I've been on the Atkins Diet since March 1999, My Story

[E Bear]

Hello everyone, I am now 51 years old (wife is 48), We started the Atkins Diet, Middle of March 1999, yes many many years ago. She came home one day, said she was going to start a new diet, I said "not me, I'm good". She said well, I am going to cook up as much ground beef as I want, put some taco seasoning in it, cover it with shredded cheddar cheese, put a large dollop of sour cream on top, and maybe a couple of drops of hot sauce like"Dave's Death Sauce" , and eat as much as I want. I said hey, now that's the kind of diet I LIKE!!!!

I weighed 225ish pounds (I could vary about 2 to 4 pounds in a weekend). My wife was wearing a size 10/8. We read the Atkins book, started the Atkins diet, and bought the Ketone test strips. Cleared out all non Atkins food out of the pantry and Fridge (very important). I lost 19 lbs after the first 2 weeks on the induction portion. My wife lost 15lbs, we did not do a single bit of exercise, the weight just fell off of us. In hind sight, my wife wanted to count everything, I just kept saying, everything has a carb or two. I mean even an egg, or an ounce of cheese, has a carb or less. And for the induction portion, I would aim for NO CARBS, because I knew, no matter what, I was getting some carbs, and I know it need to be less than 20 grams, meaning every time I had my omelet, with bacon, and smothered with cheese, I HAD SOME CARBS. I was successful due to this thought process. Also, we went to WATER ONLY. No Diet Drinks, No Coffee, No Tea, No Alcohol. I will never forget, standing out side in my yard (at the end of week TWO), and My wife said she just bought some diet Root Beer. We both opened a can each, as if we were about to toast to a special occasion, and the taste of that Diet Root Beer, was absolutely delicious. Aim for no carbs, because you WILL get them no matter what. Then we started introducing carbs into our diet, in the form of Vegetables. But only low carb veggies, and NOT in large amounts. We were dropping 2 to 3 lbs per week (I was dropping more than my wife, no answer for this). The weight started to drop slower and slower. When we got married June 13th, 1999, we both looked like different people. I weighed 177lbs, and my wife (to this day will not tell me her weight) fit in size 1 clothes.

We went on a cruise, and ate the right food the whole time, and as much as we wanted.

So, what happened the next 9 plus years?

1.) I do NOT use sugar on anything
2.) I do not eat anything that has sugar in it (used to love ice cream)
3.) I now exercise (not as much as I should, but more than most people)
4.) My current weight 185lbs (but I am 6'3" tall)
5.) My wife has gained some weight, and for 2009, has decided to get on the induction diet (3 days ago)to loose a few pounds, and I am doing it with her for support (besides I love meat, fish, cheese, eggs, it's all good)
6.) My wife now exercises about 3 to 4 times a week. (this should only HELP the process)

So, you may ask, have you given up potatoes, bread and pasta forever? No but it's rare that I have these foods, and I would never have them in the same week, nor will I do an all-you-can-eat, with them. But I look 15 years younger, than my drivers license dated 1997. How bad is that?

Oh, I almost forgot, my cholesterol is high. I was told about a month or two ago, that my cholesterol (which I have NEVER had checked before in my life, so there is no "baseline"), is high. I should rephrase that. My "bad" cholesterol, is in the normal range. right in the middle actually, of normal. My good cholesterol is high. Not just a little high, but VERY high. Yes, my Doctor is amazed, and says it must be because of the Atkins Diet. Everything is good!

So, those of you just getting started, hopefully there are some good pointers above. Don't just count the carbs, get into Ketosis (took me about 5 days, my wife about 6 days).

And for those of you on phase 2, I say "treat it like a modified Induction, add a small amount of LOW CARB veggies (cause they are good for you). No fruit till you get to your weight you want to be at.

Maintenance, just be smart, if you like what you look like, what you have done, then don't raid the ice cream. Kick sugar out of your house forever. Exercise, because to be really healthy, you have to do that anyway. (who wants to be a skinny person, who can't do anything aerobic)

Another, secret, that forever changed my health....Yoga.....my wife told me on day two of the Atkins Diet to try yoga, she said I would like it as much as my big pile of ground beef covered with cheese and sour cream.....she was right....but this is a whole story in itself.

Good luck to everyone,
TED

[vmiltiades]

Thanks Ted! Great story that has me inspired for sure. Thanks for sharing. Victor