Atkins diet anyone??

[Katia]

I am still trying to lose those Holiday pounds, and started the Atkins diet recently. I have never tried it before. It is strange to me how, say, eating fruit is bad but mayonnaise is OK! I also feel guilty everytime I put cheese in my mouth!

Has anyone here ever tried it? If so, how was your experience.. good or bad?

[Loki's Advocate]

http://my.webmd.com/content/pages/7/3220_136.htm

What I've heard and read of it has led me to believe that it IS a good way to lose kilograms, but also a good way to make yourself very unwell.

[Teufelhunden]

Great diet have used it myself and am on it now... And you will find many a pin headed site that totes that "it is so unhealthy" and other such bull**** like protein will give you kidney stones etc. etc./... If you follow the guidelines you will be just fine. The only people that had any problem with it are people that allready have kidney problems or diabetis.
Drop me an email if you have any questions Katia id be glad to help you "tweak" it to help you out more.
It wont hurt you in a million years, Paleo man ate nuts fat and protein, few grains and didi not eat bread , flour etc etc.. we have not changed that m
much in 1000000 years. There is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate.
Teufelhunden

[Loki's Advocate]

The only people that had any problem with it are people that allready have kidney problems or diabetis.

Hmm. Why is it that this diet makes these things worse?

Would women's generally-higher body fat ratio have any bearing on the way the diet works, metabolically?

[pinlighter]

I follow the Bowery diet

http://www.geocities.com/jim_bowery/bowerydiet.html



Eat less starch and more protein until you feel better.

The End




I've tried it, not to lose weight, but to improve my general health and energy level.

It works if you have the right kind of biology - basically a lot of protein stimulates my metabolism and THAT makes me lose weight. But really I do it because it makes me feel good.

[Teufelhunden]

No not really LA, but the diabetis and the kidneys is another story. The damage that is already there the high protein would stress them out too much, but a healthy person is would not be a strain. Diabetics should just be careful anyway beacuse of the fine hormonal tightrope they walk.. It is a diet of Insulin control, but it can make a Daiabetic Hypoinsulemic and that would be just as bad.

[The Mersey's Watcher]

If your going on the atkins diet I strongly recommend you bring very strong mints around with you. The people I know who have been on it, when they where on it, pooof :eek: you had to stand about 4 foot away when talking to them, they had the worst breath ever.

[Hveðrungur Kveldúlfsson]

If your going on the atkins diet I strongly recommend you bring very strong mints around with you. The people I know who have been on it, when they where on it, pooof :eek: you had to stand about 4 foot away when talking to them, they had the worst breath ever.
Or you can just brush your teeth on a regular basis :p

[The Mersey's Watcher]

Or you can just brush your teeth on a regular basis

No, seriously, it'll take alot more than that. Unless regular for you is ten times a day.

I'm curious, does anyone here know why the atkins diet produces awful breath ?. Is it the lack of nutrients and vitamens which can't been found in meats ?.

[Teufelhunden]

It is becuse of the production of Ketone bodies in the blood and urine. this a a by product of burning fat, they are created as the waste of the burning. When they get to a cerrtain stage the body finds way to disspose of them and when urine out put and sweat are not enough you secrete them in respiration, hence the rotten apple breath.

[aud_friggsdottir]

Only advice I would add is to keep it well rounded...do the induction portion only two weeks, then switch to the second phase (forgot the name), don't keep up the induction unless you are say 100 lbs over weight. I say this because the extreme (in any diet not just this one) is meant to knock you back into harmony, and to keep it up too long would do the opposite.

Also, you can have a wide variety of fruits, vegis, nuts, etc.... Eat them! The reason people do poorly or have adverse effects is because they are lazy and still want all the packaged foods and convenience foods, but still want to lose weight. When I was on it, prior to being pregnant, I lost weight, but what I was on it was because I have blood sugar issues (hypoglycemic..spelling?). It really worked wonders for me! But I ate all salads, nuts, "allowed" vegis, and lots of protien.

I hope you have the book because he talks about all the myths and misconceptions that swirl around the diet. Also, there are some YUMMY recipes in the back of the book that are very easy to make and incorporate lots of vegis.

I didn't get bad breath...that is one of the "myths" he contradicts in the book...I wonder if it has to do with a food intolerance...such as cheese or apples or something. That would cause strong odor of the breath. I would say if someone is having such an issue...it may be the food rather than the ketosis (I think that is what it is called!)

Anyway, my 2 cents...its been well over a year since I have used the diet!

FFF
Kathy

[Jay]

There is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate?!?

Then why are carbohydrates utilized by our bodies and why do athletes need them for energy?

I can NEVER recommend the Atkins diet for a long term fix because it is not a sensible diet. Sensible diets include eating protein, carbs and fats in a proper proportion that is individualized for your body type. No doubt we all could benefit from cutting down on carbohydrates because American eating habits are centered around them. But to limit yourself to the small amount of carbs that Atkins tells you to do....is not the smartest thing to do.

However....you could do something like this.

5 days Atkins 1 day "normal".

The normal day is a cheat day. Carb load and/or eat normal foods. It is actaully proven that having a cheat day in a diet will motivate you to stay on it, and IMO that day of carb loading (for the non-athletic types) will benefit you the next 5 days.

Give that a shot and see how it works.

[Katia]

Thanks for all the feedback, guys! :)

[aud_friggsdottir]

There is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate?!?

Then why are carbohydrates utilized by our bodies and why do athletes need them for energy?

I can NEVER recommend the Atkins diet for a long term fix because it is not a sensible diet. Sensible diets include eating protein, carbs and fats in a proper proportion that is individualized for your body type. No doubt we all could benefit from cutting down on carbohydrates because American eating habits are centered around them. But to limit yourself to the small amount of carbs that Atkins tells you to do....is not the smartest thing to do.

However....you could do something like this.

5 days Atkins 1 day "normal".

The normal day is a cheat day. Carb load and/or eat normal foods. It is actaully proven that having a cheat day in a diet will motivate you to stay on it, and IMO that day of carb loading (for the non-athletic types) will benefit you the next 5 days.

Give that a shot and see how it works.

Maybe he was talking simple carbs (table sugar) as opposed to complex carbs (brown rice). The former isn't essential, but the latter absolutely is. The Atkins "OWL" diet which means ongoing weight loss and the maintenance diet incorporate carbs, just not tons. The problem with your above atkins senario is that your body will starve for carbs and binge on carbs when you finally eat them. BUT I think Fit for Life uses the "free day" gig...and I know lots of people that are successful with it. The thing is that you cannot have weight loss and healthy living without EXERCISE...that is just a reality. Now depending on one's diet, one could use less exercise than someone else.

I used a lowfat diet, but worked out 2-3 hours a day...it took me 3 months to lose 35lbs....I lost nearly the same amount in about the same time with LESS exercise with Atkins, but again I have blood sugar issues so it suited me more. But I also ate ONLY complex carbs, and NO sugar. But along came Hakon...then Freydis...well now I am back to square one...LOL

Anyway..babble babble....LOL...I am tired!

FFF

[Teufelhunden]

You do not need them Jay.. Eskimos live on meat and fat, many tribes in Africa live on nothing but that.. Once you adapt to what you geneticaly ate eaons ago you will have jsut as much energy and health as now, you just need to make that shift.
My uncle is head of Anthropology at UOP in CA, our bodies have not changed.. You do not need carbs to survive.
althoght I will say that I am not going to get into a pissing match about it all. so what works for you.

[jcsturk]

I would recommend the Paleodiet. It's similar to Atkins, but with evolutionary science behind it.

The basic idea:
Hominids existed for millions of years on a hunter-gatherer diet. The human body is most suited to process the foods that we've been eating for these millions of years.
Don't eat: anything that requires a high degree of technology to be produced and could not exist in a primitive society. Also, stay away from potatoes and milk.
Do eat: meat (a lot of meat), vegitables that you can grow in a small garden, nuts, fruit.

I combine this with a basic knowledge of nutrition. Oh, and I do drink milk, because it's good for you, and lactose intolerance is less common amongst Northern Europeans than other peoples (meaning dairy may have played a role in our development).

[Teufelhunden]

That is a good one also

[aud_friggsdottir]

You do not need carbs to survive.


Maybe not to merely survive, but definitely to be healthy! Having done numerous articles on health...you definitely DO need complex carbs from fruit, vegis, herbs, roots, nuts, etc...

Our Folk were gatherers as well as hunters. They gathered berries, fruit, grasses, herbs, etc... This has been proven through archaeological digs...

Are you saying that our Folk haven't change (biologically) since we discovered agriculture? I am not sure what period of folk you are talking about...we certainly have changed since "caveman" days. Nutrition of ancient folk is discovered by the condition of the skeletons. Archaeologists can tell a slave from a rich person by the condition of the skeleton...what type of work the person did, what kind of diet, etc... This is taken in with other surviving evidence.

Hell they even found an "herb" with the Kennewick man, I believe.

At anyrate, *no pissing contests are needed :)...

((I really need to re-read my posts))

[Loki's Advocate]

You do not need them Jay.. Eskimos live on meat and fat, many tribes in Africa live on nothing but that..

Our bodies may not have changed, but the different things we do in our different societies certainly have. Perhaps, the qualitative differences between our own societies and Inuit/various African/whatever culture could be (partially) explained in the differences in our diets?

I am not completely discounting your theory, because I myself have benefitted greatly from eating less carbs over the last year or so and more protein.

But as for myself, if someone seriously tells me that I can work from 6pm-6am without eating any carbs, or take classes for 6 hours a day without eating any carbs, I'd have to scoff- because I have tried, and I know my concentration and good humour simply doesn't last without carbs in me.

[Outdoorsman]

But as for myself, if someone seriously tells me that I can work from 6pm-6am without eating any carbs, or take classes for 6 hours a day without eating any carbs, I'd have to scoff- because I have tried, and I know my concentration and good humour simply doesn't last without carbs in me.

lol I second that statement. I've tried going to work after having only a couple eggs for protein, and I don't function well at work (an office job). My mind becomes muddled and I get a bit cranky or moody. So I have to buy something from the vending machine to get some carbs. Then a couple minutes after eating them, I'm back to my normal self.

Eating complex carbs seems to work also, but not as quickly. But it's probably healthier than simple carbs.

[Teufelhunden]

Was not a theory , but like I said not going to get into a dietary pissing match about it.. you have to give your body a chance to make the metabolic shift, and those symptoms will go away. I at this way for 6 years and never felt better, never leaner or had as much muscle as I did then..

[aud_friggsdottir]

Oh, and I do drink milk, because it's good for you, and lactose intolerance is less common amongst Northern Europeans than other peoples (meaning dairy may have played a role in our development).

Well this is not exactly true. Humans are the only mammals that drink the milk of another mammal and then drink it after the age of two. The only milk a human needs is while it is an infant and nursing from its mother. After the age of 2, humans no longer absorb the calcium. In fact, lactose intolerance AND more so casein (spelling?) allergies are in about 75-80% of the population (if you need a citation: "Is This Your Child" by Doris J. Rapp http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0688086233/103-1309147-6757454?v=glance ). Also, combine this with the hormones, antibiotics, etc... pumped into cows AND that the milk comes from a larger boned animal means that it is not healthy. The only reason it is touted as healthy is because it upholds the overproduction/over consumption cycle of the dairy industry...sorry hot button issue.

[gwynyvyr]

I have worked on commercial dairy farms, with herd sizes ranging from 50 to 2000 head of cows.
The amount of growth hormones, antibiotics, etc that is pumped into those cattle would horrify any reasonable person. Think that milk in the dairy case is *pure milk*? Think again. Additives are used. Especially in the lower fat milks to give them a better taste balance and mouth *feel*. The FDA allows this WITHOUT labeling for the consumer because of concessions to the dairy industry lobby.
If you enjoy dairy products, go for the least processed and local you can find.
There are farms that are organically raising dairy cows now and refuse the industry-wide habit of pumping the cows up with every hormone and anti-biotic that comes down the track.Some heath food stores sell un-homogenized milk...which can actually be easier on your digestive system.If you know a local organic farmer that has a cow, see if you can buy your milk *straight from the spigot* so to speak. Unpasturized, unhomogenized. In most states cows are routinely tested for the diseases that pasturization is supposed to eliminate...TB, etc., so the milk is usually quite safe.
Cheese, butter, yogurt, etc ....Again, get organic if you can and if possible CULTURED. Again, much easier on your digestive system.Cultured butter and sour cream, etc is the standard in most of Europe.
The Northern European diet is HEAVY on dairy, but they simply do not eat it in the same forms we do. The Danish have always had a fondness for sour milk with a smidge of honey in it...A traditional dish in Norway is soupy curds and whey with lingonberry syrup in it...Another traditional dish in most of Scandinavia is Sour Cream Baked Pudding...which I have had and is AWESOME...but a pain to make!

If cows milk doesn't work for you, you can always try goats milk, too. Goats milk herbed cheese...mmmmmnnnnn....

[Scramaseax]

Can always go for rice or soy milk

[Loki's Advocate]

Was not a theory , but like I said not going to get into a dietary pissing match about it.

Pardon me.

I agree; let's not do.

[Pagan Rebirth]

Over time that diet will kill you, and give you many health problems along the way. Eating large amounts of dead animal fat, is very unhealthy, alot of it is a faustian deal, alot of pounds lost comes from body water, and over time the large amount of acid in your system. Will cause you health problems, that is the same type of diet that killed the Greenland settlers off. Digging your grave with your teeth.


I am still trying to lose those Holiday pounds, and started the Atkins diet recently. I have never tried it before. It is strange to me how, say, eating fruit is bad but mayonnaise is OK! I also feel guilty everytime I put cheese in my mouth!

Has anyone here ever tried it? If so, how was your experience.. good or bad?

[solar_nexus]

I'm actually an octo-lactose vegetarian (sometimes I'll go vegan for a few weeks every now and again). I see things in terms of macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) and micro-nutrients (iron, zinc, v-c, v-e, calcium, ect.) and I try to incorperate a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, eggs, and dairy into my diet. I tend to stay away from indulging in too much suger and starch, and I prefer oats and barely over wheat (which isn't that good for you). The dynamics of weight loss are pretty simple. All you have to do is eat less and exercise more. Slowly reduce your calories every week and keep in mind that your body will adapt to whatever you put in it. If you reduce your calories but you eat carbs all the time then your body will adapt to them and you will stop loosing weight. Its also good to have a "cheat day" once a week....a day where you can indulge in the things that you crave. The reason why the Atkin's diet *initially* works is because most Americans are used to eating carbs (chips, french fries, snacks, ect.), so then when they cut the carbs out this "tricks" the body into burning fat. But guess what.....you will find that you will start gaining weight again on your "carbless diet". Why? Because your body is beginning to re-adapt to your new diet. This is actually a survival mechanism as our bodies are specifically designed to stave off starvation and will adapt to whatever food it put into it. The same thing goes for exercise, whatever movement you perform, how many you do, and what you lift will also be adapted to. Therefore, the key to the "perfect body" is constant flux and change. It is truely a chess game and for some people it can be a long and draining process.

[eindridi]

i tried atkins for a time and yes, i lost weight but i quickly became very bored with the diet and went off it, and guess what, just like you've heard before, i gained back even more than i lost in the first place. i have been doing the bill phillips body for life program for couple months now and am having much better success. i am not bored with the food choices, i feel healthy. i have lost around 20lbs and gained alot of lean muscle. i have lost 4 inches off my stomach and 3 off of my waist. i think it just boils down to watching what you eat, a good balance of protien, healthy natural carbs that are found in fruit and veggies, and healthy fats. exercise is very important also, i was the king of excuses for not having time or energy but i made time. i get up a little earlier in the morning and work out before work. i have more energy throughout the day and i sleep better at night. i require less sleep now to get the same amount of rest. i think you also need a good balnce of resistance weight training and cardio. if you fail to do weight training you will still lose weight but your basic body shape will not change. i'm not saying you need to bulk up and geet huge, unless of course you want to, but just tone up, you will not only look better but will feel better and have more self confidence. i wish all of you luck in your quest for health and fitness, it is all a matter of individual preference, what works for one may not work for another. the key is to find a program you can do and make work. body for life lets you eat up to six times a day so you never really get hungry as your body always has something to digest and you get a cheat day, this helps more than you can know. it gives you the strength to say "no, i'll have those nachos and ice cream on my cheat day"

[solar_nexus]

Bill Phillips stuff is pretty good. Its basically a simplified version of "Periodization Training", which was developed by Dr. Tudor Bompa. The reason why Bill Phillips program works so well is because it makes use of "cycling" between endurance exercises and muscle building exercises as well as cycling the nutrition as well so that your body won't adapt. Not a bad approach, all though I do beleive that professional body builders and athletes should move beyond Bill Phillips and make use of Dr. Tudor Bompa's material instead. For the average person......I'd say Bill Phillips is awsome.


i tried atkins for a time and yes, i lost weight but i quickly became very bored with the diet and went off it, and guess what, just like you've heard before, i gained back even more than i lost in the first place. i have been doing the bill phillips body for life program for couple months now and am having much better success. i am not bored with the food choices, i feel healthy. i have lost around 20lbs and gained alot of lean muscle. i have lost 4 inches off my stomach and 3 off of my waist. i think it just boils down to watching what you eat, a good balance of protien, healthy natural carbs that are found in fruit and veggies, and healthy fats. exercise is very important also, i was the king of excuses for not having time or energy but i made time. i get up a little earlier in the morning and work out before work. i have more energy throughout the day and i sleep better at night. i require less sleep now to get the same amount of rest. i think you also need a good balnce of resistance weight training and cardio. if you fail to do weight training you will still lose weight but your basic body shape will not change. i'm not saying you need to bulk up and geet huge, unless of course you want to, but just tone up, you will not only look better but will feel better and have more self confidence. i wish all of you luck in your quest for health and fitness, it is all a matter of individual preference, what works for one may not work for another. the key is to find a program you can do and make work. body for life lets you eat up to six times a day so you never really get hungry as your body always has something to digest and you get a cheat day, this helps more than you can know. it gives you the strength to say "no, i'll have those nachos and ice cream on my cheat day"

[eindridi]

i will have to check into bompas stuff, i am pretty new to the the body building weight management thing at least on a serious basis. one of my friends turned me onto phillips and it does seem to work, i use a few theories from other places as well but think this is a good program for someone getting started. i like phillips supportive writing style. he convinced me i could stick to a 12 week program and so far he is right. i might miss a day at the gym here and there but i don't beat myself up over it, i just pick back up the next day and move on. the real selling point for me is once i started seeeing big results and other people telling me how good i am looking it gives me more will power and the momentum continues. i still have a long way to go. i started at 340lbs, i am 6'5" and now i look pretty good at this weight because i am filling out with muscle. i still need to lose more, i want to get down to about 275 or so and it will take awhile but i feel i am taking a natural, healthy approach to it.

[solar_nexus]

Well, if its working for you.....keep going.


i will have to check into bompas stuff, i am pretty new to the the body building weight management thing at least on a serious basis. one of my friends turned me onto phillips and it does seem to work, i use a few theories from other places as well but think this is a good program for someone getting started. i like phillips supportive writing style. he convinced me i could stick to a 12 week program and so far he is right. i might miss a day at the gym here and there but i don't beat myself up over it, i just pick back up the next day and move on. the real selling point for me is once i started seeeing big results and other people telling me how good i am looking it gives me more will power and the momentum continues. i still have a long way to go. i started at 340lbs, i am 6'5" and now i look pretty good at this weight because i am filling out with muscle. i still need to lose more, i want to get down to about 275 or so and it will take awhile but i feel i am taking a natural, healthy approach to it.

[Katia]

Thanks for your input guys. Solar, so just off the top of my head here, if a constant change of diet is good for long term weight loss, what if one did something like, a regular caloric diet for one month, atkins for the next, south beach diet, etc etc? Technically wouldn't this prove to be very effective as long as one stayed on course? Just a hypothetical question of course.. it's good to come up with new ways to stay fit!

[solar_nexus]

It could very well work. Personally, this is what I do....

For a couple of weeks, I'll emphasize soy products, eggs, dairy, nuts, and seeds with a little bit of fruits and vegetables. During this time I will perform maximum strength/power exercises (usually a slow grinding exercise followed by an explosive powerful one, ie an overhead press followed by a clean and jerk)

For a couple more weeks, I'll emphasize fruits, vegetables, and grains (such as barely and oats, I tend to limit myself with wheat and starchy veggies like carrots and potatoes and avoid suger) with some soy, eggs, nuts, and seeds. During this time I will perform endurance strength/power exercises (for an example, standard push ups followed by medicine ball drills)

Then for a couple more weeks I'll have a "balance" of protieins (soy, eggs), fats (dairy, nuts, seeds), and carbohydrates (fruits, veggies, and grains), during this time I will do a "mixed phase" which will freely combine maximum strength/power with endurance strength/power exercises.

On Saturdays I will indulge freely in whatever I want, and on Sundays I will go on a "juice fast" as a way to cleanse my system.

Also, check out:
www.crossfit.com

Here is some advice from this website, I'd say its very sound and is good for "introductery health and fitness":


Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.







Thanks for your input guys. Solar, so just off the top of my head here, if a constant change of diet is good for long term weight loss, what if one did something like, a regular caloric diet for one month, atkins for the next, south beach diet, etc etc? Technically wouldn't this prove to be very effective as long as one stayed on course? Just a hypothetical question of course.. it's good to come up with new ways to stay fit!