Anyone in here done the Atkins Diet?

One of my sisters has had tremendous success with it. She has lost 85 pounds. When she first started the diet and lost twentysome punds she joked about having lost a toddler. Now she has lost another person!

There was a time when it wasn't looked upon by the medical profession as a healthy diet because of all the fat. Recently the medical profession is changeing that and the news is out that it really is healthy.

A doctor friend of mine said that is how Dr. Atkins died. He heard about all the latest studies and was thrilled with the affirmation his diet was getting so he was jumping up and down on the ice and fell and banged his head.

With all the recent talk about this Atkin's DIet I have learned something about myself...I am a carbohydrate junkie.

Couldn't even figure out what I would have for breakfast because I typically have cereal with fruit, a bagel, or English muffin.

AND...the thought of having bacon and eggs for breakfast every day grosses me out for some reason.

Hey Dot...I just started the Atkins diet.. I'm waiting for the book to come but I know the basics... and if I don't go get candy, I'll stay on it...there's sugar free candy but it's dangerous for your stomach..no, seriously.. . but that's a WHOLE 'nother story and quite graphic too......one of my girlfriends is having great success on it too. I think she's lost 20 lbs in about three weeks. I think I may have lost 10 in the last week...but I suppose I'll really be able to tell after a few weeks, not the first. I could stand to lose a whole person off my .... well my ass could feed a small country, I'm pretty sure... so I don't know... a person I guess.

Dreamr Kate, what do you mean sugar free candy is bad for your stomach? I ahve been some problems recently with my tsomach and no one can figure out why. Now I'm thinking it might be the sugar-free stuff we've been buying for my husabnd. It all started around then.

Yeah, DK, please tell us about the stomach and sugar-free candy. Two members of my family are diabetics. One doesn't eat the sugar-free stuff, but the ohter does.

I know the sugar substitute can give you the runs!!! My daughter has overdone it before and found that uot. actually, so has my son. He ate, I think it was a pack of Vela mints (remember them) and they did a number on his tummy. Is that what you're talking about?

Also, Dk...Some-how your butt feeding a small country doesn't sound too nutritious...

[ October 17, 2003, 08:54 AM: Message edited by: Dotsie ]

Wow Dot... you know - YOU'RE SO RIGHT... sorry .. that was a gross out moment. Surely there must be some analogy that would be appropriate... I'll come up with one and let you know.. however, in the interim... when Molly Shannon was on Will & Grace one night she said something that I loved - "Yeah, I was thinking of having a butt lift - but not the surgical kind. I just want a guy follow me around and hold up it up." *LOL*

Okay, seriously now.. I just happened to have a bad experience with the sugar-free stuff and will forever be truly careful - IF I ever eat candy again in life. So here's my story - I was at the store with a friend of mine who's been on Atkins and doing well and we were looking at the sugar-free candy and I said "Hey look, I can have that candy" so she proceeded to tell me about the different kinds, because she has actually READ the book. So she's telling me about the sugar-alcohol content and if it has that, which I think a lot of sugar free stuff does (why, I don't know) (don't ask me that stuff) and it could give you a stomach ache.....and I heard "CANDY-CANDY I can have"... and then she droned on and on about being careful with it and don't eat very much of it....and (again) I heard "CANDY-CANDY I can have"...
and she said "believe me, I know" and I'm choosing the sugar-free Reese's Peanut Butter Cups off the shelf and reaching for the Truffles.... hearing only......what? What is my mantra at this point? All together now....."CANDY-CANDY I can have"...
Yeah... well that CANDY I can have? It took about two hours - I went to bed at 1 a.m. and by 3 a.m. I was woken up by a distinct "HOLY CRAP, there's a machete in my stomach" feeling........I hobbled to the restroom praying for the knife to come out of my stomach, and my stomach.....oh my god, I'm not exagerating at all here... it was hard as a rock and HUGE, it looked like I was pregnant. I sat there for two hours. And it's not that I had to "go" it was just that I couldn't be sure. I could hear air (?) moving through what seemed like intestines that could have stretched the full width of Texas.. I could hear it move at every turn. I fully expected something to (and I AM exagerating here) an alien to come screaming out of my stomach. Really, I thought I would die. I actually hoped that I would die. I prayed I would die.

I was afraid to take that little home remedy, 1/2 tsp of baking soda in water, which usually relieves stomach upsets.....but I thought I would (seriously) explode. And then, funny thing, you think about a lot of stuff when you're sitting there for two hours holding your gut so it won't do some truly weird thing and freak you out .... I was wondering - guys always joke around about lighting a match - and truly, I do not find jokes about human bodily functions amusing in the least and quite inappropriate... but I have to tell you - while I was sitting there I did think about it. Light a match and what? Would I be the next Lethal Weapon scene? Would we be selling our house with a detached bathroom? What?

And you probably want to know "well how the heck much did you eat anyway?" - I ate 7 pieces out of each little bag. I know. I probably deserved it.

Any other questions now that you know all about me now? Don't hate me because I'm beautiful, you can hate me because I'm sometimes an idiot!

DreamrKate

COuld be on to something here Candice! I'm gona ask my daughter about her sugar-free candy and her tummy.

oh...dk, seven of those little ones...that's nothing!

Not anymore, but there was a day when I could have eaten more than that! NOw I have to practice self control and I don't like it!

I ate only three pieces the other night and was fine. So three might be my new number. I guess fear works wonders in lots of different areas -crossing the street against the light, driving into oncoming traffic; eating things that you know will explode in your gut.....I could go on.

I have eaten a lot of it before too and have had that "oh my Gpod I am going to die" feeling. I usually puke my guts out though. I'll have to think about whether or not it's the sugar free stuff. I think it may be. I'm definitely not going to eat it anymore.

Hi,
I've enjoyed reading these posts on the sugar free candy. A friend told me to be careful so I limit to two to three.
This summer though I've enjoyed sugar free ice rages from the espresso stand. They do keep you regular so have to be careful.
Maggie

WAIT A SECOND - Sugar free ice rages? What ARE those?
Caffeine in a sugar-free, icy cold environment? Wait a second, all those things in one nice little cup.....that will keep me going all day, well at least til 2 p.m. .....I want some.

Yes, they use long bottom I believe but use the sugar free chocolate and skim milk, crushed ice.
It's four grams of sugar so that is an afternoon treat once in a while.
They are delicious!! I would ask whoever is making them though about the grams of sugar cuz this could vary.
Maggie

Okay.... what's long bottom?I'm thinking it's a kind of cup... but that's not right is it?

Look I'm capable of sending a brief message.

A long bottom is what you get after age 40...

what? what?

A long bottom is what we get when you sit at our computers all day too!

Still trying to find a way to do this writing stuff while getting around?!

Thanks for all the laughs this morning. Its what I love about this forum. Long Bottom is what you
all wrote about. It is also the name of a company who sells espresso to everyone. I will check on the name for sure but I think that's it or close.
Some people call the ice drinks frescante I believe but I like the name ice rages better.
Still laughing!!!
Maggie

Ok gals, just had to go get my ice rage so I could give you the name for sure and on the cup there is a website too. www.longbottomcoffe.com
The package always make me think of pirates because there is a black ship on the front.
Hope you enjoy it. Must get off of here before my bottom gets too long.
Maggie

I don't want to call it ice rages.......I like the "frescante" bit....very Under the Tuscan Sun. Very "swimming al fresco" in an Italian grotto.

mmmmmm.....that's all I could come up with. It was a long day.

Yes, Frescante does sound better and Italian. Actually I call them both depends on where I am going. The Espresso stand calls them Ice Rages and
the store with the best goodies besides calls them Frescante. I try to stay out of there with the best bakers in the county its hard to escape.
Maggie

Okay, forGET that......I'm totally jazzed, I don't want to eat anything bad NOW. I got on the scales at work...I lost 7 lbs since last week. I'm completely thrilled. And I found this great website that has all kinds of low carb recipes, and there's even some that sound like they'd fit a horrible cupboard-ripping-looking-for-anything-remotely-like-candy-cookies-or-whatever spell. It's peanut butter, a tablespoon of cocoa, splenda and you mix it, roll it up into balls and EAT 'EM! How cool is that?

Answer me.

whoa! you go girl! 7 lbs. Without reading back on all the post, are you doing the Atkins thing?

DK, congrats! Sounds like you've hit the diet that works for you. I just don't knowhow you can stay away from the carbs. I'm a carbohydrate junkie! It's not good, trust me.

What's the web site with the recipes?

DreamrKate, I want the rest of the nutritional info on those Pb and cocoa balls. If I can eat them on WW, you've just become my new best friend. I love anything that mixes peanut butter and chocolate and it has been hard this past week with the Halloween candy, especially with those new reverse peanut butter cups (with the pb on the outside and the choc. on the inside). The recipe you talked about sounds like it would be a good substitute.

DK

You didn't leave the site info. Hurry! My mouth is watering...

Dk,
Peanut butter, chocolate and splenda. I can't wait to try it. Please hurry. Sounds like a dream come true.
Thanks,
Maggie

I did the Atkins diet and lost about 20 lbs. Went off the diet and gained it all back about one year later. It worked quick though. I just gave in to my old habits. Ilove carbs!!!

Watch out for WOW potatoe chips they act they same as the sugar free candy. It is some substitute for Real fat.

Oh my GOSH, I'm SO sorry... I totally forgot about it when I got to work today. The website is www.lowcarbfriends.com

The recipe room is where I found that recipe but let me find it and I'll just print it here.
It's not rocket science, let me tell ya, but then when you're gonna rip off someone's face for their candy, who cares. And seriously, I've actually weighed out the consequences of assaulting someone for their cheeseburger. No jail time yet.

LOOK AT THIS: (got slightly sidetracked)
Allmost Ice Cream
Ingredients:
1 8 oz pdg cream cheese
1 pckg sugar free jello-any flavor
1/2 container of cool whip
How to Prepare:
Prepare jello according to package. Let set for 1 hour in fridge. Mix in softened cream cheese until smooth. Fold in cool whip. Freeze.

Serves 8; only 2.2 grams of carbs per serving

QUICK AND EASY PEANUT BUTTER SNACK
Ingredients:
2-4 tbs. Peanut Butter
1 tbsp. Cocoa
Splenda to taste

How to Prepare:
combine ingredients in a bowl and mix. Refrigerate and roll into balls or eat with a spoon now!
Serves: 1-2 people
CarbsPerServing: 6
Prep Time: 10 min if even
Effort: Easy

I'm with the "eat with a spoon now!"

Fortunately I'm not big on chips, but potatoes, oh god yes.....and sour dough bread..and a cube of butter....it's disgusting. I mean really, if it was sex or those... it would take a few minutes to decide.
There's a recipe on that website that says for mock baked potatoes you take some cauliflower, "cook the snot out of it" and then mash it and slather it with butter, sour cream and cheese and bacon bits. THAT just might work.

Well fine....I'm replying to myself... but that's okay. Current update on my Gee-Dr.-Atkins-I-Love-You diet? I know you wanna know..."and how much have you lost Kate?," you say.
"Well, when last I checked (this morning), I'd lost a total of 16 pounds in a little over three weeks (I think)," I said.
"And are you finding this way of eating difficult?," you ask.
"Why... not at all," I say, "because really, once one makes up one's mind, one can really do anything," I say rather smugly.
"Oh be careful with the smug there Missy," someone calls out.
"Oh I know," I say. "I'm just once chocolate covered almond aways from a whole Halloween sack," I say, not so smug after all.

But I am doing very well and haven't cheated. I wake up alert and as disgusting as this sounds, well not disgusting, but dumb looking, I have had to put on a belt with my jeans and tighten it up to keep them from sliding down my hips, so they're like gathered......what a wonderful feeling! Thank you for asking.

DK! I am so proud FOR you! Not only have you lost 16 lbs in three weeks, you have started a new career in humor writing! LOL! You go girl...I am going to have to try this diet. I have not smoked in three weeks tomorrow. But...I have eaten everything that wasn't tied down. I was already fluffy...so...!!!!

Hi...I'm not kidding, this hasn't been that hard. Probably the first week was a little rough but once you figure out what you CAN eat, it's not so bad. I am getting a little sick of eggs for breakfast though so I'm having to sort of work around that. I haven't figured out how or what yet, but I will.
I've been having eggs and bacon for breakfast and thank GOD I can get our cook to make them for me at work. I stopped just short of telling him that he really doesn't know how to cook soft-scrambled eggs. He gets pissy and might not cook them for me at all if I complain. And I don't want to eat that early in the a.m.

So what do I eat, you ask?
Well, I eat some fried pork rinds, a little cheddar cheese, lots of celery, some with cream cheese, some because all of a sudden it's really good, I eat steak and have always loved it but I just don't eat that much of it anymore. I eat salads and since I'm not supposed to eat all that much of it, I prefer to use just the most beautiful parts of the head of butter lettuce and a few pieces of tomato and avocado with Italian dressing. And I did try that gross sounding cauliflower thing and it was REALLY good. Mmm...let's see, anything else?
Why YES....sugar-free JELLO WITH WHIPPED CREAM. I may make that my main staple. In fact, it may be all I eat for days because it's so not diety.
Try it.

I totally forgot the main thrust of the message... when I was reading parts of the book (Atkins).. he explained that when you eat carbohydrates they turn into fuel for your body and that's what your body burns and as we all know, if you don't burn all those calories/carbs that you shovel in, they are soooooooon to be stored in the great parking garage of the hips. When you deprive your body of carbs it starts in on the stored fat. So basically, what that means to me is that every time I pass up the bread, every time Ben and Jerry and I don't sit down to dine together, my garages are being emptied......that did it for me.

DK, way to go girl. Thanks for sharing what you are eating and how it's working for you.

My husband is doing the South Beach Diet. Only needs to lose 10 pounds, but he's a diabetic and his doctor wants him weighing the same forever, which is great that his doctor stays on top of that.

I'll post about the beauty of this diet in another forum about diabetics, but for here I wanted to share what I make him for breakfast.

Vegetable Quich Cups: from the SOuth Beach Diet site...

1- 10 ounce package of frozen spinach
3/4 cup lifquid egg substitute
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheese
Can add peppers, onions, and dash of hot sauce too.

So simple to make!

Just whip it up and put in greased, foil cupcake holders. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Nuke in the mornings. He eats 2. Makes 12.

Dk, maybe this could be a switch from the bacon and eggs. Happy eating/dieting.

I just started the Atkins diet on Monday. I am a carbohydrate ADDICT. 3 years ago I found the Carbohydrate Addicts Diet by Heller and Heller. I had 100 lbs to loose and over a year lost 50! Great. Then I got stuck, for a whole year. I was at one of those"set points" I had hit after the birth of my 3rd child. Then last year I continued on the diet but cheeted. Guess what, I got off that "stuck" and of course gained 20 lbs. It was a diet easy to do anyones life because you ate vegys and protein for breakfast and lunch and then for 60 minutes at dinner you ate your dinner and could include the 5 breads recommended per day and the 3 servings of fruit and your milk or alcoholic drink. You must stick with the 60 min. The theory being you only raised your blood sugar during that one hour every 24. You were also allowed any dessert you desired so you never felt deprived. Now I've started Adkins and wow is that restrictive. I love my multigrain breads and fruit all that are supposed to be good for you physically in moderation and I am a chocoholic. So wish me luck. My hope is that I can loose 30 lbs on this, down to 160 and then back to the CHD for the other 40 lbs, as it seems to fit my life better. I will be strict with it not like the past year. You can't even have caffein. Help. I am also trying to make myself exercise religiously. One good side effect so far, my fasting blood sugar this morning was 76!(i am a type 2 diabetic, diet controlled), yesterday was 84. Had been 95-105 normally, my last A1C on CHD was 4.9, super for anyone. My doctor had been very pleased. Now I guess I must be careful and watch for low blood sugar. Go figure. Not sure what I will do if that is the case since I'm not allowed orange juice or glucose tabs with the Adkins diet. I'll let you know how I progress.

I so want to know! I'm doing well still, which is amazing in itself because I like candy and I like Coke....and cheeseburgers, enchiladas......oh shoot.....see I haven't had lunch and I really shouldn't even be thinking about these things because it turns into the house that Jack built and I'm on my way to an enchilada......so more later kids.

ShutUP!! I can have CHOCOLATE? oh god, is this going to be like the "Candy I can have!!" thing for me?

Will definitely look for that chocolite next time I'm there. We get some groceries there, but not much. I'll have to post about the salad I make with ingredients from there. It's delicious. Hmmm, romaine lettuce, their already cooked taragon and herb spiced chicken, then they have these crunchy, low fat flat bread type things that you use as croutons, lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese, and their Romano Caesar dressing. It's so good...my mouth is watering.

Dotsie,

You need chocolate NOW!!

smile

Oh hallooooo..........it's been ten days and I've lost another 6 or 7 pounds in that time. I've lost a "ledge" off my hips and OH MY GOD!!!!I HAVE SEEN MY COLLAR BONES ! THEY'RE STILL THERE!!!

Kate, what an announcement on Thanksgiving day! You'll be a whole new you for Christmas.

My husband stuck very strictly to the South Beach Diet and only lost 4 pounds after the first two weeks. He thought he should have lost more. He only needs to lose ten.

WeLL... I wasn't QUITE as good as I had hoped. I had eight people at the dinner table, with full bowls of stuffing, mashed potatoes (real ones), salad, rolls, cranberry sauce, jellied and whole berry, sweet potatoes, turkey....mmmmmm, and banana pudding. I made cherry, peach and pumpkin pie....

I ate two cherries ...right after two tablespoons of stuffing and cranberry sauce, a very small piece of a roll...mmmm, and that was it. But BOYYYY I wanted to eat more! Shouldn't I LOSE calories for wanting more and not eating it?

I think SO!!!! Oh, but I forgot my point, my point was that all of those people, and three of them were my growing sons, plus one very large boyfriend (my daughter's, not mine) and my husband who has hollow legs....and it seemed like everythong ate gobs and didn't hardly make a dent in the food. Amazing! So who's been eating it all all these years? Did I used to make less or (a very scary thought) was I grazing my way through the preparation, the the cooking and the clean-up? That is SUCH a VERY scary thought!

[ November 27, 2003, 10:54 PM: Message edited by: DreamrKate ]

And I did eat turkey and my cauliflower mashed potatoes. THAT saved me! Otherwise I might have really blown it. The scale will tell on Monday.

DK, hmmmm, scarey thought. I *munched* my way through cooking yesterday, and I know I had a couple helpings of dressing before dinner even started.

Congrats on sticking to your diet for the day.