Im giving the Atkins diet a try....

B

bodhell

New member
Hey everyone,

Im a 26 your old male. I am 5'9" and weigh 290 lbs. I have decided I wanna give the Atkins diet a try. I dont really know much about this diet other then its low carb. I was looking at some of the Atkins bars at the store and noticed they are loaded with carbs. Why is that? I guess I dont understand why a low carb diet would have bars with a bunch of carbs.

I tried this diet once before and had some luck with it. I also limited myself to pretty much no carbs what so every. My mom did this diet and lost over 100lbs so I figured it would be a good diet for me to try.

If anyone has any advice or can explain alittle more about this, that would help me a great deal. Thanks in advance and have a great day!
 
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How can you be following a diet that you don't know anything about?

This is, to be honest, one of my pet peeves about fad dieting. If you want to do the diet, then go buy the book and learn what the diet really is. But if you're just guessing based on some bars you saw at the store and some stuff you've read on the Internet, then you're not really following the Atkins Diet.

A very basic explanation of the diet is that it starts you out with an "induction" phase in which you drastically reduce your carbs and eliminate things like simple carbs, processed starches, and sugar. After that you move through other phases that allow you to slowly re-introduce complex healthy carbs. It is NOT a 0-carb diet, and it is not a way for people to eat all the fat and meat they want, despite what someone might tell you or what you might read on the Internet.

Get the book if you want to follow the diet. Either buy it or check it out from the library. That's the only way you can "do" the Atkins Diet properly.
 
The Voice of Experience!

I'm 5'3" and weighed 230 lbs. I tried Atkins. It was the last in a long list of failed fad diets. Oh, I lost weight, but my cholesterol went through the roof, ended up on blood pressure meds and I felt like crap. I lost 50 lbs only to gain it back. My doctor suspects (doesn't know for sure though) that pigging out on so much protein affected my liver. Who knew that trying to digest so much protein all the time could even possibly wreak such havoc? I was so upset by my ignorance I've dedicated my life to studying nutrition and the human psyche.

Follow the advice of the previous post and add this..research, research, research! Your primary objective should be HEALTH, weight loss will follow, no not instantaneously, but it will happen. Start your research with "The China Study" by Dr. T. Colin Campbell before you try Atkins or any other diet. It's the most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted.

I am now 70 lbs lighter. After much research I decided that consuming massive amount of carbohydrates (whole, raw fruits and veggies) was the healthiest thing for me. I didn't focus on what to leave out instead added more whole plant foods. I feel so much better, no more blood pressure meds and my cholesterol went from 271 down to 151.

Good luck and let me know if you need any other resources I have a lot...for free :coolgleamA:
 
I think that..the atkins diet = not good.
It's just not something you can follow for a LIFETIME.
Remember this is a lifetime change..not a few months.
Once you start eating more carbs, even if you follow properly and integrate slowly..you are still going to gain weight back.

whole grains/carbs = not the enemy.
 
Alright. Well from the sounds of it I may not wanna do this diet anyway. Since I have posted this and read what everyone had to say I decided to just watch what I eat. I have cut out all fast food except Subway. I don't eat anything thats fried, pizza, chips no junk food of any kind. Only thing I have drank is water and green tea. I also have joined a gym. I go in and work on my cardio.

I have been watching what I eat for 2 weeks maybe alittle more and been at the gym for a bout a week now. I lost 10lbs at the start which I figure was water weight. I have yet to move anymore. My question is how many calories should I try to burn at the gym each time? I know weight loss is more then just working out, its also eating right which I believe Im doing.

Justin
 
Hey Justin. Sounds like you're on the right track.

As far as how many calories you burn at the gym ... honestly I wouldn't worry about it. If you're not counting the calories you eat, then how many you burn at the gym is kind of meaningless, right? :)

And even if you are counting what you eat, in my opinion it's easy to get too caught up in eating vs. burning and so forth.

I'd say make sure you're working out effectively and efficiently. Cardio is good, but add some body resistance work or weights as well to make sure you're preserving lean muscle mass.

As far as the 10 lbs - whether it's water weight or not (and not all of it is), it's still weight gone from your body. Don't dismiss it. It's a great start and hopefully is one of those things that will keep you motivated. :)
 
Hello I must say personally atkins is good. I have done atkins and kept off my weight for 5 yrs...but had surgery and depression got my weight back up. But atkins is a great way to chan ge ur eating habits and loose weight. I started my atkins diet back up have gone from 277 to 251 so far. I work out of course and I mean I got so much energy is great...but I do reccomend on buying the book which dont cost must just so u can familiarize urself with the info...and the low carb bars have carbs but u need to look at the label has alcohol sugar not sure if I said it right and well also fiber what ever it has u subtract that from the carbs and then u get NET CARBS..thats howmuch carbs u will actually be taking in.well good luck!!!
 
Atkins and Health

I have to reply and say that weight loss is unfortunately too often the goal and frequently at the risk of long term health. Being at your "ideal" weight does not equate to health. If you get healthy, which it sounds like you're doing then the weight loss is a natural progression. An unhealthy body will resist weight loss. It is inevitable however with a healthy body.

Understand that the purpose of protein is to repair and rebuild our own tissue, period, not for energy. Eat the majority of your calories from protein and excess (over what your body needs) taxes the liver. Energy comes from fat and carbohydrates. Since high fat has consequences of it's own that leaves natural unprocessed carbohydrates as our most useful source of energy. That means WHOLE grains, fruits and vegetables. Add more and they'll naturally force out unhealthier choices. A plant based whole food lifestyle is the healthiest choice. But don't take my word for it, continue with your research.

Rawnessa
 
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