Using Atkins as a "quick fix"?

[n0matter]

I'm sure the post title will be a little misleading, so let me clarify:

My plan(and I know others that this has worked for) is to use Atkins to reach a goal weight and then wean myself off of the diet completely in favor of a more exercise/less eating crap lifestyle. Yes, that does describe Atkins but I'm affraid that I do enjoy bread and ceral, milk and wine. And the occassional donut. So my post-Atkins diet will include a healthy balance of protein, fat AND carbs. How do I know(hope) this will work? Well, the main reason I gained all of this weight in the first place is because I stopped my exercise about two years ago and gained 50 pounds as a result. So, theoretically, if I get myself down to that weight again, resume the same diet and keep myself fit, there shouldn't be a problem, right?

I'm just wondering if anyone else here has used the diet in a similar fashion with success and if they have any pointers on making the transition. And, of course, any criticisms of this plan if there are any. All contributions are appreciated and thanks in advance for the support! I'm on day 5 of Induction and doing very well.

[drosa75]

I just think this is the wrong way of thinking. Atkins is a way of life. There is nothing that is totally off limits once you reach all the rungs of the eating plan.

Everyone seems to enjoy everything, they may just have an alternative. Like pasta/spaghetti squash substitute..there are delicious desert/ice cream/cookie recipes etc..

Good luck to you

[staziaw]

While I'm not on the same path you are, I would like to make one comment.

By following Atkins, through each and every stages, you will end up eating just as you said -- except I would question the doughnut!! LOL

I personally feel that Atkins' plan leads us to a genuinely healthy, well-balanced way of eating whole nutritious foods. I would love to believe that at the end of this journey, I could again hit up my Krispy Kreme for a cruller or two once a month, but I know that losing the sugar and white flour has had more benefits for me than a doughnut could ever provide (loss of allergies and asthma being on the top of that list).

The choices are yours, of course. Is Atkins a quick fix to lose 50 pounds? No. It is a way of life. This is solely my opinion - I am in no way judging you. We are each on our own paths here!

Much love and true best wishes on attaining your goal!
Stacy

[ronnie114]

Get the book and read it, read it, read it.
The whole idea of a complete lifestyle/eating change can sure as heck be daunting, but not if you take it in baby steps which is how the atkins diet works. Baby steps.
If you want this to work, it will, but only if you make a commitment to it. And believe me it CAN work. AND you can live your life while doing it. I just got back from a fantastic vacation. I stuck with Atkins and LOST 5lbs while away. How great is that? I can tell you that I have NEVER been able to do that on any other diet. AND I am pretty much on extended induction. (though I did add in vodka cause heck I was on vacation!)

Read the book and you will see that you are going to be eating just about everything you want to be able to. Even that glass of wine... just plan for it.
Good luck!

[sombersusie]

hello nomatter!

i'd say yes, if you could keep really active you'd probably be ok and keep the weight off, assuming you don't go crazy with the food. But i'm guessing things have changed in your life, it may be harder to find the time to excersise or maybe you have additional stress with job, family or both.
when i went off this diet the second time last year i told myself i'd just watch what i eat. didn't work of course, atkins is the only thing that has worked for me, aside from excersising like crazy (but no diet change).
I did work with a woman once who did atkins after her pregnancys to lose the baby fat and then resumed 'normal' eating. I think it's an individual thing, do you have the discipline to behave yourself on the carbs?

[n0matter]

I believe I have the discipline, yes. It wasn't so much about a lifestyle change or lack of time for exercise...it was just about laziness and deciding to completely let myself go. I've found that MANY people on this diet don't really exercise at all or only moderately. And I would tend to agree with the 'way of life' approach for these people. But there are millions of healthy, shapely individuals in the world that maintain their figure through nothing more than regular exercise and a less stringent diet than what Atkins demands.

Me, I stopped being able to jog, bike, and do other sports activities without knee pain once I hit 260lbs. Even at 240, doing routine exercise was a chore. 220-230 seems to be my sweet spot, where I can be as active as I want and not worry about gaining MORE weight but not really lose much either. I think everyone has the ability to do this without monitoring grams of carbs for the rest of their lives. But now I sound anti-Atkins and that's not the case. I was just looking for others who had undergone a similar change and used Atkins as part of a multi-step process to drop weight quickly and then maintain their target weight through exercise and a highly varietous diet.

[dotsamantha]

I know I'm not what you were looking for, but what about eating low carb versions of the foods you mentioned? There are plenty out there that are good.

[matawguro]

Originally Posted by n0matter

So my post-Atkins diet will include a healthy balance of protein, fat AND carbs.

That's what OWL and Pre-maintenance phases are for. What OWL mainly does is help you figure out which carb sources your body can and cannot tolerate and exactly how much.

The following is from Atkins.com on pre-maintenance...

Some Variations on the Rule

Rather than add carbohydrate foods in increments of 10 grams each week, another approach to Pre-Maintenance is to continue eating as you were at the end of OWL and to allow yourself a 20 gram carb treat two or three times a week. Add a piece of fruit or a starchy vegetable—a serving of brown rice or sweet potatoes, for example. You can also have a glass of white wine, a light beer or the white spirits. You could get more adventurous with some of the excellent controlled carbohydrate convenience foods that are increasingly available. Or, if your metabolic resistance is at the low end, you may be able to enjoy such treats more frequently.

Atkins is a Way of Life. Atkins is not induction. Induction is not a way of life. Atkins is extremely flexible and customizable when done properly. Unfortunately a lot of Atkineers have this myopic view that Atkins is nothing more than induction and extended induction (which isn't even an official Atkins phase).

[Miss Seaneen]

Originally Posted by n0matter

I believe I have the discipline, yes. It wasn't so much about a lifestyle change or lack of time for exercise...it was just about laziness and deciding to completely let myself go. I've found that MANY people on this diet don't really exercise at all or only moderately. And I would tend to agree with the 'way of life' approach for these people. But there are millions of healthy, shapely individuals in the world that maintain their figure through nothing more than regular exercise and a less stringent diet than what Atkins demands.

Me, I stopped being able to jog, bike, and do other sports activities without knee pain once I hit 260lbs. Even at 240, doing routine exercise was a chore. 220-230 seems to be my sweet spot, where I can be as active as I want and not worry about gaining MORE weight but not really lose much either. I think everyone has the ability to do this without monitoring grams of carbs for the rest of their lives. But now I sound anti-Atkins and that's not the case. I was just looking for others who had undergone a similar change and used Atkins as part of a multi-step process to drop weight quickly and then maintain their target weight through exercise and a highly varietous diet.

It can work like that, but a lot of people on Atkins have a dependency on carbohydrates or are addicted to them and sugar. So even if they reach their goal weight then wean themselves off, one donut will become two, three, and you're back where you started.

I think the occasional everything is okay but when I went off plan, I maintained my weight then gradually increased again, and also hated myself for getting hooked on sugar. The psychological is as bad as the physical- sugar withdrawal, lows in blood sugar leading to depression during the day...if you're a carb addict, even weaning yourself off can get you hooked again. It's dangerous and demoralising.

[burtonator]

You didn't read the book did you?

Atkins isn't a diet... its a lifestyle change. If you don't stop eating carbs in excess no amount of exercise will prevent your weight gain.

(at least if you're anything like me)

I did this before... lost a lot of weight on atkins and then went right back to my bad eating habits. Result: gained all the weight back.

Just go on atkins, loose the weight, then go on OWL, and keep it off for the rest of your life.

Kevin