ok so i understand atkins is lower carb (yes i got the book and am reading it) but i was wondeirng..lets say im doing this and i go...man...i want pizza.. and i eat a slice..is this going ot make me bloat up? i mean im doing low calorie right now, and if i go off my calorie intake for a day ( we had a barbecue and i was like yeah!) it didnt throw me into a tail spin. i exercised a bit more the next day to help with it.
So guess what im asking is.. atkins like a strict? if i deviate for a day is it going to make me gain alot.. no matter what pahse im on? i understand it might slow the loss, or cause me to stall a little but will it add quickly (like stopping a diet pill)
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You're going to get different opinions on your question. In my opinion, yes, Atkins needs to be done strictly. Dr. Atkins himself said "just this one taste won't hurt rationalization....is the kiss of failure" (especially on Phase 1 Induction). If you want pizza, there are plenty of great tasting low carb recipes online. Lots of delicious food on this plan makes it easy to stick with Do yourself a favor if you are seriously considering Atkins, read Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution (2002 or prior versions, not the "new book") to understand exactly how & why this plan works.
All the best to you!!!
Essentially yes it's strict. Your changing the chemical balance of your body any time you break back to old habits you'd need to start atkins again from scratch.
In the book there is mention that 75g of carbs in a day could show up as 3-4lb the next day (water obviously)
I however have a carb day every second Sunday and therefore start from scratch the Monday morning. I don't get major problems with the headaches etc so it's no biggie for me to do this. Usually the day after I'm up 3-4lb but by wed/Thursday it's gone and I'm back losing.
In my opinion I think Atkins is strict. Whenever I want that pizza I end up eating way moe than just one slice, gain 3 pounds and wind up craving high carb foods.Then eventually think it is okay to cheat and for some people it is, but for me I need to be strict because I have been complaining about my weight my whole life, so it is time for me to stop complaining and just get to business! I agree with Jersey, there are great alternatives to foods you enjoy!!
I have lost 41 pounds on Atkins and it is because I keep it strict .... 99 % of the time. I have the odd bite of cookie or cake and that is it. I haven't deviated for a day so I don't really know how it would affect me. I don't really want to find out.
As for pizza ..... I eat the toppings and leave the crust. Wasteful I suppose but it works for me when the doctors at work order in pizza for us. I have a diet full of a variety of vegetables, some lean meats, good fats and oils, cream for my coffee ..... not sure what would make me want to go off of it.
I agree, when I want pizza, I eat the top off the crust.. You can have everything on top of the pizza, just not the doughy crust.. Two birds with one stone.. You satisfy your need for pizza and stay on plan at the same time!!
i guess the 3-4 lbs the next day is waht im worried about. i dont really eat greasy food often, but sometimes me and my bf like to have a taco or pizza night play video games drink and just enjoy ourselves. so i guess im worred (after the 2 week intro, ill be strict during that time no problems) that after that intro if it would just totaly send me to a tail spin. BUT if im able to just start over and such i think it be ok. im only looking to really loose 50lbs and then just stay healthy
Location: NW New Jersey But, My Heart's In Pittsburgh!! GO STEELERS & PENGUINS!!!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sandybunnychibi
i guess the 3-4 lbs the next day is waht im worried about. i dont really eat greasy food often, but sometimes me and my bf like to have a taco or pizza night play video games drink and just enjoy ourselves. so i guess im worred (after the 2 week intro, ill be strict during that time no problems) that after that intro if it would just totaly send me to a tail spin. BUT if im able to just start over and such i think it be ok. im only looking to really loose 50lbs and then just stay healthy
Again, this is my opinion...but...OWL (On Going Weight Loss, the 2nd phase of Atkins) is equally as important to be done correctly as Induction is. OWL is the phase that teaches you what you personally can & can not eat on Atkins. MEGA important!
As for "starting over"...it may work for some but, for the majority who have tried it, it tends to be a very slippery slope and most end up at the bottom.
The key to successful & permanent weight loss & maintainance is changing your eating habits for the rest of your life. This is not a diet, this is a total lifestyle change!
All the best to you!!!
i guess the 3-4 lbs the next day is waht im worried about. i dont really eat greasy food often, but sometimes me and my bf like to have a taco or pizza night play video games drink and just enjoy ourselves. so i guess im worred (after the 2 week intro, ill be strict during that time no problems) that after that intro if it would just totaly send me to a tail spin. BUT if im able to just start over and such i think it be ok. im only looking to really loose 50lbs and then just stay healthy
I've read that the body needs more water for high-carb digestion. It sure seems true for me. I've found that my body holds on to less water with low-carb eating. So that an off-plan high carb food does cause 3 to 6 lbs overnight gain (even more duirng TOM). I know it's "just water" and will disappear after I've been back on plan for 36 to 48 hours.
I can deal with the 3 to 6 lb "extra" pounds of water - and for a while I did go back and forth between low-carb and low-calorie eating. I just did a "conversion in my head," somethine along the lines of (if I were doing it today) 311 low-carb pounds is equal to 315 high-carb pounds. And because I lost more weight on low-carb, I considered 1800 low-carb calories equal to about 1300 to 1500 high-carb calories.
I've found though that the water weight difference isn't the most difficult aspect of eating high-carb foods. Rather it's the cravings and uncontrollable hunger that high glycemic carbs (such as bread) trigger. Because I sometimes have been able to control my eating (or think I can), it does become a slippery slope, and before I know it I'm overeating and regaining "real" weight, not just water wieght.
Remember that greasy food, really isn't a problem with low-carb eating. You can splurge on high-fat foods as long as the carbs are being controlled. Today hubby and I met a friend for lunch and billiards. Pub food isn't the easiest spot to find low-carb, but I chose hot wings (I asked to make sure there was no flour or breading on them).
I've even found a way to eat pizza. (I order the supreme - cheese, onions, bell pepper, mushrooms, sausage, black olives), and just eat the toppings, and leave the crust behind.
I'm not the poster child for low-carb compliance. I still make way too many mistakes, but if I'm honest, most of those mistakes started with thinking I could eat off-plan. I'm learning that I really can't. Maybe one day I will be able to, but for now strict compliance has to be my goal, or I slide right down that slippery slope.
iguess overeatting isnt my problem. and i dont always eat greasy, or sugary foods, soda is really my only vice.some days ill make a veg/fruit tray ( i dont eat s ugar on my fruits i like them raw and plain and my vegs are normaly raw with light ranch dressing) and ill eat that all day . only reason i gained weight, was after my mother died, i went into a depression. i really ate the way i always did, but all i did was sleep..no exercise at all. and i ate a bit more chocolate, which i dont eat as much now that im getting over it. but i put on 50lbs in 2 years. i guess im looking for something to help get me back on the right track. and calorie counting hasnt really been doing it.
sandybunychibi - I can relate - I gained 30 lb in 2 years during my sisters illness and death. One of the foods I don't think I can live without is pizza too. I also eat the topping off when I am in a situation where it has been ordered for me (often at work) and I take a small salad to eat with it.
However- there are some great recipes on this site for pizza. The one I love the most is where you bake mozzarela cheese for the crust. It is delicious! In addition, there is a recipe for a 1 minute muffin which I top with pizza sauce and cheese - it too is very good. There is another reipe I haven't tried where the crust is made from crushed pork rinds.
What I'm trying to say it that there are a ton of low carb recipes out there for all kinds of food. Please don't think you are going to be missing out on a bunch of food, ok??
iguess overeatting isnt my problem. and i dont always eat greasy, or sugary foods, soda is really my only vice.some days ill make a veg/fruit tray ( i dont eat s ugar on my fruits i like them raw and plain and my vegs are normaly raw with light ranch dressing) and ill eat that all day.
Overeating, doesn't necessarily mean binges and all-you-can-stuff-into-your-stomach eating. If you're eating more calories than you need to maintain your ideal weight, that's also a form of "overeating." If you're activity level declines, your "old calorie level" which may have been fine before, is now overeating.
Regular soda packs in huge amounts of calories (because beverages don't satisfy hunger, the way solid food does).
Fruit, vegetables and light ranch dressing aren't miracle foods. You can eat more than you need, even of these. I've stalled my weight loss on all-I-wanted fruits and non-starchy veggies diets. I assumed that it would be impossible to maintain my weight, eating only fruits and vegetables. I lost weight for a couple weeks, and then the weight loss stopped. I thought it would have been impossible, but I was very wrong (because fruit calories can add up very quickly).
There is absolutely no way to lose weight without making changes in your lifestyle. If you make no changes, you'll see no changes. Even if you make changes, they might not be the right ones. You'll have to experiment and evaluate the results. It's both that simple, and that difficult (because change is always difficult, even when you're trying to make changes you want to make).
Good luck. I'm not trying to be harsh, it's just a lesson I learned the hard and slow way. What I wouldn't give to have learned my "right-for-me path" sooner - but I can't look at the 30 plus years I failed, I can only look ahead to further success. I'm a little overly enthusiastic about low-carb dieting, because it's a method I never considered giving a serious chance. I always thought it was way too unhealthy and unrealistic, undoable in the long run - and those myths are still out there.
Low-carb may be unrealistic, but it seems to be my only choice. Well, that's not true. I do have another choice, I can choose to stay fat. I think I'll continue working on learning to see low-carb as doable.
Try what you're willing to, but if those things don't work, consider trying some things you don't think are doable, and maybe you'll surprise yourself, or find ways to do the undoable.
Is there a group specifically for starting out with Atkins? I read the book years ago and sort of half-heartedly tried it, but now I want to do it for real. I will need some serious support for a while to get started with this.
Dali234 I would like to join you in starting Atkins. I don't have the book yet, but have been reading online tons of info.
i would love a buddy, to give and get support.
I'm ready for a serious change in my old body, I'm sick and tired of being sick and fat.
Atkins here I come, ready to commit 100%
Jerseygirl can I hold your hand?
When I was on the Atkins diet 6 yrs ago I got to the point that I would have a cheat day on the weekend. This was enough to keep me on the diet the rest of the time. That cheat day slowed my progress but it kept me from giving up. I needed that cheat day cuz my family at the time was not very supportive. They ate & bought all kinds of stuff that they knew I had enjoyed too. This time around they are more supportive. If you feel the need for pizza & have to have the crust figure that into you carb intake for the day & adjust the rest of your days intake. I would not cheat in the 1st phase of the diet. For me I know carbs are my downfall so just cutting my carbs down from what they had been before I started the diet again is enough to prevent me from gaining. I hope this makes sense. Everyone is different & their body will react differently. Someone may gain 3-4lbs by cheating for a day & someone like me can handle a cheat day (as long as I dont go overboard)
thinking of trying atkins had a question
Do yourself a favor if you are seriously considering Atkins, read Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution (2002 or prior versions, not the "new book") to understand exactly how & why this plan works.
