"Doing Atkins" and then taking the weekends off. How common is this?

[Rosetta]

I'm around a lot of people who "do Atkins" but either they never read the book or they just prefer to bend the rules. They haven't lost much weight, or if they did, they didn't keep it off, of course. They tend to question whether I've really lost all my weight on Atkins. I have been asked about what I am "actually doing" and if I am on diet pills or simply not eating. I would never take a diet pill, I think that's so dangerous. What I love about Atkins is that I finally stopped starving myself and lost weight!

I'm shocked that people are eating bread and pasta while "on induction" because it's the weekend! I have no problem with them doing whatever they want, it's up to them. What bothers me is that they act like I'm a freak for doing it by the book.

Unfortunately, being the one in my circle who did it by the book and got results, has not made me their role model, they are just annoyed by my results. I am constantly being told that I "don't eat" when I turn down dessert, even after a big meal!

Most of the time they are very unhelpful to me in my WOE. Of all the people I know, they are the least helpful, which I think is sad. I think they would be surprised if I told them they aren't on Atkins at all, and that they actually hinder me. I wonder if this is pretty typical for so many people to say they are on it and then not even try to follow DANDR? Do most of you know people like this who say are "on Atkins" and then make a completely mockery of it, because I shudder to think what a bad name they are giving it when it really DOES work! I just had to vent today....it was a rough weekend.

[jezzie]

The question really is .....
how many take weekends off, reached goal, and then stayed there more than two years?

That being said the most successful (only successful) Atkins follower I know in real life
didn't follow the rules exactly. In '92 - '93 he took off 200 pounds (and is still maintaining).
He didn't eat any vegetables during weight loss. His mantra was: Meat I can eat; Plant I can't.



But in '92 there was more emphasis on protein. ..... Now it's more about fat.


.

[Tooter]

Oh, I remember (years ago) people telling me they are doing "Atkins". They were eating KFC chicken and Long John Silvers battered fish!! LMAO

It's obvious they never read the book, nor have the "concept" of what Low carb is and the wonderful Health benefits of eating this way. To them, it's a "quick fix" to lose weight, without any regards to their health. A Fad. They don't want to learn more, they don't want to learn WHY, they just want the scales to move and "have their cake and eat it too".

Of coarse they are annoyed with you. You have made it a "way of eating" as opposed to their "Fad".

I have found "Atkins" to be used in Generic terms all the time, that has hardly anything to do with the "Atkins Plan".


I know it bugs you. Just keep plugging away... Maybe one day they will realize or truly want to find out the facts. They will know who to talk to then. Your weight and your health will speak to them (and probley is now, that's why you annoy them...They don't want to face the truth..Yet).

[danielsgirl]

I worked with a girl a few years back who "did atkins" monday - saturday. but on sunday she would eat anything she wanted as long as she could get it on one plate.. (not piled up on the plate but just on the plate) she was not a "big girl" she was about a size 12 or 10 and kept saying "oh i've lost tons of weight, oh i just keep losing everyday" but for the 9 months I saw her do this she didnt lose more than 5 lbs. she still wore her same clothes. on her "free day" she would do one junk-food plate and put snickers, krispy kreme, ice cream sandwiches, chips, on the other she would do a "bread and rice plate" pasta, bagles, rice, bread. ect. So all week she ate low carb but on that one day a week she would eat plate after plate of only high carb items.

[JerseyGirl1969]

as common as failure ; )

[Tuscanytrace]

My DH does this. He eats on plan at home, but eats what he wants at work or when I'm not with him. He's not read the book, doesn't understand it, and doesn't want to. I told him at one point that if that's what he was going to do, then I wouldn't waste money buying him expensive meat when he wasn't going to get the results anyhow--I'd just buy pasta and potatoes for him.

He kept ballooning up, especially this year, when he was really "cheating" all the time and lying to himself about it. This Saturday, though, was his company picnic. There was a soccer game, and instead of being goalie like he'd been told, he was in the field the WHOLE time! He came home exhausted and sore and much more realistic about what kind of shape he's in. The next day he started trying to REALLY do Atkins with me. He took some nice, induction-friendly leftovers to work with him today. He got the Mixed Grill at Olive Garden yesterday (major family birthday party).

[CarolynF]

In Dr. A's book, he mentions if someone has some "ketchup" on Monday..it might take until
Thursday to get back into ketosis.

A 5 day "on" 2 day "off" plan doesn't really work for most people because it "flies in the face" of how LCing works.

Now, if the people eat very low calories each day..on and off, they might lose because of the calorie deficit, but they won't have the metabolic advantage.

[VGrace]

My mom and brother in law had one day off a week while they did LC,they lost tons of weight then it went into a down ward spiral and they gained it all back plus some!

[fawn]

consistency works with most things in life.

[roamer723]

whuddevuh. people got a problem widchoo? fuhgettabout em, they ain't ya friends anyways. when yoos is nice'n skinny an deys still livin lairge, then you be havin da last laff.

[pooticus]

Yeah I personally don't understand how people do it. Nor do I understand about carb cycling and if it really works. I think it is prolly a YMMV thing and if you are one of the unlucky ones with diabetes...I would think it would seriously jack with your blood sugars.

[mztags90]

I did it through out my weightloss, not weekends, just one day every now and again. It really didn't hinder me, but it did make the cravings alot worse. When I finally decided not to have the darn carb hangovers....I started making better decisions. Stick with it, I've lost 80lbs. you can do it too.!Good Luck!

[JerseyGirl1969]

Rather than cheat, find l/c substitutes. The cravings will be managed and won't take over.

[LoraJR72]

I wish I was more strict during the weekends!! GRRR!

I think I don't eat enough during the week because I'm too busy.

[mark0x]

I do it - I'm not actually doing Atkins though. I'm doing the "Anabolic Solution" by Dr. Di Pasquale which involves a weekend refeed/carb up once you are properly into it.. sometimes I skip it though if I think I have enough "juice" to last me another week

If you're motivated by the scale moving though then this would make you go insane as the carb ups obviously cause replenishment of glycogen and water and therefore a few pounds up post weekend

I might add that if I weren't doing resistance training (i.e. weight lifting) 4/5 days a week, I'd probably stay perma-low carb

[mom2fourboyz]

I just wish that if thats the way people are eating they don't claim to doing "Atkins"...it gives Atkins a bad name and then when "their" way does not work people are quick to say, "I think Atkins is bad or doesn't work ...BLAH BLAH BLAH."

[jijane21]

I never say I'm doing Atkins, I just say I eat low carb. I have consistently done the same lc diet 3 separate occasions and have lost around 40lbs each time, only gaining weight because I went off diet for pregnancy. The previous 3 times I had one "cheat" meal a week, almost always on Sat or Sun but I was exercising 4-5 days a week for at least 1 1/2 hours per session usually 2 hours. Most of my exercise what walking outside (I lived in Hawaii so I could do this year round!!!) As of now I am the lowest weight I've been since before I got married in 2000. I don't have a cheat meal every weekend anymore and only because I'm not exercising (sprained my ankle a couple days ago) but when I'm back to my workouts I will def let myself cheat again. It keeps me going and on the diet and doesn't kick me out of ketosis.

Everyone goes about the way they want to eat, live or whatever in a different way and you shouldn't be treated badly because of what you choose in your life whatever it may be.

[Bejeweled]

If I ate whatever I wanted every weekend, I would probably still be 200lbs.

[Rosetta]

Thanks everyone! I agree that not saying it's Atkins when it isn't would be the fair thing. They are more & more overweight, so at some point they should look at how it's not working to cheat all the time. They aren't doing LC of any kind, it's just something they like to say. It's ridiculous that they are accusing me of not eating, when I am the one actually following DANDR.

I'm really glad I have this site for LC support because the real life support is not there. Thanks for all the understanding, it really helps on a day like today!

[elyseelyse]

I need to have some of what I want a couple days a week. I did say some, cause anymore would be a disaster for me. I find it a lot easier being on track and strict with LC eating when I get a couple non lc things I crave sometimes. I try not to think of me as a bad person when I eat something not optimal. I think it was AllieCat who pointed out....its just food, and I am not good or bad for the decisions I made. That type of thinking has helped me a ton. It lets me do the healthy thing and also lets me indulge. If I was to always make myself feel guilty when craving or giving into something, then I would be a wreck. I am doing this for life.....what I was doing before, was not for life....it was for an early death. I feel pretty confident I am personally on the right track. But this is so so so personal....you need to find what works for you and causes you to have a "for life" attitude. I honestly feel confident I have found mine.

I know honestly how I messed up and put on a ton of weight....not caring. I will never go back to just eating and eating without any regard for choices, moderation or natural hunger. I care and I will continue to care....that is what will help me keep myself in check both with selections and quantities.

[camcam]

Last time I fell off the wagon - I told myself I would go off Atkins on Saturday's only. That worked - for me - for a time. Then I would start my Saturdays on Friday nights. That was ok. Didn't work as well. Needless to say, it eventually turned into Friday, Saturday and Sunday - and boy was it hard to go back to eating well every freaking Monday. So I stopped. Stopped Atkins and gained 30 pounds!

There are no more free days for me.

[Shell28]

I actually have the most problems staying on plan during the weekend. I think it is because I have too much time on my hands. I don't think that I could lose weight if I binged on the weekend.

[flatferenghi]

does not make you a captain. eating off plan on weekends is not doing ATKINS. Who says so? Dr. Atkins that's who. Everyone has to find their own way. Love & Profits: FLATFERENGHI(loving my eggsalad on celery sticks & waiting for my ATKINS SHAKE to partially thaw).

[BrookJay]

Originally Posted by JerseyGirl1969

as common as failure ; )

[Thin4me]

Having "off weekends" caused my to gain back up to my highest weight ever after losing 50+ pounds a few years back. I CANNOT let myself have an inch...I will GAIN a mile (on my butt!)LOL

This HAS got to be a WOE for life for me or I will be "livin' large..."

[afuentes]

I don't know anyone on low carb (any plan for that matter) that I work with or live with or even hang out with in my world. I wish I just knew someone besides the wonderful people on this site.

But it sounds like they are envious of your results and don't want to believe you are truly doing it by the book which is sad for them. Keep being a good example for them and hopefully some will turn around.

I don't believe that "going off on the weekends" is smart. Some people, who are at goal, do this and it works for them. To each his or her own.

[WendyK1974]

Oh well. They got out what they put in. Ya know?

[afuentes]

Originally Posted by CarolynF

In Dr. A's book, he mentions if someone has some "ketchup" on Monday..it might take until
Thursday to get back into ketosis.

A 5 day "on" 2 day "off" plan doesn't really work for most people because it "flies in the face" of how LCing works.

Now, if the people eat very low calories each day..on and off, they might lose because of the calorie deficit, but they won't have the metabolic advantage.

This is what I have always thought and read as well. You can have a free day easily when counting calories but when you're doing low carb, it doesn't work the same way.

[Mindy]

Take the book with you, and the next time they are incredulous that you are doing it by the book - or that they are not, give it to them and tell them to read it...

[kelley693]

Since hubby is doing with me its been easier. Although my bank account is feeling the strain. I have decided that if I plateau, then I will have a cheat day. I have heard on alot of plans that it will kick start the plan.