Hello Everyone!

I go in for my consult tommorrow. I have had great success in the past with Atkins and because I have had gestational diabetes in all three of my pregnancies and have a family history of diabetes, I know that a low carb diet is best for me.

Are there any bandsters out here on Atkins or simply low carbing? I noticed many people discussing calories and cups and I just can't understand any of that. On Atkins we are taught not to worry so much about the calories or the amounts (non carb). The portion conytrol kicked in with keytosis and I did fine but for 7 years now I have been pregnant and/or nursing and find it difficult to low carb without being in ketosis.

i am hooping that afdter being banded the portion control will not be a problem, but what about the cravings for high carn indulgences?

I did Adkins in the past with some success, but I look back now and wonder how the heck I did it. I do Southbeach if anything now. I try to keep my calories around 1200, my carbs at 30% of that. It is hard for me nowdays to keep it down to the 20% on carbs that you need to for adkins. Everybody is so different in what works for them...the amount you eat will also be determined by your level of restriction.

I agree with banded - but I was going to state that most everyone banded is expected to do a form of adkins! Unrefined carbs and sugar are the 2 things my doc explicitly banned (many others have been given the same directions!!) Lower fat options are the menu of the day as well (I loved adkins because of the bacon Breakfast, lunch, and dinner!! - but not on the band!)

I guess you wouldn't call it Adkins, per say, but in a nutshell, low carb/high lean Protein is the new menu for life with the band!!

Good Luck! I am 6 weeks out and loving it! I do not miss anything (except the occasional crave for McD's fries!!)

~cheri

Sure I did Adkins.............

I lost 55lbs., then gained 75lbs. That was my last fad diet until I got banded. It is bad for your kidneys....

Josephine

I do believe that our diet does not need to be as carb focussed as the typical western diet is and I certainly believe that white refined carbs are bad for us.

But I think that Atkins is a dangerous fad diet supported by questionable theories that have no scientific basis and that it sets you up for heart disease and kidney problems, not to mention Vitamin deficiences.

Eat a low carb diet for sure, I think it helps weight loss tremendously. But there is no need to be in Ketosis to burn fat and it does not protect your lean body tissue from being consumed either. But a post banding diet tends to be lowish in carbs anyhow, and there is no need to restrict fruit or vegetables, they are vital for our health.

i lost an OBSCENE amount of weight on atkins while i was banded.

i was constipated MOST of the time. constipation is the main reason i quit doing the atkins. constipation is HORRIBLE and can have long term effects on your BM's

the other main drawback of atkins is you get accustomed to richer foods and when you arent on the atkins you still have a tase for richer foods (cheese, mayo, ranch, bacon, etc)

I think we are forgetting that there are different phrases for atkins. The induction stage is where you can only have 20 g of carbs a day. I'm thinking while banded, the LIFETIME MAINTANCE stage is good for me. You are not in ketosis (but who needs it with the band). I also agree with the poster that suggested leaner meats and less fats!

After years of being on the Atkins diet, I find myself having the low carb "train of thought" these days.

I would say that I follow a modified low carb/low cal diet after getting banded. I refuse to diet ever again, but I know what's good for me and what's not. I eat a sandwich for lunch every day, but I use low fat mayo instead of regular and wheat berry bread instead of white. I think it's all about making better choices instead of following a certain way of eating that is certainly not typical long term.

My wife and I have done low carb for 4 years. We were band 15 months ago. We still do low carb most of the time. It has worked good for us. We do have trouble with most meats. This make low carbing hard.