Atkins Diet (vegetables, quit smoking, weight loss, dangers)

[parkerricky50]

What is Atkins Diet? Can Any one Know?

[Briolat21]

Atkins is a high protein, low carb diet. Works for most people in the short term, has some dangers if taken to extremes (every diet does), hard to maintain in the long term.

Many books written on it. Many websites, easy to find info.

[ShepsMom]

I've done Atkins about 5 years ago, lost 20lb in one moth, (i hardly ate anything, and only had protein), stupid me. Slowly gained it all back, because once you off the diet, you start eating again.
Now, i eat more healthier, and exercise everyday, best thing to do, really.

[groove1]

It's crap. there is a reason the company filed for bankruptcy 2 years ago. It's also good for getting uric acid kidney stones.

[kelly237]

My husband went on Atkins 4-5 times.
Lost every time and gained it back just as fast.

Now he is doing a diet where he is learning about calories, serving sizes, foods to avoid, whole grains, fat free dairy and dressings, how to eat out
healthy, lean meats, fresh fruits and vegetables. Look for a diet that
incorporates these things.

It is about learning better choices for a lifetime. Find a diet that helps
you learn new habits.

ps. we have changed the way we eat in the last month and started
walking and my husband has lost 20 pounds and I feel much better
than before.

[nay624]

Try the South Beach diet ...its a healthier alternative to atkins...

[Ira500]

Most people who have opinions about the Atkins diet have never actually read Atkin's books, and are misinformed.
The consensus amongst these folks is that all you're supposed to eat is meat and cheese and heavy cream, etc, and that you're supposed to limit the carb intake to 20 carb grams per day.
It's not true...There are several low carb diets out there, and they don't differ all that much, they include south Beach, Protein Power, Four Corners, Hamptons, etc.
Essentially, the first 2-3 weeks are severely carb restricted, 20-30 grams per day, then you gradually add 10 or so grams per week till you hit a point where your weight is stable. Atkins et al also emphasize the importance of eating fresh vegetables...Hamptons Diet emphasizes the importnace of eating a diet low in saturated animal fat as well as low in carbs, but not low fat overall, so lots of avocados, almonds, macadamia nuts, flax seed...healthy stuff.
So, a lot of people have gone on what they think is the Atkins diet, but is only the beginning phase, the weight loss jumpstart phase.
Atkins Nutritionals did not go into bankruptcy due to the diet itself- they went into bankruptcy because they sold horrible tasting, overly processed products, nasty, nasty stuff.
The average American eats about 300 grams of carbs per day, and most of them come from refined, processed carbs ( white bread, white rice, potato chips, soda) and there's a lot of evidence that excess carbs turn to fat, and contribute to diabetes.
It's not a bad way to lose weight and gain health, if you follow it correctly. too many people do the beginning phase only and think that's the diet: Don't do that! You won't be able to stick to it and it's not a healthy or sustainable diet..Add vegetables, particularly green ones, and healthy fats, and exercise helps a lot. Read some good low carb books. I like "The GO Diet" by Goldberg, and " Protein Power" by Eades.
I've been doing the low carb thing for about 7 years. Most of my weight has stayed off.
if you gradually add more carbs, and allow yourself to cheat once in a while, you should be able to make it a more or less permanent lifestyle change...I currently eat about 70-80 grams of carbs per day. I never did the beginning phase of Atkins, I started with 40 grams instead of 20....There are a lot of things common to all diets, low carb or otherwise. It's good to drink water, it's good to exercise, and it's good to not eat at night.

[scorpy01]

I lost over 70 pounds on Atkins and kept it off for 6 years by following the Atkins maintenance program. Then I quit smoking and went crazy with food - candy, ice cream, french fries... I think that stuff would make you gain weight no matter how you lost it to begin with.

I'm now back to a high protein, low carb diet and I've lost 40 lbs. And I'm still not smoking.

No matter what diet you use to lose weight, you'll gain it all back if you go back to eating the things that made you fat the first time.

[tcs1366]

Most people who have opinions about the Atkins diet have never actually read Atkin's books, and are misinformed.

Very well put IRA!!

I always remember when Atkins hit it's popularity, and TV/News shows showed them frying bacon and eggs in tons a bacon fat, or cooking a steak in bacon fat.

it's not about that at all.

I've read many of the LC books out there, and pretty much combined a lot of what i learned into an LC WOE.

[jennaflorrie]

Stay away from Atkins!! The inventor of the diet died from a hear attack!

Eating all that meat cannot be healthy.

Try fasting on juices - fruit and vegetable juices. Google Juice Fasting - I think it's amazing! Better then eating all that saturated fat. Ugh!