cheating or even go off atkins? (without weight gain?)

[azzurri.love]

I hear from many people that when they go off Atkins they almost immediately regain all their weight, if not more. I was wondering if this is inevitable no matter how well you transition into a different but healthy lifestyle...
More specifically, if I transition off atkins by continuosly adding in more carbs but eating low calorie/fat foods (like a more traditional diet), is it possible that i maintain the weight i lost from Atkins?

will it work for maintaining weight loss if i reduce fat proteins for more lean choices while adding in more carbs (wheat/grain based) as well as veggies and fruit...
i dont think i can live without eating massive amts of veggies and fruit everyday anymore. and also, i eventually want to be able to have more carbs in my diet again. in the maintenance phase i will probably only be able to eat like 40g carbs a day max coz im so short/small, which is wayy lower than a normal low carb diet. and being that i plan to go to italy sometime in the summer (which is a country filled with not many atkins friendly foods), i need a way to ween off it (at least for the next little while) so that i can enjoy more carbs without gaining it all back.

i also heard about carb cycling or certain days of carb binges. i don tknow if that will help (or make it worse)? i have a tendency to gain weight easily and not lose weight easily

any input would be great. im a super noobie at this. sorry

[Elizellen]

Re: cheating or even go off atkins? (without weight gain?)

Hi Azzurri
After following the 4 phases of Atkins many of us are able to eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, and some even find that grains are OK for their body too.

We start induction by eating about the same quantity of veggies as most government recommendations and on the first OWL rung/level are told to eat more!!

Though eating Atkins doesnt really mean eating 'massive amounts' of anything, even the 'good carbs' like the lower GI vegetables and fruits, we eat till satisfied, which for most of us means we are eating less in bulk than before starting Atkins as a result of the natural appetite suppressant effect of being in ketosis.

As with all 'diets' if you go back to eating the foods you ate while gaining weight you are likely to gain the weight again, but the beauty of following Atkins as a way of eating means we don't feel the need to add back all those 'empty carbs' that we used to eat before Atkins.

You wrote

i have a tendency to gain weight easily and not lose weight easily

so why not try to change what you eat and see if this past truth about yourself can be changed?

For anyone who knows they have a tendency towards gaining weight, returning to eating foods made with large amounts of sugar and white (nutrient-poor) flour and starches is never going to allow them to keep from gaining weight again, so a shift in your eating patterns will be vital.

Who knows, after following Atkins and discovering which 'good carbs' and how many of them you CAN eat and stay slim you might not still yearn after those other foods and be happy with your new food options and slimmer figure

BTW - your CCLM (carb count for lifetime maintenance) is not necessarily going to be as low as you think, just because you are not tall. Your CCLM is not dependant on your height but your metabolism and activity level, so follow the plan and see how high you can go!!

We had one member who posted asking for advice and complaining that she was worried because she could not stop losing weight while eating over 100 net carbs - maybe you will be like her?

[Elizellen]

Re: cheating or even go off atkins? (without weight gain?)

I hear from many people that when they go off Atkins they almost immediately regain all their weight, if not more. I was wondering if this is inevitable no matter how well you transition into a different but healthy lifestyle...

Out of curiosity, what makes you think eating Atkins style is not a healthy lifestyle?

[azzurri.love]

Re: cheating or even go off atkins? (without weight gain?)

i'm not saying its not a healthy lifestyle (except maybe if someone for some reason decide to stay in induction forever...hope not :S). i was wndering if i could maintain my weight with a different lifestyle from the atkins way, as long as it was also a healthy one. not that i want to switch becase atkins is unhealthy. (if that made sense lol) just by reading the carb count for lifetime, it seemed kinda low and i didnt know f i could have a great variety of food choices from that number. i have great respect for those who can pull it off and stay on track...

i on the other hand have a tendency to need cheat days to keep going (which atkins never mentions, so im guessing cheat days is a big no no).

and i WISH i was the girl who could lose weight on 100+ net carbs haha

[eclectikat]

Re: cheating or even go off atkins? (without weight gain?)

my feeling is that I will eat low carb every day for the rest of my life. NOW that means that I will not be eating like I usually did prior to discovering low carb. On any given day I could have ingested 300-500grams of carbs... there are 80 carbs in one butter tart... do the math....

I believe if I reach my goal weight and remain active and make good choices I WILL be able to eat perhaps 60-100grams of carbs depending on my activity level... the greater the activity, the more carbs I can take in for fuel.

As far as being small. I had a friend who was pint size. She was 5'1" and ate really well... more than me and she was a third of my weight... but she was active and burned off what she ate. I think it all depends on how you reset your metabolism throughout your journey.

The most important thing would be to really monitor your body after extended intuction and into Ongoing weightloss... then into maintenance. if you detect your inches increasing or the lbs creeping up... then lower your carb intake... by that tiime it should be a no brainer to be aware of your carb intake.
For me it is about eating consiously...aware of what you are putting in your mouth.
At my heaviest... I shoveled huge amounts of pasta in my mouth... I am astonished now as I understand the implications of doing so...
I am quite sure I will never eat pasta again. ITs a sacrifice but one I am willingly and gladly going to make!

I have cheat days...actually cheat hours. I plan them carefully. what , when where... but only ever for one or two meals. NEVER an all day cheat. That for me would be suicide. It is a no no... but for me mentally It is important. And funny enough when I have it planned... I have never Binged... like you would think you might. I simply don't need to, I dont want to... its because I am in control and aware.

Good luck!

[azzurri.love]

Re: cheating or even go off atkins? (without weight gain?)

i definately do not want to ever binge like crazy.
but some pasta once in a while would be nice...just because italian food has been my love for quite some time lol.
out of curiosity how often do you have your mini carb binges? so i can have an idea of what is and isnt going overboard that would lead to regaining weight? thx

[ikilledrafe]

Re: cheating or even go off atkins? (without weight gain?)

i've been on induction for four weeks...and honestly...binging is bad for me, because the more carbs i eat, the more i want. So avoiding breads and pastas completely is better. Though im sure you'll know, if you lose all your weight and eat spaghetti a few times in a week and weigh in. If you gain weight, then your body must not like the spaghetti.

[Zarabelle]

Re: cheating or even go off atkins? (without weight gain?)

Hi there

I think as you proceed up the ladder, you will be surprised at the variety of foods you can eat. Personally, I eat much healthier when eating low carb as have lots of salad, veg and berries.

In answer to your question, after I had lost thirty pounds on Atkins, I tried to swap over to weight watchers. I did gain quite a few pounds - 8 or 9 if I recall correctly and then it stabilised but... the dreaded hunger returned and I had soon regained all of the lost weight.

If you really feel that you'd like pasta or bread then maybe you could introduce the low carb alternatives when you are closer to goal. This is my plan. I do realise that it is better to do this is pre-maintenance though so as not to slow weight loss down.

Re: cheat meals. Check out this site for excellent tips on low carbing. He also has a video of planned cheats. I am not saying I think it is advisable! Just that it seems to work for some people. Jimmy Moore’s Livin’ La Vida Low Carb Blog

Good luck.

[liv]

Re: cheating or even go off atkins? (without weight gain?)

Jimmy Moore does not condone cheat days any more.
Here is what he said about it last

Actually, I don't. What I have discussed before is a "planned splurge" MEAL (not a day) once every 6-8 weeks (not every month) when I was losing weight in 2004 and I stopped doing these in 2005. Nowadays, I don't even need these anymore because I'm completely satisfied with my low-carb lifestyle.

Anyways azzuiri.love
I think many of us think like you when we start. Food have so much power over us - they have convinced us that we must eat them. I think what I have loved about Atkins is that I am freer from those kind of thoughts. Just give it some months to work on you. The fact that I can wear size 6 is more important to me than certain items that I previously liked to scarf down.

[lisau39]

Re: cheating or even go off atkins? (without weight gain?)

Liv and Zarabelle said it all.
In the beginning I felt deprived and still had those"I can't take this anymore, I want choc cake!" days.The longer I am on the plan, the more carbs I eat as I go up the ladder. Who knows what my final carb allowance will be.
We are making life changes here. At the end, you will be at your goal weight and maybe so active that you will need many carbs.
As far as cheating, I feel you are just cheating yourself.There are sooooooo many great recipes, desserts too!!!
Example, I love tacos. Who could think about eating a taco without a shell? I love taco salad(no shell). Because my body and attitude have changed. As you go on you will grow and adapt. Give yourself a chance. You'll be ok.
If not then maybe Atkins isn't for you. Only you can decide.
Good luck


(((lisa)))

[not2late]

Re: cheating or even go off atkins? (without weight gain?)

Follow the Diet as Dr. Atkins wrote and you'll be very surprized at what you can and cannot eat, by the time you are in Pre-Maintenance or Maintenance Phases.

I think what happens is that we have a tendency to think that Induction is the ENTIRE Atkins Diet and that Maintenance Phase is exactly the same as Induction Phase. Read through the book and it's plain to see that On-Going WEight loss Phase isn't Induction, that Pre-Maintenance Phase isn't Induction and Maintenance Phase isn't Induction. If they were, I doubt I would have ever bothered to go on Atkins.

If less of us thought that way, I've no doubt Atkins would have a better reputation than it does and there wouldn't be so many lies and myths about Atkins out there.

The best and safest thing to do is to just go through the Diet as Dr. Atkins wrote and see what our bodies are capable of doing. I've seen too many people do their own thing, not lose weight, then blame the Atkins diet for not working. Likewise, I've seen too many people stay on Induction get bored, fall off, then complain that Atkins is too restrictive to do.

[azzurri.love]

Re: cheating or even go off atkins? (without weight gain?)

thnx guys.
its just hard to say no to ppl especially if they surprise me with a birthday dinner/cake or invite me out to dinner with them. it feels like i always have to be rude and turn them down, and they may feel like im alienating them or something.

[not2late]

Re: cheating or even go off atkins? (without weight gain?)

Go out to dinner! There's no reason to stay at home like a hermit.

When you choose your foods, choose them in accordance with your Phase of Atkins.

It always infuriates me that heavy people are expected to eat every morsel of food and to never turn away any food presented to them. Yet, it's completely acceptable that skinny-thins can eat a forkful or two and turn up their noses at every dish---and people think they are being so elegant and health conscious. Horsefeathers!!!!!

I remember when I was at my heaviest, skinny-thin people would dish up these huge servings for me, while they take a tablespoonful for themselves. And they still do---especially the ones who knew me when I was huge. When I eat (IF I eat it), I just tell them I've eaten as much as they had and am completely full.

YOU are important and YOUR health is important. You are much more important and valuable than a piece of cake or a piece of bread can ever be. Think about yourself for a change. .

[azzurri.love]

Re: cheating or even go off atkins? (without weight gain?)

i would liek to go out for dinner some times but i just never quite know what i am or am not allowed to eat. especially at restaurants when they use many hidden carbs in their foods to add extra flavour and such.

[liv]

Re: cheating or even go off atkins? (without weight gain?)

Some restaurants have websites with menus. I like to check things out in advance and think about what I can order and what kind of questions I need to ask. I've found restaurants to be a learning process. I've had a few bumps but overall I know more about what I can and cannot do where. If this is something you really enjoy just start researching and figuring out what are possible. Most places are so helpful when you explain that you do not eat starches and sugars.