I want to know stories of success & failure from those on or previously on the Atkins diet, especially those of you that JUST did the diet and didn’t exercise. Also, any tips?
Thanks in advance, 10 points for the best, most informative answer!
Nearly 6 years ago, I started Atkins low carb way of eating to just quit gaining weight. I had to get my out of control appetite under control. I never imagined I could LOSE weight without hunger or exercise, since I’ve become disabled. I never bothered weighing or measuring til I’d noticed that my clothes got huge quick. When my health improved dramatically also, I knew this was my new way of life and since it’s eat all you want (of low carb foods) I know I can do this for life.
My personal carb level is low. I am older & disabled & don’t move much (or cook much) but I eat all I want of meats, eggs, cheeses, yogurt, fats, green vegetables, almonds, berries, flax seeds, chia seeds, shirataki noodles and other foods. Someone active would have a MUCH higher carb level & can usually include all fruits, beans, whole grain products but not sugar & highly refined carbs in unlimited amounts. As long as you have <9grams carbs per hour, you will maintain insulin control & shouldn’t gain weight, no matter the calories.
Most very overweight people have blood sugar & insulin dysfunctions and can never eat carbs as someone with a functioning body can. They make the mistake of going back to the way of eating that made them fat and that is not possible and yes they will gain all weight back if they eat what they ate that made them obese originally. Insanity is defined as doing the exact same thing, in the exact same way and expecting different results.
You can lose more body fat eating protein & fat (don’t eat protein alone) than not eating AT ALL. To lose weight fast, eat all you want, but nothing but meat, eggs, healthy oils, mayo, butter & half an avocado a day (for added potassium). Keep the calories high & the fat percentage high, at least 65% of calories. Green vegetables & some cheese will continue weight loss but at a slower pace.
The first week is just water weight but fat is lost thereafter if you keep your calories high enough. Otherwise the body will strip it’s own lean tissue for nutrition. Although that may look great on a scale it will make it MUCH easier to accumulate fat in the future (since all that pesky lean tissue burning up calories will be gone). The body won’t release fat stores if you lower calories below what it needs. It will slow metabolism to compensate & store every spare ounce as fat. If you continue lowering calories, it will continue lowering the set point, til it can survive off nothing & store fat on anything. The body will only release it’s fat stores if it knows there is plenty of nutritious food.
Eating carbs while trying to lose body fat is terribly inefficient. When in glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) you have to lower your calories (which slows your metabolism) & exercise heavily to deplete your glycogen stores before burning body fat.
The core of Atkins program is converting the body from glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) to ketosis (burning fat as fuel). Dietary fat levels need to be at >65% of total calories, if not, the body will still remain in glycolysis by converting 58% of excess protein into glucose (via gluconeogenesis).
It takes minimum of 3 days to convert a body to ketosis, (but only one bite to convert back to glycolysis). People feel sluggish the first week but most feel better than ever thereafter.
Simple carbohydrates (sugar, flour, bread, cereal, pasta, potatoes, rice) trigger insulin which can store the calories eaten into fat. The more protein the more the fat burning hormone glucagon is released. The more carbohydrate the more the fat storage hormone insulin is released.
High insulin levels promote inflammation, weight gain, hunger & unbalance other hormones. Controlling insulin levels will balance out other hormones & allow human growth hormone (HGH) to be produced naturally so lean muscle will be gained even without exercise. Any exercise will greatly increase muscle mass with high HGH levels.
Ground flax seed (2 Tbsp) 1/4 cup water, artificial sweetener, mix in a raw egg – let sit 10 min. to absorb liquid, put some cream cheese in the middle & nuke 2 minutes. Suggested for daily fiber needs.
The first 2 weeks eat several cups a day of (mostly) lettuce & celery, cucumbers, radishes, mushrooms, peppers & more vegetables thereafter – add 5 grams per day additional every week (20 grams day first 2 weeks, 25grams 3rd week, 30grams 4th week etc) til you gain weight, then subtract 10grams. That will be your personal carb level (everyone is different & depends on how active you are.)
Start with meat, fats & salads for 2 weeks and then slowly add in more green veg, wk4 fresh cheeses, wk5 nuts & seeds, wk6 berries, wk7 legumes, wk8 other fruits, wk9 starchy veg, wk10 whole grains. You will learn how your body reacts to different foods.
Chef Jason Hill of http://www.CookingSessions.com shares this recipe for low fat alfredo sauce in this episode of “Chef Tips.” One of our favorite healthy recipes for pasta sauce, this recipe uses cauliflower puree as the base, cutting down on the fat and calories. Instead of loading up on butter and cream, you use mashed cauliflower to thicken and flavor the sauce. It’s a great way to sneak vegetables into your family’s meal plan, and our kids cannot taste the difference! Honest! Cauliflower recipes are rich in nutrients and anti-cancer properties, so you can’t go wrong. For the full printed recipe, along with more cooking videos and chef secrets, go to http://www.CookingSessions.com
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Monica describes her first week on the Atkins Diet Program.