First let me say that I am so happy to have found a website like this. I have been reading the forums for a while now and can not believe how helpful and supportive everyone here is. It's great to see that...
I will try to make this short...
I was heavy most of my life (at 14, I weighed 180 lbs.). Last year in March I decided I had enough and was going to change my life. I chose Atkins and lost close to 75 pounds in the first eight months - I went from a size 20 to a size 10, where I am currently.
However, at that eight month mark, I realized my body had become weak and very, um... saggy I suppose is a good word. So I decided to join the gym. I became avid and went almost daily (I worked within five minutes of there and would take a late lunch and go then). Let me add I'm a single mom and my time is VERY limited. In fact, getting there three times a week now that I don't work where I was is a chore.
After a couple months, I realized I was definitely getting firmer but not losing inches. After four months of working out I realized I was doing it incorrectly, at least for what I wanted to achieve. Heavy weights and lots of reps is a big no-no for toning and I do tend to gain muscle very easily . Also, I had begun eating carbs again... healthy ones because I know your body needs them if you're working out.
I stopped going to gym about a month ago (mainly because of time limitations and also because of the mass gain) and now am almost back to where I was before I started going. I am extremely frustrated right now.
I think I am eating right... lots of fruits and veggies, whole grain, skim milk... and thought I would lose weight from that alone, but I'm not.
Perhaps I don't really have a specific question and needed to vent a little, but if anyone has any advice... that would be great. Again, I can get to the gym three times a week but don't know where to start anymore. I don't want to look like a linebacker again!
How old are your kids? I'm sure you want to spend time with them, maybe I could suggest after-dinner walks, to the park if they're young, or take up biking or rollerblading with your kids if they're older. Up the intensity by challenging a child to a race. Killing two birds with one stone...you get to spend quality time with your kids, while also being active. Use your time at the gym to do strength training and spot exercising.
Lifting heavy weights will not make you bulk up-trust me!!! Women do not have the testosterone levels in them (most of us anyhow) to do that.
What I think IS important to realize, is that if you are strength training, you also need to be doing cardio (walking, aerobics, biking, jogging, etc.) as well. Strength training really shapes your body and firms you up-and the muscle you build is like little furnaces that burn lots of calories through your day-it is a wonderful form of exercise.
On the other hand, if you have firm muscles, but are not losing some of yourbody fat layer-then you are not going to see the results you want. You have to do this by #1-doing cardio exercise as well, and #2-eating less calories than you consume.
It doesn't matter really if you are doing a vegetarian diet, a low carb plan, or what you are doing if you are simply eating too many calories. It's simple math, eat a little less, and add cardio to your gym routine.
Don't stop with the weights though-just add the cardio, and make sure that even with your healthy food choices, that you are reducing your calorie intake. 1200-1600 calories a day is a good range for most people.
I too am starting over. I have been heavy my whole life. I have lost over 100 lbs twice and gained it back. I decided that today is the day. I am going to follow the Atkins principals. My husband wants me to lose weight and has said he will support me. The reason being so my ankle and knees will improve and I will not be crippled like so many of my family in 20 years time.
I asked a close friend to join me so we could support each other and she cannot commit until probably fall.
soooooooo..... I decided it is time for me to do this and do it for me. It is time to look after myself no one else is going to. So I look forward to this as a support system.
Any tips for following the Atkins diet. OR a better plan?????
Any suggestions gratefully accepted. I need to lose 65-75 lbs.
I am going to be flying in the fall and the last time I flew I couldn't even get the tray down to have my inflight meal it was very embarassing. Therefore I do not want to go on this upcoming trip. So that is part of my motivation.
I personally think South Beach is a better lower carb plan that Atkins-you are able to eat more fruits, and whole grains in later phases, and it also focuses on LEAN cuts of meat-no bacon and regular hamburger-and it also focuses on healthy fats-things like olive oil and nuts-not butter and bacon grease.
It is all around much healthier than Atkins.
CA85 - My son is 6... and extremely active. Often we play catch or I take him to the park and we run around, if time permits during the week. However, we normally don't get home until 6pm... then it's dinner, bath, book... usually some downtime... And that's on days we get home early.
Canoes - I think Atkins is almost fool-proof (if I can do it, anyone can) and good for short-term... not long-term though. I used to eat:
I ate lots of eggs/bacon/ham/steak/hamburger most LOADED with cheese. LOTS of egg salad and tunafish. I also drank the Atkins shakes and ate the bars for snacks. And maybe I shouldn't say this, but I did cheat at least once a week. If I got a craving, I'd get a handful of cereal from one of my son's boxes... and hopefully it would do the trick. Also, I'd have wheat toast occasionally.
And what they call the Induction Phase (that two week period people dread)... I didn't stick to. I was eating the bars and drinking the shakes from day one. However, I didn't once have any fruit and rarely veggies. So if you ever looked and followed your fat content, I don't recommend doing it with Atkins. I didn't bother at the time because it never phased me, however, now... I see I was consuming close to 300 gram of fat a day. Yowser!
Did that help at all?? Anything else you want to know?
I agree with Aphil that South Beach is healthier, and I also think it is easier to stick to. I did it for a few months and had no problem staying on plan (until I started dating my bf, but that's a whole different story). With Atkins, you end up with a lot of fat (including a lot of saturated fat), and you cut out fruit. since when is fruit bad for you?! With South Beach (once you finish the 2 weeks in Phase 1), you can still have some whole-grain carbs, fruits, and other GOOD carbs. It's much easier to stick to long-term since there's more flexibility, plus it's much healthier. Atkins was on to something when he discovered the whole low (or no) carb thing, but South Beach has made a much healthier and realistic version of the low-carb plan. Just my two cents
Canoes - I think Atkins is almost fool-proof (if I can do it, anyone can) and good for short-term... not long-term though. I used to eat:
I ate lots of eggs/bacon/ham/steak/hamburger most LOADED with cheese. LOTS of egg salad and tunafish. I also drank the Atkins shakes and ate the bars for snacks. And maybe I shouldn't say this, but I did cheat at least once a week. If I got a craving, I'd get a handful of cereal from one of my son's boxes... and hopefully it would do the trick. Also, I'd have wheat toast occasionally.
And what they call the Induction Phase (that two week period people dread)... I didn't stick to. I was eating the bars and drinking the shakes from day one. However, I didn't once have any fruit and rarely veggies. So if you ever looked and followed your fat content, I don't recommend doing it with Atkins. I didn't bother at the time because it never phased me, however, now... I see I was consuming close to 300 gram of fat a day. Yowser!
Did that help at all?? Anything else you want to know?
Here is something I learned recently and it really works. A common weight loss myth: If you burn more calories than you eat, you will lose weight more effectively
Lose weight? Yes. Effectively? No. When too few calories are consumed your body believes it is being starved and almost every calorie you consume is held on to. Before your body will burn the fat you are trying to lose, it will start eating the muscle. This is why someone with anorexia has low body weight but high body fat. You also miss out on important nutrients.
No matter how many calories you burn, you need a certain amount of calories in order to lose weight effectively. If you only exercise a small amount, you should stay around your recommended net calorie intake. If you exercise more than normal, that's a bonus. If you exercise in extreme amounts, you need to replenish many of those burnt calories. Some people will eat 1500 calories but burn 1000 working out for an overall calorie intake of 500! Not a good idea for effective weight-loss or general health and well-being.
Bottom line: Eat enough calories for your body to lose weight effectively and always stay near your overall recommended calorie intake.
I'm eating 2000 plus or minus calories a day. I switch that often. I found that if I stick to the exact amount my metabolism figures it out too quickly and I maintain weight rather than lose it.
I don't fanatically exercise everyday for 30 minutes. Right now, due to a cycling injury [pedal meets leg - ouch!], I'm working on weights and building that because muscle burns more than fat and burns it all day long. Whereas cardio only burns fat while you do it. Even then I cycle only 5 days a week max.
I've also found the 50-30-20 formula works best for me. That's 50% Carb, 30% Pro, and 20% Fat all healthy food for 90% of the time.
I DO have cheat/reward meals occasionally, 1 per week usually with a maximum of 2 per week. I don't beat myself up for doing them either. I enjoy them. This is A meal rather than the whole day that way. I used to have a problem if I went off my nutrition program but I no longer do. I get that little something I need and I'm satisfied. For me that is a little bit of chocolate mixed with healthy foods. I try to stay within 200 calories of my 2000. If I go over I don't get stressed out over it.
On low carb diets, sticking to that induction phase AND the diet is very hard because your body is NOT meant to work on mostly protein and fats. The brain needs carbs and that is the ONLY thing it uses. If you don't supply what it needs you get irritable and depressed. You'll feel sluggish and probably crave what you're missing. Muscles need carbs to grow and function so you lose muscle on low and extremely low carb diets. That is a lot of the weight you initially lose on these diets since muscles are 73% water!
So when you ate the shakes and bars you were getting those necessary carbs in the form of sugar alcohols. There's some studies on sugar alcohols and the effects on the body being very much like carbs.
I know about the effects of low carb because I suffered through them for months and months. I did lose weight but had horrible cravings for heathly foods like apples, pears, blueberries, yams, whole wheat bread, etc. And I had a lot of irritability. Never again! For me it was a disaster and I gained the weight back and more!
Atkins was on to something when he discovered the whole low (or no) carb thing
Or maybe he was ON something ... lol
Healthy carbs are needed for healthy brain and muscle functioning! Healthy carbs are the body's first source of energy! Healthy meaning whole grains, all kinds of veggies, and fruit.
No and low carb makes you lose muscle and muscle burns fat.
Right, you didn't read the rest of the sentence, that South Beach is much BETTER than Atkin's because it incorporates more fruits and veggies and whole-grain carbs (like pastas and breads). I know Atkin's isn't healthy--that was the whole point of my post.
I personally think South Beach is a better lower carb plan that Atkins-you are able to eat more fruits, and whole grains in later phases, and it also focuses on LEAN cuts of meat-no bacon and regular hamburger-and it also focuses on healthy fats-things like olive oil and nuts-not butter and bacon grease.
It is all around much healthier than Atkins.
I was on Atkins about 3 years ago...ate a lot of protein, cheese, pork rinds until I couldn't eat even 1 more, and vegies...but I used a lot of oil, some butter and lots of higher fat meats (bacon, hamb., etc.) I felt great for about 1 1/2 mos...and lost about 20 lbs really quickly. After that I started feeling worst and worst and could hardly stand to look at meat let alone cheese, eggs or butter. Also all the supplements they tell you to take cost a fortune and it made me feel sick just taking them all. The worst part however was not being able to have all the vegies I wanted. No fruit was ok for me...but I wanted more vegies!!!
I gained all the weight I lost back within a month...after I went back to a regular carb lifestyle, which is not a healthy one in my case.
Since, I have tried WW, but used to horde points for sweets and treats that I wanted...didn't work for me.
I have been on South beach for two weeks and I really love it so far. It has taken away my cravings and that alone is making me happy!! I fit the profile in the book and for me it is the right choice. I know a lot of people who are very happy on Atkins, but I like the variety I get on South beach much better!!
Back at Square 1
Women do not have the testosterone levels in them (most of us anyhow) to do that. 
lol
