Anonymous wrote:It will work b/c you are subbing things that are usually full of sugar and junk with more veggies. If you can turn that into a lifestyle, then the weight will stay off & you will crush the sugar beast. I'm not in favor of how extreme Atkins seemed when I looked into it years ago, but the idea of reducing dependence on bread/pasta/rice, etc, makes sense. I don't think you should be replacing real sugar with artificial ones, though. Just cut it out all together.

ITA with all of the above.
I did South Beach about 6 years ago... I lost a nice bit of weight but I swear it backed me off the pre-diabetic cliff I was on, which was the best thing. I did not, however, use a lot of "low-carb" versions of stuff such as pasta, bread, etc or artificial sweeteners - just avoided them altogether until I could indulge just a little and not have it affect me.

Flash forward and I would describe my eating as a hybrid of South Beach phase 3 (maintenance) and Michael Pollan (eat food, mostly plants, not too much). That means no fake foods or food additives or low carb things masquerading as pasta. I <3 full fat dairy products too I think that (the fake stuff) is where people really get into trouble. The nice thing is, I don't actually consider it a diet and I don't count anything... it's just how I eat now.

Good for you, penguin. Congrats.

Okay, so once you lose the weight can you transition back to some carbs.

It will work b/c you are subbing things that are usually full of sugar and junk with more veggies. If you can turn that into a lifestyle, then the weight will stay off & you will crush the sugar beast. I'm not in favor of how extreme Atkins seemed when I looked into it years ago, but the idea of reducing dependence on bread/pasta/rice, etc, makes sense. I don't think you should be replacing real sugar with artificial ones, though. Just cut it out all together.

As with anything, they work if you can change your eating habits long term. If you go back to eating the same way before the diet, than of course you will gain it all back.

The trick is to change your tastes and cravings by reducing carbs and sugar.

Moderate low carb Primal. Works wonders, and you can live with the diet long-term.

35 lbs lost in about 5 months. got rid of my sugar addiction. even now years later don't like to eat really sweet things.

Atkins, itself, no - it's too easy to make up the calories lost in carbs with lots of fat. What DOES work, and what got the baby weight off, was something even more restrictive. Low fat, low carb, low calorie, low fun. I had carbs only 3x a week: once during a "free meal" (not huge but just normal-sized), and two back to back high-carb meals (think pasta) during a "carb refeed" to keep your metabolism from going wonky. It was incredibly effective. Also known as a PSMF (protein sparing modified fast). This is what models and actors do to drop weight quickly. You get nutrients from chicken, egg whites, fish, and vegetables ONLY, then take fish oil and vitamins. You get used to it after a few days, and the rapid fat loss is extremely inspiring. Just don't do it too long without taking a few weeks off the diet. A couple months max.

Atkins and similar low/no carb diets work by ketosis -- not a healthy or sustainable process. They'll help you lose pounds on a crash basis, but they're not a long-term solution.

I did have success years ago with the Zone, which is not a low-carb diet but rather a moderation diet that emphasizes eating in balance (40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat), avoiding high-glycemic-index foods like sugars and white starches, and avoiding fatty red meat. Lost 40 pounds, and while I was doing it, it melted off like nothing. Couldn't sustain it, though--over time, I couldn't stay away from the carbs or the stress eating.

Worked for me lost about 20 lbs in 2 months and looked great

Never tried it, but Weight Watchers is not something I've been able to stick to, so am hoping something more focused/limited and about really changing how you eat will work. Success stories and challenges greatly appreciated!