Atkins Was A Disaster For Me!

by Jo
(United Kingdom)

My husband and I decided to try the Atkins diet as we both needed to lose some weight and we were looking for something easy as we both have busy jobs. We soon found that this wasn't the diet for us.

We bought the book and read through it and thought it sounded quite easy. As a bonus it was full of all the things we liked to eat.

The week started well with plenty of bacon for breakfast and cream instead of milk. What could go wrong?

Neither of us was hungry at all and we managed to find plenty to eat. The food was nice at first and we actually felt a bit guilty.

We were eating all the foods that a typical diet tells you not to eat. We ate lots of red meat and cream.

However, after a week we both started to crave some variety and I found that I was quite constipated and was suffering a lot of lower back pain.

We were both feeling bloated and lethargic, and it was after a week that we decided that this diet wasn't for us.

We did lose weight though, and quite quickly. Within the space of the week I had lost four pounds and my husband did even better and lost five pounds.

This could have just been due to the fact that towards the end of the week we weren't really feeling like eating.

However, the fact that we both felt so bad so quickly made us decide that it wasn't the diet for us. I wouldn't recommend the Atkins diet to anyone else either.

Jo

Note from Dr. Dan

Jo,

I'm not surprised that you were feeling lethargic. Your body uses carbohydrates for energy, and if you restrict carbohydrates you won't have the energy you need for physical activity.

Now, this isn't just "mental energy" or feeling tired or down. This is actual physical energy, the stuff you use to lift and bend and run.

As an example, Kris Clark, PhD, the director of sports nutrition at Penn State University, recommends 50% of calories as carbohydrate for athletes who are training intensively.

Why so much carbohydrates? Because carbohydrates are the primary energy source your body uses when you are working out.

Dr. Dan