Don't want to lose weight

[Riverj]

I like the Atkins diet and I'm excited when I read the testimonials of people who had their life changed by this diet. I'm not thin but I'm not healthy. I suffer from low energy, fatigue, mood swings, insomnia, anxiety. The typical ailments of modern western life.

When I read people claiming that after one week of induction they had the same energy they used to have a little children and feel great psychologically and feel like doing a lot of things they hadn't the courage to try before, I just think "I want it too!"

But I can't. Because I'm extremely thin and instead of losing weight I might actually benefit from 1 or 2 pounds more of lean mass.

My problem with Atkins is that I can't find a middle ground.

When I restrict carbs I lose my appetite to the point I never feel like eating and skip meals all the time.

When I eat more carbs I can't stop being hungry all the time and eating slice after slice of bread.

I like the food on Atkins but I can't eat a very low carb diet as it seems to promote further weight loss in me.

On the other hand I can't stand or tolerate (blood sugar wise) most carbs I need to add to maintain: fruits, legumes, whole grains, potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes.

So I wonder if people who need to maintain or are maintaining can share with me what approach works best for them and if they can suggest one that might work for me.

Thank you !

[neutronnorman]

Calories, track you calories and replace your carb intake with healthy fats as balast. You'll still lose fat weight but if you work out you will look much better. Do not skip meals

I'll let you in on a little secret. I was taking 20 mg of prozac a day until I switched over to fat burning. I quit cold turkey and by no means, if you are on meds, do not stop taking them without advising your physician! I feel great!

My sleep patterns have changed to the point I cut my Ativan dosage in half, and by 10:30 p.m. I'm a zombie. Last night, nature called, and I fell asleep on the thrown.

Norman

[not2late]

REad DANDR 2002 and pay attention to the Maintenance Chapter. then read Atkins for Life, because that book expands the concepts of the Maintenance Phase.

[Riverj]

Originally Posted by not2late

REad DANDR 2002 and pay attention to the Maintenance Chapter. then read Atkins for Life, because that book expands the concepts of the Maintenance Phase.

I don't have the book, I can order it from amazon but it will take few weeks to be delivered. Can you please tell me more in the meanwhile? I'm afraid Atkins for Life Maintenance Phase might entail the comsumption of foods like whole grains and legumes, foods I don't tolerate at all.

[Riverj]

Everyone says they feel great in ketosis and induction, that they have a lot of energy, no more depression or anxiety and it's like they're new born.

Does this great feeling decrease as you move out of induction and ketosis and eat more carbs? Is maintenance less dramatic and great than the first phase? Do you think a person too thin to go into induction will never experience the great feelings people experience in the first phase of Atkins?

[not2late]

Originally Posted by Riverj

I don't have the book, I can order it from amazon but it will take few weeks to be delivered. Can you please tell me more in the meanwhile? I'm afraid Atkins for Life Maintenance Phase might entail the comsumption of foods like whole grains and legumes, foods I don't tolerate at all.

I would suggest you read the books yourself, rather than doing a version of it you "heard" from someone else.

I remember you Riverj. And in your last thread you made here on ADBB, we all advised you to read the books in addition to giving you advice, that you obviously have not bothered to consider.

so read the books before you screw up your health more than you already have.

[neutronnorman]

Yikes! RiverJ spanked by not2late. I could feel the sting here in Miami through cyberspace....

Norman

[Georgiana]

Originally Posted by Riverj

I don't have the book, I can order it from amazon but it will take few weeks to be delivered. Can you please tell me more in the meanwhile? I'm afraid Atkins for Life Maintenance Phase might entail the comsumption of foods like whole grains and legumes, foods I don't tolerate at all.

The Maintenance phase involves the consumption of all foods you discovered you are able to consume during the weight loss phases of Atkins. Since you only tried foods up to fruits, eating 50 carbs and having a stable blood sugar, how do you know you cannot tolerate whole grains and legumes "at all"?

I agree with not2late. You need to read the book to understand how to do Maintenance correctly (just because it takes a while to get them is not an excuse for you not to order them since your first post at ADBB was almost two weeks ago---you would have probably gotten the books by now). Induction is quite mindless, but Maintenance is individualized to fit your needs, not those of member X or Y, which is why it is impossible to teach someone "The Maintenance Phase in a Nutshell".

At your weight (terribly low!), you should take your diet very seriously as you cannot afford playing with your health and doing things the way you did them up to now. This involves reading the book and sorting out the issues you have with your doctor.

What have you done diet-wise since your previous thread on this Board?

[Riverj]

Originally Posted by not2late

I would suggest you read the books yourself, rather than doing a version of it you "heard" from someone else.

I remember you Riverj. And in your last thread you made here on ADBB, we all advised you to read the books in addition to giving you advice, that you obviously have not bothered to consider.

so read the books before you screw up your health more than you already have.

I have read DANDR cover to cover. Since I live in Europe, from my experience, the delivery of a book I order in American will take a couple of months.

[Riverj]

Originally Posted by Georgiana

The Maintenance phase involves the consumption of all foods you discovered you are able to consume during the weight loss phases of Atkins. Since you only tried foods up to fruits, eating 50 carbs and having a stable blood sugar, how do you know you cannot tolerate whole grains and legumes "at all"?

My body reacts to whole grains worse than it reacts to refined grains. Whole barley and whole wheat breain spike my blood sugar more than refined pasta and white bread. The little extra fiber they contain is not enough to decrease sugar absorption and to make a difference but they're more carb dense. The more I test the more I realize I can eat few foods. Wheat makes me bloated, fruits with an high fructose to glucose ratio are malabsorbed by my organism and cause hypoglycemia and digestive distress, whole grains spike my blood sugar way more than sucrose, potatoes, rice and yams and old-fashioned oats have the worst effect on me.

What have you done diet-wise since your previous thread on this Board?

Just experimenting, feeling sick and finding out I don't tolerate lot of foods.