Atkins/low carb anyone??

[froggygrrrl]

DH and I started South Beach on January 2nd. So far, I have lost 20 pounds and he has lost 40! It has been working very well for us, and has not been extremely difficult to maintain. The first two weeks were by far the most difficult because of all the restrictions. Now, we basically eat most things except sweets. We make homemade pizzas with a whole wheat crust. I have made macaroni and cheese using whole wheat pasta and reduced fat cheeses. For a while I was having a severe craving for waffles/pancakes/french toast. I tried the SB recipe for waffles and it totally satisfied my craving! It was great to be able to eat what I was craving without feeling guilty that I was "cheating." Of course, most of the time we are eating lean meats and veggies. We've tried numerous recipes from the SB cookbooks. Shockingly, everything tastes pretty good!

That being said, we have decided that a little indulgence every now and again is just fine. It actually helps us stick to the diet in the long run. I've found that SB is very manageable for me. Several years ago I had success with Weight Watchers, but the last couple of times I tried it, I spent all my time trying to figure out how to manipulate the system!

 

[lllovell]

I have had GREAT success with Atkins before and will probably go back to it. I believe that we all have different foods that are really bad triggers for us and for me, it is carbs.

The first few weeks are awful as my body adapts, but I really have great success. The problem I find with Atkins is that if I go off for short periods, I gain a lot! (like 5 pounds over a weekend or 10 during a week at WDW). It goes back away quickly, but I hate it when I can't take a day off here and there.

For me, lean meats, lots of salads and veggies do the trip. Nothing that is processed. I do eat the more startchy veggies except for potatoes.

Good luck!

Laura

 

[Kaler131]

I hear ya! It's soooo hard to get going....it does get easier after the first couple of weeks. I agree with the gaining back fast though when you stop doing it.
South Beach diet sounds good, I may try it as well!!

 

[61292cna]

I tried atkins/south beach and could never stay on them long enough to lose much, but still felt low carb was the answer, so sat down with my dr. & worked out another option. we figured when not dieting I was getting about 500 carbs a day, so we decided to cut out 50 carbs per month until I'm now doing 150 a day. Since August of 2008 I have lost 40 pounds, it slower, but it's going!!! I know this will not work for everyone, but it is an option for some.

 

[Kaler131]

OK....I am starting back on low carb tomorrow morning....wish me luck!! I NEED to lose at last 20lbs before my WDW/Universal trip this June or else I am going to be miserable.... walking around in all that heat.

 

[rumrunnergirl]

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[LilyLake]

So how is it going, Kaler131 and rumrunnergirl?

Low-carb works for me, too. I just realized today that I first started low-carb 2 years ago. I've lost about 20 pounds, and I'm right around the weight I want to be at. Since I didn't need to lose a lot of weight, I didn't do induction. I found that I could eat around 60-70 grams of carbs a day and lose about a pound a week. You can eat A LOT of vegetables and some fruit with that many carbs. I've also discovered that my body reacts poorly to yeast, so I don't eat any bread (or drink wine, which is more disappointing.)

When I was trying to lose weight, I found that I just needed to fill myself up enough with satisfying meat and cheese, so that I wasn't hungry for sugary things. And after a few days, the cravings for sugar went away.

 

[rumrunnergirl]

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[JenLynn]

Is everyone still strong with their low-carb choices? I am in week 3 - Atkins. Feeling fantastic .... completely cut out caffeine (I was totally addicted) and for the most part artificial sweeteners. Much more energy than I used to have. 3 weeks ago I weighed the most I had in my life (even when I was pregnant) so I knew I had to do something differently. I like how "easy" Atkins is. I lost 5 pounds my first 2 weeks (which is 10% of my goal) so I feel fantastic. I really hope/intend to keep this as a way-of-life because I feel so much better eating low carb!

Hope everyone is still doing well!

 

[rumrunnergirl]

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[livinlife25]

Glad I found this!! I have been looking into starting a low carb type "plan." Not Atkins.... Just cutting out the carbs, white flour/sugar type thing. Would love to hear recipes/tips for people....I'm going to be starting next Thursday on the diet....on Wednesday im having something done that requires me to only have clear fluids, popsicles etc and I' m not giong to worry about my sugar that day, Im just going to worry about not starving to death Wishing everyone luck!

 

[lulamc]

So glad I found this thread! I started Atkins last Sunday, so tomorrow is one week. I started a blog where I'll track what I eat each day for the first few weeks (including some recipes), please feel free to check it out: www.lowcarblynda.blogspot.com

I have a lot to lose, but I know any little bit helps and makes me feel better. We're going to WDW the end of June, so I really hope to be looking and feeling better by then.

 

[Faldred]

Low-carber here. Down roughly 140-150 pounds in the last 15 months.

I came to realize that I have a carbohydrate addition -- once I start eating them, I continue to do so even if they make me feel miserable. I've never managed any serious weight loss on any other diet -- they simply do not work for me.

A big benefit is that if I'm hungry, I can eat... as long as it's from a decent set of foods (as to the OP joke about bacon and eggs, I find cheese or nuts/seeds to be a very useful snack option). It doesn't hurt that I love meat.

As for a trip to Disney... honestly, I let myself go on vacation. It's only a week (or so), and the 8-10 miles of walking each day offset a lot of what I was eating. It was the 5 days after getting back before I got myself back on track that did me in.

Mind you, this was with deluxe dining -- apps and dessert at every meal. And I wasn't leaving half-eaten plates, either. For some reason, I went out of my way to avoid eggs all week, though...

DW and I actually have a regular policy of allowing ourselves one day a month off-plan -- it's a useful incentive to be good the rest of the time, and allows us to engage in special occasions or social events where low-carbing isn't always practical. Once or twice a year, it morphs into a full week (Christmas/New Year's especially). Just get back on board at the end, and I've noticed a quick dip shortly after each time.

ETA: My infrequently-updated blog, including recipes

 

[lulamc]

Love your blog! Great recipes!

Also it's interesting to hear about your 'breaks' on vacation and holidays, etc. I've been thinking about that. I started low carbing April 19 and have lost 14 pounds. We go to WDW June 20-27 and have DDP. I have been telling myself I'll allow myself a couple desserts, but I know I'm going to have a hard time. I hadn't factored in all the walking we'll be doing.

Wish me luck!

Low-carber here. Down roughly 140-150 pounds in the last 15 months.

I came to realize that I have a carbohydrate addition -- once I start eating them, I continue to do so even if they make me feel miserable. I've never managed any serious weight loss on any other diet -- they simply do not work for me.

A big benefit is that if I'm hungry, I can eat... as long as it's from a decent set of foods (as to the OP joke about bacon and eggs, I find cheese or nuts/seeds to be a very useful snack option). It doesn't hurt that I love meat.

As for a trip to Disney... honestly, I let myself go on vacation. It's only a week (or so), and the 8-10 miles of walking each day offset a lot of what I was eating. It was the 5 days after getting back before I got myself back on track that did me in.

Mind you, this was with deluxe dining -- apps and dessert at every meal. And I wasn't leaving half-eaten plates, either. For some reason, I went out of my way to avoid eggs all week, though...

DW and I actually have a regular policy of allowing ourselves one day a month off-plan -- it's a useful incentive to be good the rest of the time, and allows us to engage in special occasions or social events where low-carbing isn't always practical. Once or twice a year, it morphs into a full week (Christmas/New Year's especially). Just get back on board at the end, and I've noticed a quick dip shortly after each time.

ETA: My infrequently-updated blog, including recipes

 

[NancyIL]

I lost 25 pounds about 5.5 years ago on Atkins. When I had blood work done, my triglycerides went WAY down after I had been on a low-carb diet for several months. Unfortunately the weight crept back, due to lazy eating habits and lack of exercise. I'll try to get back to low-carb eating when I return from vacation in a few weeks.

 

[Wonders10]

Hi there!

I've been south beaching for 6 days now and have lost 3.6 lbs (actually maybe more - I weighed myself on day 4). I've tried it all over the years, and especially over the last few months, but I just wanted to eat all the time! This allows me to eat if I want to and the weight seems to come off much quicker. At least in the beginning. My main motivation is to have some pants fit in time for my ABD Emerald Isle trip. We are leaving June 15th. I know phase 1 is only supposed to be 2 weeks, but I am going to drag it out for maybe 4 weeks because I NEED to get into those pants. But I will introduce carbs into my diet prior to my trip so I don't go into a sugar coma on vacation with all the carbs. Plus I have a couple cheating days coming up - my birthday I'm allowing myself the meal and dessert of my choice and will probably have another day where I am allowing myself a little carb loaded treat.

What do you all eat for your meals in phase 1? Or the more restrictive phase of Atkins?

I've been eating hard boiled eggs, turkey bacon, cheese sticks, salads, meat and veggies, and nuts. Any good recipes out there? I don't want to get too bored too quickly because that is my downfall with "diets".