No, I didnt notice the animal rights link - I did not thoroughly check out the site - just looking for easily accessed citations. Thanks for pointing it out though. Hey I’m all for eating meat (since this is IMHO), but those references are still to respectable journals.
Point remains - a balanced diet is a healthy diet (this includes only very small amounts of refined carbs) whereas diets that concentrate on specific food groups present certain risks that people should be aware of.
These discussions raise a couple of questions.
Did those of you who went on an Atkins diet eat a lot of sweets (like candies and coke every day) and lots of other refined carbs such as pastries and white bread?
Did you have much minimally processed cereals in your diet or have lolly breakfasts like fruit loops or coco pops?
I hope this does not sound condesending - I am genuinely curious.
I can answer for myself- no I didn’t eat alot of sweets- I have never been much for sweets except on special occasions. Before Atkins I rarely if ever ate breakfast during the week, on weekends usually 1 breakfast sandwich or half an omelet. So not much on cereals- if I did buy cereal it was Honey Bunches of Oats, but only ate it on weekends.
I drank diet coke, have for years.
I did eat a fair amount of wheat or sourdough bread, but not daily and not in large amounts.
Even when I wasn’t diet, I was always conscious of fat content and would tend to choose lower fat options if given a choice. I was also a “low fat” stir fry and teriyaki bowl queen. I would also often make huge pots of chicken soup w/ egg noodles- also low fat- to eat throughout the week during the winter. Dinner was usually a lean meat, a veggie and a starch. Now the main difference is that I leave out the starch, start every morning with a healthy breakfast and don’t bother with the noodles & bread- just the soup.
I never ate breakfast, most days I didn’t eat until 5-6:00 PM. I ate way to much junk, not necessarily sweets (barely any, as a matter of fact), but not good food choices. Not many vegetables at all. No sugary soda, either, I’ve been drinking diet all of my adult life. I loved bread though, but didn’t eat it daily. I know for a fact my problem was more lack of exercise, but combined with poor food choices and the sad fact that I’m nearing 40, extra poundage creeped up on me.
Shedding the extra weight has made it easier for me to do the exercise of choice (biking), and I also finally had the nerve to join a gym. I feel lucky I am still healthy after all my years of eating junk, but until recently my weight was never a problem for me. Eating high-carb foods is generally easier and quicker, although with a little prep beforehand, eating lo-carb can be just as easy.
I was most definitely addicted to carbs, and the withdrawal (Induction) showed it. It was not easy for me at all.
I’ve lost 45 lbs. on Atkins since February, but that’s not even the main thing.
I have never been able to not “cheat” on a diet. I’ve never remained on one for more than a day. I have absolutely no desire for junk food anymore. I drink water all the time instead of my six pack of Dr. Pepper. Splenda is even getting too sweet. I don’t crave starches. I eat what I know I need and stop.
I don’t eat an enormous amount of meat (good since Atkins ISNT ABOUT eating enormous amounts of meat!). I might have bacon some mornings, some tuna or chicken for lunch. I don’t really like red meat so much so that’s out. I eat Nature’s Own lowcarb bread every day, take a fiber supplement (recommended by most doctors regardless of your diet…according to my own). I eat salad, my beloved spinach, some cheese and eggs here and there. Nuts of all sorts. And I’m completely satisfied. I went from 20 to 40 grams of carbs per day without any actual stalls; it’s slowed down some because I’m getting closer to goal and because I am a human and thats how people lose weight.
Okay I’ll buy maybe the calories might have something to do with the weight loss. I don’t care what it is. I just got my cholesterol checked and it’s lower than it was six years ago. I have POTS, and my symptoms have decreased, especially the postprandial tachycardia and dizziness. I just feel great. About ten years younger, making me barely drinking age!
Most importantly, the lost weight has encouraged me to get out and move. I exercise every day after painting for eight hours…in the heat…in Memphis…blahblah
Heh…some old dude at the park told me the other day “You stout but you sho got some fine lookin legs”.
Hey, I take my compliments where I gets em!
Here’s what it comes down to for me. You can bitch about it all you want, but It beats how I ate before (closer to that "enormous amounts of meat, in addition to enormous amounts of carbs).
I mentioned some of my eating habits from my “fat days” earlier in this thread. I haven’t drank soft drinks in over a decade (I drink unsweetened ice tea), and certainly didn’t eat junk food all the time. I tried to eat low fat foods, but ate too much of them. I had Grape-Nuts cereal with skim milk for breakfast almost every morning (now there’s a carbohydrate feast) and would be starving by mid-morning. Inevitably that would prompt a snack of some sort, usually fat-free pretzels, which were supposed to be my diet aid. Again, tons of carbs. No amount of pretzels would curb my appetite–they only made me more hungry. I just read a newspaper article in which a low-fat diet guru recommend fat-free pretzels as a good snack for dieters. Those things are bad.
For other meals I ate a lot of pasta, rice and vegetables, and came pretty close to being a vegetarian. I’d have second and sometimes third helpings at meals. I unwittingly ate prepared foods loaded with high fructose corn syrup, including my “healthy” whole wheat bread. I would indulge in too many opportunities for “treats” at weddings, birthday parties, office parties, etc. Looking back, I see where I was overeating at almost every turn, but I wasn’t being unusually gluttonous–I was eating the way most people in America do.
Has anyone successfully used Atkins simply to be healthier without losing weight? What you all are reporting sounds very attractive–more energy, no candy cravings, etc.–but I don’t want to drop any pounds.
I could’ve written LBE’s post, except I drank diet soft drinks rather than tea. Actually, I still drink diet soft drinks; I just drink more water now.
I had given up cereal about two years ago, because I LOVE the stuff, especially the super sweet kids’ cereals. I ate one serving of meat a day most days. Breakfast was usually a sandwich or toast. Lunch was chicken noodle soup and a sandwich, or two sandwiches, or leftovers from dinner the night before. Dinner was usually a pasta something-or-other (like Hamburger Helpers or spaghetti). Unfortunately, that led to eating more carbs later as false hunger pains and carb cravings hit. I snacked a lot between meals, usually more carbs, and the cravings were intense.
Now half the time, I eat dinner and don’t have anything else all night but water. Sometimes I’ll snack on nuts, a pickle, some sugar-free candy or something, especially while watching a movie or playing a computer game, but if I get busy, I can easily forget to think of food. Some days I forget to eat lunch or breakfast (it’s bad to skip meals, so I try not to do this). You wouldn’t believe what a strange feeling that is for me.
FTR, most women have mentioned that they still get false hunger pains and food cravings during TOM, and I’ve noticed that about myself. It’s so nice to know the effect is temporary.
You could follow the maintenance part of the plan, which is the part where you eat the amount of carbs needed to maintain your weight, but you could also simply eliminate most starches and sugars and replace them with meats and vegetables without having to follow a strict diet. In other words, eat more whole foods (the outer edges of the grocery store aisle rather than the inner aisles) and fewer pre-processed foods. And drink more water. Choose sugar-free breads instead of the other stuff.
I don’t know if it’s a good idea to go on induction to clean your body of carbs if you don’t need to lose weight.
I found Atkins more expensive, because around here, vegetables and meats are more expensive than pre-processed foods like Hamburger Helpers. But I admit I do tend to buy better cuts of meat sometimes. But the biggest thing to consider is that you have to go to the grocery store more often (because vegetables don’t last as long as a box of pasta) and you have to cook a lot (I always try to cook enough for multiple meals to save time).
If you are interested in Atkins for healthy living, the Atkins For Life book is really good- it has alot of good recipes and menu plans for maintainance level. I think at that level you are essentially just cutting out the “junk”- starches in small doses but mostly whole foods- veggies, meats and it gives good examples of the appropriate kinds of grains.
As far as cost- I’m a single girl so its hard to compare how I eat compared to grocery shopping for a family. My grocery bill is about $50-60 a week , $40 if I need to cut corners. Actually, its lower now than when I started Atkins- I think when you first start you buy more so you have more options and don’t feel limited- but once you get used to the diet, your appetitie decreases and you have picked out which snacks you like, which dinners you enjoy, etc. Cuts of meat can get expensive- but buying things like large turkey breasts and roasts can last me a lot longer. Another plus is that you do more of your own food preparation- I went from my daily fast food (usually teriyaki bowl or sushi) to the occasional Wendy’s salad- also have cut out diet coke to cut caffeine so no more big soda bills and daily cash for snacks and drinks. If I figured out what I used to spend every day at work, and compare it to how much I spend now in groceries, I think the amount I spend for food would be the same , if not lower now.
