alcoholics doing atkins

suepass

Full Member
HI all,
this is not me honest!!
My friend is an alcoholic or at least a very heavy drinker(3 bottles vodka per weeek)
she wants to go on a diet and asked me whether Atkins would work for her. I have told her she would need to stop the drink, but she reckons the booze won't count as it has no carbs. I told her the calories would count and she would be way over 2000 per day. Am I right?
opinions please
 
Technically, we don't count calories. However, putting that sort of stress on a body whilst trying to lose weight is bound to have consequences and these could be really severe with the sort of amounts she is drinking. I seriously wouldn't recommend this course of action.
 
she is adamant to do it unless she thinks it will put weight on.
 
Alcohol is not reccommended for use during induction phase. I think my main concern having worked with people with alcohol issues in the past is her general approach to nutrition. If she drinks that much is she eating normally anyway? Many people who use alot of alcohol are malnurished, by that I mean from lack of essential nutrients not neccessarily being underweight. Firstly it is reccommended to see a doctor before starting any diet and I would reccommend this to your friend. I would also say that a big part of Atkins is about breaking addictions to sugar/ caffiene/ carbs etc and it is my opinion (and I am not a doctor, not claiming to be) that having an addiction to alcohol is a serious medical condition that needs to be rectified with medical help prior to looking to any other big lifestyle changes. Hope i have been clear
 
she is adamant to do it unless she thinks it will put weight on.


She is more likely to put on more weight by continuing to drink as she is doing as alcohol will make her crave food, usually not the healthy stuff and thus she will gain weight whether she drink a low carb drink or not
 
Totally agree with Leanne above
 
I would say there is no point in doing any kind of diet at all when she is drinking that amount of alcohol :S
The body will use the alcohol as it's first source of energy so Atkins won't benefit her - does sound as though she needs some real help to sort the drinking problem out first
 
Alcohol is not reccommended for use during induction phase. I think my main concern having worked with people with alcohol issues in the past is her general approach to nutrition. If she drinks that much is she eating normally anyway? Many people who use alot of alcohol are malnurished, by that I mean from lack of essential nutrients not neccessarily being underweight. Firstly it is reccommended to see a doctor before starting any diet and I would reccommend this to your friend. I would also say that a big part of Atkins is about breaking addictions to sugar/ caffiene/ carbs etc and it is my opinion (and I am not a doctor, not claiming to be) that having an addiction to alcohol is a serious medical condition that needs to be rectified with medical help prior to looking to any other big lifestyle changes. Hope i have been clear
I too am or was in the medical profession (not now thank god) She is an experienced nurse of 20+ years and knows more than I and you put together about alcohol abuse and nutrition.
All she wants to know is will she get bigger due to the calories?
I have tried to help her until I am blue in the face, but I would at least rather she had proper facts about the diet, as she is not really eating at the moment, At least if she was doing Atkins she would have some nutrition, but I don't want to lie to her and tell her she could lose weight if she started eating things on this diet.
 
Well thanks all. Guess all I can do is keep nagging, no matter what I say she will do her own thing, as all addicts do, until they had enough.
At least she will be getting some protein, which is more than she getting now. Also when you eat you drink less, so might actually help in the long run.
 
It doesn't seem as though Atkins would be the best weight loss solution for her. Getting plenty of veg and good protein into her would never be a bad thing however, especially if she's not eating properly right now. As we all know, knowing about nutrition and health doesn't mean we put them into practise, otherwise none of us would have the issues we do.
 
I too am or was in the medical profession (not now thank god) She is an experienced nurse of 20+ years and knows more than I and you put together about alcohol abuse and nutrition.
All she wants to know is will she get bigger due to the calories?
I have tried to help her until I am blue in the face, but I would at least rather she had proper facts about the diet, as she is not really eating at the moment, At least if she was doing Atkins she would have some nutrition, but I don't want to lie to her and tell her she could lose weight if she started eating things on this diet.


I can understand you may be in a hard place having been asked this. But if she does know about the effects of alcohol and nutrition, then she should know what she is doing to herself by using the alcohol. I would say to her that you would not reccommend the diet to her as alcohol is not reccommended, and that she should see her GP for alternative eating plans which also may encourage her to eat more. She could be referred to a dietician who would look at her essential nutrients, but I feel that this would be dependent on her reducing her alcohol intake, which also could be monitored by going to the GP. Bottom line I feel that she needs to see her GP, if she doesn't listen to you then that is her choice and you have done all that you can
 
She will gain on Atkins whilst drinking that amount. No two ways about it. This is why we have the no drinking on a school night thread, because we recognise the fact that if we drink we either stall or gain.
 
She will gain on Atkins whilst drinking that amount. No two ways about it. This is why we have the no drinking on a school night thread, because we recognise the fact that if we drink we either stall or gain.
Good glad you said that I can now tell her she will put weight on. There is nothing more I can do for her. I said I would find out, and I have. Many thanks
 
three 70cl bottles or small ones ? that is a crap load of vodka if its the big bottles. i'm suprised she can walk if she's having that much a week
 
Hiya I was always told it is very dangerous to drink alcohol whilst in ketosis!
 
three 70cl bottles or small ones ? that is a crap load of vodka if its the big bottles. i'm suprised she can walk if she's having that much a week
even more scary she is a practising registered nurse on night duty. AAHHHHHHHHHH. I used to work nights with her and she was great, then her marriage split up and this is the result. Am going to get her on internet dating, I am sure she is just very lonely. Middle aged and kids grown up with no one to share your life with is not a happy space.
 
even more scary she is a practising registered nurse on night duty. AAHHHHHHHHHH. I used to work nights with her and she was great, then her marriage split up and this is the result. Am going to get her on internet dating, I am sure she is just very lonely. Middle aged and kids grown up with no one to share your life with is not a happy space.


if you can pursuade her to ditch the booze and see a GP before starting atkins it might give her something to focus on.
 
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