Hi everyone! I've just stepped into your little Atkins corner of 3FC, and plan to do some reading/roaming around later tonight. In the meantime though, I hope you don't mind me posting a bit of a question.

Back in 2003 I began my first ever weight loss attempt by doing Atkins with my Mother-in-law. I was 24 years old, overweight my entire life, and my in-laws provided most, if not all, of the very expensive meats to go along with the diet.

It was really, really easy. I had the usual 'first couple of days i craved carbs' stuff happen, but even that was fairly easy to overcome. i didn't include any sort of exercise, but was strict about following Atkins. I lost 50 pounds in 3 months, and continued to lose through the spring/summer.

in mid-2004 i discovered I was 20 weeks pregnant! At that time they said I had gestational diabetes (although the midwife wasn't convinced, she said I had the prettiest blood sugar chart she'd ever seen which led her to believe I must have had an off day/been borderline when they tested me.) Either way, I agreed to follow a diabetic diet and incorporated more carbs into my daily diet.

I continued to lose weight (Dr approved, healthily) through my pregnancy and at the end of November 2004 I gave birth to my healthy, 8 pound son. By this point I had lost just shy of 100 pounds. For the next 8 months I was careful, but did not have the same in-law support and while I did manage to lose a bit more weight, I plateaued and was unable to return to a real Atkins diet.

I was very careful, but over the past 5 years I have suffered 4 miscarriages, and gained a large amount of my weight back after each setback. I am now within a few pounds of my original weight from 2003.


What I would like to know, is, has anyone done Atkins, been mostly successful, gained it back, and returned to Atkins again? Are there new things I need to know about Atkins, things that have changed since 2003? Does anyone have any tips, thoughts or suggestions?

I have committed to weightloss, and to model a healthy lifestyle for my son. I need to be happy with myself, I need to get rid of these other co-morbidities that embarrass me, and are causing me damage. And I desperately want to be able to have more children. All of this requires significant weight loss. I just don't have a firm plan anymore, and I find it SO MUCH more difficult this time around!

Hi there!

I am three weeks into a re-start. Regained what I lost last time and then some (I had some health problems that contributed as well).

Week 1 went well. Lost as expected.
Week 2 was awful. Lost nothing.
Week 3 is going well. Losing about 1 pound a day. Had to tweak what I was doing but it is working.

Good luck! I'm here if you ever want to chat/vent.

The best advice I can give you is to read the entire book (Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution 2002 or prior versions) BEFORE attempting to do this plan so you understand exactly how & why it works.
As far as whether or not it will work as well for you a 2nd time, I am sorry I really can't comment on that (I have been on Atkins 10+ years)....you are young and I believe if you follow it as it was written, you will see results
Please feel free to post any other questions.
You CAN do this!!
All the best to you!!

Hi - I'm a second time around on Atkins and it works but slower the second time around. First time I lost 50 pounds from January to May - this time was much slower and 20 months in I'm hovering above goal....that being said I am also maintaining the loss this time and need to refocus to lose the last pounds. Maintaining is the continuous work after the work of losing!! One step at a time - one meal at a time!! As for new things....don't believe all the bars, shakes, snacks, etc - that stuff made me stall...greatest success is whole fresh foods for me!!

Best wishes for an on-plan day!!

Read the New Atkins book from last December. It's much easier to follow and this is the third time for me and I'm losing about like I did the other 2 times and that is no mean feat from someone in her 70s. I've lost 28 pounds in 4 months.

Since Dr. Atkins passed away, you have no way of know in what direction he would have gone since he made changes to his plan during his lifetime. If these products help a person stay with low carb instead of giving up, they are useful. I've used them and still had good results.

You are really not an authority on Atkins but you sound like you know it all.

Hello. Congratulations on your great success. Did you use the bars in a pinch during induction? I think people have to use their heads and not overdo. Do you have tips to share with those of us just starting out? I was just on the Ideal Protien Diet and moved over to Atkins a week ago. Lost 28 pounds on the other diet but all their soy products hurt my thyrpid...not pnly that it was only 800 calories a day, low carb and low fat. It was not easy and so very expensice. My Atkins book is from 2002, I am no stranger to Atkins but I have to admit this time around I am following very closely. I am feeling quite well. My Dr called today and upping my thyroid med....she said my numbers are terrble. Hopefully she find me in a better spot next rime around.

Thank you for helping those of us who have a ways to go. I have 20 or 30 more to lose.

Hello there, Ashley here

thank you for explaining your situation.

i would like to give you some advice in a few tips.my first tip would be you need to write down exactly what you want to achieve and by what time frame you want to achieve them by. This is called goal setting. This will help you create a plan of action.without a solid plan in place you will fail.

you need to make sure that the goals that you write down are realistic manageable and measurable. This is very important. Many people make the mistake i'm trying to achieve a specific weight management but their lifestyle and situation will always be the problem. You have to work with what you have got at the moment. That includes things like your genetics and metabolism.

in regards to diets i would advise that you do not follow any specific diet. Most people look for diet plans as a solution to weight loss ,hoping that this will provide a cure for them to lose weight and be happy. The reality is quite the opposite most people gain more weight as a result of dieting. Therefore i would advise not to go back on a diet or try a new diet out.

a good thing would be to learn about nutrition and healthy eating. You also need to learn how to exercise correctly build muscle and burn excess calories. I would be more than happy to give you some tips and advice for this. Please hit me up if you'd like some advice. I hope this helps regards ashley