Why do some of you have such a problem with Atkins?

[Wingznut]

I really just don't understand... Some of you resort to name calling, and other basic demeaning of those of us who are using the plan to get in better health.

I've been doing the Atkins plan for ~18 weeks now and I've lost ~40lbs. I very recently had a physical, including my blood tested... And it came back significantly improved compared to the last time I had it done. (See results at the bottom of this post.)

I have more energy than I can ever remember, and I no longer have the energy "swings" throughout the day (i.e. I no longer get tired in the afternoon.)

I do exercise regularly, just as the Atkins plan calls for. (Chapter 22 is entitled "Exercise: It's Non-Negotiable")

I do understand that if I go back to my old ways of infrequent activity and eating the wrong foods, I'll gain the weight back. But that's no different than any other way of losing weight. As good as this feels, I have no intention of being overweight again.

Many doctors now recommend the plan. My Dr. was very impressed with my progress and has no problem with the Atkins plan. A relative's doctor put her on the Atkins plan not only to lose weight, but to control her diabetes.


So, what EXACTLY is wrong with what I am doing? Why are my efforts worthy of being called lazy or the many other things slung my way?

LordJezo, Electric Amish, Gobadgrs and the rest of you... Let's hear it. Generally, once someone comes into an anti-Atkins with a voice of reason, you guys fail to return.


My bloodtest results:

I've included my current scores, my scores from 2.5 yrs ago, and what my Dr recommends...

Total
2/01 = 173
8/03 = 180
Less than 200

Triglycerides
2/01 = 144
8/03 = 53
Less than 150

HDL
02/01 = 39
08/03 = 60
Greater than 40

LDL
02/01 = 105
08/03 = 117
Less than 130

Chol/HDL ratio
02/01 = 4.44
08/03 = 3.10
Less than 5.2

Weight
05/03 = 217lbs
08/03 = 179lbs

 

[Lager]

YAAT

 

[Turin39789]

i have no problem with the atikins diet, i have a problem with hearing about it every five minutes, reading a post about it, my one idiot friend who isnt even really on the diet who is constantly asking how many carbs are in a given food.

 

[Wingznut]

Originally posted by: lager
YAAT

Yet another useless post.

 

[Turin39789]

Originally posted by: Wingznut

Originally posted by: lager
YAAT

Yet another useless post.

takes one to know one

 

[Lager]

I'm just kidding Wingznut. I guess people have trouble making it the first 2 weeks. That's probably the toughest (induction). You'll really need to clean up your area from carbs.


Dr. Phil is a pussy.

 

[Wingznut]

Originally posted by: lager
Dr. Phil is a pussy.

Heh... Ok, but what's that got to do with him?

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

I think we should all just try to gain enough weight so we can earn disability or work from home.

Just follow Dr. Nick Riviera's diet:

"You need to focus on the neglected food groups: The whipped group, the congealed group, and the chocolotastic."
"I recommend a slow, steady gorging process, combined with assal horizontology."
"Be creative. Instead of making sandwiches with bread, use pop tarts. Instead of chewing gum, chew bacon."
"And remember...if you're not sure of something, rub it against a piece of paper. If the paper turns clear, it's your window to weight gain. Bye bye everybody"

 

[Wingznut]

Nobody feels like discussing this rationally?

 

[glen]

Originally posted by: Wingznut
Nobody feels like discussing this rationally?

Humans years ago would go for long periods on a ketotic diet. We do not know everythign it does metabolically, but a large portion does makes sense.

 

[Kev]

Atkins killed my mother and raped my dog

 

[Saulbadguy]

I don't think its the diet people don't like, I believe that there are just some people here (you know who you are) who feel that if anything is not done their way, it is the wrong way, and is stupid. Save your flames, people...you just come off sounding retarded when you don't know sh!t about this diet.

 

[DivideBYZero]

If it works for you fine.

If ppl b!tch about it, ignore them.

You'll sound like an Atkins evangelist otherwise.

 

[Red]

It is not nutrionally healthy. Your doctor wants to stay in business 5 years from now so he wants everyone to stay on Atkins for heart-related diseases down the road.

Seriously though, I learned last semester in an advanced human nutrition class that low carb diets are not healthy. The right carbs are good for you and the only healthy way to lose weight is to exercise and reduce caloric intake. That was the whole semester in summary.

Ketosis is hard on the body, and Atkins over a long period of time is really unhealthy.

 

[StageLeft]

My initial problems with it were
a) Almost certainly very bad for you
b) It allows people with a poor weight-control mentality to think that they can continue their poor weight control mentality and actually lose weight. They are looking for ways around the problem instead of going at it head on (which would be not enough excercise and too much food). This exactly reason is why billions are spent a year and the country gets fatter. people are lazy and don't want to face reality: losing weight is HARD, takes EFFORT, and if you don't have it you will not be successful.

Recently I've learned that a) is overblown. Although long term effects of atkins or ketosis diets has not been studied I would think that most doctors, given what little we do know, would prefer an overweight patient to lose weight with atkins than not lose weight at all.

I still hold dear to my heart that b) is something a person has to confront if they are serious about weight loss. However, Atkins seems to me to be the closet thing to "laziness" that may in fact actually work. It definitely approaches things from a different way and for some people it is very usable. Having tried a similar approach years ago I can vouch for the fact that going long term without much in the way of carbs is very hard. So, if you're able to stick on Atkins long term I'd not say you're lazy, although I will say that laziness is what attracts some people to atkins, because they figure they can eat meat and fat all day. Whoo hoo! What they don't realize off the bat is that meat and fat may not be satisfactory if they have to cut back carbs so far.

A final problem with atkins is that I think it's very hard to stay on long term and keep the weight off. This is, of course, the case with all diets. Atkins is one of the more reasonable diet approaches but as with any approach if you don't stick to it you'll get fat again after.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Redhotjrm
It is not nutrionally healthy. Your doctor wants to stay in business 5 years from now so he wants everyone to stay on Atkins for heart-related diseases down the road.

Seriously though, I learned last semester in an advanced human nutrition class that low carb diets are not healthy. The right carbs are good for you and the only healthy way to lose weight is to exercise and reduce caloric intake. That was the whole semester in summary.

Ketosis is hard on the body, and Atkins over a long period of time is really unhealthy.

That was the original thinking - that it's bad for you - but studies coming out recently are debunking some of that. It was ASSUMED that it would be bad for you. A sound assumption given what we know about food, but it seems in the case of Atkins there may be more to it.

 

[Dedpuhl]

Redhotjrm, I want some of the sh!t that you are smoking....and I don't even do drugs!

It is not nutrionally healthy. Your doctor wants to stay in business 5 years from now so he wants everyone to stay on Atkins for heart-related diseases down the road.

This is THE reason why Atkins is getting pounded like an altar boy. The diet industry is massive in the USA. There is a huge stake in:

1. Fat free/low fat items
2. Jenny Craig
3. Sugar Busters
4. Weight loss pills
5. LOTS more that I've failed to mention.

The Atkins diet is easier on the pocketbook if you know how to shop. The "normal" diet industry has a lot to lose if Atkins is widely accepted.

Seriously though, I learned last semester in an advanced human nutrition class that low carb diets are not healthy. The right carbs are good for you and the only healthy way to lose weight is to exercise and reduce caloric intake. That was the whole semester in summary.

Atkins is not about zero carbs. PLEASE, everyone get this through your tiny little brains. It is about cutting them....and controlling them. Once you are at the ideal weight, you can eat up to 100g of carbs per day as long as you exercise regularly.

There is NO evidence that Atkins is bad for anyone. As a matter of fact, some doctors believe it is the reason Dr. Atkins lived as long as he did with a serious heart condition.

Ketosis is hard on the body, and Atkins over a long period of time is really unhealthy.

Ketosis is a natural process. Where is the proof that KETOSIS is bad? It makes no sense and there is NO data to back it up.

 

[LordJezo]

Originally posted by: Kev
Atkins killed my mother and raped my dog

Don't blame Atkins, blame Bush.

 

[rbV5]

Really, who cares what people say Wingznut? The results speak for themselves. You've already done yourself a big favor...keep it up!

 

[Red]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: Redhotjrm
It is not nutrionally healthy. Your doctor wants to stay in business 5 years from now so he wants everyone to stay on Atkins for heart-related diseases down the road.

Seriously though, I learned last semester in an advanced human nutrition class that low carb diets are not healthy. The right carbs are good for you and the only healthy way to lose weight is to exercise and reduce caloric intake. That was the whole semester in summary.

Ketosis is hard on the body, and Atkins over a long period of time is really unhealthy.

That was the original thinking - that it's bad for you - but studies coming out recently are debunking some of that. It was ASSUMED that it would be bad for you. A sound assumption given what we know about food, but it seems in the case of Atkins there may be more to it.

I'll agree only because there haven't been long term studies and also agree because based on dietary assumptions, people on Atkins will have serious cholesterol problems if on the diet for a length of time. But as you mentioned, how many people have stayed on Atkins or any diet for years at a time? That is why I would say that a person needs to build the self discipline to eat less food and exercise more to lose the weight gradually. It's a lifestyle change, rather than a diet....

 

[Red Dawn]

How about after you drop the weight, do you have to continue eating the Atkins way to keep the weight off?Can you start eating more of a conventional diet along with regular exercise and not get fat again?

 

[Red]

This is THE reason why Atkins is getting pounded like an altar boy. The diet industry is massive in the USA. There is a huge stake in:

1. Fat free/low fat items
2. Jenny Craig
3. Sugar Busters
4. Weight loss pills
5. LOTS more that I've failed to mention.

The Atkins diet is easier on the pocketbook if you know how to shop. The "normal" diet industry has a lot to lose if Atkins is widely accepted.

If you seriously think Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. doesn't have an agenda to make money with their diet, their marketing and advertising must have done wonders on you.

Atkins is not about zero carbs. PLEASE, everyone get this through your tiny little brains. It is about cutting them....and controlling them. Once you are at the ideal weight, you can eat up to 100g of carbs per day as long as you exercise regularly.

There is NO evidence that Atkins is bad for anyone. As a matter of fact, some doctors believe it is the reason Dr. Atkins lived as long as he did with a serious heart condition.

That's why my tiny little brained typed LOW, not zero. Please read the sentences fully before you jump on your Atkins horse and try to defend it. Why not simply reduce caloric intake, eat a wider variety of healthy, colorful foods and exercise. The same thing as Atkins but you don't have to worry about the long term effects of ketosis (kidney / liver) and cholesterol intake. This fab diet has not been around long enough to study just how serious the effects are. But, reducing caloric intake has no side effect except for weight loss. No worries.

 

[cliftonite]

Originally posted by: LordJezo

Originally posted by: Kev
Atkins killed my mother and raped my dog

Don't blame Atkins, blame Bush.

haha

 

[Dedpuhl]

Originally posted by: Redhotjrm

This is THE reason why Atkins is getting pounded like an altar boy. The diet industry is massive in the USA. There is a huge stake in:

1. Fat free/low fat items
2. Jenny Craig
3. Sugar Busters
4. Weight loss pills
5. LOTS more that I've failed to mention.

The Atkins diet is easier on the pocketbook if you know how to shop. The "normal" diet industry has a lot to lose if Atkins is widely accepted.

If you seriously think Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. doesn't have an agenda to make money with their diet, their marketing and advertising must have done wonders on you.

Atkins is not about zero carbs. PLEASE, everyone get this through your tiny little brains. It is about cutting them....and controlling them. Once you are at the ideal weight, you can eat up to 100g of carbs per day as long as you exercise regularly.

There is NO evidence that Atkins is bad for anyone. As a matter of fact, some doctors believe it is the reason Dr. Atkins lived as long as he did with a serious heart condition.

That's why my tiny little brained typed LOW, not zero. Please read the sentences fully before you jump on your Atkins horse and try to defend it. Why not simply reduce caloric intake, eat a wider variety of healthy, colorful foods and exercise. The same thing as Atkins but you don't have to worry about the long term effects of ketosis (kidney / liver) and cholesterol intake. This fab diet has not been around long enough to study just how serious the effects are. But, reducing caloric intake has no side effect except for weight loss. No worries.

I'm not doubting that the Atkins people are trying to make money. I, however, rarely buy "specialty" foods. I just got away from the high carb stuff. I don't buy atkins vitamins....I buy walmart brand vitamins, etc.

My bad. I did read your statement correctly the first time. In my rush to type a response, I failed to mention that the Atkins diet is designed to keep you at a low carb level for a short time. One can gradually get up to 100g as long as he/she does regular exercise. I wouldn't consider 100 grams low. Sorry that I didn't proofread my respone....guess my brain isn't so big either

 

[Turin39789]

I reiterate, i hate it because i dont care about what fscking diet anyone is on, and im tired about hearing about it 5 times a day.Stop Posting