Unable to Exercise...Will Atkins still work?

[sunnyzwei1989]

Hi y'all,

I'm new to the forum, and I started the Induction phase about a week ago. However, I haven't lost a pound yet. I only take in about 5 carbs a day and I drink 64 oz of water daily. Because of a condition I have, I am unable to do any type of exercise at this time.

Do you HAVE to exercise in order to loose weight? I'm beginning to get fed up with the diet, because I'm not loosing anything (except my mind!)

Daniela in GA
(who misses her cucumbers and wheat bread!)

[carbcounter999]

We can better answer your question if you post your stats (age, gender, start weight, goal). Also, post a menu in the menu forum. You may need more water. And why do you miss cucumbers?? I eat them all the time! I lost 35 lbs on Atkins a few years ago without adding in exercise (though I did things like walking to school). Can you do any form of exercise or are you bed ridden?

[ttdriver]

5 carbs a day?????????? Miss your cucumbers????????

Honey, you're NOT following Atkins!! I'd be fed up too!!


Betty

[sunnyzwei1989]

We can better answer your question if you post your stats (age, gender, start weight, goal). Also, post a menu in the menu forum. You may need more water. And why do you miss cucumbers?? I eat them all the time! I lost 35 lbs on Atkins a few years ago without adding in exercise (though I did things like walking to school). Can you do any form of exercise or are you bed ridden?

I am a 33 yr old female that currently weighs 200lbs. I weighed 160lbs back in Nov 04, I gained 40 lbs due to my condition and being on prednisone. I would like to get down to 165 or even 170 - I can deal with being 10lbs heavier than I was before the weight gain.

My condition does not allow me to do any impact exercises, like walking or aerobics. My feet swell so badly that I can rarely wear sneakers. So I'm at a loss of what type of exercise I can do that will help burn calories.

I've stayed away from Cucumbers because I assumed that eating the least amount of carbs would be best, adding them to my diet would increase the carbs. Usually I eat eggs, steaks, sausages & bacon (with no carbs). I can't imagine adding more water to the 64oz I already drink! Is that necessary?!

[sunnyzwei1989]

5 carbs a day?????????? Miss your cucumbers????????

Honey, you're NOT following Atkins!! I'd be fed up too!!


Betty

The reason I'm doing 5 carbs a day is because I can't exercises. I'm trying to make up for not being able to exercise by cutting my carbs. Isn't that the logical thing to do?

[ttdriver]

The reason I'm doing 5 carbs a day is because I can't exercises. I'm trying to make up for not being able to exercise by cutting my carbs. Isn't that the logical thing to do?

No, its not logical and its not healthy. You simply MUST eat more complex carbohydrates (up to 20 grams per day) if you want to lose weight. More veggies!! Follow the plan as written, eating veggies from the acceptable list. There are PLENTY to choose from.

Yes, you need some form of exercise .. can sit in a chair and do stretches? Can you lift a 2 pound dumbbell? A can of vegetables? Any form of exercise will help. You need not do something stressful to make a difference.

Betty

[Isabeau]

I agree, you'll be doing yourself a bigger favour by ensuring you're eating three cups of veggies as per the rules of induction per day!

[not2late]

Hi.

Atkins is a low carb diet, not a no carb diet. Eating cucumbers and other veggies specified on the list are completely appropriate and necessary to this diet. The majority of your daily carbs should be vegetable carbs.

Also, sausages and bacon are fine but you might want to limit them due to the sodium content. Sodium can cause water retention in some folks, which leads to an appearance of "no weight loss". See, the initial pounds lost on any diet is water weight.

As for the water, Atkins is a ketogenic diet. Ketogenic diets are diuretic, so you ought to be losing water. Drinking water will help prevent any type of dehydration. It will also help your body to get rid of by products of weight loss.

In terms of exercise, you do what you are able to do. If that means you can only walk for 15 minutes before tiring out, then that's what you do. Nobody expects you to get up and run a marathon on Day 1 or 2 of beginning this diet. But if you look in the exercise chapter of the book, Dr. Atkins gives a list of 150 calorie exercises.

[donjn2]

It is good to excercise BUT you can still lose weight without it. A good jog for 30 minutes can burn 200-300 calories. However, when we are talking about thousands of calories daily, that 200 calorie jog can be consumed with two slices of cheese!

Exercise is important but it only represents about 15% of the importance.

[BreakfastSurreal]

You are on Prednisone. Why? Do you have a thyroid or kidney problem? Prednisone causes you to retain a LOT of water, hence why you are feeling swollen. Because of this, I think you should drink a LOT more water...maybe 90oz a day...also, try to get any kind of exercise that you can! If you have a thyroid condition this could also slow the weight loss. You can walk can't you? walking counts! even if it's just going to walmart to walk around and shop, just try to increase the little amount of exercise that you are getting.

[sunnyzwei1989]

You are on Prednisone. Why? Do you have a thyroid or kidney problem? Prednisone causes you to retain a LOT of water, hence why you are feeling swollen. Because of this, I think you should drink a LOT more water...maybe 90oz a day...also, try to get any kind of exercise that you can! If you have a thyroid condition this could also slow the weight loss. You can walk can't you? walking counts! even if it's just going to walmart to walk around and shop, just try to increase the little amount of exercise that you are getting.

I'm on prednisone and NSAIDs - both cause weight gain. I do not have thyroid problem, I have an autoimmune condition that affects my joints and my legs. So I'm not able to do much walking at all. I used to jog and lift weights now walking for more than 30 minutes causes me to be off my feet for the rest of the day.

Thanks for the advice.

Daniela

[ttdriver]

It is good to excercise BUT you can still lose weight without it. A good jog for 30 minutes can burn 200-300 calories. However, when we are talking about thousands of calories daily, that 200 calorie jog can be consumed with two slices of cheese!

Exercise is important but it only represents about 15% of the importance.

You *can* lose weight without exercise, but you also lose muscle mass. And keeping the weight off without regular exercise is nearly impossible.

Yes, you may not burn alot of calories by jogging 30 minutes, but you are improving your cardiovascular conditioning, strengthening your bones and protecting against muscle loss. Exercise is about alot more than burning calories.

I don't know where you got the idea that exercise is about 15% of the importance to this woe, but I couldn't disagree more. Its been the ENTIRE REASON for my ability to lose the weight and keep it off for 3 years.

Everyone needs to exercise!

Betty

[BreakfastSurreal]

You are on Prednisone. Why? Do you have a thyroid or kidney problem? Prednisone causes you to retain a LOT of water, hence why you are feeling swollen. Because of this, I think you should drink a LOT more water...maybe 90oz a day...also, try to get any kind of exercise that you can! If you have a thyroid condition this could also slow the weight loss. You can walk can't you? walking counts! even if it's just going to walmart to walk around and shop, just try to increase the little amount of exercise that you are getting.

I'm on prednisone and NSAIDs - both cause weight gain. I do not have thyroid problem, I have an autoimmune condition that affects my joints and my legs. So I'm not able to do much walking at all. I used to jog and lift weights now walking for more than 30 minutes causes me to be off my feet for the rest of the day.

Thanks for the advice.

Daniela

Well, maybe after being on this diet for a while you will be able to start walking....never say never, because of a disease or anything...have you thought about swimming? it's pretty easy on the legs and joints if i recall correctly I say if you diet, and try to be creative with thinking of ways to raise your heart rate and get some muscle action in somewhere, then you CAN do this...your weight might come off slow bc of the prednisone and NSAIDs, but the more you keep at it the stronger you will become, and every bit of exercise will help your weight loss, whether it's cleaning the house or swimming or whatever else you can do.

[FightingTheFight]

Exercise is important but it only represents about 15% of the importance.

That is a total lie from the depths of ****!

The correct percentage would be closer 60-70%. Putting your body into a canobalistic state is dangerous. All those people who scream, "I lost alot of weight, but most of it was muscle" then blame the diet are idiots.

When you exercise you are getting 2 for the price of one.

[DrSbaitso]

Hi there.
I don't mean to sound funny or anything, but I hope you've spoken to your doctor before starting atkins?
You've got an autoimmune disease, could be anything from SLE to Rheumatoid Arthritis (you're too young for that though) to CREST and alot of other illnesses. Steroids and NSAIDS as you rightly said both cause water retention, and steroids in particular cause weight gain. Both your condition AND the NSAIDS can cause some impairement in your kidney's function, and this is not a good thing for someone on a high protein diet. I don't think that starting atkins will actually help you loose weight, as long as you're on the steroids. They will, by nature, counter-act any diet that you do, not just atkins!
Please speak to your rheumatologist and your own doctor about losing weight while on steroids/NSAIDS and I hope all goes well. Of course if they've advised you already to do atkins then just shut me up