Longest ever on Atkins?

[Alexa]

Hey everyone

People keep saying 'but surely you're not going to eat that way forever?!' when I tell them about this WOL and I explain about how really in the end it's just avoiding white flour and sugar, but still people seem to think I'll be going back to my old ways or switch to a 'healthy' diet . Very frustrating.

So I was wondering do any of you know people who've been eating this WOE for a long time, like 10-20-30 years? I could only think of Dr Atkins and that's a controversial example to give people...

Have some people on ADBB been doing it for a long time?

NB I feel long term committed to this WOL (I've seen the fast gain if I cheat!).

[Bren]

Re: Longest ever on Atkins?

I am here and doing this way of eating since 3/03. So, that is over 4 years for me AND doing a healthy diet!!! But, I know I am not the longest by any means.

[dreamof145]

Re: Longest ever on Atkins?

I'm not the longest either. I've been here since 4/04. They say to learn from other's mistakes and over and over we hear of people who quit their new WOE lifestyle and return later to say they've gained the weight back. So, I'm committed to do this for the rest of my life.

Many people also ask me how much longer I'll be doing Atkins. I always tell them till I take my last breath. For me, there are only two choices: Be Fat or Be Low-Carb. I choose low-carb.

[Condor]

Re: Longest ever on Atkins?

I have been doing this woe since around '95. I have managaed to maintain within 10-15lbs of my ideal weight (135) for all that time. In that time I have only gone off plan less than a handful of times for never longer than a week. The times I did do that I felt absolutely dreadful, incredibly depressed and ill - it was never worth it. I have had a lot of criticism from people regarding this wol and I have learned to ignore them all and stick with what works best for my body - bread and potatoes are the worst things I could eat so I literally haven't eaten them for 10 years. I tend to gain about 10lbs in the winter months, mainly by just eating too much legal stuff, too many calories. However these last months I have been high fatting with lower carbs (almost induction level carbs) and the weight has come back off. My calories have dropped quite a bit by eating high fat because the satiating factor is so good, this could be the reason I have lost again. I am currently back to maintenance and all seems to be okay.
I would never ever go back to eating high carb or low fat ever again. This woe just works!!

[Alexa]

Re: Longest ever on Atkins?

Thanks for sharing Bren, Dream and Condor - it is really great to know that long term this is doable

And Condor - 1995! That's 12 years Definately a 5%er

[sallyseachange]

Re: Longest ever on Atkins?

This is fascinating... as an Atkins youngster (approx 2 1/2 yrs) I'm thrilled to see that people who have been eating this way for longer than I have, remain so very healthy. Not that I was ever in any doubt... but it's nice to "see" this confirmed. I bet there are lots more out there who are healthy long termers.

[Kawispice]

Re: Longest ever on Atkins?

My father has been on it all his life and he is 84 years old!

I am not kidding, either. My dad naturally eats the Atkins way. His body agrees with it. At 84 he still plays tennis (with the other 80 year olds.) He has some emphysema from smoking all his life, and he had catarac eye surgery and that was all that he ever had trouble with. His weight has not fluctuated more than 5 pounds throughout his life either, with the exception when he was a prisoner in a Russian camp during the second WW. But since then he has been consistent.

Dad cooks all his own meals and sometimes makes stuff for the family too, he likes the old country stuff and finds Canadian meals foreign. He does not like to eat at other people's houses and he only eats 2 times a day. But his meals are quite high in fat, some protein and some vegetables (he loves stews) and expresso coffee, coming from Europe. No sugar, no desserts, he just doesn't like them. My dad has never dieted in his life and wouldn't read a diet book if you pointed a gun at him. He just does this naturally because his body likes it and is healthy with it.

[Alexa]

Re: Longest ever on Atkins?

Sally - you've got a great deal of Atkins experience! When I'm at 2 1/2 years I'll be mightily pleased with myself

Kawispice - Your Dad sounds like a pretty amazing guy, especially for an octogenarian! Interesting he just east that way naturally - he must be in tune with what his body likes.

[liftinguru]

Re: Longest ever on Atkins?

I've been following some principles of the Atkins way of eating for over 12 years, albeit not by the book. Originally, I was turned on to the Atkins diet by a bodybuilder in high school that used the diet to rip into contest shape. He of course used the induction phase, which I did back then as well, to strip out the water and quickly lose the last few pounds of fat. In any event, I did read the entire book and realized that certain foods, whether I was on the Atkins diet or not, were unhealthy (in fact, unhealthy on almost all diet plans). Refined sugars, processed foods, white flour, etc. So aside from the occasional slipup at birthday parties and holidays, I avoid those foods even if I'm not trying to lose weight. I can't say how it has affected my health since I am relatively young to begin with, and of course I cannot know what diseases I would otherwise be plagued with had I continued to eat the normal "college diet" of soda, candy bars, and chips. Those kinds of foods are attractive at moments of weakness, but no longer a way of life--they actually make me feel pretty ill after I consume them. I like to shop at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, because I try to buy organic foods and vegetables instead of the steroid injected frankenfruits at the local grocery store, but it's expensive and the stores are quite a drive.

As for the "surely you won't eat that way forever?", I usually get those comments on induction, and my answer is always "of course not!"--nobody can really tell I'm even on a diet otherwise. I simply choose healthy alternatives to what is offered, which may seem weird, but rarely raises concerns.