Why do people give Atkins up after experiencing success?

[scaleslave]

Re: Why do people give up Atkins after success?

[

3.[b]IT's Expensive as **** to maintain this diet if you are person on the go or with limited income. Any of the decent low carb alternatives are so overpriced that anyone with any money sense or lack of money just can't justify buying the stuff. To keep the diet interesting you have to buy exotic or unusual produce sometimes which is very expensive. I didn't have a very well paying job when I started and I thought I was going to gag if I ever saw another can of tuna or an egg, or salad or can of green beans. I had to have flavored water because I despise the taste of regular water unless I am thirsty from activity.
Anyway, that was all I could really afford at the time. Not to mention the price of supplements and the book....which brings me to my next point.

Just rent "SuperSize Me" sometime and then see if that "cheap" fast food is really worth it. Why is McD so cheap? It's NOT FOOOOD! :no
Fresh food is always going to be more expensive that canned/processed junk. Most supermarkets throw out half the produce they get...stuff that would easily be included in the cans of slop on the shelves.
[quote]

I have to disagree. Meat is more expensive than veggies and bread no matter how many ways you slice it.

It's not about fast food, or canned food - I dont eat fast food because of sociopolitical reasons and before Atkins I could curb my bill under a 100 bucks a months, easily. But with all this meat I'm buying, I find that I'm spending 100 bucks in one go. It's insane.

[Lori41]

I know how you feel, it is boring eating the same foods over and over. Most people who start Atkins, myself included, begin with these types of foods because they are easy and they get you there quickly. I know whenever I go back to induction after being on sugar for a while I have to use these foods to get through the withdrawal symptoms, which I experience pretty badly. However, the more you live this WOE you discover a whole world out there that is filled with different foods and combo's that thrill your pallate. Keep researching low carb web sites, books, and this board for new ideas that fit your wants better.

Also, as you lose your weight and move into the other phases you add in more veggies/salads/etc which are less expensive than the meats. So, this will help with the $. Try to look at what the other phases are eating to give you hope!

Lori

[ttdriver]

I'd rather spend my $$ on healthy foods with Atkins than to spend it at a doctor's office trying to restore my health after sabotaging it with cheap junk food.

Betty

[ajax2000]

I fell off because…

I think I regained a few pounds because my goal was to lose weight.

My goal should have been to be a healthy eater.

If your goal is to lose weight, well then it comes and goes.

If your goal is to be a healthy eater. then that will last a lifetime.

[JordanII]

Although I am not at goal, I came in here to find more little "tricks" to help me avoid "falling of the wagon"; I am seriously addicted to chocolate and my DH thoroughly enjoys chomping on the stuff each evening without gaining an ounce! :yikes

As I read my way through all four pages I found this thread to be most enlightening.....kind of reminds me of a quote I once read (I apologize to the author for not quoting the source; try as I may I cannot remember it.) The quote goes something like this.......

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome!"

Go back to the way you were eating when you were gaining all of your weight and expect to stay at the "post diet" weight/size..........Yup, that is insane!

BTW, thanks for reminding me of why I am doing this WOL and that it can be done in an enjoyable fashion. All those who wish to feel deprived need not apply. Deprivation or Delight, it's your choice how you live this Wol.

[Uniquely_Ambi]

I was on this diet wonderfully for a year. I'd lost 65 lbs. and felt wonderful. I had about 40 more to go. I stopped losing weight around October when I was going through a horrible family ordeal. Then I just stopped losing weight, started eating more frankenfoods, and eventually fell off the wagon completely.

I love Atkins and I think I did this because of emotional issues. I have a lot of issues with food and weight and getting close to my ideal weight scared me. I don't know if 'cause I feel I don't deserve to lose weight or if I'm worried my life won't be "perfect" when I'm thin. I don't know. I just don't that subconsciously I did it to myself on purpose.

I'm back on the wagon again after gaining 20 lbs. So, 60 more to go....

[tickletussler]

Hi,

I hope you have a bit of time to read this post that I'm going to make, because it is a long one, and it seemed a suitable place to bring it up. I am merely stating an opinion, NOT a criticism of Atkins

As I read through these threads, I get the feeling that there is some sort of implication that people who do Atkins previously had crap eating habits ie only ate junkfoods, burgers, chips etc and that was why they put on the weight. I also get the impression that Atkins is teaching everyone a new WOE by introducing fruits, veggies, beans - foods that seem to be not eaten much "before" Atkins.

I'd like to ask, it this true?

Everyone talks about a "new" WOE but to be honest with you, it was the WOE I've lived for most of my life and doing Atkins, going through Induction and now OWL, it seems to have gone backwards for me. I must admit I'm having a lot of problems with it, because at the moment there are many foods that I used to eat that I can't eat now because I'm on a certain rung or certain stage of eating.

What I'm wondering is, are there any other Atkineers who have gone on Atkins because they have problems with getting the weight OFF and not because they had a problem with their WOE?

I know my previous WOE wasn't the cause of my weight gain. I pretty much can correlate my weight gains with the times I skipped breakfast, forgot lunch because I was busy at work, eaten more later in the day, ate a huge dinner and then going straight to bed. I don't think there was really a problem with the types of foods I was eating - I was eating some junkfoods occasionally, I never had sugar in the house, my only "refined" carb food that I ate everyday was rice. I have been skinny on this WOE before, but when I put on the weight it was mainly because I ate so late just before bedtime, and I had difficulty getting the weight off afterwards. If I hadn't skipped meals and eaten late dinners, then I wouldn't be gaining the weight like I did.

So I'm also wondering if there are those who do Atkins to get the weight off but return to previous WOE which IS low-carb, refined carbs in moderation, lots of fruits, veggies, nuts, legumes and dairy to supplement the calcium intake?

And currently the non-eating issues I do have with Atkins is whenever I "cheat" (ie eat a few handfuls of chips, eat a whole bagful of grapes or eat a food that I haven't included back yet like nuts) whenever I cheat, it is made to be like a sin against Atkins. I don't binge to the same extent I hear about on ADBB, but if I eat something in moderation but it's not what I'm supposed to do yet, then I have to count that as a "cheat" and it does my head in because I feel guilt over having eaten an "Atkins-acceptable" food at the wrong time of my phase.

I was interested in some points that CNWADE made.

* I am one of the few who doesn't have a lot of weight to lose and it makes me so discouraged to take so long to lose the weight, wherease I hear about others who lose pounds or have big "wooshies"

* I am not sure if I am "craving-cured" - I am craving a lot of the fruits, legumes, milk - foods that I can't have right now. I've never really craved sweets or junkfoods, but I seem to have more cravings now than I did on my pre-Atkins WOE.

* Trying to eat whole foods, trying to stay away from foods/restaurants that put flour, starch, sugar, potato, pasta - that pretty much left me staying at home to eat, because by the time I eliminated all the things I couldn't eat (and there's only so much a restaurant would modify the menu for you) it was much easier just to eat at home.

* I am of Asian background, and although Atkins does have recipes for some asian veggies, sauces, condiments etc, it doesn't cater for those whose diets which are not similar to the caucasian American WOE. I live in a country where multiculturalism is BIG and trying to work out through Fitday or whatever other carb counter, all the different types of ethnic foods I can eat, it's a nightmare. The only way I seem to cope is I stick to the "caucasian" meal of having a portion of cooked meat/seafood along with veggies on the side. If I try and make curry the "Atkins" way, the taste is diluted because to put as much curry and spices into it as it should have would blow the carb count no matter how you look at it. There's nothing wrong with the spices I use for curry (as a matter of fact these are very Atkins-friendly) but do it in the proportions you should have for a curry, it blows the carb count. Watch the carb count and you end up with a curry that doesn't have half the taste it should. This also leads me to wonder why there are an abundance of Americans on ADBB, and I'm sure from various parts of the world, but very few, like myself speak up and participate in the forums. Is it because it is very difficult to adapt Atkins to a non-American/westernised way of eating?

* The thing is, no matter how many of us try to stick to this WOE or how many of us try and "recruit" new Atkineers, we are still outnumbered. I live in a family/workplace where most people AREN'T obese and they eat foods in moderation. Trying to do Atkins for Life, I can see I will still be turning down a lot of invitations just so the carb/weight can be managed. But the thing is, we can't do that. How do we integrate back into a world which is not low-carb no-sugar? I'm not saying we should be like them, but I'm saying it certainly adds a lot of stress - we somehow end up being clumped with all those other people who have food-restrictions: those with allergies, those who are diabetic, those who can't eat spicy food, those who are vegetarian, those who can't eat pork, beef for religious reasons - and all these people have "classifications" so it makes it easy for people to understand "vegetarian" or "jewish" or "diabetic" or "lactose intolerant", but ever heard of a special category of people who are "Atkineers"? Many people have "heard" of it, but have no real concept of what our WOE entails because at the end of the day, we all have different CCLL, we all have different food tolerances etc.

I really have to come back to the point of Atkins being a diet initially created for the obese junk-eating American. There are many travellers amongst us, I was born, and raised in 3 different countries. Each of my grandparents are a different nationality. I live in a country that is extremely multicultural. Trying to maintain an Atkins WOE for Life in the environment I describe almost makes me a person with a handicap - trying to avoid refined carbs and sugar.

I have to say that Atkins has been more effective as a weight-loss tool rather than a change-of-eating-style tool for me

I AM NOT AGAINST THE ATKINS WOE but I wanted to say that there are more reasons out in the world that make it difficult for us to maintain Atkins WOE once we reach goal weight. To make Atkins easier to maintain for life, perhaps Dr Atkins should've made the diet easy to follow for MOST people regardless of race, or indicated it is a diet most suitable for the "American/western" way of eating.

[Heidi3]

"I really have to come back to the point of Atkins being a diet initially created for the obese junk-eating American. There are many travellers amongst us, I was born, and raised in 3 different countries. Each of my grandparents are a different nationality. I live in a country that is extremely multicultural. Trying to maintain an Atkins WOE for Life in the environment I describe almost makes me a person with a handicap - trying to avoid refined carbs and sugar. "

it pretty much puts everyone at a handicap until they get to maintanance and even then you have to be careful that is why my siggy says do it right not perfectly I think people get so caught up in the all but nothing of this diet ...and for some folks it is all or nothing....life or even death ..to loose weight....I got a clear view of where I can go if I let go of control this weekend...we are as a culture obsessed with food unfortunatly for most folks it is huge carb loaded food....and we are being crippled by obesity....but back to the point...I think the reason people bag this diet is for exactly your point we are also a very diverse country and people have foods that are ingrained in their own culture when you live in a mixed community then it is harder to say "no" to your friends and family members who offer food they think is wholesome and nutritious and a treat ...but this can be overcome in time by figuring out tact and eating some of what is on your plate and not all of it!....
If you want to do it ...fine....and I believe the all or nothing mentality is what also causes failure...OMG I TASTED MY FINGER AND IT HAD FROSING I AM A FAILURE!!!!.....come on ...people do that and plummet...we do have a cult like mentality around here sometimes and that can also insight failure....

so thanks Tickle you brought up some good points!!! :clapping

[BikerGoddess]

tickle, you bring up a lot of good points. First off, all of us recognize that there is no one diet that fits everyone. We're all unique (just like everyone else, hehe) and we all have different needs. Yes, you'll find some people who think that because something worked for them it will automatically work for you, but if you learn to take that into consideration, then you can learn from others' experiences.

Yes, we do generalize. For the most part, Atkins was designed for and is mostly used by people who are obese and who have very poor diets. What got us fat and what causes us problems are not going to be the same as someone who wants to drop a few pounds and has been eating a balanced diet, regardless of its composition. I can't speak for every member of the board, but I welcome you, your contributions, and your experiences.

Perhaps Atkins isn't for you. Or maybe if you're successful losing the weight you'd be better off quitting it and just making sureyou're more diligent with mealtimes and portion sizes. You have to do what works for you.

For me, the sacrifices were worth the payoff. I had a fair amount of weight to lose, was insulin resistent, and eating mostly highly processed (albeit lowfat) food prior to starting Atkins. It addressed those issues for me very well. For you, the drawbacks may just not be worth it to you. No harm, no foul - again, do what's right for you.

There are some things in this world that I don't like. I wish that I could change them, but I have to realize that I can only control myself. We all have choices when it comes to dealing with others. What I do may work for others, and I don't mind sharing it, but I certainly don't expect everyone to do everything like I do. Point I'm trying to make is Atkins is what it is and you should take from it what you need.

Laura

P.S. It might help alleviate the guilt if you understand the reasoning behind the rules. One of the main goals is to stabilize blood sugar, thereby stabilizing insulin. Asking yourself how your food choices affect your bloodsugar will help you determine how guilty you should feel

[AllieCat0817]

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome!"

Go back to the way you were eating when you were gaining all of your weight and expect to stay at the "post diet" weight/size..........Yup, that is insane!

BTW, thanks for reminding me of why I am doing this WOL and that it can be done in an enjoyable fashion. All those who wish to feel deprived need not apply. Deprivation or Delight, it's your choice how you live this Wol.

exactly.

[Iapetus999]

All I know is not only did my diet suck before Atkins...but I felt compelled to eat that way.
I was hungry all the time. I ate constantly...mostly sugary or starchy snacks like candy bars, potato chips, cookies, etc. I never exercised.

I'm not saying that Atkins cured my cravings. In fact the first couple weeks were extremely hard.
But now I know every food that will cause me cravings. Citrus, rice, bread, candy, so I avoid them. I know foods that will kill cravings: cheese, nuts, etc.

My point is that eating is now under control. I don't feel hunger almost ever (cept when I'm too late for lunch and I didn't get a snack) I don't get cravings almost ever, I don't feel compulsions to snack.

It's your job, and part of the Atkins plan if you read it carefully, to find out what works for you. The whole "Caucasian" food thing is a cop-out to not doing your homework. I eat plenty of Thai, Chinese, Mexican, Indian and Japanese food all the time.
I exercise a lot. I credit the exercise with a lot of my weight loss, but I credit the WOE for getting my eating under control. Without it exercise alone would have just made me eat more of the same crap.

Diet is the most important component of your current weight and weight trend. If Atkins isn't working for you then you need to reevaluate your diet and make some changes. Or reevaluate your goals and see if they are realistic.

[Heidi3]

I am sorry I agree there is something very "caucasion" about Atkins! and I do not think it has much to do with the ethnic foods!!!! IAP good to see ya!!!....the reality of this diet is it is based on eating meat and veggies in the beginning and then yeah you can eat a bunch of ethnic foods but not like you do in the ethnic setting period!!!.....you do not use the injera bread to eat Ethiopian food (the main thing on the table) and you do not eat rice (try to tell an Asian mom that rice is not good for you) and pasta...(God forbid you tell a Southern Italian mom you do not eat pasta) ..the point I think Tickle is making is that this affects a whole cultural aspect of eating!!! and it does..... granted I eat very low carb am at goal in fact below goal ....I love eating this way...yes I have bad days and good days....no I am not always in control ..nuts are a total trigger food....but it is still the best way to eat for me and I know it..I do not eat as much fat as Atkins calls for and do fine with some of the taboo carbs....to me this was more like doing an allergy diet! I took all the foods out ..added them back one at a time .....but yeah it is pretty ethnically exculsive diet when you consider there is more to eating ethnically than just a plat of food and the lack of rice!!!! it is a whole interactive experience and I am thinking that is what Tickle is trying to say.....I also believe that not everyone needs Atkins to live a slim healthy life if they have a good diet eat in moderation from all the food groups and do not have a problemw with trigger foods and just want to loose a few lbs then I think low carb of any type is a great idea to try....some people just cut out white flour and sugar and do fine!

[Perry]

So I'm also wondering if there are those who do Atkins to get the weight off but return to previous WOE which IS low-carb, refined carbs in moderation, lots of fruits, veggies, nuts, legumes and dairy to supplement the calcium intake?

Yes.

I gained most of my 'extra' weight over the course of about 5 years. I believe it was due to the snacking on chips/cheese crackers/candy that did me in (I work for a chocolate/snack manufacturer) and not my overall diet. I started Atkins to drop the weight and now I'm back to my "old" way of eating... meats, pasta (Italian heritage) and fruits - minus the chips/crackers/candy and could not be happier. I don't crave at all.

Moderation is my mantra now.

ha

[Heidi3]

moderation is a great mantra!!!!!.....

[tickletussler]

All I know is not only did my diet suck before Atkins...but I felt compelled to eat that way.
I was hungry all the time. I ate constantly...mostly sugary or starchy snacks like candy bars, potato chips, cookies, etc. I never exercised.

I'm not saying that Atkins cured my cravings. In fact the first couple weeks were extremely hard.
But now I know every food that will cause me cravings. Citrus, rice, bread, candy, so I avoid them. I know foods that will kill cravings: cheese, nuts, etc.

My point is that eating is now under control. I don't feel hunger almost ever (cept when I'm too late for lunch and I didn't get a snack) I don't get cravings almost ever, I don't feel compulsions to snack.

Iapetus999, you've supported my point for Atkins being a WOE that was initially created for those, as you say, whose "diet suck before Atkins".

I never said Atkins wasn't for me. As Nursey managed to so succinctly sum up for me: Atkins WOE can be difficult for those whose daily food is not like what Dr Atkins set up. Sure, many of us eat "Thai, Chinese, Mexican, Indian and Japanese food all the time", but there are those of us whose WOE IS Thai, Chinese, Mexican, Indian or Japanese - you can see this just by using Fitday - either I have to find something that is closest to what I eat, or I have to add LOTs of custom foods into the tool. Sure it is a different sort of difficulty to breaking away from the sugary/junkfood/refined carbs WOE, but it is an added difficulty to doing Atkins.

Some of us will (and do) go back to the WOE of pre-Atkins because the Maintenance WOE will not be very different to what we ate pre-Atkins. I'm trying to make all consider that not all of us were hungry all the time, eating lots of sugary starchy processed foods, insulin-resistant, or had unhealthy eating habits before we started Atkins. There are many of us who put on weight because of other reasons other than because we ate crap eg pregnancy
I am one person who will say that Atkins HAS helped me lose the weight and for that I'm thankful. We HAVE people who who CAN successfully keep the weight off EVEN if they seem to "give up" Atkins when they reach GW - we just don't hear about all of them.

Perhaps Atkins isn't for you. Or maybe if you're successful losing the weight you'd be better off quitting it and just making sureyou're more diligent with mealtimes and portion sizes.
.......
Point I'm trying to make is Atkins is what it is and you should take from it what you need.

P.S. It might help alleviate the guilt if you understand the reasoning behind the rules. One of the main goals is to stabilize blood sugar, thereby stabilizing insulin. Asking yourself how your food choices affect your bloodsugar will help you determine how guilty you should feel

I can see and understand the effects of stabilising blood sugar and insulin levels - from being sleepy and sluggish after a refined carbs meal.
It's just that... I know sometimes I have referred to being "tired" of Atkins and have been criticised for even considering not doing Maintenance in the complete Atkins WOE. As Nursey said "If you do this right (not perfectly.. mind you ..just right) it really does work!" - she is living proof of one who did it right for herself and she had a good outcome.

I do like to reiterate that whatever the reasoning behind it - Atkins HAS helped me lose the weight I have tried to shed for a few years. There is much from it that I would keep as my WOE forever more - such as learning to love whole-fat creams, cheese, butter, chicken skins etc. I already know I eat a healthy portion of fruits, veg, legumes, dairy and that part wouldn't change - having to go without them and wait to reintroduce them back has been the challenge for me.

I answered this post because I wanted to say that not all people who experience success and "give up" Atkins will put the weight back on. I was also hoping to hear more from those whose foods are not atypical to all the foods mentioned in DANDR (eg many Asian greens, fresh fruits like dragonfruit, kiwano, pomelo, rambutans), and who even found the Induction Acceptable Foods list unusual to their "cultural" WOE.

Anyhow, many thanks to you all - this has been an interesting discussion and it is good to see that we can all agree to disagree!