Does anyone do this or know someone that is?

[FAT2PHAT]

I have a friend that lost almost 60 lbs doing atkins. She has been maintaining for almost 2 yrs and is not doing atkins anymore . I was surprised to hear this because I assumed she was just following the rules and living the atkins lifestyle. We went out to dinner the other day and she ordered a burger and fries. She basically used atkins to get her where she wanted to be and now just eats as many calories as shes supposed to stick to in a day. She also takes a "day off" and eats whatever on Sunday's to be "normal" in her words. I didnt even think that this was possible but i guess if someone is determined enough to not ever be where they once were it could happen. She also works out 3x a week. She tells me I could do it too, but I'm not so sure I could control myself going back to those bad foods..not that she eats junk but she does eat sandwiches and stuff. Anyway, anyone else maintain this way or maybe know someone that is?

[Porcelain]

There are people who eat like that and don't gain weight. There are also people who get overweight who never get diabetes. Everyone is different when it comes to how their insulin reacts. I am one of the people whom carbs affect pretty badly but I never had trouble with cholesterol, no matter how fat I got. My mother-in-law is small, no where near overweight and her cholesterol is way too high. I guess most of it would be genetics. She probably never had an issue with insulin and was just overweight from overeating and once she got her weight off, she continued to exercise and watch her calories. Perhaps also she doesn't have an emotional component to her fat either. I know I do, it seems like when I start eating a carb I can't stop eating until it is all gone. I feel like I was rambling, I hope this helps!

[Porcelain]

Bottom line here, I know I could never go back to that way of eating. Besides, when I eat refined carbs, I get diarrhea. I now don't have irritiable bowels any more since I have been on the diet.

[mistydawn73]

I know this may sound kind of gross, but hey, what the heck! I know for me, when I was eating a ton of carbs and sugar, my bowels as well would be irritiable. My stomach would cramp up, and it would feel like bloated air up under my lower ribs. I was constantly getting heartburn, etc. It's terrible!
When I did Atkins, which by the way Im starting back on it Sunday, June 1st, I cut out all that junk, stuck to Atkins faithfully for 5 weeks, lost about 45 pounds, and whamo!!....no more irritiable bowels, stomach hurting, heartburn, etc. I felt like a million bucks!
As to the first comment about your friend losing weight on Atkins, then eating junk every now and then........... I have several friends that have done the same thing once they lost the weight, and put it all back on and then 20-50 pounds more! I guess it just all depends on our bodies, and our activities. But hey, I'm not going back. It's not just a diet for me, it's a new lifestyle.

[blue996]

That would not work for me. Eating that way is what caused me to be a second timer. I gained back the 25 pounds I lost the first time plus 40 more.

[not2late]

Originally Posted by FAT2PHAT

I have a friend that lost almost 60 lbs doing atkins. She has been maintaining for almost 2 yrs and is not doing atkins anymore . I was surprised to hear this because I assumed she was just following the rules and living the atkins lifestyle. We went out to dinner the other day and she ordered a burger and fries. She basically used atkins to get her where she wanted to be and now just eats as many calories as shes supposed to stick to in a day. She also takes a "day off" and eats whatever on Sunday's to be "normal" in her words. I didnt even think that this was possible but i guess if someone is determined enough to not ever be where they once were it could happen. She also works out 3x a week. She tells me I could do it too, but I'm not so sure I could control myself going back to those bad foods..not that she eats junk but she does eat sandwiches and stuff. Anyway, anyone else maintain this way or maybe know someone that is?

I ate fries the other day, but then I'm in Pre-Maintenance. However, when I was in OWL, I was eating potatoes, crackers, popcorn, etc. too.

By the time you get to OWL and Pre-Maintenance, the-20-net-carbs-daily-only-eat-what's-on-the-Induction-list is obsolete. OWL is when you start eating the amount of carbs you need to lose weight and start eating the foods that are good for your body. Ditto for Pre-Maintenance. By the time you get to Maintenance Phase, your meals will be "normal" in the sense that you could eat something like a piece of regular pizza or even a burger and fries.

[quotidianlight]

It just sounds to me that the maintenance stage for her just feels normal and she doesn't have to consciously think about it anymore. I bet if you tracked her foods over a two week period you would find she keeps her carbs pretty level she just doesn't have to think about it and it doesn't feel like atkins anymore.

[lindyj]

i don't think i could do that ether i look at something high in carbs and my butt gets big lol it's not fair

[jimmyolsenblues]

i can't picture going off atkins by choice and ordering fries, I am doing so well and i don't want to reverse my progress because it took so much work to get where I am.

[brandywine1241]

i can't picture going off atkins by choice and ordering fries, I am doing so well and i don't want to reverse my progress because it took so much work to get where I am.

The thing is, she is not going off Atkins. In pre-maintenance and maintenance, you can eat just about anything that you aren't intolerant to and doesn't cause cravings. You have learned what foods these are and how much of other foods you can eat by following strictlyt following the rungs of OWL.