has anybody had good result the Atkin Diet¨?

Question

my 11 year old kid is a little too heavy for his age, and his doctor recommneded us to stick to protein foods or foods that contain neither sugar or carbohidrates. i have tried it for two months but i haven´t seen much difference. i´ll appreciate very much your input.

Answer 1

everyone needs carbohydrates in their diet. The Dr. Atkins plan however teaches you about good carbs and bad. Simple Carbohydrates are the ones to avoid like sugar, white flour, and white rice. Complex carbohydrates such as nuts and beans are good in that they proved the body with the carbohydrates (and fiber) it needs for energy. Would be a good idea to limit his starchy foods and be warned that just because something is sugar free (diet sodas and sugar free candies) it can still do the same thing to your body that simple carbohydrates does. The artificial sweetner "Splenda" will sweeten drinks and foods without affecting your cortisol level or blood sugar. Coka Cola now makes a Diet Coke sweetened with splenda and I think I saw a Diet Sprite as well with Splenda. My favorite is Diet Big Red. The articicial sweetener in most diet sodas has aspartane which can also contribute to other symptoms besides increasing cortisol and blood sugar levels. I have read that it can cause the same symptoms as some autoimmune diseases like MS.

My personal opinion about your son though is the same that I have for my own son. He is 12 and thinks he is fat. In the past I have limited my children's video game and TV watching in order to get them to go out and play more. I have to admit that I have been a lot more lax over the last year. Rather than have them diet I think that we just need to encourage them to be more active however I believe that children learn better by example and my own boys get a big kick out of it when I go outside with them and play catch or football or basketball. Easier to do in the summer months. Good luck to you.

Answer 2

Hate to break the news to you, icunurse, but no, we do not "need" carbs. I've been on a zero-carb diet for 15 years. Yeah, you read that right - no carbs. I started on Atkins 15 years ago and cut out ALL carbs shortly thereafter and never looked back.

I'm in the best shape of my life, have normal blood work, am a size 4, and run marathons and triathlons. I can run 15 miles or swim 2 miles without any carbs on board and only start adding in small amounts of carbs after 15 miles of running or 2 miles of swimming. I can do the bike for about 65 miles before needing any carbs.

Carbs are a fuel. That is all they are. But guess what? So is your body fat. And body fat is much more efficient at fueling your body than carbs. Nobody "needs" carbs. That's a myth perpetuated by the folks who advocate a "low-fat diet," the diet that is keeping America overweight, drained of energy, and diabetic.

To the original poster, if your doc recommended an Atkins-type diet for your kid, I say go for it. There may not be any change in the time he's been on it because 1) he may be sneaking carbs somewhere when you are not around; or 2) he is still eating too much food, and you may have to count calories as well as carbs. I suspect the former.

Make sure he is also getting some physical exercise on a regular basis. You can cut back carbs even more and see if that works. Animal products only. See if you can jump-start his weight loss that way.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I have used atkins and had great results. But I don't know about an 11 year old. The best diets are ones you live with, for me personally I just stay away from sugars, fast food, etc. and I can always maintain a healthy weight. I would suggest getting him out of the house and exercising, 11 is a bit young to go on some special diet.
By the way, Atkins slipped on a icey sidewalk and died, it had nothing to do with his health!!

Answer 4

Atkins is really hard to follow and you can't just do it and be healthy. You have to constantly count carbs, take supplements and be sure you are getting enough of what your body needs. Could be difficult and too strict for a kid. Try just making a meal plan and getting more exercise. No matter what diet he's on, it won't help much without getitng exercise. Also, 11 is pretty young - another growth spurt and he'll probably shed the extra weight anyway.

Answer 5

I did it twice. Each time I lasted only about a month because even with all the good stuff you can eat, I really missed things like sandwiches, pasta and potatoes.

The first time I lost about 8 lbs and the 2nd time I didn't lose or gain.

I can't really recommend this diet, because it's just too awkward to stay on.

I've actually done far better with Jenny Craig, having lost 28 lbs that way.

Answer 6

yes i lost weight on the atkins.. and if PEOPLE really knew anything about the program they would know that you do EAT some carbs. its only TWO weeks thats very hard it only limits 20 carbs but after that you add carbs back in very slowly, like fruits and breads later on. so you do eat carbs. and atkins did not die of a heart attack. i lost 35 pounds and stay the same for 5 yrs. read the book and go to the website.. but being 11 they will grow out of there weight

Answer 7

my mother and aunt did. They said it was not really hard, you just had to stick with it. make sure it is ok for an 11 year old though - see your doctor first and a childs needs are far different than an adults.

Answer 8

If you follow it to the letter and your body chemisty is right it works quite well. It works for me. I reccomend reading the book first there are alot of pieces if information like nutritional supplements you may need esp for a growing eleven year old.

Answer 9

my friend was on that diet..she became ill...fainted and doesnt seem the same person..it made her heavy too...why not feed you kid less of the junk food and no pizzas ect..feed good home made dinners...if he has a big appetite...train his stomach to eat smaller portions..put his food on a smaller plate...so it looks alot...make sure he has plenty of fruit..apples are great....no sweets...or crappy stuff

Answer 10

For a child that young atkins it a little extreme..

In fact, when the guy who made this diet died, they found HE was extremely unhealthy with heart conditions.