Can we STOP IT with all this Low-Carb, Atkins diet fad bullcrap???!!!

[SmileyBoy]

(Steps onto soapbox)

Every commercial for food I see on TV is for low-carb mayonnaise, or low-carb barbecue sauce, or low-carb cereal, or low-carb bread, or low-carb mac and cheez, or low-carb pasta, or low-carb salad dressing, or low-carb peanut butter, or low-carb whatever-the-fuck-kind-of-food-there-is-on-the-planet!!! I just want it to fucking END!!!

Can we PLEASE STOP this low-carb diet fad nonsense??? We all know what that type of shit diet leads to, and that is high cholesterol, kidney stones and impotence. I think pretty much all of us intelligent folk know that the only way to lose weight AND STAY HEALTHY is to follow the 40-30-30 balance of protein, carbs and fat. LOW CARB DIETS FUCKING SUCK!!! CAN WE PLEASE END IT NOW???!!!

THANK YOU!!!

(Gets off his soapbox)

[lazarus]

1. Sure

As soon as we stop that low-fat diet fad nonsense.

And evidence is mounting that low carb diets are much healthier than high carb diets. Cholesterol counts drop on low carb diets, and I've seen no real evidence of kidney stones or impotence.

How about not getting all worked up because millions of people are getting healthy? How about just letting people live their lives?

If you'll notice, Americans started getting fat when our diets when heavy on the processed carbs. The rise of fast food parallels nicely with the rise in obesity.

[jpgray]

4. Italians - 6.5% obesity rate. America - 40+% obesity rate

I rest my case. As the land of pasta and pizza shows, carbs have been the base of healthy diets around the world for the last few thousand years. Only when you eat 4000+ calories a day like we in the USofA do you need to follow the fad diets.

I propose the Southeast Asian subsistence farmer diet. Eat a bowl of rice at dawn. Work for eight hours in your field. Eat a fish, vegetables and a bowl of rice. Walk the four miles to town. Eat a bowl of rice, vegetables and some fruit.

I guarantee you will lose weight. :D

Seriously, we in this country eat in one day enough calories to sustain the above farmer for about a week, and yet we wonder why we're fat. I eat a carbohydrate based diet with sensible portions and healthy ingredients, and am lean and mean at 145.

[lazarus]

5. LOL

Yeah, that's devastating statistical analysis. Takes into account all sorts of things, like culture, the intricacies of the diet, heredity, everything.

This and other comments on this thread are evidence that critics of low-carb eating haven't actually studied what they're all about.

And why the vehemence against low carb, anyway? I don't see threads like this attacking vegetarianism, or veganism, or low-fat, or any other alternative form of eating. Why the intolerance of this one diet?

And congratulations on being one of the lucky people who can eat carbs and not gain weight. I cut my carb intake by a huge percentage, and lost 60+ pounds in 6 months. My body can't handle carbs. Some can. Dr Atkins never said that everybody should follow his eating plan, just those who can't handle carbs.

It's a shame other people can't recognise the fact that everyone's body chemistry is different.

[jpgray]

9. How many obese people do you see in the fields of North Korea?

It's physically impossible to take in less than you burn and gain weight. Unless the laws of thermodynamics cease to hold sway in the magic gastro-intestinal systems of Americans, they need to either deal with a half-empty stomach until it gets down to a normal size, or they need to exercise for two hours every day. The enormous amount of calories, often made up of nutritionally worthless ingredients, leaves no other option.

Atkins works because there is a limit to the amount of protein that can be digested in the body, whereas excess carbohydrates are stored as fat. If you are fat, you have been eating too much food. Atkins is a way to profit twice off people who have become fat eating crap, and the corporate money-go-round has seized happily on it.

If it improves your life, great. But don't pretend Atkins is the only way some people can lose weight, and don't pretend it is healthier than a balanced diet.

[lazarus]

28. really?

It is the only way some people can lose weight. Me, for instance.

I'm disabled. I physically can't exercise. So tell me how to increase the calories I burn, please.

I tried low fat. I tried to follow that inane "pyramid" the government put out, heavily influenced by the companies that generate carbs.

I tried a lot of diets. None of them worked. Low carb did. I'm much healthier now.

Why do you insist that you alone know the One True Way to healthy eating? Dr Atkins never did. He makes perfectly clear in his book that low carb isn't for everyone, that everyone needs to find the proper ratio for themselves.

Something else that shows you don't have a clue as to the Atkins diet: carbs are added back into the diet. Did you know that? Did you know that each person is supposed to add carbs back into their diet until they reach a healthy equilibrium, where they're neither gaining nor losing weight? Or did you buy into the nonsense myth that Atkins means you can't eat carbs for your entire life?

I find hilarious the amount of sound and fury and nonsense spewed by people who are in no way affected by the low carb diet. How is this personally affecting you? You have to see commercials for it? Well, I have to watch commercials for McDonald's McShit burgers, which are absolutely repulsive. And I'll dare say I see more fast food commercials than you see Atkins. But I don't have the need to start threads telling people they're eating actual fecal matter in their burgers.

[Misunderestimator]

29. Well said ! n/t

[jpgray]

36. You are a little too emotionally attached to Atkins to be objective

If you cannot exercise, you simply need to eat drastically fewer calories. Not all disabled folks are obese. Abraham Lincoln, one who did not have the time or inclination to exercise during eight years of his life, ate a single apple for lunch each day. Americans have an emotional attachment to food, and eat portions that have no bearing whatsoever on the amount of fuel they need to sustain themselves. Atkins is a quack, but he died a rich quack. Low-carb diets are for those who can't control their portions.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

53. You Sound a Little Too Emotionally Attached to Anti-Atkins to Be Objective

Just my opinion.

Nutritionist, heal thyself.

DTH

[Scout]

111. eating drastically fewer calories

when one is unable to exercise, puts the body into "starvation mode" and trust me, it does NOT necessarily lead to weight loss. What if one is already eating only 800-1000 calories a day, hmmmm? How much do we have to cut our calories then to "drastically" reduce them?

[flamingyouth]

61. Well said (as always), laz

You're totally right that everyone's body chemistry is different. I can't eat too much animal protein because of my kidney problem, but when I did follow a modified Atkins diet, I lost weight and felt good.

And hey, my friend, anytime you want to start a thread about fecal matter in McDonald's burgers, you'll get no flak from me!:puke:

Take care.

[girl gone mad]

6. Amen.

I don't mean to brag, but I'm a big pasta/rice/bread eater and I stay thin. I know people that have lost weight on low carb diets, but I'm concerned about the amount of meat they consume in leu of carbs.

I've read that if you starve your body of carbs long enough on the Atkins diet, your metabolism will begin to slow down to compensate. I wouldn't re-write the book on nutrition just yet.

[SmileyBoy]

8. Like I said, 40-30-30.

Currently I'm trying to follow that plan. 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fats.

[rooboy]

24. Arbitrary percentages don't work.

Everybody has their own percentage ratios that they need to work out. And there's a lot more to it than that, too. Frequency of eating, amount of food and a whole heap of other very important factors enter the equation.

Atkins is nowhere near as dangerous as you suggest it is. There are tens of millions of people who have followed this program, yet I don't see any pandemics of kidney stones. I DO see a shitload of people who are fatter than they want to be, though.

But Atkins isn't as good in the long term as people think though, either. If it was a fat-burning machine, there would be buffed, 'sinewy' people with 5% body fat walking around everywhere. Where are they? Fact is, the results flatten out. But results flatten out with EVERY weight loss diet except eating disorders.

[rooboy]

22. There has been research on the effects on metabolism...

Here's how it seems to work (I'm quoting research second-hand, so it's quite a layman's expression):

Firstly, eating protein as meat etc burns energy more than carbs because it has to go through several processes in the body to convert it to energy. Moreover, consuming food in solid (as opposed to liquid) form has a suppressing effect on appetite. So drinking your meals makes life really tough if you're trying to diet.

The thing in the Atkins diet that actually does slow down your metabolism, though, is fat. That's why body builders will have a good amount of LEAN protein in their diet, and eat about 6 meals a day to keep the metabolism ticking over.

The simple effect of Atkins appears to be that eating a high amount of meat just means that less calories are consumed during the day.

Now in your case, you can eat carbs as much as you want and your body handles it, but I, for example, can't stray one inch into eating too much bread etc, because my body is really efficient at storing excess calories. To keep a balanced diet, my only solution is to get plenty of exercise, whether I like it or not.

[Angelus]

12. Actually, the obesity rate of Americans is up to 50%.

I saw this on CNN last week. I don't have a link, though.

[maveric]

2. Carbs are neccessary for proper brain function.

Could this be a scam just to dumb people down? :tinfoilhat:

[rooboy]

23. Carbs are great for brain function...

but the brain works fine on ketones as well, which are generated by the Atkins-style diet. If it was all carbs, cultures like the eskimoes would have really been in trouble...

[Angelus]

3. No kidding.

I'm sick of hearing about this low-carb shit. The truth is, we all need carbohydrates to function during the day. I don't know what kind of science Dr. Atkins was using when he started this, but it's stupid if you follow this diet.

[SmileyBoy]

7. You wanna know how I lost 20 pounds???

1) I ate smaller portions, and

2) I drank tons of water.

I still ate the same percentage of carbohydrates. Now I love meat as much as the next person, but I also love mashed potatoes and mac and cheez. It's just that I ate an amount of it that was about equal to the amount of meat and fruit juice I was intaking.

[Angelus]

11. I lost a lot of weight...

and I never needed to go on an all protein diet. I still stuck with carbs and such, but in smaller portions, and I too drank a lot of water.

Whoever goesn on the all protein diet is sure missing out on a lot of important vitamins, minerals, and energy that the body needs.

[lazarus]

32. I agree

Which is why low carb diets aren't "all protein diets".

I seriously doubt there are very many people in this country eating an all protein diet, and I haven't heard of such being promoted.

[theoceansnerves]

10. sigh, i agree

it's unhealthy and sad.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[SmileyBoy]

14. No, I'm coming across as someone who...

...has read about the negative effects of the Atkins Diet.

[neverborn]

16. /shrug It worked for me last summer

Lost 30 pounds, went from 260 to 230.

[gold_bug]

15. low carb mayo and bread- is that fer real?

How do they take the carbs out of bread?

[geniph]

102. All mayo is low carb

unless it contains added sugars, which most do not. Mayo is basically olive or canola oil and egg yolks. It's actually a fairly healthy food unless your system doesn't handle the cholesterol of egg yolks well. The fats in mayo are healthy monounsaturated fats.

Mayo USED to be made with corn oil, which is less beneficial to the blood chemistry, but it hasn't been for some years, except for some cheap brands. Now, fake mayo like Miracle Whip contains a ton of added sugars and stuff - that stuff isn't particularly healthy, but in the quantities most people eat, isn't a huge problem, either.

Most of the "low-carb" processed foods on the market are pretty much just a marketing scam. Eat from the edges of the store and you'll tend to eat pretty healthily...eat low-fat dairy, lean meats and cheeses, lots of fruits and veggies, and you'll be fine. Stick with wholegrain breads and pastas without added sugars (hard to find in these days of adding high-fructose corn syrup to everything!) and condiments made from reasonably healthy foods like olive oil. That's basically the entire premise of the South Beach diet - stick to leaner meats, fruits, veggies, whole grains, and healthy fats. Go easy on processed foods, high-fat foods, and stuff with lots of added sugars.

[rooboy]

17. For people who seem to be really passionate about the subject...

I am continually stunned at how many on this board talk through their ass when it comes to Atkins, low carb, high carb or whatever. Unless you've done a lot of reading about these things AND proven your theory with action, please just STFU.

The truth is that low carb dieting CAN work for some people without any drastic ill effects, and high carb dieting CAN work for other people without gaining lots of weight. But just because Atkins works for you doesn't make it a cure-all, and the same applies for high carb dieting. It is also true (as was in my case) that low carb dieting was only effective for a short period of time - so some of us actually have to continually change our diets to keep the fat off.

To get on top of your own body's metabolism and fat control takes A LOT of work, experimentation and discipline, unless you are one of the truly luck people who can eat whatever they want and not gain a pound of fat.

And by the way, most people who lose 20lbs tend to destroy a decent chunk of muscle mass along the way. If you want to impress people, quote your body fat percentage.

[MercutioATC]

25. Now THAT'S an intelligent response!

Atkins worked for me. I lost 25 pounds in 3 months and felt good doing it. My cholesterol went down and I felt considerably better.

However, no single eating plan is right for everyone. Just eat in a way that works for you.

What really irritates me, though, are the people that fume about "no-carb" diets like Atkins. Atkins is NOT "no-carb", it's low-carb. Eating carbs in the form of vegetables that rank low on the glycemic index (less starchy or sugary vegetables) is encouraged. One of the reasons Atkins works is that it eliminates virtually all processed grains and sugars from your diet. Added to the fact that the body requires more heat to burn protein than carbs, many people have found it to be a good way to lose weight and feel better.

The bottom line is that there is no cure-all that works for everybody. Just do what works for you.

[AspenRose]

72. Started South Beach two weeks ago

So far, so good. Lost about 15 lbs. so far.

Good carbs, good fats. Makes sense.

Read somewhere that Big Dog did the South Beach diet too and had great success.

[MercutioATC]

76. I've heard good things about South Beach too.

I'm looking at the blood-type diet now...more for health than weight loss. Sounds a little kookier than I'm used to, but the foods all seem to be healthy.

[geniph]

103. My husband's lost 40 pounds so far on South Beach

almost all from his belly (he's solid muscle under that belly). Since he's the cook, I've lost the extra 20 pounds I was carrying around myself, and fit in a size 4 again for the first time in years. Both of us have more energy, and what's truly amazing is how SHITTY processed foods taste to us now, after eating healthier, fresh food for several months.

This is an easy diet to stick with, and John's doctor is super impressed by the improvement in his blood chemistry.

[Awsi Dooger]

18. I like to use it about one day per week

When boneless chicken breasts or some type of steak is on a great sale, I buy bulk, wrap each of them in aluminum foil and freeze. Then maybe one weeknight each week I'll set one of the chicken breasts and one steak in the refrigerator to defrost. The next day, after a normal (OJ, muffin, cereal, banana) breakfast, I'll eat nothing but the one chicken breast and one steak.

That allows for a carb drenched buffet the following day. Sensible moderation really sucks.

[RebelOne]

19. I'm sick of it, too. It's a yuppie fad.

How can they advertise mayonnaise as low-carb? All mayonnaise is low-carb. My Hellmans only has 1 gram of carb.

[neverborn]

21. That's just commercialism.

That's just trying to cash in. Atkins himself recommended eating mayonnaise -- and that was far before this new "Carb Options" mayo that happens to be a couple dollars more than normal mayo.

I don't get the low carb mayo tihng either :P

[cleofus1]

20. what?

Chet Atkins is on a diet? I thought he was dead...

[regularguy]

30. Ironically, he died while on the now discredited Les Paul Diet.

:D

[Jivenwail]

26. I know I'm a little late into this discussion, but...

I've been doing low carb since August of last year. And while I'm now adding slightly more carbs now, I can tell you this about it's health effects for me. My cholesterol levels are the lowest they've ever been since I was diagnosed with high cholesterol. My triglycerides have dropped 22 points. And my blood pressure has virtually stabilized.

I had been doing low fat, lower calories for years and years. With none of these startling results - never. My doctor told me that it is not the fat, it is the SUGARS that are bad for you. The SUGARS. And while certain low fat foods should still be part of a healthy diet, cutting down on the carbs is the only way to go - at least for me. And while I've not lost a ton of weight on this program, I have lost a lot of inches and fat. I feel better, I look better in my clothes and I can honestly say I've not had any illnesses as a result. No headaches, no bowel problems, no colds - nothing.

I know this lifestyle is not for everyone and I would never say that it is. All I can say is that it works for me and I intend to stick with it, unless and until my doctor tells me otherwise.

I am personally thankful that there are a number of low-carb options for me, should I choose to enjoy them. I am only sorry that it you are annoyed by it. I can understand that. But I don't think it's a fad and I don't think it's going away.

JMHO, of course.

[lazarus]

27. best response so far

Excellent. And congratulations.

[Don_G]

31. Who Cares?

I am going to marry another DUer and I'm dammed certain my choice wasn't based on Mayonnaise or her choice of soft drinks.

[Shananigans]

64. Me? Pick me!

Just kidding! :)

[Scout]

33. No, we can't

<steps on soapbox>
It's not a fad! It's been around for 30 years. It's not meant for everyone, it is meant for those who are insulin resistant. Yes, it is possible to remain fat even when NOT "eating too much." They haven't done long term studies of low carb vs. low fat. Just yesterday they released a one year long study and here's what they found:
Low-carb diet can with improve lipid profiles
http://www.heartcenteronline.com/myheartdr/home/research-detail.cfm?reutersid=4379
Studies: Beneficial Low-Carb Diet
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/17/earlyshow/contributors/emilysenay/main618012.shtml
Low-Carb Diet Can with Improve Lipid Profiles
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040517/hl_nm/carbs_lipids_dc_1
Is Low-Carb King? New Studies Show Cutting Carbs Better for Shedding Pounds, Improving Cholesterol
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/Living/US/low_carb_low_fat_040517-1.html
and I'm fucking sick and tired of people who admit to knowing little to nothing about Atkins diet, much less have actually bothered to READ THE ENTIRE BOOK, telling other people that their Atkins success stories are a fluke, a sham, a lie!

'K?
<steps off soapbox>

[2bfree]

34. I agree with you !

The whole low-carb thing makes me tired. I do agree with the getting rid of the "white stuff" though. But no way would I want to eat all the meat and eggs that you have to eat. Yuck!

[lazarus]

35. another one

You don't have to eat eggs. And I don't eat much more meat now than I did before I started. I substitute low-carb vegetables and fruit for all the carbs I was ingesting.

And it doesn't have to be steak. In a given week, we'll eat chicken, beef, lamb, pork and fish, in a variety of ways.

[Bertha Venation]

37. it won't be the last fad diet

Remember when it was all low-fat & fat free?

Remember the Scarsdale Diet?

Remember the "diet candy," AYDS?

:eyes:

[Dookus]

40. It's been around over 30 years...

that's some fad.

[Meatshake]

47. I'll chime in for a second

I really don't care one way or the other about the diet, if people are happy doing it, great. I do believe that it is most likely a fad though. I believe a fad is something that is popular to the masses for a short period of time. So its been around 30 years, it hasn't become popular till recently and will probably be around for another 30 but won't be nearly as popular, just like the other 'fad' diets mentioned in early posts, they've been around for a long time and people still do them but not nearly the numbers that were once there for the few years that it was extremely popular.

[fudge stripe cookays]

116. Ha! My mom used to eat those things....

And she'd get mad because I was always craving chocolate and she'd never buy anything fun because she was always on a diet.

So I'd eat her AYDS. And don't forget the really nasty Diet Shasta sodas. Blegh.

Mom also tried Nutri-system when it first came out and everything was freeze-dried. Now THAT shit was horrible.

[VelmaD]

38. I have lost 125 pounds in 2 years...

so I think I have some room to talk on this subject. It's about finding what works for your individual body and circumstances. My father has also lost 75 pounds in a little over a year. We did it on completely different "diets". Dad is losing weight to have hernia surgery and can't do strenuous exercise...so Atkins was a good idea for him.

I on the other hand wanted to not just lose weight, but also get buff. So I have a diet that is low in calories but fairly high in carbs proportionally (on a 1200 calorie a day diet you aren't really "high" in anything). :) I need the energy for the gym...I exercise an hour and a half per session at least 5 times a week.

It's all about consuming less calories than you burn and finding something you can stick with.

[flamingyouth]

70. That is amazing, Velma

Talk about a huge accomplishment!

I've recently lost a bunch of weight after being ill and having surgeries, and I have found that yoga and Pilates really helped tone my muscles, in addition to the aerobic workout.

[Dookus]

39. nope...

It works for me. After one month on Atkins, my good cholesterol doubled, my bad cholesterol dropped 20% and my triglycerides were cut more than half.

After having had an emergency angioplasty at the age of 41, that's all I need to convince me that it works FOR ME.

Further, I've noticed that people who spout off against Atkins seem to know little about it.

There is no evidence that Atkins is damaging to the kidneys for people with normally functioning kidneys. There's no evidence it leads to a rise in cholesterol - in fact, new studies show the opposite.

Scientific American had a big article last year about revising the food pyramid based on newer research. It put carbs at the top - meaning eat very little, and had proteins and vegetable fats much lower - meaning eat more.

[TheWizardOfMudd]

41. The low carb diet is an ignorant joke

Simple carbohydrates, in the form of processed grains, are bad for you, as white rice, Wonder bread, and white pastas. When you eat them, they are very quickly broken down into glucose by the stomach. It does not get used by the body. The body stores it. Plus, it screws up the delicate glucose/oxygen balance in the blood which powers our brains.

Complex carbohydrates, in the form of unprocessed (or processed very little) grains, vegetables and fruits, are very good for you, as whole grain rice, oats, millet, fresh unprocessed fruits and veggies. In fact, whole grains and complex carbs are the staple of the diet the human body was intended to eat. Humans should eat mainly complex carbohydrates. When you eat complex carbs, your body metabolizes them at the rate of approximately 2 calories per minute and they get all used up, instead of absorbed, and they don't make your blood sugar shoot up.

So, "low carb" should really be "low processed carbs." Unprocessed carbs are good for you.

If one sticks to whole, natural, unprocessed foods, with no (or very little) additives, and exercises regularly, one will lose weight and improve their overall health.

Try this for a few weeks. Eat only whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds. You'll be glad you did. :)

[voice of reason]

58. this is

closer to Atkins than you think. Most people condemn Atkins based only on it's induction phase. Latter phases introduce just the types of carbs you talk about and strss balance and moderation.

v.o.r.

[TheWizardOfMudd]

82. Then I'd skip the induction phase

;)

[Catholic Sensation]

42. the only diet that makes sense is the south beach diet

using smaller dishes and eating less food and then you end up losing weight! What a concept.

So instead of feeding yourself protein like you're living in Norway in the year 1067, how about SIMPLY EATING LESS. I think the fact a fast food restaurant is advertising "Atkins Friendly Half Pound Burgers" should clue people in that Atkins is bullshit.

Oh yeah, Dr. Atkins died at a medically obese weight. Don't give me the water weight bullshit, nobody puts on 60 lbs of water weight that quickly.

[neverborn]

49. Slandering a dead man pisses me off.

His doctors have said that was due to his illness which caused his death, NOT due to his diet.

For fucking Christ's sake, the man is dead, and you are disrespecting him -- that's unacceptable no matter who the deceased is.

[Shananigans]

65. Your language is atrocious young man!

You should be ashamed!






Just kidding! What's up, hot stuff?

[neverborn]

83. !!!

I love you <3 <3 <3

[Shananigans]

85. You can't love me. I'm too old for you ;)

:P

[Dookus]

50. Then you've never seen someone

with edema. He was on steroids. Did you see Jerry Lewis last year? He ballooned due to steroids. Yes, people CAN gain huge amounts of water weight very quickly.

[crimson333]

69. I second that. I have put on 50lbs from I. V. steroids

once a month for MS.

[Ratty]

43. I agree. It all makes me sick!

Whenever a new diet craze comes out everyone jumps on the bandwagon and that's ALL you hear about, day and night. For awhile everything had oat bran in it. You couldn't escape from it.

People need a proper diet AND exercise. If you exercise regularly you need those carbohydrates. Lots of carbohydrates. Way more than Atkins lets you have. If you exercise and eat loads of complex carbs then you'll lose weight much faster than if you did the same amount of exercise but very few carbs. Carbohydrates are the fuel your body uses to burn fat. Check out the Krebs cycle sometime.

I suspect the people who lost so much weight with Atkins did very little exercise. Sounds like a dream diet until you realize how poor your health has become.

As always, age-old common sense is the best. Exercise. A diet high in grains, vegetables and (*gasp* think of all the carbs!!) FRUIT. Easy on the dairy, meat, simple carbs, and saturated fats. Don't cut all the fat out or else you'll probably gain all the weight back eventually. Olive oil's great!

[Kat45]

44. What annoys me about this is foods I like being displaced

by all the low-carb foods. Every company is jumping on the bandwagon and introducing a line of low-carb foods. So of course, they are eliminating other products to make room for these. Many of the product lines particularly affected are cookies and cakes, my favorite food group. :-) Unfortunately, a number of the particular items that I enjoyed eating have disappeared as the low-carb product lines have appeared. And I don't take too well to my chocolate being taken away from me.

[Ratty]

45. Oh no! The return of sugar-free everything!

I hate that too. For the last few years sometimes I couldn't find any non-fat-free versions of many of my favorites. For awhile I couldn't even find normal Fig Newtons. All I could find were fat free ones!! Yuck! Before the fat-free craze it was sugar-free everything. Like you, I don't care if there are alternatives on the supermarket shelves, but when they displace my old favorites, then I get mad. I guess now I have to get used to sugar-free Fig Newtons.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

46. A few points

1. Back in my teens and twenties, I ate all kinds of sweets and other junk and didn't gain an ounce. After age forty, I decided that I had to eat healthier, so I began eating almost exclusively Asian and Mediterranean style--and gained forty pounds that decade and went up two clothing sizes--all while exercising more than I ever had in my life. I asked my doctor why, and all she had to say was, "Maybe you're making your stir fries with too much oil."

2. My circuit training coach told me to cut out sugar. That stopped the weight gain. But to start losing weight, I had to go on the Carbohydrate Addicts' Diet, which allows you to eat carbs once a day. I lost 15 pounds and hit a plateau.

3. Atkins took off about ten more pounds, but I find it hard to stay on. Since I live alone, there's no one to keep me "honest." I'm basically living on a Carbohydrate Addicts' Diet and maintaining my weight. This winter, I decided to try just eating smaller amounts of everything and making no effort to avoid carbs. The result was a five-pound weight gain in a month, so I now realize that I can't eat cereal for breakfast AND a whole grain sandwich for lunch AND whole wheat pasta for dinner.

4. If you look at how Italians and Asians really eat, you will find that they don't eat such tremendous amounts of carbs. The pasta course in a GOOD Italian restaurant (not the Olive Garden) is small, and you don't get an endlessly replenished basket of bread on the table.

Chinese and Japanese don't eat as much rice as is commonly believed unless they're really poor. A traditional Japanese meal consists of about a fist-sized serving of rice, with grilled meat or seafood, soup, and a bunch of vegetable or seafood side dishes. If you watch or participate in group meals in China, you find that people get an individual bowl of rice and a variety of plates of protein and vegetable stir fries which they select from, putting bits of each one on top of their rice to eat it.

Oh, and the Italians, French, Japanese, and Chinese all do a LOT more walking than we do. Last time I spent a month in Tokyo (May 2002), I was struck by just how much everyone walked or cycled, even in the course of going to work in the morning, even in the course of transferring from one subway line to the other.

You have to do what's right for you. For me, a high carb diet, even one with all whole grains, is the royal road to weight gain. For others, a high protein diet may pack on the pounds. IN that case, you should eat high carb.

I agree that some of the high carb hype is silly. Today in the supermarket, I saw a package of frozen chicken breasts being advertised as low carb, as if other chicken breasts aren't.

[Deja Q]

48. Change society to encourage healthy behavior

Of course, that impedes somebody else's ability to exploit you, so you know real reform won't happen.

[Dookus]

51. Here's a link to a story this week

showing the benefits of low-carb over low-fat:

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/Living/US/low_carb_low_fat_040517-1.html

May 17, 2004 — Two new studies confirm that a low-carbohydrate diet is more effective at dropping pounds and improving cholesterol and triglyceride levels, a finding that has one prominent nutrition expert calling on his reluctant colleagues to embrace low-carb diets as an acceptable alternative.




"We can no longer dismiss very low-carbohydrate diets," writes leading Harvard University epidemiologist and nutrition expert Walter Willet, in an editorial that accompanies the research results in the current Annals of Internal Medicine.

One study conducted at Duke University used adults who were considered generally healthy but obese, that is with a body mass index between 30 and 60. Some participants kept a low-carb diet, in which carbs were initially limited to fewer than 20 grams per day. Other participants kept a low-fat diet, in which fewer than 30 percent of calories come from fat, and total calories were reduced by 500 to 1,000 per day.

After six months patients on the low-carb diet lost more than 20 pounds, while those on the low-fat diet lost just over 10 pounds. In addition, people on the low-carb diet had lower levels of the fat triglyceride, usually associated with higher risk or heart disease and stroke. They also had higher HDL or good cholesterol, levels. Levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol, were roughly the same in each group.

[supernova]

54. I heart Walter Willett

He's my hero! :D

[supernova]

52. LMAO! Well no, I won't stop

Why? Atkins works for me. It's doable and I'm in the best shape of my life. And my kidneys function just fine. My BP, and bloodwork are stellar.

I spent 15 years following the low-fat, high-carb plan.... I gained 30 lbs. edit: Like Lydia Leftcoast I too was exercising more, eating less, and STILL gaining weight. I knew something was seriously out of kilter, but I couldn't figure it out.

Now, I know I was developing insulin resistance. If you have IR the old "eat less+exercise more" formula goes out the window.

Everyone has to figure out what works for their bodies. I did that and I'm enjoying the results. I plan to eat this way for the rest of my life. I really don't care if the rest of you think I'm just eating steak and eggs every day. I'm not, but if you want to believe that, knock yourself out.

Me? I'm going to keep from getting diabetes and all the problems that come with it as I get older because I'll be healthier. I'll keep enjoying my skinnier self, thank you very much. :D :7

[SarahB]

66. Exactly!

Similar story here. It works for me, so who cares. If people want to know about, let them read up on it. If not, ignore it. I'm tired of Oreo ads. Big deal.

[classics]

55. Absolutely not, there is big money in it.

To to tune of hundreds of billions of dollars every year.

Theres a lot of money in standing in front of a camera and telling those with the money that they are weak, immoral and disgusting, and if they only give a little of that cash, they too can be clean again.

[tigerbeat]

56. as a vegetarian on the atkins diet....

can we PLEASE stop attacking people for choices they make concerning their own health??? i'm living proof that the atkins diet isn't dependant on a high-intake of fat and meat....and i lost 40 pounds on the damn thing without so much as a strip of bacon. so just take that soapbox and go somewhere else with it. different diets work on different people. do what's good for you and leave the rest of us alone. anything else is just freaking rude.

man alive.

[voice of reason]

57. The secret is:

Moderation.

And if you really want to cut carbs and still eat healthy, eliminate sugar.

v.o.r.

[chaska]

59. I can't beleive how worked up you all are.

Just goes to show how food obsessed we Americans are. Relax, everybody. Ain't no thang what any of us puts, or don't puts, in our mouths.

[PretzelWarrior]

60. you mean you don't endorse Renal Ketosis? awwwww

where will all the urologists and internal medicine doctors find work?

It really is too bad. Besides causing people to temporarily lose weight and then add more...it is causing health problems, creates unintended consequence of more demand and higher price for meat, cheese, etc.

We really live in a sh!tty mixed up country now. Fruits and grains are bad for you....BEEF...the biggest burden on the world's biomass is GREAT for you...ARGGHHHHHH

[Dookus]

62. I've asked this before, with no results

can you find any study that shows that people with healthy kidneys are somehow damaged by a low-carb diet?

[supernova]

63. LOL!

Your ignorance is laughable. :D

[NashVegas]

67. Milk Price - up 40 cents per half gallon thanks to Atkins fadders

Those of us who enjoyed our dairy (and meat) products because we like the taste would appreciate it if the Atkins people would find something new to hitch themselves to, in a hurry.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

73. Actually, milk prices are up because the dairy farmers

were given an increase in federal price supports. It was in all the papers, and our local supermarket even had a sign explaining it.

[NashVegas]

84. that may be

for the larger agribusinesses, but organic farmers don't get the huge subsidies, IIRC. Also, found this:

Raw milk is expected to go up by 50 cents per gallon over the next two months. Butter fat, a key ice cream ingredient, has already jumped 31 percent, from $1.80 a pound last month to as high as $2.36 per pound, according to Dave Bliss, president of Bliss Dairy in Attleboro.

The reason has been attributed to a drop in production as more dairy farmers sold their cows to be butchered in the more profitable meat market. U.S. dairy farmers produced about 1.8 percent less milk in January and February than in the same months last year, according to the International Dairy Association.

http://www.townonline.com/medfield/news/local_regional/mp_newsmdicecream05122004.htm

The subsidies may be up, but the supply is down. I've also seen a story claiming a reduction in the BHT supply is partially responsible. Again, I buy organic, which doesn't use the stuff in the first place.

[pagerbear]

68. You seem to have strong feelings about this

[DS1]

79. Elisa? Is that you?

:7

[Ookie]

71. Thank you! Carbs are what your body needs for energy

And when I say carbs, I mean complex carbs. Things like fruits, vegetables, whole grains. One of the main problems with the American diet is all of the processed foods with hydrogenated oils, artificial colors and flavors, and high fructose corn syrup. This stuff isn't found in nature and the human body does not handle this crap well. The fact is, a good diet hasn't changed. And if you want to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you take in. Not really exciting, but it is simple!

[Dookus]

74. I don't do it for weight loss, though that's a nice

side effect.

I do it to keep my cholesterol profile good. Bad Cholesterol down, good cholesterol doubled and triglicerydes cut more than half. Can't beat that!

[lazarus]

87. which is why

Atkins doesn't eliminate carbs, despite all the rhetoric of the pro-carb contingent.

It eliminates most carbs, at the beginning. Then one gradually adds back good carbs, leaving the bad carbs out.

The #1 guideline of Atkins or any low carb diet: Stay on the outside edges of the grocery market. Once you plunge into the aisles you start encountering overly processed crap full of carbs. Fresh fruit and vegetables and meats and fish are good for you. Just find the right balance for your particular body chemistry.

[Pithlet]

75. This is for you

With my apologies to my dear friends on DU who love the Atkins diet.

http://www.illwillpress.com/fatkins.html

[SmileyBoy]

80. That's wonderful!!! I love it!!!

LOL!!!

[Donkeyboy75]

77. Look, eat less calories than you burn,

and you lose weight! That means fat and muscle, unless you exercise. It really is basically that simple.

But I'm with you, NW. Labeling carb-free foods suddenly with "low- or no-carb labels" is pissing me off.

[Ookie]

78. There are even "low carb stores"

Here in the Seattle area there are now stores that sell nothing but low carb stuff. Gotta jump on the latest bandwagon if it means making a buck!

[Dookus]

81. It's simple

only if you ignore all the evidence presented in this thread and others that low-carb dieting DOES work better for weight loss, and that it HELPS your cholesterol profile.

But just dismissing it without actually reading any of the studies is easier, I guess.

[lazarus]

88. They also manage to ignore

the very clear fact that many of us can't exercise more. Low carb is the only option for me.

The other diet plans never worked anyway. The only time high carb/low fat worked for me, I was lifting over 30,000 pounds a day, in 20-30 pound reps. That kind of work, you can eat anything and lose weight.

[Donkeyboy75]

91. And one can easily find studies to support either claim.

I think low-fat diets are a sham as well. I have friends who have done the Atkins. I don't deny they lost weight. As an experiment I had them monitor their calorie intake and guess what? They ate LESS calories than they had previously. I have no doubt these diets work, but I think it's because of lower calorie intake...and when I have time I'll dig up a study or two that supports my assertion.

[Scout]

113. found any studies yet? eom

[curse10]

86. Yes yes yes yes yes!!!!!!!!

If people want to lose weight then cut their caloric intake and eat what they want. No miracle fad diet is going to work forever! Eating 4 pieces of bacon at breakfast is NOT good for you! No fruits? Fruit is one of the healthiest things you can eat! All the vitamins and nutrients packed into yummy sweetness! There is a reason fruit tastes good, we were meant to eat it!

This atkins diet fad actually led to commercials claiming that Kentucky Fried CHicken is good for you. If that isn't the biggest tip off that something has gone horribly awry with the diets of americans, then nothing will.

[Dookus]

93. No fruit?

Atkins doesn't say that.

It seems people have a lot of misconceptions about the diet.

[curse10]

95. I've read it , and it's posted on their site

the first several weeks fruits are not permited. And neither are carrots.

From the atkins website www.atkins.com

You must not eat any of the following:

Sugar (in any form, including corn syrup, honey and maple syrup)
Milk or yogurt (cream is allowed in limited amounts)
Fruit and fruit juice
Flour products (breads, pasta, crackers, etc.)
Grains or cereals
Beans and legumes
Starchy or high-sugar vegetables (potatoes, yams, corn, peas, parsnips, beets, carrots)
Sweet condiments (such as most ketchups, barbeque sauce and balsamic vinegar)
French dressing, Thousand Island dressing (check labels for carb count)
Cottage cheese, farmer's cheese and other fresh cheeses
Nuts and seeds

[bloom]

96. I guess it's even hurting the Orange growers.

I think there could be something to the diet, for some people. But I do hate to hear that it is being a problem for growers of fresh fruit and such.

[Scout]

112. yes, the induction phase (first 2 weeks) is very strict

then you begin gradually re-introducing good carbs back into the diet.

[qwertyMike]

89. Permanent Weight Loss

EAT LESS - MOVE MORE

Simple

You can't diet yourself in McWeight Loss

[lazarus]

119. Tell me how to move more

I'm disabled. I can't exercise. So how do I move more?

There's a limit to how little I can eat, as well.

[skippysmom]

90. If Atkins works for you, great

more power to you! Different people require different diets. Me, I know I couldn't do it because I like carbs, and if I started a low-carb diet, I know I wouldn't like much of what I was eating. But that's just me. The key to the success of any diet is to make changes that will last a lifetime.

I have to say, though, I am really sick of the advertising of all these low-carb foods, all the media play, etc. It's everywhere and it's annoying.

[Merrick]

92. saddest casualty: Beer ads

they used to be all about tits and ass, now they're all about which has the least carbs. I want my pretty boobies back!

[Skittles]

94. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

SICK TO DEATH OF FADS

[neverborn]

98. You know...

removed by request.

[MadHound]

99. Chill dude, what is your problem?

Skittles is expressing an opinion. You don't like it, don't look at it. You don't like Skittles, put her on ignore. But don't go around calling people out for simply expressing an opinion. That will get you banned quick.

Just a piece of friendly advice

[Skittles]

110. thanks MadHound

:)

[MadHound]

97. Best weight loss plan in the world is the old standby

Eat a moderately proportioned balanced diet, made up of as few processed foods as possible. Eat smaller portions of food. Exercise daily. Repeat as needed.

Face it people, our bodies were designed to process both fats and carbs, and if we mess with the amounts we eat of either one, we are opening ourselves up to trouble. Eat a well balanced diet, with lots of veggies and fruits, stick to unprocessed foods, exercise regularly, and you will lose weight.

All of these fad diets are just that, fads, designed to seperate the gullible from their cash. Don't fall for it.

[fudge stripe cookays]

117. Yup.

I do Weight Watchers because it allows me to eat pretty much anything I want in moderation.

If you tell me I can't have ice cream, I'll rip your arm off. And no pasta? Forget it.

With WW I can have whatever I want, as long as I watch the points. I've lost 20 pounds so far.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

100. I'm a vegetarian

So Atkins isn't an option for me. I personally believe it's a load of b.s. Everyone knows your cholesterol will sky rocket with that amount of meat in your diet. The key is portion control of EVERYTHING, carbs and proteins, etc. You don't just cut one thing out. You cut portions.

That's the United States' problem. Along with processed foods.

[neverborn]

101. well

"Everyone knows your cholesterol will sky rocket with that amount of meat in your diet."

It doesn't.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

105. It does if you have susceptibilty to high cholesterol

Most of my family would die if put on Atkins.

[Dookus]

106. that is simply not true

Not for me, personally, and more importantly, not according to studies published in peer-reviewed science journals.

Atkins IMPROVES one's serum cholesterol profile.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/living/health/8709632.htm?1c


Clearly, science has had a poor understanding of the role of dietary fat in serum cholesterol. New studies are improving that understanding, and they're showing that eating cholesterol doesn't necessarily translate to high levels of serum cholesterol.

[geniph]

104. I think the one thing we can all agree on

is that the extreme proliferation of high fructose corn syrup and artificially hydrogenated oils in our diet is not good for us. These substances are being added to foods that don't need them to a) ratchet up the profits for agribusiness, b) provide a market for excess corn, c) make us think that everything is supposed to be oily and sweet, so that we essentially get addicted to those flavors.

Cut out foods with those substances added (good f***ing luck finding any packaged foods without them, by the way), and I guarantee your health will improve.

[Merrick]

107. what ever happened to sticking your finger down your throat?

you can eat half a 7-11 a day and not gain an ounce.

[Name removed]

108. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dookus]

109. Your first post on DU and you wasted it on that?

It was a joke on Will's part. What that has to do with the Atkins diet is beyond me.

Welcome.

[Scout]

114. yeah, but the stomach acid will rot your teeth! eom

[ProfessorGAC]

118. Nah! Just Chew On Some Bicarb

Then let the foam pour out of your mouth. Cool, no rotten teeth and the appearance of rabies, with no caloric intake. Hey, i might need to write a diet book!
The Professor

[Bridget Burke]

115. It's not the diet but the faddishness.

Apparently the Atkins diet works for some folks who really need it. And "real world" low-carb diets aren't that unhealthy.

If you're one of the people who are OK with carbs, I've got two suggestions:

1) Turn off the TV.

2) Have a nice plate of pasta.

(Or Tex-Mex--my favorite!)