Replies

Well I hope he has a recovery but lets face it, his fad diet is very unhealthy and I've been saying that for years. I am an overweight person who tried it and I never felt so crappy in my life as when I was on that diet and to boot, it was a serious crimp on my lifestyle. I mean, you walk into a restaurant and you have to make all these special requests like ordering a cheeseburger without the bun and crap like that. In fact, in the long term, the diet might have done me good only because I got so sick of cheeseburgers and bacon and other red meats that I stopped eating them for a while.

A couple of years ago, I simply started eating better and basically stick to a Mediterannean-style diet which is heavy on fish, veggies, rice, pasta, olive oil (instead of butter), garlic, breads, beer and wine. Basically all the stuff that Atkins tells you not to eat. Since then, I feel great and my weight has been under control ever since. As well, my blood cholesterol dropped from 240 to 186 and all my blood sugars are normal and my blood pressure and stress is greatly reduced. I am no longer a heart attack risk as I was when I was on the Atkins diet.

I still have a steak or cheeseburger every now and then. Even eggs and bacon. The point is, any diet that restricts you to a single food group (like the Atkins diet) is a fad diet and should be avoided.

I have used a modified form of the Adkins diet as my normal everyday diet for years now and for me it works. I went from being overweight to weighing right at 127lbs (at 5'4" tall) and have maintained the weight within 3lbs for the last two years. But I do not eat all the fat he would allow in his diet.

Basically my meals consist of protein as the main source of food (usually chicken, turkey, fish, shellfish or red meat) and veggies. I rarely eat bacon or other high fat content foods. I use only olive oil in cooking and limit the amount of carbs I take it. I have a serving of fruit twice a day since natural sugars do not effect me and the benefits of eating fruits outweigh any natural sugar problems there might be. My blood pressure is normal, as is my cholestrol and blood sugar. It does work, though I'd find Adkins diet plan to be completely impossible to follow long term.

Since I work at a desk and also attend school full time, I have very little time to exercise during the week so I have to have a diet that will not pack on the pounds, I exercise 1 day during the week and every weekend go swimming. As I said, it works for me.

I am concerned about people who go on Adkins, eat as many fatty foods that are allowed (bacon, fried pork skins etc) and think they will be healthy long term. Fact is, you do have to limit fat and cholestrol in your diet and using low-fat proteins is the way to do it.

Fad diet that restricts you to one food group?

If you had read Dr. Atkins books, you would know that your statement is completely erroneous. You only know about the induction stage of his diet plan. If you had read his book closely you would see that the diet teaches people to restrict carbohydrates in their diets, not completely eliminate them. Contrary to your comments, I eat a lot of foods besides bacon and cheeseburgers and have lost weight while feeling great.

**A couple of years ago, I simply started eating better and basically stick to a Mediterannean-style diet which is heavy on fish, veggies, rice, pasta, olive oil (instead of butter), garlic, breads, beer and wine. Basically all the stuff that Atkins tells you not to eat. Since then, I feel great and my weight has been under control ever since. As well, my blood cholesterol dropped from 240 to 186 and all my blood sugars are normal and my blood pressure and stress is greatly reduced. I am no longer a heart attack risk as I was when I was on the Atkins diet.**

Bingo.

I was raised on a Mediterranean way of eating and know it works. I'm not much of a meat eater so the Atkins Diet wouldn't have worked for me. I enjoy my extra virgin olive oil and pine nuts and pasta. :o) And it's better for me.

fish, veggies, rice, pasta, olive oil (instead of butter), garlic, breads, beer and wine. Basically all the stuff that Atkins tells you not to eat.

Why must people who disagree with this diet issue falsehoods, demonstrate ignorance or engage in gross exaggerations or lies about it? Sheesh, it like discussing religion or something. Most who want to trash the diet always do so on what they think it entails rather than what it actually does. Those who support it invariably are the ones who have used it successfully. While many legitemately may have had problems on the diet, most who say they did poorly on it continue with statements that prove to me that they have no idea what doing the diet correctly actually involves. Take your statement italicized above for instance. I did great on a very low carb diet and guess what? I ate lots of fish, veggies, oil and garlic, all foods that you are encouraged to eat under Atkins, contrary to your statement. I skipped the rice, pasta and booze b/c these things make me feel like crap. They don't make others feel like crap necessarily, but they do me.

Perhaps you did poorly on the diet because you don't even know what it entails, as your post clearly demonstrates. Some of your incorrect information leads me to wonder how many other elements you got wrong. Giving it a chance to make you feel better, not staying on the induction phase forever, etc.

I'm glad you have found something that works for you. That is what it is all about. People need to understand that we all have different engines and require different fuel to feel and run our best. When discussing diets, the first rule is to ignore any generalization that you see, as well as all the statements that begin with the words "I heard that..." With respect to nutritional issues more than anything else, heresay is always highly suspect. I don't know why these become such emotional issues - perhaps because food and our food choices are such an intimate thing.