Atkins diet - anybody on it?!
Question: I am thinking of trying the Atkins diet, not for long term just to lose about 2/3 stone but I have heard and read that you can get dizzy, nauseous and feel pretty c-rappy.
Is there anybody actually on Atkins diet at the moment, and if so could you tell me how your finding it.
Also is it more expensive than buying "Normal" food.
Thanks for your time, ooohhhh I can foresee somebody getting 10 points! Wow excited? I'm not.... ;-)
Answers: I am thinking of trying the Atkins diet, not for long term just to lose about 2/3 stone but I have heard and read that you can get dizzy, nauseous and feel pretty c-rappy.
Is there anybody actually on Atkins diet at the moment, and if so could you tell me how your finding it.
Also is it more expensive than buying "Normal" food.
Thanks for your time, ooohhhh I can foresee somebody getting 10 points! Wow excited? I'm not.... ;-)
I'm curious what "Atkins" diet you are referring to when you talk about normal food! LOL On Atkins you only eat grocery store food if you are doing it right. I did Atkins for about 7 months and lost about 85 pounds. If you do it RIGHT you do not have any of the problems you listed because you are eating incredibly healthy. The first two weeks are hard as you are eating primarily meat with a smaller amount of select vegetables. After the first two weeks you add in more vegetables and other healthy things and do that for a long time. Eventually you add things like nuts, berries, etc...
You drink lots of water...NO soda, NO caffeine products...NO fruits (they have natural sugars) and NO carbohydrate heavy things like breads and pasta. This still leaves an amazing variety of meat, cheese, and vegetable foods you can use.
The "special" or "not normal" things you are referring to are something that should be used in moderation and as a treat or when nothing else is available...like Atkins nutritional bars or something.
The downside to the Atkins diet is that you cannot cheat...not even once...otherwise you need to get back to induction (the two week thing) to get your body back into ketosis. Its easier to just not cheat than to keep doing that.
It definitely works...I haven't been on the diet for many years now and I've only gained back a little bit of the weight I lost...but...I do know if you go on it for only a short time and then go off it...the weight will come back VERY quickly. So if you are going to do it...remember, its for the long haul, not just for some quick weight loss for a wedding or high school reunion kind of thing.
EDIT: With regards to the above posters comments about constipation and such...if you drink plenty of water like you are supposed to, you will not get constipated. Also, you need to remember that when you eat proteins, your body absorbs almost all the material you eat, so you won't crap as often as you do now...and in smaller amounts. This is normal and okay. You can actually see the ignorance to what the diet is in some of the posts. For example the person who said "how healthy can it be if you are only eating meat" - by the time I was in the middle of phase 2 I was only eating about 6-8oz of meat a day and lots of vegetables...I was still in ketosis because I picked the lowest carb vegetables and I felt great. I also never experienced mood swings except in the positive direction...every week when I got on the scale and lost several more pounds I became happier and happier. I could even show you before and after pictures!
no and i think u should just be yourself u don have to use it
I know some folks who have done the atkins successfully to lose weight, but realistically how healthy can it be for your body to only be consuming protein/meat. Sounds like a recipe for heart problems to me. Good luck.
I tried the Atkins diet and actually gained 20 pounds, my husband however lost 25 pounds. I have the wrong metabolism for the diet. Give it a try, it is a good diet, just not in excess.
If you follow the instructions yu will be fine - problems arise when people modify the diet and miss bits out. Basically you will be eating protein and low carb vegetables so it is normal food.
I did the Atkins thing for about 6 months ... I did lose some weight, but as soon as I started eating things other than meats and cheeses I would gain it back. Also, on a high protein, low carb diet it does tend to be more expensive because you are eating the pricier foods (i.e. lots and lots of meat).
Even if you choose to do the Atkins diet, sign up for a FREE nutrition tracker at sparkpeople.com. That way you can enter your goals, and learn more about a balanced eating style for when you go off the Atkins. They also have a great support community including people who choose the Atkins diet.
I tried the Atkins diet. I lost 10 lbs but it came right back. The only side effect I had was constipation. I have had better luck on The South Beach diet. The science of the Atkins diet is to eliminate all carbs. This is very hard to do. The science of South BEach is to reduce intake on the glycemic index. It's a little easier. Ultimately I think you should try to find a diet that you can do long term. South Beach seems to be easier than Atkins. Long term weight loss is achieved through a behavior change, not a particular diet.
I personally dont like any diet that excludes other food groups. But if you have to, be prepared for all the ketosis signs. Just dont come close to me with those mood swings. It really makes you unlovable.
this diet is only healthy for diabetic people. if you are not diabetic think about another diet
I think Atkins is a great diet, but it is especially awesome if you want to loose weight really fast - ketosis really drops the pounds in a hurry.
I have gone through the process twice (only about 15 lbs over healthy weight so no reason to stay permanently) and neither time have I experienced anything like you're describing. I suppose different people have different reactions to things, I have not heard of anyone being nauseous or dizzy. I guess if you do not understand the diet, and think the solution is to stuff your face with bacon - yeah, you'd get nauseous.
As for the price, Atkins diet is generally CHEAPER than eating normally, again, if you understand what to do. Here is why:
- first, you do not need to buy certain foods at all
- second, you eat foods that fill you up and stay with you, so instead of buying two loafs of white bread which doesn't help you stay full for a long time, you eat one steak - helps you loose weight and keeps you full
Hope this helps.
People often feel crappy during the first week or so, as their body is going through sugar withdrawal (and caffeine withdrawal too, if you give it up as suggested), and adjusting to the new way of eating.
It is intended to be a permanent lifestyle change, NOT a temporary weight-loss diet.
Personally, I love it. I feel better, I've lost weight, and I'm healthier. I'm eating better quality food than ever before.
If you eat lots of processed foods now, then Atkins will probably be cheaper because you should mostly be making your own food and avoiding processed crap. If you already cook and your diet is high in stuff like rice, pasta and bread, then Atkins may be more expensive since, let's face it, you can eat pretty cheap on rice and pasta. If your version of doing Atkins includes buying a lot of fake "low-carb" substitutes for the things you like to eat, then it can get pretty pricey.
Your best bet is to read the book (you can pick up a used copy pretty cheaply), so you know how it works and how to do it right, then decide for yourself if this is something you could make a lifestyle out of.