candy_f_x's Journal, 18 September 2013

Looks like a lot of fat in your first diet. I'd recommend reducing that as best as you can. Also, get active! Though I know how hard that can be with a family and kids. Easier said than done, right? :D I'm really not an advocate of Atkins. The American Medical Association has some bad things to say about it. However, you're in good company here. There are a LOT of people on Atkins in the community, which means good support. I'm really an*l about counting exactly what I eat. I use that bar code scanner like no other. Even when I'm shopping. It's very easy and a great way to keep an accurate accounting of how well you're coming in under your target caloric intake.  

Fat is ok. Read up on low carb way of eating. Lots of good info! Don't believe what you here about Atkins being bad. 

I have actually been on Atkins since May 28th and am down over 30lbs. I am actually on a high fat low carb way of eating. It's not my first diet. I did low fat ada recommended and ended killing my gallbladder because of it. I'm not sure you should comment on other peoples ways of eating if you don't know much about how the lifestyle works. Good luck with your weight loss. 

True, commenting without knowing a person's actual situation is probably a bad idea. I apologize for that. I work out heavily, including weight training and cardio. All of the people I've met in the gym who've tried Atkins completely lost their stamina and ability. After even moderate long distance cycling, if I haven't consumed enough 'good' carbohydrates, my energy crashes. The same is true for almost all athletes I know. That's why I'm personally skeptical about Atkins. But for those who sit around all day, the reduction in carbohydrates WILL cause weight loss and probably is a great diet to stick to.  

Most low carb eaters ARE eating the "good" carbs, veggies, and are NOT necessarily sitting around all day. Most of us have much more energy and are much more active with this way of eating, especially after sustaining more than a 85 pound weight loss for almost 2 years.  

So, this thread was starting to annoy me, so I did my best to discredit Atkins by researching the hell out of it. I read article after article, study after study. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I couldn't. Apparently Atkins is a pretty good diet plan. The other posters are right about, a.) keeping active and b.) sticking with the diet long term. The only negative I found was that if you didn't stick to it, the weight gained back was higher than other diets. Other than that, all the studies (and I looked up some seriously credible sources) showed that people on the Atkins diet had really good health. It even beat out a study against a handful of other 'popular' diets. So... That being said. I humbly retract my previous statements. My ego hates to do this, but I apologize, you guys were right. I haven't hopped on the bandwagon, but I have adopted some of the best practices of Atkins, except that I up my carbs the night before I know I'm going to need it for really intense sustained workouts/cardio. Other than that, I've adjusted my intake to closely match the Atkins nutritional structure.  

I have to jump in here... I am so happy to hear kmesiab did research and came up with the same opinion that i have had for years. You are one of the few who are willing to actually listen or read about how Atkins really works. I have never had much energy and therefore am not the best person to say how much more energy I have with Atkins. I also am rather sedentary so I am not the best person to say that I still have great stamina. However, I do know that my diet is much more balanced and healthy that some people think. I eat more 'good' carbs than I have ever eaten when I was not on Atkins. I don't have hamburgers and fries anymore but I do eat plenty of green veggies and lean meats. I believe each body is different and no one diet plpan fits all people. But I do think in the end - most wind up with a more natural and healthy way of eating similar to that recommended in the Primal Blueprint. natural seems to be the key. 

I appreciate you taking the time to research what this way of eating is about. I actually plan on staying low carb for the remainder of my life. Not to the extent i am now but by the time i am comfortable with my weight i will be around 100 total carbs per day. I also do not sit around all day doing nothing. I had surgery a few weeks ago and am having another surgery in 3 weeks so as much as i would love to be back in the gym weight training i am not allowed to lift more than 20lbs for the time being.