2 chains to offer 'low-carb burgers' wrapped in lettuce

AZCentral.com ^ | Dec. 16, 2003 | USA TODAY

[11th_VA]

Low-carb mania may reach new highs Monday when the Hardee's and Carl's Jr. hamburger chains announce plans to introduce the fast food world's first "low-carb burgers." The big bunless burgers - 1/3- to 1/2-pound - will come wrapped in large leaves of iceberg lettuce for a handhold on the burger and fixings.

[beezdotcom]

A plain bagel has more calories than a two-egg omelet fried in butter with cheese and bacon...

No WONDER we don't agree...what calorie chart are you USING?
Here's one of many.

I get:
1 PLAIN BAGEL = 200 calories

Meanwhile, I get:
2 EGGS = 150 calories
1 TBSP BUTTER, SALTED = 100 calories
1 OZ CHEDDAR CHEESE = 115 calories
BACON, 2 SLICES = 70 calories
Total: 445 calories

Of course, MY omelettes usually contain 4 eggs, and a little heavy cream to make them fluffy...and now with the Redi-Paks of pre-cooked bacon, add a few more slices, too...

[grimalkin]

So, if the diet works for you, that is fine and dandy, but I guarantee you, if you count the calories you intook before you started and what you take on the diet, you will find a significant difference.

You're right, I *did* see a significant difference:

Average calories per day pre-Atkins: 1200-1300
Average calories per day on Atkins 1+ years: 1500-2000

Pre-Atkins weight at 5'4", small frame: 140ish
Current Atkins Maintenance weight: 109-112 lbs (depending on water weight fluctuations, time of day, etc.)

No difference in activity level. Everything has been tracked in a custom spreadsheet.

[SamAdams76]

Thank you for your kind words. I hope that once you establish this way of eating long-term, you can get off the insulin. I try not to even use the term "low-carb" because so many people have the wrong impression of it (that's it's an all-you-can-eat meat and cheese diet). I prefer to call it a "normal-carb" diet because I believe that 100g of carb a day is not low-carb but normal-carb. I have been at the 100g a day level for months now and the weight still hasn't come back (not that I'd let it).

With the cold weather, I have been exercising much less but I still try to get out for at least an hour a day for walks. In fact, I find the cold winter air very refreshing. People don't understand how I can go outside on a bitter cold night (I'm talking temps in the teens with wind chill) for an hour and stay comfortable. But if you dress properly, it's no problem at all. In fact, I'm actually quite warm by the time my walk is over.

I doubt that the fast food places will ever offer fresh vegetables and I don't know if it can even be done in a profitable way but there is a real niche in the marketplace for a "fast-food" restaurant that offers wholesome, nutritious food based on the low-carb (normal-carb) lifestyle.

[Dante3]

I agree.

I'm a White Castle fan. As for the low-carb breads -- those I've sampled have tasted awful.

[beezdotcom]

The Nature's Own Reduced Carbohydrate Premium Wheat is actually pretty good. It has 7 grams per slice, 2 of that being fiber. My kids eat it and don't know the difference.

[Nataku X]

Well, I was thinking of the fresh bakery bagels which can run between 400 and 600 calories... I have no idea where they got the 200 calorie bagel from, must be from the same mythical place where USDA's calorie database got the 162 calorie 1/8th slice of cheese pizza from. :) I've found that the USDA often way underestimates the calorie intake of starchy foods--are people really going to Pizza Hut and thinking they can eat half an entire pizza for a reasonable 642 calories?

In any case, your breakfast sounds great and runs at about 400 calories + 35 per slice of bacon... I can't stand the precooked kind though and prefer frying the thick sliced ones... congrats on your weight loss and keep at the Atkins diet!

[stands2reason]

some NO2 cartridges

They look at you funny when you buy those? FYI--in a pinch, they are most likely available at your local adult book store.

[beezdotcom]

In any case, your breakfast sounds great and runs at about 400 calories + 35 per slice of bacon... I can't stand the precooked kind though and prefer frying the thick sliced ones...

Not to quibble, but my breakfast actually runs closer to 1000 calories once you add the two additional eggs, extra bacon, extra cheese (who the heck only puts an ounce of cheese in an omelette?), the couple o' squirts of heavy cream, and the slice of low-carb toast with sugar-free jam (gotta have SOMETHING sweet).

Now I gotta run home for dinner...making a BIG skillet of stir-fried chicken and veggies...heavy on the sesame oil...

[CajunConservative]

I've been ordering the double cheeseburger (without cheese) from Mac D's. I don't eath the buns though - save 'em for my dog - he's loving my diet lifestyle change.

I was doing that with my dogs, but they started gaining weight. However, when I give them scraps of the meat w/ good fats their coats are so shiny now.

[mrs tiggywinkle]

**You can always order it by it's technical name: Heartattack in a Lettuce Cup **

LOL...cute name but that's not what In-n-Out uses as the official name of it. I like yours better.

[CajunConservative]

Anyone have a link to a site that lists Atkins type foodstuffs? I'm interested in starting this but am worried about lack of choices.

There's all kinds of sites on the net.

The best one is atkinsfriends.com

There's all kinds of choices available out there. The market is responding and there are some really good substitutes. I just found a really good chocolate milk substitute that is really good from lecarb.net. I never really drank chocolate milk much before, but every once in a while I like it and this was a really good substitute.

[Momto2]

HI!
Concerning diabetes and low-carb diets - have you heard of Dr. Richard Bernstein? He has a wonderful book "Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution" - He was an engineer who contracted diabetes in the 1940's (before home test kits) and devised a diet to help his health. THEN he went back to medical school because most doctors/nutritionists wouldn't give his plan a try. Now he is a well respected doctor in New York and everyone else who had diabetes when he first did is no longer alive - he is alive and well.
Check out his web-site www.diabetes-normalsugars.com
My dh has lost 7 pounds in just a few days - his readings are much better..... we are hoping this is the answer for him....
Good Luck to you!!

[Beck_isright]

" "This makes me laugh," says Robyn Flipse, a registered dietitian from Ocean, N.J. "

Funny. I don't recall seeing the "Flipse" diet products, books, videos and foodstuffs on grocery shelves everywhere. Perhaps 'Robyn' has a little professional envy...

[Slicksadick]

Thanks

[Slicksadick]

Thank you as well

[LPM1888]

I'm down 43 pounds in a year, my brother is down 65, my son is down 40 and we all feel great! Atkins works!!

[CajunConservative]

I'm not anti-Atkins. In fact, I believe that the Atkins diet is by far the most "easy" diet out there and I appreciate its growing popularity (if for no reason other than that lo-cal sweets and goodies are coming out everywhere). However, I am skeptical that one can eat 3000 calories on Atkins and lose weight--even FR's greatest lo-carb success story eats only about 1500 calories a day (on top of 2 hours of exercise a day).

What most of you are forgetting is the low carb method kills the hunger. I can eat the same amount of calories and if it is higher carb, I will get hungry in a very short while and have blood sugar spikes all day long and usually end up with a migraine. I eat the same number of calories low carb I don't get hungry for hours and I feel great. That is the difference for a lot of people here.

[cmak9]

But they're such a pain in the butt to make...I should be able to buy bags of these already frozen, ready to deep-fry...

You do realize that you probably have a money making idea here, don't you?

[beezdotcom]

You do realize that you probably have a money making idea here, don't you?

I am the poster child for coming up with great ideas without the foggiest idea of how to take them into production. Someone in my office essentially made that same observation about me. I need to be exploited by someone who won't mind paying me $0.05 on the dollar for all my unrealized good ideas...

[Dante3]

That doesn't sound bad. I just had a bite of a Soya bread that wasn't too bad either.