Dr. Atkins Diet

Discussion in 'Health & Fitness' started by kmguru, May 5, 2003.

  1. kmguru Staff Member

    Messages:
    11,757
    Anyone on Dr. Atkins diet or Super low carb diet? How is it working? Any side effects etc?
     
  2. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  3. aghart Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    372
    just started today, let you know in two weeks when i am slim and magnificent
     
  4. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  5. dribbler Banned Banned

    Messages:
    184
    the science behind it is factual. the only problems you will encounter is that it is going to be a lifestyle change for the rest of your life if you choose to remain slim.

    introducing that much fat and protein into your system only causes your body to store the only carbs you eat(if you implement a drastic change) as energy and will most likely produce quick weight gain after moderate weight loss.

    i would recommed eating anything you choose in moderation. you can have a greasy burger and fries, but remember that later on in the day you will need to eat a smaller meal containing less calories and fortified with necessary nutrients.
     
  6. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  7. crokett Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    51
    I am also curious to know. I know a couple people at work who tried it, but it didn't work very well for them. However, they didn't take it very seriously either. I am about to marry a gym owner/personal trainer/dietician and after much discussion have concluded that a lower carb (not no-carb) diet with whole grain carbs (wheat bread, brown rice, etc) and a low fat diet is going to bring more benefit in the long run. It also teaches you better eating habits for the long haul.
    <edit>

    Your body was built to need certain things - carbohydrates being one of them. Just make sure they are in balance and taken in moderation.
    </edit>

    All of that being said, if it works for you, great! Just so long as you are happy with who you are.
     
  8. kmguru Staff Member

    Messages:
    11,757
    I have been on a low carb diet for 10 weeks now. I lost 10 pounds in the first 6 weeks. My goal is to lose another 5 which is getting harder. While I have been keeping away from sugars (deserts etc) all my adult life, the middle age spread got me. After reading Dr. Atkins book, I found out, I did eat a lot of bread, pasta, rice etc. So I slightly modified my diet to exclude refined carbs, pop, sweets only and hence lost 10 pounds.

    I still eat a lot of vegetables (but not potato) , fruits, fruit juices and almost everything including meat and fish. When at the restaurant, if I order a chicken fajita, I do not eat the flour tortilla.

    So far so good. But the last five pounds does not seem to budge and they are all on my belly adding an extra two inches to my sixpack days. Atleast I lost my size A cup - that was the first thing to go and I am happy.
     
  9. SwedishFish Conspirator Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,908
    oooh god please don't do that, anyone. sure it works but it's so horrible on your body. weightloss should be for health and your health certainly won't improve! if your only reason for dieting is vanity, you need to reevaluate your priorities. otherwise, enjoy your shortened lifespan as a thin but unhealthy person.
     
  10. Jerrek Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,548
    I agree with both these people.

    I can honestly not recommend that kind of diet. If your goal is weight loss, do it the right way. Your body doesn't need that much protein. Did you know that the RDA of protein is about 50 grams? Your body loses about 25 grams of protein a day due to skin loss, nails, perspiration, and hair. All of that can be replaced in a diet void of protein.

    Proteins are made up of amino acids. When you cook meat, the amino acids gets messed up and it forms a big mess. To retrieve the amino acids during digestion requires a great deal of energy. Meat and protein need more energy to digest than anything else. Once it is broken up into amino acids, your body can once again use those amino acids to rebuild itself.

    Chickens give just that: chicken protein. Beef gives just that: beef protein. You're not a chicken and you're not a cow. Your body can't use that protein in that form. It uses amino acids.

    There are twenty-three amino acids. Fifteen of them are produced by the body. Eight of them needs to be consumed in the diet. They are called essential amino acids. Green vegetables and nuts contains all eight essential amino acids.

    When you eat only proteins, you place an incredible strain on the body in both digestion and detoxification. Proteins create more toxic waste than anything else. Your body isn't made for the consuption of that much protein. From the length of the digestive tract (10x the length of the torso in humans and other herbivores, 3x in lions and carnivores) to the amount of uric acid secreted by the liver (10x more in carnivores than in humans and other herbivores) to the amount of sleep required (6-8 hours for herbivores and humans, 20 hours for lions and other carnivores).

    If you do loose weight, you will immediately gain it again when you start consuming carbohydrates. Your body will go into a mode of storing *all* carbohydrates you eat because you're depriving it of essential nutrients. The Atkins diet is rather disasterous for your body. I would recommend agaist it.
     
  11. tablariddim forexU2 Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    4,795
    Dunno about the Atkins diet, but I started on D'Addamo's Eat Right 4 Your Blood Type last September. I didn't actually start it because I was overweight because I'm not, but because it just made sense to me, anyway, I went down from 64 Kilos to 56 by March this year, so I've been sort of avoiding it since then, trying to get some weight back on, I also stopped working out for the same reason. I've put on a measly 1 Kilo since then.

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

     
  12. kmguru Staff Member

    Messages:
    11,757
    What those nutrients could be?

    I have not seen any refined flour or soda pop grown on the trees. Why these man made foods good for you while others are not ?

    What about beans/legumes...?

    I wonder why Lions eat chickens and beef?

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

     
  13. crokett Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    51
    Depends on what you do fer exercise. I lift weights, so I need around 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight (or 2 grams per kilo for the international folks). That is about 200 grams per day. Ideally it should be spread over 5-6 meals. That is just for maintenance. If I were trying to grow, I'd push that to 300/day or so. However, I eat lowfat protein (or low "bad fat" protein) - chicken, fish, turkey and beef that is 98% lean or better. I measure my carb intake and shoot for 2500 total calories/day. So the diet isn't exactly low-carb, unless you compare it to what the American population normally eats. If I am hungry I try to up the protein before the carbs. One of the problems with Atkins is he says don't worry about the fat. It may be ok for short term, but I wouldn't make a lifestyle out of that diet. Also to my knowledge there have been some studies that says Atkins works, but none on the long-term effects. A balanced diet is something that you can have for life. Atkins isn't one doesn't necessarily teach you good eating habits.
     
  14. *stRgrL* Kicks ass Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    2,495
    This diet sucks!

    Dudes,
    Carbs are fuel for your body. Duh!

    No seriously, its not a healthy approach at all. Maybe if you want to lose a few pounds for the weekend, fine. But not long term. Ya'll remember Dr. Atkins suffering a heartattack a while back? I dont think its totally far-fetched to assume it has something to do with eating steak, eggs and cheese for years on end - with limited fruits and veggies. I tried this diet a few years ago and almost fainted after 2 days of no carbs. That was enough to throw the book away and start exercising.

    What worked for me:
    No drinks except water. ESPECIALLY SODA - EVEN DIET!
    No fast food. Period
    Walking 40 minutes a day and hiking 2 hours on the weekends.
    Yoga (stretching) before getting ready in the morning.

    That was it. I lost 15 pounds in a month and even after I stopped working out, I didnt put the weight back on for 6 months.

    Good luck at losing the weight AND keeping it off

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!



    Edit: For spelling
     
  15. Jerrek Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,548
    Think! To mention one: fiber

    Why do you jump to refined flour and sugar? I didn't state that, did I? Whole wheat is one example of a good carbohydrate. Carbohydrates have something that proteins don't have: Fiber. A diet high in proteins and low in carbohydrates is low in fiber. That is not good.

    Well what about them?

    Why do you need proteins and not amino acids? You're depleting the body's energy supply trying to digest and consume the beef and chicken proteins which are quite useless to your body. Don't tell me you need proteins for muscles. That is simply not true. The strongest land mammal is the orangutan. It is 10 times stronger than a human and those muscles came from ... grass, leaves, and other vegetation. Proteins don't build muscles. Amino acids do. And you can either consume it directly (like herbivores do), or try to obtain them indirectly through the digestion of proteins. Just know that your body isn't designed to deal with large amounts of proteins like a lion's body.
     
  16. grazzhoppa yawwn Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,277
    BINGO! Like it was mention several times, eating things in moderation will cause you to lose weight because your lifestyle has led to having more pounds than you want through overeating.

    I personally believe Atkins diet is another fad thing...this time it's frontrunner is a "Dr." so it's public credibility is up and it does give quick results....but not long term/healthy results.

    The time tested way to become healthily trim is through a lifestyle of exercise. The diet can come after maintaining an exercise regimine long enough to ensure it's future in your life. Watch what you drink (juices...alcohol...mixers) and don't spontaneously pop food. Kmguru, you got the idea...take out many little things so you won't feel like your taking out a big chunk of your life.
     
  17. Xerxes asdfghjkl Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    3,830
    Don't go on this, or any other special diet. They will screw you over ten times. This particular diet (or so I'm told) will cause gallstones to build up inside of you, and like swedishfish (a professional biologist) said, it will destroy your body.

    The key is a balanced diet, plenty of excercise, lots of fibre and a healthy attitude. And besides, there's nothing attractive about ladies the size of toothpicks.
     
  18. Revolution Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    164
    Has anyone heard of the new diet called Working Out-kinsins diet?

    Burn more than you take in, and eat the right foods which is soooo much in debate I have no idea. I just aviod fast food at all costs(Unless its the only place open and I am too drunk to cook) and try to eat veggies and fruit with my steaks and pasta and whatever I eat.

    But in the words of the Talk Show dude:

    EAT, DRINK, And Be MERRY!!!!!!!!

    Try that cuz the asteriod might be hitting the planet next month.
     
  19. kmguru Staff Member

    Messages:
    11,757
    Atkin’s diet may be a fad, but I have been eating food similar to his recipe for years. I rarely take over the counter drugs but do take vitamins. To give you an example (my additions are in parenthesis).

    Lunch: Chicken or Turkey teriyaki with scallions, broccoli, snow peas, fresh ginger and sesame seeds.
    Dinner: Shrimp stir-fry, with bok choy, carrots, celery

    Lunch: Asian beef salad
    Dinner: Lobster with garlic butter, fresh vegetables (Now I know why I love Red lobster)

    Lunch: Crab and avocado salad, mushroom soup
    Dinner: Chicken or veal parmigiana topped withgrilled eggplants (diced tomatoes, mushroom, cilantro and fresh garlic)
     
  20. Xerxes asdfghjkl Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    3,830
    KM,
    You take vitamins? A lot of people think that they are only adding to their health by taking in supplements. But this is the biggest is one of the biggest misconceptions. If you have a balanced healthy diet there should be no reason to take them. And even if you don't you should still be getting enough.

    Getting too many vitamins can be very damaging to your health. Especially the fat soluble kind. When you're body doesn't use the excess, it treats it just like a toxin with no place to go. And it will not make you healthier. If you don't need them I'd reccomend getting off.


    Also, one thing I have to add is that almonds, yes - almonds, are one of the healthiest things you can eat. Supported by scientists and psuedoscientists alike. Do not forget the words of Edgar Cayce, "...if ye would take each day, through thy experience, two almonds, ye will never have skin blemishes, ye will never be tempted even in body toward cancer nor towards those things that make blemishes in the body-forces themselves."
    &
    "...almonds are good and if an almond is taken each day, and kept up, you'll never have accumulations of tumors or such conditions through the body. An almond a day is much more in accord with keeping the doctor away, especially certain types of doctors, than apples. For the apple was the fall, not almond - for the almond blossomed when everything else died. Remember this is life!"

    This is soooo damn true. If I ever had any doubts on Cayce, this is where he gets redeemed. Almonds are great. Ask any scientist.

    EDIT:: Mind you, yourprostate does not respond particularly well to the omega 3 fatty acids inside your average almond. But darnit, who needs one anyways??
     
  21. SwedishFish Conspirator Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,908
    hahaha i'm a professional biologist! (more like unpaid, unprofessional). thanks dude.

    i'm not arguing that the diet won't work. you certainly will drop all the weight but only cause you're starving yourself. glucose is the only fuel your nervous system runs on. converted glucose just doesn't cut it for long periods of time, past missing a few meals. you start to deteriorate. your liver and kidneys work overtime trying to process the massive amounts of fat and protein. you excrete plenty of nitrogenous waste which doesn't smell too nice for those who have to be around you (my roommate tried it for a couple weeks....it still smells bad in here). people have had to have organ transplants because of this diet! are you really that vain?? fiber should be the #1 component of your diet and everything else added in small amount. to get the idea of how much protein you actually need a day, think of a slice of bologna. it's uniform in size so it makes a good comparison. you need only one of those, ONE, a day. of course, too much carbs is bad for you too. too much of anything is.

    a high fiber diet is a great way to lose weight if you're used to eating a lot of fat (it emulsifies it in your stomach if eaten together and carries it out through the bowel).
     
  22. NaturalSelector Registered Member

    Messages:
    4
    I find it interesting that it seems here not a single person has actually read Dr. Atkins diets... The diet is not about no carbs... The diet is about no carbs for the first two weeks, this is inorder to get your body into kytosis and used to processing protein and fat instead of depending upon carbs as your main source of food.. After that it is about adjusting levels of intake so your body can adjust to the intake of carbs.. In other words.... You begin to slowly increase your intake of carbs over time, until you reach a medium which you can digest, and not gain weight... Then that level of carb intake is sugested as your daily... All fo which is done over a large period of time.. Most of the above banter and tripe is pure speculation and nonsensical babble.. Is this the ideal diet, no... Is it possibly harmful in the long run, yes... But only if used improperly and not as atkins prescribed..

    Also it was never meant as an all protein diet.. It was meant as a low carb diet , high in protein.. As far as your statements scientifically, you are accurate enough... There are inaccuracies but I care not to get into microbio semantics and nuance debates... The fact is you are encouraged via atkins to intake lots of vegetables, and can use lots of fours ect.. that are wheat based but low in carbs.... I urge you to read atkins writings, less you be accused of straw man, inductive and circular logic......

    and yes I also have a biology degree... including a psych.... with a minor in ethical and religious philosophy.
     
  23. kmguru Staff Member

    Messages:
    11,757
    Elbaz:

    I do not take a lot of vitamins. I believe in moderation. I take only what my body tells me to take. I am in synch with my body after years of meditation. The same way, I water the vine growing in my bedroom (it is a huge vine, we named Seymour) when the vine asks for it. Like a pet, the Seymour has its own grow light with a timer and a time release micronutrient enriched fertilizer.

    For some reason, my Vitamin A level (which is fat soluble) depletes over the winter, so I had to supplement with Retinyl Palmitate. My CoQ10 level also gets depleted due to work releted unavoidable stress. My dietary habit also lacks Folic acid.

    Thanks for the almond advice. I do eat a lot of almonds raw in spurts. I soak them overnight and eat them raw. I have a weakness for a mixture of Walnuts and white Raisins or Dates.

    I have and read the book: Dr. Atkins' age-defying diet I like the chapter about insulin and aging connection and also cortisol connection.
     

Share This Page