FAO Atkins Avocates

[welshbrummie]

Having just read the most recent Atkins book, as well as loads of internet research (good and bad), I'm still a bit sceptical.

I understand and accept the science behind the diet and the importance of ketosis. It seems to make perfect sense.

HOWEVER

Many of the studies say that the Atkins diet is great for a short time but often unsustainable, and that people usually regain much of their weight afterwards.

Having been with slimming world for a year, tho only losing a stone, i have at least learned how to maintain my weight.

I fear that re-awakening a taste for cream, hard cheese and porkfat may undo everything that i have managed to achieve.

And what about the constipation that i've read about??

I would welcome some input from successful Atkins maintainers.

Lorna

 

[LVLLM]

Hi Lorna - glad you have come and posted
Atkins, as any other low carb diet is for life. I find carbs do not agree with me and coulent go back to eating them all the time after finding this way of eating. Constipation shouldnt be a problem if you are eating plenty of leafy green veg and drinking plenty of water.
as i mentioned before with sw i was eating pasta all the time and mountains of it - not losing weight and feeling bloomin awful mid afternoon after all the carbs - tired, sluggish. i never get that feeling now.

You will hopefully get loads of responses on here from successful atkinsers xxxx

 

[ladyfelsham]

Hi Lorna

I'm new to Atkins since August but wanted to add that I have successfully lost over 2 stone in that time, never achieved on any other diet. I have no more brass band wind, cramps, IBS or mindsapping loss of energy in the afternoon, I sleep better and my skin is looking great.

I think you learn what your body likes and doesn't like fairly quickly - so give it a shot. You have only to look at the many success stories here - Jim, Bren and others.

Good luck in whatever you decide

Susie

 

[Jim]

Hi Lorna,

I'm in Birmingham as well. I've been on Atkins since '02 and have successfully maintained for a good few years now. Like any diet, if you go back to eating that made you fat, then of course you will regain. I can't say that Atkins is any better or worse for regaining, but I don't see how it could be.

Atkins works for me, always has so far.

Thanks for posting. Now to answer:

Many of the studies say that the Atkins diet is great for a short time but often unsustainable, and that people usually regain much of their weight afterwards.

I suspect that any study of any diet would have roughly the same result.

I fear that re-awakening a taste for cream, hard cheese and porkfat may undo everything that i have managed to achieve.

yes, but if you stuck to the Atkins diet, how would that be a problem?

And what about the constipation that i've read about??

Yes, that can happen, especially in the early stages on induction, most Atkineeers use a little flax meal. The amount of fibre full green leaf veggies I was eating on Induction meant it wasn't really a problem for me.

I lost 12 Stone on Atkins and I'm still a happy stable 13 1/2 stone.

 

[ditzeeblonde]

Atkins is hard to get yr head around as its goes against the grain of what we're told is the right way to diet! Like every diet it doesn't suit everybody & has to be followed correctly to get the optimum results BUT you get to eat, enjoy a social life & learn about yr bodys tolerations.

Carbs tend to be highly processed foods which our bodies find hard to digest & the detox when coming off them is a real sign as to how bad they are for us. Once thru the first stage you will feel so much better & hunger really becomes a thing of the past.

Have a look at the stickies at the top & ask as many questions as you need too. xx

 

[welshbrummie]

Wow Linzi! 97lb That's fantastic,

and you're start date is the same as when i joined SW, i've managed to lose only 16lb in that time despite my best efforts.

Is that mega loss all due to Atkins?
What do you do when you need to eat chocolate? does it mess you up for days?

Are you in OWL? How was induction?

I'm bursting with questions lol

Lorna

 

[Ossireo]

Atkins is definitely a difficult thing to fathom as it feels as if you are being told to eat the things you have been told are all bad for you in the past by all other diets.

There are many diets I would deem a puzzle, the original Slimming World with Red and Green offered unlimited amounts of certain things and it seemed the more you ate the more you lost - that gave all the calorie counters a boggle.

Sometimes you cant unravel how something works or if it will work for you. Sometimes you just have to take a blind leap of faith to a degree and give it a whirl.

I am suffering from my own bad relationship with food. However I can say that when I keep it clean & green (as Jim would say) then I really FEEL healthier. No slumps in the day, don't feel as hungry and certainly have lost the bloating feeling. The moment I have something with sugar or that is processed I feel terrible, really terrible .. yet I still do it at times.

Try the Atkins way of eating for a two week induction period and see how you feel. Sometimes you just have to do the test-drive to decide if you like the car

 

[welshbrummie]

Thanks for the input,

Ossireo you're right, just need to give it a try see if its for me.

gonna go shopping this evening for loads of lovely meat n cheese mmmm

 

[ditzeeblonde]

Hi Lorna...

I have a piece of dark chocolate if & when I fancy some which tbh isn't very often & just count in the carbs, the lindt 90% is good.

Induction was great for me spent 6 months on it & had loads of energy... I never craved anything unless I fell off the wagon & then its was carb craving city!!

Have you plans on when to start? x

 

[welshbrummie]

I was going to wait untill the new year to start Atkins because i've paid up at SW for the next cuppla weeks and then it's xmas.

However, having spent most of my adult life making excuses for my weight, i realise that there's actually no good reason for not starting straight away.

So, decision made (thanx for the gentle push), shopping tonight, and i shall start Atkins on Sat after my SW weigh in...

 

[ditzeeblonde]

Brilliant!! be good to have you on board. xx

 

[Jim]

Lorna, if you're at work, I'd start pushing to leave. We are sending those home who live in Walsall and Tamworth, the walsall road is almost closed after the Motorway junction.

 

[ladyfelsham]

All the best for getting home safe and sound everyone!

 

[welshbrummie]

Cheers Jim, that was just the excuse i was looking for

 

[LVLLM]

yey Lorna

 

[Jim]

Took me 3/4 of an hour to get home Lorna, normally it's 15 - 20 minutes. I don't know why the traffic was so slow or so dense. I mean there was no ice or snow on the main roads.

 

[Quak]

Hi Lorna, hope you got home safe and sound.
I did not lose my weight with Atkins but chose it to maintain as I feel carbs are definitely a bad thing for my constitution. Constipation has been a lifelong problem for me on ordinary food but I now have flaxmeal for breakfast (made into porridge) and that helps me go most days without a problem.
It is a mindset you have to get into - my other half is a carb fiend but I have learned that I really don't need them, sometimes I want them but if you do something to take your mind off food or eat something legal it goes away again. Good luck with it if you decide to join us xx