iVillagers from the Atkins Diet message board reveal how the diet helped them lose weight and changed their lives

Confidence and compliments
I have been on Atkins for about two months and have lost about one and a half stone. I am 11 and a half stone now, a size 12/14 and I feel fantastic. My skin is as 'blooming' in the same way it did when I was pregnant, my nails look fantastic and even my hair looks great! I eat food I love, have cut out all caffeine and have even cut right back on the booze. I am a bar manager and everyone has noticed the change in me, so much so I have converted half the female clientele!
kap2207

Before Easter I weighed 14st 13lb; afterwards I must've been over 15st but didn't dare go back on the scales. I started Atkins, and I'm down to around 11 stone, which I'm happy with. I started Pilates in January as well as walking to train for the Moon Walk, and I have really toned up and continually get compliments. In fact, at one event recently, so many people kept commenting on my shape that I started to get a bit annoyed; they meant well, but might as well have been saying 'you used to be really fat'.
stealthy_jac

I have been on Atkins for five weeks and have lost a stone. In doing so I have also gained some confidence and, recently, I even got myself a job after two years without.
cl-trix2001

Atkins buddies!
I am a male in my forties and I started Atkins weighing in at 19st, in July 2003. Six months later I am 16 and a half stone and the weight is still falling off, even though I don't do any exercise. I met a woman online and, because we live near each other, we met in person. The subject we talk about mainly is Atkins and she is very good at making up recipes that even I can cook.
itssunnyhere

My son started the diet weighing in at l8st 6lbs with a 42-inch waist! I watched what he ate for the first week and thought there was no way he was going to lose weight but, when he weighed in at the end of the first week, he had lost 8lbs. I decided that was good enough for me, so I started Atkins too. I lost 6lbs in the first week! Now, I spend a lot of time devising new recipes for us to eat to make meal times more interesting, making sure we get plenty of vegetables and variety. We have recently discovered the joys of low carbohydrate pancakes and muffins, and my strawberry mousse is very popular!
jealeem

Not just losing weight
I suffer from a thyroid condition, so I have a very slow metabolic rate. I cannot claim to have lost weight as fast as most dieters, but I have shed a stone in weight since Atkins. The best part of the diet is on completion of it: you will be eating better than you have ever eaten. I understand so much more now about what makes my body work best.
jeanzcharles2001

I've lost 3st 11lbs and I haven't taken any ibuprofen for my osteoarthritis since the first week I started Atkins. The last few pounds have been slow; because for the past month I've started to experiment to see what I can eat again that doesn't add weight - I'm even back on basmati rice with curry! I also now walk four miles per day to and from the station without any exhaustion - I couldn't do that before.
ibozz

I have lost a stone in 5 weeks, and as I am disabled, it's good to be able to have an eating plan that, a) fitted in so well with my food sensitivities, b) normalised my appetite by eliminating cravings, c) normalised my blood sugar, d) lowered my blood pressure and cholesterol levels and, e) eliminated the need for painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs for the arthritis. I am so pleased with eating this way because I feel so well!
princess_sian

Please note these are iVillagers' individual experiences. iVillage is not advocating that you do the Atkins Diet or guaranteeing the same results if you do. Please consult your GP before starting any diet.

Are you on the Atkins diet, or would like to get some more information? Why not chat with other iVillagers on the Atkins Diet message board. Take a look at some of the LIVE discussions taking place on the board right now: