Atkins diet pwned me..

[Fayd]

Originally posted by: zylander
Im 24, 6'4" and my normal weight is around 180-190lbs. Over the past year I have been slowly gaining weight and am now up to 230lbs and my belly is huge! My diet is not too great either; lots of soda and sweets and a lot of junk food like mac n cheese and fatty breads. A friend of mine started the Atkins diet a few weeks ago and it has been working pretty well for him so I decided to try it out.

I started yesterday morning at breakfast with a few hard boiled eggs and some bacon and then for lunch I have a chicken caesar salad. Everything was going alright during the day, dinner is where things fell apart. I BBQed some baby back ribs and some skirt steak and then took it over to my girl friends aunts house where she had mac n cheese, baked butter honey rolls and a fridge filled with coke and orange juice. I tried to resist all the urges and stuck with eating just the steak but I crumbled within minutes and then grabbed a plate of mac n cheese and rolls and wolfed it down...when it comes to food I am a weak, weak man.

So after my colossal failure I decided to; cut out soda, do smaller healthier breakfasts and lunches and then eat my dinners in moderation and not stuff myself. I already jog 5 miles every Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. I figure if I just monitor my intake I should be able to lose weight without having to radically change my diet.

Anyways, thats the story of my pathetic attempt at changing my diet. Anyone here actually try the Atkins diet and actually be successful at it?

you're a failure, and have no clue how to diet.

i've been on south beach diet, and lost 45 lbs.

having other people on the diet with you helps a LOT.

 

[Fayd]

Originally posted by: Firebot

Originally posted by: nerdress
Exercise is going to tone where you lose the fat, and lifting will help develop muscles. So don't be surprised if you lift, that you won't be losing as much weight as you hoped (yet another reason people hop off the wagon )

Huge huge misconception and myth bolded. You cannot choose where you lose fat, and people for the most part loses fat in different ways and places. There is no such thing as toning. Aside from that though the rest of your info is mostly correct.

Just don't want you to get people to start doing 100 crunches a day thinking it will help them get abs while still 50 pounds overweight .

also, you cant as a rule lose fat and build muscle at the same time. it's not possible. losing fat requires you to be in a calorie deficit, and building muscle requires you to be in a calorie surplus.

at least that's the general rule. i honestly dont know how that works in ketosis, when you're losing fat simply by being there.

 

[TurtleCrusher]

Reading this thread made me grab a Sobe and a Whatchamacallit.

Num!

 

[Koing]

LIFESTYLE CHANGE

Whatever you do it has to be permanent. If it is not you'll gain the weight back on within 8weeks tops.

Exercise more and eat less refined carbs or carbs in general to training days. The cutting of soda will help greatly in your new diet (permanent thing, not a 4-6 week quick fix).

Koing

 

[HumblePie]

Uhh, the biggest way to lose weight is to eat less. Also, losing weight is far more healthy than being in shape. Actually doing exercise to lose weight is usually a terrible idea especially for people who gained weight by primarily over eating in the first place.

Atkins does work but it is not for everyone. Find the diet that works for you. But with atkins at least it is easier because all the calories you take in as protein are harder to digest and you can get very full feeling and still lose weight. Other diets you need to eat less and go hungry basically.


There was a decent article on this very subject in Times magazine posting information a ton of different studies from LSU to the Center for Disease Control to the Diabetes Research Institute have all put out regarding weight loss versus exercise and diet. Basically it's better to lose the weight through diet and then if you want to get in shape, go for it.

 

[skace]

In for the "Atkins works when properly followed, fuck the haters". Just need will power and watch out for ketosis/starvation.

 

[StageLeft]

I'm surprised people are still even doing this fad diet. It was crap when it came out, still crap today.

 

[Fritzo]

Atkins works well and it works fast, but the first 3 days of cutting off sugars and starches to the body causes fatigue, hunger, and restlessness. After that, it's a lot easier. It's hard to stay on the diet though.

Try South Beach. It's easier to follow and a bit better for you.

 

[SagaLore]

How about you just cut out the "lots of soda and sweets and a lot of junk food like mac n cheese and fatty breads."? Eat everything else, just not that. Its not that hard.

 

[Via]

I did Atkins once , and it's amazingly successful. I dropped from around 220 to 180 in about 5 weeks.

I quit because I started a new job that required me to do some out of town work immediately. I was on the road for about 8 weeks; hotels are no place to continue Atkins. After I returned home I was so busy I never got back into it to see it through.

I didn't lose that much weight initially, but after a week or so I started running on my treadmill for 30 minutes a night. The weight literally started melting off.

Every morning I weighed myself I would be 1-2 pounds lighter. I wish I had been disciplined enough to continue.

I WILL try Atkins again soon.

PS - I should say that I have a naturally thin frame that I just let go to shit.

 

[mrCide]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: mrCide
I'm doing Weight Watchers. I started at 177 and I'm at 153, about 3-4 months so far? I'm perfectly happy with what and how much I eat. This is without exercising which I'll start at some point.

Eating right and cutting back portions goes a long way. I've done Atkins a couple times, it really is an awful diet, and people really do eat the most unhealthy crap on that diet and ignore it because 'yay its not carbs its safe'. Think again.

Edit: the GF is kind of doing it but did it consistently for a year and lost 70lb or so and is maintaining it with no problem. 200ish->130

If eating right and cutting back portions goes a long way, why are you doing weight watchers? You get out of it what you put into it. A diet should be a noun instead of a verb. (dieting) And not pre-fixed with something useless like "Atkins" or "Weight Watchers". It truly is a lifestyle change.

My current diet is WW, it's not temporary, it's how I practice eating. losing weight is a nice side effect. What's your point exactly? Please reread my post. All WW is is a point system to help you eat right, not some overnight or gimmicky diet that you fall off of when you're 'done'.

 

[Isocene]

l

 

[SirChadwick]

Atkins = GREAT for looking good for a beach trip, etc.
Atkins = FAILURE if you want to stay slim and love food.

Seriously... I've tried it multiple times and I normally shed 15-20 pounds and feel pretty good. I don't get completely shredded on it b/c I normally just stay on the diet for a month. It's a fad, that's all. But I think it really messes w/ my metabolism because each time I try it the results are not as great and my weight seems to pile back on quicker when I'm off. My body thinks I'm going through that starvation stage and the fat sticks!

So it really depends on your goals... if you want short term weight loss then it's worth a shot. But long term, forget about it. Just eat less and healthier and exercise more.

 

[KoolAidKid]

After many years of struggling to stay thin I can tell you this:

Exercise to improve your health, diet to lose weight.

Atkins can be rough. I was on South Beach for more than a year, I found it to be much more reasonable than Atkins. I dropped 50 pounds in 3 months. I gained 20 of that back over the next 2 years, but I have been steady at that weight for 3 years now.

 

[Chrono]

WTF? I thought I posted last night on this thread. Grrr. Yes as Koing says, Lifestyle change. Educate yourself, get knowing about nutrition and exercise. Next step is to have a caloric deficit if you want to lose fat. It's up to you to put your plan into motion.

 

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: mrCide
I'm doing Weight Watchers. I started at 177 and I'm at 153, about 3-4 months so far? I'm perfectly happy with what and how much I eat. This is without exercising which I'll start at some point.

Eating right and cutting back portions goes a long way. I've done Atkins a couple times, it really is an awful diet, and people really do eat the most unhealthy crap on that diet and ignore it because 'yay its not carbs its safe'. Think again.

Edit: the GF is kind of doing it but did it consistently for a year and lost 70lb or so and is maintaining it with no problem. 200ish->130

how short are you that you were concerned enough with your weight at 170 to join weight watchers? oO

 

[Crono]

Originally posted by: KoolAidKid
After many years of struggling to stay thin I can tell you this:

Exercise to improve your health, diet to lose weight.

Atkins can be rough. I was on South Beach for more than a year, I found it to be much more reasonable than Atkins. I dropped 50 pounds in 3 months. I gained 20 of that back over the next 2 years, but I have been steady at that weight for 3 years now.

True.
Out of the popular named diets, South Beach and Weight Watchers (more of a lifestyle plan rather than a diet) are actually ok. Most diets are gimmicks designed to appeal to people who want to lose weight easily, and lack the willpower to just eat less and/or exercise more.

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: SagaLore
How about you just cut out the "lots of soda and sweets and a lot of junk food like mac n cheese and fatty breads."? Eat everything else, just not that. Its not that hard.

That's what Atkins does. It removes processed foods and refined sugar from your diet, which are a high source of carbs, then replaces them with fiber and protein.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Originally posted by: Firebot

Originally posted by: nerdress
Exercise is going to tone where you lose the fat, and lifting will help develop muscles. So don't be surprised if you lift, that you won't be losing as much weight as you hoped (yet another reason people hop off the wagon )

Huge huge misconception and myth bolded. You cannot choose where you lose fat, and people for the most part loses fat in different ways and places. There is no such thing as toning. Aside from that though the rest of your info is mostly correct.
.

That's both true and false.

True, there is no such thing as spot reducing. Situps do not make you lose your beer belly. Twists don't make love handles disappear. Leg lifts don't make cellulite riddled thighs thin. When you lose weight it's more of a general thing, it comes from all over the body. But you can "tone" to a degree. Working a specific set of muscles in an exercise program will not shed weight it that specific area, but it can help you carry it better. Doing tons of crunches won't give you washboard abs when they're covered by 20 inches of flab, but it will make the abs look better when the weight starts to disappear due to the diet.

 

[nerdress]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt

Originally posted by: Firebot

Originally posted by: nerdress
Exercise is going to tone where you lose the fat, and lifting will help develop muscles. So don't be surprised if you lift, that you won't be losing as much weight as you hoped (yet another reason people hop off the wagon )

Huge huge misconception and myth bolded. You cannot choose where you lose fat, and people for the most part loses fat in different ways and places. There is no such thing as toning. Aside from that though the rest of your info is mostly correct.
.

That's both true and false.

True, there is no such thing as spot reducing. Situps do not make you lose your beer belly. Twists don't make love handles disappear. Leg lifts don't make cellulite riddled thighs thin. When you lose weight it's more of a general thing, it comes from all over the body. But you can "tone" to a degree. Working a specific set of muscles in an exercise program will not shed weight it that specific area, but it can help you carry it better. Doing tons of crunches won't give you washboard abs when they're covered by 20 inches of flab, but it will make the abs look better when the weight starts to disappear due to the diet.

^this is what I meant. :thumbsup:

 

[Daverino]

Eat less. Exercise more. Make it a permanent lifestyle change. Lose weight.

Sadly, there's no other way. There are no shortcuts, no fads, no gimmicks.

 

[FallenHero]

6'4" 190? Holy crap, you want to be a stickman!

 

[Crono]

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: SagaLore
How about you just cut out the "lots of soda and sweets and a lot of junk food like mac n cheese and fatty breads."? Eat everything else, just not that. Its not that hard.

That's what Atkins does. It removes processed foods and refined sugar from your diet, which are a high source of carbs, then replaces them with fiber and protein.

Atkins does not encourage fiber intake, because fiber naturally is found in carbohydrate foods like grains, fruits and vegetables, not in high protein or high fat foods. Atkins is simply low carb for most of the diet.

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: Crono

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: SagaLore
How about you just cut out the "lots of soda and sweets and a lot of junk food like mac n cheese and fatty breads."? Eat everything else, just not that. Its not that hard.

That's what Atkins does. It removes processed foods and refined sugar from your diet, which are a high source of carbs, then replaces them with fiber and protein.

Atkins does not encourage fiber intake, because fiber naturally is found in carbohydrate foods like grains, fruits and vegetables, not in high protein or high fat foods. Atkins is simply low carb for most of the diet.

Not sure where you got that info. Atkins requires 20g-25g of fiber per day. In fact, you can take 1g of carbs off for every 1g of fiber a food contains. So, 8g of carbs with 4g of fiber = 4 net carbs.