Hello & Goodbye!

[Rufo]

I couldn't resist the subject line. I have been on Atkins for 5 weeks and went off it today. I learned a great deal from this web site, and I will definitely return if I go back on the Atkins diet.

I went off Atkins because after 5 weeks of adhering to the plan to the letter, I didn't lose any weight. I will get candida and my thyroid checked at my next annual physical... maybe that explains it (although I have no symptoms to suggest it). I was quite frustrated that I was in ketosis (I tested every night and it was positive) but still didn't lose any weight. I watched my calories, carb intake, fat intake, vegetable intake, exercise, water intake... I couldn't see any reason why I never even had a dip in my weight (measured in both inches and pounds).

I didn't miss carbs at all while I was on Atkins, but it didn't seem right not eating more vegetables, as well as things like milk, yogurt, beans, apples and yams. I will try to be very self-perceptive over the next few days to see if I feel different or have any cravings.

Atkins was a great exercise for getting me to understand what I like about eating and how much I need. For example, at my favorite lunch spot I ordered the same food I used to (a sandwich and a salad), but asked them to leave the bread off the sandwich and the croutons out of the salad... and it made a great, satisfying lunch.

I was very glad to discover sugar free cherry Jello and Crush diet cream soda... two things I never thought I'd like. They get me through my after-supper munchies, which I had before and during Atkins.

I am a bit disappointed about some aspects of Dr. Atkins' book. For example, he mentions a lot of things that may interfere with weight loss (caffeine, aspartame, food allergies, etc), but I'd like a better understanding of whether they interfere with weight loss in all diets, including low fat diets; whether the interfere with getting into ketosis; or whether there's something specific to his diet that isn't related to ketosis.

Since I was in ketosis but not losing weight, I had no idea what was wrong. I wrote his support group and they wrote back with an email made up of excerpts from his book, which I'd read already. Someone on this forum said that Dr. Bernstein suggests you cut back on protein by 1/3 for one meal. I tried that too.

Since I'd been on low fat diets, I knew that aspartame and caffeine don't interfere with my weight loss on that regimen. Did I need to go off them for Atkins? I have no idea. (I went off them anyway.)

Also, I wish Atkins did a better job of explaining the effect of menstruation on the diet. He says it might slow it down, but that's it. Perhaps he could recommend that women go on the diet right after their period, or not within a week before, or something. Also, give us some tips on what to do during periods. (I started the diet four days before my period and didn't go into ketosis until after it ended, which set me back nearly two weeks.) Is there a problem with being on a high-fat diet when your period is stopping ketosis? Maybe we should do a modified version of Atkins during menstruation? I'm going off Atkins now because I have my period again and I don't want to continue to up the fat levels in my blood while I know I won't be burning it off.

Anyway, I wish I could say that I'd had a great success and lost 15 pounds, but that's life. I'll go back to the sensible low fat diet the dietician gave me. My problem with that is that I lose weight, but then I gain it back again. But as a friend of mine said, Maybe losing weight is like quitting smoking. You try, you relapse, you try again... but eventually you'll succeed!

Thanks to everyone,
Ruth

[Kristine]

Hello! (and goodbye, I guess...)

It's too bad you didn't introduce yourself sooner and maybe start a journal; there could be something simple that you're doing wrong that perhaps we could have pointed out to you. :confused: It could have been something as simple as eating the Atkins bars. Believe it or not, they're an induction killer... and that's just one example off the top of my head.

If there's one idea with which I'd like you to leave us, it would be this: try to abandon the idea of it "not being right" to not drink milk, eat more veggies, etc. An induction (and continually increasing) amount of veggies is sufficient. It's more than the average Westerner eats, for sure. Milk? What can I say, it's made for baby cows, not people. Yogurt, beans, apples? Those foods are fine once you're off induction. The early phases of Atkins are temporary and do not represent maintenance.

>>"My problem with that is that I lose weight, but then I gain it back again."

Lose/lose situation, isn't it? :confused:

Sorry it didn't work out for you.

(edit: ) Hi, I just noticed that your other posts were to the diabetes forum. <b>Avandia causes weight gain,</b> and believe it or not, medications can have more powerful control over your metabolism than diet. Please read more about low-carbing and diabetes. I know you may not have lost weight, but you're throwing out the baby with the bathwater. :( Once your blood sugar is well enough controlled that you can reduce (or stop) the meds, *then* you'll probably lose weight. It's also important, with respect to weight loss, to fight your insulin resistance with exercise.

Type II diabetes can be a latent condition and you can prolong your life, but not if you return to a high carb way of eating. Blood sugar control is far more important than weight. I only say this because my co-worker's husband just had his legs amputated... after years eating a so-called "prudent" diabetic diet. It's heartbreaking. :tears:

I'm not in the habit of "begging" forum members to stick around; I know it's your decision, but please keep your diabetic health in mind, too... losing the battle to diabetes is way more painful than losing the battle of the bulge. :(

Best of luck to you, whatever you decide. :rheart: Remember, we do have a Dr Berstein forum, if you get that book. :)

[Rufo]

Hi Kristine!

Thanks for your thoughtful reply. I may very well be back! I hadn't thought that maybe the Avandia was keeping me from losing weight. I wasn't eating Atkins bars or anything like that... if I had been and it was a problem, surely I wouldn't have been showing consistent positive ketosis?

I have read Dr. Atkins' "New Diet Revolution", and just finished Dr. Bernstein's "Diabetes Solution". I had a few qualms about the former, and more about the latter.

Re Atkins, I think he is a little too dismissive about the healthiness of a balanced diet containing lots of fresh fruit, vegetables and legumes, and providing fiber, antioxidants, etc. For example, colon cancer is correlated with lack of fiber (I think), and antioxidants are important in reducing several diabetic complications. Insofar as people can maintain a healthy diet in later stages of Atkins, that's fine. I was willing to give up a balanced diet during induction because the most important thing to my health right now is to lose weight and keep it off.

Re Bernstein, he says lots of interesting things and I think it's a valuable resource. When or if I have to go on insulin or need to deal with diabetic complications, I will go back to it. But his perspective is very much the diabetic with out of control blood sugar, and then he proposes a one-solution-fits-all diet for all diabetics. I don't have any problem with keeping my blood sugar under control. If I get to that stage, I may consider reducing my carbs as he suggests. For now, I'm pretty sure that if I get my weight down and continue to exercise, I will be able to go off the Avandia. But he doesn't propose, like Atkins, that you eventually go to a fairly balanced diet: he argues for never eating more than 30 carbs a day. In the long term, this could have other health consequences.

I think people should be very careful about Bernstein's recommendations, and get corroboration from their doctor or other sources. Some of the shortcomings of the book may be improved in the new edition coming out this summer. I hope he updates his recommendations about diabetic medication.

Anyway, thanks again! This a GREAT forum.
Ruth

[Kristine]

Hi Ruth!

It sounds like you're really pro-active about your health, so I'm sure you'll be fine, whichever path you choose. :thup: I hate to throw another book at you :lol: , but Schwarzbein is another book that addresses diabetes. Dr Schwarzbein is an endocrinologist. Her plan barely qualifies as low carb; its emphasis is whole foods, no refined grains, no artificial sweeteners, etc. Heh heh... like I said, I don't want to throw another book at you; it just sounds like you're the type who's interested in health reading. I am.

Best of luck to you! :sunny:

[Shadow01]

Rufo: I second Kristine's suggestion about Schwarzbein. My roommate is diabetic and after LOOSELY following Schwarzbein for less than two weeks, she has already been able to cut back on her insulin and her sugars have been much lower (plus she has lost weight). While I don't see my roommate ever adhering strictly to the plan, she takes what she can use and goes from there - probably not the best way to go, but for now it works for her. Hopefully in time she'll adhere more strictly to the plan. I only wish I knew about this book before my mother died as the result of uncontrolled diabetes... I realize you are not insulin-dependent, but the best time to combat diabetes is before it's taken hold of your life. That's what got me started low-carbing - I didn't want to end up dead at 63 (after amputations) like my mother did - it was a slow and painful death...I enjoy life far too much.

Anyway, the point is, I hope you hang in there and consider other options :) . Whatever you decide, I wish you well.

[pegva]

I really wish you had started a journal so we could see what you were eating... might have helped.

Are you telling us you got no benefits from lowcarbing??

I really don't think 5 weeks is enough of a try for someone who's obviously very insulin resistant.

But, you know best for you... just keep in mind that once you've left low carbing... you may find some more weight creeping on when you return to that "balanced diet".