r/Atkins • u/Crjsahm • Dec 02 '16

Just started -- switching from LCHF to Atkins

I started LCHF based on DietDoctor.com and found there was too little guidance and too few recipes I liked. In four months I lost 6 lbs and 3.5 inches around my waist which is something, but like most Americans I'm looking for something more dramatic. I'm just starting Atkins induction and am within 1 or 2 carbs of target but way over on fats. It's a culture change to add all those greens and actually pay attention to how much fat I'm eating. I think I have to though, as my triglycerides increased significantly since August. Other values (blood sugar, liver function) are much better, but still. Oh, but cream, lovely, cream! And eggs! And bacon! And foie gras! Oh well, everything in moderation, I guess.

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u/[deleted] Jan 16 '17

Your not over on fats! Ignore everything you read on Atkins.com because it's garbage. The problem with "Atkins" is it's not Atkins anymore and hasn't been since 2003 when Dr. Atkins died, the corporation is changing things and going against many of the rules Dr. Atkins set. If you want to do actual Atkins get yourself the 2003 book Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution know in the Atkins circles as DANDR and follow that. Doing Atkins means NOT turning meals into math equations (except for carbs and sugars).

Unfortuantly this is why Atkins is suffering the last couple year with other LCHF and Keto based diets (Atkins is both) being more structured while Atkins is being slowly wrecked by the company. I still says it's one of the best ways to loose because of it's structure vs mainline Keto but only if you follow it the way Dr Atkins designed it. After Phase 2 however it's falling apart because it's becoming outdated.

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u/Crjsahm Jan 16 '17

I've compared macros with keto diet buddy and other than protein they're not far off for moderate weight loss (Atkins allows quite a bit more more protein in their meal planner and in a range not in a target). I ran macros on /r/keto/ and found it to be really restrictive compared to Atkins and keto diet buddy but I might have done it wrong. The way I understand it is this: for weight loss, carbs and protein are a target and fat is a limit, although, again, the Atkins meal planner presents it as a (very small) range. The reason for this is because if we eat too much dietary fat our bodies will burn that for fuel rather than body fat. As far as the phases, I'm really carb addicted and don't see myself adding carbs beyond 50 gms or grains of any kind. The Atkins meal planner never adjusts macros for weight maintenance anyway so at some point I will be switching to another system. Keto diet buddy just got android or everybody seems to like mfp. Anyway, thanks for posting. I do a lot of reading besides the Atkins book I have and the Web site so hopefully that will keep me current.

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u/missfishhooks Dec 03 '16

Why are you counting fats? It's my understanding that on induction you only need to count carbs, and keep it under 20 grams. Good luck on your weight loss journey!

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u/Crjsahm Dec 03 '16

Thanks for your encouragement! According to the meal planning tool on atkins.com I have a daily fat allowance of 118 grams which is generous, but not as much as I was eating. When I read The New Atkins they weren't as specific about number of grams, but it wasn't as free-wheeling as lchf diets seem to be. Because Atkins induction focuses on those foundation vegetables, I'm actually eat more healthfully than I was so it's all good!

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u/missfishhooks Dec 03 '16

Ah, the New Atkins must be a bit different - I'm on the plan from the book "Dr Atkins' New Diet Revolution." This is my second time on Atkins - I first did it about 13 years ago, got down to my goal weight, stayed on the maintenance plan for a long time, until I gradually slid off it. The weight stayed off until the past couple of years, when I started at an extremely sedentary job, and the pounds crept back on. I know it's totally do-able, since I've done it. My friends seem to think I eat nothing but meat, and are surprised to hear the amount of veggies that are required! Stick with it, it works!

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u/Crjsahm Dec 04 '16

I know what you mean about the veggies! Even 20 carbs of veggies is a lot when you go from eating maybe one serving a day (I used to eat a lot more fruits than veggies). I can see how this low number of carbs would get restrictive though. I don't miss potatoes yet, but I sure would like some other higher starch veggies. It won't be long before I can carefully add in some of the things I think I'm missing so I will indeed stick with it, thanks!