Does Atkins really work?
- Thread starter cybermama
- Start date
cybermama
(Zara)
This is the second time someone told me this, the first time is when i saw EXTREME MAKEOVER, where the contestant are put to a weight loss programme, and this personal trainer who managed to make them loose so much weight, combined they loss around 3 adult persons ( weight of average adults ), and he said that Low Carbs are bullshit! We need Carbs for muscles. I once went to a slimming centre and the Nutritionist told me that if I choose to go for Atkins, I will be loosing weight but my body fat mass will increase.
Well basically the body uses the best source of energy, carbs. When there are no carbs the body resorts to protein and fat, youll lose weight fast, but once carbs are brought back, your body doesnt react well for a certain period of time, so it stores those carbs as fat. And the thing about Atkins, most people are eating that fatty steak stuff, not worrying about their arteries, so long term this is a really bad diet, heart attack anyone?
Korrie
Moderator
Thats too bad Sun-god , I hope she gets better....We all know Dr. Atkins has died, his wife said that its not b/c of the diet, but in all honesty, how can you say that it has had NOTHING to do with it? All that fat has to be bad on your body, and he was on it(the "diet") for a LONG time.
W
wonderwoman
Guest
um cybermama, is that your HINEY i see poking out in your picture? 
dekdahl
New member
Cybermama,
Do you really want to know if it works? Or, did you just want to see Atkins bashers unleashed? Many of the folks that will give advice on Atkins, have never been on it or have they bothered to read a book. If you want the info. - read the bookS. Read everything you can get your hands on. I started atkins Dec. 1, 2004 at 210 - I have been as high in my life as 280. I recently went on a cruise and have gained a little - but back on strong now and weighed 148 this am. My goal is 135. I (personally) think if you go on it with the idea of "cheating" when you want to or can't do it "all the way" or are in the mindset to "returning" to your old habits - it's not for you and not healthy. If on the other hand - you can be very structured, determined and really want to lose eating luxurious "real" foods - try it out!
Just my opinions of couse.
Do you really want to know if it works? Or, did you just want to see Atkins bashers unleashed? Many of the folks that will give advice on Atkins, have never been on it or have they bothered to read a book. If you want the info. - read the bookS. Read everything you can get your hands on. I started atkins Dec. 1, 2004 at 210 - I have been as high in my life as 280. I recently went on a cruise and have gained a little - but back on strong now and weighed 148 this am. My goal is 135. I (personally) think if you go on it with the idea of "cheating" when you want to or can't do it "all the way" or are in the mindset to "returning" to your old habits - it's not for you and not healthy. If on the other hand - you can be very structured, determined and really want to lose eating luxurious "real" foods - try it out!
Just my opinions of couse.
Rick
Cybermama, I whole heartedly agree with Dekdahl. I too have been on the Atkins diet for many years since I was diagnosed with diabetes. This is the only diet that I have found to keep my sugar levels in check. Though the first two weeks this is a pure protein diet, carbs can be added back into your diet afterwards. Go to your local pharmacy and buy Ketostix. Follow the instructions. As long as they turn even the palest shade of purple you are still burning fat, NOT PROTEIN from your muscle mass. If they remain pink, back off on the carbs until the purple color returns. I still have my salads with vinegar and oil only. I still have fruits but limit them to berries and melon. I eat LEAN red meats, poultry and fish. I eat eggs and cheese and drink half and half. The lower the fat content in milk, the higher the sugar is. Read the label. I substitute pork rinds for bread and crackers. My doctor has supported me in being on the diet and after almost 25 years of being on this diet, my cholesterol level is at 150. This is better that the 245 level when I started the diet and NO I am not on cholesterol lowering medications. I am 60 years old. Because of my age, I underwent a stress test. Part of the process was an X-ray of my heart and arteries. The cardiologist said they were clear with no obstructions. Too much bad press about this diet. Go to the library and get Dr. Atkins book, especially if you can get the first one he wrote. I honesty believe you will be amazed by what you find. You'll never go hungry on this diet and you'll find that you will begin to eat less because your hunger is satified, not intensified like with other low calorie diets. Best wishes - Newbee to this site - Rick
Cybermama, I whole heartedly agree with Dekdahl. I too have been on the Atkins diet for many years since I was diagnosed with diabetes. This is the only diet that I have found to keep my sugar levels in check. Though the first two weeks this is a pure protein diet, carbs can be added back into your diet afterwards. Go to your local pharmacy and buy Ketostix. Follow the instructions. As long as they turn even the palest shade of purple you are still burning fat, NOT PROTEIN from your muscle mass. If they remain pink, back off on the carbs until the purple color returns. I still have my salads with vinegar and oil only. I still have fruits but limit them to berries and melon. I eat LEAN red meats, poultry and fish. I eat eggs and cheese and drink half and half. The lower the fat content in milk, the higher the sugar is. Read the label. I substitute pork rinds for bread and crackers. My doctor has supported me in being on the diet and after almost 25 years of being on this diet, my cholesterol level is at 150. This is better that the 245 level when I started the diet and NO I am not on cholesterol lowering medications. I am 60 years old. Because of my age, I underwent a stress test. Part of the process was an X-ray of my heart and arteries. The cardiologist said they were clear with no obstructions. Too much bad press about this diet. Go to the library and get Dr. Atkins book, especially if you can get the first one he wrote. I honesty believe you will be amazed by what you find. You'll never go hungry on this diet and you'll find that you will begin to eat less because your hunger is satified, not intensified like with other low calorie diets. Best wishes - Newbee to this site - Rick
ANY diet works as long as calories, proteins, and EFAs are in check. I don't care how you package it, thermodynamics are thermodynamics. Find a diet that works for you and roll with it.
For me, a balanced approach to eating is the most sensible, but that is only my opinion.
For me, a balanced approach to eating is the most sensible, but that is only my opinion.
Tub Cupcake
New member
The guy on Extreme Makeover is Michael Thurmond. He is the one that created the 6 Week Body Makeover plan that I'm on currently. This program really works and it's balanced and you get to eat carbs. Atkins scares the crap out of me.
Tub Cupcake
New member
Rick, I found your post informative regardless of how old the original post was. There is a gal at my work on Atkins right now and she's been on it for 2 weeks and lost 8 pounds already. She said she's noticing that she's eating less because she feels satisfied. She also said she had a check up last time she went on it and got a good bill of health from her doctor. This plan wouldn't be for me, but it seems great for her and if it gets the unhealthy pounds off, then more power to you both!
Atkins will take off the weight big time. It's just a question of whether it's the right diet for you. As a carb addict i found it extremely difficult to stick to, and the headaches and mood swings during the first phase caused me to quit. Still lost 10 pounds in a week tho. Also contrary to popular belief, the diet does call for eating a LOT of vegetables. You can add fruits back in based on how much sugar/carbs it will bring into the diet. This is evident if you read the book. Most critics of the diet seem to have never read it and just pan it for including high fat foods.
They just finished a year long study on atkins versus some other commercial programs and atkins came out on top as far as weight loss. Even more than that, they proved that it would not cause cholesterol and lipid levels to go up and give people a heart attack. None of the critics will admit that they were maybe wrong about the whole "eating a low carb diet will kill you deader than dead" thing that was supposed to be proved by such a study.
They just finished a year long study on atkins versus some other commercial programs and atkins came out on top as far as weight loss. Even more than that, they proved that it would not cause cholesterol and lipid levels to go up and give people a heart attack. None of the critics will admit that they were maybe wrong about the whole "eating a low carb diet will kill you deader than dead" thing that was supposed to be proved by such a study.
You know one of the biggest things people like to bash Atkins for is saturated fat... If you actually have a look through recent research you will see saturated fat and cholesterol is not as bad as first thought and that carbohydrates may play more of a role in heart disease and the like then people realise.
Heck the other week there was a paper released in JAMA that showed not only did the Atkins group lose the most weight but they also had significantly more improvements in health markers.
Another recent way people like to bash Atkins with is folate, because we need to eat our nutritionless empty carbs like white flour and crappy cereals that have had synthetic folate added in after all their nutrients have been destroyed from all the processing
What a silly world we live in!
Anyway this is a load of rubbish, folate is so easy to come by on low carb if you eat REAL FOOD.
I started atkins in 2002, after 2 years I had blood tests done, heres a few that people like to bash:
Serum Folate: 33.1 nmol/L in which the reference range for deficiency was < 5.0 and normal > 10.0
Trigs were 0.5 (Normal range < 2.6)
Glucose 4.5 mmol/L (3.0 - 11)
B12 670 pmol/L (deficient <180> 210)
I would hardly say this was doing me any harm!
Its great for those that feel balanced when they eat some carbs but just because it bodes well for you does not mean it bodes well for everyone else. There are MANY out there who do not do well with too many highly processed carbs, many that CRAVE and feel ravenously hungry on a low fat diet. What low carb, particularly ketosis does for them is help settle their appetite and control their blood sugar.
There are many diabetes 2 sufferers out there who have been able too reduce if not elimate their need for insulin and many PCOS sufferers being able to improve and even concieve thanks to their low carb diet.
And fat and cholesterol, well there are many benefits to both, breastmilk is high in both for a very good reason!
Heck the other week there was a paper released in JAMA that showed not only did the Atkins group lose the most weight but they also had significantly more improvements in health markers.
Another recent way people like to bash Atkins with is folate, because we need to eat our nutritionless empty carbs like white flour and crappy cereals that have had synthetic folate added in after all their nutrients have been destroyed from all the processing
What a silly world we live in!
Anyway this is a load of rubbish, folate is so easy to come by on low carb if you eat REAL FOOD.
I started atkins in 2002, after 2 years I had blood tests done, heres a few that people like to bash:
Serum Folate: 33.1 nmol/L in which the reference range for deficiency was < 5.0 and normal > 10.0
Trigs were 0.5 (Normal range < 2.6)
Glucose 4.5 mmol/L (3.0 - 11)
B12 670 pmol/L (deficient <180> 210)
I would hardly say this was doing me any harm!
Its great for those that feel balanced when they eat some carbs but just because it bodes well for you does not mean it bodes well for everyone else. There are MANY out there who do not do well with too many highly processed carbs, many that CRAVE and feel ravenously hungry on a low fat diet. What low carb, particularly ketosis does for them is help settle their appetite and control their blood sugar.
There are many diabetes 2 sufferers out there who have been able too reduce if not elimate their need for insulin and many PCOS sufferers being able to improve and even concieve thanks to their low carb diet.
And fat and cholesterol, well there are many benefits to both, breastmilk is high in both for a very good reason!
HAMMER77777
New member
steaks rule baby
HAMMER77777
New member
you know one of the biggest things people like to bash atkins for is saturated fat... If you actually have a look through recent research you will see saturated fat and cholesterol is not as bad as first thought and that carbohydrates may play more of a role in heart disease and the like then people realise.
Heck the other week there was a paper released in jama that showed not only did the atkins group lose the most weight but they also had significantly more improvements in health markers.
Another recent way people like to bash atkins with is folate, because we need to eat our nutritionless empty carbs like white flour and crappy cereals that have had synthetic folate added in after all their nutrients have been destroyed from all the processing
What a silly world we live in!
Anyway this is a load of rubbish, folate is so easy to come by on low carb if you eat real food.
I started atkins in 2002, after 2 years i had blood tests done, heres a few that people like to bash:
serum folate: 33.1 nmol/l in which the reference range for deficiency was < 5.0 and normal > 10.0
trigs were 0.5 (normal range < 2.6)
glucose 4.5 mmol/l (3.0 - 11)
b12 670 pmol/l (deficient <180> 210)
i would hardly say this was doing me any harm!
Its great for those that feel balanced when they eat some carbs but just because it bodes well for you does not mean it bodes well for everyone else. There are many out there who do not do well with too many highly processed carbs, many that crave and feel ravenously hungry on a low fat diet. What low carb, particularly ketosis does for them is help settle their appetite and control their blood sugar.
There are many diabetes 2 sufferers out there who have been able too reduce if not elimate their need for insulin and many pcos sufferers being able to improve and even concieve thanks to their low carb diet.
And fat and cholesterol, well there are many benefits to both, breastmilk is high in both for a very good reason!
i like fat and cohlesterol