Will I stay or will I go?

[maggiedee]

I have just finished my 4th week on atkins...2 weeks extended induction, I have decided to do another two week as I have had a few downfalls and I feel I need to stay with it. im going to do another two weeks. Just an abservation, In my office the is a girl not hugely oveweight.....maybe 30lb, she has started a diet called Lipotrim, which means she only eats/drinks 3 special lipotrim shakes a day. She has lost weight rapidly on it 10lb a week, which given the amount she has to loose in total is alot of weight. It works on the same ketosis basis as Atkins....
Im not criticising her diet as I know how hard it is, and I give her lots of encouragement, but I really feel that this diet cannot be good for you, as you are not actually eating anything??? had anyone any ideas on this?

[ladyinred]

You are right, it isn't a healthy way to lose weight. Sometimes morbidly obese people will go on this type of diet under a doctor's supervision because it's a matter of life and death that they lose weight quickly, but it's not for everyone. Especially someone with only 30 lbs to lose. She isn't going to learn how to deal with food. Usually people give up on liquid diets because they are boring and you miss eating actual food. Also, she can't live on that forever, so what is the plan for when she's lost the weight? Will she go back to her old ways of eating or will she then try to learn new healthy habits? This is just my opinion on it, of course. Anyone who wants to improve their health by losing weight should be applauded and it's good of you to offer her encouragement. But maybe you can convert her over to Atkins? I'd rather eat real food myself.

[dreamof145]

I agree with ladyinred. If you want to achieve results for life, you need to work on changing the things that made you overweight. A liquid diet isn't something that you can live with for the rest of your life. So, when you finally convert back to food, you will gain weight. I am always reminded of Oprah and how skinny she got on the liquid diet, only to gain it back plus more. This woe has so much more to offer than just losing weight.

Through doing this WOE, I've learned so much about foods, the benefit of exercise, health, my mental and physical state, my emotions, my attitude and have such a fantastic support system here that I can't imagine going back to a different program where I will probably feel alone and miserable.

Sounds like you are making the wise decision to stick with this program and do it the healthy way. Atkins really works if you plan to succeed and committ to your health and your weight loss.

[Chef Kevin]

This is a tricky situation. It's like talking about religion. Everyone believes they are the only one with the answer.

I say encourage her, and wish her the best. We all know she will gain it back, that type of plan is doomed for failure, but she obviously has not looked into the long term results of liquid diets, like many of us on the board have.

before you do anything with your health, you should study it! She hasn't.

When people attack the diet I'm on, I just let them talk and tune them out. I'm sure that's what will happen with her if you try to convert her to Atkins.

Eventually she will be fat again and she will ask you what you did to keep it off.

[2big4mysize]

it is like Slimfast you lose weight every time you do it but cause you learned no new eating habits during your weight loss you are bound to regain and reuse the product again and again.

Yes support her weight loss and ask her what changes she is planning to make in her normal eating once she reaches goal so she can start thinking about that now.

[maggiedee]

I agree with all of the above, it could not be healthy, especially the fact you loose so quickly. One thing I cant understand is why atkins gets so much bad press, when you are eating solid, good food. I have not told anyone in the office that im actually on atkins, I Just know what the reaction will be, so I say oh I have given up sweet things bread, sugar etc..... might suggest the atkins diet to my friend it might be a good way of her actually keeping off the weight she has lost with the liquid diet.........

[G-Mom]

This reminds me of when I worked at the FBI. Anyway, it was when phen/fen was the rage. All these gals were literally shrinking before my eyes and quite honestly, I was so jealous. But there was a part of me that thought "this can't be healthy." And, as we all know, it wasn't. One gal even got the heart valve damage.