Atkins Diet

The Atkins Diet is one of the most popular diet trends around. It incorporates eating different types of low carb, high protein foods to regulate weight. The thing that sold me on the Atkins was the Induction Phase, where you eat nothing but protein enriched foods like eggs and bacon. Mmmmm bacon. So I did the Induction Phase and that’s about as far as I got because I lost 5 pounds but I felt lethargic and sick ALL THE TIME. Not just regular, oh I’m dieting so I have to find something wrong with it sick but really violently ill sick. I guess my body disliked “jump starting” as the Atkins diet puts it. Needless to say I stopped that diet immediately and funny, my sickness went away. Atkins, or what I call it Yakins, may be the right diet for some but definitely not for me.

Nutrisystem

I was lured in by the convenient meals and the promise of cake. Nutrisystem was pretty expensive to start out. I paid around $200 for my first “Basic Package” of meals. I was using the reasoning they claim on their site that you’ll save on groceries because you’ll have the meals instead. What they don’t tell you is that you’re still buying fresh vegetables and fruits to supplement your diet because the stuff they ship you in the boxes is sooooo tiny. (Also I was buying regular groceries for the Hubs because he didn’t want to diet with me.) The meals were tiny. Talk about an extreme portion control. The site claims the diet works on by utilizing the glycemic index but really it is extreme portion control and specific calorie intake.

At first the diet was new and exciting. Little color coded packages to eat with snacks and sweets for desert. It was fun for the first month and I lost about 5 pounds. So I ordered another month supply, this time picking my favorites out of the sampler pack I had the recent month. Then it lost its shiny new feeling and I’m out about $400. The food started getting really bland and I just didn’t feel like heating another thing out of a box. I wanted fresh and good tasting food. The meals were always the same kind of something in tomato sauce and it started getting repetitive. The stacks were good, but I always wanted more. The same with the bland meal packs, they always left me hungry. I thought that if I wanted to be hungry all the time I might as well eat fresh food in smaller portions and save myself some cashola.

All in all I lost a total of 9 pounds and as soon as I went off the meals, promptly gained it all back and 3 more pounds for good measure. I guess this diet would work if A) You lived alone or your partner does it with you, otherwise it’s just too expensive buying two sets of groceries and B) You have no taste buds and don’t mind the bland repetitiveness of the meals. Otherwise, save your money and invest in salads and low calorie foods and plan small portion meals throughout the day. You can accomplish the same thing without having it all pre-packaged for you.

Does your diet do it for ya?

It’s no surprise that I struggle with weight loss. I mean, come on what woman has not struggled with weight loss at one time or another in their life? And if you are one of those that says “it’s never been a problem I can eat all I want and not gain a pound” then you missy are at the wrong place and leave your address so I can shoot you. In the past I’ve tried extreme to mediocre diets ranging from the 500 cal HCG to, Atkins, Nutrisystem and Slim Fast. They all work!

For a little while, then you gain it all back with some and move on to the next diet. So I’m asking; what works for you? Is it a combo of two diets? Do you not worry about what you eat and just exercise everyday?

I work out three times a week for usually 30 to 60 minutes of combo of cardio, stretching, small weights (for the arms) or Yoga. But it’s the diet that gets me. I think I eat quite healthy. I make my own meals and don’t like sweets. I try to stay away from fast food and usually opt for a salad instead of burger but sure enough, if I stray away from a regimented diet then all hell breaks loose up in here and these jeans start getting tight again.

To follow will be my experiences and reviews of the diets listed above starting out with the HCG miracle diet where I lost over 15 pounds on.

Let me know of any interesting diets that have worked for you in the comments. I’d love to review them and see if they would work for me too.