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2003/12/23, 03:25 PM
Hello, my name is Shauna and I have been on the path to better health and fitness for about a 8 months now. I am 5 foot 7 and I weigh 189 pounds. Today I am at the lowest weight of my adult life.
I started out 8 months ago, at 232 pounds working out 4-5 times per week and eating a low fat diet. I did not lose any weight and was getting frustrated with this. I was doing 40 minutes of cardio per day plus strength training 3 times per week. I didn't lose any weight at all. My eating at the time was healthly however I was still eating carbs and refined flours/sugars. After two months of this I decided to try something else.
I started the Atkins diet July 28th 2003 and have lost almost 50 pounds now (189 this morning).
My goal is to be 149 by this summer, I would estimate this to be a reasonable goal as I still have a pot belly and flab on my hips. I would like to get back into the gym to train for sufing. I really need to find a diet that works for me in the meantime. I could continue on this low carbohydrate diet forever as I honestly feel so much better than I did pre-Atkins.
I have tried low-fat diets, weight watchers, etc..however nothing besides Atkins has ever worked for me. I would like to find a way of eating that is healthy for me and works. If the only way I can stay thin is to be on Atkins for the rest of my life , then that is what it will be. I am no longer allowed to be fat. So that is my story, can anyone relate or give me some ideas of where to start?
Specifically -
* I am finding that I crave protein a lot these days (eggs,tuna, etc). Not bad considering I used to crave Cheetos and Oreo cookies. Is it possible to eat too much protein? I am considering getting a low carbohydrate protein shake that is roughly 70% protein but am unsure of good brands/bad brands etc.
* Currently I only consume about 25g of Carbs per day(mostly from Veggies) and my fat intake is mostly unsaturated. I no longer crave sugars or flour and I have noticed my moods are so much more stable since going on Atkins. Are there any other diets out there that limit Sugars and Refined flour that truly give results or would help me maintain once I hit my goal weight? Perhaps I should build my own diet. I guess I just dont understand nutrition well enough to alter what I am currently doing and have it work. I am very scared that Atkins is the only thing that I can do to lose weight and that someday I will be forced to go off it due to health issues.
* Exersize - I am starting back up at the gym on January 17th. I have about 40 more pounds to lose and I want to increase my tone and build muscle. My problem area is essentially my stomach, thighs, and hips. I have really great calves already (I am a hiker during the summer months) so I dont need any exersizes for this area. Any recommendations.
Failure is no longer an option for me. Any help or support you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
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2003/12/23, 03:34 PM
Sounds like you've made a lot of progress! Here's my opinion:
1) You can never eat too much protein, unless you are an extremely sedentary individual.
2) It's all about the calories. Since your goal is to lose weight, the simplest rule you can follow is to consume less calories than you burn in a day. You can achieve this with basically any diet.
3) Eating healthy is a lifestyle. While I think the Atkins diet is severe, if it works then stick with it until it no longer works. Be warned, however, that as you increase your metabolism and activity level, you'll need carbs to fuel your body.
4) You cannot keep your body in ketosis for too long!
Hope this helps...
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**_Robert_**
Pain is temporary; glory is forever!
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2003/12/23, 08:43 PM
Hi:
I think what you could look at is the South Beach Diet.
It was designed by a cardiologists and is very effective I and several of my friends have used it with good results.
You can find lots of info online just type in the name into any search engine and you will get tons of hits. There is also a book wriotten by the doctor.
Basicaally the first two weeks are like Atkins the only caaarbs you can have are veggies. However, unlike Atkins you cannot have a lot of high fat foods particularly those saturated fats.
After two weeks you can start to add back some coplex carbs but slowly. Wholegrain bread, brown rice, brown pasta, sweet potatoes, yogurt fruit.
The trick is as Robert so correctly stated its all about calories. Remember the more weight you lose the less calories you can consume.
For me it has worked well I have been working out for a long time and even though I thought my diet was pretty good could not lose weight and it had crept up on me over the years. I have lost 9 pounds in eight weeks and am pleased. I did have to return to phase one this past week and it really helped as I was stuck.
Check it out I think you will like it
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2003/12/24, 09:23 AM
I will go get a copy of the plan after the holidays and read it. I have heard some things about the south beach diet and am familiar with it. I worry about craving the sugar and flour because that was a big issue before for me. I have really good willpower now so maybe it will be different. Calories dont really matter on Atkins so that will be different when I switch. Thanks for the help!!
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2003/12/24, 09:51 AM
Hi there gawdess,
Well done on your weight loss, you have every reason to be proud of yourself.
I have read your post and relate to it completely as I have also been managing the Atkins approach for the past ten months and have lost 56 pounds. I, like you, work out to much the same routine.
The Atkins allows you to build up up your carb intake gradually over time. I urge you to re-read the chapters on ongoing weightloss and maintenance eating as these represent a large departure from the extreme low carb induction phase, which many critics regard as detrimental over the long term.
I am venturing into the maintenance zone of the eating plan and have added back a variety of carb loaded ingredients into my diet. I am watching the scale like a hawk as I have no will to undo the effort I have made in getting this far.
On this board you'll find a very knowledgable character who goes gy the name of BB1 FIT, he reccommends a variety of foods, you'll note that these are much the same as Atkins prescribes in his section on healthy carbs. So really what Atkins eventually boils down to is healthy eating, which is ultimately what you are looking for anyway?
Good luck with it all.
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2003/12/28, 06:03 PM
I will look for BB1 fit! I am so dead set on keeping this weight off, I am willing to do whatever it takes these days. I am getting back to the gym starting January 17th. I am working on putting together my program. I am thinking 30 mins of cardio a day, 5 days per week. Followed up by free weights and ab work 3 days per week.
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