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  #1   ^
Old Sun, Jun-29-03, 00:22
Egypt_Isis's Avatar
Egypt_Isis Egypt_Isis is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 125
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 265/256/174 Female 67 in
BF:53%/51%/27%
Progress: 10%
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Default Switch from Atkins to Somers?

I am thinking about switching from Atkins to Somers. The Atkins plan has been good for initial weight loss and blood sugar stabilizing. At this point I am looking for a program I can live with.

With Atkins, I find myself craving chocolate (low carb) in the evening and eating more nuts than I should. Also, my energy has been low. Overall, I have been sticking with it pretty well... but I'm ready for a change. I'd like to be able to prepare low glycemic dinners that my husband would enjoy.

If you switched from Atkins to Somers, please tell me about your experience.


Thanks,

Isis
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  #2   ^
Old Sun, Jun-29-03, 09:42
Zuleikaa Zuleikaa is offline
Finding the Pieces
Posts: 17,049
 
Plan: Mishmash
Stats: 365/308.0/185 Female 66
BF:
Progress: 32%
Location: Maryland, US
Default

Check out Sandylees journal. She switched.
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  #3   ^
Old Sun, Jun-29-03, 17:49
mickeybo mickeybo is offline
New Member
Posts: 1
 
Plan: atkins also somersizing
Stats: 115/115/100
BF:
Progress: 0%
Default

I started somersizing after my first son was born and it worked great now after my second i gained alot more so I thought i would try atkins but I'm starting suzanne again tommorrow Atkins works but Ithink it works better with men and somersizing just seems better for women.Thats just my opinion
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  #4   ^
Old Mon, Jun-30-03, 00:30
Egypt_Isis's Avatar
Egypt_Isis Egypt_Isis is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 125
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 265/256/174 Female 67 in
BF:53%/51%/27%
Progress: 10%
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Default

Zuleikaa and Mickeybo,

Thanks for the info. I'm planning to switch to Somers when we return next week.

Best regards,

Isis
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  #5   ^
Old Mon, Jun-30-03, 04:21
vachick vachick is offline
New Member
Posts: 23
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 143/135/128
BF:
Progress: 53%
Location: Chesterfield, VA
Red face Trying Somersize

I've been on Atkins for two months and my net loss is only five pounds, though I haven't cheated and I'm still on induction. The first two weeks, I lost eight and could feel my body shrinking so I was disappointed when the third week, I weighed almost what I did before and my body was bloated again. My girlfriend and I feel we're the only two people in the US who haven't lost well on Atkins. I've doing the low-fat thing for many years and have about 10 more pounds I'd like to lose. I'm grasping at straws but I feel that may be sabatoging my weight loss on Atkins.

Enter Somersize...thinking about switching because though you do eat protein, you also get to eat just about any vegetable and lots of them. I just don't think my body understood why I was eating all the meat and putting the brakes on all the yummy veggies I was eating. I feel it makes more sense for me and I truly hope it will help me lose.

NOTE: I was reading the newest Somersize book and she has a question and answer section. In two of the answers she said SHE didn't lose for two months Somersizing. That made me feel the Atkins thing might need the same amount of time.

Anyway, good luck to us all!


DENA
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  #6   ^
Old Mon, Jun-30-03, 12:18
kacey kacey is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 95
 
Plan: my own/grain free/veg
Stats: 116/115/101 Female 5'2"
BF:I don't know
Progress: 7%
Location: WV
Default can live with this and love it!

I switched from arkins style to SS and have to say the SS is definitely a plan that you can live with. I think lc in general rules but I love SS the best of any eating plan I have ever done. After almost a month now I find that I have no trouble following the fc guidelines and never constrained or deprived. I know that the weight loss is slow (for me) but I feel satisfied all the time. She has wonderful recipes in each of her books.
You can have ice cream, some of your fav carb foods and still eat healthfully and lose and love it. I am here to stay.
The thing that convinced me was when I realized the I could have dairy with carb meals as long as it was non fat dairy. That adds so much variety.
Since I was getting obseesive about food, SS works well for me. Even if I don't lose a lot more this plan has helped me make a truce with food and approach meals with happy anticipation instead of calorie/gram counting phobia, worry and guilt. I love cooking and tyring her recipes and eat them with reckless abandon!I have focused my obseesion of label reading instead!
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  #7   ^
Old Tue, Jul-01-03, 10:15
lisa12345 lisa12345 is offline
New Member
Posts: 17
 
Plan: atkins
Stats: 156/148/135
BF:
Progress: 38%
Default

2 years ago i did SS for about 6 mths. I lost 22lbs and went down 3 pant sizes. My weight has gone up about 12lbs because i stopped following the low carb eating program.

I just finished 5 weeks of Atkins. I lost a total of 8lbs. I find that I am really tired all of the time and my TOM is completely screwed up. I decided to switch as of today back onto SS. I really need for my TOM to even out. I never had those kind of issues when I was doing SS.

I am really looking forward to eating more vegetables. I think I am going to try and keep the other carbs low though. Keep eating eggs for breaky instead of oatmeal or multi-grain bagel. Last night i even ate some cheese with my veggies and it felt like heaven.

Please keep me informed on all of your progress switching over. I am totally interested in the different results that everyone will have.

thanks

Lisa
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  #8   ^
Old Tue, Jul-01-03, 15:44
diamondlil's Avatar
diamondlil diamondlil is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 65
 
Plan: Somersizing
Stats: 195/153/125 Female 61
BF:
Progress: 60%
Location: Vancouver, BC
Default

Lisa, FYI re multigrain bagels: they're funky on SS because one of those multigrains is white flour which is a You should also note that Suzanne feels it is very important not to cut out any one food group, such as carbs. She also feels that one should have 3-4 carb meals a week. Something to keep in mind.
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  #9   ^
Old Tue, Jul-01-03, 21:04
Stargrrl's Avatar
Stargrrl Stargrrl is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 29
 
Plan: Carbohydrate Addicts then Atkins now trying Somersizing
Stats: 122/118/110
BF:Dont know
Progress: 33%
Location: Inland Valley, Ca.
Lightbulb

Im going to be switchint to SS as well.

Heres my deal, I started Atkins in January and initally had an awful time getting off bread, cereal and potatoes. I lost 11lbs in the first 6 weeks of serious low carbing with no exercise this was a period of about 6 weeks in Feb/March.

During that time I did not exercise because I was down with a work injury. So I beleived I was doing really well with Atkins and finally after months of struggling got to the point that I could eat mostly cheese meat, eggs and salad all the time. I went back to an induction routine becuase I was hungry after getting back to work and ate a few more carbs than I should of. Mostly in the form of Atkins brownies which I can seem to have just one serving of lol..plus it got so easy I thought why not?

Then I got REALLY sick I didnt know what was wrong with me or that it was diet but for 5 days I could hardly move, I felt heavy like my arms were like logs, and when I turned my head the room turned with it, also and most bizarre I had this awful tight feeling in my head as if I'd lifted heavy weights. I had started back on my bowflex routine but only 5lbs and very few reps. Finally someting told me to go eat oatmeal and I felt better instantly, it took me a few days to walk straight and trust myself driving but I did get better.

After this experience I was back on the carbs again, only complex but enough that I was no longer losing weight, I found that as soon as I got low enough to start losing I would also start to feel badly again. Right now I am doing a personally modified diet using Atkins, and bodybuilding principles, it goes like this:

Breakfast- 1 egg w/3 whites scrambled, 1 whole wheat toast, mint tea w/2 splendas
2nd Breakfast- 3 egg whites scrambled w/ham
Snack- High Protien LC Bar
Lunch- Atkins Chicken Teriyaki w/ 3 TBSP couscous
Snack- Atkins Chocolate Protien Shake w/cream and 4 splendas
Dinner- Meat, Veggies, Salad (no croutons, but almonds or pine nuts)
Desert- Sugar Free Jello w/ Whipped Cream
Before Bedtime- Atkins Chocolate Protein Shake (same prep as before)

I have this exact list tacked up on my fridge so I only have to look at it to know what I need to eat next. I do feel great on this plan and I have the energy to kick up my cardio and strength train more seriously. This is the routine for the next 8 weeks untill our trip to Hawaii and then I'd like to go on the SS diet because I can have a carbo-milk combo in the morning, MY GOD how I miss cereal!

I've only heard from one person who's had this experience so far and she said it was malnutrition. Some are tempted to think it was low blood sugar but Im certain that its not because I had that before I started Atkins for years and know the syptoms really well, this was different and honestly awful I never want to feel like that again. I dont know that induction is quiet as safe as its been touted, Atkins book said that your body will make carbs if your not ingesting them, but I know in my case it was just downright dangerous. Still I am in agreement of the evils of sugar, potatoes and refined flour and no matter what diet I maintain from now on those things will be downright minimal!

Sorry for the novel this thread really spoke to me

Stargrrl
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  #10   ^
Old Thu, Jul-03-03, 10:48
rlbeggs rlbeggs is offline
New Member
Posts: 5
 
Plan: Somersizing
Stats: 220/203/160 Female 66 inches
BF:
Progress: 28%
Location: colorado
Post

I have also decided to switch from Atkins to Somersize. They both work, and I lost initial #s on the Atkins, but when I went to my doc, she said the Atkins diet is not nutritionally sound, and one must take supplements with it, not just a multiple vitamin. I also felt constipated on it, which was expected. I love fruit and the Suzanne Somers diet includes fruit, except for bananas. I already feel "more balanced."
They are both low carb eating plans and I think I will still lose weight. I want to lose about 60 lbs in all...Good luck to you!
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  #11   ^
Old Fri, Jul-04-03, 16:44
Mamabeek's Avatar
Mamabeek Mamabeek is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 389
 
Plan: Suzanne Somers'
Stats: 142/118/115 Female 5'3"
BF:
Progress: 89%
Location: Central Coast California
Default

Stargirl!

I think if you drop your carbs that low you need to really get after the supplements and drink LOTS of water. I was very weak and had menstrual problems and muscle cramps my first couple of weeks on LC because I dropped all the grain carbs and didn't drink and supplement enough. Adding in a whole grain cereal breakfast two or three times a week did the trick and I didn't top losing when I did it. My DH also had muscle cramps even when he was eating a few carb meals, but just taking a good multi vitamin/mineral put a stop to it.
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  #12   ^
Old Fri, Jul-11-03, 23:59
Egypt_Isis's Avatar
Egypt_Isis Egypt_Isis is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 125
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 265/256/174 Female 67 in
BF:53%/51%/27%
Progress: 10%
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Default Just Returned from Vacation

Hi All,
Thanks for the info on switching over... it really helps. We just returned from a week with my family. My brother was married everyone was there and our 3 mo old baby (Davey) was able to meet his aunts, uncles and cousins.

My Somersize books have arrived and I am getting ready to begin on Monday. Although I wasn't on LC, I didn't go wild on vacation or this week (except for those White Castle cheeseburgers ;-)

At first the Somers plan seemed a bit confusing... keeping the rules straight. I think I've got it. Just to be safe, I'm working on a food plan for week one.

Thanks again,

Isis
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  #13   ^
Old Sat, Jul-12-03, 13:18
AZDean's Avatar
AZDean AZDean is offline
Arizona 215 lb Loser
Posts: 2,517
 
Plan: Suzanne Somers
Stats: 327/315/190 Male 5 ft 11 inches
BF:
Progress: 9%
Location: Tucson, AZ
Default The Somers diet is easy to follow for me

I tried the Atkins diet for about a month, and lost weight, but it was just too strict for me. But now I've been on the Suzanne Sommers diet for about 5 weeks and I really like it!

I really like eating grapenuts and shredded wheat in the morning (quick and easy to prepare too), and I love not having to count anything. It seems like I can stick with this diet for a long time as I don't feel deprived hardly at all (although it sometimes is hard to watch somebody else eat something you can't -- like pizza).

A big thing for me is what to drink. I used to always drink soda all day long, but now I can only have something like diet Sprite. But I found if I just mix a little of diet Sobe tropical drink in with it, it tastes pretty good!

I've also found that I can get a Carne Asada burrito and just eat the meat and that tastes great for lunch, and it's pretty cheap for a beef meal.

I also have two snacks between meals, one a fruit snack, and the other usually fat-free yogurt with grapenuts added. I'm actually eating more than I used to and don't feel hungry much at all.

The only time my weight gain has slowed down is when I eat too much and basically stuff myself -- which can happen at a restaurant where they serve LARGE salads along with eating the meat and veggies. So, if I just watch that, I think I'll be fine.

I've already been able to tighten my belt three notches, though I can't weigh myself because I weigh too much right now. But that's only a matter of time!

(By the way, I just found this forum today and this is my first post )

Dean
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  #14   ^
Old Sat, Jul-12-03, 20:41
KittyKat2 KittyKat2 is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 63
 
Plan: Somersizing
Stats: 206.5/190/170
BF:not sure
Progress: 45%
Location: Central Georgia
Default

Hi AZDean! Welcome to SS!

Here's a little encouragement....I started SS about two years ago and lost 20 pounds in 7 weeks. I believe that the more overweight you are the more you will lose initially. I stoped SS when I went on vacation and gained all of my weight back plus 10 pounds. I realized that it has to be a life change. I love sweets and breads and starches and that is my downfall! I never liked water myself but now, when it's hot and I'm thirsty...Water is the best thing there is! I don't drink coffee and hate the taste of decaf tea so water is about all I drink except for Crystal Light. The lemonade and raspberry ice are pretty good.
Good luck on the SS front and I hope you reach your goal!
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  #15   ^
Old Sat, Jul-12-03, 20:44
KittyKat2 KittyKat2 is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 63
 
Plan: Somersizing
Stats: 206.5/190/170
BF:not sure
Progress: 45%
Location: Central Georgia
Default

AZDean - Check out the OS (official site) SuzanneSomers.com and go to discussion. They have a lot of helpful information over there on those boards as well. They are very informative. There is also a FAQ at the bottom of the screen...Good Q&A.....TTYS!
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