Atkins vs Weight Watchers

[Nancyg56]

I have read the book.Everybody is different. I have done the diet, several times. I could not stick with the protein heavy diet for 2-4 weeks. This has been my experience. I'm glad Atkins worked for you. It didn't work for me. I stand by my post.

This was my experience with Atkins. I read the book, I had help from people who followed Atkins. I really tried to follow that program. I liked it for about one week then my body mutinied! For me, this was not a viable way of life.

I follow WW and have had very good results. I am 52 so those pounds were not easy to lose but I learned valuable healthy lessons and tend to follow them without thinking now. This is one program I can live with

 

[hlane]

I think everyone should do their own research and find what works for them. Do not just listen to what other people say about specific plans without reading up on them yourself. I think WW can be a great plan but for people like me who are carb addicts, not so much. I'd use all my points on pasta, potatoes, breads, even sugary foods...hey I was starting in my point range I'd lose some weight but could never maintain my loss and my blood sugar would be all over the place! I found low carb (I don't follow Atkins to a tee, more Atkins-ish I'd say) but I am down 90 lbs, have no problem keeping it off and I feel wonderful! My blood sugar is stable, my blood work, & blood pressure is perfect, my doctor is very impressed and has told me more than once to keep doing what I'm doing, I've never been healthier.
I actually thank the DIS for finding low carb. I had never tried it before and someone here had posted a link to Lowcarbfriends dot com , that place is #1 for lc information and the before/after pictures are SOOO motivating!

Good luck with whichever plan you decided to try!

Here is a little video I posted on Youtube showing my progress

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMH20tO8lgk

 

[rotlex]

Atkins advocate here. It is the only diet my wife and I both have ever been able to stick too, live by, and each lose 100+ pounds on.

I have to add to that statement by saying you "need to buy, and READ the book". Follow it, from induction to maintenance, and it is most likely the healthiest way you will ever eat. There is NOTHING wrong with a higher fat diet. Heck, I still eat high fat, moderate protein, and low carb and maintain a total cholesterol level of around 135. Granted, losing the weight helped, but my weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and all important blood, urine and everything else test has been better since I started eating this way 4 years ago than in my entire life. The bottom line is if you follow the plan through, you will wind up eating a pretty well balanced diet. Lots of veggies, meats, and even some starchier carbs if you can handle it.

Granted, I'm sure weight watchers works for some, but most that I know can't live that way either. Too much temptation from the carbs, good or bad, to stick to it long term, and usually wind up gaining, losing, gaining etc. Atkins is a lifestyle. A good one, a healthy one, and anyone who believes it is not, has bought into the hype of how fat in a diet is "bad" for you. I usually recommend people also read the book "Good Calories Bad Calories" for an outside view on what we should, and should not be eating.

OK, off soap box now, LOL. I just really believe in an Atkins type diet, or Southbeach, and can't stand it when I see negative statements regarding it. (Not from the orignal OP of course, but in general).

 

[rotlex]

PLEASE don't do Atkins. It's completely unreasonable for the long run, and is actually very unsafe. It puts you at a much higher risk for heart disease, and can also cause: ketosis, constipation, loss of potassium and other electrolytes, and type 2 diabetes, among various other things.

Weight Watchers is a lot better option.. you're actually getting a well-balanced diet and it's teaching you how to live a healthier lifestyle, instead of depriving you of what your body needs to be healthy.

Sorry, yeah, I'm extreme on this, but the statements you make regarding Atkins are 110% false. Ever since Atkins, my health has been better than it has my entire life. That includes times when I ate a low fat, higher "good carb" diet. Ketosis is NOT a bad thing, you are probably referring too ketoacidosis, and the other issues you list are non existent if someone actual follows the diet, and doesn't just live on meat and eggs for the rest of their lives.

Sorry, carbs are NOT necessary for a healthy lifestyle. We have been brainwashed with that thinking for a very, very long time, and you can see how a good a shape everyone is in.

Note, this is not a personal attack on anyone, it just really, really drives me nuts when I see such misinformation spread about an incredibly healthy, and sustainable, way to live.

Again,in the end, I think either diet "can work", and I'm sorry to go off on this, but I feel very strongly about it, as the Atkins diet pretty much saved my life 4+ years ago, when I was headed to a very, very bad place weight and health wise.

 

[goofy!]

The only thing I'm going to add: there is a reason that the American Medical Assocation, American Heart Association, Johns Hopkins, American Kidney Fund, etc. will not endorse the Atkins diet. The American Diabetes Assocation has endorsed it, as long as you only follow the program for UP TO one year. Otherwise they do not consider it healthy.

It may work for some people, and that's great. But when it was initially developed, it was never intended to be a lifelong diet. It was ORIGINALLY intended for morbidly obese patients who needed to have heart surgery - they needed to lose lots of weight very quickly to lower the risk of performing surgery.

You are misinformed.

There have been many studies done and the low carb diet has been accepted as one of the healthiest ways of living. Recently, the Atkins diet was determined by the medical community to be one of the healthiest diets in place.

Here is just one excerpt from the AMA that endorses the Atkins diet (Study done by Stanford).

Excerpted from JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) JAMA. 2007;297:969-977:

Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN Diets for Change in Weight and Related Risk Factors Among Overweight Premenopausal Women
The A TO Z Weight Loss Study: A Randomized Trial

Christopher D. Gardner, PhD; Alexandre Kiazand, MD; Sofiya Alhassan, PhD; Soowon Kim, PhD; Randall S. Stafford, MD, PhD; Raymond R. Balise, PhD; Helena C. Kraemer, PhD; Abby C. King, PhD

JAMA. 2007;297:969-977.

Conclusions In this study, premenopausal overweight and obese women assigned to follow the Atkins diet, which had the lowest carbohydrate intake, lost more weight and experienced more favorable overall metabolic effects at 12 months than women assigned to follow the Zone, Ornish, or LEARN diets. While questions remain about long-term effects and mechanisms, a low-carbohydrate, high-protein, high-fat diet may be considered a feasible alternative recommendation for weight loss.


My doctor is THRILLED with my progress on Atkins. I am losing weight and more importantly, my cholesterol is down and other blood levels that were creeping into the dangerous zone are now back to normal levels.

I can't do weight watchers because I am just too ADD to try to track points.

In a diet, as long as it isn't some dangerous fad diet like only eating grapefruit 24/7, the most important thing is doing something you can stick to and lose the unhealthy weight.

Some people have better luck with weight watchers, some have better luck with Atkins or other forms of low carb. Do what works for you as long as your doctor is ok with it.

I haven't checked weight watchers for awhile, but I thought they offered a low carb diet too. Perhaps that would be an option - getting the best of both worlds.

Some more endorsements from the medical community. You can read the entire studies at Pub Med. None were conducted by Atkins doctors. You can also read about them on the Atkins website under the "science" tab.

Study out of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Drexel University College of Medicine:
Excerpted from American Journal of Medicine, 117(5), 2004, pages 398-405:

A Randomized Study Comparing the Effects of a Low-Carbohydrate Diet and a Conventional Diet on Lipoprotein Subfractions and C-Reactive Protein Levels in Patients with Severe Obesity.

Seshadri, P., Iqbal, N., Stern, L., Williams, M., Chicano, K.L., Daily, D.A., McGrory, J., Gracely, E.J., Rader, D.J., Samaha, F.F

Conclusion: In this 6-month study involving severely obese subjects, we found an overall favorable effect of a low-carbohydrate diet on lipoprotein subfractions, and on inflammation in high-risk subjects. Both diets had similar effects on LDL and HDL subfractions

A study done by Harvard and published in the Annals of Internal Medicine:

The Effects of Low-Carbohydrate Versus Conventional Weight Loss Diets in Severely Obese Adults: One-Year Follow-up

Stern, L., Iqbal, N., Seshadri, P., et al., “The Effects of Low-Carbohydrate Versus Conventional Weight Loss Diets in Severely Obese Adults: One-Year Follow-up of a Randomized Trial,” Annals of Internal Medicine, 140(10), 2004, pages 778-785.

conclusion: Participants on a low-carbohydrate diet had more favorable overall outcomes at 1 year than did those on a conventional diet. Weight loss was similar between groups, but effects on atherogenic dyslipidemia and glycemic control were still more favorable with a low-carbohydrate diet after adjustment for differences in weight loss.

 

[DWGal210]

First, I just wanted to say I hope I didn't offend any Atkins folks in my earlier post. That was not my intention and I apologize. I did read the book and do research into it and decided it was not for me, for a variety of reasons.

I guess I prefer WW because I feel it teaches me to be a healthier person all around and change my life, versus being on a diet. Not that other eating/diet plans don't do that, but for me, it's the only thing I can stick to in the long term.

The thing you hear over and over again from doctors and dietary consultants is, "Eat less, exercise more, eat those 'danger foods' in moderation." All of these plans are based on that premise, it's just in how you get there that changes from plan to plan.

 

[goofy!]

First, I just wanted to say I hope I didn't offend any Atkins folks in my earlier post. That was not my intention and I apologize. I did read the book and do research into it and decided it was not for me, for a variety of reasons.

I guess I prefer WW because I feel it teaches me to be a healthier person all around and change my life, versus being on a diet. Not that other eating/diet plans don't do that, but for me, it's the only thing I can stick to in the long term.

The thing you hear over and over again from doctors and dietary consultants is, "Eat less, exercise more, eat those 'danger foods' in moderation." All of these plans are based on that premise, it's just in how you get there that changes from plan to plan.

No offense taken!


My experience is that the only thing Atkins advocates get perturbed about is when people spout incorrect medical information trying to scare people away from the diet.

I agree wholeheartedly that whatever plan you can stick to, as long as it is reasonable, is the best plan for you. No sense in doing a diet if you can't stick to it - that would completely defeat the purpose of being on the diet.

But just for info: The restriction for certain fruits due to sugar content are just during the first phase. You start adding more and more fruits and veggies as you progress up the OWL ladder (Ongoing Weight Loss) adding them slowly and tracking net carbs. You add them slowly, one at a time, to make sure that the added sugar content does not stop weight loss. You track the net carbs to see where you body is most comfortable. Some people lose better at 30 net carbs, some at 40, some at 60 each day. That is A LOT of fruits and veggies of all kinds in one day to get to 60 net carbs. (Net carbs = carbs minus fiber).

Atkins aficionados - there is a great Low Carb support team on Spark People with a great boot camp to get you started.

 

[Darsa]

I'm still trying to figure out how I can get myself away from the carbs that I love sooooo much. I ***know*** that that's the big thing holding up my weight loss; I can't seem to get away from my BREAD! I just love bread, I'd eat anything if it was between slices of bread (cept mushrooms, lol)...

 

[lovetoscrap]

I think what this really boils down to is that you have to try things and see what works best with you, your schedule, your cooking preferences, your family and your lifestyle.

I have done them all--Jenny Craig, WW (numerous times), Nutra System, Dr. Phil, Atkins, South Beach, and whole lot of crazy stuff I made up myself or read/heard about.

For me counting points was a pain, but I have many friends that love it. Atkins was not quite right for me but I love South Beach and have had the most success with it. I find it very easy to follow and cook with and to feed my family. But I have a "meat and potatos" kind of husband so I am not really altering much of what we already do, just serving more lower fat meats, increasing the veggie servings, adding in some beans, and serving whole wheat carbs sparingly.

If you usually make casseroles or convenience foods then that would be more difficult. If you don't like to cook and eat out a lot is more difficult and WW would be easier. If you live alone then something like Jenny Craig where you just nuke your meals would be a good choice.

There is also a lot of support available online for different programs so you can look into those and see what appeals to you. Becuase what appeals to one person may not work at all for another.

Hopefully we can agree to disagree--as long as the end result is healthier lifestyles for all of us.

 

[goofy!]

I'm still trying to figure out how I can get myself away from the carbs that I love sooooo much. I ***know*** that that's the big thing holding up my weight loss; I can't seem to get away from my BREAD! I just love bread, I'd eat anything if it was between slices of bread (cept mushrooms, lol)...

Hi, My name is Goofy! and I am a Carb Addict.

That's the reason I have to do Atkins. I am a carbaholic. I have figured it is as much an addiction as alcohol or any other addictive behavior. My addiction to bad carbs was edging out all the other healthy stuff in my diet.

With Atkins, I have to stay completely away from my beloved breads and pastas.

The first week is so tough with real withdrawal symptoms. However, after the first week, I feel better than I have ever felt before. After two weeks, I have lost any cravings for breads and pastas.

But one slice, kind of like one drink, and I am back craving them again. After being 3 months completely carb free (bad carb that is - I still had plenty of carbs with veggies and fruits), I cheated on one slice of pizza, and now have to go back onto induction as my carb cravings have gotten out of control again.

That is why I can't do diets like Weight Watchers. A low carb (or better described as a good carb diet from fruits and veggies) is the only thing that works for me. Atkins is my AA for unhealthy carbs.

BTW - there is a recipe for the "muffin in a minute" which is a flax seed muffin that is made in the microwave in 40 seconds. It is divine with some blueberries mixed into it and some butter on the top. Eating one of those in the mornings, I don't feel deprived of my carbs at all as I am having my blueberry "muffin" and I can have butter on it.

There is also a recipe for Oopsie rolls, basically egg whites, that you can shape into hamburger rolls, put cinnamon sugar and butter on for a breakfast toast, use as the outer wraps for sandwiches, etc.

There are so many great recipes out there now for low carb/good carb eating that I can stick with Atkins without missing my breads too much - or at least as much as an addict can not miss their addiction. It is not just bacon, red meat and fat.

 

[rotlex]

Hi, My name is Goofy! and I am a Carb Addict.

That's the reason I have to do Atkins. I am a carbaholic. I have figured it is as much an addiction as alcohol or any other addictive behavior. My addiction to bad carbs was edging out all the other healthy stuff in my diet.

With Atkins, I have to stay completely away from my beloved breads and pastas.

The first week is so tough with real withdrawal symptoms. However, after the first week, I feel better than I have ever felt before. After two weeks, I have lost any cravings for breads and pastas.

But one slice, kind of like one drink, and I am back craving them again. After being 3 months completely carb free (bad carb that is - I still had plenty of carbs with veggies and fruits), I cheated on one slice of pizza, and now have to go back onto induction as my carb cravings have gotten out of control again.

That is why I can't do diets like Weight Watchers. A low carb (or better described as a good carb diet from fruits and veggies) is the only thing that works for me. Atkins is my AA for unhealthy carbs.

BTW - there is a recipe for the "muffin in a minute" which is a flax seed muffin that is made in the microwave in 40 seconds. It is divine with some blueberries mixed into it and some butter on the top. Eating one of those in the mornings, I don't feel deprived of my carbs at all as I am having my blueberry "muffin" and I can have butter on it.

There is also a recipe for Oopsie rolls, basically egg whites, that you can shape into hamburger rolls, put cinnamon sugar and butter on for a breakfast toast, use as the outer wraps for sandwiches, etc.

There are so many great recipes out there now for low carb/good carb eating that I can stick with Atkins without missing my breads too much - or at least as much as an addict can not miss their addiction. It is not just bacon, red meat and fat.

This is me to a "T", LOL. Seriously. Even after 4 years, even a slice of "real" cake can set me off on a carb load that will probably cause me to binge for weeks! (I laugh, but I'm actually serious).

On a side note, my wife, over the past years, has learned about SO many different ways to make usually high sugar stuff, cakes, pancakes, rolls and even my favorite, CHEESECAKE, in a low carb way that is simply delicious!

I also wanted to post again, that I did NOT mean at ALL to offend anyone in my previous posts, it's just the subject really, really hits home with me. I have become so much healthier over the years by eating a low carb diet, I have probably added many years to my life. (Well, hopefully anyway)!

I know other diets work for a lot of people, but for someone like myself, of whom I believe are the majority of dieters, LC\Atkins\Southbeach WORK because you don't have to really restrict calories at all. At least I didn't, and in the beginning, and even farther into it; that is simply what helped me drop the weight!

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I have prediabetes and I am 24. It is only within the last 3 years that I gained weight, before that I was barely over 100 lbs. I thought you had to be morbidly obese from birth to get diabetes at my age. I was very wrong. I have always been active, on swim team and later dance, then performing for Disney, but that did not save me.

I hate seeing people spout off the "you will get diabetes if you do this" myth. The progression of diabetes is a lot more complicate than that. There has to be a mix between genetics and environment. Not everybody who gets type 2 is overweight and lazy, and not everybody who is obese will get Type 2.

That being said, Atkins is actually good for treating and preventing diabetes. Carbs of all kinds are the problem for diabetics and the treatment is a very low carb lifestyle. Even lower than the ADA recommends. In fact, many people call them the "Advance Diabetes Association" because their carb recommendations are not enough to control most people's blood sugar. Their recommendations have not kept pace with research (I love the ADA, but not their diet).

So what does cause diabetes? Again, it's a combo of environment and genetics. Research has actually found that diabetes contributes to obesity because insulin is a fat storing hormone. I don't think that's the only reason I became overweight, but I do believe it was a factor. Another thing that can contribute is a high carbohydrate diet. As you become insulin resistant (and nobody is really sure why this happens) your pancreas has to kick out more and more insulin to do the same job. The more carbs you eat, the more you tax your pancreas and eventually your pancreas burns out. This is the point when diabetes is diagnosed. A diet lower in cabs preserves beta cell function for longer. (And this is coming from my amazing Endocrinologist as well as a lot of current research.)

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Okay, now that all the scientific mumbo jumbo is out of the way.

I do a combo of Weight Watchers and low carbing. I do not believe I could follow a diet as restrictive as Atkins so I have not tried it. Instead I work within my points and eat complex carbs in healthy limits my doctor and I have discussed. I find this works very well for me. The great thing about Weight Watchers is it is not exclusive. If you believe that you would still overeat on Atkins, you can still do Atkins but count points with Weight Watchers. I'm busy enough that I need the flexibility Weight Watchers provides, and I love that the program keeps up with research and changes appropriately.

 

[mom2rb]

I gave up flour and sugar five months ago. I have lost 38 pounds with 22 left to go. Once a month I cheat, I eat a lot of Lo Mein and get it out of my system. It has been very easy.

 

[AshleyW]

Sorry, yeah, I'm extreme on this, but the statements you make regarding Atkins are 110% false. Ever since Atkins, my health has been better than it has my entire life. That includes times when I ate a low fat, higher "good carb" diet. Ketosis is NOT a bad thing, you are probably referring too ketoacidosis, and the other issues you list are non existent if someone actual follows the diet, and doesn't just live on meat and eggs for the rest of their lives.

Sorry, carbs are NOT necessary for a healthy lifestyle. We have been brainwashed with that thinking for a very, very long time, and you can see how a good a shape everyone is in.

Note, this is not a personal attack on anyone, it just really, really drives me nuts when I see such misinformation spread about an incredibly healthy, and sustainable, way to live.

For something that is not a "personal attack", it sure came off as one.

And no, those statements are NOT false. I've taken several nutrition and physiology classes and can back them all up. When you don't get enough carbs, your body starts burning fat cells to turn into glucose for energy. When this happens, your body creates ketones which causes acidosis of the blood - which is ketosis and usually leads to ketoacidosis - and this all takes a very heavy toll on your kidneys and your liver. Your body DOES need carbs for energy, and will go into starvation mode without them. You're absolutely right - we don't need as many carbs as most people eat, but there is a healthy medium. You shouldn't need to deprive yourself of any food groups (even just in stages, for a week, etc). to get healthy. It's simple: less calories in, more calories out.

I've read the Atkins book and know people who have done it, and on the flipside have taken many many health classes, so I know both sides of the story. I'm not trying to upset anyone, but obviously Atkins supporters are going to be very loyal, and sometimes it's good to hear the other side of the story instead of "well the book said it was okay".

Sorry. I'll step off my soapbox and just watch this thread from afar now. Sorry to anyone who may be offended - but, in the end, what anyone in this thread said shouldn't really make or break someone's diet decision. You should talk with your doctor first to help make the right decision for your dieting habits.

 

[rotlex]

For something that is not a "personal attack", it sure came off as one.

And no, those statements are NOT false. I've taken several nutrition and physiology classes and can back them all up. When you don't get enough carbs, your body starts burning fat cells to turn into glucose for energy. When this happens, your body creates ketones which causes acidosis of the blood - which is ketosis and usually leads to ketoacidosis - and this all takes a very heavy toll on your kidneys and your liver. Your body DOES need carbs for energy, and will go into starvation mode without them. You're absolutely right - we don't need as many carbs as most people eat, but there is a healthy medium. You shouldn't need to deprive yourself of any food groups (even just in stages, for a week, etc). to get healthy. It's simple: less calories in, more calories out.

I've read the Atkins book and know people who have done it, and on the flipside have taken many many health classes, so I know both sides of the story. I'm not trying to upset anyone, but obviously Atkins supporters are going to be very loyal, and sometimes it's good to hear the other side of the story instead of "well the book said it was okay".

Sorry. I'll step off my soapbox and just watch this thread from afar now. Sorry to anyone who may be offended - but, in the end, what anyone in this thread said shouldn't really make or break someone's diet decision. You should talk with your doctor first to help make the right decision for your dieting habits.

Eh, again, sorry - nothing personal. It's just that in most cases, it has been so engrained into society, and yes, even our educational system that fat=bad, carbs=good, that way too many people are afraid of a low carb diet, when the exact opposite should be true.

It's one of the reasons I suggested reading "Good Calories Bad Calories". by Gary Taubes. It's a very different view on nutrition, and the lies we have basically been told over the years by the food industry, as well as the government and the education system, no conspiracy nut on my end, LOL.

Peace - and sorry to the OP as well, didn't meant to like thread jack or anything with an earlier rant...I'll shut up now!

 

[Darsa]

BTW - there is a recipe for the "muffin in a minute" which is a flax seed muffin that is made in the microwave in 40 seconds. It is divine with some blueberries mixed into it and some butter on the top. Eating one of those in the mornings, I don't feel deprived of my carbs at all as I am having my blueberry "muffin" and I can have butter on it.

There is also a recipe for Oopsie rolls, basically egg whites, that you can shape into hamburger rolls, put cinnamon sugar and butter on for a breakfast toast, use as the outer wraps for sandwiches, etc.

Um um um... WHERE do you find these recipes??? I'm really wanting to try to cut out the carbs, maybe this will help!

 

[WebmasterAlex]

The reason WW and Atkins both exist and have such staunch supporters is because neither is right for everyone. A lot of people pick one, give it a good try and then when it doesn't work they quit, get depressed and put more weight on. It's not going to hurt you to try any of these diets. Try WW and if it doesn't work try Atkins, Try south beach, try ornish, try the grapefruit diet. Eventually you will find one that works for YOU and then that's the "best" diet.
People have different metabolisms, different body types, different cravings etc so there can't be a "best" diet for everyone

 

[hlane]

Um um um... WHERE do you find these recipes??? I'm really wanting to try to cut out the carbs, maybe this will help!

Here is a great lc recipe site!

http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/

Also check out lowcarbfriends dot com lots of recipes there too

 

[threeboysmom]

Um um um... WHERE do you find these recipes??? I'm really wanting to try to cut out the carbs, maybe this will help!

I just made the micro muffin yesterday for breakfast as a matter of fact! Not sure if it's the same one, but here's my recipe:

Flax Muffin (1 carb per serving)
1/4 c. flaxmeal (SOOOO healthy for you)
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1 T. Sugar Free DaVinci vanilla syrup (this is a staple in my home, I use it in a lot of my baking)

Mix all ingredients really well in a microwavable bowl and nuke for 2-3 minutes (at least for my micro). Pop out of bowl onto a plate and top with butter.

I spread cream cheese on mine yesterday which was really good.

The flax gives it a very nutty flavor. Almost like a bran or a buckwheat taste... This is certainly not your typical carby muffin that you're used to, but it hits the spot for me when I want something "bread-y", and it's very very healthy for you.

Also check out lowcarbfriends dot com lots of recipes there too

I LOVE that site!! My very best board friend... well after the DIS that is!