Atkins reaction

[PAdisMOM]

I'm starting induction next week. I have been so excited it's unbelievable!

I didn't want anybody except my DH and sister to know. I really didn't want any negative reactions until I've had success. Well, it ended up that I had to tell my mother. She and my sister are joining WW and wanted me to join too. I had no other way to explain why I wasn't joining.

She looked very disappointed and concerned. I told her it was a low carb diet. She said, "I KNOW what Atkins is. It's not healthy."
I'm easily discouaged, and this is exactly the reaction I didn't want.

Then I felt bad, thinking that she's my mom and she's just concerned about my health. Then I realized that she probably could not tell me WHY Atkins was unhealthy. She probably had just heard a general statement and remembered it.

I thought maybe she was concerned with the higher fat. But once I thought about it, I realized that I am eating high fat foods any way!! If she was concerned about fat intake, she should be concerned about my current diet (she's not).

I then was thinking (I think a lot) that I have read so many articles about people who have lost weight and when asked how they say, "I cut out sugar and bread". And people seem to accept this. This is healthy. So why not Atkins???

Anyway, I'm getting wordy, but I could use some support and good stories from those of you on Atkins. Please undo the damage my moter has done to my excitement!

 

[tiggerlover]

I am on WW and know very little about Atkins so I can't help you. I just wanted to say I am sorry your mother has squashed your excitement. Sometimes people do hear things and make assumptions, I am guilty of that too at times. Perhaps you need to arm yourself with information so you can educate your mom on your choice.

{{HUGS}}

 

[nativetxn]

Hang on, sweetie. That happens a lot. Sometimes dietitians and nutritionists even come here to WISH and try to tell us Atkins people that we are killing ourselves

They are wrong, though. I have the "numbers" to prove it, too. Unfortunately there are too many people using the DIS boards right now and I can't use search. I'm going to go searching for a post I wrote about my husband, when I find it, I'll post a link here and you can print it off and show your mother. She loves you and she truly believes what the AMA has always said about Atkins, that it will kill you. She trusts those doctors. You can't blame her for being concerned for your health, you are her baby, or one of them.

Where's glo? Her Atkins story is nothing short of amazing. I hope she sees this and replies because that would be good to show your mother, too.

30 years ago when I was working as an office nurse for a surgeon, he told me never to follow the Atkins plan because it would kill me. I trusted and respected him so I believed him. Because I listened to him, I gained more and more weight, suffered eating low fat to lose and just gaining more and always being hungry. Unfortunately, because I believed him, my husband is now diabetic, has had two heart attacks and was heading for a third. Thanks to Atkins he is healthy again and his physicians have told him to never stop eating the Atkins way because he is saving his own life.

I think there may be a little known side effect of Atkins, though. I don't seem to be capable of writing brief remarks anymore, I just go on and on and on

Be back with a link if I can find it

 

[wovenwonder]

Doesn't she trust your 'professional' knowledge of this eating plan and WHY it works?

Originally posted by PAdisMOM
Your body breaks down carbohydrates through a process called glycolysis, followed by the Krebs cycle, and then electron transport chain. All a bunch of (really exciting!) biology stuff. BUT in the end it has tuned glucose (C6H12O6) into water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2). So that's where all the stuff goes. It doesn't "melt away". This process makes ATP, which is the chemical your body uses for energy. Ever time you move you use ATP.

Fats and proteins break down through basically the same process, but enter the steps at different points along the way.

Does this help? I love this type of stuff, but my students usually think I'm crazy!

PS: Your body is programmed to burn carbohydrates first. That is why Atkins works. If there are no carbohydrates to burn, then your body will break down fats.

It sounds to me like you know what you are talking about. Explain it to her so she will understand too.

 

[PAdisMOM]

She's a nurse, so apparently she "one ups" me in the health department!

 

[susan514]

I was also afraid of what my friends would think about Atkins. Well, I was very surprised about their reactions. One couple were already doing Atkins and the husband of my best friend sat there and was raving about the diet and the medical proof of how good it is. All 3 of the above are doctors!!! They all read the new research and were very approving of my doing it.

Keep all of this in mind and when you have lost weight, your family will suddenly support what you are doing. And, most of all, you have to believe in what your doing.

 

[nativetxn]

I am getting very angry with my PC, it keeps rebooting itself, no idea why, but I keep losing these posts when I'm almost finished.

I had about 4 links for you but ended up with just this one, it has my husbands numbers <b>Atkins is a GOOD thing</b>

There is a great post by DixieDreamer with all of her wonderful numbers, too. I had the link but my computer rebooted and I'll have to go back to page 16 again to find it.

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

I think Atkins is a wonderful thing. My dr agrees. I read Dr. Atkins book and it made perfect sense to me.

I also came to a realization the other day. You always hear about weight lifters and athletes doing carb loading. LOL it dawned on me that they are overeating carbs to make themselves bigger!! Granted they are getting bigger muscles. I realized I was doing the same thing but just getting fat!

 

[nativetxn]

I've read recently about marathon runners not carbing up and they last longer and get less exhausted than the people who eat a lot of refined carbohydrates.

 

[PAdisMOM]

Thanks everybody! I know I'm doing the right thing. It makes sense to me scientifically. I just can't wait to start and let people judge the results!

 

[SonjaB]

One of the doctors I work for has been on Atkins for YEARS and tries to convert everyone he meets, LOL!

 

[Nancy]

Well first of all you have to choose what is going to work for YOU...not anybody else. If you have done your research and feel that atkins is the way to go than GO FOR IT! Any way that you can lose weight and make yourself healthier is what matters. I did a lot of research on both Atkins and WW. I went with WW because it seemed to fit in more with my lifestyle and seemed like something I'd be able to stick to. I have friends that are doing remarkable on Atkins and we give each other pep talks all the time...usually we moan about the foods we don't eat anymore! Good luck and know there is always tons (insert froan for bad pun here!) of support here on the W.I.S.H.!

 

[nativetxn]

<b>PAdisMOM</b> Keep us posted? I'm going to be very interested to see how well you do on Atkins and to watch your mother's attitude about that nutritional plan change.

It <i>will</i> change you know. My mother has been an RN for 55 years, still did private duty until last July. She has changed <i>her</i> attitude about Atkins. My husband's health benefits from following Atkins changed her mind

Katholyn

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

Just keep focussed on your plan and your goals. Yes, your mom loves you, but she has been swayed by opinions. If she is open minded you can arm her with information, but I would probably try to avoid that, because she might still come back with negatives on it. Guess what??? You'll just have to WOW them with your SUCCESS!!!!!!!

Good luck! I know you can do it, and there are a lot of people here on WISH that have chosen the low carb lifestyle, and they will be a great resource for you--- support and information!

 

[Jiminy102]

I don't know if this will help you or not. I was not happy with the iddea of Atkins for a long time. I could not possibly be a healthy thing to do to your body. But the more I learned about it the more I believe that it is very misunderstood way of eating. Many peopl ( I was one of them) think it is just eating all the meat and fat that you want!! That is not healthy. THe reality of Atkins is very different from what many people think that it is. Why I know that the Atkins way of eating is not forme I applaud anyone who is able to succeed on it!!!

 

[CarolMN]

I've run into the same reaction from many people (and always from people who sincerely believe that low fat (Healthy Eating Pyramid) is best. I just tell them that there is now valid scientific evidence (20 plus year's worth of evidence) that the Atkins way of eating is the best way to combat the epidemic of obesity and the associated problems (diabetes, heart disease, etc.). I then offer them the Atkins web site address if they want to read the studies for themselves. (I've actually read at least the summaries for most of them myself). If they are not computer savvy, I suggest that they read the book to see all the references/supporting evidence.

If they persist in arguing with me (I do the above very politely and sincerely), then I tell them that since I've been on Atkins, my blood sugars have been consistently within normal ranges (I'm a diabetic and could never say that before) and that I've even eliminated some of the meds I'd been taking to boot. Haven't had even one episode of blood sugar levels that are too low either - another first for me! As soon as my next set of bloodwork results come back, I hope to also be able to tell them that my cholesterol levels are improved as well. They can't argue with results!!!

My Mom just told me this morning that she thinks I look good and have lost enough weight. I told her thank you for noticing, but that I still need to lose a little more so that my BMI number falls to normal levels. She probably thinks BMI is some number/test for my diabetes or cholesterol, but she didn't argue anymore after I said that.

In the end, it only matters if it works for you and you can live with it for the rest of yor life. I think I will be much more successful living Atkins Lifetime Maintenance than WW maintenance. WW never worked for me. Just do what is right for you.

Best wishes!
Carol