Atkins Diet, advice please

[Rhiannon]

I've been following a diet not mixing protein and carbs and eating as little carbs as possible. Is this the Atkins diet? Can anyone tell me what exactly I can and can't eat? I have about 3 stone to lose.

Rhiannon

I've been following the Atkins diet too. I would recommend getting the book, "Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution". If you're going to do this diet you really need to know why it works and also get some sensible information about it.

The main principles of the diet are that for the first two weeks you eat less than 20g of carbohydrates. This is in comparison with a 'normal' diet where you eat about 300g a day. In order to achieve this you must cut out all breads, pasta, rice, cereals etc. This is not an easy thing to do, especially at breakfast time. This is the hardest meal in the day for me...no breakfast cereals, no toast etc. All I eat in the morning is scrambled eggs. However, you can add stuff like cheese, sausage , ham. Just make sure the sausage doesn't contain too much in the way of carbohydrate. I found the Sainsbury's Butcher's Choice 80% meat ones the best, only 1-2g of carbs per sausage. After the first two weeks depending on how much weight you lose you increase the amount of carbs.

Anyway, I could go on and on about the diet but I really think it's best you read up about it. I also suggest looking at www.lowcarbluxury.com - a very American site but is extremely informative and has recipes.

Good luck but feel free to post questions if you're unsure about anything.

Debster, thanks for the advice, have asked husband to bring the book home tonight so I'll hopefully know more then. I've just found out I shouldn't be drinking much milk and not skimmed! It's all a bit weird isn't it? I weighed myself this morning after being on it for a week and I'd lost only 2lb but my clothes are looser and I can get into jeans I haven't been able to for 3 years so maybe the scales are wrong? Hope I can eat smoked salmon as I've justed wolfed a whole pack!

Debster, have got the book, not an easy read. So basically correct me if I'm wrong but I can eat what I like as long as there is no sugar and no carbohydrate?

I feel so much better in myself, I have tons of energy just like the book says. Can't believe it. Although I always knew my body was sensitive to wheat but I just didn't do anything about it.

Any more tips on food etc would be appreciated.

Definitely no sugar but as regards the carbohydrates you can eat some but make sure they're not of the starch variety, i.e. cereals, pasta, breads etc. The best way to get your carbohydrates is from vegetables, but remember that some veg (onions, tomatoes, sweetcorn) and also most fruit contain high levels of carbs. But yes essentially you can eat as much protein as you like but go easy on the cheese.

I know the book is quite dense but I think it's worth being made aware of the principles of the diet so that you can be more informed about what it is you're actually doing. There are so many people out there who are ready to judge you when you say that you are following a low carbohydrate diet that it is always better to know the facts and correct them. Otherwise it just looks like all you're doing is following another faddy diet.

With regards to actually eating on this diet I have found the evening meal is the easiest, I just don't have the starchy accompaniment, just vegetables or salad. For lunch sometimes I have roasted chicken pieces. I buy a big bag of frozen chicken thighs and roast them up in one hit, then take a few pieces in to work with me each day. Or I make an egg/cheese mayonnaise salad. I find it's easiest to prepare all the ingredients in bulk in the evening so that I can just throw the stuff together in the morning. (You can tell I'm a working mother can't you!) Weekends I treat myself and have a fry up of eggs, bacon and sausages (the Sainsbury's ones I mentioned before). Breakfast during the week is usually scrambled eggs although this does get boring. One of my saving graces has been peanuts. I take a small container of them with me to work and nibble on them during the day. Remember you can have things like home made cheesecake as long as you remember to use artificial sweetener instead of sugar and a non-biscuit base. I have used ground almonds which was ok but I think next time I will use crushed almonds as it gives a better texture. In fact you can do most desserts as long as you stick to the no sugar, no flour, no biscuit rule - just find substitutes.

Another tip is buy 'ketostix' from the chemist. I got them from Boots and they were about £5 for 50. You basically wee on them in the evening and if you're body is in ketosis (where it is using fat for fuel rather than carbohydrates)then the stick changes colour. Very encouraging when you think nothing is happening.

Anyway, hope this has given you some ideas.

Good luck

Is is really healthy to cut out carbs when we're always being told to eat more of them and cut down on fats/proteins? don't mean to sound critical, just interested. I don't feel I've got the energy to go on a diet, but the idea of my clothes being looser is very attractive...

This is where you start to sound like a stuck record. You do not cut out all carbohydrates just cut down.

If you read the book you will understand why it isn't unhealthy. Believe it or not it actually lowers cholesterol and blood pressure. It's all based on the principle that as a society we have become addicted to sugars, especially refined sugars. Almost everything we eat has got some form of sugar in it whether that be fructose, dextrose, and lots of other weird chemical names for sugar that I can't remember now. Dr Atkins compares the sugar industry to that of the tobacco industry in the 50s. Making out that there's nothing wrong but hiding the fact that our foods contain an unacceptably high level of sugar. You all know the statistic of there being about 6 teaspoons worth of sugar in a tin of baked beans.

So the thing to remember is that you don't cut out all carbohydrates, just some.

Debster. thanks for the advice, more please! I am pleased to report that my skin is much better blackheads on the nose disappearing! I have not had a tension headache since I started either. The main problem seems to be the trips to the loo, now I don't want to go into too much detail here but it seems to be either one extreme or the other! Did you go through the same? The appetite suppressant is working fantastically, yesterday I ate chicken for breakfast! and salmon and cheesy mayonnaise for dinner (about half my normal amount) and I was so full I couldn't eat another thing. I look at the food and don't even feel like eating it even choc. I can't believe it and I hope the bubble doesn't burst. I am craving some fruit so will check out what I can have today.

How much weight have you lost now?

There is some interesting discussions on www.ivillage.com about the Atkins diet and the Carbohydrate Addicts Diet (& comparisons of the 2)

I read the book after seeing the great results other colleagues at work were achieving by following the Atkins programme. It did seem really odd, not to be focussing on fat for once. However, it did all make sense, but despite that I still felt uncomfortable with such a different approach to eating.

So I have been scanning websites for debate & found the ivillage.com one of the most interesting. I was expecting it to say it was a dangerous fad, but actually it re-inforced everything Atkins says. The comparison between the 2 diets is interesting as well, because they follow the same fundamentals.

So think I will be giving it a try!

Lousimmons, thanks for the advice, I'll check the site. I've just scoffed a whole bag of mini hotdogs and mayo! I'm definitely burning fat as I've just done the urine test that Dr Atkins recommends although only moderately not on a large scale! Keep in touch on this site if you go for it. No fruit for 2 weeks has been very difficult but apart from that I feel so much healthier without all the crap I was eating before.

Don't know if it's just a bug but I haven't been out of bed for two days feeling terrible with sickness and diarrhoea. Don't know if I was too low on carbs and fibre or what. Expect I've lost some weight though! At least I know my headaches are coming from high sugar levels as I'm back on the orange squash and the head aches are back too. I'm going to switch to a diet by Rachael Heller, I think it's the Carbohydrate Addicts Lifestyle Plan, it was on Oprah yesterday, a bit less strict with the carbs. You can get the book from Amazon if you're interested.

I have just bought The Carbohydrate Addicts book & think that is the one I'm going to try out, as it seems more flexible & easier to fit into family life.

I've been on this diet for 8 days now and have seen no difference at all.Definately not getting on the scales to look as I haven't been on those for years but can tell from my clothes-they're still tight.Have been on the phone to my mum who said I should have seen some difference by now,so does my sister.Can anyone reassure it's worth doing and when did it show a difference etc?Have not been excersising and had some booze over xmas-could this be why?

Hi Star, I didn't notice any change in size until about 3 weeks (I was naughty and did induction too long) - but people were telling me I looked thinner so I assume my face must have lost a bit first ! I'd get on the scales as I bet you've lost a bit in 8 days !

Persevere though - you will see results for definite ! And for what it's worth I didn't cut back on alcohol at all !! I ended up losing a sone over the 3 weeks, then I lost my appetite for meat and fell off the wagon !

Scatterbrain,you lost a STONE in 3 weeks-that's brilliant-think I'll keep going then.Was that with exercising as well.I hate exercising so instead have been walking more and a bit faster.Would be a huge shock to me to get on the scales I'm sure and I'm too scared to until i notice some difference.Last time I weighed myself I was the same weight as FIL!He's only 10 and a half stone though-but really that's big for me.I'm sure I'm more than that ATM.Did try Atkins diet before and gave it up as I don't eat much meat but this time I'm just having corned beef which I love anyway and slices of chicken.What's with the caffeine free coffee though?

No no exercising - I hate THAT !!! I noticed initially things like my neck and arms were less lardy, then the many rolls of fat began to shrink, so my clothes weren't so much looser - just not quite as tight ! I also felt a lot healthier !!

After 2 chocolate oranges and a whole bag of kettle chips yesterday I So need to get back on the diet !

Good Luck !!

OOh that's chivvied me up to know you did it without exercicing.I hate the fact that to loose weight they always tell you on these diets to exercise puts me right off before I've even started.Looks like this one doesn't -good news there!It's true about not feeling hungry on this diet.I'm sure my stomach has shrunk a bit as I'm feeling full up after eating just corned beef and egg mayonnaise.Jelly and cream is my favourite thing.I've just bought some ketosis strips and can't wait to try them later.

TAKE CARE WITH THIS DIET!

Indeed you can lose loads of weight in a short time however the damage yuo can do to your body could be life long! There have been no clinical trials for this diet - FACT your body needs a minimum of 80gms of Carbohydrate per day just for your brain and organs to function. If you want to lose weight do not be so drastic with the lack of carbohyrate - I still ate 80 gms and lost 7lbs in a week!

There's no evidence to prove that it can damage your body either long or short term. I'm a scientist and believe me I checked out all the facts before I began !

In fact - there is a growing body of evidence to suport the theory that this is how humans should eat - it is after all how our caveman ancestors ate - and it's only since civilisation that diets became padded out with cheap carbohydrate fillers !

It always disappoints me to hear people criticise Atkins - the press have it in for him yet there is no scientific evidence !

Grrrrrrr - quietly fuming now !

I agree Scatterbrain. There seems to be a trend towards 'low carbohydrate' diets and there is evidence that it can help with such things as insulin resistance which can lead to diabetes. The reason health experts don't like to recommend them to people is because high protein diets can mean high fat - ie too much cheese, red meat etc. But as long as you eat mainly low fat protein (chicken, oily fish...)I think low carb diets work really well.

I went on it after my dd was born and in 3-4 months lost about 2 stone. Mind you I also did 20 minutes exercise every day

Agree with you Scatterbrain,it does seem a more natural way to eat.I'm taking vitamin supplements to make up for lack of fruit.Still eating veg ,feel really energetic and full after a small meal.And yippee it's official I am now burning fat for fuel intead of carbs AND after a huge wee this am my trousers are a lot looser today-and I'm weeing for Britain.
Groomy nice of you to be a bit concerned but the induction diet is supposed to be for 2 weeks when you are only supposed to be having 20g of carbs a day after 2 weeks you gradually introduce a few more carbs.Nothing to get worried about.It is a fast weight loss.But it's a sensible way to eat for the long term.To be honest I've lost my sugar cravings.A lot more people than you'd realise are gluten allergic which can cause headaches to fatigue.So having no wheat is how some people live and feel healthier which I think is a bit like this diet.My mother is doing the diet to prevent late onset diabetes as well as other things as her mother had it.I'm doing it to lose weight.
I turned the tv on last night to find them doing a peice on it on Trevor Mc Donut with the man himself.Ther was a few experts on it saying it was bad,missed the beginning when it said we need carbs for our brain.But actually theres a lot of carbs in veg even and you do eat it on this diet.I think fruit is a bit of a no no but need to read more of the book.But what Mr Atkins said stood up if you ask me and made sense.Mind you I'm sure if I feel ill at all on it I shall give it up.I really like it though and it works.And my will power is working too at the moment.

I had great success with a protein based diet. It was not as strict as Atkins as it encouraged consumption of low carb fruit: currants of all types, blackberries & raspberries. Also vegetables were heavily pushed (except potatoes and the high carb root veg), so that it was still quite high in fibre.
I lost weight very easily and was able to maintain it for quite a long time. I found breakfast and snacks the hardest thing to get to grips with. Because I was still eating quite alot of fruit and veg I had no problems being "egg bound" and DH never suggested that my breath was niffy either.

I do agree with Scatterbrain, however can anyone confirm how many carboydrates your body needs to function on??
I think trying to strike a happy medium with low carbohydrate, low sugar and high protein ultimately will produce a balanced diet. However!! I love fruit... and vitamin supplements are not my thing I prefer obtaining Vitamin C from oranges for example and not a tablet! So once my pregnancy is over I will be strive for a low carbohydrate diet that will not damage my body!
Also - rapid weight loss over a short period of time is not good for you... So scientists/doctors alike where do we go from here?

Yeah but Groomy it sure feels good
Hi Bugsy,what was that diet called you were on.I haven't heard of one like that?
I really don't miss fruit at all as I never liked it in the first place.Only used to eat it occasionally so the kids could see me doing so and encourage them to eat it.

Its funny but in the museum of London there is a mockup of a caveman by his fire with a sample menu based on the stomach contents of fossilized early man - the one that sticks in my mind was spit-roasted fish followed by raspberries. Very modish! Not much bread and no potatoes in those days.

Star, it was called Protein Power. I bought it a few years ago while I was on a visit to the US. It is a rip off of Atkins but just not quite so strict. I think it contained quite a carb free two week induction phase but I didn't do that and I still lost weight.