Your Atkins stories appreciated!

[Habibi]

If anyone is doing the Atkins diet, I would love to hear from you. My BF and I are thinking of doing it at the end of the month (when the sweet corn is over!). I've heard only good stuff about its efficacy--anyone care to share their experiences? Does it work for you? What was the hardest part about induction? Have you been able to maintain your weight loss? Do you get bored with the fare?

(If I don't reply right away, it's because we're due at a friend's house shortly, but I'll check in later.)

Muchas gracias!

[jonnyblitz]

1. It worked for me but all i had were love handles to lose

And I went off it, went vegetarian (I have since lapsed on that one) and have never gained back the weight!! I was lazy on it though. I ate the same 5 allowed items over and over and over and never went thru the gradual adding of carbs phase because I was too lazy to keep count of them. I had to take pysillium husk type products so I could have a bowel movement because there was no fiber in my diet. I got tired of all that heavy food, but it worked.

I know others who had much more to lose and it worked for them , every one of them, if they stuck to it.

[Habibi]

2. Yeah, I've heard

from folks whose weight loss was amazing just during the induction phase, but I don't know any long-termers. My biggest hurdle is going to be giving up wine. Ack!

[populistmom]

5. You don't have to give up wine

Just for induction. 4 carbs a serving!
You can make low carb mixers too. Vodka and ice tea, rum with diet cola. The hard stuff has no carbs, plus Michelob ultra light is 2.6 carbs (a little watery, but I heard more brands are coming with this).
I've been going 8 months. I lost 25 pounds in the first three months, then just a half pound a week after, but I can live with this. I do though go off one wekend a month, then go back to induction for a couple days and gradually build up again.
Also, my cholesterol dropped 80 points!

[jonnyblitz]

7. Exactly. giving yourself a "treat" weekend is good.

My problem was that I was lazy and didn't add a variety to what I ate. Because of that I got tired of the diet. Fortunately when I went off it I never gained the weight back to any extent. I just dont pig out or eat sweets much.

[Habibi]

10. Heh. Well, I drink vast quantities of wine

so maybe after induction one glass will seem like plenty.

I like the idea of a "treat weekend." Makes the whole thing sound much more manageable.

[MercutioATC]

17. You'll learn to tolerate vodka and diet Dr. Pepper.

Diet Dr. Pepper seems to be the closest to the real thing...

And after induction, wine is fine. Just budget it in.

[Habibi]

18. Wow.

Is there something a tad more palatable than diet Dr. Pepper that one could substitute?

[lazarus]

22. I recommend

trying either Hansen's diet or Diet Rite. They use Splenda, which to me tastes better than nutrasweet.

[morningglory]

13. Female over 50 here...

After a month on the diet, I could have eaten a table leg. Gained all the weight back, plus some. My cholesterol skyrocketed. My blood pressure went down to lizard measurements. Could not poop.

[Habibi]

19. Thanks for the candid reply!

I need to hear it from all sides.

[Dogmudgeon]

26. Rare and Scary

You're not the first person I heard who had that reaction, though. Hypothyroidism and/or Hashimoto's Syndrome are said to be often involved. Low-carb dieting aside, have you had a thyroid test?

Good luck!

--bkl

[KG]

3. lost 30lbs

it wasn't as horrible as some make it out to be, but even plenty of execise wasn't holding my waistline back anymore, so i gave it a try and showed results right away.

[Habibi]

9. That's what's driving me to it, too

I've been exercising vigorously, regularly, for some time now and I'm just not seeing results. I plan to keep that up as well, but it just isn't doing the trick by itself.

[stopbush]

4. Worked for me, but

1. Induction - is very difficult. You'll crave carbs like crazy. But if you REALLY do it, it's fantastic

2. Drinks lots of water - gallons of the stuff.

3. The heavy protein thing gets boring rather quickly, so you have to

4. Add the carbs back in AS THE DIET PRESCRIBES and move on to

5. Long term maintenance. This is the truly difficult part because you will have lost significant weight and reason that it's now OK to cheat "just a lttle". Big mistake made by probably 70% of people who try Atkins. They gain much of the weight back and decide the diet's a failure, even though THEY are the ones who failed to actually follow the diet. Atkins is much more than just the first two weeks of carb deprivation and quick weight loss.

Good luck.

BTW - I lost 25 lbs and have kept it off for 18 months, but I also exercise daily. I have added carbs back, but I now take notice of almost every carb I'm consumming. That gets a bit obsessive, but I feel better than I have in years. I guess we all pay a price somewhere.

I consider myself as following a "modified" Atkins. Big thing is avoiding processed foods, but that should be anybody's rule of thumb.

[Habibi]

11. Thanks

I've been experimenting with reducing my carb intake for some time now, so that part won't be too onerous, I don't think. However, in addition to being a wino, I also chew copious amounts of nicotine gum, which I'll also have to give up. Yaaahh!

If I could afford liposuction, I'd do that instead. :D

[lazarus]

6. hardest part

for me was kicking the caffeine addiction. Once I got past that, it was smooth sailing.

oh, for a couple of days you feel bad, sort of tired, but then the energy level really increases.

There's no reason to get tired of the fare, because there are a lot of options out there. Pick up a low-carb cookbook. And get creative. :-)

I wasn't able to maintain the weight loss, but I had a weird excuse. I suddenly got custody of my 11 year old daughter, who constantly brings candy and cereal and stuff into the house, and I really have no self-control. I'm starting the diet again this weekend, however. Just be a little harder, having carbs in the house.

Oh, and I lost 60 pounds in about 2 1/2 months the first time. :)

[MojoKrunch]

8. Hey Laz... look for Carb-wise and De-Lite bars

Wal-Mart has them cheapest.
They're great for the sweet craving, only 2 or 3 carbs per bar and yummy.

I also use Splenda for my lemonade... 0 carbs, 0 calories.

Mojo

[lazarus]

12. yup

also enjoy candies by Carb-O-Lite. And Splenda is great, since I'm allergic to Nutrasweet.

Did you know that V-8 Splash Diet is made with Splenda? Yummie. So is Diet Rite and Hansen's Diet sodas.

[Gore1FL]

29. I never gave up caffine

I work nights and drink about 64 oz a coffee a shift.

[MojoKrunch]

14. Wonderful!

18 weeks and I'm down 60lbs.
I'd probably lose it quicker if I exercised, but I had foot/ankle/knee issues from the weight and I don't want to risk anything until I'm a little lighter.

My girlfriend started it at about the same time and she's lost about 45lbs. Down to a size 10.

Make sure you read the book all the way through.
He covers almost every issue you will have with the diet.
*Take the vitamins*!
www.vitacost.com is the cheapest source I've found so far and they have a flat shipping rate so buy a bunch the first time.
Diet Basic 3:
http://www.vitacost.com/store/products/productdescription.cfm?SKUNumber=637480205580&searchby=PN&SearchText=atkins,%203
Essential Oils:
http://www.vitacost.com/store/products/productdescription.cfm?SKUNumber=637480224161&searchby=PN&SearchText=atkins,%203
Accel: http://www.vitacost.com/Store/Products/ProductDescription.cfm?SKUNumber=637480200325&searchby=PN&SearchText=atkins%20accel

As I indicated to Laz, for any sweet cravings, try Splenda as a sugar substitute(don't be put off by the weight of the box, the stuff is fluffy).
Each large box holds about 5 cups worth.
And try the Carblite Pure Delight chocolate bars and Carb-wise bars at Wal-Mart.

Carbwise bars: http://www.carbwiselowcarb.com/
P-nut butter & chocolate and S'mores... mmmm.

Also, if you *must* have bread(and not that crap made from soy flour or the Atkins flour) they make "low carb" bread now... only 7 carbs per slice.

You *will* get constipated, so invest in your favorite laxative.

The first 2 or 3 days without sugar/caffiene/carbs can be iffy, so maybe start on a Friday.

To save time, I cook lots of meat all at once.
(I look for marked-down meats and buy bunches)
I'll cook 10 pork chops or 4 lbs of chicken and eat on that for a few days at work.

Watch your sodium/nitrates intake.
It is easy to take in too much if you like bacon/sausages/ham.

//Does it work for you?//
Emphatically, yes!
I'm at the point now where it is mostly a calorie and not a carb thing.
I once read some nutritionist call the Atkins diet a "low calorie diet in disguise" and she was right... the difference is that with a typical low calorie diet you stay hungry.

Surprisingly enough, I've never really gone into the whole "ketosis" thing... and those ketosticks ain't cheap.

//What was the hardest part about induction?//
Finding our way around what we could and couldn't eat.
I found the Atkins recipes pretty much useless.

Be *very* meticulous about your carb counting right off the bat.
That way you'll be better at guesstimating later on.

//Have you been able to maintain your weight loss?//
I'm hopeful... mostly because now I know just what my problem was.
Too many carbs and too many empty calories in my diet, otherwise I ate pretty healthy.
Just getting rid of the 20-year Coca-cola addiction was plenty. lol

Once I get into an exercise routine, I don't really see much difficulty with maintaining.
I ate plenty of veggies before this diet, I'll just not eat so much pasta and stay the hell away from sodas/sugar.

(You wanna have some real fun, read Fast Food Nation before you start)

//Do you get bored with the fare?//
Yes and no.
I like my cooking, so that helps.

I've eaten more bacon and pork products this year than I've probably ever eaten in my entire life. lol
I'm just thankful there are no nasty protein shakes or slimy breakfast bars involved.
It is just *meat* and we all like *meat*, right?
:D

What we found was that there were things we liked and things we just couldn't do without.
The girlfriends coffee, for instance.
Or my love of popcorn.

The great things about this diet, for me, is that I am never *really* hungry.
I've got *plenty* of energy now... no more sugar/insulin roller coaster.
And because I feel *in control* of my appetite/hunger and not controlled by it so I feel much better in general.

A few comments to complaints I've read/heard about the diet.
You *must* take the vitamins... if you have no energy, this is probably why.
If you have *any* medical issues or take medicines, check with your doctor first.
If you are not ready to give up bread/rice&gravy(I'm from the deep south)/fried chicken/INSERT FAVORITE CARB-HEAVY FOOD HERE, then don't bother with this diet.
You're not ready.

If you are not tired of being heavier than you are... don't bother with the diet.
You're not ready.

IMO, the Atkins diet is meant for people like me... who never felt in control of their appetites or who are obese.
(I was 305/310 this past Christmas, the heaviest I've *ever* been and about 285 when I started Atkins 18 weeks ago... I'm shooting for 185.)

It isn't really for people looking to loose 20 lbs.
(heck, just start exercising, stop eating bread and fast food and stop drinking sodas)

Good luck with everything.

Mojo

[Habibi]

21. Thanks for the *great* advice!

I'll save it to refer to when I'm about to begin. This constipation thread (er, meme?) is interesting, and one I hadn't really thought about. Does Atkins address it in New Diet? Because, well, that's never been a problem for me, so I have no idea what my favorite laxative is!

[MojoKrunch]

34. Any time

//This constipation thread (er, meme?) is interesting, and one I hadn't really thought about.//
I'm pretty sure it is common to any high protein diet.

//Does Atkins address it in New Diet?//
Oh yes.

//Because, well, that's never been a problem for me, so I have no idea what my favorite laxative is!//
Oh me either!
Matter of fact, quite the opposite... but I soon learned the meaning of "plugged up". lol
I use good old Ex-Lax, but some folks find it too... "harsh"... there are easier alternatives out there.. benefil, for intance.

Mojo.

[Palacsinta]

15. Lost 25 lbs

I've kept it off for 10 months. It worked very well for me. Hardest part of induction was constipation.........I took a tablespoon of mineral oil now and then....I still lo-carb, but I treat myself a couple of times a week. I walk and "doga"..........a kind of dancing yoga that I made up, for exercise. BTW, all the exercise I did prior to Atkins didn't shift a pound until I cut out the carbs.

[MercutioATC]

16. It worked great for me.

I'm 35, 5'8", and when I quit smoking 3 years ago I went from 155# to about 180#.

10 weeks on Atkins and I was at my target weight of 155#. I thought I might feel better at 150#, so I did another week and a half and lost the last 5#.

4 months later, I was still ranging between 150-155. I decided to see what would happen if I went back to eating tons of carbs and drinking Coke. It took about 3 weeks, but I went up to 160. Since I told myself if I ever went back to 160, I'd go back on induction until I hit 150, I did it (well, sort of...I'm still drinking alcohol and only cut back to 30 or so carb grams per day instead of induction's 20 grams). After 1 week, I've lost 4 pounds.

I want to stress that all this is without exercising (I walk at work sometimes, but only when I feel like it). Atkins works great for me!

(on edit)

My bad cholesterol went way down and good cholesterol went to 90-something (I don't have the exact numbers handy). My doctor was impressed.

[scarlet_owl]

20. You know....

I thought about going on the Atkins Diet because my dad lost 35 pounds. I'm 22, 5'6" and 200 lbs. -so I could stand to lose some weight. It was the death of Dr. Atkins that made me realize that life is short, and you could eat all the best things and be skinny and beautiful, but you could slip and die tomorrow. I have decided to just cut out lots of the junk foods and eat more fruits and vegetables. I don't think I could live without my weekly ice cream. I really admire those who can stick to this diet, though. Good Luck!

[Castilleja]

27. Scarlet, I think like your diet better...

In my opinion, easier to follow. I like meat, but I don't even WANT to eat as much of it as is suggested by Atkins or similar. I know it works for many, but it is not for me. Maybe I could cut out some of the junk, and processed carbs, eat more veggies, no Dr. Pepper? Sounds much more doable.

[MojoKrunch]

35. If nothing else...

Cut out the empty calories... the high fructose corn syrup, the soda pop, the fast food.
My *goal* is a balanced diet.
Atkins is just a tool to get to that goal.
Once I reach my goal weight of 185 I will eat desserts and pasta and cake.
I just won't be eating it in the quantities or frequencies I did in the past.

Right now, when I jones for some food or the other, I just remind myself that I've eaten *tons* of it already(pizza, beer, ice cream, blackberry cobbler, etc.) and that going without it for a year won't kill me.

I'll be eating pizza next year... I just won't be eating half of the pizza like I did before.

//I like meat, but I don't even WANT to eat as much of it as is suggested by Atkins or similar.//
Eh... there's always fish and chicken.
I try to stay away from the cheaper/tougher cuts of beef and I still don't eat much ground meat.

Mojo

[haele]

37. There are some ice-creams out there that are being made low-carb

they're either made with real cream or made with soy, but both types fall within the low carb guidelines. Many are also low-fat, for those who have a problem with excessive milk fats and high blood pressure.

In San Diego, we have a store called "Sweet and Sugar-Free" that carries soy-based icecream they make there in various seasonal flavors - sort of like frozen yogurt or gelato - but it's just as tasty as most frozen yougurts or soft-serve you can get at fair or mall kiosks. No aftertaste at all - which is the downside of most sugar-free items.
They also carry low-carb pastas, sauces, syrups (for italian sodas, etc) and bread-type food mixes.
You can also occasionally find low-sugar/low carb at various health stores.

As for regular stores, Breyers makes a decent line of sugar-free/low fat ice cream with Nutra-sweet (sorry Laz, honey) that you can get most supermarkets on the west coast.

A little side note - the military has a "low carb/low fat" diet guideline for medical issues concerning high choleseteral (!), diabetics, and overweight service members that is similar to Atkins since the late 1950's, according to the HM1 & C coursebook I did back in the early 1980's.
What a lot of people don't realise is that high protien/low carb does not automatically mean high fat.
The miltary recognized early on that if a military service member is not involved in a lot of heavy-duty energy-sapping work that requires more carbs for quick fuel - say, in bootcamp or in combat training, drop the carbs in the diet. The prime indicator to the military was the prevelance of all the overweight senior enlisted and officers, who never changed their eating habits once they left "the field" after WWII and Korea, when more and more people were seeing that the military could be a profession, rather than a service they left and went back to family and farm after doing their patriotic duty.

The tough part is dropping the caffine levels most military service members live on, which has a tendancy to make a normal person's body crave sugars.

It doesn't have to be radical - most people can lose that "20 lb spare tire" just by cutting out the sugared sodas and other processed fast foods, and eat a more balanced low carb diet if they can't excercise any more than they already are.
From what I can see, strictly following the Atkins diet plan tends to be best for borderline diabetics and those who are seriously overwieght.

Haele -

Been there, done that, and was advised to go on a low carb diet by the command once I started inching up "the body fat" chart back in the mid 1990's.

[GregW]

23. It disgusts me ...

I work with a guy on Atkins. He has disgusting ketosis bad breath. It's so bad that I have to open my office door as the stench fills my office. He talks and talk and talks, burps and burps and burps.

[Habibi]

24. Golly!

Constipation and bad breath! Maybe I need to rethink this?

[lazarus]

31. it's not that bad

Use a breath mint. Take some fiber. You'll be fine.

FWIW, the constipation never actually affected me. Just make sure you have plenty of fiber in your diet, which shouldn't be an issue, and eat the occasional breath mint. Don't know about the burping, never heard of that.

[Dogmudgeon]

25. Fifty down, 50 to go

I'm on a lower-carb version than Atkins recommended, though; my body is too efficient at converting protein into glucose, a process called gluconeogenesis. So I'll be on Atkins' "Induction" level for much of the rest of my life. However, my blood sugar is normal, my blood lipids have improved dramatically, and a whole lot of other nagging problems are gone.

Those "nagging problems" had gotten so bad that I actually started eating low-carb without being concerned about losing weight at the time. I was developing obesity-related dyspnea (breathing difficulty and the sensation of suffocating) at 285 pounds, which is a fairly low weight at which to develop it -- it usually kicks in around 350 or 400.

I almost never get cravings, and on those rare occasions that I do, they last all of five minutes. That's brief enough a time for me to distract myself.

The only difficult thing about low-carb eating is that the cuisine is restricted. But with the development of low-carb pastas and confections, that will be changing.

--bkl

PS- Remember to take heed of Dr. Atkins' Final Warning: Be careful on icy surfaces!

[Gore1FL]

28. I lost 45 lbs

I lived on bacon,eggs, cheesecake, beefstick, and steak.

Handy Cheesecake Recipe:

2 8 oz Phillie cream cheese (the real stuff, not the reduced or no fat)
1 16 oz tub of sour creme
3 eggs
3 TBLspoons of Vanilla
3/4 cup of Splenda sugar substitute

beat together and cook at 350 degrees for approx 1/2 hour (usually more when i make it)

You can make a low-carb crust for it -- just take a regular pie crust recipe, and substitute Splenda for sugar and Flax seed meal for flour.

[Gore1FL]

30. Another thing: Fiber Fiber Fiber!

Get the low carb metamucel (or variation) and take calcium (ie tums will work)

Because fiber carbs don't count, make sure you get a bunch. I lost more weight when I had a lot of fiber in my diet.

I also found an occassional (once a month) Krispy Kreme "festival" would get me through plateaus (it would appear that a carb spike cranks up the metabolism, or something).

[LosinIt]

32. Have you looked into the South Beach Diet

Similar to Atkins the first two weeks, then adds in whole grain products, etc. Seems a bit healthier in concept to me. You might want to check it out.

[Habibi]

33. I will read up on that, too.

Thanks, everyone!

[Kathy in Cambridge]

36. I've lost 25 lbs. in two months-and I am on Thyroid medicine too

I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism two years ago. I had always been slim and all of the sudden gained 40 lbs in a little over a year. I was traveling a lot for work and eating incorrectly, which exacerbated the weight gain. I have about 15-20 lbs to go and I feel great. I am back to drinking coffee, though not as much as when I was overweight.

Induction is difficult, and I went through aches and pains for the first few days. I suggest taking vitamins so that you don't cheat yourself of vital nutrients. I kind of found out that I have an intolerance to wheat because when I go off the diet and eat pizza, pasta, or bread, I feel gross! My sister has celiace disease, and gluten intolerance often runs in families.

I keep my carbs to under 30 per day. Our diet before was a lot of pasta, pizza and takeout, and now it's primarily protein and vegetables. I make a KILLER chicken parm (without bread crumbs) and have found a brand of *decent* low-carb pasta (it doesn't taste like cardboard).

If you would like any of my low-carb recipes, feel free to PM me.

[zelda7743]

38. I lasted 4 days on induction

I was nauseuous and weak the whole time. I'm an avid exerciser, so giving up both the foods that I love (fruit, whole grains) as well as giving up my hiking, biking lifestyle was too much.
I got to the point where I was gagging on the chicken I was trying to eat. I couldn't stand the wretched taste in my mouth.
So, what I did was take some of the low carb principles and apply them to my regular diet. I buy the low carb bread products, like tortillas and bagels, but I still eat fruit in generous amounts. I only eat 100% bran or oatmeal if I'm going to have cereal.
The best thing to do is eat a balanced diet and cut out all the crap. Just my two cents.
:)

[Lydia Leftcoast]

39. Induction wasn't hard for me

but once I was allowed to add carbs back in, it was hard to stop.

Constipation wasn't a problem either, because there are high-fiber veggies, such as celery and cauliflower, that are allowed even in induction. The bad breath occurs if you don't drink enough water.

Through trial and error, I find that I'm happier and healthier and can maintain my weight when I limit carbs, Atkins or no Atkins.

I never feel sick after eating a lot of protein, but eating a lot of carbs will make me feel vaguely yucky.

You'll get people on one side swearing by Atkins and others swearing by veganism. I'm convinced that this is a highly individual thing. We're all different, and it's known, for example, that East Asians are far more likely than northern Europeans to be lactose intolerant. There could also be some individual differences in carbohydrate metabolism that we're not really aware of.

[Habibi]

40. Yes, I think so, too.

That it's an individual thing. And I also have had the experience of feeling fine after pigging out on protein but feeling like absolute crap after a plateful of pasta or rice.

Say, how do you like living in MN again? My BF and I visited this past summer: first time I've been back since moving from there 3 years ago. I don't miss the traffic and sprawl, but I do miss the cultural life and the sunshine.