Vegans vs. Atkins

Salon ^ | December 8, 2003 | Katharine Mieszkowski

[maryz]

I don't think it's as much a strawman argument as it is simple begging the question,

Well, congratulations! You are one of apparently only a handful of people alive who know what "begging the question" means. I keep seeing columnists, journalists (once even in WSJ, but I think it might have been in a letter to the editor) who apparently think it means "raising the question."

Spread the word . . . oh, I guess you were doing that. ;-)

[MEGoody]

Best diet of all - all things in moderation.

[Marysecretary]

My philosophy nowadays is, all things in moderation. I have wondered about Atkins and a vegan diet called the Hallelujah Diet (which I would go on if I had to for health reasons) and I just figure if I eat moderately and don't pig out so much in between meals, I can stay at my weight or even lose some. We eat too much and exercise too little. Period.

[tortoise]

Just so long as the veal is dolphin-safe.

I feed my dolphins veal all the time and they seem very healthy, so I would say that it is generally "dolphin-safe".

[Lady Eileen]

bump...thanks for the post.

[BSunday]

IMO, any diet that leaves out such items as biscuits, garlic bread, spaghetti, etc. originated right straight from Hell.

Gimme my meat loaf with mashed potatoes and corn bread darnit!

[appalachian_dweller]

>> Defend liberty---eat a vegan. <<

ROTFLMHO!!!!

JMO...the leading cause of death....BIRTH

[BSunday]

She's not correct. One can live a perfectly normal, healthful DREARY life without meat/poultry/fish/eggs. People all over the world are doing it.

[Marysecretary]

I haven't seen a 32 inch waist since I was three. Sigh.

[autoresponder]

Push yourself back from the table quickly three (3) times a day.

It works everytime.

[p. henry]

You're exactly right. I have done Atkins and "modified" Atkins. For me, the best approach to weight and health maintenance is: (i) daily exercise, (ii) smaller quantities, and (iii) limiting significantly, but not banning, processed foods, sweets, grains (including rice and pasta) and starches (except baked sweet potatoes and yams, which I simply cannot resist). I also include many of the supplements that Atkins recommends. I've lost quite a bit of fat and some weight without going into ketosis, which I cannot believe is good for you.

[CyberCowboy777]

I think the "diet" of choice should be - whatever works for you.

My personal experience -

Don't starve yourself. EAT and enjoy it. Stressing about food is going to kill you faster than 10 extra pounds.

I eat just about anything (I don't eat fast food, but I do eat frozen burritos at work) and I exercise a little. I love meats, high salt and HOT SAUCE. I do force myself to eat some greens and I eat bread and pasta.

I am 6' 178 pounds 32" waist. Not as fit as I used to be - but the exercise amount is to blame for that.

[tortoise]

That's just it: you CAN'T eat that many calories on a meat-rich diet. After a week of following Atkins' induction plan, your appetite starts to drop off dramatically. You don't really want to eat much.

Precisely, which is the real trick of all this.

I capitalize on this by eating a carefully engineered breakfast that keeps me fully sated until around dinner time when I come home from work. It is a pint and a half of a low-carb concoction I engineered that only contains about 700 calories but keeps me from feeling hungry for 8-12 hours and several cups of coffee. Ironically, it is a minor variation on a concoction I used to love and eat all the time anyway. It also allows me to spend less time at work, since I skip lunch. A normal dinner (veggies and fish or lean meat typically, but with no effort to reduce fat), and I'm done for the day. All upside, no downside.

I'm not really in need of a diet (I'm relatively lean and muscular), but meat and veggie diets have me eating far less (no desire to snack) and keep me feeling much better and more even throughout the day. I eat far less now that my diet is virtually devoid of refined carbs, and having been eating like this for a year or two, I've also lost the desire to eat refined carbs (I feel like crap if I do eat them). Once you fully adapt to lean protein and veggies, it becomes as easy and habitual as any other diet.

[beezdotcom]

Never confuse "ketosis" with "ketoacidosis".

[Rennes Templar]

The best diet on earth won't compensate for chronic negative emotions.

[cyborg]

I had clients tell me they were glad Atkins was dead so he wouldn't tell people to eat meat anymore.

[beezdotcom]

That's just it: you CAN'T eat that many calories on a meat-rich diet. After a week of following Atkins' induction plan, your appetite starts to drop off dramatically. You don't really want to eat much.

Precisely, which is the real trick of all this.

Not so fast - it may be A trick, but it's not the REAL trick, which is the difference in how the body processes fats on a low-carb diet. While it is certainly true that appetite decreases, it is ALSO true that Atkins dieters can consistently eat more calories than regular dieters and still lose MORE weight.

It is also true that in my case, I do eat more calories each day. I may not eat 4000+ calories every day (though it happens more than "convential wisdom" would usually allow), but I average 200-300 more calories per day than I used to.

[cyborg]

LOL they're still around?

[dread78645]

"Happy Turkey Murder Day"

My house had "Game hen Murder Day".
Six of them little suckers gave their all to the top of the food chain.

[dread78645]

"Support each other's dreams and passions. Celebrate your differences. Laugh lots and cry when necessary. Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty. And look for the good in yourselves and in everyone you meet."

"Visualize whirled peas. What if they gave a war and nobody came? You can't hug your children with nuclear arms." ...