Need some Advice!

[Stevey]

Hi, i need some advice concerning whether i should start the atkins diet again or not. After registering on this forum on my original date i started the diet and after about 2 weeks i lost about half a stone and felt it just wasnt for me so i quit, then i was probably slightly under 300LBS ( 6 foot 3 ). I went on to try various different diets over a months course but only lost a few lbs so then i just made my own diet up of about 600 calories a day with some small exercise and i managed to lose about 50lbs in a month then over the next 2-3 months i lost about another 50. In them 3 months or so of my own diet i lost about 100 lbs although some people wont agree with basically starving yourself it worked for me but thats not why im here. I want to lose another say 20lbs as ive put on about 5lbs over the past month and im at about 195lbs now after putting on a bit more weight but i would like to know if you think i should go back on the atkins diet just to lose the extra weight i cant get off over the last 2 months and will the atkins diet work after what ive done or will it just make me fatter?

Thanks for your time.

[Lyssie]

Atkins works with anything. One of the major things that you should look at is that your metabolism and your body are probably really pissed at you right now. You have like, another 50/60 years or so where they need to be happy with you in order to function appropriately. I think that at 6'3", weighing 160 is a little extreme... unless you have no muscles. I think that if your body wants to give up the weight, Atkins would help it do so while promoting healthier habits than what you have been doing. I think the first step would be to pick up the book and read it to see if you think it's something you want to do for the rest of your life, not just a quick fix.

[Lady_Hawke]

I agree with Lyssie - get the book and read it.



*pissed in american means really angry

[Stevey]

I have 3 copies of the book and have read some of it before just havent read it fully through yet, ive had about 2 months of getting my food eating back to normal since i lost the weight i wanted and its made me put like 5lbs back on, i would like to lose about another 20 but maybe just 10 will do. Im quite muscular now and work out alot and actually have quite a decent body for once but im just worried that weight will start to pile back on if i eat like i did when i first started the atkins diet. Lately i have been pigging out a bit but thats due to thinking i did without this for 6 months so ill just have it now, soon i plan on eating like i would once i completed atkins in other words just having a good healthy diet but for the moment i want to get the weight i recently put on back off soon as i may be joining the army soon so ill want to lose as much weight as i can so i can be a success in the fitness

cheers ( sorry for any mistakes, got quite a hangover )

[G-Mom]

You are a young male and almost to goal, so I would recommend watching what you eat and making sure to eat lots of fruits and veggies. You DID NOT do your body any favors by restricting it to 600 calories a day. There is such a thing as a BMR (basal metabolic rate) which for you, is equal to 2095 cals per day (for 18 yom, 195lbs, 6'3"). This amount of cals are the amount your body needs just to run your bodily systems properly.

Now you need to be very careful adding back calories because you have starved yourself, your body wants to replenish what it has lost. Others may disagree, but I think you should think healthful carbs, good healthy proteins and healthy fats. Restrict the junk food and drink loads of water. Good luck!

[Desertthorn]

The problem with your diet was it was a diet that no one could live with forever, I think you would agree with that. It worked but it wasn't healthy. Atkins is a healthy plan that we consider our lifetime plan. BUT, I do know that this diet isn't for everyone, and that lots of folks just can't eat the fat thats required.
If you started Atkins again, you would have the same problems that you had with it the first time and I would suggest that you consider getting your health back up by eating lots of fresh stuff. Adding fat is extremely important and I would start with salmon, tuna in oil, olive oil and avocados.
Also, it said that your exercising, are you also weight lifting? Lifting weights will help sculpture your body

[Stevey]

Hi thanks for the help, yeah im lifting weights for about 30 mins a day, about 2 hours on bike, about 30 mins of stretching and then my normal walking about from place to place. I didnt really have a problem with the atkins diet as such i just didnt lose as much as i expected and with most the meals i was having i needed a fair bit of time to cook them and now im living i cant afford all the meat and other products for everday consumption, well i can but i have other priorities that must come first. I think i will start it again tomorow but maybe trying it with (OWL) would you advise against this though?