ATKINS: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
 

Im posting this really to remind myself WHY I chose this way of life...yes, sometimes I need a reminder before I head straight for the chips...

THE GOOD:

No more heartburn
No more nasal congestion - amazing how this problem disappears!
No more bloating
Teeth feel cleaner during the day - it feels as though plaque buildup is minimized without carbs
No 3pm slump
Not feeling tired and irritable all day long
No cravings for junk
Not feeling hungry all day long
Eating WHOLE, unprocessed foods like we should be eating
Eating foods I REALLY enjoy


THE BAD:

BMs are more challenging :o


THE UGLY:

Keto breath is just brutal!
Gas! More than ever and lethal! LOL! :D
Induction is an ugly stage but necessary to rid the cravings


What are your good/bad/ugly???

Great thread! It is so hard cooking and preparing food for my son so a reminder is helpful!

The good:
No binging
Lots of energy
Less inflammation in my feet/ankles and generally less pain
feeling truly satisfied after I eat a meal without overeating
yummy food
no more "strange feeling" in my head after eating
feeling more in control
steady losses on the scale

The bad:
A few cravings if I don't stay on plan 100%
Potty time a little more difficult

The ugly:
Nothing much to put here.. I don't get ketobreath unless I overeat protein for the m ost part.

Good - That lethargic feeling is gone, along with sluggishness, puffiness and bloat. I know it's a much healthier way to eat. It's a lot easier for me to stick to a diet that includes the foods I like, with fats, than to try losing with low or non-fat products.

Bad - Well, then there are those foods I will always love and miss...I have to continue to push those 'food' thoughts out of my mind. Not always easy. Possibly a bit more costly to purchase some of the more quality foods.

Ugly - I don't know about this one.

New to this, but

Good--it's pretty easy to make portable and quick meals
Bad--all the raw vegetables really upset my stomach
Ugly--the agonizing temptation of all the carbs in the breakroom at work!!

spanky

The good: I feel so much more in control when I'm eating on plan. I don't have those crazy binges and weird random eating attacks. I feel better about myself.

The bad: I hate cooking and cleaning up although I'm getting better at cooking once, eating twice (or more) and definitely making more thoughtful choices when I go to restaurants.

Originally Posted by spanky:
New to this, but

Good--it's pretty easy to make portable and quick meals
Bad--all the raw vegetables really upset my stomach
Ugly--the agonizing temptation of all the carbs in the breakroom at work!!

spanky

OMG! Spanky...we had a bake sale here at work the other day. I stayed clear away from the lunchroom! Ironic that the money raised went to Diabetes research. REALLY????

I agree with you about the raw veggies. I cant do raw at all. All of my veggies have to be cooked so I end up doing 2 cups of cooked veggies instead of 1 cup and salad veggies.

Yep--I refer to our kitchenette at work as the "Carb Cave". Even to list what our crew keeps in there might send every Atkins person on the forum into a frenzy--so I'll refrain! :D

spanky

Great thread! Many of the same for me so I'll highlight my personal best.

GOOD:
-Acid reflux in check
-Not thinking about food all day every day
-Never feeling gross and bloated after eating
-Always knowing I have an option at a real restaurant - and one that calls less attention to me than the misguided years of "no dressing / egg whites only / no butter / no cheese"

BAD:
-Only person in my house on the diet - lots of dual meals

UGLY:
-Always reaching a point where I want something sweet and sugar free jello begins feeling like a cruel joke
-Always reaching a point where I'm feeling better and more confident and think a little cheat won't hurt me
-Fearing leaving induction-level net carbs ever and then finally blowing and carb-binging
-Thinking I don't need to count or track anything

Until now...

It's the personal "UGLY" that I plan to work really hard on this time. I'm actually following induction properly and am tracking everything I eat. I am actually going to allow myself to graduate from Phase I this time and step up properly. I am already downloading carb-friendly recipes for other phases so I can have new things to look forward to as I step up. I've never allowed myself a fruit of any kind or sweets other than SF jello and whipped cream - and that burns you out quickly. I need to trust the process this time.

I've always found Atkins success on a 3-9 month sprint. I'm now embarking on a lifelong marathon.