getting of Atkins into HST

N

noobie

New Member
ok. so i have a friend whos pretty massive. i'll have his specs very soon. He's been on atkins for about 2 years now, lost about maybe 80 lbs, but is still very hefty. He's starting to gain weight back because he's loosing will power and.... atkins is not something he can take very much longer. How do we get him to thin up, without having to ramp up the carbs and have him gain all his weight back? this seems like one heck of a challenge. just wondering if you guys hand any ideas for helpin him. He's a smart guy and plans on going through HST and hoping to slim down a lot.

he's well around the 200-250lb region with lots of body fat.
probably minimal muscle due to atkins
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thanks for the help guys

pzhang
 
This is normal with going off atkins strict program, I've been there, what he needs to do is worry about losing the weight while doing HST, he doesn't need to eat above maintenance (he should eat at current maintenance level, let the added exercise (HST and cardio) get his energy expenditure above his energy intake).

He should eat well balanced, clean meals, use HST to reduce catabolism, do some cardio and realize it will take some time.
 
eating below maintenance. balanced + HST + cardio. will he still be gaining a lot of weight back because hes eating more carbs? how long will that last? I've seen your before and after pics Dkm, frkin amazing considering you're older than us teens :D . any other recomendations?
 
He will still need to control carb intake, he wants to make the most anabolic use of the carbs he eats, so cycle his carbs around the training on training days, non training days use lo GI carbs in the AM and keep other carbs to Lo GI through the day. Remember Atkins works two fold, 1. Ketosis and 2. Energy restriction. He doesn't necessarily need to restrict energy, he just needs to use more. Have him eat more lean protein, protein has a higher TEF than fat or carbs.

I can't stress this last part enough. He can't expect miracles, they rarely happen. It took me 1.5 years or so to lose 70 Lbs +/-, so be realistic try for 1/2 lb to 1lb of loss/week.
 
In addition to dkm 1987's comments, I would add that he needs to get into the mindset that cardio is how he will need to control his weight throughout his life. Granted, in addition to daily cardio, he will need to adjust his carbs and calories, but his real life preserver is going to be regular cardiovascular exercise. At least 45-60 minutes per day.

Now, limiting his carbs is certainly the best way to mobilize fat, but if his calories creep up weight loss will stop.

If he ads carbs, make sure he gets adequate fiber to go along with it.

Don't forget dairy as well. There is some evidence that high calcium foods and/or intake can facilitate fat loss. If he likes dairy, adding low fat milk, cottage cheese, and/or light yogurt (~17g carbs per container) is a good place to start.

Also, keep in mind that putting carbs back into his diet will not lead to fat regain unless he is taking in more calories than he is buring. The problem is that when people go off Atkins, they tend to keep eating their low carb diet which tends to be higher in fat and then simply add carbs to it. That is why people gain when they go off.
 
so if he was able to drop 80 lbs from atkins. And then go cold turkey with well balanced meals and lower than maintenance calories + cardio and some wholesome HST... then he won't gain back all that he lost during atkins?
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thats actually amazing. I'm no expert, but that sounds great. He'll be starting soon. He might be skeptical about not gaining any weight back, but we'll see. thanks for the help
 
Well, as his total body glycogen stores go up, he will gain a few pounds accordingly. But this is not fat weight, its water/glycogen weight.

Just because the body can't gain weight from calories that are below its needs doesn't mean it will be easy. His appetite will increase significantly. This will make it very difficult, at least at first, to stick to his "balanced" diet.

HST and regular cardio will give him a bit of room though. As he keeps his glycogen levels low from the exercise, his body will act more like a genetically lean person's.

Nevertheless, research has shown that people who lose a lot of weight will gain it right back unless they use regular exercise and pay special attention to their caloric intake. They cannot rely on their own appetite to keep their bodyweight in check.
 
he will gain some of it back, but it can be controlled as Bryan said with exercise.

Unfortunately, the odds are against him but he can win IF he chooses.

Tell him I said keep the faith and good luck.
 
thanks for the help you guys.
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I'll keep some updates on how hes doing. He's got a lot of will power, so i think he'll be able to do it.


pzhang
 
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