Survey for those on Atkins more than 1 year

January 15, 2001

I thought it would be interesting to learn a little about

>Atkins in the long-term, so that those starting out can get a better feel

>of

>it. I've put together some questions to try and capture the information.

>Feel free to make your answer as long as is needed - sometimes detail is

>necessary

>

>Thanks for anybody that does this!

>

>Kirstie

>

>HOW MUCH DID YOU LOSE IN THE FIRST YEAR?: 40 lbs

>HOW MUCH HAVE YOU LOST SINCE (give time range)?: Just had one year

>anniversary

>HOW MUCH DO YOU STILL HAVE TO LOSE?:60 lbs

>HOW MANY CARBS A DAY DO YOU EAT (on average)?:20-30

>DO YOU EXERCISE?:Sometimes

>HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU DRINK? 80-100 oz per day

>DO YOU CHEAT (if so, how often)?:Unfortunately tooo often....lately about

>once a week!

>WHAT SUPPLEMENTS DO YOU TAKE? Essential Oil, Atkins Basic, Calcium, Hair

>Force, WHAT HEALTH BENEFITS HAVE YOU FOUND?:More energy!

>ANY THING ELSE YOU WANT TO SHARE: Never start to cheat..once you do it is

>awful trying to get back on track!!!!!!!!!

Sue

_________________________________________________________________

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January 15, 2001

I thought it would be interesting to learn a little about

>Atkins in the long-term, so that those starting out can get a better feel

>of

>it. I've put together some questions to try and capture the information.

>Feel free to make your answer as long as is needed - sometimes detail is

>necessary

>

>Thanks for anybody that does this!

>

>Kirstie

>

>HOW MUCH DID YOU LOSE IN THE FIRST YEAR?: 40 lbs

>HOW MUCH HAVE YOU LOST SINCE (give time range)?: Just had one year

>anniversary

>HOW MUCH DO YOU STILL HAVE TO LOSE?:60 lbs

>HOW MANY CARBS A DAY DO YOU EAT (on average)?:20-30

>DO YOU EXERCISE?:Sometimes

>HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU DRINK? 80-100 oz per day

>DO YOU CHEAT (if so, how often)?:Unfortunately tooo often....lately about

>once a week!

>WHAT SUPPLEMENTS DO YOU TAKE? Essential Oil, Atkins Basic, Calcium, Hair

>Force, WHAT HEALTH BENEFITS HAVE YOU FOUND?:More energy!

>ANY THING ELSE YOU WANT TO SHARE: Never start to cheat..once you do it is

>awful trying to get back on track!!!!!!!!!

Sue

_________________________________________________________________

Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

January 15, 2001

I thought it would be interesting to learn a little about

>Atkins in the long-term, so that those starting out can get a better feel

>of

>it. I've put together some questions to try and capture the information.

>Feel free to make your answer as long as is needed - sometimes detail is

>necessary

>

>Thanks for anybody that does this!

>

>Kirstie

>

>HOW MUCH DID YOU LOSE IN THE FIRST YEAR?: 40 lbs

>HOW MUCH HAVE YOU LOST SINCE (give time range)?: Just had one year

>anniversary

>HOW MUCH DO YOU STILL HAVE TO LOSE?:60 lbs

>HOW MANY CARBS A DAY DO YOU EAT (on average)?:20-30

>DO YOU EXERCISE?:Sometimes

>HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU DRINK? 80-100 oz per day

>DO YOU CHEAT (if so, how often)?:Unfortunately tooo often....lately about

>once a week!

>WHAT SUPPLEMENTS DO YOU TAKE? Essential Oil, Atkins Basic, Calcium, Hair

>Force, WHAT HEALTH BENEFITS HAVE YOU FOUND?:More energy!

>ANY THING ELSE YOU WANT TO SHARE: Never start to cheat..once you do it is

>awful trying to get back on track!!!!!!!!!

Sue

_________________________________________________________________

Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

January 15, 2001

HOW MUCH DID YOU LOSE IN THE FIRST YEAR?: 28 (was at 33.5, but had a bounce)

HOW MUCH HAVE YOU LOST SINCE (give time range)?: gained 4 more! (in the

next 4 months, I had managed to gain back all but 13 pounds, but I've since

gotten my head back on straight and have lost 11 of the pounds I gained

back. So I'm now 24 pounds less than when I started in August /99.

August 99: 248

Jan 1/00: 228

mid-July/00: 214.5

August 00: 220

mid-December/00: 235

Jan 1/01: 231

Jan 15/01: 224

HOW MUCH DO YOU STILL HAVE TO LOSE?: 74 more pounds!

HOW MANY CARBS A DAY DO YOU EAT (on average)?: I can eat up to 40 per day

and keep losing, I generally eat 30-40 a day when I am being good.

DO YOU EXERCISE?: I don't do any formal exercise, but I now park 6 blocks

from my building and try to do something active (make my heart beat faster)

5 times a week.

HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU DRINK?: I drink 100+ oz. when I'm being good. Tea is

my big downfall, so I've recently learnt that putting off that first cup of

tea until I've drinken 1/2 my water for the day helps me meet my water

goals.

DO YOU CHEAT (if so, how often)?: I didn't cheat until October of 2000. I

was suffering scale bounces due to food intolerances, but not carbs! My

downwards spiral started with one cheat. I soon found more and more reasons

why I should have a 'treat' - my hubby stopping low carb also had a big

influence on this - no longer did I have somebody by my side resisting

temptation - he was now across the table chowing down on it! I've learnt

that I can't cheat. So I won't now - my food indulgences will be low-carb

(shrimp, brie, etc.) and within my daily limit!

WHAT SUPPLEMENTS DO YOU TAKE? I try to take a multi-vitamin a day - but I

eat TONS of veggies too!

WHAT HEALTH BENEFITS HAVE YOU FOUND?: I don't have heartburn anymore. I

used to have it daily.

ANY THING ELSE YOU WANT TO SHARE: I have food intolerances. I periodically

do an elimination diet and am increasing my 'safe food' list. I've found

that soy is my big problem - and soy lurks everywhere! Soy doesn't have to

be explicity declared on a label - if it says vegetable oil, vegetable

protein, natural flavour - it could be soy! If I encounter an intolerance

food, my gut gets rock hard and bloated and the scales go up 2-4 pounds.

When I eat solely from my safe foods list, the scales either stay the same

or show a loss.

Atkins really has to be tweaked for the indvidual. If you are losing

slowly, take the time to go through some of the known trouble areas and see

if they are a concern for you or not. Don't just deprive yourself of

something because you've heard it causes problems. MOST people can eat MOST

things.

Kirstie

January 15, 2001

HOW MUCH DID YOU LOSE IN THE FIRST YEAR?: 28 (was at 33.5, but had a bounce)

HOW MUCH HAVE YOU LOST SINCE (give time range)?: gained 4 more! (in the

next 4 months, I had managed to gain back all but 13 pounds, but I've since

gotten my head back on straight and have lost 11 of the pounds I gained

back. So I'm now 24 pounds less than when I started in August /99.

August 99: 248

Jan 1/00: 228

mid-July/00: 214.5

August 00: 220

mid-December/00: 235

Jan 1/01: 231

Jan 15/01: 224

HOW MUCH DO YOU STILL HAVE TO LOSE?: 74 more pounds!

HOW MANY CARBS A DAY DO YOU EAT (on average)?: I can eat up to 40 per day

and keep losing, I generally eat 30-40 a day when I am being good.

DO YOU EXERCISE?: I don't do any formal exercise, but I now park 6 blocks

from my building and try to do something active (make my heart beat faster)

5 times a week.

HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU DRINK?: I drink 100+ oz. when I'm being good. Tea is

my big downfall, so I've recently learnt that putting off that first cup of

tea until I've drinken 1/2 my water for the day helps me meet my water

goals.

DO YOU CHEAT (if so, how often)?: I didn't cheat until October of 2000. I

was suffering scale bounces due to food intolerances, but not carbs! My

downwards spiral started with one cheat. I soon found more and more reasons

why I should have a 'treat' - my hubby stopping low carb also had a big

influence on this - no longer did I have somebody by my side resisting

temptation - he was now across the table chowing down on it! I've learnt

that I can't cheat. So I won't now - my food indulgences will be low-carb

(shrimp, brie, etc.) and within my daily limit!

WHAT SUPPLEMENTS DO YOU TAKE? I try to take a multi-vitamin a day - but I

eat TONS of veggies too!

WHAT HEALTH BENEFITS HAVE YOU FOUND?: I don't have heartburn anymore. I

used to have it daily.

ANY THING ELSE YOU WANT TO SHARE: I have food intolerances. I periodically

do an elimination diet and am increasing my 'safe food' list. I've found

that soy is my big problem - and soy lurks everywhere! Soy doesn't have to

be explicity declared on a label - if it says vegetable oil, vegetable

protein, natural flavour - it could be soy! If I encounter an intolerance

food, my gut gets rock hard and bloated and the scales go up 2-4 pounds.

When I eat solely from my safe foods list, the scales either stay the same

or show a loss.

Atkins really has to be tweaked for the indvidual. If you are losing

slowly, take the time to go through some of the known trouble areas and see

if they are a concern for you or not. Don't just deprive yourself of

something because you've heard it causes problems. MOST people can eat MOST

things.

Kirstie

January 15, 2001

> HOW MUCH DID YOU LOSE IN THE FIRST YEAR?:45 lbs

> HOW MUCH HAVE YOU LOST SINCE (give time range)?: 4 lbs for a total of

49 lbs but gained and lost many

times in the 6 months since my 1 yr anniv =-(

> HOW MUCH DO YOU STILL HAVE TO LOSE?: 20-30 lbs not sure at this point

> HOW MANY CARBS A DAY DO YOU EAT (on average)?: I try to stay at about

25 or less but I am the queen

of cheats. I have a very hard time staying on track =-(

> DO YOU EXERCISE?: no

> HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU DRINK? when I started Atkins- none! about 5

months into this WOE I

started drinking water and have my worked my way up to at

least 80ozs a day.

> DO YOU CHEAT (if so, how often)?: yes=-{ Every few days. I didn't

use to cheat at all. That first cheat

is not worth it. It just leads to more. I think you will

find that all old-timers are saying this.

> WHAT SUPPLEMENTS DO YOU TAKE? Atkins basic 3, calcium, magnesium,

zinc, msm, potassium

> WHAT HEALTH BENEFITS HAVE YOU FOUND?: no heartburn, less or no knee

and ankle pain, cholesterol

under 200 for the 1st time in years, I can breathe when I

button my pants or tie my shoes, a lot fewer

migraines, just all around better health and I'm 49lbs

lighter!

> ANY THING ELSE YOU WANT TO SHARE: DO NOT CHEAT. I can't stress that

enough.

I could handle the cheats in the beginning. I would

cheat maybe once a month and

I had no problems with cravings or weight gain. Then the

cheats got to be more often.

Since I wasn't gaining weight with my cheats, I figured

it wouldn't hurt to cheat more often

and eventually I got to the point where 1 bite sets off 1

week, 1 month, or lately, 2 1/2 months

of cheating. It isn't worth it. And more often than

not, you will find that the cheat didn't tasted as

good as you anticipated, or at least I did.

Robin B

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January 15, 2001

HOW MUCH DID YOU LOSE IN THE FIRST YEAR?: 50 pounds

HOW MUCH HAVE YOU LOST SINCE (give time range)?: Over the second year on

Atkins I lost another 5 pounds and met my original goal of 135 for about six

non-consecutive days. Then I dropped my goal to 130, but have since changed

it back to 135 as I only wanted 130 so that when I gained that 5 pounds over

goal I would really only be up to my original goal. As I always thought of

135 as my true goal, I put it back at 135. I was at 134.5 on Thanksgiving

morning, but after a " vacation " from Atkins during December and a trip to DC

with someone who was unwilling to cooperate with eating at restaurants that

were more LC friendly, I am up to 144.5.

HOW MUCH DO YOU STILL HAVE TO LOSE?: 9.5 pounds

HOW MANY CARBS A DAY DO YOU EAT (on average)?: Way too many lately! I can

probably eat up to 70 and still lose slowly. If I go over 100 I start to

gain.

DO YOU EXERCISE?: rarely

HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU DRINK? 40-72 ounces a day. Lots of liquid, but not

enough of it is water.

DO YOU CHEAT (if so, how often)?: December was a nightmare. Other than

that I might have something I shouldn't once during the work week and maybe

twice on weekends. (Naughty, naughty, bad girl, bad...)

WHAT SUPPLEMENTS DO YOU TAKE? I regularly take 1 potassium supplement, one

zinc supplement, one strong multivitamin, and one L-carnitine. It seems

like I lose better when taking L-carnitine, but I couldn't prove it.

WHAT HEALTH BENEFITS HAVE YOU FOUND?: The best benefit is freedom from gas

and heartburn when I eat LC. That alone should keep me legal. I also find

that my mood is significantly improved when I keep carb levels very low, my

energy seems to be higher and my lipid profile has improved with every blood

workup I have had done. Also, my mind is sharper, but that can depend on

how much aspartame I am drinking in my diet soda as well.

ANY THING ELSE YOU WANT TO SHARE: Jello and whipped cream are fine, but

avoid the legal treats trap of LC brownies, cakes, cookies etc. for as long

as possible. Once you take that step it is a short step to if one of these

didn't hurt me, why not eat two, then three, then I can probably get away

with this or that non-legal treat. When it happens and you start to fall

off you have got to live by the 5 pound rule. I let myself get to 10 pounds

over my lowest weight and boy is it hard to get back on track. I maintained

for one year with the 5 pound rule, but lately...

Jean

190/144.5/135

January 15, 2001

This was a nice idea, Kirstie!

> HOW MUCH DID YOU LOSE IN THE FIRST YEAR?: 56 lbs (I had a previous loss of

about 17 lbs prior to Atkins, so my total loss on my anniversary was 72.5 lbs)

> HOW MUCH HAVE YOU LOST SINCE (give time range)?: 3.5 lbs (3 weeks)

> HOW MUCH DO YOU STILL HAVE TO LOSE?: 34

> HOW MANY CARBS A DAY DO YOU EAT (on average)?: 20 or fewer

> DO YOU EXERCISE?: yes, lately 5x a week

> HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU DRINK? at least 20 oz, sometimes up to 100+

> DO YOU CHEAT (if so, how often)?: Never on illegal stuff (not since last

February, anyway)

> WHAT SUPPLEMENTS DO YOU TAKE? a multi (Centrum), plus extra E (400 iu) and C

(1000mg), flax oil (2000 mg), biotin (1800 mcg), potassium (99mg), psyllium husk

(3 capsules), L Carnitine (1500 mg), sometimes Atkins Dieter's Advantage (but

not lately)

> WHAT HEALTH BENEFITS HAVE YOU FOUND?: lowered blood sugar, increased endurance

during exercise

> ANY THING ELSE YOU WANT TO SHARE: I've just made up my mind not to have

illegal foods, there will be plenty of time to experiment once I reach goal, but

not now, I won't risk losing control

January 15, 2001

> HOW MUCH DID YOU LOSE IN THE FIRST YEAR?: 8 pounds

>

> HOW MUCH HAVE YOU LOST SINCE (give time range)?: Actually, I got

piggy and lax and have gained back the 8 and 3 more, augh! I

started at 128 originally, and was 131 at the beginning of this year.

> HOW MUCH DO YOU STILL HAVE TO LOSE?: I'm 128 now, want to be 115.

>

> HOW MANY CARBS A DAY DO YOU EAT 30-40>

> DO YOU EXERCISE?: rarely

>

> HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU DRINK? Lots, probable around 150 oz. I

looooove water, always have.>

> DO YOU CHEAT (if so, how often)?: Well, I've certainly had my

moments, I've never actually given up Atkins, but I've been very very

bad. I am now committed, no more cheating!>

> WHAT SUPPLEMENTS DO YOU TAKE? I take so many supplements it will

scare you. Multi, extra C (600o mg), E (400), cal/mag/zinc/B

complex, memory forumula, flax oil (1T), black current oil, MSM,

chrondrointen/glucosamine, L-Arginine (1500 mg), sleep formula,

melantonin (3 mg), acidophilus, alpha-linonic acid, these are all the

regular ones. As needed: immune formula, L-glutamine, valerian,

kava. I've ordered and will be adding L-carnitine & oregano oil.

Dr. recommends adding grapeseed.

> WHAT HEALTH BENEFITS HAVE YOU FOUND?: This is the real reason I've

stuck w/ this. Truthfully, I have not been motivated to lose all the

weight I want to, but I am motivated by health concerns. I have

fibromyalgia, IBS and hypoglocemia, all these conditions are kept

very much under control if I stick w/ the plan. Symptoms that are

alleviated or reduced significantly are muscle pain, sleeplessness,

fatigue, headaches, gastro-intestinal distress, mental sharpness.

Also, my lipid profile had improved some, but lately it is worse

after lots of cheating. I'll have to have it drawn again in a few

months.>

> ANY THING ELSE YOU WANT TO SHARE: My dr. says that eating low carb

is the best thing I have done for myself, and follows a lc plan

himself and is in great shape and still practicing full time at 75.>

>

Beth in TX

January 15, 2001