so my friends recently want to try atkins diet. But after reading about it, i think it's a ridiculous diet.
- you cannot eat vegetables. For more specific, you can only eat a few vegetable that "they" choose.
- You can eat unlimited meat, fat of meat,
- You cannot eat fruits.

So - it's a high protein diets. Alright. But does it sound ... right? I don't know. It doesn't sound like a very healthy diet when all you can eat is protein (meats, eggs, etc..). And what a non-sense of NOT ALLOW to eat veggie ???

Even though they said the more food contain fat , the better the food (fat i think is good fat). Still. It does not ring a good bell in my head for this kind of diet. AT ALL.

So any of you have tried Atkins ? What do you think about it? I do not mean to offend anyone, but this diet sounds very weird and just want you guys point of view.

I thought you could eat veggies as long as they weren't starchy and the fruits you can have are like berries.

I don't care for Atkins but for someone who is severly obese I think it helps you lose pounds quickly. My FIL did Atkins and lost 80 lbs in one year and it was good for him cuz he was pre-diabetic as well as having pain in his knees from his weight. He's still overweight but he's doing much better now.

I'd recommend that ANYONE considering Atkins read one of the books - your interpretation of the plan isn't actually what Atkins is about. The books spell out what foods are appropriate and which are not, and the "appropriate" lists, across various phases, include lots of veggies and even some fruits and whole grains. It's nearly impossible to have a full understanding of the plan without reading the books!

I've only known two people who have tried the Atkins diet, a co-worker and my Brother-In-Law. Both lost a lot of weight quickly, but they both also developed a nasty problem with gout. I don't know if there's any official connection between the two (my BIL's Doc says there is), but I'd seriously suggest talking to a doctor about it before starting Atkins.

I did Atkins. I went from 139 lbs down to 122 (I was still in high school..).

My diet mainly consisted of cheese strings, pepperettes, hamburgers without the bun, and steamed vegetables. Oh, and Atkins power bar type thingers.

Needless to say, I couldn't exactly keep it up, and as soon as I started eating even semi-normally again, I gained it all back. Plus a little more.

I think Atkins is good for insanely fast, temporary weight loss, and that's about it. Not to mention raising your cholesterol level. That being said, maybe, as a few other people have suggested, the majority of people who do Atkins just don't do it "properly." Either way, I heard the founder of Atkins died of a heart attack. Kazaam.

ditto what mandalinn said...

I did Atkins, lost weight quickly but gained it back even faster plus even more..

My adoptive mom did it and lost over 100 pounds..she gained it all back and developed a heart condition soon after..

I think it can be the way for some--probably not many.

Atkins allows both vegetables and fruit. I'm not sure where you got your information but as already stated, your understanding of the diet is incorrect. There is an Atkins forum here. If you go over there they can answer your questions and explain how the diet really works.

There is an Atkins thread here, and there are lots of people who have been successful and feel that they lead a healthy balanced life.

Your best bet is to hook up with that thread and do some more research with others with experience about the plan, and then make a decision about whether or not this is a path that you choose to follow.

We each determine our own path to follow on this very personal journey. Some are healthier than others, for sure. Starvation is NOT healthy, for example, and I won't support that lifestyle. But there are MANY different eating plans out there, thank goodness, that can fit into your own lifestyle.

So get the info from the pros on that thread because IMHO your impression of the diet may not be completely accurate , and then decide. You might be surprised about what you find out!

Kira

thank you very much.
I haven't researched it thoroughly - i admit.
What I got was through few of my friends that are going to try for that diet.
And i happened to read 1 of their "plan" schedule to eat
And I saw it was terrible - terrible - terrible - a HUGE amount of calories.
I think they really take the "eat-all-the-steak-you-want" to heart !!!!
So I was shocked.

Without much understanding of Atkins, there's really a connection with gout (eating too much meat). I think i'll need my friends to understand Atkins isn't just about eating meats and cutting everything else. It'll be hard work.

(those friends are stubborn. I told them to try for calories counting but they said "why? i don't like it. If i follow calories counting, i'll have to count even a small bite of fruit? that is ridiculous" and they made fun of me. Sometimes I told myself wtf, just let them go their own ways and die with it because of lack of knowledge. But i couldn't so yeah... here i am asking for atkins diet. Sorry for rambling here >"<)

Thank you everyone. I really am appreciate all of your information ^^

As the other posters said, get one of Dr Atkins' books out of the library - I was amazed that what he says is different to the way many many many people who interpret his plan say.

And dont worry about what your friends are doing - you do what feels right to YOU.

If calorie counting is it - stick to your guns If you do what feels right and works for you, you will be more successful in the long term.

Gout occurs when urate crystals (a byproduct of excess uric acid in the blood) accumulate around your joint, which causes pain and inflammation. Your body produces uric acid when it breaks down purines, substances that are found naturally in your body, as well as in certain foods, such as organ meats, shrimp, salmon, anchovies, herring, asparagus and mushrooms.
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A high protein diet that is low in purines, may be no more likely to produce gout than a diet lower in protein, but higher in purines.

After the first two weeks, Atkins is supposed to gradually, and increasingly include more carbohydrate foods, including fruits and vegetables. The person is supposed to keep increasing carbohydrates until weight loss stops, then drop back down to a level where weight loss continues to progress at a steady, but reasonable weight.

In some ways, I believe that Atkins allowing folks to stay on induction longer if they wish, has led to the majority of people believing that inductions IS Atkins, when that is not the truth. It's more common for people to extend induction and then abandon the diet when the extended induction becomes monotonous, than to follow the diet and proceed to a higher carbohydrate stage.

The book also warns against over-eating meat. It is not the all-you-can-stuff-in-your-gullet-without-exploding diet. The book gives a suggestion for meat portion size (I don't remember what it is, but it's several ounces, not several pounds), and advises that you stick to that portion for a meal, and if you think you're still hungry for more, go do something else for a while, and only eat more if you're still hungry after that while (I think it's at least 20 minutes).

Also, Atkins advises against eating nitrate containing meats. That really does rule out the majority of very fatty meat choices. The vast majority of sausage, bacon, ham, and deli meats contain nitrates. Unless you choose to ignore "that part" of Atkins, the fattiest meats are ruled out for most, just as a matter of economics (If I'm paying $8 a pound for nitrate-free bacon, I'm going to be using it sparingly as a seasoning, not as my main protein source).

I'm not trying to defend Atkins. It has some weaknesses. It can be done poorly/unhealthily (which can also be said of calorie counting), and it relies on mindful eating for success (which the book talks about - you aren't supposed to eat all you can eat, you're supposed to eat just enough to remain barely satisfied).

I'm a person who doesn't easily recognize true hunger or satiety well. My eating cues are largely external. A lower carbohydrate diet does seem to reduce hunger, so I have tried to incorporate that knowledge into the plan I developed for myself, an exchange plan that compared to most exchange plans consists of slightly more protein and fat choices, twice the veggie choices, and about a third of the bread/starch choices (and I try to make non-grain starch choices).

Even though I decided that Atkins wasn't for me, I do know people who have succeeded on it, and none of them did so by staying at induction carb levels.

I did Atkins once and honestly your body at some point goes eh- I don't need THAT MUCH protein so for me I didn't really eat outside of my calories too much.

Even today I don't eat as many carbs as I used to. I concentrate on meat, veggies, and fruit and pretty much all my carbs are complex ones- no white flour, bread, pasta, nothing for me