# Started Atkins yesterday



## WindowOrMirror (Jan 10, 2005)

I started Aug 5, 2007 at 190cm tall, 122 kilos, and a BMI of around 31-33. (read: big guy with big muscles with a big belly)

Atkins works for weight loss, and works well, provided that you cover the vitamin aspect. I saw weight loss the last time I did Atkins (4 years ago) 40% greater than my calorie reduction alone could account for. That's success.

I am also adding the calorie reduction aspect to ensure that - if I fall out of ketosis - that I still see some moderate weight loss.

This is getting tougher as I get older. I guess the toughest part is the area that's REALLY the issue (between the ears).

R

RESULTS
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START - 122 kilos
WEEK 1- 116 kilos
WEEK 2 - 114 kilos
WEEK 3 - 112 kilos


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## Mylash (Jun 10, 2006)

Be very careful with the Atkins diet - it can allow you to loose a tremendous amount of weight, so long as you have the loose fat to loose. If you are not morbidly overweight, Atkins can, and often does, make your weight go up.

The supposition that fat is not fattening, as quoted by the Atkins plan, is incorrect. Any calorific substance is fattening, which includes Fat, Dairy, Proteins, Enzymes, and Carbohydrates. So, Atkins is a good idea, but only for the initial period of regaining control of your body.

I lost nearly 130 pounds, in a two year period, using Atkins, and felt great, until I got to 220 pounds.. I could not get lower, then without increasing my intake of food, I began to rapidly increase in weight again - came out of ketosis, and increased more. I cut down on foods again, trying induction, and became a little ill, and had to rethink my diet. I am now loosing weight nicely, with low calorie eating, and resistive weight training. (The advantage of this method, is I am starting to look good too.)


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## Willowynd (Mar 27, 2005)

I have done Atkins before and did lose my 10 extra lbs and it stayed off until I got pregnant. The only problem I had with it, it was too restictive- hence I had trouble staying on it- especially when I was at work alone alot of times for lunch and could not leave. Only options was ordering in something from the pizza place- not atkins freindly! So if I forgot to bring my lunch I would have to go without. Now I work only a few hours a day- so it is easy to stay on track with diets. I am doing south beach this time though and still seeing weight loss with more choices. I am sure the weight would drop faster if I could get on that bike more often! Now I will say with SB I am getting more upset stomachs than I remember with Atkins. Though that seems to have tapered off- I am on week 3 and only 1 tummy ache this week- but I have added back in small amounts of carbs once a day as of the middle of week 2 (1 roll or 1 piece of bread or 1 small potatoe or 1/2 c of rice). Week 2 I did not lose on SB- but I have lost a lb already this week- so hoping for at least another before Thursday. I will be happy with that.


Height- 5'1 and a half (don't forget that half inch!)
BMI-25
Target HR- 99-153
Bust-36.5
Waist-27.5
Hip-36
Thigh-22.25
Calf-14.75


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## WindowOrMirror (Jan 10, 2005)

Weigh-in today, it's been three weeks. I've maintained a diet of <20g of carbs a day at an average calorie load of ~1125 KCal a day. I've been drinking a huge amount of water and taking a multivitamin each day. I also eliminated caffeine until the headaches went away, and now have ramped back up slightly (just on caffeine). 10 kilos in three weeks... with an average loss predicted at 2 kilos per week for the next few weeks. I'm happy with that.

(this loss is around 15-20% more than calorie limiting alone, meaning that ketosis is doing some of the work). I also have slightly more energy again (unless I am doing incredibly heavy work).

R


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## Steely (Sep 13, 2007)

I've been doing Atkins for 4 months now and have lost 79lbs.Granted I am very overweight.My advice is eat your vegetables,make sure.They are your lifeline.That and the water.Good Luck on your journey!


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## mommagoose_99 (Jan 25, 2005)

I started Atkins on September 2 and today I weighed in . I have lost 13 pounds so far. It is so hard to stay on this diet though. This is my second time around and it doesn't get any easier. I want to lose 40 pounds.
Linda


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

I just started an Atkins-oid diet today. I think. That is, I just had breakfast.

In the past I've been able to lose 2 lbs/week at 70 carbs per day.

So for breakfast I had 3 strips of bacon (0 carbs, ~100 cals each), 2 eggs (0 carbs, 76 cals each), and (this is the anti-atkins killer) 8 oz. of grapefruit juice (22 carbs, 106 cals). Why grapefruit juice? Because I've noticed I feel much better if I drink grapefruit juice every day. Other juice doesn't have that effect. Also a cup of tea with stevia in it. (0? carbs, ? cals)

Lets see if I can make it to lunchtime without blowing the diet.

242 lbs. 5' 8", size 18. 
Target is 142 lbs, size 8-10. (which is what I weighed in college when I was a triathlete).

Why today? Because my back hurts, and I know it is because I weigh too <profanity> much.


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

I'm still hungry. Is a bratwurst-sized chicken sausage an acceptable snack? Gonna cook one. :shrug:

100 cal. 2g carbohydrate.

(total thus far 24 carbs, 662 cals)

add from garden 'cleanup':

1 carrot at 3.3 carbs, 21 cals
1/4 cup green beans (straight from the bush) at 2 carbs, 11 cals.

(now at 29.3 carbs, 694 cals)

add (very non-atkins):
1 cup yogurt 170 cals, 14 carbs
1 tbsp. jam 30 cals, 8 carbs

samples at a street fair (guessing):
2 small strawberries: 45 cals, .8 carbs
dipped in chocolate: 60 cals, 6 carbs
random items: 4 carbs, 40 cals.

another snack sausage: 100 cal, 2 g.
salad:
lettuce 20 cals, 2 carbs
dressing 70 cals, 7 carbs

(1129 cals, 71.1 carbs)

Planned for dinner--6 oz salmon--367 cals, 0 carbs. (will be 1496 cals, 71.1 carbs)

add: and here's where I blow it--

small pear 81 calories, 17.2 carbs
ginger sauce on fish: 40 cals, 11 carbs
turkey jerky: 200 cals, 12 carbs

Grand total for the day:
calories 1817
carbs 109.3

weight this morning (oct 7) is 140 lbs (lost 2 lbs of water, probably), most likely based on reduced calorie intake rather than atkins-ketosis.

Gotta wonder what I was eating before! This feels like such a cut-back.


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## mommagoose_99 (Jan 25, 2005)

Boy are you lucky . I don't lose any weight unless I follow the Atkins diet exactly and limit myself to around 20 grams of carbs. Also I weight 215 pounds now and I wear a size 20. I am 5'7" though so maybe thats the difference :shrug:


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

So, collecting items for today:

breakfast: (608 cals, 37 carbs)

grapefruit juice: 106 cals 22 carbs
eggs (2): 152 cals, 0 carbs
chicken sausage (2) (more filling than bacon): 200 cals, 4 carbs
tea (0/0)
milk (150 cals, 11 carbs)


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

Decided daily diet logs don't interest others.

Weight today 237.1 lbs, which is down almost 5 lbs from 4 days ago. Typical of that 'first two week' big weight loss of water.


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## WindowOrMirror (Jan 10, 2005)

good job!


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

WoM--how are you doing now with your weight loss, and are you sticking to the diet well?

I think making myself a big pot of chicken stock/soup helped. Its a lot of food without a lot of carb-contributors:

10 cups water
8 chicken thighs with skin and bones or 1 chicken cut up
1 onion, quartered
2 carrots cut in chunks
2 celery cut in chunks
1 bay leaf
6 peppercorns
1 tsp-1TBSP thyme (to taste)
salt to taste (lightly at first because it will boil down)

Bring to a boil, then simmer until the chicken falls apart. Skim off excess fat if desired.

Even though this has carrots and onions and celery in it, there's not much carbohydrate per serving because you mostly have broth and chicken.


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

mommagoose, and steely, how are you guys doing?

hey, found a ticker!


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## mommagoose_99 (Jan 25, 2005)

I have lost 15 pounds since I started September 2. This is my second time on Atkins and the weight is coming off much slower than last time. If it means that it will be perminent I do not mind. I never got the tape measure out but my clothes are not tight any more so I believe I have lost inches as well. Yesterday I cheated a little bit . I work with a Laotian lady and she made me a desert from an acorn squash I had given her. She said there was no sugar in it but it was kind of sweet. Seems it had coconut in it. A temporary set back > I am back on track this morning.
Linda


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

I made myself a scone this morning, but shorted the sugar. The carb count of the modified recipe was in the mid 30's, but since I lose 2 lbs a week at 70-75 carbs a day I'm not too worried so long as I'm strict the rest of the day--I still have over 20 carbs left for my remaining meals, which is plenty. 

I just really wanted a scone and figured I was better off eating what I craved than over-eating on 'substitutes'.


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

Mommagoose, I can hardly wait until my clothes get too loose! Though that would be sooner if it weren't for things like my scone indulgence in the prior post!


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## mommagoose_99 (Jan 25, 2005)

Obviously you are not on induction. Induction allows you only 20 grams of carbs per day for a two week period. 70 grams of carbs is a lot of carbs. You might like the Atkins Bulletin Board. It tells you exactly how to do Atkins and also has a lot of recipes. Carrots in your soup is a nono


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

mommagoose, I skipped induction this time around. I know that I stop losing weight at 75 carbs/day. And if I limit carbs to 70 per day I'll still get to the 'ketone economy', just not in a hard rush like with the 2 week induction. Atkins book says that part of the reason for induction is not only to get to ketosis but also to prove to you that this method works. Since I already know it does, I don't see the point in suffering.

I'm at 238 today, which doesn't surprise me because (my scale tells me) I'm better hydrated than yesterday's weighing. So I'm not worried about it. Using 70 grams as a target I've already lost 4 lbs in 5 days (much of which is of course water), which tells me that this is indeed enough cut-back to have me losing weight at some rate, albeit possibly slow.

I won't be able to tell if I need to cut down more until the end of the first two weeks.


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## WindowOrMirror (Jan 10, 2005)

so... I fell off the wagon over my birthday and now I am splitting wood each available minute. I can't do that on a strict Atkins diet.

So... back on it Sunday!

Oh, I'm at 112 kilos...

R


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## dixiegal62 (Aug 18, 2007)

suburbanite said:


> So, collecting items for today:
> 
> breakfast: (608 cals, 37 carbs)
> 
> ...


 wheres your veggies? you should be getting 3 cups a day


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

Oh. Dixie, I didn't finish out the log for that day because I thought it was probably boring for everyone else. I ate a package of mixed-greens salad and a rutabaga, if I recall (because my garden got messed up this summer and also it is too hot here for summertime lettuce).


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

Btw, the carrots add about 12 grams of carbohydrate to the soup. Celery adds about 2.5 grams. But that is for the entire *pot* of soup. 

So even if you're a big eater (eg: 2 cups as a serving) you only wind up with about 4 carbs per meal. 

(14.5 carbs + a bit for spices, call it an even 16 carbs, in 8 cups of soup).


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

Tightened my belt a notch today, and it's not even tight!


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## mare (Aug 31, 2006)

good jub suburb--keep it up.


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