# What do you think of Atkins?



## urmaniac13 (Oct 4, 2005)

I apologise if this subject has already been discussed, I have a feeling it already has... I haven't been in the US for several years so I haven't been directly confronted by this seemingly celebrated "Atkins Diet" hype, and it has come to my consciousness rather belatedly... how popular is it really over there now?  The idea of the "Low carbohydrate diet" just sound absurd to me, and very misleading.  It is true that we tend to consume too much "processed" carbo, and this must be better cut down, but the flatout attack on "carbohydrates" can really send a wrong message and it is not positive.  Carbohydrate is one of the essential requirements in our dietary intake, and to give general public an impression to avoid it can do more harm than good, or at least it seems to me.  Also another problem associated with many carbohydrate based foods, like pasta, rice, and potatoes, is due to the fact that they are too often cooked and prepared with loads of saturated fat, so the issue should be focused on how you prepare them, at the same time about concentrating more on complex carbohydrates.  That is my personal impression, and what is your opinon about this Atkins Diet?


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## Robo410 (Oct 4, 2005)

not much, there are many good carbs the body needs.  loose weight with push aways and exercize


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## Raine (Oct 4, 2005)

I don't think it is as popular as it was.  We tried it and it is very boring after a few weeks. I only managed to lose 5 pounds.   Weight Watchers works best for us in losing weight.


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## jkath (Oct 4, 2005)

urmaniac, you are correct. It's just hype. I'd never follow a diet anyway. It's best to just be sensible with your eating.
The best diet in the world is to eat foods the way folks did 100 years ago, before everything could be ordered from a drive-thru. Someone in my family went on this diet and ended up with kidney problems.

(PS - Atkins also stated that eating fruit was bad! How ridiculous!)


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## SizzlininIN (Oct 4, 2005)

I worked with a girl that was on this diet.  Granted she did lose a lot of weight.....too much in my opinion but she also started loosing her hair........the bad thing was she had really thin hair to begin with.  Eat sensibly and exercise.


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## urmaniac13 (Oct 4, 2005)

I am really with you, jkath.  I don't believe in any of those fad diets you would only end up with yo yo syndrome like Oprah, not to mention other side effects on your health.  The sensible eating and regular exercise is just the way to go, it is much more of a matter of life style that you can comfortably follow throughout your life, not just a temporary immediate solution... I also heard about his ridiculous view on fruits, that is one of many things made me raise my eye brows about him...  I am glad I am not the only one, and hope this "trend" will die out eventually!!


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## Andy M. (Oct 4, 2005)

If you know that the Atkins company declared bankrupcy recently, your question is answered.

I believe if you want to lose weight, all you have to do is consume fewer calories and burn more calories.  The keyes are portion control and exercise.


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## urmaniac13 (Oct 4, 2005)

Andy M. said:
			
		

> If you know that the Atkins company declared bankrupcy recently, your question is answered.


 
Aaaaah, that's the way ah ha ah ha, I like it, ah ha ah ha!!


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## Constance (Oct 4, 2005)

I have a friend who is always on some special diet kick. Thing being, she's not at all fat, and in great shape as she cleans houses for a living. I have finally convinced her she NEEDS some carbs to stay healthy. 
Any diet that totally cuts out one food group cannot be good for you. I think the best thing is to eat a well balanced diet, limit sweets and fats, and get some exercise. 
And be sure to splurge once in a while...it does the soul good.


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## jennyema (Oct 4, 2005)

Any diet where it's ok to eat bacon but not vegetables is just CrAzY !


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## Andy M. (Oct 4, 2005)

Constance said:
			
		

> ...Any diet that totally cuts out one food group cannot be good for you...QUOTE]
> 
> I absolutely agree.  The beauty of portion control and counting calories is that you can eat any food from any food group as long as you are careful about how much of it you eat.


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## corazon (Oct 4, 2005)

I think it's just nuts to cut out carbs but it's still okay to eat heavy cream?!   Carbs are important, but I think the reason people think they are "bad" is because they eat white bread and white rice.  Whole grains are very good for you.  Maybe the reason atkins was so popular is because it is a good excuse to eat bacon and whipped cream.


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## Zereh (Oct 4, 2005)

Eating 30-40-40 is still the best way to make sure your body is getting the nutrients it needs.

If paying attention to carbs, you're much better off using the glycemic index to help you choose which carbs give you the best bang for your buck. 

There was a time that anyone who dared say anything bad about Atkins was chastised, even on this board. =P I'm glad to see that opinions have changed.


Z


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## middie (Oct 4, 2005)

i have a friend who lost 100 pounds doing atkins.
i however failed at it miserably. it's too hard to 
stick to when you work in a bakery and you get hungry !!!


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## Andy M. (Oct 4, 2005)

Long term results for Atkins showed that after a year, people were putting the weight back on.  It's very hard to make the major lifestyle change of cutting carbs so dramatically.  Of course, some folks did it with great success and that's great.


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## ArticKatt (Oct 4, 2005)

I watch the carbs I eat. And I eat more protien then most people do. I need more protien then most people and am very carb senitive. But having said that I watch what I eat I try not to eat to many starchy foods and I try to cut sugar out of my diet as much as I can. I eat fruit and other more complex carbs. I am losing weight not as fast as I would like but I am losing it. But I don't go without carbs as atkins suggests. this can be very hard on the body and cause kidney failour if your not drinking enough water. Also when someone is very over weight there are often other medical conditions that need to be watched for. One thing I do find I cant eat is bread and other wheat products. I don't have celiac disease but wheat is hard on me. I get the runs and gain weight when I eat it. forget losing if I don't restrict the wheat I eat big time. and no yeast that is also hard on my body so no beer. I do drink other things though


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## kleenex (Oct 4, 2005)

I want CARBS!!!!  About the only low carb food item I tasted that was any good was a carb considers New York Style Bagel. 

BUTTT that food item actually had the most carbs listed out of any food product that had a low carb label on it.


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## Lugaru (Oct 4, 2005)

kleenex said:
			
		

> I want CARBS!!!!  About the only low carb food item I tasted that was any good was a carb considers New York Style Bagel.
> 
> BUTTT that food item actually had the most carbs listed out of any food product that had a low carb label on it.



Same here. 

I did the atkins and it worked... I was losing weight and felt very good. BUT I NEEDED MY BEANS AND TORTILLAS! Grr... barely lasted two months before I caved in and had a real mexican meal.


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## Rob Babcock (Oct 4, 2005)

BEWARE!  There's a lot of ignorance and nonsense out there concerning Atkin's Diet.  If you decide to try it, read the book- don't listen to a lot of guys running their mouth that don't know what they're talking about.

I've found Atkin's Diet to be wonderful- I've been at it for two years and have lost (and kept off) over 100 lbs.  And I've probably never been in better health.  Only you can decide if it's for you, but for God's sake, don't listen to people who tell you it's "all bacon and no veggies"!


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## Piccolina (Oct 4, 2005)

> If you know that the Atkins company declared bankrupcy recently, your question is answered.


Thanks Andy, that made my night!

 My 2 wee pennies would be this...It is plainly obvious that not everyone has the same metabolism! (Let alone a zillion other lifestyle/medical/personal factors.) What works for one may fail (often miserably) for another person. Besides carbs and proteins there are a lot of things you have to look at when evaluating your diet.

For example, do you have any food intolerances, food allergies, medical conditions that you "eat for", vitamin requirements, age considerations (this would sort of cover if you were pregnant too), or religious dietary requirements?

I like to keep my processed foods to a minimum, I wouldn't go so far as to say that I eat a "whole food diet" but it has been years since I drank a soda. I don't eat too much meat, and what I do is typically very lean. It might sound cliché but if the recipe rocks, you rarely miss meat. 

To me food has to have a certain level of pleasure, this doesn't have to mean gravy ladled over fatty meats or deep fried foods, nor does it per se mean a limp green salad or a lone, naked potato. Food is about more than just what it does or doesn't provide our body with (though of course these are truly important points). Eating should never become a dread, a burden or a chore. 

We've all known that size 4/6 who could down burgers and ice cream like they were water, but this isn't the norm - and the truth is that being (very) thin is not always a sign of "perfect health". Things like high blood pressure, diabetes and hypoglycaemia can affect anyone of any size. 

 I've never tried Atkins, and I doubt I ever will, though I have experimented with carb levels. Like most of us I've had friends who loss weight on the diet. But if you look closer there is usually more behind it. Such as one friend who turned to a high protein diet and started increasing his heavy weight training. he slimed down, but the weight turned to muscle (the desired result, but he was exhusted all the time). In another case (a friend of a friend) was actually on the verge of an eating disorder, as her protein meal was rarely more than a one small meal a day. Just two examples, though, not to instill the wrong impression. I do commend those who managed to lose weight on Atkins - I truly hope you are able to keep it off!

Just use common sense, as most doctors note carbs are necessary in the long run to a healthy diet


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## Von Glassoff (Oct 4, 2005)

I have heard that the Atkins Diet throws your body into keytosis.  Do not know if I am spelling that right.  Which can be unhealthy for some people.  I have never tried it.  I have seen a lot of people lose weight on it and when they got off of it they gained it all back and then some.  But that is the way with any diet.  What no one has mentioned is that grain foods are high in omega 6.  A ratio of 1 to 1 of omega 6 to omega 3 is ideal for the human body.  Up until 100 to 150 yrs ago people consumed a diet that was generally balanced like this.  (Probably the increase of junk foods and fast food restaurants) Most diets now are a ratio of 60-1 to 21-1.  I don't think carbs are bad for us if we don't consume so much of them and not enough green leafy vegetables and fruits.  Too many carbs causes inflamation in the body and weight gain.  I am talking about all grain foods.  That includes corn and cornmeal.  If you want to fatten up a cow before the slaughter you feed it an increase in grain food.  I think people should exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet.  We all know what healthy is.  I don't think people should eliminate grain foods.  I think they should not go overboard on their intake of them.  If a person writes down what they eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner and they see too many grain foods, then just cut back on them.


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## urmaniac13 (Oct 5, 2005)

ICadvisor said:
			
		

> I like to keep my processed foods to a minimum, I wouldn't go so far as to say that I eat a "whole food diet" but it has been years since I drank a soda. I don't eat too much meat, and what I do is typically very lean. It might sound cliché but if the recipe rocks, you rarely miss meat.
> 
> To me food has to have a certain level of pleasure, this doesn't have to mean gravy ladled over fatty meats or deep fried foods, nor does it per se mean a limp green salad or a lone, naked potato. Food is about more than just what it does or doesn't provide our body with (though of course these are truly important points). Eating should never become a dread, a burden or a chore.
> 
> Just use common sense, as most doctors note carbs are necessary in the long run to a healthy diet


 
I am totally with you Jessica, that is why creativity is very important in cooking, in my opinion.  And as I said before, to keep a truly healthy "diet" throughout your life, it must make sense and something you can follow with pleasure, otherwise, sooner or later it will backfire in one form or another.  And the important point is, *the correct interpretation of the terminology "diet".*  It concerns your overall health, not a temporary/immediate weight loss.


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## billmac (Oct 5, 2005)

Most people who oppose the Atkins diet (or other low carb diets) really oppose a charicature of the diet (ie: bacon but no veggies).  Almost all the lo carb diets feature the same philosophy:

1. Lots of lean protein.
2. Healthy fats.
3. Lots of cruciferous veggies.
4. Lots of liquid.
5. Avoid white flour and white sugar. 

None that I know of cut out fruit or all carbs.  Some, like Atkins, have you cut carbs pretty drastically for a very short period of time.  Most allow good carbs when your blood sugar stabilizes.  Many encourage whole grains and ALL of them encourage lots of vegetables.

The bankruptcy in question was the Atkins branch that makes the lowcarb products, not the Aktins company itself.


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## amber (Oct 5, 2005)

I guess we are all in agreement that the Atkins diet, or any fad type diet does not work and is not healthy.  Portion control and exercise is the key!


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## SpiceUmUp (Oct 5, 2005)

I have lost 50 pounds since late April by following a diet plan for type two diabetics. It has limited carbs, high in veggies and a fair amount of meats.



And I can eat all the sugar free Jell-O I want!!! Seriously, it is a livable diet but like any other, it will ultimately fail if I do not make it more than a diet, I have made it a way of life. I stay away from diets like Atkins because they are not livable in term. 



The diet I am on is livable and simple. 



Another 30 pounds and I will be there


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## Andy M. (Oct 5, 2005)

That's great!  Hang in there and keep plugging away.  You must be really pleased with your success.


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## Tater Tot (Oct 6, 2005)

Andy M. said:
			
		

> If you know that the Atkins company declared bankrupcy recently, your question is answered.
> 
> I believe if you want to lose weight, all you have to do is consume fewer calories and burn more calories. The keyes are portion control and exercise.


 
You know Dr. Atkins died over weight?!

tot

dont mess with what a man needs, a woman needs, or what your body needs..


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## Tater Tot (Oct 6, 2005)

I was 268 last year... I gave up cokes and beer..and I got off my @$$ (butt) and worked harder.. I did not give up my pasta or pizza.. I didnot give up much I just started moving my butt.. Im now 183.... but my normal diet may be diffrent,, I never eat ice berg, salt, or any junk food/candy.. I guess I was blessed with a dad that wnted his son to eat well so thats how I stayed..but to get my weight down I had to kill french cooking soift drinks and beer...I still hve a beer here and now but never three hours befor bed time..just rememer sugar is better for you then the poisons labled  as sugar like...


Smaller tot


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## Andy M. (Oct 6, 2005)

WOW!  That's a lot of pounds to lose.  Congratulations!

It's amazing how much caloric beverages can impact you.  Three cans of soda/beer a day for a year equals about 37-45 pounds!!!


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## GB (Oct 6, 2005)

I am of the belief that no diet is something you should do long term. If you need to lose some weight then many diets will work for you, but they will not work long term. You need to eat healthy and smart and also exercise.

That being said, my wife tried Atkins and did lose a lot of weight right off the bat. After a while though it just was not working much anymore and she was getting grossed out by eating so much bacon and cheese and things like that.

She is not doing a modified South Beach diet> For those who are not familiar with this diet, it is also a low carb diet, but it is not a NO carb diet. My wife is doing it on her own terms, not by the book. She has lost a lot of weight (you look amazing sweetheart) and is so much happier with herself. She is also exercising. She does situps every night and has been using the treadmill when she has time. the biggest change though has been in her mindset. She no longer wants to eat tons of food. She realizes that she only has to eat a little bit before she is full and that it is OK to then stop eating. She passes on deserts and sweets now and actually does not miss them. She has eaten a few things she maybe should not have eaten (chocolate fondue at the office) and did not enjoy it. She felt sick after. She is now fitting into cloths she hasn't fit into since college and she is so happy with herself. And baby if you are reading this, I am SO proud of you!!!


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## bknox (Oct 6, 2005)

My wife was on the Adkins diet for a while (8 loooooong months). When she started I told her I would support her but then the ugly reality surfaced, No beans, No pasta, No bread, No Rice. That is pretty much my entire diet or as my wife calls my hillbillies diet. Where I was raised in the mountains of Virginia we called beans, rice, pasta and bread staples. I can not even imagine removing them from my diet. I would loose weight, because I would be starving to death. Not a big fan. Moderation is my diet.


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## SpiceUmUp (Oct 6, 2005)

Ok, here I will play with semantics: we are all on "diets". Some of us are on good diets, some of us are on awful diets and some of us fall somewhere in between. For me, the turning point was the realization that the diet I was on (eat everything in sight) was going to kill me.



I have changed my diet. I now eat veggies, and meats and a small amount of bread, no pasta, rice once in a great while (usually with sushi) and my snacks are either sugar free Jell-O or fruit.



I think, and this is just me, that it is a mind set. Are you "on a diet" to loose weight or have you changed your intake to a healthy and controlled diet?



I avoided South Beach, Atkins, and “the Plan" and so forth because I didn't see any of them as a truly long term answer to eating healthy and living longer.



My goal is to drop from 305 pounds to 220 pounds and to maintain that for the rest of my (hopefully long) life. I am at 256 as of this morning.



To do this, I recognized that, for me, it is necessary to change ones approach to food and to eating, and no, they are not the same thing. One can eat small portions of the wrong food and damage ones health while still loosing weight.



I am trying, with the help of my Doctor and frankly this discussion group, to eat well rounded, flavorful meals.



Thanks for the support.



I have not felt this good (except for the minor head cold I have right now) in several years. 



Well, to wrap this up, eat well rounded meals, that satisfy you with rich flavors and textures and eat in moderation. And get exercise!


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## kyles (Oct 7, 2005)

I have a problem with all the "named" diets. I think the right diet is the one that works for you, and for me, eating healthily is just that. We all know what makes us fat, fatty foods, lack of portion control, "empty foods", and endless snacking.

I've lsot over 50 pounds since January by incorporating exercise into my life, concentrating on food which is nutrient dense and useful in terms of calorie input. Yes, I have days, even weeks off stringently eating healthily, and I still have meals where I eat for pleasure and don't worry about the calories, vitamins etc. But on balance, I eat what is good for me.

My problem with Atkins is that I couldn't do it. I can't eat all that protein, I can't do with any restrictions or I just get rebellious. To me, it's all about balance, and learning to listen to your body, which for someone who was previously morbidly obese, has been the biggest challenge.


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## Claire (Oct 8, 2005)

The only thing good about Atkins is that it did put a lot of products on the market that are helpful for diabetics, with prominent carb markings, low carb products to supplement a meal that already has the proscribed numbers but isn't filling enough.  

I'm a firm believer that every body is different, but really be careful.  If you have cholesterol problems or other heart-related stuff going on, this diet becomes dangerous.  

Did anyone really believe that a day consisting of steak, cheese and bacon was GOOD for them?


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## billmac (Oct 8, 2005)

It's interesting the number of posts that basically say, I hate Atkins, I just eat lean meats, lots of veggies, and avoid sugary treats and eat just a little bread and fruit.

Well, you've pretty much described Atkins, and every other low carb diet out there.  Lean meats, fruits, veggies, avoid white sugar and white flour, or at least be very careful with them.

Atkins does not say you can suck down a half gallon of bacon grease with your morning steak.  No diet does.

None of these diets eliminate carbs. Not one.  The most that happens on some (Atkins and South Beach) is that you reduce your carbs significantly for two weeks, to get your body used to a new way of eating.


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## Rob Babcock (Oct 9, 2005)

Claire said:
			
		

> Did anyone really believe that a day consisting of steak, cheese and bacon was GOOD for them?



Sigh...do you have the faintest idea what the Atkins Diet is?  I don't mean to sound harsh, but that's not really what Atkins is about.

Anyway, if you assert it's unhealthy, please provide some evidence of it. The entire premise of Atkins is that the "Food Pyramid" as created by the FDA in the 80's is upside down and wrong. He cited reams of evidence and dozens of studies, and backs it up with case studies of hundreds of his own patients.

Would you care to compare your blood work to mine? Read the evidence before you jump to unfounded conclusions. If you have a history of heart disease, you really better look into Atkins. Low fat/high carb diets will see you dead in your grave long before a high protein/hi fat diet (especially the good fats Atkins encourages).

As the old saying goes, "It's not what we don't know that hurts us- it's all the things we know that ain't so."

I weary of constantly defending Atkins from cranks that criticize him without a shred of evidence or even a basic knowledge of the science behind it. And I'm sure that said cranks are tired of it, too. Anyone that wants info on Atkins or my personal experiences with it can PM me. Everyone that just wants to pile on, go ahead- I won't waste any more time on it.


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## Claire (Oct 9, 2005)

I'll repeat myself, every body is different.  I, personnaly, tend to lose weight on a lower carb regimin.  I have freinds who do not.  I have freinds who would kill themselves eating more meat.  And I agreee -- whole-heartedly, that people think low carb means no veggies.  The green stuff generally is good on these diets, it's the white stuff that isn't.  Now that my husband is diabetic, I pay even more attention to it all.  I was trying to say, in my opinion, that Adkins is not all bad or all good.  Pay attention to your own body, and DO NOT simply assume that you can live on steak and bacon.  Don't take what you like out of a diet, and leave the rest behind.  Mostly don't look for shortcuts.  Good food is good food, and you know what it is.


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## Rob Babcock (Oct 9, 2005)

Sorry, Claire...I didn't mean to be rude.  I work as the chef at a busy restaurant, and it was a rough weekend.

Yes, everyone is different.  There are many ways to lose weight.  My feeling is that at a certain point, say, 100 lbs obese, that _any_ plan that will take off those pounds is better than being fat.

I don't know how many of you reading this have been more than 100 lbs overweight, but for me it was a living death sentence.  I was so profoundly unhappy at 285 that I'd have risked death to lose that weight.  Instead of courting death, Atkins got me into _the best shape of my life_.

Don't take my word for it, though.  But realize, if you're morbidly obsese, your worst enemies are complacency, defeat & denial.  Don't settle for being fat, don't concede that you'll never be thin, and don't pretend that you're really not all that overweight.  Don't let fat rule your life- you can lose it and live like a human.  

Take it from a guy who wore a 48" waist (31" in high school)- you can lose it.  And it's worth (almost) whatever it takes to do so.


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## Rob Babcock (Oct 9, 2005)

BTW, Kyles, you rule!  I like your determination and your sensible approach.  Slow and steady, you have the discipline that makes success inevitable.  

Some people will tell you it's a waste of time to try, but you know better.  Taking control of your life feels


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## SpiceUmUp (Oct 9, 2005)

If you go by the US Government recommended weights, I was more than 100 lbs overweight.  I weighed 305 at the start of my new way of living and the Gov recommends 195 for a man of my basic build and height.  I was over 310 at one time.

I have lost 50 pounds.  I did it by reducing my intake of everything.  I significantly reduced carbs, but I also reduced meats and fats.  

It is a simple equation: use more than you consume and you WILL loose weight.  There is NO alternative. If you consume 2500 calories a day and burn 2000, you gain weight.  If you burn 2500 calories a day, and consume 2000, you lose weight.

What ever helps you do that is good as far as I am concerned.  Fact of the mater is that recent studies have shown that the Atkins plan is safe and effective.  Fact of the mater is also that Dr. Atkins was not "Fat" when he died.  He had however put on water weight because of steroids he was on to treat a medical condition.

I am following a type II diabetes diet because I am at extreme risk of developing diabetes.  My Doctor, after a thorough medical exam, put me on this diet.  It is working for me and for one reason only: I AM FOLLOWING IT.

Rob, congrats on the weight loss.  Kyles, you know you are my hero.  

I too am fitting in clothes I long forgot I had.  It is a great feeling.

To sum: talk to your doctor (NEVER START A WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM WITHOUT TALKING TO A DOCTOR).  Find the plan that you can live with.  FOLLOW IT.


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## billmac (Oct 9, 2005)

Most low carb diets acknowledge that calories still matter. Their position is that on a low carb diet you are satisfied easier and stay satisfied longer, since the reduction in carbs keeps your blood sugar stable.

I have followed a lower carb regimen (sometimes unfaithfully) for about 3 years. I've lost 60 lbs and my lipid profile is excellent, with the exception of HDL, which I have to raise. The only way (sans drugs) I can do that is to eat more fat. (olive oil, nuts, etc).


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## mindgame (Oct 13, 2005)

i think the atkins diet will help you lose weight but its so unhealthy..

anyhtign that tells you fruits and veggies are bad is idiotic..IMO...

if you ate like that forever you would have dried up insides..

you would be thin but prob die after 20 years of doing it..CHOLESTERAL from all those meats
- 
just use patience and have some self control and a lil excersize wouldent hurt and you will be fine..
i lost 30 lbs just by changing the way i ate..no excersize..


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## billmac (Oct 13, 2005)

mindgame said:
			
		

> i think the atkins diet will help you lose weight but its so unhealthy..
> 
> anyhtign that tells you fruits and veggies are bad is idiotic..IMO...



That's true. Any diet that says fruits and veggies are bad is idiotic. The Atkins diet (and no other locarb diet that I know of) does not say that. Have you read all of this thread? Have you read the Atkins book? Have you read any locarb books?



			
				mindgame said:
			
		

> if you ate like that forever you would have dried up insides..



What does that mean?



			
				mindgame said:
			
		

> you would be thin but prob die after 20 years of doing it..CHOLESTERAL from all those meats



Many people on locarb diets report improved cholesterol profiles.  Myself included.


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## Bangbang (Oct 13, 2005)

jennyema said:
			
		

> Any diet where it's ok to eat bacon but not vegetables is just CrAzY !


 
_ I have used the Atkins diet and loss a lot of weight very fast with no side effects. I never get tired of bacon. yummy _


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## Tater Tot (Oct 14, 2005)

Bangbang said:
			
		

> _ I have used the Atkins diet and loss a lot of weight very fast with no side effects. I never get tired of bacon. yummy _


Im not going to say too much about this because I dont want to start a war.. I'll just say I can loose a lot of weight just taking speed, or just eating cabbage, or just drinking beer..But its not healthy.. If you crave something (atkins people understand) like bread, well your body is tring to tell you something..You can loose weight fast alot of ways but the key is keeping it off when you leave the diet..Michael in Fort Worth should step in here, he knows the most about this..



The Tot


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## Rob Babcock (Oct 14, 2005)

Tater Tot said:
			
		

> Im not going to say too much about this because I dont want to start a war.. I'll just say I can loose a lot of weight just taking speed, or just eating cabbage, or just drinking beer..But its not healthy.. If you crave something (atkins people understand) like bread, well your body is tring to tell you something..You can loose weight fast alot of ways but the key is keeping it off when you leave the diet..Michael in Fort Worth should step in here, he knows the most about this..
> 
> 
> 
> The Tot



I was gonna leave this alone, but you make a good point.  When your body craves something, there is a word for it:  _Addiction_.  You crave bread because you're addicted to the carbs, just like a junkie craves smack or an drunk craves a drink.  And just like them, the thing you crave is _killing you_.  Cravings are a really bad thing to trust.

When you follow the Atkin's diet _properly_, these cravings virtually disappear.  Like any other addict, the cravings will return when you decide to "give yourself a taste".

If you remove the word "diet," which is misleading, and substitute "good nutrition", you'll find there's *no reason* to go back to the awful way you were eating before.


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## GB (Oct 14, 2005)

Rob Babcock said:
			
		

> When your body craves something, there is a word for it:  _Addiction_.  You crave bread because you're addicted to the carbs, just like a junkie craves smack or an drunk craves a drink.  And just like them, the thing you crave is _killing you_.  Cravings are a really bad thing to trust.


I have to respectfully disagree with the above statement. As any 7th grade biology student will tell you, a craving denotes a deficiency in the system. If your body is craving something then if could mean it needs something that you are not getting enough of by what you are already eating. If you get a craving for red meat, for example, then you may be running low on iron. Cravings are not a really bad thing to trust, you just need to be smart about it. If you just had red meat for 7 days in a row and today you are craving a huge steak then you are probably not deficient in anything, but if you have not had any red meat in a while and now you are craving it then listen to your body. It is trying to tell you something important.


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## chefhelper (Oct 14, 2005)

I'm with jkath also...eating a well-varied, fresh-cooked diet has always worked for me. If people could listen to and learn to trust that their bodies know what they need, we would all be a lot healthier. 
I love bacon but I also love strawberries and fresh breads. It's all about balance.


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## Claire (Oct 15, 2005)

OK, give all of us a break here. A craving doesn't necessarily mean an addiction nor a deficiency. I used to crave a steak during my periods (OK, I'll go along with the deficiency one on that ... losing blood, wanting blood). I don't even eat beef weekly, so it'd be pretty silly to call that an addiction. Women crave really stupid things during their pregnancies. One time Sis & I were in a grocery and she looked at a wine display and said she wanted that. I grabbed it. I looked at a chocolate display and grabbed that. We looked at each other and realized that we were at the same time of month. Sis seldom-to-never drank, and when she did it wasn't wine. I eat chocolate a few times a year. If these are addictions, then ... well, they aren't, no matter how you look at it. All cravings are NOT addictions, neither are they necessarily deficiencies.  Sometimes you just really, really want something.  When you'd kill for a wide screen TV ..... what do you call that?


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## Rob Babcock (Oct 16, 2005)

I'm overstating that to make a point- it's not intelligent to assume that merely being hungry for something means you should eat it.  Think about it; how often do you crave sweets?  Then consider this- it it ever a good thing to eat them?  What nutrient or mineral do you get from cake, cookies or ice cream?  Those things are purely empty calories.  All you can do is survive the damage they do.

What if you "crave" broccoli?  I guess you're in luck!  But who "craves" that?  

All I'm saying is that your body is "stupid".  It may "crave" things it needs, like when you're dehydrated and you want water.  Or you may crave a nic fix when you haven't had a cigarette for 10 hours.  The body can't be trusted to reliably tell you what you "need" because it's just tuned in to wanting what it's _used to_.  Are all cravings bad?  Of course not.  Don't don't be so stupid as to think because you _want_ something that it's good for you.  If that was true we'd all look like Jessica Alba or Brad Pitt.


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## Andy M. (Oct 16, 2005)

Rob Babcock said:
			
		

> ...If that was true we'd all look like Jessica Alba or Brad Pitt.


 
Aren't there any other choices?


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## HappyAvocado (Oct 16, 2005)

Rob Babcock said:
			
		

> What if you "crave" broccoli?  I guess you're in luck!  But who "craves" that?



i am not really up to speed on atkins, but i do have to comment on this.  i crave vegetables all the time, usually fresh greens like kale and chard.  if i go on a vacation and cant get my usual amount of veggies i dream of salad.  am i a weirdo, i dont know... i also crave carrots. but i cant believe that i am the only person who has ever craved broccoli... i also crave chocolate, but thats another story, lol.


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