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Well, I started off in the Atkins Diet the first couple weeks following it by the book, but found that I didn't have enough energy to get the things done I needed through the day. I have been working out at the gym 4-5 days a week, doing 30 minutes of weight training and 20-30 minutes of cardio, or by taking a Body Pump class. I had not worked out prior to last month for almost 10 years and had 4 kids during that time. Anyway, by dropping to so few carbs and working out in the morning, I wasn't able to get as much done at work, as I was always tired. I decided that the Atkins Diet wasn't sustainable for me personally, but I wanted to continue to lose weight, so I made an "adjustment" to the diet.
I go to the gym first thing in the morning before eating and have a low carb breakfast or Atkins shake 30-45 minutes after. I have done a bit of research regarding low carb diets and excercise and have learned that after working out, your body, or specifically your muscles, use up all of your glycogen stores and that you can actually eat most foods, including reasonable higher carb foods (breads, pasta, anything with less than 10 grams of sugar per serving) within about 4 hours after working out and it won't add to your fat stores at all. Your body will use these carbs to restore the glycogen stores you lost by exercising early in the morning. I have included an exert from an article detailing this below.
It has been a month now and I have lost 7 of the 30 pounds I want to lose, and although it is probably less than most people lose in a month, I feel that it is sustainable without having to give up the foods I enjoy. It allows me to go out to lunch and grab a sandwich or any reasonally healthy meal without hurting my diet as long as I follow-up with a low carb dinner. I also am able to enjoy a night or two out with friends where I can drink a few low carb beers without causing me to gain weight. (This also included a complete birthday cheat of oysters, saltines and cocktail sauce and many, many beers
). Also, during this entire process, I HAVE stayed in ketosis the entire time, so I know that the the additional carbs I have been eating, are being utilized by my muscle and not being converted to fat. I have a lot of friends that have been very successful with Atkins, but gain it all back once they start eating "normal" food. Basically, I just can't see giving up bread and sandwiches for a long period of time...
I started tracking my progress at the gym on 1/18/08 (3 weeks ago and just as I was ending Induction) and my body fat has gone from 27.4% to 25.8%. I think this is a much more accurate accounting of my progress than weight, because I know a lot of the initial weight loss is water weight and many people start losing muscle on low carb diets if not done correctly.
Anyway, here are pics of my progress to give you an idea of how I have done. I know it is slow, but I feel that it is definetely sustainable, even though it isn't following the Atkins Diet as most of you are able to do...
1/07/08:
2/09/08:
Below is the excert I mentioned above the explains when and why carbs can be allowed with exercise:
Any comments or feeback on this "altered" form of the diet and results would be happily welcomed and appreciated.
Thanks!
I go to the gym first thing in the morning before eating and have a low carb breakfast or Atkins shake 30-45 minutes after. I have done a bit of research regarding low carb diets and excercise and have learned that after working out, your body, or specifically your muscles, use up all of your glycogen stores and that you can actually eat most foods, including reasonable higher carb foods (breads, pasta, anything with less than 10 grams of sugar per serving) within about 4 hours after working out and it won't add to your fat stores at all. Your body will use these carbs to restore the glycogen stores you lost by exercising early in the morning. I have included an exert from an article detailing this below.
It has been a month now and I have lost 7 of the 30 pounds I want to lose, and although it is probably less than most people lose in a month, I feel that it is sustainable without having to give up the foods I enjoy. It allows me to go out to lunch and grab a sandwich or any reasonally healthy meal without hurting my diet as long as I follow-up with a low carb dinner. I also am able to enjoy a night or two out with friends where I can drink a few low carb beers without causing me to gain weight. (This also included a complete birthday cheat of oysters, saltines and cocktail sauce and many, many beers
). Also, during this entire process, I HAVE stayed in ketosis the entire time, so I know that the the additional carbs I have been eating, are being utilized by my muscle and not being converted to fat. I have a lot of friends that have been very successful with Atkins, but gain it all back once they start eating "normal" food. Basically, I just can't see giving up bread and sandwiches for a long period of time...I started tracking my progress at the gym on 1/18/08 (3 weeks ago and just as I was ending Induction) and my body fat has gone from 27.4% to 25.8%. I think this is a much more accurate accounting of my progress than weight, because I know a lot of the initial weight loss is water weight and many people start losing muscle on low carb diets if not done correctly.
Anyway, here are pics of my progress to give you an idea of how I have done. I know it is slow, but I feel that it is definetely sustainable, even though it isn't following the Atkins Diet as most of you are able to do...
1/07/08:
2/09/08:
Below is the excert I mentioned above the explains when and why carbs can be allowed with exercise:
Forbidden Foods
1. ALL breads
2. Potato
3. Pastas
4. Any food or drink that contains more than 10 grams of sugars per serving (2 tsp)
Glycogen is a form of carbohydrate which is used by the muscles as it's primary source of energy. If your muscles are full of glycogen from eating the forbidden foods NO stored fat will be utilized for energy.
The key to weight loss is to deplete the glycogen levels in the muscles which in turn will decrease insulin levels. This makes your body capable of utilizing stored fat for energy before, during and after exercise. For that matter all times of the day and night. This is why we recommend not eating any of the forbidden foods a minimum of 4 hours before slepp. By eating as we described above your body will be forced to revert to stored fat for enery even while you sleep.
Fat is only used by the body for energy when it detects that everything is working well and it is being fed properly. If you starve yourself or go on a strict diet your body will revert to muscle proteins for energy and you will lose weight, however, most the weight will come from muscle tissue. If this happens your body will become less firm and your metabloism will decrease and you will more than likely gain more weight in the form of fat when the diet is stopped.
NOTE: AFTER exercise and/or early in the day ANY foods including the forbidden ones can be eaten because the body will utilize most of what you eat to replenish glycogen store (Energy) in the muscles.
1. ALL breads
2. Potato
3. Pastas
4. Any food or drink that contains more than 10 grams of sugars per serving (2 tsp)
Glycogen is a form of carbohydrate which is used by the muscles as it's primary source of energy. If your muscles are full of glycogen from eating the forbidden foods NO stored fat will be utilized for energy.
The key to weight loss is to deplete the glycogen levels in the muscles which in turn will decrease insulin levels. This makes your body capable of utilizing stored fat for energy before, during and after exercise. For that matter all times of the day and night. This is why we recommend not eating any of the forbidden foods a minimum of 4 hours before slepp. By eating as we described above your body will be forced to revert to stored fat for enery even while you sleep.
Fat is only used by the body for energy when it detects that everything is working well and it is being fed properly. If you starve yourself or go on a strict diet your body will revert to muscle proteins for energy and you will lose weight, however, most the weight will come from muscle tissue. If this happens your body will become less firm and your metabloism will decrease and you will more than likely gain more weight in the form of fat when the diet is stopped.
NOTE: AFTER exercise and/or early in the day ANY foods including the forbidden ones can be eaten because the body will utilize most of what you eat to replenish glycogen store (Energy) in the muscles.
Thanks!
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