Atkins Diet

[tofumonkey]

this i agree,

i'm too much of a rice/noodle/bread person...
will NEVER feel full /satisfied without one...

anyone else tested the atkins diet here?

[Mama Mangia]

One of my best friends was on the diet for 3 months - she lost about 85 lbs. She swore by this diet! After that 3 months - she did not look good - her skin and hair did not look good - her nails were brittle. She looked sick. Then she started to introduce more carbs - 2 months later all the weight was back on. She tried to go back on the Atkins diet - she could not lose the weight. As soon as she put any carbs in her mouth - she gained. A year later she signed up for Weight Watchers to lose the weight. A year after that - she lost the weight again. Three months after she quit WW - she gained about 30 lbs. back. Her doc said she should never had gone on the Atkins diet - that is what is causing her to have such a hard time losing and keeping it off.

I talked to my doc about it - that is a good diet for no more than 3 days - and only once every month and a half or so. The rest of the time - eat in moderate portions and walk - move around - that will help you to lose the weight and keep it off. If you hit a plateau for a couple weeks and you are not losing anything - then "jumpstart" with 2 to 3 days of all protein and no carbs - but no more than a handful of times a year. And don't overload on all the butter and fats allowed on Atkins!!!

[phoenyxstarr]

Mama, I've been thinking that he may have a vitamin deficiency. I've been trying to figure out if a multi-vitamin would be good for him, at least until I get my new cooking habits set in place. Which I've got to figure out how to get those figured out & start getting them set in place now. No need to wait until the new year since I'm back from the hospital with the baby and all that.

[Mama Mangia]

Originally Posted by phoenyxstarr

Mama, I've been thinking that he may have a vitamin deficiency. I've been trying to figure out if a multi-vitamin would be good for him, at least until I get my new cooking habits set in place. Which I've got to figure out how to get those figured out & start getting them set in place now. No need to wait until the new year since I'm back from the hospital with the baby and all that.

It's very smart of you to start now and not wait for the new year - and yet you will still be able to enjoy the holiday without worrying about gaining after enjoying yourself for a day or two. If he is like most men - he may not be too receptive to seeing a doc to see if he does have a vitamin deficiency. In that case - One A Day makes a nice vitamin for men. And if you balance out his meals with enough protein, a moderate amount of carbs and some fruit - you will see a difference within a week or so. And don't forget that there is a lot you can do to satisfy a sweet tooth using fruits, jello, pudding, etc. And an occasional snacking cake or small pie (I have a couple 7-inch glass pie plates that I love for making "just enough") won't hurt.

note: for 7-inch pies i use a regular pie crust recipe and roll it a bit thicker (who said you have to have a thin crust anyway!) and the fillings are nice and high!

[phoenyxstarr]

He is definitely a typical man when it comes to seeing the dr... But he has to go to get a prescription for Nicorette, its the only way his insurance will pay for him to quit using tobacco. We're hoping that it will get him off the stuff completely, he doesn't smoke so we're not sure how well it will work.

I took a shortcut to figuring out how to balance our meals... While I was in the hospital, I saw their menu & I wrote down the food groups served at each meal. Now to implement the changes. I think I'll start by changing dinner since that's his most important meal during the week. And I'll make small changes, while giving him time to get used to each change before I make another one.

I'm going to have to find some 7" pie pans.

[Mama Mangia]

phoenyxstar - I meant to ask if he eats breakfast. Eating a good and well balanced (and filling) breakfast could also help in curbing cravings. Now that I am older - I try to make my big meal of the day at lunchtime and a smaller meal for dinner. Fresh fruit or some jello or a small dessert about 2 to 3 hours before bed. Some days you consume more calories and/or "bad" foods - and on those days I don't eat a thing past 6PM. Just tea or warm milk before bed. Sometimes when you stop eating at a certain time - the next morning you are not that hungry. But when you devour foods up until bedtime - the next day you want more. Also - if you don't get enough sleep - it's another reason to over eat.

[phoenyxstarr]

He doesn't normally eat anything after 7pm, and rarely eats breakfast before work. He does eat breakfast on the weekends though.

I wish I could make his big meal of the day lunch, but he only get 30 min for lunch so whatever I send has to be quick to warm (or doesn't need to be warmed up) & quick to eat.

[clara]

Originally Posted by Mama Mangia

Also - if you don't get enough sleep - it's another reason to over eat.

What is the reason why we overeat when we dont get enough sleep? I just saw this post and I realize that's what I've been doing for the past year.

[Mama Mangia]

clara - I don't know why - all I know is that sleep deprived people often eat more - most likely because they feel they need the extra energy due to the lack of sleep. They are looking for the extra "push" they need to keep going. I am not much of a breakfast person - I like my tea and then I am off and running - cleaning, laundry and getting as much done as I can. But I am now starting to eat breakfast and I find that it does make me feel better and my energy level seems better. And I find that I sleep much better at night if I don't eat before bed - and of course - a glass of warm milk also helps. I'm not much of a sleeper - never was - so I try to get some zzzzz's at night.

[pinkperson]

I've read about this once. According to the book, when you're on Atkins, you don't necessarily lose fat. Instead, you lose muscles and water more which are responsible for your immediate weight loss. You gain fat quickly because once you lose your muscle, you decrease your metabolism and then you gain fat more quickly.