[Paradox]

Excerpted, click for more info: Atkins diet beats low-fat fare.

More preliminary science in support of the low-carb approach.

[RightOnline]

For those of us stuck in a time warp (or previously just didn't give a damn), in a nutshell: what is the Adkins diet?

[Mark]

My brother has been on this diet for 35 years. He appears to be in perfect health- age 61 looks like 45 year old at the most.

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

Oh no, is it time for another Atkins thread?

[SamAdams76]

Actually the Atkins Diet sucks just as badly as a low-fat diet.

Consider life under the Atkins plan...you'll be ordering cheeseburgers without the buns and you'll have to practically cut out of your diet forever such staples as rice, pasta and breads.

And here's the kicker...no beer! NO BEER!

So knock the 10 years off my life already and hand me that bottle opener...

[Thud]

ping

[Poser]

Love that Atkins' Diet. Why do so many people spell it with a D?

I lost 70 pounds two years ago. I have gained back 0 pounds and enjoy PRIME RIB as often as I want. My cholesterol dropped 60 points.

I miss pasta, but the meatballs and sausage are a good substitute.

[arielb]

"Still, the number of overweight people studied this way is small, and the research does not examine possible long-term ills or advantages, including how long people keep the pounds off."

I'm especially interested to see how this affects cancer. I would also like to know what happens once people get off the Atkin's diet and ate normally again. I would also like to know how it affects endurance. Will marathoners now switch to atkin's before their run instead of pasta?
I continue to maintain that you can eat anything you want-prime rib AND potatoes and still lose a safe 1-2 pounds a week. Just don't eat so much

[Alberta's Child]

Many of these diets tend to make things more complicated than they should be.

Losing weight is simple -- just burn off more calories than you consume. What makes this difficult is that people try to reduce the "consumption" side of the equation instead of increasing the "burning" side.

Having said that, I can also see the value of an Atkins-type diet. I have found that carbohydrates tend to slow the body's metabolism, thereby making it harder to burn calories during periods of low activity.

Sure-fire way to lose a ton of weight -- get a full night's sleep every night, get up early, and exercise in the morning, even moderately. It will raise your body's metabolism for the entire day.

[Pharmboy]

Thanks for the post. Atkins is correct.

And, to all Freepers who are interested (or as a now retired old boss who grew up in The Bronx used to say "innarested") in this and similar subjects click here for many great links and basic information on the paleolithic (caveman) diet.

[Rate_Determining_Step]

Yup. No feed-bag cattle "food pyramid" for me. Steak, fish, eggs, etc. At perfect body weight and feel great - for 3 years.

Once you get to "maintenance", you can introduce some carbs back into your diet. I'll eat the burger with the bun and even fries.

Every couple of months, we even order a pizza.

[Salo]

I started Atkins after reading a thread here a few months ago about it. I've gone from 197 to 165 lbs. It was easy. The only thing I had a problem with was (and is) a lack of good stuff to drink.

[montag813]

Pounds aren't everything. Although it is important to lose weight if obese, an over-reliance on fatty meats will take a long-term toll on these individual, as their risk of colon and (in men) prostate cancer increases significantly, according to studies. It is foolhardy to make meats such an intensive part of one's diet.

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.

[T Wayne]

Thirty two years ago, I stepped on the baggage scale in Da Nang and weighed 185 in fatigues and combat boots. By March of '71 I was at 228.

Fast forward to Oct, 2001. At 315 I was diagnosed with a pituitary tumor. After starting treatment for the benign tumor, I started the Atkins diet in Jan, 2002. I now weigh 222 and haven't felt this good in 25 years.

Its a great trip and I'm looking forward to 180.

[socal_parrot]

I did an Atkins like diet a few years back, Protein Power. I lost 55 lbs. It's not what you add to your diet, it's what you cut out. I cut out carbs and did not add any more fat than I was already eating. It worked for me. I also added a potassium and calcium supplement other vitamins to compensate for the way I was eating. I also started exersizing moderately.

[ottersnot]

Check out the Schwarzbein diet, it's a little more
reasonable and just as effective, if not more so,
than atkins. No I didn't make it up.
My wife is using it.

[fogarty]

Diets are for those who are too undisciplined and who lack the willpower to EXERCISE. That includes the Atkins diet.

[uncbob]

How about true vegetarians
They shun eggs and any animal product like lard butter and meats

They are almost all grain and vegetable plus nuts but DEFINITELY a low fat diet . So they eat breads, bananas fruits, fruit juice , veggies .

To my understanding they are not fat overweight people

[JameRetief]

About a year ago I went on a diet to lose weight. I ate similar to the Atkins diet. However, the Atkins diet is missing a very important factor. Essential fatty acids. Most people are not aware of how oils can affect weight, especially the benefits of the EFAs. EFAs are very important to our health and we should make sure we are getting enough regardless of whether or not we are trying to manage our weight, but they are very effective when trying to lose weight.

The EFAs, especially the Omega 3 EFA, helps the body to burn off excess fat. One of the important functions of EFAs is increased energy production by the body. Instead of being used as fuel, they are converted into hormone-like prostaglandins. Because they are never used as fuel the calorie content of EFAs are effectively zero. In addition to not counting as calories, these fats increase our metabolic rate helping to burn more calories and helping us lose weight and keep slim. EFAs also help our kidneys dump excess water in tissues, which constitutes significant extra weight in some people.

I take an EFA oil supplement called "Udo's Choice Perfected Oil Blend". It made a world of difference in my weight loss, and I continue to use it for the health benefits. The man behind the product, Udo Erasmus, is considered the foremost authority on the subject of oils and our health. I highly recommend that people read his book Fats That Heal Fats That Kill. It is a well documented resource that brings together all of the important research and knowledge about fats and our health. In fact I think this book should be required reading in high school. The information presented is that important. You should be able to find it at any local health food store, or online at such places as Amazon.com.

If nothing else, you can read a summary of the information contained in the book: "Fats That Heal Fats That Kill" - The Complete Lecture! I cannot stress it enough that this man knows what he is talking about. I followed his advice on weight management and his advice on how oils play a part in health.

Based on Udo's advice and his Oil Blend, I noticed a definite change for the better in my health after about 3 days. Over a few months, I lost about 50 lbs. It was simple, easy and almost effortless.

This is basically what I did:

• Cut out as much as possible any processed oils.
• Cut out all fried foods.
• Consumed 3-5 Tbsp of Udo’s oil per day.
• Cut out as much as possible any refined sugars.
• Cut out sodas.
• Reduced carbohydrates as much as possible.

Of course I ate less than I did before, but hunger wasn't an issue since I didn't want to eat as much. Unprocessed oils (like Udo's Oil Blend) are natural appetite suppressors. I was full sooner and remained satisfied longer. I never felt hungry while I was losing the weight.

Do your health a favor and look into this. At least read the lecture. In addition to the weight management aspect, check out the other MAJOR health benefits the EFAs bring. Feel free to ask me about anything you might have a question about or if you want to know more about anything that I mentioned.

[realpatriot71]

Bottom line: restricting calories below maintenence will cause you to lose "weight". Wether one wants to do this by eating all fat, all protein, all carbs, or combinations thereof doesn't matter.

[MattinNJ]

Bump for a later read. Thanks.