Upon reading my own post, I think I should clear a couple things up. One Wendy’s triple in one calendar day would be my limit. If I did eat one, let’s say, I’d probably have a salad for dinner. I try to eat the vegetable part of the Atkins diet as much as possible.
My overall caloric intake is not as insane as I made it sound.
When vegetables just won’t cut it though, the “more filling” argument works for me also. “Tastes great” is just a benefit. Har.
I really don’t suggest anyone go the pound o’ bacon, eggs route. That just doesn’t make sense. Everything in some kind of moderation. Even the people I knew who went somewhat crazy when they started dieting were eating fairly normal portions.
For the sake of argument, here is something that was published on Yahoo news today. Granted, it’s a small study; however, the article indicates that a study has proven that people can eat all they want of a high-carb, very low fat diet and lose weight without exercising. Study Links High-Carbs and Weight Loss. And, of course, if you do exercise, you will lose more weight.
I’m definitely not a proponent of Atkins. In fact, I was mad when I realized that it actually did work for some people. I hate being proven wrong. Especially about Atkins.
However, several of my friends tried Atkins and all but one had some pretty bad results. All but one out of seven of my friends or former co-workers who have tried Atkins and followed it to the letter have said that they felt like shit most of the time during induction and either went off then, or gained back even more weight than they had lost once they started began following the next phases of the diet. They also said that Phase I was absolutely not sustainable for a long period of time, unless they needed to do it for health reasons. The seventh person, however, did lose 30 pounds and has kept it off. She feels great.
This information is purely anecdotal (as is a lot of the information in this pitting), but I am happy that at least one thing I’m reading is not telling me that I must go on Atkins to get my chubby ass to lose weight.
**Why did it make you so mad to find out it works for some? As you said, it works for some people. It worked for me, and for others who have posted here. Other diets did not work for me, but Atkins did.
**Phase One is not supposed to be sustained for more than two weeks. I don’t know why they were thinking it would need to be sustained for a long period of time. Two weeks, that’s it. As has been mentioned numerous times in this thread, did they actually read the book? If they did, they would know that Phase One is not anything that should be sustained for any great length of time.
If they felt that bad during the two weeks of Induction, and actually gained weight after Induction, then it’s probably not the right diet for them. Were they under a doctor’s care? How overweight were they? Did they have any other health concerns? Were they drinking enough water?
Hi, Biblio. I should clarify. It didn’t actually make me mad that Atkins worked for some people. In fact, I’m very happy that those who were successful on Atkins have found something that works for them, and I truly want them to be healthy and happy. However, I’m kind of sick unto death of hearing how many carbs there are in various food items. Most people in my office had jumped on the low-carb bandwagon with all the zeal of a bible-thumping minister casting out demons. I’d pull out a sandwich for lunch in our breakroom, and 80% of the time, I would get comments about the fact that I was eating bread. “Oh, how can you eat that?” Cathy would ask. “Don’t you have any idea how many carbs are in just one piece of bread?!” That doesn’t represent the whole of the pro-Atkins community; however, it’s what I think of every time I think of Atkins.
Also, my use of “long time” was improper. The majority of the people I know who have tried the diet have not been able to sustain the Induction for more than four days, let alone two weeks. I can’t speak for all of the people I know who have tried and failed, but I can answer the specific questions you asked for one of those individuals. My friend Laura went on the Atkins diet at the suggestion of her family phsician who was treating her for migraines. She’s about 35-40 pounds overweight, too, so her doctor thought this might help her shed a few pounds. She got a copy of the book and began the diet about 5-6 months ago. She told me that after the first two days, she felt so sluggish and just plain gross that she could hardly get out of bed. She tried drinking a ton of water - it didn’t help. It just made her have to pee. She tried exercising a little. No dice - she was still tired, and now sore to boot. So she called her doctor and explained the problem to him, and he told her to try eating regularly. Lo and behold, as soon as she started eating regularly, she felt much better. After she stopped the diet, she talked to her physician again, who this time suggested a high-carb low-fat diet. I’m not a doctor, but she came to me for cooking advice because she knows that I participate in a variety of running races and marathons, and not eating properly (i.e., fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean meat and so on) prevents me from performing at an optimal level. Also, I can’t go on Atkins because of my seizure disorder. As I mentioned at the beginning of the thread, Atkins can modify metabolism so medication is sometimes absorbed differently. Anyway, Laura and I went shopping, I taught her a few basic nutritious recipes, and she’s since lost a good 20 pounds.
However, the friend I mentioned who had lost 30 pounds, while she did experience extreme exhaustion during the first week of Induction, still managed to stick to the diet and lost the weight successfully. After losing so much weight, she says she feels “like a winter coat has been removed,” and has much more energy. Which is admirable, and tells me that for Laura, the diet failed, but for Cathy, it was successful.
I think that any diet plan that encourages healthy eating is wonderful, especially when the focus of the diet is on fruits and vegetables, since those really are the nutrient powerhouses. However, I also think that any doctor anywhere would say with confidence that Americans and most people in Western Europe eat too much refined sugar and flour, and while I admire the Atkins diet for encouraging people to give up those habits, I don’t think the premise behind the diet is at all revolutionary. As you and a number of people here have stated, the diet’s not just about eating only meat and cheese. In fact, that’s not even half of it. It’s about vegetables, fruits (after Induction, of course), meat and eventually more moderate portions of whole grain. All Atkins is is a very old idea being sold with a new, exciting and technical-sounding spin that a lot of people are cashing in on.
So much I want to comment on…
I also hate people (the Diet Nazis, as I call 'em ) who feel compelled to comment on other’s food choices, especially when they tell you the calorie/fat/carb/complete nutrition content of every morsel. It’s just damn rude, IMO. My own mother is one of the worst offenders. I could be eating a big healthy salad, and she’ll bitch that it has croutons on it. “Oh, no! I thought you were on Atkins! Why are you eating CROUTONS?!?” As if a couple of croutons are evil incarnate. I’m at the point now where I can have a few croutons on my salad. I can also have bread every now and then. The low-carb breads on the market aren’t that good - they have a spongy texture; I’d rather save my carbs and have a piece of real whole wheat bread when I want one.
As I’ve mentioned, I am also being treated for severe migraines. Since I’ve started Atkins, and cut refined sugar and excess carbs out of my diet, the number of migraines that I get and the severity of them has decreased beyond belief. I understand the feeling of your other friend, the feeling of shedding a winter coat. I feel great, and I have the energy to exercise more.
I eat mainly whole foods, “real food,” not those Franken-foods being marketed as Atkins-friendly, like the shakes and bars and snack foods you see everywhere these days. I just know there are people who think, “I’m going to do Atkins!” and just eat the low-carb power bars and snack foods and drink the shakes and then wonder why they’re not losing weight. Now that I’ve broken that carb addiction, I just don’t want that stuff anymore. I don’t have a sweet tooth anymore. I crave veggies now.
Jeezereez this thread went bananas since I last looked in on it.
Question:
Thinking about diet trials not really from a funding but a margin of error POV, how on earth does anyone successfully conduct a diet trial?
People can tell their clinician that they’re under 20 carbs a day, blah blah blah, but how on earth do you analyze results and account for all of the fudging that must occur, either through selective memory or downright cheating?
I don’t know how the scientists would guarantee anything, but I assume they could provide the food for the study participants and hope that the they don’t cheat at all.
As for me, I use FitDay to track my intake and to make sure I stay around my carb limit every day.
) who feel compelled to comment on other’s food choices, especially when they tell you the calorie/fat/carb/complete nutrition content of every morsel. It’s just damn rude, IMO. My own mother is one of the worst offenders. I could be eating a big healthy salad, and she’ll bitch that it has croutons on it. “Oh, no! I thought you were on Atkins! Why are you eating CROUTONS?!?” As if a couple of croutons are evil incarnate. I’m at the point now where I can have a few croutons on my salad. I can also have bread every now and then. The low-carb breads on the market aren’t that good - they have a spongy texture; I’d rather save my carbs and have a piece of real whole wheat bread when I want one.