The Atkins Diet

[Wile E. Coyote]

I know there has already been a lot of discussion about this in other threads, but I just wanted to relate my personal experience and perhaps get some other personal accounts.

I have been on the diet for two weeks now and here are a couple of the things I have noticed:

1. I have perhaps 1/2 the appetite that I used to.
2. I no longer feel drowsy after meals.
3. When I am hungry, it is because my stomach says so, not because my blood-suger levels are so low that I am tired and irritable.
4. I feel I have more energy overall. In fact, I have been able to stay up later at night because I am not getting tired so quickly.
5. I sleep incredibly well, seldom waking up in the middle of the night.

Now, I have been excercising every week-day for the past 7 months and I was able to drop about 20 pounds, but it leveled off at an unacceptable level since about a month ago and I decided that my diet was to blame.

I broke that barrier in the first few weeks with this diet.

Of course, I'm not saying this is the end-all diet for everyone; after all, it may turn out to not work after all. However, I have to admit, after having been very skeptical at first, that the effects of this diet are noticeable and positive.

I have read and been reading many articles from both sides of the diet debate and have determined that maybe this one quack was actually right. My wife lost 15 pounds on Weight Watchers, starving herself and generally feeling irritable all the time. She later discovered that she had not gone down in size at all; she had burned only muscle mass. Lately her face has become slimmer, among other improvements.

I know a lot of people are critical of this diet, but I think it has been presented very poorly by the Atkins people. It wasn't until I witnessed several friends doing well on this diet and being happy with the lifestyle that I began to take an interest.

I would like to hear some criticism or affirmation of my experience. Perhaps I can address some of them with information I have found around the Internet, both from Atkins and non-Atkins communities.

 

[Genghis Pwn]

Give us examples of your current diet, so we can see how it works.

 

[Skeptical Greg]

I know a lot of people are critical of this diet, but I think it has been presented very poorly by the Atkins people. It wasn't until I witnessed several friends doing well on this diet and being happy with the lifestyle that I began to take an interest.

From where do you get your guidelines.?

A particular book?

 

[Wile E. Coyote]

For the first two weeks I have to stay below 20 gms of carbs per day. So ...

Breakfast :
Eggs, any way I like them. (usually 2) No milk.
Some kind of meat (bacon, sausage, ham, etc.)

Lunch:
Tuna fish without the bread.
A cheese stick.
Pork rinds.

Dinner: (for example, tonight)
Cornish hen.
French onion soup.
Broccoli.

I have to admit I was pretty sick of eggs after the first few days, but I got over that. The diet is more complicated than most people think and I have heard of a few people who go on it by word of mouth instead of by reading the book. They tend to fail when they see some of the symptons as proof that it is not working.

For example, having headaches, fatigue, and dizziness at first can lead people to believe that the diet is not for them, when in reality they are suffering from sugar/carbohydrate addiction withdrawal symptoms. Toughing it out will reduce the desire for sweets. It has for me.

 

[Wile E. Coyote]

From where do you get your guidelines..

A particular book?

Dr. Atkin's "New Diet Revolution" has all of the rules for the diet and what you will experience.

I try to back up what I see in there from non-affiliated sources, such as low-carb diet websites. I realize that this is not getting the full spectrum of views, but the low-fat/high-carb pushers are, of course, going to blast the diet.

Everyone is trying to sell something.

 

[apoger]

My Atkins experience:

Have been overweight most of my life.
Have tried every diet to no avail.
Tried Atkins, lost 100 pounds. Felt great. Lower blood pressure. Lower cholesterol. Able to stop eating when full (like a normal human).

About a year ago while stressed out I started eating carbs again and it got out of hand. I put back almost all the weight, and I felt like in idiot. About two months ago I got back on Atkins. Feel better again as the weight is dripping off.

I have seen many try Atkins. It works for some and not others. Some for whom it works for can't tolerate the lifestyle change.

What I can state is that a low carb lifestyle seems to be a healthy balance for my particular body. It's possible that it may work for others, but also possible that it won't.

My suggestion is to try diets until you find one that works, and one that you can tolerate. Stick with that one, discard the failures.

 

[kookbreaker]

I try to back up what I see in there from non-affiliated sources, such as low-carb diet websites. I realize that this is not getting the full spectrum of views, but the low-fat/high-carb pushers are, of course, going to blast the diet.

I will point out that you don't actually seem to be eating a whole lot of calories. Not that that is a bad thing, just a major factor in amny Atkin's diet success stories is a hidden fact that apparently many Atkins advocates actually consume about 1,400 calories per day.

Stepehn Barrett notes this :

Another study was done by researchers at the Bassett Research Institute in Cooperstown, New York, who followed 18 Atkins dieters for a month. During the 2-week induction period, the dieters consumed 1,419 calories a day, compared with 2,481 calories a day before starting the diet, and lost an average of about 8 pounds. In the next phase, dieters averaged 1,500 calories a day and lost an additional 3 pounds in two weeks. Dieters in both phases cut back on carbohydrates by more than 90%, but the actual amounts of fat and protein they ate changed little. [5].

Thing is, Atkins diet is sold as a "this is the way we were meant to eat" bit. The idea that Carbs are somehow foriegn to our body and diet is absurd.

Barrett also points out there is a lack of long term documented succes in the Atkin's diet.

 

[Hazelip]

Removing nearly an entire food group is asinine.

If you plateau, change your routine. Reduce your overall caloric intake. Increase your fruits and vegetables. Take the stairs at work. Run longer, harder, or just plain do something different.

Lift weights and gain muscle mass. While the muscle weighs more, it actually uses fuel (read: food in your stomach and fat stores) overnight as your muscles repair. A lean, trim and fit 300 pounds is a hell of a lot better than a couch potato 300 pounds.

Don't be an idiot.

While cutting out candy bars, cakes, chips, sodas, ice cream, etc. is just plain good sense, tearing apart a burrito, or removing the bun from a hamburger is f*cking stupid.

 

[Fade]

Removing nearly an entire food group is asinine.

I haven't seen any bread trees around lately, have you?

While cutting out candy bars, cakes, chips, sodas, ice cream, etc. is just plain good sense, tearing apart a burrito, or removing the bun from a hamburger is f*cking stupid.

Why? Atkins mentality (Very little carbohydrate, lots of fruits/veggies/proteins, ongoing) is part of what allowed me to lose over 100 pounds, and keep it off for a little over 11 years now.

 

[rustypouch]

For the last week I've been on a similar plan from the book "lean for life."(I cannot recall the author at the moment.) The idea is a diet low in overall calories, with most of the energy coming from protein and minimal fats and carbs. So far I've lost about four pounds.

 

[Genghis Pwn]

If Atkins´idea is to eat lots of meats, plus fruits and veggies, while avoiding processed breads and pastas and sugars, etc, that makes perfect sense to me. That diet mimicks the diet of hunter gatherers and early humans over hundreds of thousands of years. Bread and grains only came along recently.

 

[kookbreaker]

There's no magic bullet of food groups that cause people to be any more fat. A calorie is a calorie. Fats have more calories per gram than Carbs and Protiens, but that's about the only factor going on.

Atkins is basicly a low-calorie diet in disguise. There's no evil mojo associated with carbs that makes them any better or worse.

The advantage of Atkins is that some folks get filled up on meat/proteins and end up eating a lot fewer calories. This works fine when it works, but a lot of people really get sick of the Protein monotony. The recent case the Atkin's proponents used to try and add respect to the diet, some 60% of people dropped out of the plan, as opposed to 25% of the low-fat diet.

"Diet" should be a lifestyle, not a fad you try for a while.

 

[apoger]

There's no magic bullet of food groups that cause people to be any more fat. A calorie is a calorie. Fats have more calories per gram than Carbs and Protiens, but that's about the only factor going on.

I have seen this said over and over again. I must tell you that as far as I can tell, from my personal perspective, this is wrong.

If I eat 500 calories of protein or 500 calories of carbs, I get vastly different results. Protein makes me feel full and balanced. Carbs send me into a frenzied tailspin of eating.

If protein and carbs seem to do the same thing to you, well that's nice. I'm telling you straight up, that is not the way it works for me.

Atkins is basicly a low-calorie diet in disguise. There's no evil mojo associated with carbs that makes them any better or worse.

Carbs/sugars set off your insulin cycle. Protiens do not. They are processed differently. A calorie is a calorie is only true once the foods have been broken down to that level. Different foods are digested in different ways. Thinking that different processes cannot produce different results is closed minded.

The advantage of Atkins is that some folks get filled up on meat/proteins and end up eating a lot fewer calories.

And since eating fewer calories leads to weight loss, what would be the problem?

This is exactly the effect I get. It deserves praise, not derision.

This works fine when it works, but a lot of people really get sick of the Protein monotony. The recent case the Atkin's proponents used to try and add respect to the diet, some 60% of people dropped out of the plan, as opposed to 25% of the low-fat diet.

Nobody claims that low carb is the diet that everyone should be on. If it works for some, why complain? Particularly considering the difficulty of weight loss.

"Diet" should be a lifestyle, not a fad you try for a while.

To whom are you telling this?
Have you found people that claim that diet should be a fad?
Certainly not Atkins, who makes it extremely clear that the diet involves a lifestyle change.

The low carb diet seems to have value for some that are otherwise having trouble with a very intense health issue. Why do you seem bent on knocking it?

 

[kookbreaker]

I have seen this said over and over again. I must tell you that as far as I can tell, from my personal perspective, this is wrong.

If I eat 500 calories of protein or 500 calories of carbs, I get vastly different results. Protein makes me feel full and balanced. Carbs send me into a frenzied tailspin of eating.

If protein and carbs seem to do the same thing to you, well that's nice. I'm telling you straight up, that is not the way it works for me.

Nothing I said was wrong. Protein can be more filling as you said, but 500 calories of protien is still the same on your body as 500 cals. of Carbs. The fact that some folks eat another 1000 calories afterwards does notmake what I said illegtimate.

Carbs/sugars set off your insulin cycle. Protiens do not. They are processed differently. A calorie is a calorie is only true once the foods have been broken down to that level. Different foods are digested in different ways. Thinking that different processes cannot produce different results is closed minded.

You say that a calorie is just a calorie, except when it isn't? What are you trying to say here?

And since eating fewer calories leads to weight loss, what would be the problem?

This is exactly the effect I get. It deserves praise, not derision.

It needs to be realisticly looked at, nothing more. People are talking about law-carb diets as if they are some miracle of human digestion, they are not, and low carb diets can have some very harsh side effects (as do many diets)

Nobody claims that low carb is the diet that everyone should be on. If it works for some, why complain? Particularly considering the difficulty of weight loss.

I'm not complaining, I'm being realistic. If you cut out an entire food group from your diet you are going to have some long term consquences, the most common of which is falling of the diet wagon.

To whom are you telling this?
Have you found people that claim that diet should be a fad?
Certainly not Atkins, who makes it extremely clear that the diet involves a lifestyle change.

And a very, very drastic one at that. You're asking a lot from people when you drop an entire calorie source.

What worse is that Atkin's advocates sometimes border on cultish. I have a very wary eye for this kind of behavior.

The low carb diet seems to have value for some that are otherwise having trouble with a very intense health issue. Why do you seem bent on knocking it?

Why are you so bent on picking a fight with me for stating simple facts.

 

[BillyJoe]

[Atkins'] diet mimicks the diet of hunter gatherers and early humans over hundreds of thousands of years.

You do not state it explicitly, so I presume your point is that evolution has produced a diet that endows our species with survival. Problem is that evolution is only interested in survival for procreation. So if you want to live beyond forty or so, the diet provided by evolution may not necessarily be the winner.

regards,
BillyJoe
[excuse the loose language in describing evolution]

 

[DogB]

A calorie is a calorie.

Bleeert......Wrong...try again.

Lots of Calories in Gasoline. Are you suggesting that I'll get fat on it. What about cellulose, cows do pretty well on it but just you try.

Our bodies are not furnaces, all foods are not made equal. Our bodies treat different energy sources in different ways (obviously).

Carbs are a more accessible energy source. Do they necessarily make you fat? Dunno, I think the jury is still out on this one but I've yet to read about someone who failed to loose at least some weight on such a diet.

What about it folks, anybody tried and failed? I'm curious.

Dog.

 

[SortingItAllOut]

Bleeert......Wrong...try again.

Lots of Calories in Gasoline. Are you suggesting that I'll get fat on it. What about cellulose, cows do pretty well on it but just you try.

Our bodies are not furnaces, all foods are not made equal. Our bodies treat different energy sources in different ways (obviously).

Carbs are a more accessible energy source. Do they necessarily make you fat? Dunno, I think the jury is still out on this one but I've yet to read about someone who failed to loose at least some weight on such a diet.

What about it folks, anybody tried and failed? I'm curious.

Dog.

Hi,

I lost around 50 pounds on it four years ago. It works well from the standpoint of losing weight but I always craved spaghetti and pizza. I gained all that back so I guess I didn't fail on the diet but failed at keeping off the weight - it is way too easy to do nothing and eat lots. I've had better success with "Body for Life" but I think that is mostly because it involves a physical routine that I frankly didn't engage in while on Atkins.

Another negative (for me) was that on Atkins, I simply got sick of eating meat and eggs and things such as that.

The key, I think, is not eating like a pig and getting up and doing something.

Just my two cents.

Take care,
Sort

 

[DogB]

Hi,

I lost around 50 pounds on it four years ago. It works well from the standpoint of losing weight but I always craved spaghetti and pizza. I gained all that back so I guess I didn't fail on the diet but failed at keeping off the weight - it is way too easy to do nothing and eat lots. I've had better success with "Body for Life" but I think that is mostly because it involves a physical routine that I frankly didn't engage in while on Atkins.

Another negative (for me) was that on Atkins, I simply got sick of eating meat and eggs and things such as that.

The key, I think, is not eating like a pig and getting up and doing something.

Just my two cents.

Take care,
Sort

Thanks...this is interesting. I'm curious...have you tried other diets? Did they work?

Dog.

 

[kookbreaker]

Bleeert......Wrong...try again.

Lots of Calories in Gasoline. Are you suggesting that I'll get fat on it.

Any more absurd comparisons? I think my point got across without needing to disqualify non-food items.

So if someone suggests eating fiber, do you say "Bleet wrong, are you suggesting I eat a 2x4? Lotsa fiber there??!"

Our bodies are not furnaces, all foods are not made equal. Our bodies treat different energy sources in different ways (obviously).

It either burns them or it doesn't. If fat is burned in a different manner than carbs, that must either be reflected in the calories per gram (8 vs 4). There are variations, to be sure, but none as dramatic as soe poeple make it out to be. The only seriously dramatic metablosim change is starvation mode, which is why fasting doesn't work.

Carbs are a more accessible energy source. Do they necessarily make you fat?

If not burned by activities, it will all become fat. Fats are a bit harder to access for energy. Most workout books will tell you tat fat doesn't start to get burned until at least 20 minutes into an exercise.

 

[Brown]

Atkins is basicly a low-calorie diet in disguise.

This is true, I think, to an extent. And it is also one of the problems in the Atkins diet.

I tried this diet for a year. And it worked, at first. After about six months, though, my weight would not change, even though I was sticking to the diet. Why?

A friend suggested that I see how many calories I was consuming in a typical day. To my astonishment, I found I was consuming enough calories to maintain my weight.

Atkins didn't recommend counting calories. Basically, he was saying that if you stick to the diet, the calories will take care of themselves. I don't think that's quite true.