First of all, I want to make it perfectly clear that I am NOT asking for medical advice from anyone in the forum. I take that disclaimer at the top of each page seriously, and I take all advice with a grain of salt and a "YMMV" sort of attitude.

Having said that, a close relative has asked me to explain the Atkins approach to her with an eye to doing it herself. She carries a significant amount of extra weight, and has done so for some time. She is also on the usual battery of older-North-American drugs for high BP, cholesterol reduction, blood thinners, and so on. She did suffer a clotting episode a few years ago that put her life in danger. She is under good and accessible medical care, although I do not personally know her current family physician.

My first instinct is to describe the Atkins approach (it is, after all, public knowledge) -- and then to urge her not to begin anything such as a formal induction without consulting her primary care physician to see whether or not this would be compatible with her regime of prescription drugs and risk factors. BUT (and this is a sticky point) what are the odds that her family doctor will even be familiar with Atkins' theories, let alone approve of them? When I consulted my own doctor about possibly doing Atkins, she appeared to be under the impression that it could be followed as a low-fat plan.....and I am afraid that I just let her labour under that misapprehension

Anyway, my question is this: could someone like this possibly just cut down carbs (sort of like Pre-maintenance, say) while they consult their medical authority and would they obtain the appetite suppressant benefit that comes along with Induction, even though they aren't really doing it? I must add that my relative's usual diet is swimming in carbs AND fat, so in a sense she is already half-way to Atkins It would be awful to "try" LC eating, deny oneself all those HC goodies one is used to, but be hungry and miserable and, inevitably, fall off the wagon...

Anyone have experience along this line?

Hi lakookoo!

I can't think of any medications that would prevent someone from following a low carb plan. Your relative may need some adjustment to her dosages, particularly her blood pressure medication, once she has been low carbing for a while and some medications make it difficult to lose weight on a low carb (or any other for that matter) plan.
It's anyone's guess what her primary care physician will think of low carb and whether or not he would encourage or discourage her from trying it. For that matter, Atkins isn't the only plan out there; she may benefit from comparing a few different plans such as Protein Power, The Schwarzbein Principle or others to see which would work best with her own personal tastes and lifestyle and her own physician may be more open to her trying one low carb plan over another. Either way, it's a good idea for her to get checked out before she starts and hopefully get her doctor's support. If not, cutting her carbs to maintainance levels would certainly be a step in the right direction and may make it easier for her to adjust her carb levels lower if and when she decides to do so.

Based on your description of your relative I would tell her to talk to her doctor. Certainly give her all the info on the diet so she can intelligently inform her doctor about it, but she needs to be straight forward with her doctor. Her health is too important. My doctor was quite happy to have me try it...she was just worried i couldn't stay on it..she said most people don't ....I told her that is true of any "diet"...but this is my new WOL!!

Anyway,hopefully her doctor will be open about it, but even if she cuts back some on her carbs, that is a start and as you say if she is already eating high fat and high carbs if she does that, then she will be LC'ing! As long as she doesn't go low fat, she won't be hungry.

Good Luck....

PS. I am on BP medication and I have lost 50 lbs since october.......hopefully next time I see my doc I can go off them.....

She should definetly talk to her doctor. Atkins can lower blood pressure greatly, so she will need to be monitored and slowly weaned off the medications. Not being watched could mean she suffers a sudden drop in blood pressure. He warns about that situation in the book I belive.

There is no telling how doctors will react. One thing that will help is to avoid using scary words like "Atkins" or "Low Carb". Instead she can try to get a sense of how her doctor feels first. Just tell him she's cutting out refined sugars and flours in her diet and replacing them with more veggies, protiens, and complex carbs. What doctor could argue with that. Once she starts getting results such as weight loss and lower blood pressure, then she can tell the doctor more detail on what plan she follows.

Just make sure to support her and keep her away from the LC treats.

Um if it's that awful, how do you od it? If you can get her to do a clean induction the cravings will probably go away. And with more Atkins diaters, after a while they don't feel they are being denied anything with all the rich filling recipes available. Get her a copy of Dana Carpender's cookbooks along with a copy of Atkins New diet Revolution and let her decide fo rherself

As stated above, instead of using "Atkins" or "low carb," perhaps have her approach her physician with the desire to follow a diabetic eating plan.

Now I know nothing about these, but I do work with two women who went on some form of a diabetic eating plan, and with exercise, both lost a great deal of weight.

I'm very happy my primary care physician is pro-Atkins.

Thanks to all for your great advice. I think that describing it to the doctor as "cutting out sugars and refined carbs" is brilliant!

When I expressed concern about possible lack of success going to more of a maintenance-type plan, what I meant was would there be more appetite for a person doing that than I have in OWL, say? Anyway, if one is motivated enough, anything is possible.

Thanks again to all!

My brother had suffered two heart attacks in the last year and a half before Atkins. He had high blood pressure, and terrible blood counts. The Dr. put my brother on a straight oatmeal diet. five time a day, just plain oatmeal. He lost 4 lbs in four weeks. My brother figured--"What the hell could it hurt to try Atkins because he was being talked to as if he was going to die by this supposed wonderful cardiologist. He has now lost 125lbs, has no high blood pressure, and eats wonderfully. To hear a doctor confirm what works makes us feel better, but we must remember they are victims of programming too. I have a friend who is a doctor and he told me that in medical school, they only study a week in nutrition. That doesn't sound right to me. The Atkins center has doctors who can help. I have called them and they have appointments. good luck!

Nothing but oatmeal? No offense, but what kind of wacky doctor would think that's a healthy diet?

He told my brother that the weight had to come off or he would be dead in three months. My brother has a new cardiologist and I am happy that this guy thinks Atkins WOE and WOL is great.

I had a disappointing trip to my doctor today. I went to get thyroid tests done. I mentioned to the nurse that I was doing Atkins and she said "We can't recommend that here because of all the saturated fat" Why don't you do the South Beach? We all are"

I declined and said I'm doing fine thankyouverymuch. So then she said,"Well then do Atkins but cut out all the fats" I told her that wouldn't be Atkins and to do just that would undermine my weightloss and stall it even further.

I was hoping for more support from the practice. I guess I'll just have to show them with weightloss and blood work over the next 12 mo.

toning_up -- keep up the good work, and when you go back again, they can go red in the face. Way to go girl. Keep the faith.
Deb