Will I gain the weight back?

[jenny25]

I'm wondering something. If I stop Atkins (I've been doing it for a month and I've already lost 15 pounds) Will I gain the weight back? Is following this diet hurting my metabolism or anything else that may make it hard for me to keep the weight off?

[ChristySmiles]

I think it's possible to gain the weight back, but this could be said going off of most diets, especially if you alter your eating habits after you go off it, which would likely result in metabolism changes.

[treehuggertodd]

Sure you can keep the weight off if you stop Atkins, but you need to stick to the eating habits you've developed, you can't go back to the old ones that were full of carbs or you'll balloon right back up again. That's the problem with diets like atkins and keto, etc. When they really restrict your carbs, it can be difficult to keep off the weight because it's so easy to mess up and eat something high in carbs (like any of your favorite treats). Once that happens, you can easily put back on the pounds and you need to work extra hard to get them back off again. I think it's a good idea to lower your carbs, but not to the degree that these diets do it. It's just not practical or healthy living in my opinion, unless you're someone who requires a special diet due to a health problem.

[freddyboy]

Yes you can gain the weight back, but this is true of any diet, low carb or not. If you want to keep your weight in check, you need to stick to your diet, plain and simple. It will always be about watching your calorie intake. That being said, with a low carb diet like Atkins, the reason why people tend to see a sudden weight gain after they get off the diet is the same reason why they see sudden weight loss after they start the diet. This is all linked to carbs. When you dramatically reduce carbs, you don't just lose fat, you also lose the water weight. So, if you start to eat more carbs again, you'll regain all the water weight and puff up again, which is why it can seem like you've packed on a lot of weight all at once.

[brightstar]

Yes you can gain the weight back, but this is true of any diet, low carb or not. If you want to keep your weight in check, you need to stick to your diet, plain and simple. It will always be about watching your calorie intake. That being said, with a low carb diet like Atkins, the reason why people tend to see a sudden weight gain after they get off the diet is the same reason why they see sudden weight loss after they start the diet. This is all linked to carbs. When you dramatically reduce carbs, you don't just lose fat, you also lose the water weight. So, if you start to eat more carbs again, you'll regain all the water weight and puff up again, which is why it can seem like you've packed on a lot of weight all at once.

This is interesting! I didn't know that. Thanks for sharing this. I did always wonder why people seemed to balloon up after getting off low carb diets. This makes a lot of sense.

[ffviifan]

I really don't think any diet that is low in carbs and high in fat (and protein) are good for you. Sure, they'll help you lose weight, but I don't think they encourage healthy eating habits and any diet that causes you to pack on the weight when you have a misstep is a little weird to me. I feel like Atkins and the keto diet are for people who have health issues beyond just needing to lose weight, in the same way that a gluten-free diet is meant for someone with celieacs disease but not for the rest of us.

[legendarytroy]

You'll gain the weight back if you go off the diet. It's as simple as that. I don't feel that Atkins, Keto or any low carb diet is an ideal long-term plan.

[jan]

I've never done Atkins but I've personally known three people who did it in the past and they all slimmed down while they were on it and then they all gained the weight back once they were off it. Two of them put on even more weight. It was one of the main reasons I never bothered trying it for myself. I don't think it's a very good diet for weight loss, honestly.

[bruceH]

You'll gain the weight back if you go off the diet. It's as simple as that. I don't feel that Atkins, Keto or any low carb diet is an ideal long-term plan.

This is exactly what I believe. As long as you keep up with the diet you'll be fine. If you don't, you're gong to see weight gain because your body will need to readjust to your new diet and this could lead to your metabolism doing funny things that could lead to a sudden jump in weight gain or it make it harder for you to lose the weight you gain.