Posted on 11/18/2002 5:32:27 PM PST by Paradox
Nov. 18 — Multitudes swear by the high-fat, low-carbohydrate Atkins diet, and now a carefully controlled study backs them up: Low-carb may actually take off more weight than low-fat and may be surprisingly better for cholesterol, too.
...
Westman studied 120 overweight volunteers, who were randomly assigned to the Atkins diet or the heart association’s Step 1 diet, a widely used low-fat approach. On the Atkins diet, people limited their carbs to less than 20 grams a day, and 60 percent of their calories came from fat. “It was high fat, off the scale,” he said.
After six months, the people on the Atkins diet had lost 31 pounds, compared with 20 pounds on the AHA diet, and more people stuck with the Atkins regimen.
One of the most important aspects of the Atkins' diet is exercise. Joint a gym! Work out with weights 3 times a week. It made a big difference in my metabolism.
Good advice whether dieting or not. I get about 2 workouts a week in, along with 4 or 5 brisk walks. A lot of this depends on how much yard work and such I am doing, as well as my work hours. 12 hour days do not make for good workout/sleep habits, but they still allow a good walk.
I did the Atkins' rigorous diet 3 years ago, then I started incorporating carbos at a moderate rate. I'm still skinny as a toothpick ;-)
Actually, the extra protein from Atkins's diet and the moderate gym workout have given me a nice, healthy body. Once you realize you can change that old look for good, you will be glad to ditch sugar from your diet
Simple sugars are probably the worst thing for your health. While fat has been demonized by the globalists, the simple sugars present a very fast route to increasing bodyfat as well. They pack a ton of calories in a little package, require little digestive effort, flood your bloodstream with glucose, and have a great influence on you sugar/insulin balance. Not healthy in any great quantity. Eat candy in great moderation.
There are several things that I quit eating on a regular basis, such as sugar and white flour products.
Absolutely a good move. I always try to remember that two candy bars or a candy bar and a coke a day equals nearly a pound a week.
I eat with moderation fruits and whole grain breads, and I drink wine a few times a week.
Don't worry that much about the fruits. You'd have to eat 3 apples to equal the caloric value of the typical candy bar. Plus, they provide some good vitamins and fiber. I recall the old book saying 2-4 servings a day of fruits. As for the bread, I've grown to really like a good heavy full-grain bread such as Brownberry's Wheat or Cobblestone Mills' 9 grain. Both are breakfast staples for me.
I eat a lot of vegetables and meat, and of course, my eggs for breakfast.
I have been fortunate in that I've never needed to really diet - yes, I'm just beginning the process of reversing the effects of quitting smoking last January, but I'm only talking about 20 pounds. As a result, I don't have any first hand knowledge of the Atkins' diet, but everybody I know that tried it swears that it works. The hardest part might be making the transition from weight loss to maintenance.
All my bloodwork comes out fine all the time, I have a lot of energy and I'm seldom hungry.
That's good to hear. I always think of cholesterol when I think of Atkins, yet it doesn't seem to be as much of a problem as one would think. Perhaps the exercise plays a bigger role.
That's Atkins diet. It's named for the guitarist Chet Atkins. When he was starting out on the honky-tonk circuit, he noticed he'd lose weight while travelling through central Kentucky-- which is known for its greasy french fries. He came to realize that those french fries were an extraordinarily effective diet food.
He developed a diet of french fries five times per day -- breakfast, lunch, supper, dinner and before bed snack.
The trick was that all you eat were the fries, and all you could drink was Schwepps club soda. For some reason, he insisted that the brand be Schwepps -- an unfortunate fact that caused him to lose credibility during the Congressional hearings.
To add variety, Chet doctored his "fries" up. He'd put ketchup on 'em in the morning, Cheese Whiz at supper, and chocolate syrup when he had a yen for something sweet.
It was a great success.
The corporate powers that be, however, -- with the notable exception of the potato industry -- soon spread stories about the unhealthiness of eating five servings of french fries a day. The Congressional hearings were pretty much the final nail in the coffin. Chet had to go back to his music.
I'm glad you asked.
You presume that every one operates in essentially the same way. That is simply not true. I can tell you from experience that I was one fatso that ate like a bird for years without losing any weight. The primary thrust of Atkins tis that some people do have much different metabolic function. I beleive that most chronically obese people would benefit from Atkins, but that the diet is wrong for those who just want to lose a few pounds or get back to their early twenties weight. In my case I am 60 pounds lighter now (in my mid forties) than I was at 19.
You will loose alright MUSCLE. You have to eat fat to be on Atkins
I think the advantage of Atkins is that it kind of "preps" your body for weight loss by increasing your metabolism, reducing cravings, etc. But in the long run the result is the same -- burning more calories than you consume.
Its probably a good idea for you to maintain some squatting exercise capability. You would not want to get stuck at the bottom doing a camping squat and require a "spotter".
Most people will benefit from two of Atkins' principles:
1. Dump sugar (meaning read the labels to find out that sugar is ubiquitous in our processed food)
2. Exercise in moderation. (I have never spent more than 4 hours a week at the gym)
I agree carbs are bad, mainly because they are processed, and the human body is not designed to process them. But I know many Atkins afficianados who suck down the meats while avoiding vegetables, as well as barbs...recipe for long-term health disaster.
I agree in general. The calorie in/calorie out equation is the most reliable in predicting weight gain/loss. But there are some additional factors in play. First, it is much easier to digest, for example, simple sugars as compared to complex carbs. They end up in the bloodstream relatively unchanged. Fats flow a bit slower through the tube as well when compared to sugars. Plus, fat does tend to maintain a feeling of fullness longer than carb-based foods and especially sugars do.
There is also little energy expended when the body converts excess glucose to fat. It is comparatively more energy-intense when fat is converted to be used as energy. These are probably not huge differences, but they are important.
I think the advantage of Atkins is that it kind of "preps" your body for weight loss by increasing your metabolism, reducing cravings, etc. But in the long run the result is the same -- burning more calories than you consume.
I don't know that much about ketosis, but it seems that you may be metabolically "higher" when in the state of ketosis as compared to being in a normal carb-rich state.
Most people will benefit from two of Atkins' principles:
1. Dump sugar (meaning read the labels to find out that sugar is ubiquitous in our processed food)
2. Exercise in moderation. (I have never spent more than 4 hours a week at the gym)
Yes, those two principles alone are sage advice. Sugars are truly deserving of the title of "junk food". Yeah, they taste great. And they have their uses (picture a marathon runner nearing the proverbial "wall".). But one should go beyond moderation with sugar and shoot for "very seldom" in their diet.
I took up exercise 13 years ago, ironically, to gain weight. I was underweight and not as strong as I wanted to be so I took up lifting weights and eating everything in sight. I still do both, though in a much more moderated manner. :^) Exercise is paramount regardless of ones' diet. IMHO, of course.
Just make sure that you choose your location carefully - other campers may be more than willing to give you a boost.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.