Atkins help. I have lost 20lbs in under 3 weeks with the diet but now plateaued and not losing for 4 days now?
Im staying the same weight even though Im taking in less than 20 grams of carbs a day. According to the book the weight should still be flying off!! Should I increase my carbs for a few days with more fruits and veggies then cut them again to shock the system or what? Please help me because this is very frustrating.
Has this happened to you?
P.S. No answers saying not to do Atkins because it is "unhealthy". This is untrue and because I now control my sugar have more energy than I have ever had without caffeine, sleep through the night, feel great, and if you do a little research you see that it actually lowers your cholesterol. Also you are not cutting out fruits and vegetables for life only a short time then eating very very healthy.
20# in 3weeks is nearly 7# a week & you’re upset weight loss has slowed lol. The body adjusts, it does not release fat every day. You should not be having any fruit for the first 6 weeks. Make sure your Dietary fat is >65% of total calories. Do not cut calories (better to increase) but you can increase carbs 5 grams with more vegs. Be prepared for a long plateau at 6 weeks (it too will pass)
There is no reason to ever go off a low carb way of eating, you slowly re introduce carbs to your way of eating and as long as you don’t exceed 9grams of carbs an hour (144 carbs a day) you won’t trigger insulin (the fat storage hormone) no matter the calories. Most of us do low carb most of the time & if we cheat & slip back into low carb the next day. I still cheat with sugar occasionally. It’s just not a regular part of my life (as it was preAtkins, 6 years ago, when I felt it controlled me & I had no control)
The rungs to reintroduction of carbs in 5 gram units - all available to very active people in as little as 11 weeks. Make sure you do them in order & you can skip a rung if you do not intend to include it in your permanent way of eating, such as the alcohol rung.:
* (minimum week 3 - maximum 25grams day) Acceptable vegetables, larger quantities
* (minimum week 4 - maximum 30grams day) Add 5grams Fresh cheese
* (minimum week 5 - maximum 35grams day) Add 5grams Nuts and seeds
* (minimum week 6 - maximum 40grams day) Add 5grams Berries
* (minimum week 7 - maximum 45grams day) Alcohol can be added if desired
* (minimum week 8 - maximum 50grams day) Add 5grams Legumes
* (minimum week 9 - maximum 55grams day) Add 5grams Other fruits
* (minimum week10 - maximum 60grams day) Add 5grams Starchy vegetables
* (minimum week11 - maximum 65grams day) Add 5grams Whole grains
If you are continuing to lose or maintain (whichever is goal) in week 12 and beyond, you continue to add 5grams a day per week til you reach your personal carb level.
Many people gain weight on high carb, then switch to low carb to lose weight & then are shocked when they return to high carb that they gain weight. (Isn’t insanity defined as doing the exact same thing, in the exact same way and expecting different results??) Many people can return to moderate carb levels but very few can really eat all they want of sugar and maintain weight or health.
You will lose more body fat eating protein and fat (don’t eat protein alone) than not eating AT ALL. To lose weight fast eat all you want but nothing but meat, eggs, healthy oils, mayo, butter and half an avocado a day (you’ll need added potassium). Keep the calories high and the fat percentage high, at least 65% of calories. Adding in green vegetables & some cheese will continue weight loss but at a slower pace.
Your body won’t release fat stores if you lower calories below what it needs. It will slow your metabolism to compensate and store every spare ounce as fat. If you continue lowering your calories, it will continue lowering that set point, til you can survive off nothing and store fat on anything. The body will only release it’s fat stores if it knows there is plenty of food.
Eating carbs while trying to lose body fat is terribly inefficient. When in glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) you have to lower your calories (which slows your metabolism) and exercise heavily to deplete your glycogen stores before burning body fat.
The core of the Atkins program is converting your body from glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) to ketosis (burning fat as fuel). You need to keep your fat levels at >65% of your calories, if you don’t your body will still remain in glycolysis by converting 58% of excess protein into glucose (via gluconeogenesis).
Carbohydrates (sugar, flour, bread, cereal, pasta, potatoes, rice, beans) trigger insulin (the ONLY fat storage hormone). Protein triggers the fat burning hormone glucagon.
High insulin levels promote inflammation, weight gain, hunger and unbalance other hormones. Controlling your insulin level will balance out other hormones & allow human growth hormone (HGH) to be produced naturally so you will gain lean muscle even without exercise. Any exercise will greatly increase your muscle mass with high HGH levels.
Ground flax seed (2-4 Tbsp) 1/4 cup water, artificial sweetener, mix in a raw egg - let sit 10 min. to absorb liquid, put some cream cheese in the middle & nuke 2 min for daily fiber needs.
The first 2 weeks you can have several cups a day of (mostly) lettuce and celery, cucumbers, radishes, mushrooms, peppers and more variety of vegetables thereafter add 5 grams per day additional (20 grams day first 2 weeks, 25grams 3rd week, 30grams 4th week etc) every week til you gain weight, then you subtract 10 carbs. That would give you your personal carb level (everyone is different and it depends on how active you are.) As long as you remain <9grams carbs per hour, you will maintain insulin control, and shouldn’t gain
March 27th, 2010 at 9:19 am
Sorry, man, but the research just doesn’t support your "P.S." claims. This is in the short term ONLY. For the first 6-12 months, Atkins does help you lose weight, and it does help lower your cholesterol. However, AFTER 12 months, you’ll notice weight gain, lethargy, and your cholesterol actually does go up. It causes a lot of severe issues, and the high cholesterol content of the food you’re eating also negatively affects your brain. This is not only documented in many studies, but also listed specifically on the websites of the American Heart Association and Mayo Clinic.
That’s probably why you’ve also seen a halt in your weight loss. Everyone reacts differently, especially when doing something that your body doesn’t like. I’m happy you have more energy and better sleep…again, that doesn’t indicate that this is good for your body. People who are on certain illegal drugs also claim the same thing, and you wouldn’t suggest that drugs are helpful for you. The benefits you’re seeing is a positive change in your diet away from processed bullsh*t, but you’re still missing the mark. The huge problem with cutting out carbs is that you need carbohydrates to process the protein. All that protein + too few carbs = bad mix.
I myself lost about 100lbs in about 10 months and have kept it off for 5 years now, and I did that with exercising and eating properly…about 2g carbs per 1g protein I consumed, actually. Professional bodybuilders, who initially leaped on the low-carb bandwagon, have now switched back to the old school high protein highER carb diet.
In other words, you hit a plateau because you aren’t eating properly, and I don’t see you listing any kind of exercise.
Now, I will say the one GOOD thing about Atkins is that it teaches you to start paying attention to what you are eating…but then again, any diet will do that. Atkins (and other low-carb mimic diets) stress that processed, crappy carbs are bad…and that’s right, they are. But you should be taking in fruits and veggies (which you and I both know that Atkins allows back into the diet later)…but in higher amounts than Atkins allows for.
I have had two friends (twins) on Atkins and they lost a lot of weight initially, like you, but then their weight started going insane. They’d have a "non-Atkins day" and bloat up 20lbs…I mean, it was just nuts. The body does not like to do this. A perfect example is the Inuits, who seemingly live in a healthy manner on their very high protein diet…until they die in their early 30’s.
In other words, just because you lost weight doesn’t indicate the diet is healthy. Long-term studies of high protein, low carb diets show they do not work effectively for weight loss and that they promote a host of medical issues. If you wish to stick to this diet, then there’s nothing I can do to help you. If you want to approach it in a way that makes sense instead of the "LOL OMG I GET 2 EAT BAKUN AND CHEEZ ON A DIET LOLOL" appeal of Atkins, feel free to contact me.
References :
bodybuilder and personal trainer
March 27th, 2010 at 10:01 am
You lose weight by reducing your caloric intake or increasing your caloric output.
You can also do both.
References :
http://www.amazon.com/Health-Fitness-Plain-English-Healthy/dp/1585186724?ie=UTF8
March 27th, 2010 at 10:34 am
20# in 3weeks is nearly 7# a week & you’re upset weight loss has slowed lol. The body adjusts, it does not release fat every day. You should not be having any fruit for the first 6 weeks. Make sure your dietary fat is >65% of total calories. Do not cut calories (better to increase) but you can increase carbs 5 grams with more vegs. Be prepared for a long plateau at 6 weeks (it too will pass)
There is no reason to ever go off a low carb way of eating, you slowly re introduce carbs to your way of eating and as long as you don’t exceed 9grams of carbs an hour (144 carbs a day) you won’t trigger insulin (the fat storage hormone) no matter the calories. Most of us do low carb most of the time & if we cheat & slip back into low carb the next day. I still cheat with sugar occasionally. It’s just not a regular part of my life (as it was preAtkins, 6 years ago, when I felt it controlled me & I had no control)
The rungs to reintroduction of carbs in 5 gram units - all available to very active people in as little as 11 weeks. Make sure you do them in order & you can skip a rung if you do not intend to include it in your permanent way of eating, such as the alcohol rung.:
* (minimum week 3 - maximum 25grams day) Acceptable vegetables, larger quantities
* (minimum week 4 - maximum 30grams day) Add 5grams Fresh cheese
* (minimum week 5 - maximum 35grams day) Add 5grams Nuts and seeds
* (minimum week 6 - maximum 40grams day) Add 5grams Berries
* (minimum week 7 - maximum 45grams day) Alcohol can be added if desired
* (minimum week 8 - maximum 50grams day) Add 5grams Legumes
* (minimum week 9 - maximum 55grams day) Add 5grams Other fruits
* (minimum week10 - maximum 60grams day) Add 5grams Starchy vegetables
* (minimum week11 - maximum 65grams day) Add 5grams Whole grains
If you are continuing to lose or maintain (whichever is goal) in week 12 and beyond, you continue to add 5grams a day per week til you reach your personal carb level.
Many people gain weight on high carb, then switch to low carb to lose weight & then are shocked when they return to high carb that they gain weight. (Isn’t insanity defined as doing the exact same thing, in the exact same way and expecting different results??) Many people can return to moderate carb levels but very few can really eat all they want of sugar and maintain weight or health.
You will lose more body fat eating protein and fat (don’t eat protein alone) than not eating AT ALL. To lose weight fast eat all you want but nothing but meat, eggs, healthy oils, mayo, butter and half an avocado a day (you’ll need added potassium). Keep the calories high and the fat percentage high, at least 65% of calories. Adding in green vegetables & some cheese will continue weight loss but at a slower pace.
Your body won’t release fat stores if you lower calories below what it needs. It will slow your metabolism to compensate and store every spare ounce as fat. If you continue lowering your calories, it will continue lowering that set point, til you can survive off nothing and store fat on anything. The body will only release it’s fat stores if it knows there is plenty of food.
Eating carbs while trying to lose body fat is terribly inefficient. When in glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) you have to lower your calories (which slows your metabolism) and exercise heavily to deplete your glycogen stores before burning body fat.
The core of the Atkins program is converting your body from glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) to ketosis (burning fat as fuel). You need to keep your fat levels at >65% of your calories, if you don’t your body will still remain in glycolysis by converting 58% of excess protein into glucose (via gluconeogenesis).
Carbohydrates (sugar, flour, bread, cereal, pasta, potatoes, rice, beans) trigger insulin (the ONLY fat storage hormone). Protein triggers the fat burning hormone glucagon.
High insulin levels promote inflammation, weight gain, hunger and unbalance other hormones. Controlling your insulin level will balance out other hormones & allow human growth hormone (HGH) to be produced naturally so you will gain lean muscle even without exercise. Any exercise will greatly increase your muscle mass with high HGH levels.
Ground flax seed (2-4 Tbsp) 1/4 cup water, artificial sweetener, mix in a raw egg - let sit 10 min. to absorb liquid, put some cream cheese in the middle & nuke 2 min for daily fiber needs.
The first 2 weeks you can have several cups a day of (mostly) lettuce and celery, cucumbers, radishes, mushrooms, peppers and more variety of vegetables thereafter add 5 grams per day additional (20 grams day first 2 weeks, 25grams 3rd week, 30grams 4th week etc) every week til you gain weight, then you subtract 10 carbs. That would give you your personal carb level (everyone is different and it depends on how active you are.) As long as you remain <9grams carbs per hour, you will maintain insulin control, and shouldn’t gain
References :
Dr.Atkins was a cardiologist, low carb was a health plan easier sold as a "diet" Read any of his books for easily understandable science. Normalizing blood pressure, blood sugar, insulin, cholesterol, triglyercerides & hormone levels are all bonus features of doing a low carb way of eating. Lutz "Life without Bread" & Taubes "Good calories, Bad calories" are excellent books that dispel all the nutrition myths.
http://www.atkins.com/Program/Phase1/WhatYouCanEatinthisPhase.aspx
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/07/magazine/what-if-it-s-all-been-a-big-fat-lie.html
low carb recipe websites -
http://forum.lowcarber.org/forumdisplay.php?f=2
http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/low-carb-recipes-menus/
http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/recipes.html