How does the Atkins diet work?
338481
The idea behind the diet is that if we take in extra carboyhyrates, our body will use them and our fat stores won't decrease.  So what the diet tries to do is limit carbs and put the body into a state of ketosis.  Ketosis is what happens when the body starts to break down fat and protein for energy because it will lead a release of acid and thus make your blood more acidic.  This is where the kidney problems come in.  The idea of the diet itself is if the body is in a ketotic state it will burn fat for fuel and thus people will lose fat.  Excersising should be done at a normal level but if you excersise you  must make sure to take in enough carbs to give yourself energy and replenish your glycogen stores without taking your body out of ketosis.  This depends on the idividual person and the amount of excersise they do.  I cannot give you a number.  Most people think that it is a low carb and high fat and protein diet, but the real idea of it is a low carb and low calorie diet because the people who eat the same amount of calories because they just add fat and protein are defeating the purpose of the diet and are actually going to gain weight (cause fat has more calories per gram than carbs) and will also give themselves heart disease along with kidney problems.  The best advice is to pick up his book and read it, the first one, because if you pick up the second one you will get lost.  think long and hard and do your research about the diet before you start it.  also, go see your local dietitian and they will be able to provide you with more information.
37246
Yes it does work. If you look at the plan it is designed like the atkins and south beach diet it makes it simple. I found for myself it still wasen't simple enough. if you want a dummy proof plan that will save you money ot the end go to this link.
971274
The problem is, the less you have to lose the slower it will come off.  For example, if you weigh 250 lbs you could easily lose 22 lbs in a month doing Atkins. On the other hand, if you weigh 150 lbs it's not as likely (not impossible, just not likely).  And if you're already a reasonable weight and want to become underweight, it ain't gonna happen if 4 weeks.\n\nI believe that, followed properly as written in the book, Atkins is a safe, healthy way to lose weight.  However, it still can't accomplish miracles.  I'm sure it took you longer than a month to gain those 22 pounds, it's likely to take longer than that to lose it.
1156936
The Atkins diet can be dangerous because eating excessive amounts of certain meat can lead to heart problems. People have died from heart failure related to this diet. I don't recommend. It isn't healthy to pig out on meat and cheese even if you can lose weight that way.
229395
Sounds like the Atkins diet to me.\n\nIs she dieting? Maybe ask her.
566722
During the first two weeks (induction) no more than 20 grams per day. After the that, you are supposed to gradually increase the amount by about 5 grams per day, until weight loss slows or stops. Then you need to cut back a little bit if you are still trying to lose weight. If you are going to try doing the Atkins diet, I strongly suggest that you READ THE BOOK so that you understand how it works and how your body physiology is changed. I have been doing it for almost three years now, and attribute my success (50 lbs lost) to understanding how the lifestyle changes work, as opposed to rushing into it blindly.
1012018
As far as I know, My father used to be on Atkins - WOAH did he lose weight fasssssst.  And tons of it as well.  He gained it all back, of course, once he ate a little bit of carbs.
528036
if you need to lose weight quickly and without exercising then doing the atkins diet will drop the pounds of very quickly...very few carbs and lots of protein..long term weightloss is healthier and by having a few carbs and more protein is better than no carbs at all..you will loose weight more steadily..also eat your largest meal in the day rather than the evening as you are more likely to burn off the calories
315033
You should see some already.  Are you peeing on the strips? If the strips are the right color you're losing weight.\nHOWEVER--although you can lose lots of weight fairly quickly on Atkins, as soon as you stop doing it and eat some carbs you'll gain it all back. I've only known ONE person who kept her weight off-and that's because she rarely goes off the diet. When she does eat sugar or flour, she gains weight right away so she immediately goes back on it.\nMy husband went from 260 down to 200 in 6 months. He looked great.  In the same amount of time, he's gone back to up around 235 after going back to his regular diet.  He went on it after a friend of his lost 90 pounds and another lost 50.  Both of them are back to their original weights if not higher too.
749981
I started the atkins diet once and carried on for six months.  I was a size 20 and after six months size ten.  \nNever had a problem with loose skin.  I had lost appetite whilst on the diet which meant it took me another to years to come back to a size twenty.\n\nI was contemplating going on the diet again but found out recently that eating red meat in large quantities has been proven to increase breast cancer.\n\nThe trick whenever u r dieting is to drink a minimum of three litres of water and u wont have a problem with loose skin and dont even bother with moisturisers, they dont even go skin deep, if u know what i mean!!!
186300
I can only answer from personal experience.  My cholesterol went down substantially.  My body doesn't process refined carbohydrates effectively, which I believe caused my cholesterol (and weight) to go up.  When I eat a diet of lean protein and vegetables (which is basically Atkins) then my body is way better off.\n\nYour mileage may vary.
1125970
The Atkins and South Beach diets advocate keeping under 20 grams net carbs/day, but only during the Induction Phase (which is the first 2 weeks).  This is just to shift your metabolism into fat-burning mode (so the theory goes).  \n\nAfter that, you are supposed to increase your carb intake so that you don't lose weight too fast.  But you still aren't allowed to go carb-wild.
408793
Actually, a big idea that is going on right now is actually eating more carbs. The Atkins diet actually is centered around this new fad, and many are in agreement that it works.\n\nIf you want to skip the whole counting calories business there are some eating habits you can take on and still eat the same food as everyone else. Portion control is vital if you want to lose weight, and eating slowly helps your stomach decide when it is full. You want to try not to eat with your eyes.\n\nBy eating healthy snacks throughout the day you actually shrink your stomach. At mealtimes you're not as hungry and you eat less. When you eat just a few big meals a day, your stomach expands and your capacity to eat increases. So what you want to do to lose weight (and keep it off) is develop eating habits that let you eat slow and frequently. Trust me, this works. Hope I've been helpful!
737414
I have been on Atkins for over 2 years now. Totally love this way of eating. It isn't a diet however but one must decide before embarqing on this journey if they wish to stop their yo-yoing and finally find a solution to being over weight. It is possible you know but only if you read the book and decide this is a forever way of eating.\n\nIf you read his book you will suddenly realize how much sense he makes. It really works and it isn't boring.  I lost 50 pounds and have kept it off with ease and love the fact that I can go to my closet and get anything out of it and know it will fit. \n\nPlease do not start this without reading the book. It's not just about High protein and cutting out carbs. The induction is the strictest of the time of limiting foods. If you plan on going on this then going off once you lose you weight don't bother. You will gain it back.  But this can be said for all plans to lose weight.\n\nCheck out this website if you do plan on going on Low Carb regardless of which plan you choose.  \n\nhttp://www.lowcarbfriends.com  This site has been a godsend for me and my husband who by the way lost 80 and has kept it off. And we eat. If you just knew how much we eat you would  be shocked. No limiting portions, no worry about low fat tasteless foods, but just not eating high carb items. \n\nDo know however that all foods have carbs except meat. It about the high content of the carbs and how it affects the blood sugar.  Remember naturally white foods are ones to watch, potato's, rice, sugar, white flour etc. These are horribly high carb items plus corn (not a vege but a grain)
516865
I wouldn't be concerned yet unless you feel bad/weak.\nThe Atkins Diet definitely works.\nBut it's good that you know it's bad for you. When you don't eat Carbs (your body's first used energy source) your body tells itself that you are starving, so it switches to burning protein and fats (including your body's fat stores which is why the diet works so well.) Your body does need carbs again eventually though. If you do the Atkins Diet more than once in your life or for more than about 12 weeks, you can cause slight but permanent brain damage.\n\nAnd you can definitely survive on one meal a day, but it slows your metabolism (another form of your bod's starvation compensation) so you aren't burning as many of the calories you are eating. This is ok for now but it may be difficult to speed your metabolism back up later, which is a big reason people bounce back to their old weight after dieting.
299298
Well, you've just stumbled (accidentally) upon the whole premise behind the much vaunted Atkins Diet. Many people, some of my friends in particular(!), think that the point of Atkins is to eat nothing but meat and avoid carbohydrates completely, thereby not taking in any useless calories.\n\nNay, the point to Atkins is to eliminate carbohydrates for a short time, and the re-introduce them slowly until you start to regain weight. That way, you can determine your daily needs and then eat accordingly.\n\nThe daily requirement that you speak of, say 2000 calories, is the amount of fuel you need to sustain life, i.e. respiration, digestion, mitosis, etc. plus a little bit so you can still walk and talk. That figure is, of course, a generalization at best (hence Atkins) and you may need more or less depending on your metabolism. Metabolism is something that varies with age too, so you need to take that into account. It slows down as we get older, and that's when we start getting those 'problem' areas that are hard to control.\n\nThe whole process of losing weight is further complicated by the way that our bodies store fat. We maintain a fat reserve which is intended for short bursts of energy when we need it. For overweight people (even slightly overweight) this reserve never gets used up, so they never actually lose 'real' weight, and a day or two later they find that they're back to square one. Maybe you've seen the "48 Hour Hollywood Diet" advertised in television. It promises to help you lose up to 10 pounds in two days simply by drinking the special drink. The fact is that if you don't eat for two days, you will lose about 10 pounds anyway, special drink or not.\n\nSo in order to start losing your long-term fat deposits you must do some form of exercise, and maintain a lower than normal calorific intake. Despite the almost daily 'revolutionary' products that constantly hit the market, the only really surefire, safe way to lose weight is the method that doctors have been promoting for years.
927483
They are called Ketostix, and can be found in most chemists / pharmacys\n\nI have been on the Atkins diet now for exactly 3 years.  I have lost in excess of 70lbs.\n\nIt does have a bad reputation as a diet, as a lot of people dont actually understand it.  Most people think that its all bacon eggs and butter!  Where as its a lot more healthier than that.  YOu do have to eat vegetables aswell.  As you probably know all ready, 20grams of carbs a day for the first 2 weeks of induction, spread over a specific legal list of veggies.\n\nFeel free to email me if you want any further information.\n\nGood luck\n\n\nedited to add - \n\nIts total BS that it has a negative effect on cholesterol levels.  I have had mine checked 3 times in 3 years and each time my levels have dropped.