atkins diet success stories?
 

How well has this diet worked for you? How much weight have you lost and over how long of a time? Did you have to count calories? Did you exercise? Do you find it hard to stick to this diet? I know I'll miss pasta a lot, I love pasta!

And Kim is inspiration to us all!

She is that! As is lilybelle!

I think it would be inappropriate at this stage to call myself an Atkins Success Story, since I'm not yet half way to my goal, but further to your questions:

How well has this diet worked for you?

So far, very well indeed! I've been averaging half a stone a month - so 1-2lb a week.

How much weight have you lost and over how long of a time?
I started on January 7th this year, and so far I've lost 3 stones (42lb).

Did you have to count calories?
Nope

Did you exercise?
Not enough! I've been a bit crappy and erratic with this, but hope to get back on track over the summer, with the C25k and some weights/interval training.

Do you find it hard to stick to this diet?
No! Really no! Surprisingly no!

I know I'll miss pasta a lot, I love pasta!
Actually, you might be surprised. It did take a little while to adjust my way of thinking, because I was so conditioned to having some rice or pasta or potatoes or bread as a component of a meal. But I find lettuce is a very acceptable substitute as a base for catching sauce and so forth underneath things, and I'm quite startled that I DON'T miss bread, rice or pasta, since I used to (think that I) loved them. Turns out that it was more a matter of craving than of actually enjoying.

I do slightly miss potatoes, and also baked goods like proper chocolate chip cookies, or proper piecrust pastry. But if it's a choice between eating the chocolate chip cookies or continuing to unfat myself - really, it's a no-brainer. I'm still horrified by how fat I really am right now when I see photos my friends have taken of me lately - the thought that I was walking around 42lb fatter than this just a few months ago is frankly horrifying. I wish I hadn't let myself get into such a state in the first place, but I'm d*mned if I'm going backwards (or standing still) just for the sake of some fleeting impression of taste and texture on my tongue.

Carbs, it turns out, are THE DEVIL. For me, at any rate. I feel infinitely healthier with them cranked right down, and I'm thoroughly enjoying my food choices. Fruit tastes much sweeter and everything is more flavourful now that I've stopped cutting corners.

I hate being fat - but I can change this. I AM changing this. And it's both astonishing and intoxicating to feel yourself succeeding, and to realise that all the low-fat cheese, all the wholegrain bread, all the low-fat spreads and skimmed milk and 100% fruit juice and suchlike that I HAD been eating before in the belief that these were good choices was actually contributing to my problem.

I agree with everyone. I started in March and I've lost 25 lbs now at a rate of about 1.5 lb a week without thinking about it. I don't count calories at all. I do exercise. We walk about an hour a day and I ride my bike now that the weather is good.

You won't find you miss many things once you get going. I, and many in my family, are definitely Carb addicts and it's always good to escape something that controls your life.

I found many interesting recipes and I cook for company the same as I cook for us.......the reaction is always positive.

I intend to stay on this eating plan ..... it's very satisfying. (I did have to battle the urge to eat low fat........you cannot do ANA using low fat and that had to be worked through for me. Food is much tastier with the fat we are allowed on Atkins.)

Yep these ladies are living proof Atkins works... so it my DH ;)

I'm a pastry chef with issues.

Just made waffles for the kids, corn bread for a gathering and egg salad with a side of grilled peppers and tomatoes for me.

It's nice to smell it but I have a problem once I start with the carbs. Atkins and just dropping the carbs makes a huge difference for me.

I've just started two weeks ago and have dropped about 6 lbs.
My goal is a size 8/10 by November (right now at 16/14). Sooner would be fine but later is good too.

I really do not want to become a diabetic pastry chef!

I also don't believe it is right to call myself an Atkins success story...for two reasons here.

1. I'm not on Atkins, I'm on a slight variation of it written by India Knight & Neris Thomas.
2. I'm not to goal yet.

But I'll answer your questions...

How well has this diet worked for you?

Fantastically. Actually looking back at my weight loss journal I can see the days I felt bad were the days I did not stick to it (which are very few).

How much weight have you lost and over how long of a time?
Started May 14th, have lost 26 lbs. and 6" in my waist (I actually HAVE a waist now!) over the last 7.5 weeks.

Did you have to count calories?
Nope

Did you exercise?
Almost every day. It was really hard at first and I could barely walk for 30 minutes at a semi-brisk pace (3.2 speed) without feeling like I was going to die. Now I alternate M-W-F 1.5 hours of cardio (including jogging!) with T-Th-Sa machine weight circuit training, and mild yoga on sundays. My goals include climbing Mt Fuji before I leave Japan though, so I'm really pushing the exercise.

Do you find it hard to stick to this diet?
99% of the time no. Every once in a while I have a bad day of craving stuff I know is going to make me feel awful though. Usually I get through it by doing some other activity to take my mind off, or reminding myself repeatedly that the few moments of flavor are NOT worth the days of retribution.

I know I'll miss pasta a lot, I love pasta!
I love pasta too, but sadly, it doesn't love me. It turns into curds under the skin of my thighs and an ever-expanding waist line. So I've learned to have (and love) other things that are MUCH better for me.

Low carb success
 

I have used both Atkins and South Beach to lose 85 pounds. I returned to Atkins in July and am doing well. I started in 2003.

Originally did not count calories but because of my age I do now.

I exercise daily by walking the seawall here in Vancouver for 10k or six miles daily rain or shine.

Now that my cravings are under control it's not hard but when I was struggling it was disheartening.

I will not miss pasta because I have other excellent choices now. This summer I brought into my life other resources like Byron Katie to examine my thoughts and how they contribute to my gaining so much weight and keeping the cycle going.

Its the information sharing by other people's struggles like this forum that has kept me going.

Cie :cool:

I can tell you for a fact that it works. I started Jan 05 and by April 05 I had lost 66lbs....Thats just 3 months!!!! I got pregant and gained the weight back, even though I knew better...but that's why I'm here now!! TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN!!
:)

Welcome back. I know you will do it. :)

So how many calories a day? I'm 57, does that mean I should count calories?

Not sure if you are addressing me. Please use quote button if you are responding to a post. :?:

Sorry about that. Yes I was asking you about
 

counting calories.

Everyone is different so this is my woe. I use Atkins '72. In the book he has written on stalls and calories. Since I am over 50 I interpreted my 6 month stall from Jan. to June as my woe needing tweaking. So I began a meat and egg to first stop the cravings then moved into portion control. I keep my fat % high and do alternate weeks of 1300 calories to 1400 calories. This is my woe.
There are no shoulds in this. My take on this is only you know if you have been on an extended stall and need to tweak your way of eating. :cool: