ATKINS?

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-25-2004
ATKINS?
49
Fri, 04-30-2004 - 2:03pm
Anyone doing Atkins? If so, how's it going? I was thinking about trying it for a while -just wondering if anyone had tried it and had success?


iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2004
In reply to: ipamella
Sun, 05-02-2004 - 12:33pm
While I agree that Atkins is not for everyone, I do not agree that a person can be too "active" for Atkins. My best friend is a runner and a track coach who is extremely active both at work and at home and has done Atkins successfully now for almost two years, under the supervision of her physician. When you reduce the carbs you take in, your body turns to your stored fat to burn for energy.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
In reply to: ipamella
Sun, 05-02-2004 - 12:45pm

Your doctor may want to read up on the plan a bit more than just the induction part.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-07-2004
In reply to: ipamella
Sun, 05-02-2004 - 3:01pm
since i am going by my doctor's (primary and cardiologist) I am going to take their words for it. My cardiologist especially refuses to have me on it.

another thought FOR ME and atkins...due to the high fat content of some of the animal based protiens, they are frowning about it for me. my dad's cariologist won't let him be on atkins either due to the heart defect my dad had surgery for, which i also have.

i am not dealing with just running and activity. i am dealing with a heart rate of 125+ at rest so yes my body would burn out if I didn't have the required 120 grams of carbs a day or 45% (total calories)of your intake should be carbs, this is also on a normal diet of 1600 calories a day.

as far as the cardiologist ( I also went to get a second opinion from a cardio surgeon/specialist in the defect) atkins would be bad for ME.

you may not agree with it but as i said i am going with what my doctor's have said and this is tailored for me specifically. I have a lot more at stake than just losing weight. I am changing my eating habits and exercising habits to strengthen my heart first and foremost. I am not doing this to lose weight at all. My primary reason was so that I didn't have to have a surgery that only 20% survive. Everything else chemically, blood levels, sugar levels, etc are at normal or below normal.


Edited 5/2/2004 3:18 pm ET ET by karrietex

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-08-2003
In reply to: ipamella
Sun, 05-02-2004 - 7:02pm
There is a new show on Food Network called "Low Carb and Loving It". The chef has lost like 175 - 200 lbs (I thiink) on a low carb diet (and the rest of his family has lost a huge amount of weight too). He will be preparing low carb recipes on the show---it looks very informative. It starts Mond;ay, I think.

Dawn

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
In reply to: ipamella
Sun, 05-02-2004 - 7:47pm
You've obviously gotten enough opinions on this I would think! I concur that Atkins it great - I've done it in the past and only stopped due to being pregnant and not being sure if it was wise to be so strict - so I did a more augmented version.

Anyway - I also have PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) and my Nephrologist even said it was a safe diet. I've heard the rumors about kidney problems, and I truly believe if you stick to his plan you will find the results you are looking for, and then some.

THe key though in my mind is drinking tons of water. You do want to ensure both the fat and normal toxins in your system have a way out. I think anyone having trouble on any diet should be sure they are hydrated.

Me - I hate water - but I know I need to drink it or I'll have problems with my kidneys regardless of my diet plan.

Anyway - good luck. Read the book - it is truly eye opening - and make sure you drink the water, take the vitamins and keep an eye on your vital stats. My husband was near to being diabetic and in 3 months brought his stats down to normal on Atkins...it is an amazing way of life.

Camay

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2004
In reply to: ipamella
Mon, 05-03-2004 - 12:08pm
"don't let the ignorance of the uninformed scare you off." And that would include a lot of doctors, the AMA and American Heart Association, American Dietetics Association, all of whom would disagree with you. But I agree, she should get informed (check with her doctor first) and make her own decisions. Fad diet, the medical community generally concludes is exactly what Atkins is. She can make her own decisions, though.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
In reply to: ipamella
Mon, 05-03-2004 - 6:45pm
Yeah, and what - the American medical community are the only experts in the world? I'm not American, our medical experts are not as uniformly against it as yours are, and your ethno-centric arrogance is showing.
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2003
In reply to: ipamella
Mon, 05-03-2004 - 7:27pm
I tried it all, from eating nothing but cereal, to low-fat, yadda yadda yadda...the only thing that worked for me was Atkins. I have the full support of my doctor, I feel great, and trust me, my health has never been better. What, precisely, is good for you about sugar, white flour, and potatoes? That is all I don't eat...and let me tell you, my size four butt is wiggling at anyone who says it ain't great! KSAS
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2004
In reply to: ipamella
Wed, 05-05-2004 - 3:52pm
FYI, on the Today Show this morning:

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4901047/

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-19-2004
In reply to: ipamella
Wed, 05-05-2004 - 8:45pm
Okay, I can no longer keep my face shut!!!!

Here is my experience and opinions...

I have lost 101 pounds over the past 3 years doing a combination of Atkins/low carb eating.

I found out in February that while I have lost weight, the amounts of saturated fats I was eating (cream, butter, steak, kielbasa, cheese) made my cholesterol go up to a total of 292. Yikes ! So I try the low-fat/low-carb thing and then see a dietician. All she changed about my diet was she added yogurt (non fat sugar free plain), fruit, almonds, peanut butter and flax seeds (for fiber and essential fatty acids) AND I AM LIMITED TO 77 carbs or less, and 1300-1500 calories per day. my dietician believes that Atkins is on to something with the lower processed carb thing, but recommends you get your protein from lean meat sources like salmon, chicken, the occasional steak and pork. The saturated fat will eventually catch up with you.

I have lost 16 pounds since April 4th and my cholesterol went down 80 points.

HELLO.

Now here is what I think, what I have experienced all under the care of Dr.'s...

Eating whole foods, a balanced diet and staying away from processed foods is a good idea.

Nothing wrong with Atkins, South Beach, or whatever. Just keep in mind that the sources of protein you use are just as important than the ones you don't.

Atkin's is not a fad diet. It has been around for quite a while. It just goes against what alot of other 'traditional' diets have to say. Back in the 80's, Dr's decided that it was the fat in foods that were bad for you, and in came fat free things like Snackwells.

And we got FATTER. Hey, no fat ? EAT MORE!

Portion size is very important.

You don't need to eat bacon, ground beef, pounds of cheese and sausage to do Atkins correctly. In fact, if you provide yourself with adequate amounts of good food, you can do a low fat version of Atkin's if that is what seems right for you.

Atkin's is REPORTED to make your cholesterol go down. This is not always the case. The diet became popular again back when we introduced things like margarine, and all those trans-fats in it were killing us. Atkin's was popular again before the most current research advising that saturated fats are bad for you. You will find alot of Atkin's followers revising their menus now.

Fruit is GOOD for you. Have it with a little protein (cottage cheese, peanut butter or even a 1 oz. block of cheddar. It will digest slower, the glycemic index will be lowered and your blood sugar will stay stable longer. What this translates into is a healthy snack that will satisfy you.

Some fats are GOOD for you. Olive oil, fish oil (also called essential fatty acids)some nut oils like almonds (high in fiber, low in carbs!)



This diet is not for everyone (Karrie, for instance) because of certian congentital reasons or high cholesterol. I was very surprised to find my dietician putting me BACK on a very simliar diet that brought me to her in the first place. We just did some tweakage, and I have a ridicluously healthy diet. I am losing weight, cholesterol and blood pressure going down..It's working for me.

Listen to your body. If you are seriously dying for a piece of fruit, EAT IT! Same with cake!

Fruit and veggies never made ANYBODY fat.

Educate yourself. There is no excuse for not being familiar with your body, how it functions, and how to take care of it. Between the Internet, libraries, bookstores, seminars, doctors and dieticians, you can become an absolute EXPERT on your body. It's like a car. It runs better if you know how to take care of it and what the trouble signs are.

Okay. Swimming off my soapbox.

Amy