Using Atkins as a "quick fix"?

[n0matter]

Re: Using Atkins as a "quick fix"?

It seems like people are just picking out pieces of my posts and then hashing out the same rhetoric; Atkins is a way of life and you'll gain all of the weight back as soon as you stop. No one notices that the idea is to lose enough weight to permit me to endeavor in the same exercise program I was following two years ago. At the time, I was able to work out 4 or 5 times/week and pretty much eat anything I wanted. I was trim, fit, had excellent energy levels and endurance and I was able to eat donuts, cakes, pie, and all sorts of other horrible things.

I think Atkins can be and is a way of life for people who simply don't want to deal with exerting themselves and would instead lose weight based almost completely on what they eat. If that's what works for you, hey, great! But you shouldn't tell people who aspire to use Atkins as a tool to reach another goal that they're dooming themselves. Only a few people here seem to understand that every body is different and will respond to diets, exercise and ways of living differently. To simply tell me that it's either Atkins for life or bust with almost religious, zealous enthusiasm indicates uncompromising thought and devotion. I always thought the whole idea behind being "healthy" was trying a variety of activites, eating a variety of foods and using a variety of methods of weight loss/control to see what best worked for you.

I was looking for people who had done this before and could empathyze or offer feedback. Not a bunch of non-helpful replies telling me that it wouldn't work without providing a scrap of evidence to support their claims. No opinions, please. If you haven't tried this already, your criticisms and advice are moot.

[drosa75]

Re: Using Atkins as a "quick fix"?

There are no "Moot" points in an open forum. Questions and answers here are a tool for us all.

Many of us Atkiners have been down this road 1, 2, 10 times. I think the general consensus is that this way of eating is not a diet nor is it a tool. Its a way of eating for life.

If you are not receiving the "right" answer than push the opposing opinion aside.

All posters on this board deserve respect. You may not get the answer your looking for but respect others for sharing their opinion as it may help another person.

[cypressgirl]

Re: Using Atkins as a "quick fix"?

I think the bottomline is that you are allowed to do whatever it is that suits you. Only you will be able to know if you will maintain by doing it your way. I think it is very possible - especially if you aren't particularly fond of carby, processed things. Most everyone has a slippery slope trigger and that is what I think most of the posters are attempting to point out.

Having said all of that, I will say this: In my years on the board, I have seen alot of very well intentioned people try to do what you are talking about only to find themselves at, near or above the weight they were when they discovered Atkins (myself included, to some degree). It will take a good bit of discipline and some sort of formulated plan in your mind in order to maintain weight loss for anyone. I think what the posters were trying to point out, in their own ways, is that the Atkins maintenance is a very reasonable & flexible way to do that if you are looking for suggestions

If you see your weight going back up more than say 5 pounds or so, you may want to revisit what it is you are doing to maintain. Good luck and happy melting!

[katiewash]

Re: Using Atkins as a "quick fix"?

Although I perhaps would have worded it differently, I have read and reread n0matter's original question and reply and don't find anything that could be called disrespectful. Although I don't think anybody meant for this to happen, I think he felt attacked and "ganged up on" and truth be told, I probably would have felt the same.

Yes, n0matter, on this board you will find people who are zealous on this subject. I can only speak for myself, but I have considered the same plan you outline. However, at this point, I realize that the addictions that I have to food are nowhere near being under control... and I've come to terms with the fact that they may never be. In other words, I may never be able to eat fruit loops for breakfast again, or limit myself to "just one" donut. I fear that once I eat that one donut, the next day it will be two... and a "small" serving of ice cream. The next day, it will be the rest of the carton of ice cream. And then downhill from there. It's just so much easier for me if I never start.

Having said that, I am aware of the possibility that there are people out there who could use Atkins as you outline and have no problems maintaining their goal weight afterwards (my sister is one and she lived on Smarties after getting to her goal weight, but it didn't matter because she walked three hours a day). I don't think these people would have the addiction issues I mentioned. You may indeed be one of these people, although I would say this is a very small part of the population.

One thing we do have to acknowledge is, taking issues and addictions out of the equation, if you eat only fruit loops for breakfast, a big mac for lunch, little chocolate donuts as an afternoon snack, and half a pizza for supper, you can still maintain your weight as long as you're exercising like a maniac. (My husband eats like this and weighs 130 pounds because he walks for about 8 hours straight on his job.) Now, will you be healthy? Probably not, but you could maintain your weight. So, theoretically, it is possible.

You asked "I'm just wondering if anyone else here has used the diet in a similar fashion with success and if they have any pointers on making the transition". I am sure that there are such people, but I wouldn't think you'd find them on this board. Birds of a feather flock together, and in the relatively short time I've been here, I've come to the conclusion that most (not all, of course) of the people on this board have the same sort of addiction issues that I have (one of the reasons I like it here). I'd venture a guess that if there are people on this board that have successfully used Atkins the way you describe, they would message you privately because they'd know they would receive the same reaction you did.

I do hope that you (and everyone for that matter) feel welcome here, and that you can gain some benefit from the kind of support and advice the ADBB posters can give.

Good luck!

[2big4mysize]

Re: Using Atkins as a "quick fix"?

actually we don't just lose because of limiting our eating Atkins has mandatory exercise both aerobic and resistance as a part of it so we do workout like you said you plan to. I don't think you understand the atkins plan as vigorous exercisers like you plan to can do Atkins with many more carbs in their WOE. Atkins just controls the type of carbs as you move up the OWL rungs you are exposed to higher glycemic foods and if your body can handle them then you can include them in your Atkins. we eat lots of veggies 3 cups from day one and as we add back the carbs we ad more veggies nuts brerries legumes starchy veggies fruits other then berries and finally we can even add back grains and have a doughnut if we chose and our bodies can handle it.

one thing I have learned is just as you did when an Atkineer stops exercising their carb intake has to decrease. I have a maintnenance carb level over 120 net carbs ( that is total carbs minus the fiber) and over 700 cals worth of carbs as part of my Atkins when I'm working out regularly 6 days a week . BUT if I get injured or have a lifestyle change and can't workout at that level then my carb intake has to be cut back to 45 net carbs to maintain my goal weight.
should you get injured or stop working out again what are your options other then regain it? there isn't a built in saftey net for you like we have with Atkins.

[changing]

Re: Using Atkins as a "quick fix"?

I think one of the reasons that people respond so strongly when someone wants to use Atkins as a "quick fix" and then maintain some other way is that a lot of people that are anti-Atkins think it's a big old fad and a train you hop on and hop off so that you can drop the weight and then gain it back later. While that's not necessarily what you're doing, I know that a lot of people think what you're proposing to do is standard usage of the Atkins diet and that tends to confuse them and make them nastier to me because they assume that's what I'm doing, instead of the commitment I have to a marriage of one steady controlled eating plan and vigorous exercise.


To be honest, for me, exercise is the most powerful part of this equation. But I really love how Atkins makes food a non-issue for me.

But remember, I'm not saying that you're on par with all the old fad dieters, it's just that a lot of bystanders will see that and view Atkins as some kind of fad that allowed you to lose your weight before you truly became "healthy." And that's irritating.

[dotsamantha]

Re: Using Atkins as a "quick fix"?

Changing brings up a point. Many ofo us will get defensive on this topic because of having to defend Atkins to people who aren't informed. Many people think it consists wholly of induction and that there is no long term loss. When a person asks about it being a quick fix, I think a knee-jerk reaction is going to be what you're witnessing. I don't think anyone means to insult your questions or verbally beat you up for asking, but when there have been folks who, time and again, have done what you are referring to and rebounded, then it's only in the best intentions of them to warn you.

[Brook]

Re: Using Atkins as a "quick fix"?

I eat essentially as you described in your first post at maintenance - and it IS Atkins.
I exercise regularly- and that too IS Atkins.

Nothing is off limits in maintenance, not even that donut, but as was mentioned above several times, it's something you plan around and work around when you do it. I eat bread - but I choose whole grain. I eat cereal occasionally, and drink milk too - and it's STILL Atkins.

It's not an "either/or" type of thing. All of these things are included in the plan, and I think the reactions you got were mostly from those who view it the same way I do and have a hard time understanding why you'd seperate the ideas when the Atkins plan can and does end up being what you started talking about to begin with.

I think Atkins can be and is a way of life for people who simply don't want to deal with exerting themselves and would instead lose weight based almost completely on what they eat.

Sorry - but not a chance. People who are approaching fat removal with your assumption of what Atkineers are and do aren't following Atkins to begin with, so please, don't paint us with that brush. Those that show up here on this board trying to slide that by get pointed directly to the same place I'm going to point you to correct this sweeping generalization and incorrect assumption: DANDR Chapter 22. Read it. Learn it. Live it. Love it. It shall set you free.



If it works for you, work it. If what you're doing doesn't work, change what you're doing - but you are talking about the same Atkins plan from start to finish that the rest of us are and it's just the wording that's different.

Success to you.
~Brook

[big_bad_john]

Re: Using Atkins as a "quick fix"?

Hey Brook..where ya been?

Havent seen you for ages...

(or did I just miss your posts?)

[ttdriver]

Re: Using Atkins as a "quick fix"?

Sorry if this sounds rude, but if you have the discipline, how'd you end up 50 pounds overweight? Yeah, I know you said you weren't exercising, but you don't gain all that weight from laying off the exercise alone...........

I agree with others, that Atkins incorporates ALL healthy foods as you progress through ALL 4 PHASES.

Betty