Worked for me. I lost 47 pounds, and have kept it off. I have eaten way more "greens" than before I adopted the Atkins lifestyle. My joints feel way better as far as the usual tradesmans problems go (wrists, shoulders, etc), and I still enjoy complex carbohydrates, but just to a lesser degree. My wife and I have eased into the South Beach Diet lifestyle very recently which has more emphasis on fiber, but is still more of a protein based diet kind of a deal. But sugars are out, as well as cheap crappy carbs like enriched wheat bread (dead bread), and other enriched foods, and, we just live abundantly!
Sounds like you're behind this guy but IMO he's dead wrong on every issue. I've lost nearly 60lbs in the last year and have never been healthier and had more energy. My cholesterol and triglycerides levels have plummeted. Oh except the HDL cholesterol (the good kind) that nearly doubled. In fact, my family physician took me off my cholesterol medication (Zocor) that I had been on for years. I didn't need it anymore.
Not only that, but my blood pressure which had been creeping up close to the point of needing medication (right at 150/90) plummeted as well. It now runs about 116/65. And I guess my 51 year old arteries have been unclogging because I also never need those little blue pills in the bedroom anymore. I'm just like I was in my 20's now.
No, Kit it's claptrap like what you've just posted that's keeping a lot of people from getting healthy, IMO. Why, I get far more fiber in my diet than I did before. I eat tons of salad, spinach, squash, Brussels sprouts, collard greens etc. Just how much fiber do you think is in sugar and bleached flour anyways? Those two items are 80% of what a person doing Atkins gives up. Most of the rest is stuff like french fries, baked potatoes and beans. This fool thinks all we low carbers are eating is meat and cheese evidently.
Go to http://atkins.com and read all about what is really making us fat and unhealthy. It's the excess carbs for the most part. Trans fat is right up there, too. I don't know why it is but there must be defense mechanisms built into us about our weight. The most vehement folks against low carbing that I've run into personally are always people who are way overweight themselves.
I have to say that after I was talking with Sudo at the weenie roast, I went on the Atkins and I have lost over 30 pounds. Ditto to what Sudo said about energy too.
Hey, I want to know if any of you folks have tried the South Beach Diet?
I am just starting it, but am looking for more details. It seems like a modified Atkins diet(which I did and thought it was fine.) South Beach concentrates on leaner cuts of meat, lots of vegetables etc. I haven't quite got the hang of it yet. It says it is "neither low carb, nor low fat", but kind of seems to be a little of both. I am also reading a lot about the glycemic index(how quickly carbs turn into sugar in your system)
The problem with Atkins for me was that once I got tired of it, I found myself wanting to still eat the fat(heavy cream in my coffee, yum)but eating more carbs. Then the pounds pile on!
Beware. Just remember you can't eat the carbs and the fat both, you will end up in trouble.
I am not anti-Atkins, but am leery of the amount of nitrates and junk that I consumed on this diet when eating all the bacon, hot dogs, sandwich meat etc. Maybe I just did not get into the salad factor as well as you guys are.
4 years ago i lost 40 lbs by becoming a vegan. then eventually 2 years ago i started eating meat again and gained 20 lbs back, but recently lost most of it just by cutting down on fried foods & giving up soda.
I own a popular restaurant that specializes in low carb meals and cheesecakes. First let me say if any of you need any GREAT and EASY recipes I have them. People eating low carb and those not dieting love our food. Our swat team is on south beach and they are losing and doing very well. I am noticing many people in my area have been "somersizing" after being on Atkins. (Suzanne Somers diet that's been around a while.) One of my servers has lost over 50 lbs on this and another who did not have much weight to lose...has lost weight and looks great. It is Atkins with one difference. You can eat whole grain carbs BUT never with a fat/protein. When they eat a whole grain cereal or bread they must use skim or fat free milk or cream cheese.( We grind wheat and bake for them) You have to wait a certain amount of hours before you can have a fat/protein meal. It's a bit of the old food combining routine I remember. You can also have fruit. It seems much healthier. BUT beware...Mrs L is correct. If you eat lots of protein/fat don't cheat. I really messes with your blood sugar and you will gain weight fast. (Hey Shannon...this is Edee!) love you sweetie.
The Atkins diet is dangerous for many reasons, but I won't get into that here. I'll just say that if you value your colon, kidneys, heart, etc. then you won't go on this fad diet. The founder died of a heart attack after all, while weighing 250 pounds or so.
Anyway I prefer my diet. It's the "eat stuff that makes sense" diet. I've named it other things too but this is what it is right now. Basically, I eat less meat, although when I do it's seafood or chicken. I don't eat fried things most of the time, don't drink much other than water and fruit juice. I eat whole grain bread rather than white bread. I eat vegetables when I can. When I go out to eat, I don't finish everything on my plate unless I am still very hungry, and I eat slow just in case.
As far as I can tell, if your breakfast is a bowl of cereal and some type of fruit juice, your lunch is a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with sun chips with a glass of water, and your supper is chicken with mole on rice or potatoes with fruit juice to drink, you're going to lose weight.
My wife is a big fan of Weight Watchers, and they seem to have the most sensible balanced diet as far as I can tell. I do eat some of their desserts that she buys at the groceries. In particular, they make an ok brownie with chocolate sauce and fat free cheesecake. The Weight Watcher idea is basically to lower sugars and fat, while raising fiber, while working on a certain amount of calories.
Has anyone tried Dr. Phil's weight loss program? I have my last 15-20 to lose and have reached my plateau. I don't think I could do Atkins, and have caught Dr. Phil's show when he had his weight loss folks on. Thinking about buying the books but would love someone's perspective who has tried it.
Hope R. color>size>face>
P.S. Coffeegal - I have a GREAT animated graphic for you if you want to use it for your avatar:
That's probably the most important thing that most people need drilled into their heads. I think that most of us (myself included) are too lazy and we think that we are too busy to spend 30 minutes in a gym or exercising somewhere.
My wife does pilates and they seem to be helping out quite a bit. She has the videos but has stopped using the videos and just does it on her own for 30 minutes every weekday. That's helped her out quite a bit. We also go to the gym sometimes, and on the weekend we go walk around places a lot. Even a trip to the mall can be exercise, although a park is best.
The Atkins diet is dangerous for many reasons, but I won't get into that here. I'll just say that if you value your colon, kidneys, heart, etc. then you won't go on this fad diet. The founder died of a heart attack after all, while weighing 250 pounds or so.
___________
P-Mosh ...once again you show your stupidity. He did not die of a heart attack. He fell on icy stairs outside his Manhattan apartment which caused serious head tramua. Fluids built up in his system which is perfectly normal for that type of injury. He eventually died from this accident.
Are you saying to Sudo he's wrong? Just like you do in the political forums you are the master at ignorant drive by attacks. Get honest in your research.
_______
The Truth About Dr. Atkins’ Weight
By Stuart Trager, M.D.
At the time of his injury at the age of 72, after years of following the Atkins Nutritional ApproachTM, Dr. Atkins’ recorded height was 6 feet and his recorded weight was 195 pounds.
In today's Wall Street Journal a grossly distorted story on the health of Dr. Robert C. Atkins reported that he weighed 258 pounds at the time of his death, making him obese. In fact, the day after his fall, Dr. Atkins' weight was recorded as195 pounds, 63 pounds less than reported at his death! Based on the body mass index (BMI), a desirable range for people over the age of 65, is 24 to 29. At a height of 6 feet, Dr. Atkins’ BMI was 26.4, putting him squarely in the normal range for his age.
The Journal article was based on incomplete and inaccurate personal medical information that was released in violation of federal law. Furthermore, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), which, despite its name is a group of animal rights activists, illegally delivered these documents to the newspaper.
Dr. Atkins' weight was consistently and frequently documented in the years and months prior to his fall; as he was suffering from cardiomyopathy, his health was monitored closely. Despite this, he regularly played tennis, his favorite sport. His weight at his death was a result of water retention. During his coma, as he deteriorated and his major organs failed, fluid retention and bloating dramatically distorted his body.
Any implication that Dr. Atkins was obese prior to his accident shows a blatant disregard, or even worse, a twisting of medical facts surrounding this case to suit an agenda. One would also expect knowledgeable physicians to have a better understanding of the physiology of severe heart failure and the degree of fluid retention that occurred during this hospitalization for severe brain trauma. None of us would expect the physicians at PCRM to reveal any of this in light of their past and current motivation—but surely as medical professionals they understood that this weight gain was not due to obesity.
_______
One thing is true...his heart did stop beating
[This message was edited by Hills Bro on February 18, 2004 at 13:20.]
P-Mosh ...once again you show your stupidity. He did not die of a heart attack. He fell on icy stairs outside his Manhattan apartment which caused serious head tramua. Fluids built up in his system which is perfectly normal for that type of injury. He eventually died from this accident.
I won't click the yellow button, but I will say bite me.
He fell down, possibly due to heart problems, possibly not. However, he did have a history of heart disease, and he was 75 pounds overweight. I do agree that fluids can build up and cause swelling, but 75 pounds of water within a two week period sounds like a bit too much. Maybe he was only 50 pounds overweight before. Who knows?
quote:Originally posted by Hills Bro:
Are you saying to Sudo he's wrong? Just like you do in the political forums you are the master at ignorant drive by attacks. Get honest in your research.
I wasn't addressing anyone directly. In fact, I do believe that it is easy to lose weight on the Atkins diet. However, there are a lot of health risks in that diet that anyone with google can easily find. Even if some of the potential risks of the Atkins diet are remotely possible but not likely, it's enough that I wouldn't want to do it.
As far as what I do on the political forum, I think you are confusing me with other people. I may not be the most friendly guy in the place, but I can usually back up what I say with mainstream news sources and I am willing to do so as long as it's not just someone trying to get me to do all of the work for them.
Also, there is a brief comparison between the Atkins and other fad diets that should make it easier for people. If you look at the section for Atkins of "Who should avoid this diet?" it lists:
quote:
Those with heart problems, at risk for heart disease, kidney problems or diabetes, pregnant, women, athletes.
So basically, you cut out women which is over 50% of the population. Then, you cut out those who are at risk of heart disease, of which around 40% of people who die in the U.S. do so as a result of heart disease. I couldn't find any statistics on how many people might be thought of as being "at risk" but I would imagine a good majority. Then you're left with those that have kidney problems or diabetes, which is a pretty big number as well, and finally, athletes. That sounds to me like the Atkins diet is not really good for anyone. I do think that people can be on it for short periods of time and not have many problems, but people who stay on it for long periods of time are going to harm their bodies.
...osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer, and renal disease, and pose particular dangers for people with diabetes.
I am not telling people to not use the Atkins diet if they want, there's no reason for anyone to be offended by me saying how bad it is. It's a diet, not a religion, and there are flaws with it just like there are with anything else we eat. Some people decide that heart disease is acceptable to be thin. Others decide that getting cut up and having the fat scraped and pulled out of them via a liposuction is also a good solution. Neither are "natural" approaches that provide the body with just the right nutrients and calories.
The Atkins diet is superior to eating french fries and krispy kreme doughnuts all day, but it is not some great thing that helps everyone. Those who go on it should be aware of the risks, and make their own decisions. I just don't like that people are all so happy about it, and are unaware of the risks. I'd hate to see all of the people on it complaining about it ten years from now because they didn't have all of the facts and thought that the Atkins diet was endorsed by science, while they are dying from heart disease and other problems.
"The Master of ignorant drive-by attacks". I had to laugh at that one to be sure!
And hey, do you mean to say that someone actually wrote an article that innacurately described the state of Dr. Atkins health for political gain?
Hey Rocky, did you hear about that? Wow...
And hey, another thing that was a big blessing when I did the Atkins thing was that my annual sringtime allergies to pollen simply vanished! Dr. Atkins said somewhere in his book that this is a common side effect of cutting out all of the extra crappy carbs, and lo and behold, it came to pass.
Every spring since I was around eighteen, I would become a train wreck of sneezing, watery eyes, nose running like a faucet, etc. Once back East, I sneezed so many times in a row that I had to stop driving so I could ask some lady in a fairly nice neighbor hood who was watering her lawn if I could stick my head and face under her water hose in order to get some relief. She was kind and let me, but it was hard to ask in between sneezes. Pretty funny incident, really. But at least after I got watered down and stopped sneezing, I could see well enough to drive on home...
But, I had thought that when I moved back to S.E. Alaska where it rains like Portland, OR, or Seattle (only way worse), that I would be free from the pollen attacks thinking that the ever present rain would "wash the skies" of all the pollen.
But nooo! The trees in the Tongass National Forest, the Sitka Spruce and Hemlock, put out massive amounts of pollen which I had not expected. On some of the dry days in the spring, one can see what appears to be "rivers of pollen" flowing in the air just as one sees a rainstorm at a distance. And my first year back here, before doing the Atkins diet, it hit me so bad, that my itching eyes got so bad that the whites of my eyes swelled up and closed halfway over my pupils! I had to get medicated eye drops to help the siutation.
But that next spring, after I had lost 47 pounds and had been on Atkins for about 2 and a half months, I had not even a sneeze. It was all over with. Problem gone. Man oh man was I blessed about that! Once, while out on the deck of the ferry while underway, I scraped up a "line" of pollen off of the lifejacket storage box and snorted it with no negative effects whatsoever. Did it just to prove to myself that even that wouldn't send me into a spaz attack of allergies. And even though I haven't adhered to Atkins as strictly as when I lost all the weight, I haven't had allergy problems any more.
Yeah Sudo, it's amazing how we were fed so much wrong information concerning diet by the AMA and other "nutritionalists"... What is that saying that PHD's are to go by? "Do No Harm"? Something like that anyway..
Thought you all might be interested to hear that. About the allergy thing that is...
I think P-Mosh is on the right track, dietetically speaking. The only tried-and-true diet is one that restricts total caloric intake. Also, forget the "lose weight fast" diets. You didn't gain 50 pounds in a month, trying to lose it in a month is ridiculous.
In November, I hit 276 lbs, the most I've ever weighed. Even though I'm fairly tall at 6'2", that was just ridiculous. I decided to make a New Year's resolution (which I hardly ever do) to lose 50 pounds by December 31st of this year. That boils down to about a pound a week. I started the year at 262, I tipped the scales this morning at 251, so I'm 3 lbs ahead of schedule, with 11 days left to go in the month. I've already lost 2 inches off my waist.
How am I doing it? Simple math. There are about 3500 calories in one pound of fat. Since there are 365.25 days in a year, every pound roughly translates into about ten calories extra per day for a year. So, if you can cut 200 calories a day out of your diet, that's 20 pounds you won't be eating over the course of a year. (Granted, that's assuming you've been maintaining a constant weight on your current eating pattern, but it's a ballpark figure.) 200 calories a day is nothing. That's one can of non-diet soda, a candy bar, etc. Just by not hitting the vending machines at the office you can make a big dent in your calorie quota. Then, you cut back on your portion sizes--GRADUALLY. If you go flat-out on one of these fad diets it shocks your metabolic system. It's easy to deprive yourself into "starvation mode" and not lose a pound.
I've cut out the following:
--ALL BUFFETS, ESPECIALLY SALAD BARS. Buffets are nothing but food troughs for fat people. Salad bars are deceptive because of two things: a) salad dressings, which are mostly pure fat, and b) food bulk. Your stomach has to shrink in order for you to feel satisfied on less food. If you're keeping it stretched with bales of salad, you may lose some weight, but you'll never keep any of it off. Mull that over, because it's important. Have a side salad or a packaged salad as a meal (like Wendy's grilled chicken salads) if you must, but Step Away From The Salad Bar!
--all sweet beverages, including tea. Hard for a good Southern boy, but necessary.
--french fries. That's tough for some folks, but the benefits show up quick. I don't eat it myself, but ketchup is a big source of hidden calories since it has a HIGH sugar content. Read the label sometime...
--candy bars. A Snickers has 280 calories.
That's about all I've cut out. Some changes:
--Chinese single-plate lunches (instead of Kung Pao Food Trough) are fine, if you eat all the vegetables first, then only half of the fried rice. The fiber in the cabbage in the egg roll sort of makes up for the fried wonton, but stick to one if you just have to have one.
--Secret snack/dessert: individually-wrapped Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats. These are made with REAL SUGAR, REAL MARGARINE, and REAL MARSHMALLOW. None of that semi-styrofoam "rice cake" crap! This is the real deal, great for that afternoon sweet tooth. Best part? 1 treat is only 90 calories. Compare to a Snickers at 280(!) and there's a big chunk of your calorie debt right there. Plus, the fat and the sugar are enough to calm a carbohydrate craving. Keep a box in your desk.
--One plate of food at dinner. Never, ever go back for seconds. Don't turn your dining room into a mini-buffet! Have a little dessert if you must, but you have to reduce the volume of food as well as the calories--smaller stomach=full faster, on less.
--While diet drinks are good, diet foods are NOT! They taste like crap and rarely satisfy. Plus, you tend to think that if it's "diet" it's okay for unrestricted snacking. Forget it. Don't even bring them into the house. Eat the stuff you like, but eat less of it, that's the real key.
That's all I can think of, for now. I figure I've cut out about 600-650 calories a day out of my prior eating habits, and lost 11 pounds in 7 weeks. I didn't put all this weight on in one year, but if I cut back, I just might be able to sneak 50 pounds off in a year before my metabolism notices I'm not shoveling Little Debbies and fries into it any more...
That's just me, though. I'm not a doctor, consult one before you start, yada, yada, yada. Hope it works for you if you try it!
Division of General Internal Medicine, Duke University, 2200 West Main Street, Durham, NC 27705, USA. ewestman@duke.edu
To determine the effect of a 6-month very low carbohydrate diet program on body weight and other metabolic parameters.Fifty-one overweight or obese healthy volunteers who wanted to lose weight were placed on a very low carbohydrate diet (
Publication Types:
Clinical Trial
PMID: 12106620 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]"
Yeah, "further controlled research is warrented". I guess that says it.
Personally, I've lost a few inches in my waist, though the diet is boring as hell after a while. Funny how everybody is so convinced of it's efficacy or it's inherent danger, without really knowing much of anything about it.
I think the key to the success of those that do lose weight on it, is simply from taking in less calories. The idea that you can fill the gastank and magically burn it all up without going the usual amount of miles is kinda silly. But the idea that "you're all gonna die!" (from doing the diet), is equally bogus...
Your physicians group link is none other than the group who released Atkins death certificate.. Physicians For Responsible Medicine. They have an agenda. They are rabid vegetarians. They unscrupulously obtained, distorted and then released Dr. Atkins death info. He did not die of heart disease as has been pointed out.
People have belief systems when it comes to foods. Peta and vegans think meat is murder. Low carbers think pasta is of the debbil. If you look around honestly at what scientific studies say, you'll see that the evidence is already in that the Atkins diet is both safe and effective in the short term. The only thing distractors can bring up now is long term effects. Those studies are currently being run, I understand.
We'll just have to wait and see how they turn out but in the meantime, my lipid profile just keeps getting better and better. I feel better and gawd knows I look better. My gut feel is that the American Heart Association and others are going to have some crow to eat.
Well I'm going to Atkin's route. My triglycerides have always been a problem - hereditary. That alone is enough to make me try it. People who've not read the book do not understand how they diet works. You are not cutting out all carbs for the rest of your life, you are retraining your body to metabolize food in a healthy manner. Then you add some of the carbs back in, but you stick to the healthy carbs from natural foods. As you add the healthy carbs back in you reduce the fat intake, thereby reaching a balanced diet.
To every man his own truth and his own God within.
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J0nny Ling0
Worked for me. I lost 47 pounds, and have kept it off. I have eaten way more "greens" than before I adopted the Atkins lifestyle. My joints feel way better as far as the usual tradesmans problems go (wrists, shoulders, etc), and I still enjoy complex carbohydrates, but just to a lesser degree. My wife and I have eased into the South Beach Diet lifestyle very recently which has more emphasis on fiber, but is still more of a protein based diet kind of a deal. But sugars are out, as well as cheap crappy carbs like enriched wheat bread (dead bread), and other enriched foods, and, we just live abundantly!
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Sudo
Kit,
Sounds like you're behind this guy but IMO he's dead wrong on every issue. I've lost nearly 60lbs in the last year and have never been healthier and had more energy. My cholesterol and triglycerides levels have plummeted. Oh except the HDL cholesterol (the good kind) that nearly doubled. In fact, my family physician took me off my cholesterol medication (Zocor) that I had been on for years. I didn't need it anymore.
Not only that, but my blood pressure which had been creeping up close to the point of needing medication (right at 150/90) plummeted as well. It now runs about 116/65. And I guess my 51 year old arteries have been unclogging because I also never need those little blue pills in the bedroom anymore. I'm just like I was in my 20's now.
No, Kit it's claptrap like what you've just posted that's keeping a lot of people from getting healthy, IMO. Why, I get far more fiber in my diet than I did before. I eat tons of salad, spinach, squash, Brussels sprouts, collard greens etc. Just how much fiber do you think is in sugar and bleached flour anyways? Those two items are 80% of what a person doing Atkins gives up. Most of the rest is stuff like french fries, baked potatoes and beans. This fool thinks all we low carbers are eating is meat and cheese evidently.
Go to http://atkins.com and read all about what is really making us fat and unhealthy. It's the excess carbs for the most part. Trans fat is right up there, too. I don't know why it is but there must be defense mechanisms built into us about our weight. The most vehement folks against low carbing that I've run into personally are always people who are way overweight themselves.
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Hills Bro
Sudo ..you STUD !! hehehe
I've been doing the Atkins Life-Maintenance diet for about a year now. Never really was that overweight thanks to the physical work I do.
My cholestral (320) was high last year before I decided to try Atkins. Like you..it went down below 200 and I feel great.
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Kit Sober
Thanks.
I didn't know. But I did know we have some great people with great minds who come to the Cafe, and that's why I posted this.
I thought I'd get some good response here.
(It's so great to be able to have opinions once again.)
Thank you very much,
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pawtucket
I have to say that after I was talking with Sudo at the weenie roast, I went on the Atkins and I have lost over 30 pounds. Ditto to what Sudo said about energy too.
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TheEvan
Looks like it's my turn. Went shopping for slacks yesterday and couldn't fit "my size"...
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dmiller
Now THIS is a crazy diet!!
www.hacres.com
Good luck to ALL in their quest for lost weight, and better health.
[This message was edited by dmiller on February 15, 2004 at 15:09.]
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J0nny Ling0
This is Mrs. Lingo, my Ten Cow Woman..
:)-->
Hey, I want to know if any of you folks have tried the South Beach Diet?
I am just starting it, but am looking for more details. It seems like a modified Atkins diet(which I did and thought it was fine.) South Beach concentrates on leaner cuts of meat, lots of vegetables etc. I haven't quite got the hang of it yet. It says it is "neither low carb, nor low fat", but kind of seems to be a little of both. I am also reading a lot about the glycemic index(how quickly carbs turn into sugar in your system)
The problem with Atkins for me was that once I got tired of it, I found myself wanting to still eat the fat(heavy cream in my coffee, yum)but eating more carbs. Then the pounds pile on!
Beware. Just remember you can't eat the carbs and the fat both, you will end up in trouble.
I am not anti-Atkins, but am leery of the amount of nitrates and junk that I consumed on this diet when eating all the bacon, hot dogs, sandwich meat etc. Maybe I just did not get into the salad factor as well as you guys are.
Anyway, I am looking for South Beach diet input.
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No Way
4 years ago i lost 40 lbs by becoming a vegan. then eventually 2 years ago i started eating meat again and gained 20 lbs back, but recently lost most of it just by cutting down on fried foods & giving up soda.
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dmiller
No Way -- yep, those fried foods are a heart attack "waiting to happen".
Good for you !!
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CupaCoffee
I own a popular restaurant that specializes in low carb meals and cheesecakes. First let me say if any of you need any GREAT and EASY recipes I have them. People eating low carb and those not dieting love our food. Our swat team is on south beach and they are losing and doing very well. I am noticing many people in my area have been "somersizing" after being on Atkins. (Suzanne Somers diet that's been around a while.) One of my servers has lost over 50 lbs on this and another who did not have much weight to lose...has lost weight and looks great. It is Atkins with one difference. You can eat whole grain carbs BUT never with a fat/protein. When they eat a whole grain cereal or bread they must use skim or fat free milk or cream cheese.( We grind wheat and bake for them) You have to wait a certain amount of hours before you can have a fat/protein meal. It's a bit of the old food combining routine I remember. You can also have fruit. It seems much healthier. BUT beware...Mrs L is correct. If you eat lots of protein/fat don't cheat. I really messes with your blood sugar and you will gain weight fast. (Hey Shannon...this is Edee!) love you sweetie.
Make my funk...a sanctified funk...
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diazbro
Speaking in general.
Diets when combined with exercise are the
most effective way to reduce weight and keep
it off. Diets alone are merely temporary
fixes and I don't know anyone who has
kept off weight permanently just by dieting.
They inevitably yo-yo up and down.
On the other hand people who have chosen to
make exercise part of their life have better
fitness , more energy, and more success with
diets than people who don't exercise.
Looked at another way - people who exercise
at least 3 times a week can usually indulge
in things like sweets without noticeable impact
to their physique. Not that this should be the
goal of exercise butI know plenty of people
who exercise just so they can eat pretty much
whatever they want. For example I used to run
alot and I could eat anything and not gain.
When I stopped running as a result of an injury
I started to put on weight. I'm sure others
here have had the same experience.
People who just diet and continue to avoid exercise are always at the mercy of whats on the days' recipe list and are doomed
forever to live off a limited menu. ITs no
wonder that hardcore dieters I meet seem to
be so irritable.
This odd thing is that when I talk to my
deiting friends about exercise they look at
me like I'm saying dirty words and they
won't even consider getting on a treadmill
or use a jump rope. Its like they have eliminated exercise as a possible aid to help
them achieve their weight loss goals.
they say things like " I don't have time
for that crap" which is bizarre. I simply
do not understand that mentality and its
no wonder that obesity is a major public
health concern in the US.
Regular, moderate exercise accomplishes
so much for the physiology and while most
people readily accept this concept they
avoid doing it. While a low carb diet
might result in more energy (though its
usually the absence of sugar foods that
promote more energy), exercise will do the same
thing while trimming fat, improving cardio
vascular health, improve muscle tone,
and increasing emergy levels.
While scientists have not found a fountain
of youth its widely held that exercise is
the closet thing we have to it.
[This message was edited by diazbro on February 18, 2004 at 11:16.]
[This message was edited by diazbro on February 18, 2004 at 11:36.]
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Mister P-Mosh
The Atkins diet is dangerous for many reasons, but I won't get into that here. I'll just say that if you value your colon, kidneys, heart, etc. then you won't go on this fad diet. The founder died of a heart attack after all, while weighing 250 pounds or so.
Anyway I prefer my diet. It's the "eat stuff that makes sense" diet. I've named it other things too but this is what it is right now. Basically, I eat less meat, although when I do it's seafood or chicken. I don't eat fried things most of the time, don't drink much other than water and fruit juice. I eat whole grain bread rather than white bread. I eat vegetables when I can. When I go out to eat, I don't finish everything on my plate unless I am still very hungry, and I eat slow just in case.
As far as I can tell, if your breakfast is a bowl of cereal and some type of fruit juice, your lunch is a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with sun chips with a glass of water, and your supper is chicken with mole on rice or potatoes with fruit juice to drink, you're going to lose weight.
My wife is a big fan of Weight Watchers, and they seem to have the most sensible balanced diet as far as I can tell. I do eat some of their desserts that she buys at the groceries. In particular, they make an ok brownie with chocolate sauce and fat free cheesecake. The Weight Watcher idea is basically to lower sugars and fat, while raising fiber, while working on a certain amount of calories.
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Hope R.
Has anyone tried Dr. Phil's weight loss program? I have my last 15-20 to lose and have reached my plateau. I don't think I could do Atkins, and have caught Dr. Phil's show when he had his weight loss folks on. Thinking about buying the books but would love someone's perspective who has tried it.
Hope R. color>size>face>
P.S. Coffeegal - I have a GREAT animated graphic for you if you want to use it for your avatar:
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Mister P-Mosh
That's probably the most important thing that most people need drilled into their heads. I think that most of us (myself included) are too lazy and we think that we are too busy to spend 30 minutes in a gym or exercising somewhere.
My wife does pilates and they seem to be helping out quite a bit. She has the videos but has stopped using the videos and just does it on her own for 30 minutes every weekday. That's helped her out quite a bit. We also go to the gym sometimes, and on the weekend we go walk around places a lot. Even a trip to the mall can be exercise, although a park is best.
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Hills Bro
The Atkins diet is dangerous for many reasons, but I won't get into that here. I'll just say that if you value your colon, kidneys, heart, etc. then you won't go on this fad diet. The founder died of a heart attack after all, while weighing 250 pounds or so.
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P-Mosh ...once again you show your stupidity. He did not die of a heart attack. He fell on icy stairs outside his Manhattan apartment which caused serious head tramua. Fluids built up in his system which is perfectly normal for that type of injury. He eventually died from this accident.
Are you saying to Sudo he's wrong? Just like you do in the political forums you are the master at ignorant drive by attacks. Get honest in your research.
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The Truth About Dr. Atkins’ Weight
By Stuart Trager, M.D.
At the time of his injury at the age of 72, after years of following the Atkins Nutritional ApproachTM, Dr. Atkins’ recorded height was 6 feet and his recorded weight was 195 pounds.
In today's Wall Street Journal a grossly distorted story on the health of Dr. Robert C. Atkins reported that he weighed 258 pounds at the time of his death, making him obese. In fact, the day after his fall, Dr. Atkins' weight was recorded as195 pounds, 63 pounds less than reported at his death! Based on the body mass index (BMI), a desirable range for people over the age of 65, is 24 to 29. At a height of 6 feet, Dr. Atkins’ BMI was 26.4, putting him squarely in the normal range for his age.
The Journal article was based on incomplete and inaccurate personal medical information that was released in violation of federal law. Furthermore, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), which, despite its name is a group of animal rights activists, illegally delivered these documents to the newspaper.
Dr. Atkins' weight was consistently and frequently documented in the years and months prior to his fall; as he was suffering from cardiomyopathy, his health was monitored closely. Despite this, he regularly played tennis, his favorite sport. His weight at his death was a result of water retention. During his coma, as he deteriorated and his major organs failed, fluid retention and bloating dramatically distorted his body.
Any implication that Dr. Atkins was obese prior to his accident shows a blatant disregard, or even worse, a twisting of medical facts surrounding this case to suit an agenda. One would also expect knowledgeable physicians to have a better understanding of the physiology of severe heart failure and the degree of fluid retention that occurred during this hospitalization for severe brain trauma. None of us would expect the physicians at PCRM to reveal any of this in light of their past and current motivation—but surely as medical professionals they understood that this weight gain was not due to obesity.
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One thing is true...his heart did stop beating
[This message was edited by Hills Bro on February 18, 2004 at 13:20.]
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Mister P-Mosh
I won't click the yellow button, but I will say bite me.
He fell down, possibly due to heart problems, possibly not. However, he did have a history of heart disease, and he was 75 pounds overweight. I do agree that fluids can build up and cause swelling, but 75 pounds of water within a two week period sounds like a bit too much. Maybe he was only 50 pounds overweight before. Who knows?
I wasn't addressing anyone directly. In fact, I do believe that it is easy to lose weight on the Atkins diet. However, there are a lot of health risks in that diet that anyone with google can easily find. Even if some of the potential risks of the Atkins diet are remotely possible but not likely, it's enough that I wouldn't want to do it.
As far as what I do on the political forum, I think you are confusing me with other people. I may not be the most friendly guy in the place, but I can usually back up what I say with mainstream news sources and I am willing to do so as long as it's not just someone trying to get me to do all of the work for them.
For example, I've seen the report of Atkins' death, and noted that it lists myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and hypertension. These are pretty serious, and whether or not the heart attack caused Dr. Atkins to fall and hurt himself, one has to wonder what else was wrong.
Also, there is a brief comparison between the Atkins and other fad diets that should make it easier for people. If you look at the section for Atkins of "Who should avoid this diet?" it lists:
So basically, you cut out women which is over 50% of the population. Then, you cut out those who are at risk of heart disease, of which around 40% of people who die in the U.S. do so as a result of heart disease. I couldn't find any statistics on how many people might be thought of as being "at risk" but I would imagine a good majority. Then you're left with those that have kidney problems or diabetes, which is a pretty big number as well, and finally, athletes. That sounds to me like the Atkins diet is not really good for anyone. I do think that people can be on it for short periods of time and not have many problems, but people who stay on it for long periods of time are going to harm their bodies.
Of course, it's not just me. There are a number of doctors that have problems with the Atkins diet too. That site lists problems such as:
I am not telling people to not use the Atkins diet if they want, there's no reason for anyone to be offended by me saying how bad it is. It's a diet, not a religion, and there are flaws with it just like there are with anything else we eat. Some people decide that heart disease is acceptable to be thin. Others decide that getting cut up and having the fat scraped and pulled out of them via a liposuction is also a good solution. Neither are "natural" approaches that provide the body with just the right nutrients and calories.
The Atkins diet is superior to eating french fries and krispy kreme doughnuts all day, but it is not some great thing that helps everyone. Those who go on it should be aware of the risks, and make their own decisions. I just don't like that people are all so happy about it, and are unaware of the risks. I'd hate to see all of the people on it complaining about it ten years from now because they didn't have all of the facts and thought that the Atkins diet was endorsed by science, while they are dying from heart disease and other problems.
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Steve!
P-Mosh - actually, it is VERY common to gain 60 - 80 pounds when you are in a coma, and on a feeding tube.
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J0nny Ling0
"The Master of ignorant drive-by attacks". I had to laugh at that one to be sure!
And hey, do you mean to say that someone actually wrote an article that innacurately described the state of Dr. Atkins health for political gain?
Hey Rocky, did you hear about that? Wow...
And hey, another thing that was a big blessing when I did the Atkins thing was that my annual sringtime allergies to pollen simply vanished! Dr. Atkins said somewhere in his book that this is a common side effect of cutting out all of the extra crappy carbs, and lo and behold, it came to pass.
Every spring since I was around eighteen, I would become a train wreck of sneezing, watery eyes, nose running like a faucet, etc. Once back East, I sneezed so many times in a row that I had to stop driving so I could ask some lady in a fairly nice neighbor hood who was watering her lawn if I could stick my head and face under her water hose in order to get some relief. She was kind and let me, but it was hard to ask in between sneezes. Pretty funny incident, really. But at least after I got watered down and stopped sneezing, I could see well enough to drive on home...
But, I had thought that when I moved back to S.E. Alaska where it rains like Portland, OR, or Seattle (only way worse), that I would be free from the pollen attacks thinking that the ever present rain would "wash the skies" of all the pollen.
But nooo! The trees in the Tongass National Forest, the Sitka Spruce and Hemlock, put out massive amounts of pollen which I had not expected. On some of the dry days in the spring, one can see what appears to be "rivers of pollen" flowing in the air just as one sees a rainstorm at a distance. And my first year back here, before doing the Atkins diet, it hit me so bad, that my itching eyes got so bad that the whites of my eyes swelled up and closed halfway over my pupils! I had to get medicated eye drops to help the siutation.
But that next spring, after I had lost 47 pounds and had been on Atkins for about 2 and a half months, I had not even a sneeze. It was all over with. Problem gone. Man oh man was I blessed about that! Once, while out on the deck of the ferry while underway, I scraped up a "line" of pollen off of the lifejacket storage box and snorted it with no negative effects whatsoever. Did it just to prove to myself that even that wouldn't send me into a spaz attack of allergies. And even though I haven't adhered to Atkins as strictly as when I lost all the weight, I haven't had allergy problems any more.
Yeah Sudo, it's amazing how we were fed so much wrong information concerning diet by the AMA and other "nutritionalists"... What is that saying that PHD's are to go by? "Do No Harm"? Something like that anyway..
Thought you all might be interested to hear that. About the allergy thing that is...
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Zixar
I think P-Mosh is on the right track, dietetically speaking. The only tried-and-true diet is one that restricts total caloric intake. Also, forget the "lose weight fast" diets. You didn't gain 50 pounds in a month, trying to lose it in a month is ridiculous.
In November, I hit 276 lbs, the most I've ever weighed. Even though I'm fairly tall at 6'2", that was just ridiculous. I decided to make a New Year's resolution (which I hardly ever do) to lose 50 pounds by December 31st of this year. That boils down to about a pound a week. I started the year at 262, I tipped the scales this morning at 251, so I'm 3 lbs ahead of schedule, with 11 days left to go in the month. I've already lost 2 inches off my waist.
How am I doing it? Simple math. There are about 3500 calories in one pound of fat. Since there are 365.25 days in a year, every pound roughly translates into about ten calories extra per day for a year. So, if you can cut 200 calories a day out of your diet, that's 20 pounds you won't be eating over the course of a year. (Granted, that's assuming you've been maintaining a constant weight on your current eating pattern, but it's a ballpark figure.) 200 calories a day is nothing. That's one can of non-diet soda, a candy bar, etc. Just by not hitting the vending machines at the office you can make a big dent in your calorie quota. Then, you cut back on your portion sizes--GRADUALLY. If you go flat-out on one of these fad diets it shocks your metabolic system. It's easy to deprive yourself into "starvation mode" and not lose a pound.
I've cut out the following:
--ALL BUFFETS, ESPECIALLY SALAD BARS. Buffets are nothing but food troughs for fat people. Salad bars are deceptive because of two things: a) salad dressings, which are mostly pure fat, and b) food bulk. Your stomach has to shrink in order for you to feel satisfied on less food. If you're keeping it stretched with bales of salad, you may lose some weight, but you'll never keep any of it off. Mull that over, because it's important. Have a side salad or a packaged salad as a meal (like Wendy's grilled chicken salads) if you must, but Step Away From The Salad Bar!
--all sweet beverages, including tea. Hard for a good Southern boy, but necessary.
--french fries. That's tough for some folks, but the benefits show up quick. I don't eat it myself, but ketchup is a big source of hidden calories since it has a HIGH sugar content. Read the label sometime...
--candy bars. A Snickers has 280 calories.
That's about all I've cut out. Some changes:
--Chinese single-plate lunches (instead of Kung Pao Food Trough) are fine, if you eat all the vegetables first, then only half of the fried rice. The fiber in the cabbage in the egg roll sort of makes up for the fried wonton, but stick to one if you just have to have one.
--Secret snack/dessert: individually-wrapped Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats. These are made with REAL SUGAR, REAL MARGARINE, and REAL MARSHMALLOW. None of that semi-styrofoam "rice cake" crap! This is the real deal, great for that afternoon sweet tooth. Best part? 1 treat is only 90 calories. Compare to a Snickers at 280(!) and there's a big chunk of your calorie debt right there. Plus, the fat and the sugar are enough to calm a carbohydrate craving. Keep a box in your desk.
--One plate of food at dinner. Never, ever go back for seconds. Don't turn your dining room into a mini-buffet! Have a little dessert if you must, but you have to reduce the volume of food as well as the calories--smaller stomach=full faster, on less.
--While diet drinks are good, diet foods are NOT! They taste like crap and rarely satisfy. Plus, you tend to think that if it's "diet" it's okay for unrestricted snacking. Forget it. Don't even bring them into the house. Eat the stuff you like, but eat less of it, that's the real key.
That's all I can think of, for now. I figure I've cut out about 600-650 calories a day out of my prior eating habits, and lost 11 pounds in 7 weeks. I didn't put all this weight on in one year, but if I cut back, I just might be able to sneak 50 pounds off in a year before my metabolism notices I'm not shoveling Little Debbies and fries into it any more...
That's just me, though. I'm not a doctor, consult one before you start, yada, yada, yada. Hope it works for you if you try it!
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George Aar
I read "Quackwatch" from time to time, usually to check out the most recent health claims of some "alternative" medicine advocate.
They don't have much good to say about Atkins, though, curiously, the only studies they referred to were more positive than negative.
Case in point:
"Effect of 6-month adherence to a very low carbohydrate diet program.
Westman EC, Yancy WS, Edman JS, Tomlin KF, Perkins CE.
Division of General Internal Medicine, Duke University, 2200 West Main Street, Durham, NC 27705, USA. ewestman@duke.edu
To determine the effect of a 6-month very low carbohydrate diet program on body weight and other metabolic parameters.Fifty-one overweight or obese healthy volunteers who wanted to lose weight were placed on a very low carbohydrate diet (
Publication Types:
Clinical Trial
PMID: 12106620 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]"
Yeah, "further controlled research is warrented". I guess that says it.
Personally, I've lost a few inches in my waist, though the diet is boring as hell after a while. Funny how everybody is so convinced of it's efficacy or it's inherent danger, without really knowing much of anything about it.
I think the key to the success of those that do lose weight on it, is simply from taking in less calories. The idea that you can fill the gastank and magically burn it all up without going the usual amount of miles is kinda silly. But the idea that "you're all gonna die!" (from doing the diet), is equally bogus...
geo.
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Sudo
P-Mosh,
Your physicians group link is none other than the group who released Atkins death certificate.. Physicians For Responsible Medicine. They have an agenda. They are rabid vegetarians. They unscrupulously obtained, distorted and then released Dr. Atkins death info. He did not die of heart disease as has been pointed out.
People have belief systems when it comes to foods. Peta and vegans think meat is murder. Low carbers think pasta is of the debbil. If you look around honestly at what scientific studies say, you'll see that the evidence is already in that the Atkins diet is both safe and effective in the short term. The only thing distractors can bring up now is long term effects. Those studies are currently being run, I understand.
We'll just have to wait and see how they turn out but in the meantime, my lipid profile just keeps getting better and better. I feel better and gawd knows I look better. My gut feel is that the American Heart Association and others are going to have some crow to eat.
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Abigail
Well I'm going to Atkin's route. My triglycerides have always been a problem - hereditary. That alone is enough to make me try it. People who've not read the book do not understand how they diet works. You are not cutting out all carbs for the rest of your life, you are retraining your body to metabolize food in a healthy manner. Then you add some of the carbs back in, but you stick to the healthy carbs from natural foods. As you add the healthy carbs back in you reduce the fat intake, thereby reaching a balanced diet.
To every man his own truth and his own God within.
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Shellon
Is there an Atkins For Dummy's book out there?
Seriously, I have looked at the books several times and only served to fall asleep.
I need a better 'diet', but sure can't understand how this one can help my needs.
All that meat? ew!
Good lipids, bad lipids, all the medical stuff too. zzzzzzzzz.
Seems like it depends on who you talk to as far as how this thing works.
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