Atkins diet....

[PCGrad06]

i asked for your help a couple of weeks ago. there were a few of you who emailed me. i found the exercise ideas to be the most help. i went to the dr and i tipped the scales at 258lb :imbar i am only 5ft 3in tall. see i was not kidding when i said you may save a life here. alway he adviced me to do the atkins diet. this was on the 27th of this month. i ran out bought the book that day and began the diet the following one. i feel so much better already it is like i actually have energy now. the first two days i was the i could not have my bread! once i felt the energy to increase i was . well today i could not wait any longer and climbed on the scale. i lose 2lbs. i am 256lbs for me this is big in a good way:chuckle

here is the question: have any of you been on this diet? i hear so many different things about it. but the dr. is the one who pointed me is this direction.

thanks to all of you who offered a helping hand in my time of need!

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

I drink a lot of water

all in the form of COFFEE

hot black and strong

[indigo]

Up until now I have been suspicious of the Atkins diet. It's such a fad and now Big Business. Aren't we supposed to have carbs? Whole grains are a part of a healthy diet, right? I learned in my nutrition class that our diet should consist of 55 to 60 percent carbs.

Despite my doubts I think I am going to try it. I want to lose 25 lbs. in the worst way.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Up until now I have been suspicious of the Atkins diet. It's such a fad and now Big Business. Aren't we supposed to have carbs? Whole grains are a part of a healthy diet, right? I learned in my nutrition class that our diet should consist of 55 to 60 percent carbs.

Despite my doubts I think I am going to try it. I want to lose 25 lbs. in the worst way.

I think it might be a good way for you to loose that 25 lbs if you don't do it for long and use lean foods and stay away from fad-type foods like low carb cookies and protein bars. It's not a no-carb diet and yes, complex carbs in the form of whole grains, fresh fruits and veggie are vital for maximum health IMO. So when you reintroduce carbs to your diet do it with the right kind. Good luck.

I read an interesting snippet the other day that of those that claim to be on a low carb diet, only one in four are actually within the limits of a low-carb plan. The other three are going over the recommended carbs in the low-carb plan.

[manna, BSN, RN]

Tried Atkins for about 2 weeks, got a awful craving for a frappuccino and a cookie, caved... and decided afterwards that I didn't really like meat and eggs enough to last long on that diet, anyway.

[susanna]

You know what is the most interesting thing I find about this thread? Its the people who are saying that their nutrition and physiology professors don't teach about Atkin's correctly because they didn't actually look into it themselves too far.

It goes to show that you really can't depend on your teachers or the education system for a lot of the important things you need to know and that you really have to go out there and experience and look for the answers yourself when it comes to education.

[suzy253, RN]

Ahh but my nutrition teacher did study the diet and was very well informed. i believe her.

[suzanne4, RN]

Up until now I have been suspicious of the Atkins diet. It's such a fad and now Big Business. Aren't we supposed to have carbs? Whole grains are a part of a healthy diet, right? I learned in my nutrition class that our diet should consist of 55 to 60 percent carbs.

Despite my doubts I think I am going to try it. I want to lose 25 lbs. in the worst way.

Carbs are in Atkin's, just healthy carbs................you want to stay away from simple sugars. Quite simple. I don't have any of the synthetic foods over here, I bring over my own Splenda. That's it..............And I am probably healthier than many other people. Try cutting out sugar form your diet, and you will seea significant difference in how you feel. Atkin's has been around for over 20 years, so it isn't just a fad. And no one says that you have to stick strictly to it, you need to find what works for you. If you go on it to lose 25 pounds and do not modify your eating habits, you will gain it back more than likely.

For get about all of the low-carb foods that are out there and just try to eat healthy....not substituting one junk food for another, because it is low-carb.

I actually eat brown rice 6 days per week at lunch, and my waist is where it was in high school, and I have been a nurse for over 25 years.

Good luck.................. :balloons:

[SCmomof3, RN]

I began Atkin's on Father's Day. At the end of week one, I was down 4.5 pounds. I am amazed at how easy it's been. I mean, it's been a challenge, but nothing like I expected. I was a carb addict - carbs for breakfast, carbs for lunch, carbs for dinner, and why not have some carbs for snack while watching TV? So I expected it to be very difficult. I have had my challenges and cravings, but for the most part, my body has adjusted well. I am getting a little sick of eggs :lol: but I'm learning new recipes from the internet, and how to adapt some of my old recipes.

The biggest difference I have noticed is that I am so much less irritable with my kids. That is a humongous plus for me!!! I know I wasn't getting enough protein in my diet before, and now I get tons. I know that it helps a lot, in my mood and such.

I hope we can keep this thread going, for support and encouragement. I am sure I will have some rough times and would love to have somewhere to go where you know what I'm going through and can help me through it :)

[Spoiled1, MSN, RN]

You have basically summed up my feelings! So many people are talking off the tops of their heads, or talking based on what someone else has told them. What ever happened to people talking more about what they KNOW, and less about what they THINK? Everyone should do their own research (i.e., read the book, visit website), and then come back and post accurately! Who ever said Atkins was NO carbs?? That is ridiculous. We all know that. We need carbs, but maybe not as many! I definitely support Atkins, and I KNOW it works. Not based on what someone has told me, but based on reading, and experiencing it myself.

You know what is the most interesting thing I find about this thread? Its the people who are saying that their nutrition and physiology professors don't teach about Atkin's correctly because they didn't actually look into it themselves too far.

It goes to show that you really can't depend on your teachers or the education system for a lot of the important things you need to know and that you really have to go out there and experience and look for the answers yourself when it comes to education.

[Spoiled1, MSN, RN]

You have basically summed up my feelings! So many people are talking off the tops of their heads, or talking based on what someone else has told them. What ever happened to people talking more about what they KNOW, and less about what they THINK? Everyone should do their own research (i.e., read the book, visit website), and then come back and post accurately! Who ever said Atkins was NO carbs?? That is ridiculous. We all know that. We need carbs, but maybe not as many! I definitely support Atkins, and I KNOW it works. Not based on what someone has told me, but based on reading, and experiencing it myself.

You know what is the most interesting thing I find about this thread? Its the people who are saying that their nutrition and physiology professors don't teach about Atkin's correctly because they didn't actually look into it themselves too far.

It goes to show that you really can't depend on your teachers or the education system for a lot of the important things you need to know and that you really have to go out there and experience and look for the answers yourself when it comes to education.

[Sheri257]

What ever happened to people talking more about what they KNOW, and less about what they THINK?

If anybody remembers basic bio or physio, this is why you should be concerned about Atkins. Not to the mention the USDA, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Association, among others, have published papers pointing out the unhealthy effects of the diet.

Fact 1: The average American diet consists of 50 percent carbs. Atkins cuts carbs to 10 percent or 20 grams a day. The brain alone needs 130 grams of carbs daily to function. Therefore, the body is forced to convert oxaloacetic acid into glucose to fuel the brain. You may recall that oxaloacetic acid is a key component of the Krebs cycle necessary to make ATP energy for the body. Without it, the body cannot efficiently make ATP. Acetyl CoA accumulates and is eventually converted to acidic ketones, forcing the body into ketosis. Highly acidic conditions are not good for the body since it throws off pH balance, where even slight variations are dangerous. With Atkins, the body's buffer systems can't tie up the ketones fast enough, which is why Atkins dieters frequently complain of bad breath. The respiratory system is struggling to eliminate ketone byproducts, as well as trying to blow off additional CO2, in order to force blood pH back up to normal levels.

Fact 2: Excessive protein consumption is not healthy for the body. The average American diet consists of 15 percent protein, Atkins doubles protein intake to 30 percent. Since the body doesn't efficiently process proteins for energy, additional ammonia and urea waste products are created. Ammonia is extremely toxic for cells, and excess urea strains the kidneys. A 2003 Harvard study found additional protein consumption worsened conditions for patients with previously mild renal problems. And, additional protein consumption is often discouraged for renal patients, since it strains the kidneys.

Fact 3: Even Atkins funded research has disclosed problems with the diet. Atkins dieters reported adverse symptoms more frequently than non-Atkins dieters. (Symptoms included constipation, headache, halitosis, muscle cramps and diarrhea.) And "bad" LDL cholesterol levels associated with heart disease actually rose in the Atkins diet group, despite weight loss. Perhaps this is not surprising since fat intake with Atkins is substantially increased from the average 35 percent of total calories to 60 percent. Of course, numerous studies have shown that increased fat intake also increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, among other ailments.

Unless we want to discard everything we've learned in school, and the last 40 years of scientific research, I don't see how anybody can argue this diet is healthy.

[Mandarella]

What does your daily diet consist of. I mean start from the time you get up in the am to the end of the day. I need to change the way I eat. Period. But I just grab whatever's on the "go." Maybe some examples can get me a clearer picture. I just want healthy, low carb doesn't really need to fit here I guess. But if it works, it works. Has anyone actually had blood tests done while on Atkins?? My husbands labs came back elevated but he doesn't know what they were before so we really can't go by that. He has modified his diet to a low fat one.

QUOTE=suzanne4]Carbs are in Atkin's, just healthy carbs................you want to stay away from simple sugars. Quite simple. I don't have any of the synthetic foods over here, I bring over my own Splenda. That's it..............And I am probably healthier than many other people. Try cutting out sugar form your diet, and you will seea significant difference in how you feel. Atkin's has been around for over 20 years, so it isn't just a fad. And no one says that you have to stick strictly to it, you need to find what works for you. If you go on it to lose 25 pounds and do not modify your eating habits, you will gain it back more than likely.

For get about all of the low-carb foods that are out there and just try to eat healthy....not substituting one junk food for another, because it is low-carb.

I actually eat brown rice 6 days per week at lunch, and my waist is where it was in high school, and I have been a nurse for over 25 years.

Good luck.................. :balloons: