Going On Atkins...want to join me.

[Catmom]

LOL Mara at your previous sugar addiction. I was the same way. I never met a cookie, cake or pie that I didn''t love and cinnamon rolls.....heaven! Now I look at them and think

[imagine green pukey guy here]. If I get in one of those moods now, it''s a couple of strawberries with a little Splenda on them or a handfull of cherries and I''m good to go. If I need a snack in the afternoon I grab a handfull of nuts and that''s all I need. It''s amazing how things can change.

It sound like you are doing great. I know what you mean about those comfort foods though. When it starts to get cold out salads and light food just don''t cut it anymore. I make a mean low carb meatloaf and green bean casserole that is to die for. Even my kids who are not low carbing fight over the leftovers. For dessert? How about a crustless pumpkin pie with real whipped cream?

Mmmmmm.....now I can''t wait for fall!

 

[KimberJEB]

Just wanted to see how Atkins is going for you - I am starting tomorrow
Kimberly

 

[diamondfan]

FYI: the company started by the late Dr. Atkins is declaring bankruptcy...seems lots of people are not into the low carb lifestyle anymore and the company is not making a profit right now...I am not sure if they will still make those Atkins food items...

 

[Catmom]

Date: 8/1/2005 11:58:40 PM
Author: diamondfan
FYI: the company started by the late Dr. Atkins is declaring bankruptcy...seems lots of people are not into the low carb lifestyle anymore and the company is not making a profit right now...I am not sure if they will still make those Atkins food items...

They are going to continue to make the bars and shakes but I''m not sure about anything else. If you ask most of the long term low carbers, they are happy that this happened. Since the good Doctor died, this company changed completely from what he stood for and became a greedy, money hungry company. Dr. Atkins always stood for eating whole and natural foods and always urged people to stay away from the exact foods that this company tried to market after his death. Chips and ice cream and candy are the things that get most people into trouble in the first place. Dr. Atkins would have had a fit if he knew his company was trying to market such things. Most long termers are very happy that things will get back to normal [i.e., less temptation].

 

[MissAva]

Hey Kimberly I lost three lbs the first week and I am happy with that. 3 down 50 to go. If you want to be diet buddies PM me!

 

[caligal]

Mata-

Way to go with 3 pounds!!! I will tell you the low carb thing absolutely does work- at least it did for me! It really showed me how much crap I was eating. Now I try to stick to a simple rule: shop only on the outskirts of the supermarket- that''s where the fresh food is. I don''t each much out of a bag or can anymore. Make sure you get a variety of foods so you aren''t bored out of your mind- that is a huge key. I wish you all the luck and success- keep up with your awesome workout routine on the eliptical- and start adding weight training!!

 

[MissAva]

He he acutally I am really lucky beucase my favorite meal of the day is breakfast! I love eggs and bacon and omlettes and cheese. So this is a great thing for me becuase now I can have breakfast everyday! Your right about the outskirts thing in supermarkets, my mother has always done that with us. I had hoped to lose more that first weeek but honestly I am shooting for xmas to have lost 50lbs. It sounds like a lot but when you break it down I really belive it is possible. And I think I would look super cute (yes being vain here) at 123lbs.

 

[AndyRosse]

Congrats Matatora!! I have done Atkins too and have been quite successful. Like Caligirl said, make sure you eat lots of variety, because that is always my downfall on diets. I even would take a day off every couple weeks to eat some of the foods that I couldn''t on Atkins. The only thing I didn''t like about eating low-carb was that I couldn''t eat any of the foods such as low carb bread, ice cream, snack bars, etc. They have malitol (I think I spelled it correctly) which makes me nauseous. But I survived

.

Keep up the good work!!

 

[Strawdermangrl]

Date: 7/24/2005 4:41:51 PM
Author: Jennifer5973
I agree with Mara...I tried Atkins 2 years ago and it was horrible...I had bad breath (from eating so much protein), was constipated (sorry but it''s a big side effect), always irritable & miserable (my husband was running after me with a potato, begging me to eat it), and after 2 weeks of being this way I GAINED 3 lbs, instead of losing.

What worked for me was more of the South Beach Diet... Overall moderation and lots of lean meats and fish with veggies and good carbs, like whole grains and beans. Much less extreme. And exercise is a must.

The best diet IMO is Weight Watchers, especially if you use your calories on fruits, veggies and lean meats with some good carbs annd fiber. My mom had lost 40 lbs in the last year doing this and she even gets to save ''points'' for the weekend so she can have a splurge one in a while and not fail.

Also, there is NO CHEATING on Atkins whatsoever--One bite of pasta literally ruins the delcate biochemical process you force your body into by depriving it of carbs (ketosis, I think)) and you won''t lose any weight for an entire week.

If you put your mind to it, you will probably lose weight and I think it can be healthy if you avoid gorging on high-fat foods all the time just because you can have them... But in order to sustain long-term weight loss, you need a permanent lifestyle change and Atkins has proven to be too extreme for many people to sustain over the long haul (which is why its popularity has been on the decline).

If you find you hate it, there are the other alternatives above.

Good luck!

WOOHOO South beach!!!! I have lost 40 lbs on that diet- and if I need a piece of cake or chocolate- I have A piece. I can cheat a little here and there and it makes it soooo easy to stick to it when I know that those things I so dearly love aren''t the forbidden fruit.

I tried Weight Watcher but my big down fall on the diet was that I would have something like 10 points left for dinner and I would have 8 reduced fat oreos and a cup of skim milk.....can you tell that I have a thing for sweets? I just couldn''t stick to it- it was almost to easy for me to cheat- it works for alot of people that I know and I think very highly of the diet- VERY SMART diet- long term. I think after I lose a few more pounds- I might try to get back on it to maintain- we will see how that works out...

Anywho- Best of luck- Making the choice to start a diet of any kind is a huge step and one that you should be patted on the back for- so keep you head up and if you trip- pick yourself back up. And remember nothing tastes as good as losing weight feels.