Walloon, that’s ridiculous. Sugar and starch produce 4 calories per gram. The 2.1 - 4.0 calories per gram from polyols is hardly “trivial.”
I have read both Atkins and South Beach. South Beach is like a much gentler version of Atkins. But it should be remembered that Atkins was designed for long-term, pre-diabetic, morbidly obese people who are hugely insulin sensitive and weight-loss resistant.
If you look at how Dr Atkins modified his diet over time (from zero veg to plenty of veg, etc), and if you also look at the recent recommendation of the Atkins Foundation to eat less saturated fat, then it is my belief that the Atkins diet would have continued to evolve to something approximating South Beach. In their final, maintenance phases, both diets are pretty similar.
Two other points/questions:
1. Exercise and low carb
Atkins recommends exercise, and undoubtedly exercising makes you lose weight more quickly, and many low-carb/Atkins dieters report having more energy. Personally, I didn’t get more energy (but then I wasn’t ever in the target long-term-obese group). Everything scientific I have read - INCLUDING ATKINS HIMSELF - suggests that you DO need more carbs if you exercise a lot. If you want to build muscle, and specifically if you want to maximise post-exercise recovery speed, then you need carbs.
2. Diet and ketosis
If my understanding of ketosis/lipolysis/glucosis is correct, then the ONLY way the human body loses weight - on any diet - is through ketosis. It may be that other diets (low carb or not) don’t put you into heavy-enough ketosis to be measurable by keto strips, but as I understand it, if ketosis/lipolysis is the body’s mechanism for using fat for energy, then surely you are only going to lose fat by being in some degree of ketosis.
Stretch marks/excess skin are definitely a problem, but so’s weighing 465lbs. I’m down 90 by doing Atkins the right way since October 15th, it’s not a hard lifestyle to follow at all, and working in a restaurant makes it even easier. I have hundreds of ingredients at my disposal, along with people to cook them for me, all at a discounted price.
My only gripe about low-carb diets are people who do them incorrectly then fault the diet as worthless.
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[QUOTE=istara]
1. Exercise and low carb
Atkins recommends exercise, and undoubtedly exercising makes you lose weight more quickly, and many low-carb/Atkins dieters report having more energy. Personally, I didn’t get more energy (but then I wasn’t ever in the target long-term-obese group). Everything scientific I have read - INCLUDING ATKINS HIMSELF - suggests that you DO need more carbs if you exercise a lot. If you want to build muscle, and specifically if you want to maximise post-exercise recovery speed, then you need carbs.** Actually, if you wish to maximise post-exercise recovery (and who doesn’t), a combo of carbs and protein is the best, and within an hour or two of the exercise. The protein is necessary for the muscles which were worn down and also helps with glucose absorption.
The burning of glucose does not involve ketosis, and excess carbs is stored as fat. It’s the old formula: calories in minus calories out plus or minus the necessary calories for daily maintenance equals net weight gain or loss. You will lose fat (not can) lose fat by ingesting less calories than you expend, no matter what was burned for the energy (except, of course, creatine, one of the four fuel delivery systems, and that is used only in the first few seconds of intense exercise, such as a 100-yard sprint.) If you don’t exercise, the body will also burn protein for fuel, especially if you are on no or low carb, and you will lose both fat and muscle. Exercising demands the conserving of protein.