# Atkins diet **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 12, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet/188054 "2003-07-12T22:27:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet/188054/41 "2003-07-19T19:29:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by October \* > \*\*Be careful with cutting out carbs completely. The Atkins diet has you cut them out altogether for I think 2 weeks, then eat limited carbs. If you cut out carbs altogether for a long time, it can be dangerous. DO NOT USE THIS DIET IF YOU HAVE BLOOD SUGAR PROBLEMS, either hypoglycemia or diabetes. \*\* First of all, as someone else explained, you don’t cut out carbs completely at ANY time. You limit carbs to 20 per day, and those come from _good_sources like vegetables. As far as not doing it if you’re hypoglycemic - I’m hypoglycemic and I did Atkins for about six months last year. When I was on the program, not one time did my blood sugar plummet. For the first time in my life, my hypoglycemia was completely under control and I didn’t have to worry about getting through the day without getting shaky. When I do WW (another program I also like for weight loss), I really have to be careful with what I eat to make sure that I don’t crash. I’ve thought about going back on Atkins’, but I haven’t gotten on the ball. I think I’m going to try Body For Life, which still adheres to somewhat LC principles, but includes the workouts, which I need. Ava ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet/188054/42 "2003-07-19T20:01:42Z")
I decided to wait whilst my bike was being worked on. I walke dup the street from the Yamaha shop and found Darrow’s Cajun & Creole restaurant. Oh, _man!_ They didn’t have _anything_ I could eat! (I did try a very small sample of the blue crab gumbo. Excellent!) I made do with a coffee-and-chicory with some milk. _sigh_ Oh, to have had an oyster po’boy! ---
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet/188054/43 "2003-07-19T20:10:16Z")
I would like to invite any and all of you who are on a low carb diet to check out the web site and message board at [Thinner](http://www.thinner.com) It’s just awesome and you’ll find an amazing support group along with tons of good information, recipes and stories from people who have successfully made low carb with way of life, lost weight and kept it off, and improved their health in general. It is the only message board I frequent more than this one (even though I’m a lurker here) Good luck **Johnny L.A.** and everyone else who’s giving it a go. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet/188054/44 "2003-07-19T22:35:22Z")
Question for the low-carb people out there. I have considered starting a low carb diet, but have one major problem, I don’t know what I would drink. The water in my house tastes terrible. I’m not going to by that much bottled water becuase of the expense. I drink a lot of pop now, but that would be bad on the low carb stuff obviously. Diet pops, and artificial sweetners give me a headache if I drink much of a quantity at all. I love Iced tea, but don’t want to drink that much of it cause I have a history of Kidney stones. Anybody have other suggestions on a mainstay beverage for the Low carb stuff? ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet/188054/45 "2003-07-19T22:37:49Z")
**wolfman** , can you get a Brita pitcher? That way, you can filter the water to make it taste better. To be honest, no matter WHAT diet you’re doing, there’s nothing that will replace honest-to-goodness fresh water - it’s the best thing out there to help you lose weight. I’d suggest putting lemon in your water if you don’t want to do the Brita thing - lemon or lime can add a little taste to it. I am not a bit water fan, so I usually do lemon and to help myself drink it, I use a straw or a sports bottle - for some reason, both help me to get more water in me. Ava ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet/188054/46 "2003-07-19T22:57:26Z")
I have one of those hang-off-the-faucet PUR filters, and it only reduces the taste of rotten apples, ass, and dead fish. I really have to force to myself to drink it. The lemon thing might work, I suppose I could just pour a bunch of lemon extract into a pitcher of water. ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet/188054/47 "2003-07-19T23:06:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wolfman \* > \*\*I have one of those hang-off-the-faucet PUR filters, and it only reduces the taste of rotten apples, ass, and dead fish. I really have to force to myself to drink it. The lemon thing might work, I suppose I could just pour a bunch of lemon extract into a pitcher of water. \*\* Are you in the US? If so, they do sell those big gallon jugs of spring water at the grocery store - you can get those for about $1.50 where I live. I used to buy those when I lived in Brooklyn, because as good as the NYC water is to make bagels, it tastes like crap to drink. Ava ---
**Author:** ![ultress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7c8e57/32.png) [@ultress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultress)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet/188054/48 "2003-07-19T23:16:44Z")
Wolfman, you definitely need the water. Caffiene is discouraged and so is nutrasweet and Equal. You can have Splenda and Sweet 'n Low and thats about it. I do know someone that puts about 1/2 cup of Cranberry Juice (lo-fat has about 8 carbs in 1/2 cup) in a gallon of water. Helps her kidneys and adds some taste to the water. You could give that a try. She does that and she isn’t on a lc diet. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet/188054/49 "2003-07-19T23:27:36Z")
**wolfman** , why is it that you don’t hesitate to pay for pop, but wouldn’t pay for bottled water (which is much cheaper if you buy it by the gallon, as **avabeth** said), when the water is so much better for you? Actually, my kidney stones (I’ve had about 20 of them in the past 26 years, and started getting them when I was 15), are the reason that I do a modified Atkins. My urologist said that my kidney function is impaired, because of all my stones. A diet that relies so heavily on protein taxes the kidneys; no problem if yours are healthy to begin with, but. . .mine aren’t. There’s a lot more I’d like to tell you, but it’s only applicable to kidney stone people, not most folks in this thread. Mind if I email you? ---
**Author:** ![homercles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed8c4c/32.png) [@homercles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/homercles)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet/188054/50 "2003-07-20T00:01:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cardinal \* > \*\*Glad to hear of the results. > > However: > > Quackwatch seems to claim that people lose weight on the Atkins diet because they were eating too many carbs and calories in the first place, not because Atkins is correct in his nutritional ratio recommendations. I refer you to: > > [http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/lcd.html](http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/lcd.html) \*\* I see your Quack report and raise you one article from the New Yorker: [http://www.gladwell.com/1998/1998\_02\_02\_a\_pima.htm](http://www.gladwell.com/1998/1998_02_02_a_pima.htm) ---
**Author:** ![homercles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed8c4c/32.png) [@homercles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/homercles)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet/188054/51 "2003-07-20T00:22:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wolfman \* > \*\*Question for the low-carb people out there. I have considered starting a low carb diet, but have one major problem, I don’t know what I would drink. The water in my house tastes terrible. I’m not going to by that much bottled water becuase of the expense. I drink a lot of pop now, but that would be bad on the low carb stuff obviously. Diet pops, and artificial sweetners give me a headache if I drink much of a quantity at all. I love Iced tea, but don’t want to drink that much of it cause I have a history of Kidney stones. Anybody have other suggestions on a mainstay beverage for the Low carb stuff? \*\* Just wanted to follow up on what everyone else is saying–drink da wata! I drink about 1-1.5 gallons a day. I gave up on soda/juice/etc a couple years ago and now when i have lemonade (maybe once or twice a year with them frickin meal deals at some restaurants :mad: ) i have to water it down (like 3-4 parts water to 1 part lemonade) because its just WAY too sweet. My point? Just keep up the water consumption, eventually you will prefer nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet/188054/52 "2003-07-20T00:38:06Z")
Thanks for the suggestions everybody, It’s some good things to think about. In particular > [@](#): > > wolfman, why is it that you don’t hesitate to pay for pop, but wouldn’t pay for bottled water (which is much cheaper if you buy it by the gallon, as avabeth said), when the water is so much better for you? Is a damn good point. It still somehow just seems different paying for just water, but it’s probably just a stupid mental hang up. Although I am very picky about water, water seldom tastes very good to me, and most of the gallon bottles of water just do do it for me. The only bottled water that really tastes good to me is arrowhead which is one of the ‘premium’ expensive water brands, but it’s still on par with the pop I buy. Anyway like I said low-carb is something I’m considering, but I not sure if I really need to go that drastic. There is simply a huge amount of room for improvement in my eating habits without a fundamental change. I have 6 cans of pop a day, drink 5-6 pints of beer 5 times a week for the last 8 months or so. I’ll order two large pizzas on saturday and eat them through the whole weekend. And I tend to go fast food 3 times every four days. If I just drink 1-2 days a week, eat one pizza every two weeks, and cut the fast food in half, Replace it with even vaguely health stuff, and get my ass off the computer chair once in a while I figure I can’t but lose a little. But still there is the matter of the pop which I should switch with a healther choice anyway so all the beverage suggestions are very welcome. I’m going to give it about 2-3 months to see if there is a change(started 6 days ago, so good so far 🙂 ) Before I move to a huge change like low-carb. (Mentioning it to a friend on the phone just now he brought up the idea of a bottled water service like offices use. I usually like that water, does anybody know how much they cost, or if they have a minimum supply a month) ---
**Author:** ![tanookie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@tanookie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanookie)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet/188054/53 "2003-07-20T01:12:32Z")
Wolfman … do you have a BJ’s or Costco or Sam’s Club kind of store near you? We bought one of their coolers and can get the big 5 gallon water bottles for it there a lot cheaper than a service. It sucks to lay out the cash for the cooler up front but it is better than renting the stupid thing for about the cost of a new cooler every year! ---
**Author:** ![homercles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed8c4c/32.png) [@homercles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/homercles)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet/188054/54 "2003-07-20T01:16:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wolfman \* > \*\*Anyway like I said low-carb is something I’m considering, but I not sure if I really need to go that drastic. > \ > \*\* You are ABSOLUTELY right. From the info about your diet that you posted (that i also snipped 😉 ), you need to look into a low-cal diet (which the adkins diet is, along with others) along with exercise for christs sake man! Did you know there is a burger at Crack In The Box, that contains 1200 calories ALONE! ONE BURGER = 1200 calories! Add fries and soda to that and you have had a reasonable caloric intake for an ENTIRE day! Im sorry, to be yelling, but regardless of what “get slim diet” youre currently on, there is evidence that exercise and a reasonable diet is the only thing that will “reset” your biologically determined set-point. Otherwise youre determined to gain the weight back because your body will slow its metabolism to reach its set-point. How many people on the Adkins diet alone have kept it off in the long run? I would wager not many–hence the hype. Read the article i posted a link to previously–its quite insightful on all this “diet craze” cr@p. BTW, on the liquor (not harping, im quite fond of the stuff myself), it slows your metabolism. So, even if you manage to speed it up by working out, youre going to be counter productive if you drink. ---
**Author:** ![Freiheit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e8c25b/32.png) [@Freiheit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freiheit)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet/188054/55 "2003-07-20T02:18:22Z")
I hear a lot of people who are trying (have tried) these diets, and are (were) successful. Any failures? Speak up. My parents are starting today. I’m thinking about joining them. I’m somewhat chubby–I’ve been slowly gaining weight all of my life. Creeping obesity and all that (not obese yet.) I don’t remember a time when I was satisfied with my weight. My self-control isn’t great, and I wake up at noon–therefore all of my caloric intake is later in the day, which I hear is bad. Water intake is massive, (usually. It kind of goes in cycles) and I walk a little almost every day. 1.5 miles probably. I think I’ll go for another walk now. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet/188054/56 "2003-07-20T12:32:55Z")
**Freiheit** , this kind of diet is usually most successful for folks who are very overweight to begin with (Atkins addresses this in the book); not trying to discourage you, just letting you know. As for failures, I personally don’t know any, but. . .Rush Limbaugh was, for a time, one of Atkins’ biggest (no pun intended) advocates. Rush did Atkins and lost a bunch of weight. Then, he stopped, and gained it all back, now he says it doesn’t work! Duh! It’s like any weight loss plan. To maintain the loss, you must maintain the life style. If you go back to eaing in the manner which made you fat in the first place, guess what? You’ll get fat again. Almost a no-brainer! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet/188054.md?page=2)