[Silicon Andy]

A friend who knows I'm having a hard time losing weight on this (or any, for that matter) diet sent me this link.

It basically claims that after you do a low carb diet the first time, if you don't stick to it it won't work as well after that.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? I did Atkins for about 2 months a while ago and lost pretty quickly, but couldn't sustain it b/c it was so restrictive and I was working such long hours.

I'm just hoping I didn't waste my "golden shot."

Sarah

[ellis]

That's interesting and bizarre, Sarah. I've never heard that before.
I wouldn't place any faith in that article. It's not a study. There are all kinds of variables. For instance, the person who had difficulty losing the second time around (ten years later)... for a start, they're 10 years older! It does get more difficult as we get older! Also, is he/she exercising/moving enough? Are they taking advantage of the "new" low-carb bars, etc, which can really pack on the weight, regardless of the lack of carbs?
Another thing... that site is for low-carbers, and that's not what we're doing here. We're replacing the bad carbs with good ones. This is a life-long plan, and it's a healthy one.

I'm quite sure you haven't wasted your "golden shot". We're here for you, Sarah.

[Suzanne 3FC]

That article has been reprinted on several low carb sites, but they don't mention any studies to prove their point, and appears to be just a theory.

But should you falter and leave the diet for an appreciable amount of time — especially long enough to gain all or much of the weight back — the next time around takes more effort, weight loss is slower, and it takes more carb restriction to get results.

Indeed, once an individual has played this hand multiple times, it can take great effort to get the desired results.

What they are hinting at is yo-yo dieting, which is experienced by a lot of dieters, not just those that have tried low carb diets. Many believe that your metabolism changes after you diet and regain, making it harder to lose weight with future efforts.

Some medical sites discuss this and seem to support the idea of yo-yo dieting reducing metabolism. Others, including the National Institutes of Health, say that this is not true.

There could be other things going on. When you go on a carb restricted diet for the first time, you initially lose a lot of water weight. This is why Phase 1 of SBD causes an initial large drop in weight. But if you have been dieting before, you may not have as much water to lose. So maybe your next attempt may seem like it's not working, even if it IS causing fat loss.

That's interesting about leaving Atkins because it was so restrictive. We recently did a survey of several thousand dieters and the Atkins group frequently said the same thing. Most of them left Atkins and moved to South Beach, where you can eat a lot of carbs. But then most of our South Beachers left for WW, lol, since it didn't restrict types of foods in the same way.

So anyway, I wouldn't put any stock in the golden shot theory. If you like the SBD, then stick with it and you'll lose the weight. Good luck

[ellis]

Suzanne, I put your post back up. I'm still half-asleep... your reply is much better than mine.

[mama.dragon]

I lose weight every time I restart. It's a question of eating healthy.
Lydia