Go on the Atkins diet.

How I did it: Inspired by my dad because he lost 30 lbs in 3 months. I had been saying I need to loose weight but having a hard time with it.  My dad lent me two books by Dr. Atkins.  The first one is his main book & I read the first 4 or 5 chapters for a primer on how & why the diet works. The second book is a cookbook.

The idea is simple enough. The method is taht you eat a diet high in fat and protein, low in carbohydrates 
which is sugar.  Because you are eating high fats and proteins your body will get rid of anything you can't use. It won't store it as fat but if you eat too much sugar it will convert to fat. 

You are suppose to start with a 14 day induction phase where you eat 20 grams or less of carbohydrates per day.  But you have as much all the red meat, chicken, pork, duck, lamb, cheese etc. that you want.  They are considered "free foods".

My diet is mainly vegetarian.  Although now I will eat some chicken and turkey on rare occassion. So this presented a problem. I broke a few rules.  I ate veggie burgers for protein but they contain grain, which is a no-no for the 1st 14 days. I also ate more than the 20 grams Atkins' suggested because I was getting bad side effects. Atkins' does tell you this is acceptable if you are getting weak, dizzy and experiencing headaches etc.

This diet was boring.  Because all I was eating was veggie burgers, cheese, mayo, salad with no carb dressing, vegetables, every so often chicken and turkey.  I had Jell-0 with whipped cream and cream cheese and celery for dessert.  But within a month I could fit back into my "skinny" jeans and everybody was telling me I looked great.

I got results fast (even with the modifications I made) and I didn't have to exercise to loose weight.  I "fell off the wagon" on Dec.25 because I thought I could manage to eat a little bread and cakes for the holidays and then return back to the diet. I've put a few pounds back on but overall have been able to maintain my weight loss.

I will go back on in February and begin again.  However from everything I've read the major downside is that you have to consume large amounts of fat and a lot of that is saturated so it doesn't appear to be healthy for the long haul. So after another few months I'm going to find another way to keep it going.

Lessons & tips:

• Read the book(s)
• You will need to take vitamin supplements
• Don't expect it to happen right away. It takes time
• Dr. Atkins suggests that you get a check-up before starting this diet
• You will have to avoid bread, sugar, rice, cakes, cookies in the first 14 days and possibly beyond
• Most importantly: listen to your body

Resources:

Jan 27, 10:26AM PST | 0 comments