# Atkins or South Beach: suggestions? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 9, 2004, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-or-south-beach-suggestions/249422 "2004-06-09T06:52:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-or-south-beach-suggestions/249422/21 "2004-06-09T20:47:26Z")
> [@overlyverbose](#): > > I thought you were supposed to be able to eat veggies during the induction phase. Did I read it wrong? nope, you didnt read wrong, you are allowed 20 grams of carbs per day in the first 2 weeks…I figured that by now it _has_ been discussed so much on all sorts of boards that people already knew that. My bad for not doing a complete rundown of induction… I could grab my copy of the book, but i am feeling scrotty today and I am waiting for my meds to kick in. All the hacking from the pneumonia has my back in spasms=\ [Domain Name May Be For Sale or Lease](http://www.lowcarbing.com/llc/atkins/induction.htm) They sort of suck and make it sould like you just sit there and eat sticks of butter and just meat and eggs, but put induction very succinctly [I prefer to seriously modify my fat intake to small amounts butter, olive oil, and trim my meats of skin and as much fat as i can pare off. I do do half and half or heavy cream in my morning and evening cups of coffee, and try to find whole milk cheeses, yoghurt and cottage cheese.] [http://www.the-atkins-diet.info/atkins-induction-phase.htm](http://www.the-atkins-diet.info/atkins-induction-phase.htm) This is the Atkins website. Links here to lots of other atkins information. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-or-south-beach-suggestions/249422/22 "2004-06-09T20:48:24Z")
Well I’ve been on a strict regimen of Cheesy Poofs™ and Snacky S’Mores® but I haven’t lost any weight. Goddamnit kitty these are mine! Mo-om! Kitty’s being a dildo. Actually my own doc is steering me toward the South **Beach** diet. I’m not convinced that the keytosis phase of Atkins is a good thing but I have noticed that cutting sugar and high glycemic carbs has actually curbed my appetite so I don’t use it as an excuse to gorge myself on meat. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-or-south-beach-suggestions/249422/23 "2004-06-09T20:52:32Z")
> [@rburget](#): > > Atkins stressed in his book that the diet should not be a do-it-yourself project, but people should consult with a physician before and and while following the program. And it is really neat to shave a full blood workup, glucose, cholesterol, the whole 9 yards…and compare them at different points of the regime…DH got his cholesterol levels to change around a fair amount, my glucose dropped significantly so I got off metformin and am now dietary control, but my diet buddy’s cholesterol levels didnt change [and she was so hoping=] so YMMV. mrAru dropped 10 lbs, and is now on maintenance because that was all he wanted, diet buddy has dropped about 60 lbs in 2 years [she plateaus easily] and in just under 6 years i have dropped 125 lbs. I can’t exercise for a number of reasons, and walking on my country road is more than a little dangerous [mini-pitting of asshole drivers who whiz down country roads at excessive speeds when said roads are narrow and windy with lots of blind curves=] ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-or-south-beach-suggestions/249422/24 "2004-06-09T21:11:11Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > [http://www.the-atkins-diet.info/atkins-induction-phase.htm](http://www.the-atkins-diet.info/atkins-induction-phase.htm) This is the Atkins website. Links here to lots of other atkins information. Actually [This](http://atkins.com/) is the official Atkins website. And from [this article](http://atkins.com/Archive/2001/12/15-373638.html), I got: > [@](#): > > \*Low-sugar veggies (including salad greens) are nutrient powerhouses, dense in fiber and antioxidants, but low on the glycemic index. That’s why escarole, spinach, parsley, watercress, arugula and their dark-green cousins are A-list dietary bargains on the Atkins program. Some other excellent health choices include asparagus, bamboo shoots, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, eggplant, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, okra, onions, pumpkin, scallions, snow peas, spaghetti squash, string or wax beans, Swiss chard, tomato, turnips, water chestnuts and zucchini. > > Even during Induction—the most restrictive phase in terms of carbohydrates—most of you will be able to eat **one cup of those vegetables daily, as well as two cups of salad vegetables (or just three cups of salad vegetables).** … > > Starchy vegetables such as corn, potatoes and parsnips essentially cede some of their antioxidant capacity to wasted space occupied by sugar. They pack plenty of carbs, but little nutrition, so they have no place in the weight-loss phases of Atkins. \* It is three cups of veggies a day on Induction. I knew I could find it somewhere. And I would think we’d all agree that _any_ healthy diet would include lots of fresh vegetables. (Except something like **Padeye’s** Cheesy Poofs™ and Snacky S’Mores® Diet, but that doesn’t sound very healthy anyway. 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-or-south-beach-suggestions/249422/25 "2004-06-09T22:01:53Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > It is three cups of veggies a day on Induction. I knew I could find it somewhere. > > And I would think we’d all agree that _any_ healthy diet would include lots of fresh vegetables. > > (Except something like **Padeye’s** Cheesy Poofs™ and Snacky S’Mores® Diet, but that doesn’t sound very healthy anyway. 😉 ) Thanks for taking the time to find that, **Biblio**. I wonder if I could make cheesey poofs out of broccoli and somehow convince the Atkins Foundation that they were healthfood? ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-or-south-beach-suggestions/249422/26 "2004-06-09T22:10:10Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Since Atkins is quite dangerous, no one on a MB should recommend it for legal reasons. Actually, I’ve been wanting to do Atkins for years but wasn’t convinced of its health benefits. However, several long term studies now indicate that it is at least as healthy longterm as low-fat/high-carb diets and that the practitioners keep weight off at higher levels. Duke U., a very respected name in nutritional and medical science, now endorses it as a viable alternative as well, and as I mentioned I am actually going on it at the suggestion of my doctor (she likes the psychological effects of hte rapid weight loss during induction which allows more agility in exercise which encourages further weight loss, etc.). ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-or-south-beach-suggestions/249422/27 "2004-06-09T22:47:00Z")
> [@overlyverbose](#): > > Thanks for taking the time to find that, **Biblio**. > > I wonder if I could make cheesey poofs out of broccoli and somehow convince the Atkins Foundation that they were healthfood? For Atkins, you make the cheesy poofs out of…CHEESE!: [http://atkins.com/shop/products/Just\_The\_Cheese\_Rounds.html](http://atkins.com/shop/products/Just_The_Cheese_Rounds.html) [Yes, I do know that doing Atkins does not require purchasing any processed faux-carb products.] ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-or-south-beach-suggestions/249422/28 "2004-06-09T23:48:55Z")
> [@overlyverbose](#): > > Thanks for taking the time to find that, **Biblio**. > > I wonder if I could make cheesey poofs out of broccoli and somehow convince the Atkins Foundation that they were healthfood? It only took a minute, but you’re welcome. As for cheesey poofs, I bought something kind of like what **cher3** linked to, but more like imitation Cheetos, and they were freaking awful. Like Legos with fake cheese powder on them. Bleeeeech! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-or-south-beach-suggestions/249422.md?page=1)