Atkins
 

I've heard that atkins diet is quite effective. I really wanna try it.

Buy, borrow, or steal the book: "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution".
Read it. Understand it. Realize it's a lifestyle change. You will never stop eating like this.

If you decide to go with it, don't experiment with the induction phase.
Later, you'll get a little room to try different things, but once past the first two or three weeks, you'll understand that starches and sugar are responsible for making you fat, and you'll avoid food that contain unnecessary amounts of carbs and sugar.

Above all, don't make up your own diet.
The silliest posts imaginable start with "I'm on a modified Atkins, ..." Uh, no they're not on Atkins.
They're on "A Goofy Made-Up Eating Plan That Stole the Atkins Name Diet"

Best of luck.

Volleyball -- THANK YOU for tweaking my recipe/counting the carbs. I used half & half cuz it was on hand, but I PREFER real cream. (SO much better.) I was too sick when I made it to put the carb count up, but MAN that stuff is good! :D

Rikey -- you can usually pick up one of the Atkins books cheaply at a used bookstore. Last time I bought one (within the past 3 months) I paid $1. Buy it, read it, live it, love it. You'll have to change a lot of your thought-patterns, about what constitutes "diet food"... But you'll find yourself eating rich, healthy foods that leave you full and satisfied, and marveling at your increased energy and well-being... and by the way, the weight will fall off!

Dread -- I'm on "Modified Atkins". Mine's modified to COMPLETELY exclude zucchini in any form. ~laughing~ If you read the book, he encourages folks to modify the plan to suit their individual body's needs.... I agree, however, that one must still stay within the guidelines for it to be effective.

Amen! We all modify Atkins to suit our own tastes (in vegetables and protein--for example, a friend of mine hates beef and gets all her protein from fish, chicken, and eggs), but we absolutely can't modify the skeleton of the ANA (Atkins Nutritional Approach) or it is no longer Atkins. There are several diets that I would call modified Atkins, South Beach and Lindora Clinic come to mind. South Beach allows too many carbs in the beginning for my body...the Lindora Clinic diet worked, but I didn't stick to it once the weight was gone. Atkins is for life.
You are welcome for the tweaking. LOL The last time I made it (it's going to be a once a week recipe), I blended the first ingredient in the Magic Bullet, then blended again each time I added an ingredient--it was so smooth that I couldn't believe it! I used 1/3 Silk Almond Milk (original flavor-unflavored) and 2/3 heavy cream the last time I made it...the carb count stayed the same.

I am on 'modified' Atkins, too...I will never be able to add wheat or corn back in and I am not allowed to eat raw vegetables or nuts. That's what happens when you have permanent damage to your colon--watch those NSAIDS, people...your doctor doesn't always notice how long you've been taking them.

Ugh... That sounds terrible. (And I've got a tendency to use a lot of NSAIDS, for various reasons) I can't imagine having to do without nuts! I suppose seeds are out, too?

Mrsrs: Thank you for (re)posting those percentages. I'm in the fortunate group that only needs to lose about 15 lbs., but they're TOUGH to get off and with the change of season, may require buying yet more "big girl" clothes. I could just scream, my carb intake has been between 20-30 gms for 3 weeks, and I actually gained a pound. Will work out a bit more, try to get more sleep, and hope hormonal changes have done their worst.

I never did try the Atkins, but I do the Paleo Diet, which is very similar in that it is low-carb. It produces similar results for that reason.

Any serious weight-loss diet has to mean low-glycemic eating, if you don't want to torture your appetite and burn muscle.

I like Paleo better for the ease of understanding what's good for eating and various aspects of it, but if getting rid of all the excess water weight and body fat is the goal, either one will do the job nicely.

Agreed -- Paleo and Atkins are VERY similar. I do Atkins because I was introduced to it first, and have read the book at least twice now, so I have a pretty good feel for it.

I'd have a harder time on Paleo, I think, because of the lack of dairy. You can take away my butter when you pry it out of my cold, dead finger! ~laughs~ But I'm on another forum just for LC dieting, and I think we have as many Paleo folks there as Atkins. From what I've seen, the two are largely compatible... If a Paleo and an Atkins follower went out to dinner together, their plates would look VERY similar... Particularly as a lot of Atkins folks avoid most dairy... and once past induction, many of us introduce small quantities of fruit.

I love this WOL :D

Yes, seeds are out for me. I splurge once in a while, but they always cause some type of pain. I do eat chia seeds and flax seeds, but not too often.

For Atkins, of course, you can add some seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, flax) back in once you have finished at least 2 weeks on Induction.