Do I start again or not?

[maribelle]

Hi...I don't know if anyone here remembers me anymore...its been about 2 years since I was an active member...and I not only put on all the weight I lost, but another 40, topping me now at 420. I'm heartsick...both figuratively and literaly. I now have a heart arrhythmia and other problems that are causing me a lot of grief. Here's the thing...there was nothing wrong with my heart before Atkins. The problems started during my time on Atkins when I lost the 85 pounds. Now I'm hearing that is one of the side affects of this way of eating, and can be fatal. Yet I lost 85 pounds here once and kept it off for almost 4 years... so I'm torn between taking the risk and starting again, and not doing it and gaining even more weight. I'm SO sick from being obese. I'm looking at taking on a HUGE expense to get weight loss surgery, which my insurance doesn't cover. My husband doesn't understand why I can't just eat just a little of everything and lose weight that way. I truly am just heart sick. WHAT DO I DO?

[imagood1]

Re: Do I start again or not?

Hi and welcome back Maribel -
I've never heard from anyone on this board that Atkins causes heart problems -- I've actually heard the opposite - that people are much healthier than before they lost the weight.

The decision has to be yours and yours alone for you to be successful - unfortunately many people, doesn't understand eating a little of this and a little of that doesn't work. I hope you can come to something that makes you comfortable.

[Georgiana]

Re: Do I start again or not?

Hi...I don't know if anyone here remembers me anymore...its been about 2 years since I was an active member...and I not only put on all the weight I lost, but another 40, topping me now at 420. I'm heartsick...both figuratively and literaly. I now have a heart arrhythmia and other problems that are causing me a lot of grief. Here's the thing...there was nothing wrong with my heart before Atkins. The problems started during my time on Atkins when I lost the 85 pounds. Now I'm hearing that is one of the side affects of this way of eating, and can be fatal. Yet I lost 85 pounds here once and kept it off for almost 4 years... so I'm torn between taking the risk and starting again, and not doing it and gaining even more weight. I'm SO sick from being obese. I'm looking at taking on a HUGE expense to get weight loss surgery, which my insurance doesn't cover. My husband doesn't understand why I can't just eat just a little of everything and lose weight that way. I truly am just heart sick. WHAT DO I DO?

Welcome back, Marion.

You know, I was just listening to an iTunes podcast yesterday about vaccines and autism. A few doctors were discussing why, in spite of all evidence showing that vaccines are not the cause of autism, there is still a very loud crowd claiming that vaccines are dangerous. One of the doctors was saying that it is simply a time frame coincidence --- most children get their vaccines when they are around 2 and that is also when the first signs of autisms appear; but simply because the times coincide, it does not mean vaccines are what triggered autism. Furthermore, he was saying (and giving some examples) that parents who refuse to vaccinate their children are actually doing more harm than good to their kids.

What you are seeing is simply a time frame coincidence, just like it is with autism. And just like in the case of autism, not re-starting Atkins will only cause more damage to your health.

Dr. Atkins was a cardiologist. Do you really think he would have designed a nutritional plan that causes heart disease? Not very likely, right?

There is a lot of crap written about Atkins online. But if you look at the facts, there is no proof that Atkins causes heart disease. Or any other disease, for that matter. In fact, Atkins can help you take care of your heart. It causes triglycerides to drop, and it often increases HDL (the good cholesterol) and reduces LDL (the bad guy). If you don't trust me (and you shouldn't trust anything without proof), you can check the study on Atkins Induction Dr. Eric Westman published in 2002. The link to it is on my blog (in the siggy).

You are not taking any risk by restarting Atkins. However, you are taking a risk every day you postpone your restart. It is being obese (for years, I imagine) that probably played the biggest part in your heart problems. And unless you do something about the weight problem, the heart problems will not get any better.

[ErinB]

Re: Do I start again or not?

I just do not believe a correctly followed Atkins diet would be the cause of a heart problem I fully believe everything Georgiana typed here. IMO, Atkins would only do you good, not harm.

However, if I were you, I would find a good physician who also believes that and who would guide and support you in following this plan. Because you do have a heart condition, you should be monitored by a physician no matter what you eat.

[Morrigan]

Re: Do I start again or not?

Go get the book Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health by Gary Taubes. It has a LOT of insight into why the current government-approved food pyramid is a load of crap and high protein, low carb diets are good for you. Interesting reading.

[EmDee]

Re: Do I start again or not?

yes! yes, you should do Atkins again...and this time you will lose even more than 85 lbs, and your heart will thank you for it!

[maribelle]

Re: Do I start again or not?

Thank you for your replies. I go to the cardiologist tomorrow. I'm hoping he will tell me this is just something I'll be able to live a long life with and can get back on the diet on Monday. The secondary problem I have is from doing the diet so long for so many years, I've had a hard time restarting and sticking to it. The foods just start tasting really gross really fast. As second time around-ers, what tricks have you all tried to restart things and keep the energy going?

[Morrigan]

Re: Do I start again or not?

I don't usually have a problem with this, but I'm also one of those people who can eat the same thing several days in a row without getting bored.

I will say, hamburger with a slice of cheese is one of my favorites.

[EmDee]

Re: Do I start again or not?

same here ~ I find the foods I can have (even in extended induction) are flavorful enough that I don't mind eating them.

4 out of 5 days I make basically the same salad to take to work for lunch and I love love love it, LOL.

Just do some initial tasting work and find the foods that make you feel like you are not on a diet!

[ErinB]

Re: Do I start again or not?

I'm not really a STAC member, but I have been on Atkins for over 14 months now and nowhere nearly bored. My main problem, after learning to eat so many new veggies and trying so many recipes, is that I can't have all the new things I have learned to love every day!

Thank you for your replies. I go to the cardiologist tomorrow. I'm hoping he will tell me this is just something I'll be able to live a long life with and can get back on the diet on Monday.

It is now day after "tomorrow." I'm wondering how the cardiologist visit went and what you have decided.

[maribelle]

Re: Do I start again or not?

The Cardiologist has to do more testing, but all in all, it appears that I'm going to live! :P My heart is healthy, it just slips into a-fib here and there, and as long as it pops right back out, and I'm properly medicated, nothing more serious should happen. At least thats what I got from it. So I started Atkins again this morning. I thank you all for your concern and suggestions. I'm extremely familiar with Atkins approved foods...especially induction friendly. I did Atkins for 4 years more on than off from 2004 to 2007. Then I got pregnant, and had a wonderful baby boy. After that my hormones went blitzo again, and I gained all the the weight I lost plus 40 pounds. I wouldn't even mind getting back to 300 again, so long as I was healthier. But what I was wondering is are there any new things anyone has tried the second (or more) time around to make it as exciting as the first time? I stuck to it SO well the first time for 5 months straight, which was when I lost the 85 pounds. Its been since then that I can't seem to find that first time perfection and determination. I'm looking for a way to get that back.

[EmDee]

Re: Do I start again or not?

actually, I think I am more determined and more motivated this second time around because I KNOW Atkins works for me if I stay true to it.

and I also know that if I stray...I will start seeing that scale creep up again and I do not want that more than anything.