How effective are high protein/low carb diets like the Atkins diet?

[XMan]

Just curious cause I have a friend who lost seventy pounds on it. I figure I was going to the gym a couple of hours every day anyway, so I've been trying it. Been about five days now, and I feel pretty good. Certainly not hungry all of the time!

 

[Dan]

I found it tough to stay on. I thought it would be a snap because I'm a carnivore in a major way. I discovered that I missed breads, cereals, and oj though.

 

[Brian M]

I did it for like 3 months just for fun, I was curious how it worked. I lost about 20 pounds on it. It was nice because like they say you really can eat as much as you want as long as there are no carbs on it. However, I liked my pastas and other carb foods too much to stay on it any longer. I didn't follow any of the dieting guidlines after I went off it, and I gained the 20lbs right back, very quickly too. I wouldnt reccomend the diet. In my opinion, less food more exercise is the way to go. When you're hungry just get your mind off it and do something else to keep busy.

 

[hzl eyed grl]

I love carbs too much. lol Actually I tried one called Protein Power. It's very similar to the Atkin's diet. I couldn't stay on it because my glucose level dropped too low. My mom and grandmother are on it. My mom has lost between 55-60 pounds already.

 

[XMan]

Brian -

Well, I figure I'm going to use this as a method to get the fat off, in combination with aerobics and weightlifting. Once I get to where I'm at, I'll still work out, but only in maintenance, and observe a decent diet (for the first time in my life.) I think I have a congenital pizza addiction.

 

[caboob]

I lost 30 lbs myself but like the others posting here, I missed the carbs but I lost weight without feeling hungry though so right now I am just eating more protein than carbs as prescribed in the protein power diet

 

[Brian M]

lol yea xerox thats the main reason I got off it, cuase of pizza. I like pizza way too much to not be able to have it at all. I'm in highschool and I was talking to my science teacher about it last year. He said that since I play sports and lift weights like you are doing, it's a bad idea. Something about the body will start buring protein instead of carbs to burn the fat and then it will eventually take away that protein your muscles need when you're lifting. But then again, anyone I know who has lost weight has had trouble maintaining their lifting strength during weighloss. Your body is going to naturally burn some muscle while buring fat and therefore you will lose some strength. But once you reach a desirable weight you can also build that muscle back.

 

[smensch]

Hitting 180 on the scale, I went on my own self-prescribed "low carbs, high protein" diet and lost 15 lbs. in a month and a half. Of course, I went to the gym almost every day on my diet. I gained weight steadily over a year, but I never went over my original weight (I was always slightly below it).

Then, a year later (or about 6 months ago), I bought Atkins' book and did the actual diet for 3 months. I lost 20 lbs., but I missed carbs terribly. So, the diet more or less came to a screeching halt. I gained all the weight back.

Now, I've gone back to my original diet (minus the gym, though). Instead of no carbs (or less than 20 grams), I eat them moderately (always monitoring my intake). I've kept the weight off ever since.

I believe Atkins' diet works well, but the strict diet (ok, maybe to me) is just not for me. However, for those willing to make sacrifices to lose weight, I do recommend Atkins' diet.

 

[classy]

Those diets are very effective. But make sure you consume plenty of WATER. If you are into heavy lifting or any kind of serious stressful excercise like long aerobic sessions, you will need to take in some carbs. If not you run the risk of having your glucose levels drop very low. You will have lightheadness and you could pass out. But just don't forget the water to keep the kidneys and system flushed clean. Consuming large amounts of protein can be hard on the kidneys as well as lead to dehydration.

 

[breakit23]

Just eat more complex carbs there harder to break down.

And that atkins diet do you lose alot of muscle in it too or just fat?

 

[matmax]

personally, i don't know but i have 3-4 frinds that swear by it (Atkins).

 

[billandopus]

It can be very effective, especially when used with exercise and diet/exercise cycling.

It will work wonders for awhile if you stick with it ... but you would be better off cycling off for a short while and resuming a balanced diet all the while exercising. You can get back on it for awhile later on if you want.

The point is that you have to keep your body offguard in order to keep it changing and from getting stale. Your body likes homeostasis - likes to stay static - but you don't want to overdo it because your body will eventually acclimatize to the diet and you should then back off and change it in order to keep your body fresh ... within reason.

I'm not saying to go from one extreme to another ... just keep on moving within healthy parameters.

 

[JonB]

One common thing mentioned in the above thread is that your body will "start to consume muscle." That does NOT happen unless you are on a starvation diet. If you are eating over 1000 calories per day of ANYTHING, you are above starvation. Your body will always use what you eat first. When your digestive system is empty, then it will start breaking down fat. When the fat is gone, it will start breaking down muscle. Unless you are sick and starving, you will not get to that point.

The Zero/Low carbohydrate diets work because your body prefers the carbos first as an energy source. When carbs aren't present, it consumes fat rapidly. Because it is breaking the fat down rapidly, it uses an inefficient process that only gets about 50% of the energy from the fat. The unused fat is released into the bloodstream as "ketones" which are flushed out by the kidneys. That is why people say your kidneys get a workout. If you have normal kidneys, there will be no problem.

Lots of water. Lots of water. It helps keep your kidneys flushed.

Seriously, I have used the diet several times, always feel great, lose the weight I want, but I cannot stay on it for more than a few months. Carb addiction is tough. I did keep the weight off once for three years, but I became an cycling addict and rode my bicycle for 100 to 300 miles per week. When I stopped, due to injury and "parental duties" the weight eventually came back.

Good luck to anyone on the same path.

but, don't worry about "consuming muscle." That is one of those stories used to discourage Atkins dieters.

 

[XMan]

JonB,

Thanks. I was kind of dubious as to losing muscle with all of the protein I'm consuming. The friend I had who lost 70 pounds had trouble actually getting to a target weight because he was gaining so much muscle mass.