The Atkins Diet ...Any Freeper experience? (Vanity!)

Me

[Partisan Hack]

Okay... I did it. I read the New Diet Revolution and I've bought into the whole notion of a 0 - 20 gram per day, low carbohydrate diet. I'm in the "induction phase," and the Doctor assures rapid weight loss during this initial two-week run. Supposedly, as success is achieved, the dieter can begin to gradually increase the amount of carbs that they consume. The trick is to remain in ketosis while attempting to shed weight.

My most important question is if any freepers out there have had any success with this diet and what tips might they be able to pass on.

Also, are "free" foods truly "free?" Does nutrasweet negatively impact this diet?

I'm a week into it, (and have confirmed that I am indeed in ketosis) but I'm not yet loosing any weight. I'm hoping to loose 40 lbs!

Sitting in front of this computer, glued to Free Republic has caused me to gain this weight btw!!!

[FrogMom]

Worked for FrogDad and I. Do take the vitamins he recommends, exercise (at least walking), and drink lots of water.

[constitution]

If you are doing it under a doctors' care, it should work for you.

There is also a book "The Carbohdrate Addicts Book". There is a little test in it to tell whether you are addicted.

My wife who has diabetic type 2, scored 98 out of a possible 100!

You may need some supplements, but that what your doctor is for.

And excerise, exercise, exercise!

[jimkress]

Induction is hell.

My wife lost over 30 pounds.

The trick is to stay on the maintenance program after all the weight is gone. Otherwise, it all comes back.

[El Gato]

Bee there, done that, don't advise it. It's not too bad for a while, but eventually the unbalanced nature of it, like most "diets", does you in. Your family and friends will not like you around if you keep it up, for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that you will smell.

But what do I know, I've lost my own, currently 130 pounds too much, weight several times over, only to gain it, and more, back.

[yooper]

The immortal philosopher Opus the Penguin to Oprah Winfrey:

"Eat less and exercise! It's the only way."

That said, I believe there are some misgivings about the Atkins Diet. I won't pretend to know what they are, only that they're related to the diet being unbalanced and abnormally high in proteins (which may put certain people at risk of certain side effects). My advice is to do your homework; don't just go into this blind.

Good luck, oh, and also, if this diet works, please forward the plan to Representative Jerrold Nadler, care of the U.S House of Representatives...

[Moonmad27]

Try the bulletin boards at atkinsfriends.com. There's always great advice for low carbers, and lots of support. I've got personal experience that it works.

[CARTOUCHE]

I lost 60 lbs in rapid order but unfortunately it came back nearly as fast when i stoppped. I stopped it because I had a procedure to open a clogged artery. Although the artery was probably clogged prior to my starting the diet. I'll start again after the holidays. Regular exercise is pretty tough for a trucker, (that's why so many of us are so heavy) but any exercise is better than none. I felt great while on the diet and my depression was aleviated.

[martin_fierro]

Mrs. Fierro and I did the Atkins Diet a few years back. We definitely lost 17-20+ lbs each on it, but gained it back after going off it.

The only downside I recall was getting some muscle cramps in my feet due to lack of potassium. Some supplemental vitamins took care of those, though.

[Paradox]

I've done the diet, including a variation known as a "CKD", a Cyclical Ketogenic Diet, back when I was into amateur bodybuilding. I have tried other variations of the diet as well, and yes, it does work.

Having said that, its not very palatable for very long. I was able to do it because I was a stubborn SOB who didn't mind pain and discomfort (6 sets of heavy squats made the diet seem like a piece of cake).

After your weight loss, I would "back off" on the diet and go on a maintenance type of diet that wasn't ketogenic. Get into the habit of exercizing every day, even if its just walking.

While I dont think the diet is as "dangerous" as its detractors say, I still have some misgivings about it, as a long term diet.

[finnman69]

It works, but it will come back.

[roylene]

Yes great luck - lost 20 pounds in one month never hungry BUT colesteral (sp) shot up from 210 to 280 trigliserides (sp)from 99 to 180, hdl down from 75 to 35 so..... (really sorry about the spelling - public school)

[det dweller too]

Take calcium & magnesium -- lots of it.
Watch out for the third day. That is when your liver is out of easy bloodsugar to use. you may feel like a space cadet. Take more calcium and take a long walk, real long. That is lso the most dangerous time for compromising your dietary integrity. Just say NO!.

[yooper]

PH, I think you can see several trends in the responses thus far. First, the importance of exercise is stressed. Second, the recurring theme of weight gain following abandonment of the diet is also documented.

I guess this would lead one to deduce what weight loss advisories have advocated all along: long term weight loss and maintenance will not be possible with "quick-fix" diets. The key is to decide upon a common sense plan which specifies a change in diet and exercise habits, and then to stick with it FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. In other words, you have to change your habits permanently if you wish to keep the weight off permanently.

Best of luck to you!

[Partisan Hack]

Thank you. What happened to your blood pressure? Did you check it while you were on the diet?

[wildbill]

It works--until you try to transition back to some carbohydrates. Accept it--your body has a genetic plan for you that you can temporarily fool with, but seldom change forever.

[Poincare]

It works real well if instead of eating supermarket meat you eat meat, say beef and lamb, that has been pastured or grass fed. If you do an Internet search for a perveyor of pure grass fed beef near you you will find some delicious meat at below retail prices. And you can help a small farmer. I get my beef from some Amish farmers. It's great and I pay $1.85 per pound when I buy a side. Etc for lamb and pork.

[skunkytown]

I'm on the Sugar Busters Diet... Started at 203 (in October) and am now at 177 ( I'm not doing it to lose weight, but to see what effect it has on my Cholesterol. ) I do feel much better than I did and have no more headaches brought on by weather changes. ( Weird ) I'll go after new years to get my Cholesterol checked again.

[yooper]

"Accept it--your body has a genetic plan for you that you can temporarily fool with, but seldom change forever."

Well, that may be true to some extent, but no one is born fat, and the fact is that most obese people got that way through their personal habits, not genetics.

As for not being able to change your body, I would refer you to a detailed biography of Theodore Roosevelt. Read about his early formative years. He was "condemned" to a life of puniness and ill health by everyone except his father, who told the young Roosevelt that he had been born with a healthy mind, but that, "you must make your body."

His brother Elliot (Eleanor's father) was blessed with health early on, but degenerated into a hopeless alcoholic philanderer in adult life.

In other words, you're stuck with your level of intellect, but your body is up to you...

[LarryLied]

It is a killer which will stalk you the rest of your life. Keep away. Especially if you have any problem with blood sugar (which most anyone over weight does). Think about our physiology. We have incisors for meat (and fat) eating but we have more molars for grinding. And our intestines are long, not like a cat's which is made for an Atkins type diet. Want something more in tune with what we are designed to eat, try the Pritiken diet. Much less stress on organs such as the kidneys and after a week or so on it, your desire for the usual junk goes away.