Howdy! I stumbled on this forum this morning and decided to join. I just lost 6.5lbs. on Atkins. This took me 3 weeks, losing almost all of it the very first week. I've been gaining and losing that last 1.5lbs. over the last 2 weeks. I think I'm ready to ditch Atkins and go back to WW! I lost 30lbs. a little over a year ago on WW and gained it all back. So...I'm familiar with the program. I'm going to try it on my own this time, without going to meetings. The best thing about Atkins was that I wasn't hungry at all most of the time, but my food choices are so limited I'm getting bored! Meal options on WW are endless and I have several WW cookbooks. I started Atkins because I thought the weight loss would be faster. Well, initially it was....but now it's become just as slow as every other diet. Also....If I have to eat another strip of bacon I might barf! I NEVER thought I'd say that! I'm hoping that this forum will give me all the support I need and I'll pick up useful information! I'm looking foward to being an active member!

I know what you mean about the bacon! I'm on the south beach diet (I only started a few days ago) but I'm already sick of turkey bacon and eggs and cheese (and I know the first 2 weeks of south beach are very similar to atkins). I'm seriously considering switching to WW as well. I just want a muffin! lol!
You're right, why be constricted to those few foods when you can still lose weight with so many more options?
Good luck to you!

and realistically, who can stay on a low carb diet forever? My time on the induction phase of South Beach seemed to last a million years.

Good luck in whatever plan you decide upon! You can do it!

I believe that there is no one 'right' way of eating. Whichever one works for you is the right one. I know people who successfully lose and keep the weight off eating low carb.

That said, I'm one of those for whom it was not the 'right' one. I lost about 30 lbs on Atkins and after a few months, stopped and gained it all back. Ditto with South Beach. Although I'm still in the process of losing, I have been at this for almost a year now and truly feel it is sustainable for a lifetime. I don't feel deprived, I can make sensible decisions while still allowing for some wiggle room, and most importantly, I feel happy and healthy.

good decision, in my experience I loved Atkins, but was not for me because you have foods that you have to avoid. I crave those like crazy, and I dont even like sweets. WW is something sustainable for me, I just control it, it feels like i can do it for a lifetime, like a lifestyle. That is my ultimate goal

Been on Atkins...but when u go back to eating like a real person..u gain it back and more..I'm trying WW..started tuesday...I'll be on the forum tuesday weigh ins..wish me luck.

WW is amazing. I have tried atkins and south beach. South beach was good the first time I tried it, it's kind of time consuming to make the meals and I hate limiting myself. I don't feel like I could live my life having to limit what I can and cannot have. On WW I eat healthy and I stick to my points and if I ever crave something I can have it as long as it fits into my point budget. I think everyone has things that work for them...you just have to ask yourself....Which way of life will you be able to maintain ? You don't want to get off a "diet" and gain back the weight. It should be a lifestyle and not a diet Good luck !

This morning I switched from South Beach to WW. I lost 4 lbs the first week on South Beach but the last 2 weeks I haven't really lost anything. I'm also doing Jillian Michaels and running.

I've been lurking on the thread for a while and I have to confess I'm also on
atkins and thinking about rejoining weight watchers. I just finished induction and I lost 8 pounds and broke out of the 190's so I'm happy but, it's spring and I have to wait to eat strawberries, watermelon is off limits until the very end of OWL and so are whole grains! I went to whole foods today to get my
organic eggs and they have white peaches now, I love white peaches and
I can't have them on atkins until further on the carb latter. Fruits are added like about the 3rd of 4th rung on the latter.

To me that did it. I'm going shoppping tommorrow to get some point friendly
food in the house and after I type this I'm going the weight watchers site to
find a meeting.

Good decision to go back to WW, some of these fads and based on marketing and psychological principles that are meant to keep you there not to help you advance to better and more fruitful things. I would personally advice on going back to WW as well.

You should read the WW book, Weight Loss that Lasts. It has a lot of things that would be applicable to you and it goes in to depth on why low carbohydrate diets appear to work so well.

I'm also switching from low carb to WW. I've done Atkins and WW before. I lose faster on Atkins but I stick on plan better with WW so back to WW it is. I've been on WW for a week and lost a pound.

same , i to have been doing atkins and switched to WW.
I lost 3lb doing it in first week, i do think its an effective diet but you need to be commited.
After about 4 days i was running out of ideas on how to make all this fatty food i was consuming tasty and nutritional. I started getting the "induction Flu" headaches aches and pains etc. which was a good thing as it was a sign i was doing it properly.
However i couldnt shake the way all the rich food was making me feel, i felt like my insides were rotten didnt feel healthy at all.
and above that i started to miss my carbs.
Its a good diet if you want quick results but i chose to do WW as i like the freedom it gives you and its realistic to my life style. When im restricted i fall off the wagon.

Hope your finding ww good , and good luck x