I'll give an "Amen!" to Ms Spotdog and Brenda! Well said.

I was on Adkin's for a while (few months) and I have to say - I loved the way that I felt on it. My blood sugar stablized for the first time in my life and I finally felt like I had control over my eating habits. (My blood sugar is quite "wonky" and I have always been very sensitive to simple carbs). I had lots of energy, and I felt really good... I did not get that "mid-afternoon lag" anymore where I just NEEDED a nap.

However, I did find that it was pretty hard to stick to out in the real world. If I was eating at home - it was no problem, but if I had to go to my in-laws for dinner (whom I sorely do NOT want to offend) and they were serving pasta - what was I to do? Plus, if you go ahead and eat, you don't just screw up that one meal - it takes about two days to depleat your glycogen stores and get back into ketosis (and therefore start burning fat again). That is paraphased right from his book. That was what really killed it for me.

Although it didn't work for me in the long run just cause I found it hard to keep up, doing the diet taught me some extrememly valuable lessons about how MY body works. I am now counting calories instead, but I try to keep my diet much higher in protein (than I used to), I highly regulate any simple carbs, and watch my carb intake overall (getting most from veggies, whole grains, dairy - keeping my carbs around 100g/day), as well as eating A LOT less processed food. My appetite is under control and I am not binging anymore...This is the easiest time I have ever had dieting (although I consider it a lifestyle change) and it is not feeling like a struggle at all. So Atkin's taught me a lot and I am glad I did it. I agree with other posters - it is NOT for everyone, but I think that for people with sensitive blood sugar (so-called 'carb-cravers') it can be helpful.

And as far as having a harder time on Atkin's everytime you go back on it, I was under the understanding that yo-yo dieting on any plan slows your metabolism(?). I doubt that this is necesseriy due to low-carb dieting alone...

Don't do it this way!!
 

Just one quick thing to say here - manicgirl, please, please, PLEASE do NOT do this! Even on Atkins you do not cut out all carbs!

You will make yourself so sick if you do not get at least some carbs from vegetables. My mom did this like 30 years ago when Atkins first came out - she got sick as a dog and the doctor told her that she could have done serious long-term damage to her body.

At least 20g is minimum, and they should come from a very nutritious source (like spinach or broccoli).

Yo yo dieting screws up everyone's metabolism. However, some metabolisms are so screwed up even before that, that is doesn't even matter much either way. If you are not eating ENOUGH calories each day that can also screw up your metabolism. A lot of things can screw it up!

I have been reading so much about metabolism it is not even funny. It is very testy and sensitive! And stubborn at that! :(

EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE, and healthy eating (of all food groups) is the best way for everyone to have a healthy lifestyle and a healthy strong metabolism. :)

Low carb dieting may be fine now.... but later in life it might hurt you. So please becareful! My friends father did it (followed the book) and now has several health (serious health issues!) issues! I have a few myself!

The best dieting advice I could give right now is, make healthy choices, eat portion sizes, and have several small meals and/or snacks every few hours everyday. That is the best advice I could give anyone.

Again - this is my own personal opinion from being on a couple different low carb diets myself! Opinions (for those who want to tear me up right now lol) are like noses..... everyone has one! ;) But this is my opnion from my own experience. Sorry if I offended anyone, but this again is my feelings and opinion.

P.S..... (And added (edited) note).... And I WAS a big time low carber that bragged to everyone to do it! I spoke with everyone in stores with diet books in there carts!!! I did it all!! I regeret I did it! But you learn something new each day!!!

So......................what was the original question ????

everyone has an opinion....how about a success story for low carb??

Me...Ive lost 100+ on low carb
Brenda...lost on low carb
Karen...lost on low carb
Star....lost on low carb
Jina....lost on low carb
L...lost on low carb
Ruth....lost on low carb
Kel....lost on low carb

and are still loosing at low carb...

plus the many many more folks that post here......you want a success story? Pop into the daily where you will receive support and help with the way of eating you have chosen, from those of us that have succeeded and are succeeding.

Just a note.....I dont recall going to any other thread and bashing their way of eating. I think its rude and extremely inconsiderate to the folks who are trying their best and making a go of it. It works for us, and any newcomer is welcome to stay and give it a try and see if it works for them. We are here and we will help. Studies help everyone prove their own point, there is a study for everything these days. You know what???? We here on the Atkins thread have done our own study in our own kitchen, gyms and grocery stores.

Low carb works for us

I'm not seeing bashing here. I am seeing opinions and people noting there own experiences with the diet themselves, personally. While I was on the plan I spit nails at people who stated there opinions against the plan as well. That is natural I assume. But, we're not bashing anyone or anything. We are nearly stating facts that we have learned personally through our own experiences and readings.

I wish everyone success on any plan they choose to follow! But at the same time I have to say becareful of some of the choices out there. That is what friends are supposed to do for each other. And we are here to support and help each other.... so we should treat each other as friends.

Again, I am not throwing stones (bashing) or anything! Just noting my own personal experiences.

"South Beach is better and healthier then Atkins." "Remember, there are no quick fixes that will help in the long run." "Low carb diets has caused ALL of my problems in the past couple of weeks!"

I consider someone coming to our forum and posting the above as 'bashing' our chosen way of eating.

And I just have to ask: You do understand that this is a way of eating for life, don't you? We are carb addicts! We are not going to be cured! We aren't going to lose the weight and be able to magicly go back to eating carbs.

Kel

Hmmm, not bashing at all! Just stating facts I learned from all of my dieting and working with my DOCTORS! Yes, my doctors! So therefore, just stating my personal experiences and my opinion from what I have learned! I know how Atkins, SBD and the others work! I have been on them. I have succeeded with them in the past. And I have also turned ill from them as well. So I know and understand ALL points of view. I will continue to go by what my body has been telling me and what my DOCTORS have been telling! Now, I am beyond childhood age so enough said.

Manicgirl....did you think you would spark such a debate? Tell us how your doing. We'll help out any way we can.

Tracy/Everyone - Been away for a few days and decided to check back...oh my...can you say meowww hiss hiss! I would equate trying to reason with some of these posters to being back in the days of yore when everyone thought the world was flat. God forbid you tell them the world is round...even worse if you've sailed around the world and can back up your assertions with undeniable FACTS!

Before I decided to post the first time I thought to myself "should I do this...if someone had made this post on my old lowcarb forum back when I was a Atkins/low carb cheerleader, what would I have done"? Well the answer is that I would have become defensive...afterall, it was actually working for me, and I was feeling great!

My reasons for posting were selfless, and out of pure concern for those considering the low carb woe who were also unaware of how the process actually works...from an unbiased and purely scientific standpoint.

Ms. Spotdog - My...aren't you defensive. I was not rude to you...and just because you didn't want to look at any of the research that I have compiled doesn't mean that no one else did! If even one lurker read it and got something out of it then it was worth the nearly 2 hours it took me to compile the info and type it out. You probably think that the warnings on a pack of ciggarettes don't apply to you either "Gee, I don't have cancer yet...it must be some sort of conspiracy"...gimme a break, just because you choose to ignore the evidence does not mean that the cold hard truth isn't going to turn around and bite you in the @ss. Also, you do not know me. I have been a true blue carb addict my entire life, and I'm here to tell you that you CAN overcome that type of addiction in other ways. You are obviously an extremely close-minded individual who is not open to even considering the opinions of others. The fact that you can so casually overlook so much accumulated scientific evidence in favor of the opinions and limited studies (and trust me, they are limited) of the few individuals who have everything to gain from your undying allegience, tells me that you are hopeless. You are like a teenager that has to find out everything the "hard way" rather than take advice from those who have been there, done that. Really, I'm glad that you stuck to your guns and decided to shove your opinion out there. Anyways, you have fun with your woe...and continue to bash anyone who threatens your sense of "diet security". If it works for you...and continues to do so, then you are one of the super lucky few, and you can pride yourself in knowing that you are so much better than the MAJOR MAJORITY of those who fail using the exact same method and the same resolve. Good luck, and send me a postcard from the edge of the world...hehehe...see you on the other side!

All - You can ignore my posts...it won't offend or affect me in any way. I understand that I am posting in your area...but don't worry, Ms. Spotdog is busy marking her territory (c'mon, get it...spotdog/marking her territory...hehehe) and bashing on anyone that doesn't share her narrow and obviously uneducated opinions. I'm sure that her territorial tendencies will successfully keep out anyone who is not in total agreement with the majority (a sure way to live forever in fantasy land forever).

I don't want to say that the low carb woe is terrible, and won't work. What I AM saying is that for most people who have tried it, it was only a short term fix...much as fasting will make you lose weight, but you can't fast forever. Sure, comparing it to fasting is a stretch, but you get the point. At this point it's all up to you...you can stay in one spot and continue to believe that the world is flat...or you can jump in a ship and travel around the world only to discover that the world really is round (no conspiracy here folks...the people in the know really did know what they were talking about). Either way, it's no skin off my nose. For those of you who were calm and polite...good luck to you in all you do...peace!

Oh, and in quiet response to Robin's shouting in the big bold letters...
LOW CARB WORKS FOR YOU...FOR NOW!!!

Notably Upset...but calming down,
Amanda

Oh My God

what exactly do you call the personal attack on a few mentioned in your last post?

kinda funny you know.......you dont particularly like anyone disagreeing with you. Just too funny!! :lol3: :lol3: :lol3: Coming from someone spouting democratic values :lol3: :lol3:

Well, Im taking my toys and going home, Ive about had enough of this particular game :kickcan:

Whoa! It's all been said. I am closing this thread. Manicgirl has not posted since she did this one although she has been online.

To each her own plan - pick what works for you and ignore the rest of the world which is not flat, by the way although some people do go over the edge!

We're doing fine so let's relax.