The Atkin's Diet

Is anyone familiar with the Atkin's diet? What I want to know is if it is safe. I had lost 70lbs in 6 months with it years ago but got careless and gained it back. I weighted myself at the local Winn Dixie Store and saw that I weighted in at 234lbs. I am considering to do Atkins again because I know it works for me but when I had lost all that weight before people kept telling me that I looked sick all the time. Peace - Dennis

Don't know much about it...I want to look into it...I need to drop 50 pounds really bad

the atkins works really well on moods as well!! something about high protein seems to fare well for mood disorders.

and people were probably jealous of how great you looked!! either that or they were not familiar with seeing you as sleeker, slimmer, and healthier.

hey, if it works for you, do it!

My dad went on Atkins diet a few years ago; he lost about 150 pounds in the span of a year, give or take a few months. What I find with the Atkins diet is that it doesn't provide a long-term weight maintenance program--namely, once you go off, you gain the weight back. If you are going to use Atkins to lose weight, it's important that you figure out your "after Atkins" plan now because that will be the most difficult part.

In the end, my dad ended up gaining all the weight back, although, not all at once.

I think Atkins can be healthy if you don't use it as a license to gorge. What I mean is that Atkins shouldn't be used as a way to eat as much fatty food as one wants. Maybe a vitamin/calcium supplement will help because you'll be missing some major food groups (grain/fruit). Although, if you did the diet before and felt sick, maybe you should consider another diet or consult a physician?

Well, as my dad's doctor said: "whatever works!"

Good luck starting the weight loss plan.

I gained one hundred pounds when taking Depakote then quit taking the med and started using Atkins diet. I lost fifty pounds in six months. At that time I did little cooking and mainly ate Atkins protein bars, drinks, 2% milk and fruit. On most days I limited my intake to ~ 800 calories. My doctor was okay with my plan.

I think it can be a healthy diet but if you have health problems you should probably ask your doctor/nutritionist if Atkins is the best plan for you.

Thank you all for your replies. At the end of the 2 week induction phase I'll post to let you know how much I lost. Day one was flawless. Peace - Dennis

I don't know much about this diet, but my professor for my nutrition class was REALLY against it and said it was really unhealthy.

Just be careful...

good question for you guys/galls. How many of you felt that you gained weight with your depression medications? just curious.

What did he not like about Atkins?

I have heard some people say that Atkins is unhealthy because it is so high fat but Dr Atkins never suggested people eat bacon and sausage every day. Some fats are healthier than others. For example an avocado is a healthier fat than bacon.

Well she basically agrees with the following perspective:

"The Atkins Diet, and others like it, trigger short-term weight loss through a process called ketosis. Ketosis occurs whenever the body lacks a sufficient supply of carbohydrates, a prime source of energy. During ketosis, carbohydrate-depleted metabolisms turn to other sources, including ketones from stored fat or protein, to satisfy daily energy needs. (more of Ketosis later)

"So you do lose weight," Rosenbloom says. "The first bit of weight loss is water weight, the carbohydrate that's in your muscles, and then as you progress on the diet you will lose some fat, but you will also lose some muscle mass."

Rosenbloom and the ADA believe that this type of diet can have a negative long-term impact on health. "It's so high in cholesterol and fat and total fat -- the opposite of what all the health organizations, from the American Heart Association to the American Dietetic Association, recommend," Rosenbloom points out. And she noted that the diet "is also low in fruits and vegetables and whole grains"-- foods with proven health benefits. While some of the vitamins and minerals in these foods can be obtained through supplements, other benefits -- like fiber or phytochemicals -- can only be found at the source.

Over an extended period of time, the Atkins diet can give rise to other health risks, as well. By restricting carbohydrates, all four diets inevitably lead to a lack of fiber, which can cause constipation and other gastrointestinal difficulties. In addition, the high amounts of cholesterol and saturated fat they prescribe increase the risk of heart disease and, possibly, some cancers. There is recent evidence that a diet featuring excessive protein may leach calcium from the bones (giving rise to osteoporosis).

Finally, nothing about the Atkins diet encourages the dieter to learn some very basic weight management strategies like portion control and serving sizes, let alone develop the skills necessary for a lifetime of balanced nutrition."

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Basically, you're not eating a balanced diet, short-term you loose weight but you also loose muscle mass, and this sort of diet isn't likely to be maintained long-term (and it really shouldn't be!), and so once you stop following it you're going to gain all the weight back - not to mention the long-term health risks associated with it.

Too much protein can be a strain on kidneys. Please be careful and take care.

I start tommorrow

Hi Jacq, After researching recently I have found a mixed review. Some are for it and some against it. The first time I tried it I got excellent results but the people around me were worried because of the rapid weight loss. Peace - Dennis

Hi Amanda, I don't think it can be a coincidence. I never had a weight problem until my mid 20's and that is when I first was put on anti depressants. Peace - Dennis

It is not a healthy way to lose weight. You need to eat balanced diet, smaller portions and more often. Excercise is essential. You should not think of this as a diet... if you want to maintain your weight, it's long term commitent.

And people may not been "jealous" of the OP for looking slender. If you lose weight quickly, the fat in your face goes first... and you can look sickly.

You need all of the food groups to be healthy, both MIND and body. You won't be doing yourself any favours by cutting out a major food group and having too much of others in the process.
Good luck if you go ahead with it, though.

That is how weight is lost no matter what diet is used.

What food group do you think the Atkins diet disallows?

Atkins restricts eating refined carbohydrates, in particular sugar, white flour and high fructose corn syrups.

Complex carbohydrates such as fruits, veggies and whole wheat are more healthy and can be eaten in moderation.

Fair enough yoda, I thought the atkins diet was basically cutting out carbs (pasta, bread, rice) and eating only protein (meat). Maybe I don't understand it, then. I've heard negative things about it though and would stear clear myself. But I would steer clear of any diet really (says the recovering anorexic :P), I think healthy eating is much better than a 'diet' as such.

Atkins was never meant to be a daily 20 carb fat feast diet. The meats and fats are supposed to be varied from seafood to game meats. More carbs are added slowly until weight loss is stopped. That carb maxium amt varies for each person. Exercise is expected and a must. This was suppose to be a lifestyle not a diet. For me it took A LOT discipline because I'm not a veggie lover but love carbs. Anyway, I got down to my marriage weight and stayed there for four years. While on Atkins, all blood results and tests came back excellent. Then I took a cruise and was surrounded by carbs for 8 days . That was the beginning of my down fall. I tried different diets since then but none where as successful as Atkins. As a matter of fact, as of 4/30 I'm back on Atkins....as a lifestyle (once a diet ends, old eating habits come back along with the weight). Can't wait for the healthier and lighter me!