I have been for the last 5 days, not eating any bread, rice, fruit, sugar as much as possible.

Now I been eating salads(with meat) for lunch and dinner, and usually a good portion of eggs with meat or cheese for breakfast..

I FEEL GREAT, excpet for about 3 hours yesterday when i missed my snack between lunch and dinner. I was REAL hungry, but as soon as I ate i felt normal again.

I have been working out, about 4 days on, one day off, 4days on, etc..

Some indications around here tell me that it might be bad for me to be doing the 'Atkins' diet...

I plan on shocking my system once every 2 weeks with one day of normal eating... where i will have some bread or rice and maybe even a dessert, then back on track for 2 weeks.

Like I said I feel great, the weight is starting to come off...

Am I on the right track?

Actually, if you can control the cravings well, then its really good what you are doing and you will see some real dropping of fat. The shocking every 4 days is a really good idea, i suggest you carb load high on these shock days, so for example if you are doing <50grams of carbs for 4 days, on your shock day do 350 grams carbs (all should be super low GI...), with good amounts of EFA (essential fats) on the low carb days, but not much fat at all on the shock days.

If you feel great, then continue, carb cravings may become an issue if you low-ball your carbs so much, i suggest when it happens, have a small amount of good quality carbs to get back on track rather than climbing the walls with the pain of it all :P

Nick

Whatever you do when you break from this diet graduate yourself back to normal over a few weeks. Every single person I've ever seen coming off a high protein low carb diet has bounced back to or above their original weight if they don't create a transition period. You are tricking your body here and if you don't blend the reality of what was and what will be back together it reacts how it wants and it is not how you want.

What Andy said rings try to my experience. In some respects, it's easier to lose weight on a diet than it is to keep it off for the long term. A radical plan for losing weight may not translate into a lifetime plan for staying slim. Still, if high protein low carbs is working for you and is sustainable, then go for it!

I agree with what Ron and Andy are saying. A little over a year ago I lost about 100 lbs on the Dr. Bernstein diet plan. It works well, but once I was "thin" I felt like I could do no wrong and snapped back to my old habits... so here I am, back up at nearly 300 lbs! I'm doing the diet again, on my own this time (trying to save the $600 per month)... it's basically a low carb/fat high protien diet... taking lots of Vitamin B and testing my "burn" with Ketostix urin test strips... the pounds DROP off (you can expect 3-7 lbs loss per week), but like Ron said, unless there's a transition into a healthy diet, bouncing back is a real risk :/

well i think i for got to mention above is the fact that i have done this diet before and have bounced back higher.. just like most.. the difference this time i am serious about exercising. i want to get to the managable weight and keep my 1 to 1.5 hour a day workout routine AND yake up Jiu Jitsu, with my son. As I hav mentioned before, I used to be a hell of an athelete... trick bike rier, and profiecent martial artist... and I want to do those things again, but i cant at my current weight...

thanks for the advice, I'm sticking to the program!!

The important thing to note here is that the 'atkins' style diet is unsustainable, i.e. you go ON the diet expecting to lose weight but it is an active diet, i.e. not a lifestyle change that will cause a slow and effective body recomposition, it is a harsh fat loss diet that isn't that uncommon of bodybuilders pre-competition.

I would suggest you continue atkins for as long as possible then as you start to slip, switch onto what is considered a sustainable diet, then you won't yoyo but benefit from the fat loss properties of atkins.

Nick

Atkins is OK for a week or two to get yourself out of the junk food habit, and help encourage you with rapid results but I don't recommend it any longer than that…
Your body really does need carbs and not all are bad for you.
You might want to check out the Body for Life website, http://www.bodyforlife.com/nutrition/mealplan.asp, this will help explain the importance of balancing fat, carbs and protein. I wasn’t doing the weight training that you guys are, but it really helped me understand how to balance a meal, what appropriate portion sizes are, and that small meals frequently are best.

Good Luck!

I would say any kind of fad diet like low carb/ high protein would be incomplete nutrition for your body, thus bad for your health long-term. It may take a few pounds off, but most are unsustainable and [as said many times] you will eventually gain them back.

Make a lifestyle change, such as eating fresh/organic, whole foods and reducing - or stopping altogether - intake of processed foods which many times will seem to make you hungrier. (They're EVERYWHERE!) Find a bottled water you like, drink lots, and if needed mix it up a bit with teas and coffees. My health and my weight have benefitted enormously, and it is definitely sustainable and I've had a lot of fun with it.

Atkins takes a symptom (we eat too many simple carbohydrates in the form of processed sugars) and takes it to an unnecessary extreme (eliminate almost all carbohydrates from the diet). I personally don't know anyone who's had success keeping weight off on a low-carb diet. High protein diets are also supposed to be very damaging to the kidneys.

It is better in my opinion to cut unhealthy carbohydrates out of your diet, those in the form of sweet snacks, soda, etc. Ensure your carb intake comes from complex carborhydrates in the form of whole grains and fruit.

My feeling is that when Atkins was de-bunked towards the end of its mass popularity the concensus was that it worked because it actually led to overall eating less calories. People got so sick of eating just protien & fat that they just ended up eating less.



Colin puts it perfectly. To add my 2p's worth of explanation, simple refined sugars can be damaging as the provoke a very fast insulin spike which can encourage fat storage, it can also damage the insulin response over time, hence the prevelance of Type II diabetes in people who are obese.

I'm doing the Four Corners diet, which is high protein, <50g carbs per day. Based on Atkins, but includes yoghurt and high fibre items and unsaturated fats. haven't heard of the idea of "shocking" your system - what's that about? i thought the idea is that eliminating the carbs gets you to start burning body fat, and also, after it's out your system, stabilizes your blood sugar and prevents cravings? I'm hoping this is a fairly sustainable eating program... any comments?

Those of you who are critical of atkins have to understand that our bodies are different and can respond differently to plans such as atkins. I myself lost 86 lbs over 18 months on atkins. I did gain back about 20 over the next 12 months, but that still left me with a net loss of 66 lbs. I am back on atkins, and have shaved off 10 of those 20 lbs in the last 3 weeks. Atkins works for me, maybe not you, but for me it works. Please don't knock what works for others, your pontification might just cause someone to miss the plan/program that is just right for them.

Mark

The other thing I don't understanf from the comments made is why would you want to go off something that is working for you. This can be said of any eating plan. The low carb is working for me and controlling my Diabetes with no medication. I have lost 49lbs since mid June and am on no medication for anything. My Diabetes is in check and all my tests are normal or below. I am the healthiest I have ever been and I feel fantastic. Why would I want to try something different when I reach my goal? The old way of eating didn't work before, why would I all of a sudden think it would work when I have lost all my weight.

I think it's great, and I lost much of the weight I have lost doing exactly this. I recently hit sort of a wall where weight loss stopped, and I have let myself go off any sort of diet for the last week (the shock to the system also described above.... hope it works, because I still have goals to meet).

Now I'm getting back to my original way of eating. I tend to base my diet on protein, every meal, including powder mixes when I need something quick. I eat 5 small meals. I am pretty relaxed about good fats, pretty much letting myself have a portion of nuts, avocado or olives every time I want it (when I had a physical the only number that was off was "good cholesterol, suggesting I could and should have even more of these fats).

I eat vegetables and salads, at least the green ones, without any hesitation. And I do eat carbs, but I try to eat them in the morning when I need more energy (and have lots of hours to burn them off) and I go for the slowest burning... oatmeal, very grainy breads, whole wheat pasta, and even those in moderation. Small portions. I pretty much never, ever (until this shock week) eat white carbs like white rice, bread or pasta.

I think it was a good idea getting most of my carbs early in the day, where I enjoyed cereals or oatmeal or toast and got the fiber benefits. With lots of protein and slow burn carbs in the mornings, I tended to work my meals down to just a chicken breast and salad by evening and felt great all the time.

I think cravings can be few to non existent if you mix up these foods well. If you do protein shakes, you might lean toward casein, which I believe burns slower. A good thing, slow burning food. I think it's the main reason low carb diets work... not because carbs are evil, but because the quick burn ones just become instant fat. I suggest tolerating carbs, but always being mindful, and avoiding those faster burning ones even on off days/weeks. White bread just doesn't do anything for anybody.

I didn't really count calories for the most part. But when you keep carbs and sugar at a distance, not sure you really have to. I was probably low cal all the time (hence, perhaps, the plateau I eventually hit).

As for bad effects.... I successfully lost weight for over 6 months and dramatically improved my health. No known problems. I lost over 100lbs and my health dramatically improved. The only downside is I eventually hit a flatline, but I am confident I will press thru that. And it took 6 months to get there, 6 months in which I felt better every day.

Good luck

I will start by saying I advocate a balanced diet that meets all your nutritional needs, is as sustainable on day 10001 and it was on day 1, and also meets your lifestyle needs.

My concern is that you say you want to maintain a heavy workout of 1-1.5 hours a day and take up ju jutsiu. So your plan is to ask a lot of your muscle system without feeding it.

That's akin to heading out on a long car trip and saying to your car "I've given you oil. I've given you transmission fluid. Your water reservoir is full. Quit whining about the gas. You don't need that." and expecting your car to run for very long before it peters out and leaves you stranded.

Your body is very likely going to do the same thing. I can guarantee you won't find a single solitary serious athlete who will advocate high protein, low carb diet. Your main muscle fuel is glycogen which is created from the breakdown of carbohydrates. I know, I know, your goal is to burn fat, not glycogen, but even though that may be what you "want" that's not how your body works.

When you starve your body for glycogen yes, it will go to other sources of fuel. It has two main other sources; fat and lean muscle tissue.

Fat is great. It's the fuel that burns hot.

Lean muscle tissue not as great, but it's there and it works.

When you "starve" your body for fuel it thinks "Good lord, we're heading into a famine! Batton down the hatches. Lock up the surplus, turn down the engine!" It starts burning the inefficient fuel (lean muscle tissue) and conserving the "good stuff." Yes, you will definitely burn fat, but along with it you will lose a lot of muscle tissue. The protein will offset that to a certain extent, but you'll probably find yourself lethargic and unable, after awhile, to maintain any sort of long term activity.

Does Atkins work? Yes it does. There is a whole bunch of proof that it's something that can help a person to lose weight. However there is losing weight and there is achieving optimal health. You strike me as a guy who is really interested in health (by your comments about exercise). Atkins will help with the weight loss, but from everything I've read (and being the obsessive type, I've read a lot) it is not the way to achieve your health goals.

When exactly was Atkins “debunked”? Yes, you eat less calories because protein burns nice and slowly. Try this for an experiment, eat a low carb breakfast for a week and then compare it to a high carb week. You will find you are famished by the time lunch rolls around on the high carb and just fine on the low carb.

You don’t just eat protein and fat on the Atkins diet. That would be Eskimos, who at the turn of the last century, before being introduced to western diets, were one of the healthiest and longest living people on the planet. Atkins’ is an excellent balance of meat and vegetables when done right.

I was in a unique situation about three years ago where I and three other colleagues had to do most of the cooking in our small company because of location and hours worked. We gave Atkins a shot because a friend had done so well on it.

Healthiest food I’ve every eaten and my three other co-workers agree whole heartedly. You look down at your plate and see a pork chop and steamed cauliflower and broccoli with melted cheese and wonder how anyone could call this unhealthy.

And the weight loss was terrific for all. After the first month we had a bit more swagger. After the 2nd, we were thinking about reviving the old modeling career (none of us modeled but males 30-40 years old, starting to look good in the mirror again"of course we could!) And by the third month, well, we really should get started on that auto-biography because everyone is going to want to read our story of achievement.

A great diet but as mentioned earlier maybe a little tough to maintain. But all diets and exercise plans are and Atkins is no different. I think the biggest problem is that you allow carbs to become too precious. If you falter a bit don’t feel so guilty…knock yourself out a bit and have some pizza or whatever it is you think you want. Then go back to the diet.

I quit smoking about 2 years ago and even with a good Atkins plan and exercise gained about 15 pounds. A real struggle which I gave up on about 8 months ago (gained a bunch more), ate everything in site and now need to get back on track.

If Atkins was so great, how come you haven't maintained it as an ongoing lifestyle?

There wasn't really any debunking to be done. Conventional thinking by medical doctors has stated for years, and still does state that high protein, high fat diets are not beneficial for long term health. After all, this is about a lot more than weight loss. It's about being healthy and finding a lifestyle that you can maintain through all of the stages of your life. A lifestyle that will fuel your body as well as be enjoyable and easy to maintain.

Just because people can and do lose weight on Atkins, doesn't make it a healthy sustainable alternative.

That’s the multi-billion dollar question, which could be asked of every diet (even the “balanced diet”) and exercising regime every invented.

For me personally, I need a stable, controlled environment. I live in Asia and when I travel it’s almost impossible to stay on Atkins because I’m eating out for almost every meal. And when a client takes you out for dumplings that are “famous” for that particular city, well, you eat dumplings.

And as mentioned earlier, I’m struggling with slow metabolism after quitting smoking and it’s a little disconcerting to put so much effort into something and get so little return. So I’ve gone through a “the hell with all of it” period of not exercising and eating correctly. But for the next six months things look good and the battle is rejoined.

I’m sorry but low carbing is a “healthy sustainable alternative”. It’s been around 35 years with thousands of people using the diet and living very healthy lives. The long term health canard is used because some of the people that are opposed to the diet can’t really “debunk” it.

It’s all a bunch of bunk anyway; you’ve got to go with what works for you. I think it’s a fantastic diet and according to my cholesterol reports, a healthy diet. I would also say that it’s easier to maintain then a vegetarian diet.

In addition, I just love my diet foods. Last night I had a T-bone steak and big salad with ranch dressing, extra cheese and an excessive amount of real bacon bits. Afterwards, a diet drink consisting of one cube of ice and two fingers of scotch.

Tory,

I am with you on this. I do not think ultra-lo-carb-hi-protein is healthy. It is an effective weight loss solution but it is not healthy. I do not deny that some people have the will power to sustain this. A lot of people find they cannot sustain it and gain back weight.

Some of the meats permitted in such a diet have bad fats that raise cholestrol levels and can contribute to heart disease.

I am for moderating carbs and eliminating refined carbs from the diet. I think ultra-lo-carb is an extreme reaction to the ills of a carb-rich diet. Fat was supposed to be the only culprit and research on carbs came later.

Balanced diets do work for most people (some people have complications like metabolism disorders or thyroid malfunction) to achieve and sustain a healthy weight. They also entail the least amount of sacrifice and are long-term sustainable. I wish more people would try this before resorting to extreme diets.

When I'm limiting calories, I do better when more of them are protein. I seem to have pretty significant protein needs, and mostly carbohydrate meals make me feel bad afterwards. OTOH, I don't do well on ultra-low carbs or ultra-low fat, either.

Right now, I'm finding the glycemic index a pretty good guide to carbohydrates. I try to eat most of my carbohydrates in low glycemic index form, and to avoid the ultra-high glycemic index carbs most of the time. So lots of veggies and low glycemic index fruits, leaving room for some higher glycemic index whole grains.

The thing that's actually hard to give up this time of year is the root veggies. I love parsnips, turnips, carrots, potatoes, yams, and beets.

Kevin... Kudos on quitting smoking. Me too... and like you, I gained. Now, I am trying to figure out what will work for me. Trying to get that healthy balance of things. Trying everything (except going back to nicotine.)
And this is something I have been thinking about... tell me what you think...

Smokers are generally people who like control so much so that they use nicotine to pick themselves up and cool themselves down. They also have generally high pleasure seeking tendancies. No suprise really that an ex-smoker might perfer a diet of strict food choices where highly pleasureable foods are allowed.

I think it might be an easier diet (metabolism set aside) just due to our personalities.

What do you guys think... we know we're all different, are some personalities better at some diets?

I hope you are doing Atkins by the book. Because if you do it is not UNHEALTHY. You need to eat good carbs and shun the bad. The first two weeks are difficult for many. No sugar, grains, fruit. But you can eat many different vegetables and you can put butter on and a dash of say parmesan cheese. It is not just meat and cheese. Try fish like salmon or tuna, turkey, chicken. Use herbs and spices to liven things.

Then you add back good crabs like berries, melon, nuts and seeds. You gradually add back good carbs until you stop losing weight.

The more active you are the more carbs you can eat.

Atkins was one of the first to say that trans fats are bad. His book also addresses the glycemic index.

So read the book, please.

Keep at it by the book and you will be successful.. And by the way once you are past induction stage, things get easier. There is a low carb pasta called Dreamfields that tastes just like the regular stuff.

I heard about some plans related to the Bernstein diet, where many carbs are removed and you experience about a pound a day of weightloss. When I was too young to remember what diet my father did, I do recall what he ate and it sounds very similar to the Atkins/Bernstein concept of dieting. I think you're supposed to do the meal plans for four days out of the week, then eat for three how you usually eat, then repeat. I believe he lost about 20 pounds in one month, however not only did he lose weight, but he lost his hair too! Because his body went into shock from the change in diet, he experienced hairloss. So, if you are looking to go on a diet that helps you dramatically lose weight (yes, they do work by the way), make sure you aren't losing things other than fat!

Hmmm... there's a lot of nutritionists / dieticians out there who disagree!


I'm always veeeery suspicious of any plan that tells me to avoid fruit


I'd suggest that this would be water loss... carbs are stored with approx 3x their weight in water, a reduction in carbs causes this water to be lost.

Low carb diets are extremely effective at weight loss. Fat loss is a different matter

As an aside - for years before he passed away Atkins was grossly overweight... if the founder himself was so out of shape for so long, does it mean his plan doesn't work (for him at least), was too tough for him to stick to... or a combination?

So Dr. Atkins was grossly overweight for years before he died? Fascinating. Then that must have been a fit, 72 year old imposter that was on Good Morning America a couple days before he slipped on the ice and went into a coma.

Just do an image search for Dr. Atkins and you will see many pics of him in his 70’s.

Why the need to lie?

Dr. Atkins' health and weight at the time of his fall remain slightly controversial.

If he was 195 pounds and 6 feet tall, he may or may not have been overweight. My BMI labels me as overweight, but my body fat percentage says I'm normal. He certainly doesn't look overweight in those pictures, but neither did I when I was clinically obese at 29% body fat.

Tory I'm with you also on that.

Iv'e read so many book by dietitian and nutritionist.

Yes if you want to loose weigth fast..but healthy? umm

Just be logic..red meat , fatty cheese has cholesterol so ? yes we all know that cholesterol will clots your heart.

Sorry for any gramatical errors...english is not my natal language.

I sure don't want to discourage anyone..I think a short period of the atkins diet may be ok for some but long term...yikes..

Just my opinion.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a front group for PETA. And most of “committee” members are not doctors. Plus the nonsense about his report being sent the wrong doctor is silly, they dumpster dived for it or stole it.

He died at 72 so the point is fairly mute, because that is a good run no matter what you may or may not of died from. How many balanced eaters die at much earlier ages? It would be ridiculous to blame it on a high carb, low fat diet. (Well, maybe not)

But what was impressive about the whole matter is how the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine sans Actual Physicians created such an impressive bit of propaganda which is known the world over.

http://www.nealhendrickson.com/mcdougall/040200pua tkins.htm


And as for what the 'experts' think:

http://www.nealhendrickson.com/mcdougall/2004nl/04 0600puatkins.htm


Not for a second am I denying that Atkins is effective for losing WEIGHT. But hey, if it's just weight loss you're after, you could cut off an arm. Would make an even bigger loss on the scales

As for long term, healthy, sustainable FAT loss, you'll never convince me it's effective. When I hear Atkins fans say "it's great, every time I go on it I lose weight"... tells me it doesn't work! If you find yourself stopping, then starting, then stopping... do you really think the body likes doing things that way?!

If it's working for you, and you're feeling energetic, then more power to you. But the opinon of the American Medical Assoc., The American Dietetics Assoc., The American Cancer Society, The British Heart Foundation to name a few are good enough for me.