Since I posted my diet, I've been reading more into these forums and I saw
that it's not really a popular diet. So I think I need to find something else.
I've been working out 4 times a week. I don't want to gain a lot of weight, I
want to keep my same weight and get more defined. I thought that the
atkins diet was best for this. What I'm afraid of is that when I start eating
carbs, I eat too many and I gain all my weight back. Can someone maybe
guide me into the right direction? I need to know how to find what diet and
exercise program will work for me. Thanks for you help.
I've lived and breathed Atkins for 6 months and lost 40 pounds so i know quite a bit on it so I hope this helps.
1st of all, as far as fad diets are concerned, Atkins IS a popular diet. It's just not popular on this forum. go to the Atkins forum and you'll see.
I assume by "get more defined" that you want to lose excess fat around your muscles so you can actually see them or more of them. In this case, dieting is def. the way to go. Typically the carb allowance 200-300 gms, but that's "typical". it can vary depending on age, sex, amount of weight to lose etc.. As a dieter its important to know that carbs do not matter as much as proteins and fats do. the important thing is to eat enriched calories and by that i mean calories from whole grains, lean meats, complex carbs like fruits/veggies. Non enriched calories would be candy's, sodas, things of that nature. You can still eat refined food, but really try to limit the amount. You'll find as the diet progresses that you will have less interest in the fatty unhealthy type foods. and always remember CALORIES IN<CALORIES OUT = weight loss. No miracle diet can escape this inevitable truth. If you eat too much of anything, not just carbs, you will gain weight. Simple supply and demand.
Remember to exercise, incorporating a combination of cardio with resistance training. this will help ensure to keep most of the muscle you already have while losing fat.
Most people that dog the Atkins diet couldn't see through it past the Induction phase. I can tell you it does work, but requires an extreme amount of willpower, even moreso if you're used to the refined sugars. now here's some advice.
For low cal. tips and tricks, take the time and read this forum. A lot of people are in the same boat as you and are confused about proper nutrition, excerise habits, and just good dieting. Read some of steve's posts and journal entries for some great guidelines on how to get the most of your dieting experience.
For low carb, I recommend this. If you are truly curious about what this diet can do for you, by all means try it for 2 weeks. BUT you have to do it by the book. At the end of the 2 weeks, ask yourself "can I really stick with this diet and stay true to all the Phases it has?" If you can't, I recommend finding another diet that you can stick it. Remember maintaining weight is a life-long journey.. treat it as such.
