Calling all Atkins' experts!

[Polednikova]

Does this sound like anyone's experience? And have you any advice? I lost two stones on Atkins about five years ago. All was well until 18 months ago when we moved to Prague, where beer is drunk by everyone, including us girls, and I put about 20lbs back on. Just after Christmas, I had a successful couple of weeks on Atkins and lost half a stone very easily. Unfortunately, I didn't persevere and have had a spring and summer of watching ice hockey and football, and drinking lots of the lovely beer, with the inevitable result. Never mind, I thought, get the sport and the holidays out of the way, then I'll get a grip and go back on Atkins. Which I did, two weeks ago. Unfortunately, and annoyingly, it isn't working, and even though I haven't touched a single beer and have also been to the gym six times in those two weeks, all I've lost is a miserable two pounds. I've just been eating a breakfast omelette with a bit of cheese and some variation on grilled meat � chicken, beef or pork, with salad, for lunch and dinner. As far as I know the only thing I've been eating this time that I didn't eat last time, are tomatoes, cut up with cucumber and onion as a salad. In the first week, I was drinking Nescafe's instant expresso, until I saw on the label that it has been improved with 'crema' whatever that is, but I changed to ordinary decaff just in case. Are tomatoes ok, or is it that my body, having been caught unawares after Christmas, has learned the trick and won't let me get away with it again?!

Any ideas, anyone?

[Velvetee]

Hi Poledinkova, Does regular healthy eating and exercise not help? Are you only able to lose weight on Atkins?

This is the problem with Atkins, because you are dropping carb intake, you are drastically reducing your calorie intake, as I'm sure you know, Carbs tend to be quite high in calories, so naturally, when you start eating normally again, the weight will pile back on.

You say you lost 2 pounds in two weeks, well 1-2 pounds per week is a healthy amount to lose, the slower the weight comes off, the more likely it will be to stay off longer.

[Polednikova]

Thanks for that, Velvetee. Before I lost the two stones, 'ordinary' dieting had never worked. I was very sceptical because I had always believed that you lost weight because you ate fewer calories than you used up.

But Atkins really did work, like magic! And it couldn't be because I ate fewer calories because I ate lots of meat - easy for a butcher's daughter - and cooked with butter. And I did keep the weight off, even though I went back to eating pasta, which I love and which is why I couldn't manage the Atkins' maintenance diet. It was only the lovely Prague beer that put the weight back on.

As you say, 2lbs is better than nothing and at least I've lost something but I've used up an awful lots of calories in the gym, not to mention the savings on beer, for 2lbs in a fortnight!

[blade1834]

tomatoes are not to be eaten on a atkins diet they are a fruit
Also i read somewhere that the atkins diet stops working if you keep going back to it after putting on weight

[Polednikova]

I'll carry on without the tomatoes and see what happens. But the other theory also sounds possible. It was five years since I first lost weight on Atkins but perhaps the couple of successful weeks after Christmas have now messed it up for me for another five years!