Atkins Diet Advice (1 Viewer)

[Robert_eb]

I was going to go on the Atkins diet on Jan 2nd (after bowl games of course) and would like to know what low carb foods are good to eat for this diet. Any advice would be helpful.

 

[Don Black]

Well, fire up the grill and start barbequing! Cheeseburgers with iceburg lettuce buns are good. Roast Beef, ribs, chicken, etc. Omlettes/scrambled eggs are easy too. Cold cuts and deviled eggs can make quick snacks. Watch the hidden carbs though (e.g., ketchup, sausage w/ sugar, etc.). Just be sure to drink lots of water and chew some vitamins. It couldn't hurt to see a doctor once a month to check your blood work either. Good luck! It's the easiest diet I ever saw.

 

[Gary_E]

Robert,

Do a search here on HTF in the After Hours Lounge, there's a lot of information on the Atkins Diet. Also do a search on GOOGLE, there's days worth of reading on the Atkins Diet.

My advice is:

1. Buy the book, Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution.

2. Read the USDA label mandated on every retail food product stating ingredients and nutritional information.

Pay attention to the carb and sugar content.

3. Keep your carbohydrate intake below 20 grams a day.

4. Take 200mg of Chromium Picolonate and two Centrum multiple vitamins daily.

5. Do some type of exercise daily. Walk, jog or ride a bike, anything to get your metabolism going. The Atkin's diet is a metabolic diet.

6. Drink a lot of liquid because you will expel your body fat through your urine. The brighter yellow your urine is, the more fat you are expelling.

After 3 months you will see a difference in the way your clothes fit without actually loosing pounds. The scale will begin to reflect your body's change shortly.

The Atkin's is not for everyone but I know many people who have lost more weight on it than any other diet and kept it off. Truly, Atkins is not a diet; it's a way of life. I've been living low carb for 10 years and lost 40 pounds and kept it off.

Good Luck,

-Gary

 

[Don Black]

Gary,

I agree completely with your advice. But what's the Chromium Picolonate for? Also, my results were a little quicker. I lost 38 pounds in 3 months and have kept it off for 2 years now.

 

[Kurt B]

I used the Atkins and lost 75 pounds in a year. Again, like Gary said, lots of water and daily exercise was part of my routine. I've kept it off for over a year, plus continued my exercising routine in place.

I also reduced my cholesterol by using egg beaters instead of eggs and watching the amount of red meat I consumed.

good luck

~Kurt

 

[Steve Owen]

I've never quite understood why people eat to loose weight rather than eat to be healthy. Yea, I've read that people on the Atkins diet tend to loose some weight, but what good does that do you if the food you're eating cloggs up your arteries? All that meat fat? Cholesterol?

Anyway, I'm having a lot of luck (shed 30+ lbs since Feb.) with a simple doctor recommended diet. Eat less fat, more fruits and veggies, and smaller portions. I more or less had to go with less fat because I had my gallbladder out earlier in the year and eating fatty foods causes havoc with my digestive system... I won't go into the gory details. But it's been rather simple and easy to maintain. I don't count calories or worry about carbs. I just eat better foods and smaller portions. I'm pretty sure it's a boatload healthier than Atkins too. I'm not on a diet... I embarked on a change in lifestyle and I think that's the only way to loose weight AND keep it off.

-Steve

 

[Chris Derby]

Steve,

I actually did Atkins after I had my gallbladder taken out a few years ago. Now I'm 40 lbs lighter and I've managed to keep it off. I did Atkins because I wanted the weight off and I wanted it off quick. I did try to do it a "smart" way, though. I tried to keep my meats lean and my portions smaller. I got to where I wanted to be and now I just "watch" what I eat.

After the diet is when I made my lifestyle change.

BTW, your body should eventually adapt to not having your gall bladder and fatty food shouldn't bother you.

 

[Tom Rags]

Let me be the second to ask you, as a fellow HTF brother, do NOT go on the Atkins diet.

I am an MS bioengineer who works in the medical community. In my experience, the Atkins diet can actually be quite dangerous. The health benefits from weight loss are counteracted to a large degree by the lack of carbohydrates in the diet. In fact, the negatives far outweigh the positives. I would be happy to point you in the direction of many respected medical journals which contain articles that show that the Atkins diet can actually be quite detrimental to the body. Atkins patients can experience various sideffects such as fatigue, loss of energy, slower reasoning capabilities, excessive bone resorption (weakening of bone), and many other possible side effects.

I urge you to consult with your doctor or a nutritionest on the appropriate diet. In general, it is best to remember the moderation rule. The body needs everything we eat to some degree (yes, even fat and sugar). The key is to eat everything in moderation. Hell, if you eat enough apples or carrots, it will eventually poison you. All foods are inherently toxic to the body, but this is quite obviously apparent in varying degrees. A diet rich in fruits and vegetable is key (since they provide a natural source for "the most bang-for-your-buck" in vitamins, minerals, and fiber). Also, fruits and vegetables can satisfy hunger and prevent you from eating more "objectionable" things...and they can be quite tasty when prepared to your liking. If you attempt to "strive for five" -- at least five servings of fruits and vegetable a day...as well as begin to drink more water (at least 3-5 tall glasses a day), you will find yourself feeling much healthier. Instead of the Atkins, just try cutting back "a little bit." A little bit combined with a few minutes of excercise can go a real long way.

Once again, the Atkins diet is a real extreme that can be quite hard on the body. You are better off finding a balanced diet and some excercise in your quest. After all, you are better off being "healthy" than just losing weight (which can be unhealthy if done incorrectly). I hope this helps.

--Tom

 

[Tom-G]

I wouldn't recommend the Atkins' diet. I would recommend listening to Tom Rags' sound advice. You shouldn't start taking supplements like Chromium Picolinate without thoughly consulting an expert who will do a profile on the nutrients you need.

Please seek the adivice of a registered dietitian and not any old nutritionist. And stay away from the Atkins' diet until you have done so.

 

[CRyan]

I do have on bit of advice for this diet. Come off of the diet slowly. If you think you will lose the desired weight in say six months, take an additional four months to come off the diet slowly. It will help prevent the yo-yo effect sometimes seen with this and other diets.

c. Ryan

 

[Don Black]

Let's try not to have this thread degenerate into an Atkins Diet good/bad debate... I think we've beaten that one to death.

 

[Tom Rags]

Don-

I don't mean to incite a good/bad debate on Atkins...I just feel it is worth pointing out that there is quite a bit of scientific evidence showing that the Atkins can have some harmful effects on the body...worse yet, some of these problems are not evident immediately and may even cause damage that shows no symptoms right away (i.e., loss in bone density, etc).

I am not debating whether or not the Atkins "works." There is no question that one can lose significant weight with the Atkins. However, the ultimate purpose for losing weight is to become healthier. Losing weight in a manner that puts strain on the body counteracts the purpose for losing the weight in the first place. With all due respect, I'm not just trying to incite a good/bad debate. I just feel that much of the general public is uninformed of many of the potential consequences of the diet. Whether or not they are willing to take these risks, weighing the positives (weightloss) with the negatives (potentially harmful side-effects), is ultimately up to that person and their doctor. It is like a weighlifter taking creatine...on one hand, your muscles recover quicker. On the other hand, creatine can cause kidney and liver damage. Does this stop people from taking creatine? Of course not...but I think if people are going to make such decisions (creatine or Atkins), they should be aware of all of the facts before making the decision.

I am sorry to spark a debate, that is not my intention. However, as a professional in the field, it would be irresponsible of me to ignore a post without pointing these things out. I would not personally recommend the Atkins to anybody. However, free will is a beautiful thing. If someone wants to go on it, that is their decision and their body. Perhaps they will be very happy with it. However, it is my hope that one way or the other, people truly make an informed decision. As one who is informed (not to imply that you or anybody else is not), I don't feel the positives outweigh the negatives. There are far safer methods of healthy weightloss that I would personally choose. Though, I reiterate...this is what I would do. What anybody else would do is their personal decision. I am just making an informed point since this is a forum to do so.

Thanks for listening to my rant....truly, I respect everyone's opinion here. This is just my opinion; I truly don't mean to start a fire.

 

[Don Black]

Tom,
Fair enough. However, most of the side effects that you could come up with can probably be avoided by following the guidelines outlined in the program (e.g., doctor-monitored blood work, water, vitamins). Does the potential for harms still exist? Of course. But I maintain that any study, either pro-Atkins or con, is complete nonsense.
Anyone who does data-modeling simulations for a living knows that these studies can be biased in whatever direction the modeler chooses. Putting the validity of models aside, I also question the general medical community's consensus on anything. Are eggs good or bad for us? Is margarine good or bad for us? First the medical community said one thing. Then a few years later it said another. What's actually correct? I have no idea.
However, I agree with you in that people should do whatever they feel most comfortable doing. While you wouldn't recommend the Atkins diet to people, I stand completely behind it. It worked for me and thousands like me. It's also important to note that the "diet" portion is only a ~1 year time period (for me 3 months). After which you adapt a balanced diet again of carbs and protein.
So, to all those who consider going on the diet, do the research. Read the articles pro and con, as well as the book, and talk to people. What swayed me were the 500+ Amazon comments. Some were negative, the vast majority were positive:
Amazon.com Comments
What you will also find is that people combine Atkins' approach with other diets to find the proper balance that works for them. Atkins is in business to make money just like everyone else. But to me, his ideas are sound and work. Just ignore the defensive commentary and sales pitch.

 

[Todd Christ]

well i did a search on Atkins and found this thread
i'm 1 day away from my first two weeks of Induction!!! WOOHOO!!!
i haven't weighed myself yet, but had a compliment last night that I'm a mere shadow of what i was...
starting to workout tomorrow....!!!!

 

[Anthony_D]

Dont bother with the Atkins diet..trust me I'm a serious bodybuilder (I compete) and one thing I study up on is my nutrition...sure you can lose weight the atkins diet, but its VERY unhealthy...the high cholestorol, the lack of carbs, the increase in ketones are all things you want to avoid.

Eathing healthy does not include the Atkins diet...Follow a diet high in carbohydrats (complex carbs only), restrict sugar and fat intake....eat high protein but DO NOT eliminate carbs from your diet...carbs are your bodies primary source of fuel, you need them...if need be speak to your doctor and also speak to a registered dietician...please

Dont do the Atkins diet...its negatives far outweigh the positives

 

[CRyan]

Actually the little bit of research that has been done on the Atkins diet has shown to actually decrease your total cholesterol. Weird but true.

You will find out that working-out can be difficult on this diet. Energy levels can be low.

C. Ryan

 

[Todd Christ]

Eathing healthy does not include the Atkins diet...Follow a diet high in carbohydrats (complex carbs only), restrict sugar and fat intake....eat high protein but DO NOT eliminate carbs from your diet...carbs are your bodies primary source of fuel, you need them...if need be speak to your doctor and also speak to a registered dietician...please

i understand your concern, and you're lucky enough to have a body-building metabolism - etc...
my family has never (nor will i ever expect to) win any bodybuilding contests - but with BMI scores in the mid-upper 30's i need to shed some pounds...
Atkins doesn't remove ALL carbs, it restricts you to 20 grams of carbs in a day (during Induction)...
their website has a TREMENDOUS amount of information now, the old site was barely decent - check it out for yourself... Link Removed
i do appreciate your concerns, and i do believe in your methods as well... i can usually lose 10-15 pounds your way and keep off 5-10, it's time for me to lose 50 and sustain it...

 

[DaveF]

(Didn't read entire thread. Sorry if repeating others.)
Keep in mind that this diet isn't "new" it's been around for at least 20 years, I think. (I had a roommate that was going to use it. I told my mom about his "new" diet, and she told me she remembered it being all the rage many years back.)
I've heard that high-protein, low-carb diets can cause increased body odor; you could, literally, stink from this diet.
Everything I've read, seen, heard, learned says that the best approach:
- Eat well.
- Eat moderately.
- Get some exercise (even just walking 10 - 20 minutes a few times a week).
Good luck!

 

[D. Scott MacDonald]

I've heard that high-protein, low-carb diets can cause increased body odor; you could, literally, stink from this diet.

I've heard this to, but did not experience it personally, nor have I ever talked to anybody that has.

Choosing the right diet is really a matter of the individual. I think that something more balanced like "Body for Life" is a much better program, but it takes a lot of effort. I did the Atkins diet mostly because my wife chose it (mostly because she is very high risk for diebetes). I did very well on the diet and lost over 70 pounds (my wife gave up after about 15).

For anybody that does this diet, I would offer the following advice:

1) Read the book.

2) Excersize along with the diet.

3) Don't stay on it for too long (I'd recommend 3-4 months).

Good Luck!

 

[Mark Schermerhorn]

Gary E said:

6. Drink a lot of liquid because you will expel your body fat through your urine. The brighter yellow your urine is, the more fat you are expelling.

I used to take some multivitamins from GNC that made the stuff look radioactive. I don't think it contained any of the things you find in thermogenic products but I could be wrong. Anyway, is that the only cause of this bright yellow effect, or can other substances do it too?

Oh and now I remember...it was called "mega men" multi vitamins, recommended to me by my friend who worked at GNC. I stopped taking them because it put me into some sort of metal haze and I couldn't concentrate well at all. It wasn't amusing.