AIBU to think Atkins is a reasonable option?

[leanbh21]

I'm generally within a healthy BMI but have gained about 10lb in the past few months, probably through eating junk. I'm thinking maybe Atkins will be helpful to kick start and drop most of the weight in a few weeks but AIBU to try doing this with a young family and a demanding job? Will I just be a tired and smelly-breathed grump?

Why on earth would eating low carb make you miserable?! A way of eating that means you can enjoy cooking with and eating butter, cream and cheese, (for example) can't be bad!

It is a far, far better way to eat than most people eat. The reading I've been doing about it has made me realise that as well as a way to lose weight (painlessly compared to counting calories) it is also a much better way to eat long term. Carbohydrates are implicated not only in weight gain but also diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's.

The first two weeks of Atkins are hardest, because you restrict your daily carbs to no more than 20g per day. However, this has to come from green veg and salad - and you can eat an awful lot of salad for your 20g!

After the two weeks you gradually increase your level of carbs, until you find the level that you can sustain without putting weight on.

or

You could come and join my Bootcamp! Only 10, simple rules to follow.

We're on week 8 now, but people are joining all the time

Wave to BIWI

First time we've been on a low carb thread together for years I think

I'm on a mission to recruit everyone on MN to low carbing I think

Today Mumsnet. Tomorrow the world ...

Good luck with that. I gave that aim up years ago when confronted with a serious lack of understanding.

I take an 'I'm alright Jack' approach nowadays. If they're happy with their calorie counting then who am I to burst their bubble.

I might fly into boot camp with my whip

WRT eating out, its easier now than it used to be - a chicken ceasar salad is ok or the Nicoise salad that Pizza Express do also. I used to order chicken or steak and salmon with breen veg or salad and have the cheeseboard for dessert. Its on the move snacks that re harder but if you plan ahead a bit and pack nuts, cheese etc its do-able.

Ooh, now I'm not sure again .See, I'm 9st but usually closer to 8 with quite a healthy diet usually, I've just had a 6-8w period of eating real junk and I'm thinking if I can get these 10lb off then I can just go back to my normal "weight neutral" way of eating.

I have done low carb and loathed it. I was tired, cranky, felt socially isolated and didnt lose any bloody weight despite producing ketones.

How long did you do it for, imnotbatman? You should only feel like that for the first week, max. After that, usually people report feeling much better and more energised.

You're only socially isolated if you choose to socialise in places where crap, carb-loaded food is available, or you're used to spending all night in the pub drinking gallons of beer! It's a WOE that's not brilliant if you're travelling a lot, as on-the-go food choices tend to be really carby - but with a bit of planning, as trixie says, it's very doable.

And none of my friends would notice that I was eating any differently from them, as we still go to the same places. If we go for an Indian, I eat just the same but minus the rice/naan. If we go for a Chinese/Thai (both of which are difficult if you're low carbing because of the amount of sugar that they use), then I just pick as wisely as I can from the menu.

Eating Atkins style has become a way of life for me and I certainly never feel deprived or lack energy. In fact it's when I have a blow out and eat crap, crisps, cakes etc, that the next day I feel sluggish and unwell.

I did it for 3 months.Its not for me. Socially, I meant as part of a family, with friends and in the workplace. I dont eat out very often.

Its for some people but not for others. If you are a person who isnt overly fond of meat, its not so good.

I should mention I also do a lot of sport, so it was a killer for me

I started doing lowish carb nearly 3 years ago after a 3 stone weight gain during pregnancy-first of all I cut out potatoes as I loved my jackets and would eat them about 5 times a week,no rice,pasta,bread,dried fruit or high carby fruit juices.
Changed my morning juice to cranberry light,continued with porridge for breakfast or scrambled eggs,am vegetarian so stuck to the lowest carb quorn products with half a plate full of salad or veg mainly brocolli,changed from cream crackers to ryvitas and would have them with cheese spread/cheese for a snack,I still drink alcohol,eat a bag of crisps every day and throw in a few bars of chocky every week to keep me sane and it works for me as I can still stick to it 3 years on.Took me about 10 months to lose the 3 stone and have remained same weight since.
Am now a size 10.weighing 8 stone 5ib.before I started this I was a size 14/16 weighing 11 stone 12ib and am even lighter now than my pre pregnancy weight which was 9 stone 10ib and a size 12.Whatever works for you but to follow a strict atkins type of diet would test the strongest of people-allowing myself treats and some carbs got me where I am..good luck!

DH is fairly skinny & has done low carb diet a few times, just for 3 days, before then carbo-loading before competitive events (time trialing).
He LOATHED it. Never again. Sort of curled up in a whimpering ball in the corner trying to get thru it.

My dad used to swear by low carb dieting, but then he had a stroke & was advised to desist because low carb may raise levels of "bad" cholesterol. He's now had to learn portion control, instead, after all!

The first three days is the worst for sure. It's the same with any addiction.

For low carb to work you need to understand why it works. You can adapt it to suit your own lifestyle as above or you can crash along on the lowest carbs you can manage until you've lost the weight.

Maintenance is tricky until you find your level i agree but so is weight watchers. There was no way I could live my life on the 22 points a day my weight watchers leader reckoned was my maintenance level. But then that's what they want isn't it? Repeat business is a mainstay for ww and slimming world

High protein diets are not good for you. Plenty of fruit and veg and unrefined carbohydrates are good for you.

Which is exactly what you eat doing Atkins.

People rarely read beyond the headline

I love low carbing, in fact I can't see me ever reintroducing crappy processed carbs. They make me bloated, sluggish and fat.

My comfort foods were always cheese, meat, cream and eggs so on this way of eating I don't feel in the slightest bit deprived. In fact I feel like I am being decadently wicked and indulgent.

Without the blood sugar rollercoaster I don't get the ridiculous cravings that used to make life so miserable when eating high carb/low fat and led to horrible binge type cheating. In fact, since I started this in February, I haven't cheated once. There have been four occasions where I have eaten off plan deliberately. My birthday I had rice with my chilli and three chocolates; Easter I had a Malteser Bunny and a Kinder Bueno egg; a small bowl of my favourite home made ham and lentil soup, a portion of chips and half a chocolate and mint cup cake that I made, for my friend's birthday and a roast potato and a stuffing ball at my Mum's birthday dinner. Basically one planned 'cheat' a month focused on a special event so that I don't feel like the boring one who's always banging on about her diet. I truly could have done without them though.

Since playing around with intermittant fasting I have found that travelling is much easier. If there isn't food available and I've forgotten to grab a handful of nuts and a couple of Babybels then I just don't eat. I don't get crazy hungry any more and so finding food pronto just isn't high on my priority list.

My mood is far better, my energy levels are through the roof, PMT is gone, hot flushes are down and my skin and nails are healthier.

Low carbing probably isn't for everyone but it's certainly working for me. I started it to make mealtimes easier. My MIL was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and low carb seemed to be the best way to control it. My husband's IBS was getting very bad and gluten seemed to be the main culprit so we decided to all go low carb to save lots of extra cooking. There was no real thought at the time about actually dieting. We were eating tons of food, no deprivation at all and the weight just dropped off. Even MIL who doesn't have a thyroid and has to take Thyroxine has lost weight and diets have never worked for her. I've now lost 2 stone since the end of February without trying. No food logs, no calorie counting, no stress and certainly no effort.

I'd recommend anyone who wants to lose weight to give it a go. BIWI's Bootcamp thread is a great place to start. You might find it doesn't suit you but you may also, like me, find it is the answer you were looking for.

My version of low carb is no potatoes, rice, pasta and bread. It really works. Make the most of the weather and have meat/fish with salad.

I thought fruit was out with Atkins except in maintenance phase?

Berries are OK from early on. Rhubarb is good.

You need to work through the levels in Atkins - it's no good going from Induction levels and then expecting to find a maintenance level

Just cutting the carb bit at each meal will help you lose weight. If you do it one Neal at a time you won't be grumpy. I did it last year and went from 13 and a half stone to 9 stone without reading any slimming books or attending clubs/classes etc. It took 8 months.
I just found eating an omelette for lunch instead of a baguette or sandwich kept me satisfied for a lot longer. I had lots of small packets of ham or tins of tuna handy to snack on.
Good luck.

When I do low carb I do the same as miss nappy knickers

Diets in the 70's all reduced carbs. Remember slimcea bread? My mum always cut down on potatoes if she put a few pounds on. Nowadays most diets reduce fats and that's what we're all conditioned to believe we should do.

i find for myself that low carb way of eating is the best way to lose weight. for me atkins is too hard i prefer the high protein diet it is not as strict. my dad (and many of my family on that side) have diabetes type 2. his diet is very much one i would follow and i worry that i may get it. i have always craved sugar and carbs. i also have a slightly underactive thyroid; again cutting back on carbs helps with my energy levels

i do feel crap the first 5 or so days, tired and i am grumpy because i am craving carbs and obsessing with what i cannot eat (also feeling sorry for myself that i can not scoff on crisps and chocolate and not put any weight on like i could up until a few years ago) but once those cravings have gone i feel much better, my jeans are looser and i have more energy. i lost a stone 18 months ago in a few weeks, this time i do need to lose more and i need to stick to it.

i was planning to start today but need to go and stock up, you need to prepare yourself and be organised but after a while you are not so hungry and it gets easier, also easier in the summer.

the only thing i do not cut out is tea and coffee (last time i read atkins caffeine was ok in small amounts). my carb intake is about 40-50grms a day, about 20 of that is from milk. good tip lactose free milk has half the carbs of semi or full fat milk

i also really crave yogurt which is strange as i am eating a lot of dairy, but i do give in at times