Not a teen but a teens Mum

[lucyanya]

Hi Guys,

Please excuse my wrinkly interruption on your forum. I am not a teen but have a teenage daughter (15) who is interested in trying the Atkins diet. My being one of those over protective Mum's I am happy to support her with meal preparation etc BUT I am concerned at the effects it may have on her overall health. (I may even join in with her as I could do with a little less me too).

I would very much appreciate any feedback on how the diet has effected your health, how you feel while you are on it, any medical opinions you have received from your Doctor etc. Good or Bad as I would really like an all round idea.

As I said, I am more than happy to help and support her but only if it will do more good than harm.

Thank you loads for your comments.

and remember, inside every overweight person is a skinny person screaming to get out...... but you can usually shut her up with cookies.

[Georgiana]

Originally Posted by lucyanya

Hi Guys,

Please excuse my wrinkly interruption on your forum. I am not a teen but have a teenage daughter (15) who is interested in trying the Atkins diet. My being one of those over protective Mum's I am happy to support her with meal preparation etc BUT I am concerned at the effects it may have on her overall health. (I may even join in with her as I could do with a little less me too).

I would very much appreciate any feedback on how the diet has effected your health, how you feel while you are on it, any medical opinions you have received from your Doctor etc. Good or Bad as I would really like an all round idea.

As I said, I am more than happy to help and support her but only if it will do more good than harm.

Thank you loads for your comments.

and remember, inside every overweight person is a skinny person screaming to get out...... but you can usually shut her up with cookies.

I am very glad you asked!

The Atkins Diet was designed for adults, not for children and teens. It is true that when Dr. Atkins was alive, the Atkins Center was treating children and teenagers as well. However, the diet used for them, although based on the principles of Atkins, was adjusted to the higher nutritional requirements children and teens have.

There is a book, "Feed Your Kids Well", which explains this children- and teen-oriented diet that was used at the Atkins Center. The book is written by Dr. Fred Pescatore, who was the Associate Medical Director of the Atkins Center. It is the principles in this book teens should follow, as diets designed for adults often do not work or have negative effects on children/teen health.

[deboo1]

Hi thank you Georgiana.. i was going to ask the exact sam equestion..my daughter is only 14 and is desparate to loose weight.. i have been on the Atkins diet for a while and have been sucessful in loosing 45 pounds in 3 months.. i love vegtables and eat a lot of them but my daughter dislikes most of them.. i told he unless she eats all the vegetables i will not put her on the Atkins diet.. you really have to eat them to loose weight and get your daily vitamins

[Georgiana]

You're perfectly right about veggies. This is why the carbohydrate limits are higher and veggies are, somehow, unrestricted (for e.g., not to 3 cups per day, as they are during the Induction Phase of Atkins) even during Phase 1 of the Next Generation Diet (the one described in Dr. Pescatore's book).

Phase 1 is very similar to the Induction Phase of Atkins in terms of foods the child/teen can eat. Below is a summary of the acceptable foods list for Phase 1, for those who are interested and don't have the book.

From Feed Your Kids Well: How to Help Your Child Lose Weight and Get Healthy, Fred Pescatore, M.D., John Wiley & Sons Inc., 1998


PROTEINS

Red Meats

Beef, veal, pork, lamb, rabbit and venison. Can, technically, be eaten in unlimited quantities while still being on the diet, but Dr. Pescatore recommends limiting them to 8 oz per day. The reason is simply moderation and maintaining a well-balanced diet.

Trim the fat off the meat, because it's the fat where toxins an animal eats are stored.

Processed meats are not recommended.

Fish

All fish and shellfish allowed in unlimited quantities. Herring, pompano, salmon and whitefish are limited to 8 oz per day, because they are higher in fat. The reason for this limit is, as with red meat, moderation and a well-balanced diet.

Poultry

All poultry allowed in unlimited quantities. Dark meat is higher in fat and should be limited to 8 oz per day, for the same reasons as above. Dr. Pescatore recommends removing the skin, because it stores the toxins the bird ate.

Eggs

Allowed in unlimited quantities. Both the egg white and the yolk should be eaten. Never use egg substitutes.

Dairy

All cheeses are permitted. It's better to limit hard cheeses (for e.g. cheddar, Swiss, muenster, etc.) to 6 oz per day, because they are calorie dense. Cottage cheese, ricotta, farmer's cheese, pot cheese and cream cheese are higher in lactose (sugar) and should be limited to 6 oz per day.

American cheese (the kind that is a processed food product) is not allowed.

Low-fat cheeses should not be consumed.


COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES

The allowed carbohydrates should be varied and eaten at each meal (i.e. spread throughout the day), to avoid blood sugar spikes.

Vegetables

a) In unlimited quantities

Low-carbohydrate salad vegetables, i.e. those with less than 10% carbohydrates (of their weight). These include, but are not limited to all green, leafy lettuces (iceberg, romaine, escarole, endive, arugula, spinach, etc.), celery, radishes, peppers, bean sprouts, cucumbers.

b) Limited to 2 cups (small pieces, loosely packed) per day

These include low-carbohydrate vegetables that have a carbohydrate content higher than those in group a), for e.g. broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, eggplant, onions, scallions, leeks, water chestnuts, zucchini squash, string beans, pumpkin, spaghetti squash, Brussels sprouts, artichoke hearts.

c) Higher carbohydrate (starchy) vegetables

Peas, corn, carrots, parsnips, beets, winter squashes (butternut, buttercup or acorn) and white potatoes are not allowed in Phase 1. 1/2 cup serving of sweet potato is allowed not more than three times per week.

Grains

1/4 cup of brown rice is allowed not more than two times per week. A serving of soy flour pancakes is allowed once a week (a serving contains approx. 2-1/4 tbsp of soy flour).

No other grains are allowed.


DESSERTS

Include but are not limited to jelly, cheesecake, peanut butter cookies (about 1 tsp peanut butter and 4 tsp soy flour per serving), strawberries (about 4 medium or 2 large per serving), 8 oz unsweetened soy milk with 1/2 tsp SF syrup or 1/4 tsp pureed strawberries, chocolate almond cookies (1 tsp chopped almonds, 1/12 oz unsweetened chocolate and 4 tsp soy flour per serving), fudgy brownie squares (1/4 oz unsweetened chocolate, 1/2 tbsp soy flour and 1/2 tbsp chopped walnuts per serving).

Try to limit the amount of artificial sweeteners as much as possible.

If anyone wants any of the recipes in the book, please PM me.


CONDIMENTS

Butter, olive oil, vinegars (other than balsamic, which contains sugar), lemon juice, spices (without sugar added), mayonnaise and mustard are allowed without restriction. Ketchup is not allowed in any phase of the diet.


WATER

Water. Drink, in ounces, at least your body weight in kg or your body weight in pounds divided by 2.2. For example, if Mary weighs 50 kg, she should drink at least 50 ounces of water per day. If John weighs 160 lbs, he should drink at least 73 oz of water per day (160/2.2 = 72.7).

Filtered, bottled or mineral water are recommended. Flat (still) water is recommended rather than carbonated (bubbly).


SODA

If necessary, diet sodas (preferably decaf) are permitted, but limited to 12 oz per day.

Fruit juices are not allowed.

Try to limit the amount of artificial sweeteners as much as possible.


COFFEE/TEA

Herbal decaf teas are allowed in unlimited quantities. Diet iced teas are discouraged, esp. if they contain caffeine.

Coffee (regular or decaf) is not recommended.


MILK

If necessary, use unsweetened rice or soy milk. Quantities are limited to 4-8 oz per day.


AGE-SPECIFIC CARBOHYDRATE LIMITS FOR PHASE 1

Ages 6-8: 50-60 grams
Ages 9-12: 40-50 grams
Teens: 30-40 grams

MOVING TO PHASE 2

Phase 1 lasts for a minimum of two weeks. Continue Phase 1 until the child is within 10 lbs of the desired weight.

Note: The ideal weight for a child/teen should be determined with the help of a pediatrician.


It is recommended that children/teens follow all phases of the Next Generation Diet under the close supervision of their pediatrician.

[Sherri]

Hi Lucy,
My daughter is 15 and wanted to lose weight over the summer. I started her on this WOE in June. I allowed her to eat off of Rungs 1,2,3,4,7,and 9. She starts back to school today and is happy to be 20 pounds lighter. She had decided to continue on with this woe and will be taking her own lunch. She is extremely happy and healthy. My entire family eats what I eat. Which makes it so much easier as far as food prep and meals. Everyone will benifit from this woe in my opinion.
The list that Georgiana posted is the guidelines that I went by for my DD. Except for the desserts, she stuck mainly with fresh fruit. Occasionally I would make her a chocolate almond cake.
She likes soy milk better than cows milk too.
Wishing you and your daughter the best of health and lite.
Sincerely, Sherri

[Momtofour]

My daughter and I both started Atkins in July. I was on for years before.

She is now over 20 pounds lighter and is finally excited to go back to school this fall with clothes that fit her body well. I followed the above plan but my daughter ate more fruits than veggies. She will pack lunches for school this year. She is so much more confident!