Any former Atkins followers?
 

Recently my husband has decided to join me in trying to lose some weight. We took a "before" picture last night, and let me tell you, it wasn't pretty.
:: shudder::

Anyway..... I have been loosely following Atkins now for the better part of two years. Meaning, when I'm being good, I'm "doing" Atkins, but when I'm being bad, I'm just eating any old thing.

He has refused to even try Atkins, feels it's too restrictive, and wanted to try South Beach. I have read the book and they are amazingly similar. I'm just concerned that after the two week period, you start to add things in that scare me a little. Granted, it's better than the way I've been eating recently, but I've got so much Atkins on the brain, I'm just looking for reassurance that eating brown rice, in moderation, isn't going to slow down the weight loss. When I did Atkins the first time, I lost 64 pounds, but, like so many others, when I fell off the wagon, I hit the ground HARD.

I agreed to switch to SB because it's easier to do this together with the husband.

Anyone else in the same situation?
Any tips?
Reasurance please that the devil rice isn't going straight to my hips??

Thanks
Kim

Welcome, Kim! :wave:
A lot of us have tried Atkins... myself included. Yes, I suppose the weight loss is slower on South Beach, but it's a much more "normal" way of eating. When you do fall off the wagon, it's not as fatal. (for some of us, anyhow)

Khewes, yes weight loss is a little slower with SBD compared to Atkins, but I know that I couldn't keep up the Atkins Way of Eating for a month let alone the rest of my life so I could maintain the weight. If you go back to the old way of eating you gain it all back because it didn't really teach you how to eat healthy. SBD is a healthy way of eating normally, it IS something that I can stick to 80+% of the time for the rest of my life. I have always liked wheat bread so swiching to whole wheat wasn't hard / I don't mind whole wheat pasta or brown rice so switching to those wasn't difficult either. Plus, SBD is better for your heart. I don't care what Atkins people say eating all that saturated fat cannot be good for you! Heart disease is the #1 killer of women in the US, but everyone is different, The same diet doesn't work for everyone.
If you decide to come over to the beach be sure to stop by and talk to us. There's always room for one more! :wave:

Agreed and agreed. I am a reformed Atkins-er, myself. My biggest problem with Atkins was that, while I was losing weight, it was by eating high saturated fatty foods and the "low-carb" products that are processed beyond belief!! I was eating so much sugar alcholol, it's a wonder I didn't get drunk!!

SBD makes more sense. You can still eat, and it's not with heavy cream and bacon at every meal. Besides, when you "cheat", it's easily forgiven by your body. Atkins will send you up and down the weight roller coaster, while SBD is more forgiving. After Phase 1, it seems that the loss isn't staggering, but it is steady (so long as you're true to the diet) It really is a managable, natural, and livable diet. Good luck! Wonderful resources on this board, that's for sure...

I lost a lot of weight on Atkins back in the 1970's - and gained it all back with bonus pounds. I fully agree that SBD is much healthier. Even my doc pal Bob agrees with it and recommends it to his patients. He runs the weight control program at the Ottawa Hospital and knows his stuff!