Question:
Does Atkins diet work for anyone?
I have to lose 15# before they will even consider me for surgery. I started a month ago on Atkins, followed it to a T and last nght I weighed in at 3# less than last month. All I can think of is I have too much fat in the diet. I am eating cream cheese on celery for snacks. I have less than 30 gm of carbs a day and they are all healthy carbs. I am so discouraged right now. Please help if you can. I will be so grateful. Thanks..MJ — Mary Jane C. (posted on August 14, 2003)
August 14, 2003
You might be better off to try a more conventional diet. I've never tried
Atkins, but at the fitness center yesterday morning, a group of women were
talking about dieting and two of them said that Atkins did nothing for
them. One was on it for six weeks and lost just one pound. She swore she
had been faithful to it. She then went to see a dietitian, who couldn't
explain why Atkins hadn't worked for her, but put her on a more traditional
diet: heavy on veggies, light on fat, starches and refined carbs. She said
she upped her exercise then, too, and has begun losing weight, but still
pretty slowly. Could be a metabolism thing.
— Vespa R.
August 14, 2003
did you do the 2 weeks of induction with a near zero carb consumption?
Also while you are in the weight-loss phase you really need to strip those
carbs out as much as possible. I don't normally recommend that anyone
count green veggies as a carb (even though they are), but since your
surgeon wants you to lose X# of pounds prior to surgery, I'd suggest
cutting out as many carbs as possible (including most veggies), drinking at
least 64 ounces of water (up to 128 ounces), cutting out all sweetened
beverages (even those with splenda for now!), caffeine, etc. Stick
strictly to meat, cheese (limitedly), eggs, and nuts (remember peanuts and
cashews are NOT nuts). Give this a shot for two weeks and if that weight
doesn't move, I'd seriously suggest you get your glands checked with a
blood test. If you know your thyroid is fine, ask them to test your
adrenal gland. Most docs don't auto-test for it and it too effects
weight-loss. Good luck!
— [Deactivated Member]
August 14, 2003
I have been on the Atkins diet for about 3 months now. At first, on the
induction part I did not lose much. But I stuck with it and I have lost 23
pounds. I find what works for me with this diet is eating about 50 carbs a
day. And when I eat protein like meat I tend to lose quicker. Also, make
sure you are truly counting your carbs. It took me along time to get the
diet right. Its a good diet to be on befor sugery, because you train your
self to go for the protein first. Good for you for lossing the 3 lbs. You
may be a slow losser. My sister went on the diet the same time I did and
she has lost 45 lbs compaired to my 23 lbs. And she has done no
exercieing! Just keep up the good work, and don't let your slow weight
loss get you down.
— Melissa B.
August 14, 2003
Try almost 0 carb's for a few days and everything will kick in real fast
— joe R.
August 14, 2003
I have been doing atkins for about 2 1/2 weeks and I have lost 17 pounds. I
don't worry about calories which I consume between 1000 - 1500 daily and my
fat intake is high. I keep to 20 carbs or less aday. No bread or bread
products, no mike other then cheese & whipped cream and of course no
sugar. Are you doing any exercise with the program? If you are not already,
track your carbs through fitday.com
— bbjnay
August 14, 2003
Just a word of encouragement here. Atkins can help you in losing weight
pre-operatively. To clarify to the poster who doesn't understand why you
would have to lose preoperatively - a small loss of only 10 to 15 pounds
will significantly reduce the size of the liver. As a result the surgical
field is much easier to see. This makes the procedure easier for the
surgeon and, as a result, makes it much easier for the patient. We used to
require our super morbidly obese patients to lose weight. However, when we
saw the benefits in our "super" patients we decided to try it
with all patients and the difference is very significant. Hang in there -
you can do it! You may also be retaining some fluids which could make it
appear that you've lost less than you actually have. Don't give up, ok?
You're starting this journey in exactly the right way!
— ronascott
August 14, 2003
I was on protein and veggies only for the two weeks before surgery and lost
21 lbs. Basically this was Atkins at it's strictest. Maybe I'm wrong but
I do not think cream cheese qualifies as a good anything = protein or carbs
or fat. Like I said I might be wrong, so if I am just ignore that part.
<p>I found for me that I ate as much protein as I wanted at a meal
and it really stayed with me. I typically wasn't even interested in
snacking. So go stricter and don't compromise at all.
— zoedogcbr
August 16, 2003
Im answering a question with a question... If Atkins worked so great why
are we all having/ or have had surgery?
— **willow**
August 16, 2003
From everything I've read most diets will work. what doesn't work is us.
Our bodies are so messed up (biologically, metabolically, etc.) that diets
in the long-run don't cut it as a stand alone. However, Atkins and other
low-carb, high-protein diets do statically work for many, many people and
especially the many post-ops I talked with or read about.
— [Deactivated Member]
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