[JerseyGyrl]

I've got a question, I've been on low carb message boards for almost 4 years now and I've seen lots of people come & lots of people go. For those doing Atkins, I'm curious as to whether or not, for you personally, this way of eating is something you are doing as a permanant lifestyle change....or....as a way to get the excess weight off and then return to your old ways

[SoulBliss]

I am not on "Atkins" but have been in the past. I AM eating a low carb diet (40 grams a day max, often closer to 25).


As far as abandoning Atkins and returning to "old ways", I think that if people returned to their "old ways" they would regain all the weight (plus some) in short order!

The people I have known to be successful post-Atkins are those who made positive lifestyle changes and also found another healthy plan and stuck to it.

Controlled eating, exercise and mindfulness are the "tenants" of any success story, as I see it!

[JerseyGyrl]

Originally Posted by SoulBliss

The people I have known to be successful post-Atkins are those who made positive lifestyle changes and also found another healthy plan and stuck to it.

I guess this is the point I'm trying to make....Atkins, done correctly is healthy.

I can't stress the importance of reading Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution BEFORE attempting to "do Atkins" enough. This will familiarize you with the Atkins way of life. There are 4 phases of Atkins....Induction, OWL (On Going Weight Loss), Pre-Maintenance and Maintenance. Followed correctly, by the time you reach the Pre-Maintenance phase, your ACE (Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium) should be established. Your ACE is your individual level of carbohydrate intake at which, you neither gain weight nor lose weight....you simply maintain. At this phase of Atkins, starchy veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, peas, acorn squash.... legumes like, lentils, kidney beans & chickpeas....fruits like apples, peaches, bananas...and lastly, grains like brown rice, oatmeal & semolina pasta are all added. Pre-Maintenance is without a doubt, the most important phase of the entire Atkins lifestyle because it prepares you for lifetime maintenance on this way of life

[petra65]

I think like all people trying to lose weight, it is difficult to make permanent lifestyle changes no matter what plan you try but without that, you will never be successful over the long term.

My personal issue with Atkins (and this is just my personal opinion) is that many people view this as a quick way to lose weight. In it's commercialization, I think there was also too much emphasis put on quick weight loss and not enough on good nutrition and long term lifestyle change. As a result, I have never been a fan of Atkins. I have successfully lost large amounts of weight on two very different plans in the past (weight watchers and protein power). However, I was able to stick to the low carb plan for longer than anything I have ever done previously(over a year) and I just feel better eating low carb. For the past 6 months I have been trying to eat more Mediterranean because of the proven health benefits of that diet but I haven't been able to stick to it for more than 2 weeks so no matter how healthy it is, if I can't stick to it, I won't be successful with it. I have decided to return to what has worked for me in the past although I am doing a slightly different plan. I am following a not well known low carb plan called Four Corners because I think it is probably the one most focused on good nutrition even if it means slower weight loss.

[suesully]

I initially looked to lower carb diets as a way to lose weight & during that time found that it would be the best way for me to be able to maintain that weight.

I did not do Atkins for my diet but used their materials for reference to help select lower carb food choices. My weight loss diet was Medifast which is low cal/lower carb/low fat. During that time I learned that it was carbs from simple starches & sugars that were responsible for my failing at diet attempts in the past. Plus my old pre-diet carb intake was incredibly high. Even with traditional lower calorie diets, the carbs were too high for me resulting in always being hungry & never losing that much weight.

Now that I am in maintenance I still look at keeping my carbs in check. Most of my carbs come from veggies & fruit, some from Greek yogurt & beans/lentils/whole grains. What is gone is those useless (to me anyways) carbs from sugars & refined foods. I'm new at the maintenance game & still playing around to come up with an ideal daily diet that will work for me in the long run. One thing I do know is that I will have to be always vigilent about my carb intake as when the carbs get too high, the scale starts to move in the wrong direction.

[petra65]

Sue-I discovered the same thing the first time I did low carb. "It's the sugar, stupid!" I said to myself. Refined sugar and carbs has sabotaged every attempt of mine to lose and maintain weight loss. Congrats on your weight loss and good luck with maintenance.

[Azure]

I'm not strictly on Atkins by phases, though the way I'm eating right now is a lot like Atkins induction, and I'm monitoring myself for ketiosis. For me, the less I obsess over the food I'm eating, the better I do on a diet. For the last couple weeks, I've been prepping my food ahead of time and tracking what I eat in FitDay. My carbs are staying under 25 total for the most part and I'm losing weight.

After doing a few different things to try and lose weight in this long, long journey...I know that Low Carb works for me as a weight loss tool and I also know that it is going to be the best way for me to eat to maintain it. I don't think that most of us who are looking for a diet approach it from the angle "wow! I'm going to find the healthiest, most sustainable way to lose weight!" I think speed is emphasized as is how easy a diet is to follow...and I think MOST approach it as a way to get the weight off, so they can be "normal" again. That's how I came to low carb--but I now know that I can't treat LC as just a temporary "diet".

When I'm closer to my goal, I'll transition into a slightly higher carb count. I'll add carbs back in slowly, and see if my weight holds (similar to the Atkins phases, I've read the books and that's what I'm basing it off of, even if it isn't verbatim). I don't plan on tackling a box of doughnuts and a pizza when I hit my goal weight, though I would be lying if I didn't say I wasn't looking forward to adding black beans, more fruit and maybe an occasional bowl of oatmeal back into my diet.

[JerseyGyrl]

Originally Posted by Azure

I don't plan on tackling a box of doughnuts and a pizza when I hit my goal weight, though I would be lying if I didn't say I wasn't looking forward to adding black beans, more fruit and maybe an occasional bowl of oatmeal back into my diet.

Good for you Azure!....Black beans, more fruit and oatmeal are all Atkins Pre-Maintenance and Maintenance friendly

Its really sad how the majority of people out there think Atkins is all about red meat, lbs of bacon & lbs of butter.

[SoulBliss]

Originally Posted by JerseyGyrl

I guess this is the point I'm trying to make....Atkins, done correctly is healthy.

I can't stress the importance of reading Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution BEFORE attempting to "do Atkins" enough. This will familiarize you with the Atkins way of life. There are 4 phases of Atkins....Induction, OWL (On Going Weight Loss), Pre-Maintenance and Maintenance. Followed correctly, by the time you reach the Pre-Maintenance phase, your ACE (Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium) should be established. Your ACE is your individual level of carbohydrate intake at which, you neither gain weight nor lose weight....you simply maintain. At this phase of Atkins, starchy veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, peas, acorn squash.... legumes like, lentils, kidney beans & chickpeas....fruits like apples, peaches, bananas...and lastly, grains like brown rice, oatmeal & semolina pasta are all added. Pre-Maintenance is without a doubt, the most important phase of the entire Atkins lifestyle because it prepares you for lifetime maintenance on this way of life

I've read all the books (along with Protein Power, The South Beach Diet, YOU on a Diet and literally hundreds of other books).

I am doing my own thing because I have special dietary needs. I have to avoid soy or be very careful about how much I eat and I am vegan, so my diet is VERY limited while following a low carb plan.

For me, eating low carb has helped me get rid of food cravings, being drawn to over eat and so on. I obsess less about food. It's easy to do that when all one is eating is nuts, seeds, non-starchy vegetables, protein powders, good oils, unsweetened almond milk, occasional soy product, a little berries and chocolate. My DH has said I am a "squirrel"

I will adapt my plan further as I go. We'll see how long I can do this. I am still losing weight but have a long way to go. I am showing ketones in my urine and experiencing the effects of ketosis (lack of constant hunger etc.).

I really want lentils and beans, that much I can tell you! Just a simple bowl of soup with lentils would make my heart sing at this point!

It all comes down to the same issue- What do I want more; To lose weight without a lot of stress or to enjoy food more fully (risking the return of intense carbohydrate cravings and overeating)? For now, I'll choose to lose the weight.

[Puncezilla]

I think most people think of atkins as just the induction phase, they don't look at the OWL or MAINTENANCE parts at all, it is a very healthy and balanced plan for long term maintenance. most people try to do induction long term and give up when they can't stick to it for life , it was never intended to be that way, to be sucsesfull you have to move on to the next stage when your ready. I think most people are unaware of the last two stages altogeather, so they think you just eat induction foods forever.
I'm making this a lifestyle change and do plan to add more foods once I've reached my goal, but I have a much better understanding now of why I gained the wieght in the first place and how to keep it off. I look forward to adding more fruit, beans, nuts and yogert back as I get closser to goal I don't miss rice and potatoes and grains will always bee a no-no for me due to ciliacs. Knowing what I know now about how simpple carbs affect me and my health I could never go back to eating the way I was before, I'm sure I'll have treats and little slip ups along the way, but this is a lifelong change for me.

[JerseyGyrl]

Originally Posted by Puncezilla

I think most people are unaware of the last two stages altogeather, so they think you just eat induction foods forever.

You are absolutely 100% right which is why I keep stressing....READ THE BOOK!!!

[aud]

LC is my wol.

[bambifox]

I, for one, consider Atkins or Low-Carb (whatever you call it) WOE as a lifestyle change. I agree with you all in that most people are truly ignorant when it comes to the Atkins diet plan. However, one thing that I think most Atkins' rs miss is that "exercise" is just (if not more) important than the WOE'ing. It's true you are what you eat...but it is also true that our bodies were made to move. One without the other and you will not have good results (while the outside might look healthy...then inside will not).

I also think that low refined carbs is the way to go (whether Atkins, SB, JayLo's booty bangin' low carb secrets (LOL!), whatever)! As far as Dr. Atkins OWL is concerned...I think it's subjective to how active you are and what your goals are. My plan is to get "Ripped"...not Arnold ripped, but Cory Everson ripped...a lean mean love machine!!! With these goals, I could not truly stick religiously to any part of Atkins...although it is a good base for my WOE. Short & skinny...if your "lifestyle change" is factoring exercise (plenty of it)...then the beans, bananas, oatmeal, nuts is exactly what you "need" if you are to see muscle gains...if not...then "induction" may be better for you...perhaps even graduating to "OWL"...however, if you plan on intensifying your workouts to take your body to a whole other level past your wildest expections...go where you've never gone before in health/fitness..then YOU WILL NEED TO FEED YOUR BODY a bit more carbs/protein than the program recommends.

But like a lady posted here...if you don't stick to anything...it won't work. I personally thank Dr. Atkins for providing me and so many other peeps something that is easy to stick to/get started...that helps us control our diet, provides us with energy we didn't know we had and motivating us to get up off our lazy a$$'s and MOVE (exercise)! If you ask me...any diet that can make you do that...you really can't put holes in it! Unfortunately, Atkins doesn't do that for everyone...perhaps SB, WW's or another plan will catapult you to that level...but in my opinion, that's the level we need to all strive to obtain...complete control over our diet balanced with ample exercise and a healthy lifestyle. Joyce

[JerseyGyrl]

To quote someone very famous...."You can not change what you refuse to acknowledge". And basically "If you do what you always did...you'll get what you always got". Doesn't matter if its Atkins, SB, WW....whatever. You've got to acknowledge you need help and you've got to make long term changes! Its that simple!!!

[bambifox]

Well spoken Jerseygyrl!...Now with that said...let's get off our lazy a$$'s and acknowledge that we must change what has hurt us more than food..."inactivity" and move those lazy bones ladies (& gents)! whooo hoo! LOL!!!

I have a question though...any thoughts on how daily (5/week) "exercise" combined with doing low-carb (SB, Atkins, etc.) has effected your progress and in what way??? Just curious.

Originally Posted by JerseyGyrl

To quote someone very famous...."You can not change what you refuse to acknowledge". And basically "If you do what you always did...you'll get what you always got". Doesn't matter if its Atkins, SB, WW....whatever. You've got to acknowledge you need help and you've got to make long term changes! Its that simple!!!