i am starting atkins to day. i would like to hear why it didnt work for you?? i want to hear about the negatives as well as the positives for this woe. thanks.
I talked to my doctor about Atkins and other non-carb diets and this is what he said... complex carbohydrates, vegetables and fruits are our protection against disease... cancer, heart disease, etc.
I personally believe that everything in moderation is the key to any healthy, happy eating plan. You can't cut out a certain food group and eat an abundance of another. Check out the food pyramid provided by the FDA. We are supposed to eat MOST from the bread and cereal group.
I've lost 60 pounds in the last year and a half and I've done it the old fashioned way... eating sensibly from all food groups, plenty of water and exercise!
Just some food for thought
Good luck to you in whatever weight loss plan you chose!
Lisa
thanks for the info. i just thought this might work for me, cause i eat so much carbs. that is all ever want. not necessarily, sweets, but just potatoes, rice, noodles, lots of noodles, i am not a big fruit eater.
i have done ww and had lost 17 lbs in a month, but i didnt choose my points, with balance in mind. i just thought i would try something that cut them out.
diabetes runs in my family, and i know all these carbs have to do with glucose and turn into sugar.
i am just having a hard time deciding what to do.
congratulations on losing all that weight. that is what i have to lose, 60 lbs.
I know what you mean... I love carbs, too. Maybe just try to limit them. It's hard to cut them out altogether, especially when that is what you like to eat. Try eating whole wheat pastas and breads or whole grains. These are better choices than the typical "white" versions. I just think if you try to cut out a certain food group altogether, it isn't healthy. Not only that, but what is life if we can't eat the things we love (within reason of course)!
I try for the RDA of carbs for a 1400 calorie a day diet. That works out to be 210 grams of carbs. I used to have easily over 700 grams of carbs a day while I was doing WW and keeping my points in range. I lost weight, but I skipped other stuff just to have more carbs. I would often go without fats, protiens, or dairies just to use my points on carbs. I lost 50 lbs and gained it all back.
Now I am still dieting - but I try to never exceed 200 grams of carbs a day. I have lost that 50 lbs again since I started. My diet is much more balanced. And I have learned what is a normal amount for people. I think that you should include carbs - just in moderation. You can lose lots of weight dieting on protien alone - but you can't live a healthy life and get all the nutrients your body needs on protien alone. Cut back the carbs and practice a diet you can live with for the rest of your life. Unless we make lifetime changes the weight is going to come right back on when the fad diet is over.
hi devoted, that definately sounds like what i should be doing. i will look into the whole grains.
hi morrigan, congrats on your wieght loss. that is terrific. sounds like you found your plan.
i never new how many carbs i was suppose to have each day. so you gave me a pretty good amount. i am 5'3 highest weight was 189, am now 180 and want to be 125. so it sounds like i could have around 200 grms of carbs too.
1 cup of spaghetti 40 grams
A baked potato (10 oz) 72 grams carbs
apple 21 g
banana 27 g
1/2 c oatmeal 27 g
Nature Valley lowfat granola bar 29 g
2 slices old fashioned white bread 50 g
A bran muffin 30 g
1 tbls sugar 12g
1 cup white rice 59 g
10 dried apricots 59 grams
20 sweet cherries 22 grams
1 cup split pea soup 29 grams
As you can see, they add up rather quickly. For example. Lets say you had a cup of rice, a chicken breast, fruit salad, and a white roll with dinner. That would add up to 59 +25 + 25 ... over half your carbs for the day in one meal.
Imagine you had already had two peices of toast and a bowl of grape nuts (49 g for 1/2 cup) for breakfast. That adds up to over 100 grams of carbs - also half your carbs for the day.
If you look at the menu above it sounds healthy - but toss in a sandwhich with no mayo and an apple for lunch and you are way over on carbs for the day. I personally really struggle with keeping my carbs down to the RDA. It means no toast with breakfast ever, no sandwhiches for lunch (usually soup or salad) and at dinner I have only 1 small serving of pasta or potatoes. But when I combine that with a bit of sweets here and there and a lot of fruit. I still usually hit 100-130% of my carbs for the day. It makes sense now why I have been so overweight most of my life. On a daily basis I was eating more than twice as many carbohydrates as I was supposed to and thought that I was eating a normal amount.
Interestingly - I completely agree with the assertations of the high protien/low carb diet plans. They say america is fat because we eat too many carbs. Our eating is out of control because of carbs sending our blood sugar levels all over the place, etc....
But after a year of eating my RDA of carbs a day (mostly from fruit and whole grains) I have found that 200 g feels low carb. And your blood sugar stays a lot more stable with wild rice than white rice. A big baked potato still makes me want to nap, but a couple peices of fruit doesn't. I think that what carbs you choose to eat may be as important was how many carbs you eat.
hi morrigan, i appreciate you taking the time to show me some of the carb counts, wow they really do add up fast.
what alot of you said absolutely makes sense. i will try to watch from now on. i already had a potato for breakfast, with a chicken burger with no bun.
ya see i very rarely eat reg breakfast foods for breakfast. i am not into cereal or bagels. well i used to love bagels, now they give me acid indegestion. so i eat just about anything else for breakfast.
i like some of the meatless stuff, like veggie nuggets or boca burgers, but they have alot of carbs too.
i am not really a fruit person either. so ya can see what is left for me to eat. that is how i got heavy.
Morrigan - that's some great info you've provided below. I didn't know exactly how many carbs the FDA suggests we eat. I'm sure I eat more than 200 a day, but the carbs I do choose are all whole grain or whole wheat varieties. Whole wheat pastas, rice, bread, etc. But you are right... the more balanced the diet, the better off you'll be physically and emotionally. I do eat a slice of toast everyday with my cereal and I often eat pasta for lunch. It's dinner where I limit my carbs.
Willbethin - one important fact that could also help you lose weight is to try and eat MOST, if not ALL of your carbs earlier in the day. I try to keep my dinners small and either no carb or as low carb as I can get it. It's really worked for me. You said that you are 5'3" and 180 pounds. Well, I'm 5'1" and I weighed 188 pounds when I started my healthy eating plan. A year and a half later, I'm at 124. So, I'm living proof that you don't have to cut your carbs out altogether!
I'm also very active and I need the energy you get from carbohydrates to do my work outs. The more active you are... the more energy you need to fuel you through your day!
hi devoted, you are a great inspiration, we are close in stats. cant believe all you have done in one year and a half. i will take your advice and try to keep very low carbs at dinner.
i excercise 4 days a week, a curcuit workout, for 30 min. just this week, i made a commitment to start doing it 5 days a week.
You know ladies Sugar Busters is a great plan. While it's not a low carb diet their idea is to cut out white flour and sugars. You eat mostly whole grains and they have guide lines to ensure that your choices are high in fiber.
By the way, I also would like to add that Atkins is not a NO- CARB diet. Alot of people make that assumption. You do eat carbs and most of them will be from your veggies. While I did Atkins I lost 70 lbs. in 9 months and ate carbs. It's just about the type of carbs that you eat.
Best of luck to all of you. It looks like your doing a great job~~*~~
hi andi
