Does trying atkins temporarily cause problems?

[skibbie61]

Hi,

I started Atkins today, but after reading the book more closely last night, I'm not sure it's something I should do after all.

I intended to do it for 2-3 weeks to lose a little weight, get myself into a regular meal schedule and hopefully curb some binge eating. I then wanted to go back off it, temporarily or permantely. I'm going to the UK for two weeks in August and I'm afraid it would be too hard to stick.

But after reading in the book, it looks as though if you quit atkins and return to healthy diet and eating that includes lots more carbs than atkins allows, you may gain more weight than you lost because your body doesn't know what to do with all those carbs. Is this a valid fear? Has anyone gone off Atkins and maintained weight loss?

I lost 170 pounds on my own through diet and exercise. I didn't follow a diet plan, I just followed common sense. But by the time I lost all the weight, I had gotten more and more restrictive on what I ate. Now I eat exremely low fight, high-carb. I've been living largely off tons and tons of apples, fat-free yougurt, low-fat popcorn, lean cuisines and loads of diet soda (the kind with aspartme, which I discovered in the Atkins book is bad for dieters).

What has happened is I've gained 30 pounds back in the last year and a half. I had gotten so skinny before that I'm still in an ok BMI - If I don't gain a single pound more. I eat all the ttime, still feel hungry and binge. So atkins could help me with some of that. I think using it to get me out of the routine I was in could help, but I don't want to stay on it.

BTW, I still exercise a lot. That's not the problem.

Today I had eggs and bacon for breakfast and actually didn't eat anything for 6 hours, when I had two pork chops for lunch (my breakfast time is noon, lunch is around 6 - I work nights until 1 a.m. - which I started doing after I lost weight and which helped through off my eating schedule). So I think atkins can work, I just don't want it to be where if I have a bad slip or full stop my metabolism can't handle going back to my old way of eating and things get worse.

What does anyone think - should I try it for a few weeks, or will I be worse off in a few weeks after I quit it?

Shelley

[Desertthorn]

You know, my opinion, this isn't really a diet, its a way of eating for the rest of our lives because we feel healthier than we have ever been in the past. I have truely been on every diet known to man, and to a one, once I quit, I gained weight.
I think you have the right idea, and it looks like maybe your problem isn't weight as much as it is eating healthy. Research this and other low-carb high fat diets, and I think that you will find, its a healthy way to eat. If you don't have a lot of weight to lose, you move up the ladder quite quickly and you eat a variety of foods. But, do the research and make a educated decision

[1fastwalker]

first let me say BRAVO on your successful weightloss i was really skeptical about this high fat/ low carb idea also and my diet sounds similar to yours. after looseing 50 lbs on my own last year i had this last 10 pounds that wont budge so i decided to give it a try and low and behold i do believe it is going to work i really do think that it is the high amount of carbs that are what causes the craving we would have. after starting atkins(this is my 6th day) i can honestly say that maybe once or twice i wanted to eat something i shouldt but it definitly wasnt a craving it was because it was there and i knew it would taste good. so i am like you, i'm using it to loose a few pounds and learn to keep them off by a new way of eating. good luck and give it a try. i'll probably use induction for 3 weeks and then use sensible moderation.

[2big4mysize]

Congrats on your loss. That must have taken a great deal of self control to resist the cravings all that time. Since you need craving control and your carb diet isn't giving it to you why don't you look at Atkins' for Life Book. As they already said this a permanent change in your way of eating. You can't go on it and go off at goal or you will gain it back.
With the ketosis we have craving control and we lose weight. try it for 2 weeks and see if the control you have over your eating isn't something you want for the rest of your life.

[Scarlett]

I tried Atkins a few years ago - just the induction for 2 weeks. I lost some weight, then went back to normal eating. As far as I remember, I regained most of the weight, but I don't think I gained any more. I later lost weight through other means [smoking, I'm ashamed to say, which took off well over 30lb]. So, PERSONALLY, the thought of possible weight gain wouldn't [and didn't] put me off trying Atkins.

[mircprincess]

Hey folks! Congrats to everyone on their weight loss. I've been on atkins for a few days now and i just feel skinnier. My doctor says that Atkins isn't for the person who is just trying to lose like 10 pounds. So, if ya have a lot of weight to lose and yer on it for a long time you'll probably adopt it as a lifestyle and not "come off" of it because yer so used to it. I think that if i could never eat a slice of bread for the rest of my life it's totally worth it! It's the easiest diet i've ever heard of.