sabrina and Amy!
I think it all boils down to personal preference.
Actually, you are both right.
<?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft
It's all about the *type* of fat.
Just last night I was at a bar (woo hoo!) for a bachelorette party and sat at one end of the table talking to a girl who lost 60 pounds on Atkins...went to the other end and bit my tongue while THREE people talked about how Dr. Atkins died of a heart attack. I was a little toasted (low carb of course...lol) so I figured it was in my best interest to not get into it with these people. lol. But it's frustrating to listen to people who know NOTHING about the plan talk about how awful it is.
So that's another thing to be aware of mom2morgan...there are a lot of mis-informed people out there!!
Sarah
Sarah
Also, there is NO reason you need to eat high saturated fat meats when you can get your protein/caloric needs from leaner ones. Saturated fat is not healthy to consume in large amaounts. And telling someone to monitor their cholesterol IS part of following the plan to a T. I would advise someone to follow induction by the book to see the best results, but as you said in an earlier post, any diet that eliminates entire food groups should be looked at with suspicion.
Sorry I wasn't more clear.
Amy
I get my fats from flax, almonds, chicken, olive oil, salmon, EFA supplements, and a bit of hummus sometimes. I have really tried to eliminate saturated fats wherever I can, or at least seriously reduce my consumption of them, especially animal sources. I freaked out because tuna has cholesterol in it, so I thought I needed to avoid THAT, too. I asked my dietician and she told me that food-source/natural cholesterol does not really raise your own levels, but it's the sat fats that are doing it. So I became a super-snooper about fat grams of all types and deliberated whether or not to buy a particular product based on the fat grams per serving. Some things can be 'justified' and some are not worth it. I aslo stick to whole, fresh foods and haven't touched process foods with the exception of low carb PB and spelt-grain bread for weeks and weeks.
My BOYFRIEND, however, makes up for me. This is what the little b*stard eats...
Cinnamon Toast Crunch, microwave sausage and bisquit breakfast sandwiches, pizza rolls, chinese, steak, bacon and cheese subs, Croissant Pockets, Spam (Lite Spam, TOO, the freak !)cheese, cheese, and more cheese, bacon bits, bread, bagels, cream cheese, Kraft Mac n' Cheese, donuts (I HATE HIM)....AND HE SMOKES!!! WHY hasn't he dropped dead yet ?
And he's the diabetic! I actually provide really good meals several times a week and stuff him with salads and veggies when I can. He just eats this stuff when left to his own devices. We have sugar free everything and diet drinks, and he is actually starting to watch his fat intake. He's 6'1 and 175 so it's not for weight reasons. It's because what I've told him scares him. Ha ha. have a donut NOW, @sshole !
So I guess I am doing as low fat as possible AND choosing my fats wisely. Maybe we should agree to call it a Low Carb/Low Saturated fat version of Atkin's ?
I agree to stick to Induction rules as closely as possible, esp. if you are new to it, are unsure, or haven't really read the book. THIS is one of my biggest pet peeves about people doing Atkin's. They don't read the whole book. To fully comprehend how it works and how to do it, you need ALL the information, not just the part that tells you what to eat.
Amy ;)
I think the reason you have to be so meticulous at the beginning with Atkins is because it COULD cause health risks if you don't follow the plan properly. That is part of the reason Atkins is controversial; because some people maybe did it the wrong way and then badmouthed the plan, when it's really their own mistakes that caused the problem.
I agree that you CAN alter the plan, but I just don't suggest doing it until you get a feel for how your body will react to it. ~Sabrina
I agree that saturated fats are not the healthiest fats to eat...but I've seen a lot of people do poorly on Atkins because they weren't eating ENOUGH fat...that is a common mistake people make. It IS important to watch your sources of fats to make sure you're eating the right kind of fat.
Atkins DOESN'T eliminate the food group...it simply limits it...severly limits it at first, but then you can work your way back up. Some people who do Atkins think that less is better, but that is not the case when it comes to carbs...your body NEEDS a certain amount of carbs to be healthy and lose weight safely. Everyone's body is different, and reacts differently to the number of carbs taken in. There are lots of factors to consider, but in order to make sure you're doing the plan right, I think it's important to stick to as close to 20 grams as possible. It would be far better to go over that 20 gram mark rather than go under and risk causing your body to go into starvation mode.
So like I said, Amy, I'm not "attacking" you...I just want to make sure that the right information is out there for these beginners. God knows there is ENOUGH false information flying around to scare people away from Atkins! ~Sabrina
My dietician said she liked Atkins with the exception of all the saturated fat. Truth be told, I was a little shocked/pissed that she recommend I go BACK on it when it was what caused my cholesterol problem in the first place - and WHY I WAS SEEING HER !!! AAACK!!
But being on 1300-1500 calories, watching carbs AND fat has worked very well for me. It might not work for everyone, but I would not hesitate to recommend my 'tweaked' version if they stopped seeing results in Atkins traditional form. Why do you think ther are 8 zillion diets out there ?
And speaking of false info/bad advice, I recommended to one Atkin's woman to see her doctor becuase of her specific symptoms and how she was feeling, which seemed to be diet-related. Other people on the board told her to hang in there, try harder, don't give up - which had she followed THAT advice, she could well be very ill. I'm not a doctor, but I AM a health care professional (not the dispatcher part) and know enough when someone needs professional help from a doctor.
Amy :)
Edited 4/24/2004 9:38 pm ET ET by barkingshark
Edited because of my horrific typing skills !
Edited 4/24/2004 9:41 pm ET ET by barkingshark
Pages