To Former Atkins Dropouts...BIG MISTAKE?

[Josselyn]

Unsure where to post this thread - hope this is appropriate.

Ever wonder if we'd STAYED on the bloody Atkins diet back then if we would be here having this kind of conversation/exchange now? Do you know what I mean? I figured out years ago that my body preferred a low carb diet...I didn't prefer a low carb diet and kept wandering away from the program...
Never even heard of a metabolic syndrome elsewhere in the world at that time. :cool:

I have more than a suspicion that I wouldn't be diabetic at this moment if I'd had more motivation to make that program work for me long term. It really isn't a bad way to live/eat (but one MUST read the book...it isn't all about bacon). I lost weight in my belly and chin(s) first, and felt stronger.
The good part was that I was never hungry.
The not-so-good part was that I seldom felt satisfied.

I wanted access to more carb-oriented food... (sigh) and several years later, here I am on the Forums.
It doesn't "run" in my family; I felt healthy - if a bit tired - so I wasn't scared straight by that. Man, hindsight sure is 20/20.

The irony is, I largely eat a modified Atkins diet now (50-75 grams...mostly veggies) and seldom stray.
I've lost over 40 pounds since May 27th.

A dx of Type 2 can be quite motivational, indeed... :eek:

[Moonglo]

I tried the Atkins diet, and tried South Beach too... honestly, I could not make myself get through the beginning of either program, where, if my memory is correct, you have to basically eat NO carbs at all. I know lots of people here are able to do that and have great success with it... I for one got really cranky and stayed that way the entire time I was trying to eat like that for some reason. Maybe it wasn't the carbs; maybe it was just my mental health state at the time, or maybe I was omitting something else my body needed. Who knows? All I know is I was not able to make myself get through the early stages, so I gave up. In hindsight, maybe I could have just skipped that first week or whatever and gone straight to another level; after all, I'm eating about 75-100 grams of carbs a day right now, and I've lost about 18 pounds. So I know I didn't necessarily have to go to such extreme numbers to get results. Of course, everyone is different... YMMV and such.

[Josselyn]

Yup; the "induction period" can be rough. 20 grams of carb...largely in the form of two small (I do mean small) green salads. It IS a stringent two weeks, BUT if one can do it perfectly, one has accomplished three major things:

Turned a carb burning machine into a fat burning machine
Greatly reduced carb cravings and relentless hunger
Lost a significant amount of fat in regard to the length of time on the program


(Sigh) Hindsight is 20/20.

[SCAPER]

Josselyn,

Yah, I wondered the same thing. I just 'joined the club' a few days ago. But I used to do Atkins 13-15 years go. I did it for 2 years and lost a lot of weight. But the cravings for carbs and sugars eventually overcame and after I had lost the weight I began eating them again, slowly. Well, we all know how that went.....Eventually you're just back to a regular American diet. I did avoid sweets a little more after Atkins. But I didn't worry about carbs in general too much. And look where it got me.

But I don't know what the point of worrying about it now is. It may very well have prevented this.....but then again, it may not have. Who knows?

One thing that would help is if they would get more good low-carb items out in general society. Fast food, grocery stores, restaurants, even desserts. I read recently that 1 in 5 Americans has diabetes? I am not sure if that's true. But dang! How bad does it have to get before we, as a society, decide to start creating more foods and menu items that would help people with or without diabetes be able to eat better???

[enigmalady777]

Add me to the list.

I did a very low carb diet a few years ago as well - under 40 grams a day. I stuck to the diet faithfully for about 6 months. I lost some weight initially, but I got to a point where I was so entirely sick of chicken, eggs, sausage, steaks and green veggies that I would literally get nauseous at the site of them.

I know for a fact that while I wouldn't be a "non-diabetic" on a strict very low carb diet, I would be able to sustain satisfactory blood sugar numbers if I continued to eat less than 40 grams of carbs a day. I did an experiment about a year ago with it. I ate very little carbs for about two weeks. My BG numbers remained pretty decent (nothing over 140 post prandial). The moment I added so much as one piece of bread (whole wheat even!!!) my bg shot up to over 200. I tracked the numbers and my food for that two week period and it was very apparent that my body simply could not handle carbs.

Sure, I could surmise that if I chose to eat a very low carb diet for the rest of my days, I may be able to reduce or eliminate my insulin therapy. But at what price?

The boredom I experienced the last round would certainly catch up with me again, plus I truly do enjoy being able to eat more "normally" now.

Currently I consider myself to be on a "carb controlled" diet. I limit my carb intake to less than 150 grams a day, a level which seems to be working well for me while not being too excessive. I also changed the type of carbs I consume. No white bread, white rice, potatoes, etc. I chose whole grain products as often as I am able and not only do I like them better, they are much easier on my blood sugar.

I know that having metabolic syndrome (I have it - belly fat abound....) means always struggling with the carbs/bg/triglycerides issue. But if I can strike a good balance between not damaging my body and going back to being able to actually enjoy the food I eat, then I will have considered my efforts successful.

[SCAPER]

So how do you control your BG levels then, without going low-carb?

I am experiencing pretty much the same thing since I started testing myself a few days ago. Any kind of carb pretty much makes my BG levels spike.

I am wondering if I should continue this super low carb diet I've started or if I should just control it with medicine. How are you doing it? Meds or insulin shots?

And just a question in general to everyone; what is better? If I can control it with a super-low carb diet and exercise, and lose a lot of weight, is that better than just relying on meds to keep my BG under control? I assume it is.

[Josselyn]

And just a question in general to everyone; what is better? If I can control it with a super-low carb diet and exercise, and lose a lot of weight, is that better than just relying on meds to keep my BG under control? I assume it is.


Yes, it is. For as long as you can sustain it...and it likely doesn't have to be "super" low carb, either.
Because going with "just meds" doesn't really work.

[foxl]

Someone here said met only lowers your blood sugar by ? 6 - 9 %? to give you an idea about what meds-only is like!

Definitely you have to watch carbs -- and it will be up to you to determine by how much.

My MD told me 40 g per meal but I pale to think where that would land me, longterm. I do more like 5 breakfast, 20 - 30 lunch, and 20 -40 dinner. And a small evening snack under 20 My personal goal is < 100 per day, but it typically ends up more like 60 - 80.

[fpittel]

I'm in the same boat with you. I first started Atkins in 2003 and in the spring of 2004 gave into my love of cherries and it was all downhill from there. Five years later I had gained back all the weight I lost plus interest and was diagnosed as type II diabetic. Now I'm back on Atkins wishing I stayed with it in 2004!!

[SCAPER]

You know, I started thinking about this a little this weekend. And I think we're looking at it the wrong way. Instead of blaming ourselves for stopping Atkins years ago, we really should be thankful we ever got on it at all.

I started thinking to myself, "What would it be like -- right now -- if I had never done Atkins?" And the answer is; I'd probably be pretty lost, not knowing what to do about my diabetes except just take the pills or try the insulin. I probably wouldn't be changing my diet so drastically (which is a GOOD thing, that I am). I probably wouldn't really know HOW to do the low-carb thing correctly. I wouldn't know what kinds of awesome recipes there are out there for low-carb. I wouldn't know where any low-carb stores were. I wouldn't have as much faith in low-carb dieting had I not tried it and seen some good success with it, so many years ago.

So I started thinking, "You know what? I am GLAD I did Atkins so many years ago, even if I did eventually give it up. Because even though I was pretty devastated in learning of my diagnosis, the correction (stepping back into a low-carb lifestyle) was very easy for me. It was like going back to the car I drove 10 years ago. No problem. Almost like nothing ever happened. I'm glad I had the experience. I look at it as it was preparation for what I am going through now.

[Josselyn]

Hi Scaper. Thanks for your response.

I wasn't blaming myself, exactly. I was musing over the irony of having had a plan that not only might've kept me D-free, but at a healthy weight as well...all these years...only to end up following it anyway with somewhat less of a payoff.
I find it ironically amusing. :cool:

Kind of like buying into Yahoo...after the goldrush was over. Still a good investment, but likely it'll never have the same payoff as it one might have.

Having said that, I highly agree with you as far as already having the Atkins tools in my arsenal to keep my BG at a reasonable level. At no point was I flailing around about what to do. And I knew enough to question the results of following my dietician's advice regarding carbs.

Yes, it was great preparation for this. I do agree with you. But I do have to wonder if I'd be here now if I'd bitten the bullet then. It was something I'd pondered when I started the thread...and maybe some of the "Pre" diabetics can turn things around as a result of understanding the carb issues with diabetes. I wish I'd really gotten that back then, you know? I was just tryin' to lose weight then.
I never really believed diabetes would happen to me, and so I did little or nothing to prevent it.

[SCAPER]

Oh, I hear ya. I thought the exact same thing. I just prefer not to think about it too much now. Nothing I can do about it. So I prefer just to think about that time as preparation for now, rather then be upset with myself for missing the boat....

[jer.lawrence]

Hi.

I wish I HAD done Atkin's because I didn't (and still really don't) understand all the principals of the low-carb-diet. Sure, I eat low carb now, but am I getting the nutrition I need? I don't have a clue!

Are there any good (not overly expensive) Atkin's references out there? I feel like I already follow what's close to the Atkin's diet (being very similar to Linda, actually -- <15-<30-<30 for a total of under 75g a day).

Anyway, just curious as a sort of newcomer, if I'm missing anything.

[SCAPER]

Well, I would recommend first you start with the original book that started it all. Dr. Atkin's New Diet Revolution (Revised Ed.) That book is just a revision of the 1970s book that started the whole thing. I think Dr. Atkins has some of the best empirical support and evidence and more real life experience to support his diet than most any author on the subject does. He goes through all of the issues with the diet from how many carbs to start out with, how to increase them slowly later and when, supplements, info. on how it affects triglycerides and cholesterol and blood pressure, tons of info. on it's affects on diabetes' patients, etc.

I read that book all the way through the first time I went on the diet. And I recommend you do the same. There is a LOT people miss about low-carb dieting when they just cut out carbs without reading the other info. on the subject.

You can get that book as cheap as $6.00 new or $0.21 used on Amazon here;

Amazon.com: Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, Revised Edition (9781590770023): Robert C. Atkins: Books (http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Atkins-Diet-Revolution-Revised/dp/1590770021/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255468832&sr=1-1)

I also highly recommend the Dr. Atkins Cookbook. Full of AWESOME recipes for all sorts of low-carb things from a terrific pumpkin pie to breads and ice cream. It's a great way to figure out how to get more creative with low-carb foods. And good info. in that book too. That's as cheap as $1.00 new and $0.01 used on Amazon;

Amazon.com: Dr. Atkins' Quick and Easy New Diet Cookbook (9780743462419): Robert C. Atkins: Books (http://www.amazon.com/Atkins-Quick-Easy-Diet-Cookbook/dp/0743462416/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255469364&sr=1-1)

I'd START with those two books. Then go from there. Some people prefer other low-carb diets or books better. So that's fine. But I think it's important to start with the concepts laid out in those books (e.g. induction diet phase) and then alter the diet later if you want closer to other low-carb diets, as long as they don't affect your BG levels.

I am surprised to hear you're eating 75g carbs per day. If I eat just 5 carbs at one sitting my BG spikes. So I am on more like a 10g carb / day diet and that's working great to keep my numbers low. But I know I couldn't get away with 75 at this point. Maybe later when I lose weight and get really fit. But right now I pretty much have to stay in the Atkins Induction phase of the low-carb diet.

[jer.lawrence]

Ordered and Ordered! Thank you.

I started out on maybe 30g or so a day and worked my way up to there. I say I stay below 75g a day but I typically am closer to the 40-50g level or so. I can eat 75 without much of a spike.

I find, also, that it REALLY depends on the KIND of carbs I eat. For instance, I can eat 20g of carbs worth of mashed potatoes and only rise by about 15-20 pts or so. Yet, those Arnold Sandwich Thin things (pretty low carb, not sure the exact number -- less than 20g) spiked my sugar from 100 to over 170! Needless to say, I haven't eaten anymore of those.

I don't see how you eat so few! I'm trying (sort of as an experiment, these 2 books will help) for the next 2ish weeks to eat as low carb as I reasonably can to see if I lose any extra weight (the wife and I are going to Busch Gardens in 2 weeks, so I'm just using that as "incentive"). The lowest I was able to get it today was around maybe 15g or so.

However, the only reading I've seen over 90 today has been fasting -- after I ate, all my readings were under 90, so that's kinda cool.. :P

You can get that book as cheap as $6.00 new or $0.21 used on Amazon here;

Amazon.com: Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, Revised Edition (9781590770023): Robert C. Atkins: Books (http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Atkins-Diet-Revolution-Revised/dp/1590770021/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255468832&sr=1-1)

I also highly recommend the Dr. Atkins Cookbook. Full of AWESOME recipes for all sorts of low-carb things from a terrific pumpkin pie to breads and ice cream. It's a great way to figure out how to get more creative with low-carb foods. And good info. in that book too. That's as cheap as $1.00 new and $0.01 used on Amazon;

Amazon.com: Dr. Atkins' Quick and Easy New Diet Cookbook (9780743462419): Robert C. Atkins: Books (http://www.amazon.com/Atkins-Quick-Easy-Diet-Cookbook/dp/0743462416/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255469364&sr=1-1)

I'd START with those two books. Then go from there. Some people prefer other low-carb diets or books better. So that's fine. But I think it's important to start with the concepts laid out in those books (e.g. induction diet phase) and then alter the diet later if you want closer to other low-carb diets, as long as they don't affect your BG levels.

I am surprised to hear you're eating 75g carbs per day. If I eat just 5 carbs at one sitting my BG spikes. So I am on more like a 10g carb / day diet and that's working great to keep my numbers low. But I know I couldn't get away with 75 at this point. Maybe later when I lose weight and get really fit. But right now I pretty much have to stay in the Atkins Induction phase of the low-carb diet.

[MrsMia]

Hi everyone,

I don't do Atkins. I do the Protein Power low carb lifestyle. I don't think they are as severe as Atkins is. Plus they don't advocate "high protein" but "adequate protein" for your lean body weight. What made me go low carb is that it works. It works very well for my bg numbers. At least so far. And another reason that I do low carbing is because not only does it impact my sugars in a positive way, it also brings other numbers into line. Such as my BP, cholesterol, and trigs. So that is also a huge huge plus for me.

When I was first diagnosed I was told to not exceed 60 carbs per meal. When I saw the endo he told me if I wanted to lose weight then to drop down my carbs to 45 permeal. Well, I was losing weight. But it was so slow that I decided to keep dropping my carbs. Now my carbs are considerably lower than 45 per meal but if I'm really hungry I will up them at the meal that I am hungry at and feel no guilt over it. I've also cut out all flour and potatoes. That really dropped my weight like a rock.

One other thing that I've found out is that not all carbs affect your blood sugars the same. So quantity isn't necessarily the same as quality. Better to pick carbs that shoot up the sugars really high.

I think the most important thing about doing low carb is to lower your carbs gradually and not try to do low carb from the beginning as if you've always done low carbing. It does take your body a bit of time to adapt to the low carb lifestyle.

God bless us all on this journey.:)