Lame diet question...

ex-gf, her mom, and some co-workers did it.

if done right, atkins will lose you 10-15 pounts in the induction phase.

the problem is once your 'off' the diet, from what i've heard, it all comes back just as fast.

1. excerise

2. start eating normal/healthy again.

generally i stick with that any diet, that is 'popular' isn't good for the right things, and generally was created just to make some cash off people.

/shrugs/ but that's just me.

I believe so. I wasn't tracking myself too closely when I first started it, but I (and others) did notice I was losing weight pretty fast.

Besides, they're the same exact thing - eating little to no carbs for a short period of time.

with most all big diets like that that cause you to lose a lot of weight up front the weight comes back as soon as you get off it

I mean specifically in the induction period.

You could also give the Suzanne Sommers diet a shot. Very similar to Atkins/SBD, but more variety (fruit, etc.) though it involves memorizing how long it's been since you've eaten certain kinds of foods.

Really though, if you're talking about a short-time thing, low-to-no-carbs is best for results. I believe there's an induction phase with the SS diet anyhow.

the problem with ALL diets is that you gain the weight back again once you start eating like you were before, which most people do. you just have to start being a bit more careful and avoiding junk food and all that and you'll get back down to where you were. it'll take longer, but you're way more likely to keep it off. also, working out is always hardest when you first start, after awhile though you get used to it and then it's not at all hard to make the time and effort for it.

The Atkins diet promotes short term weight loss through the process of ketosis ( a last ditch emergency survival process where the body feeds of its self).

Through the process of ketosis, there is the chance of diabetes, colon cancer, increased cholesterol and blood preassure, heart disease, muscle breakdown, nausea, dehydration, headaches, light-headedness, irritability, bad breath, kindey disease, fetal abnormality or death. Most of these can occur even with just short term use.


My suggestion is to stay away from those diets... it may take a month, but only losing 2-3 pounds a week is the best way to lose that last 10 pounds the healthy way.

Edit to cover my ass...

[Edited on Oct 08, 2004 by JoshXXX]

I just went vegitarian and it was much easier to maintain healthy diet, eat the same quantity without gaining poundage and stuff. It also made it much more difficult to eat certain fast foods (though I know just about all fast food meat or not has lard in it). In fact I lost some pudge, but I dunno it's hard and you have to slowy ease your way into it. The hardest part is that socially it causes problems as to where friends and I can eat at and limits choices like mad. But I do feel better being on this particular diet more than anything else. I know its natural, its not some stupid plan made by idiot humans in a lab,,,its just mother natures finest.

what Susie said... it's worse with Atkins type stuff than most... that initial 10 pounds or so is most likely water weight. To my understanding (which may be wrong) there is usually a good bit of water trapped in stored carb reserves in the body. You deplete those reserves (via induction or what have you) and the water is flushed out. If you go back to more normal eating -- your body re-stores the lost carb reserves and they start to retain water. This can lead to a very rapid regain of weight -- which is not necessarily FAT -- but it wasn't necessarily fat you lost in the first place.
You will see a change if you do all the Atkins stuff properly.. and if this motivates you to exercise and continue to eat better; more power to you. Any kind of disciplined food regimen can help make you much more aware of what you are eating. My fiancee lost a good bit of weight doing atkins and has since stopped doing it; but she is getting more exercise through her job as a cocktail waitress and still maintains some of the more positive eating habits.She hasn't gained much (if any back)
She doesn't drink soft drinks any more (occasional diet coke)... Doesn't eat very many potatoes and doesn't fill up on breads or pastas.

Psst. I hear the gay crowd calls it the Tiffiny Diet.

I did the Atkins diet and I can back up the other posts and say that the weight comes back with a vengence once you start eatting carbs again. So far, what works best for me is giving up all sugar and alcohol for a period of time. The weight stays off much longer then with Atkins.

Depending on your eating habits now you may not have to go on the induction phase of the South Beach. The first two weeks are not really designed to kick up your metabolism but rather to break your bodies "carb addiction". For some this is a tough addiction to break, especialy if you live off of sodas and sweets. I would say jump ahead to South Beach phase 2 for a while and see how that goes. Its not as strict but it will make you aware of what you are eating.

I've been on the South Beach diet for about six months now, lost 35 pounds and feel better than I ever have before (damn, I sound like a fuckin' ad right now). My friend has lost 50 pounds and if you are wondering about our cholesterol numbers, all are within range: LDL, HDL, triglycerides, you name it....all perfect. I don't get this talk about South Beach/Atkins causing diabetes. Someone I know has Type 2 diabetes and now doctors have her eating exactly what I do on the SB, hmm.

The difference is, when you get off the diet, do you gorge and eat super unhealthy food? or do you just allow yourself to eat yummy stuff once in awhile? Basically, if you have been putting ON weight, you're doing something wrong. You can try one of the diets to get rid of the extra weight, but you will still have to modify your current eating/exercising habits when you get off the diet to keep from gaining weight again. Get off yer ass and get a little exercise, and more than likely, you won't even need one of these diets

Yes, you have to make it a change in lifestyle. You can't go back to eating what made you "fat" in the first place and expect the weight to stay off.

How about portion control, balanced meals, and for the love of Bowie, exercise.

It isn't a very popular idea because you can't package and sell it like the other fad diets, but it seems to have worked for mankind for centuries.

I went on this diet that I made up called the Vegetable Soup diet for about three months and I lost over 30 pounds.

I substitute one-two meals a day for Campbell's Vegetarian Vegetable Soup and try not to snack as much, if at all. It works and it'll fill you up (one whole bowl is 22.5 ounces, has one full serving of veggies, and it's 225 calories), oh yeah, and it tastes REALLY good.

Vegetable soup has little to no protein in it, so you're going to lose lots of muscle along with the fat if you choose to subsist on it. Not good.

It's been said a couple times already, but you really do just need to change how you eat. I just jumped into change myself, about 4 weeks ago. But for me it was a change in routine, too.

I cut out all the refined sugar, white flour (also white rice), dairy, and the majority of the salt and red meat from my diet. I drink a ton of water a day, and i wake up retarded early to go to the gym every morning. It only takes about a week of willing yourself to just do it in order to just accept the routine.

So far it's worked really well, i've lost about 8lbs, and it looks like even more than that thanks to the gym work. Plus, as an added side bonus, i saved money since i don't eat out at all. So yeah. Take everyone's advice, fuck those crummy fad diets. They really don't work at all.

Get away from thinking in terms of "pounds". What you are really after is reduction of body fat which may or may not be related to how many pounds you gain or lose. Water retention due to eating more or less sodium for example can make your weight fluctuate. Muscle is 7-times denser than fat, so small changes in muscle will also make your weight fluctuate. Judge your progress on how much fat you have on your body. Look in the mirror, squeeze your thighs, etc. Fuck the scale.

Also, it's very difficult to burn 10 pounds of fat in two weeks. You can make small changes to your diet, and you will start to see results in 8 weeks or so. It's healthier on your system, and easier on you too. Take a close look at your eating habits and change a few of them. Sicily recommended no refined sugar or dairy which are good suggestions. Reducing alcohol consumption and not eating lots of carbs close to bedtime are others. Pick a couple and then stick to it and you'll lose the fat.

Its very unhealthy to lose more than 2 or 3 pounds a week. Those people will all gain it back. Guaranteed. The good thing about exercise is that it seriously is addictive. Its just the first few days that suck.

I don't fuck with carbs or fat in particular, I just look right at the calories on the label, and try to keep my daily calorie intake at or lower than 1000. try going to Fitday.com, it really helped me. I've dropped a pants size so far and about 10 lbs. you don't lose weight super super fast, but that's really unhealthy, anyway. just a couple lbs a week. I also walk dogs 4 days a week and do strength training 2 days a week and do aerobic dance at home.

The best advice I can give to anyone to lose, (or maintain a loss) is to watch your portions and spread your calories out properly throughout the day. Have a big breakfast, medium lunch and small dinner, avoid processed foods, and too much fat or sugar. If I want to lose a few pounds I literally have no dinner for a few days. (but this is risky cos you might crack and end up binging on crap) If you have to go out in the evening, or can't bear to have no dinner, the best time to cut out carbs is in the evenings. You shoudn't ever cut them out because of the ketosis mentioned earlier, t's dangerous. But having something really light, either just some fruit, or a salad, soup with no bread, or some lean meat (or substitute) and veg will really work, and not in a drastic way that will pile back on again.