Report: Diet Doctor Atkins Was Obese

[villager]

Report: Diet Doctor Atkins Was Obese

NEW YORK - Dr. Robert Atkins, whose popular diet stresses protein-rich meat and cheese over carbohydrates, weighed 258 pounds at his death and had a history of heart disease, a newspaper reported Tuesday.

Atkins died last April at age 72 after being injured in a fall on an icy street.


Before his death, he had suffered a heart attack, congestive heart failure and hypertension, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a report by the city medical examiner.


At 258 pounds, the 6-foot-tall Atkins would have qualified as obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (news - web sites)'s body-mass index calculator.


Diet is one potential factor in heart disease, but infections also can contribute to it.


<snip>


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040210/ap_on_he_me/atkins_medical_report

[Elidor]

1. The irony is deadly

[Mudcat]

71. Yeah, but at least there's plenty of IRONY in this diet (n/t)

[Endangered Specie]

97. ouch... good one

[stopbush]

99. What irony?

Atkins slipped on the ice, hit his head on the sidewalk and went into a coma. He was 195 lbs when admitted to the hospital, not exactly "obese" for a six-foot male. Then, the hospital starting loading him up with their effing intravenous fluids. His organs began to fail, and he began retaining those fluids to the tune of 60 lbs in about a week. So they then pull the plug on him, list his weight at death at 258...and say he was obese!??

Seems to me he gained 60 lbs because they took him off the Atkins diet and put him on the AMA's typical "we promise to treat you (but not to cure you) our way even if it kills you" diet.

His diet had nothing to do with that weight gain. How about this - the doctors decide to amputated a few limbs, just for the hell of it. Does that mean the Atkins diet turns him into a paraplegic?

Most of the other postings in this thread stem from ignorance, ie: from people who have never bothered to read the Atkins approach in its entirety. But why do any research when popular bromides are so easy to parrot?

If you're really interested, go to atkins.com and check out the lifestyle change that you enter after the first two weeks of heavy carb avoidance. You might be surprised. There are FOUR stages to the diet. His detractors can't seem to get past Stage one, which only lasts two weeks.

Atkins is LOW carb, not, NO carb. There's a big difference.

[gimme a break]

106. I'm not a fan of the Atkins diet, but

you are right. It's just sensationalism. Ooh he was fat when he died. Yeah, the drugs and his condition causing major fluid retention. His weight at his death had nothing to do with his diet. His family history shows heart disease going way back. If I read some article right (but I don't remember where I saw it), he outlived every other male in his family as far as longevity goes. So he was healthier and lived longer than the other males in his family. Had he not fallen he could still be alive but still dealing with GENETIC heart issues.

[soothsayer]

2. really? he used to be such a skinny SOB

hard to believe

[UpInArms]

3. the pied piper

of fat and doom

That people believe that an unbalanced diet (as proposed in this fat man's book) is going to relieve to relieve them of their weight problems is lunacy.

The only weight that they will lose and keep off is from their wallets.

[gauguin57]

4. pass the pasta!

and the white rice, and the bagels ...

[JeebusH]

5. its not a good diet .....

it works in the short term because the human body can't store excess protein, so any protein that you don't need at the time gets eliminated by the body ... but the way the body flushes out the excess protein (or the broken down by-products of the proteins) is urinating it out and to create urine you need water.

so all that weight you are losing is water weight, so you're just pissing the pounds off ... the problem is that you hit a wall after all the excess water weight is gone. In addition, the body has to process that protein, so your kidneys are overworked and protein is a bad source for glucose so you're always tried.

still Atkins had a good scam going

[Skittles]

13. it is disheartening how many Americans fall for scams, huh?

very sad.

[Flubadubya]

15. "Disheartening"...

No pun intended on this one, huh Skittles? :silly:

[Skittles]

17. yeah

I do understand why people would want to try "what works" and that losing weight is very difficult but diets are not good. There is no way a diet that promotes fat and discourages eating FRUIT can be a good thing. Everything in moderation and EXERCISE !!!!

[Flubadubya]

18. Absolutely about the "moderation" part...

I was talking about your using the word "disheartening" for a diet that is really bad for your heart.

[creativelcro]

29. it's a terrible diet. It's gonna kill you.

[crazychester]

33. Any "Open" Minds left here?

I better look for another board to read, I thought democrats were the party of "Open Minds". Dr. Atkins had the courage to promote an alternative to the "LOW FAT" government doctrine that's not working. Since the emergence of "Low Fat" foods and diets the rate of heart disease has soared in this country. The Atkins lifestyle works for thousands of people. Lets not condemn a man for "Thinking Different" . I've lost 35 lbs on the Atkins diet, been on it for 2 years and Cholesterol levels have improved, not worsened.

[supernova]

37. See my post below.

:D

Honestly diet fundies come out of the woodwork the minute you say the name "Atkins."

[Scout]

50. very few, when it comes to Atkins

see post #36 here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic...

This is the MOST restrictive phase of the atkins plan, you add carbs gradually until you find the point where you start gaining again, and then stop adding carbs. I wish people would actually BOTHER TO READ the plan itself rather than listening to uninformed hysteria.

[Emillereid]

80. Where did you take physiology --

even though I'm a proponent of a restricted carb/ semi-paleo diet (meat, eggs, cheese, berries and mountains of low starch veggies), I'm the first to admit that excess anything can turn to fat -- protein happens to take a different, less efficient metabolic route, so you can eat more (if carbs are kept low) -- but what it doesn't do is flush. You do not just urinate it away. Boy if that were true all we'd have to do is eat just protein. Actually if you ate nothing but lean protein (no fat) you would feel sick and might starve to death -- Indians used to do this to their enemies (called it rabbit starvation).
"Rabbit eaters, if they have no fat from another source-beaver, moose, fish-will develop diarrhea in about a week, with headache, lassitude, a vague discomfort. If there are enough rabbits, the people eat till their stomachs are distended; but no matter how much they eat they feel unsatisfied. Some think a man will die sooner if he eats continually of fat-free meat than if he eats nothing, but this is a belief on which sufficient evidence for a decision has not been gathered in the north. Deaths from rabbit-starvation, or from the eating of other skinny meat, are rare; for everyone understands the principle, and any possible preventive steps are naturally taken."
http://www.medbio.info/Horn/Time%201-2/vilhjalmur_stefansson1.htm

You drop water weight on all diets, but especially on a low carb diet as you use up your glycogen -- as you drop excess water weight, your blood pressure also drops too. One of the reason that people are often able to reduce or eliminate BP meds on a low carb regimen. Depending on the time of year, ancient man evolved over the eons, on more or less a low carb regimen -- think ice age -- not too many carbs of any kind for much of the year and even in the summer there would only be (by our terms) some small not very sweet fruits and vegetables -- which of course we'd eat like crazy to lay down a fat pad to see us through the coming winter (if we were lucky we'd produce us some high blood sugar (anti-freeze) and cholesterol to protect our membranes. High insulin provoked by carbohydrates would insulate us -- it's where the term insulin came from. That insulation would see us through the winter. Of course the problem comes for modern man when he has access to carbohydrates 24/7 day in and day out for years in a climate controlled environment without every needing to burn it down.

People have lost hundreds of pounds on a low carb regimen -- very little of it is water weight. The atkinscenter.com site has a science section -- go check out some of the literature.

[skippysmom]

6. Irony is so ironic

nt

[K8-EEE]

7. He Looked Like Hell On Larry King

My dad, who his his age and a vegetarian, seems 20 years younger.

That diet, ugh...never!

[joeunderdog]

107. Dr FATkins? Here come da jokes.... n/t

[veganwitch]

8. the atkins diet (mayo clinic diet)

was originally formulated for people who needed to lose a lot of weight fast, generally for abdominal surgery. it was not meant to be a lifestyle.

also, there was another story that said that people who were on an ultra-low fat, high fruit/veggie diet also lost the same amount of weight as atkins folks.

atkins took a good idea, that americans eat way too much processed white flour and sugar and blew it to fuck.

[Malva Zebrina]

9. Dr. Atkins may have been carrying a lot of fluid if he had congestive

heart failure and it could have caused weight gain. He is dead and I wonder why he is still being sneered at. Many have followed his diet and many have lost a lot of weight and kept it off. Lipids are fantastic and all other health indicators are excellent. Why is it necessary to sneer at him in this way I wonder. People praise his diet and many imitate it-- Dr. Bernstein recommends low carbs to diabetics under his care and they do well. He is NOT obese but he does have diabetes and has had diabetes since childhood. He has been on a carb controlled diet (thirty grams) for more than ten years and suffers no adverse consequences as far as his health and his diabetes is under control as never before. He has helped many diabetics with his low carb approach to diet.

Perhaps the sugar industry does not like how sugar is being eliminated from a lot of foods-I would not be surprised if they feel threatened-I see breads, ice cream and other foods going lo carb and my supermarket is flagging foods on the shelf that are low carb foods with catchy little signs . I cannot think why anyone would want to smear Atkins like this so don the tinfoil hat--food industry has done things like this in the past.

[mumon]

27. Actually, I'm doing quite well on a (modified) version of the diet..

The trick is to pay attention to your body.

I thought I wasn't eating alot of carbs, but once they went, it was amazing how my energy levels went up.

I've lost about 15 pounds so far.


I think it's kind of extreme (and my body screams this at me) to avoid all fruit, and so I eat apples. But otherwise, I'm still losing.

Here:

http://atkins.com/Archive/2003/1/20-542932.html

is a good article from the Times about this.


The fact is, this stuff works.

The main question I don't see asked here is: Did Atkins take his own advice?

[K8-EEE]

65. Asian, Meditarian Diets...

It seems like the places where people are the healthiest, it's lifestyle and moderation.

Certainly people in Japan don't eat pounds of meat, butter, bacon, cream etc....they eat rice, vegetables and seafood. My friend lost 35 pounds just by marrying a Japanese woman!

I saw a woman getting a full-cream latte -- I'm talking maybe a cup and a half of whipping cream! People who follow this diet to that extreme, it makes absolutely no sense.

It is a billion dollar industry. Americans seem to have a terrible time with moderation.

[Malva Zebrina]

96. I am willing to take that into consideration but then

how do you explain the super lipid values in people who follow ATkins or any other low carb diets?

I know I have super lipid values and I have read of many others who have super Cholesterol levels.

How do you explain that? I am willing to be flexible, but I do want an explanation.

[Mr.Green93]

10. congestive heart failure

causes water retention

[sendero]

11. Running guru Jim Fixx....

... died of a massive coronary at an early age. So what?

[BiggJawn]

22. Fixx's blow-out was pre-ordained.

Given his family history of the men dieing VERY early from heart attacks, he had already lived longer than any other man in the Fixx family.
But I get your point, Eat right, Exercise, Die Anyway.....

[sendero]

68. The thing of it is...

... just because a diet's inventor is not disciplined enough to follow it does not reflect on the efficacy of the diet at all.

Fact is, when I get to be that age I'm not going to give a rat's ass about my weight. :)

[BiggJawn]

12. And Dr. Phil is a fat-ass, too.

6' 4" and 250 is what I've read.
Now, I'm 6' 4" and 287, and considered "Morbidly Obese" by some guidelines.

So if I lose another 37 pounds (I've dumped 15 so far since October) I can be a "Diet Guru" too?

At least guys like Jack LaLane and Richard Simmons "Walked the Talk".

[JPace]

28. I have to agree....

Dr.Phil looks way to heavy to be a model
for dieting and good health.

Still...what do I know? I think there is
room for all body types and maybe his is
normal for him.

[Cronus Protagonist]

54. Richard Simmons has stomach staples

FYI. Don't know about the other guy, though.

"ANYBODY BUT BUSH" Buttons, Stickers & Magnets

[MadHound]

14. Another potentially lethal fad to make the quick buck

About three years ago, a young woman(in her late teens) keeled over and died at school after she went back on the Atkins diet. Turns out she was suffering from lack of potassium(bannanas are a great source) and her electrolytes were out of whack. What she needed was a balanced diet, not a fad.

Yes, it burns the weight loss industry no end that the best, most effective lifestyle to lose weight and maintain that loss is also pretty damn cheap, if not free. Eat less of a well balanced diet, and work out more. The equation is so simple, yet since it is also unprofitable. Thus we see the fad diets, pills, exercises, equipment, etc. And at best these fads are ineffective, at the worse they are lethal.

Once the Atkins craze dies down, I wonder what will be next? A diet of nothing but carbs? Or have they already tried that?

[Kathy in Cambridge]

16. Atkins Diet is the Diabetic Diet

If it's done wrong, it is dangerous, like most diets. If vegetarians don't eat right, their diet is dangerous too. When I was a vegetarian, I had to take a ton of vitamins but wound up anemic anyway.

The basis of the Atkins diet is to avoid white flour, white sugar, potatoes and other high-glycemic foods that have been linked to a myriad of diseases. The Ongoing Weight Loss Program stresses vegetables, whole grains and proteins. Mr. RR's cholesterol dropped 60 points on Atkins.

Dr. Atkins heart problems were genetic-not related to what he ate. There is scientific basis that his diet works, especially for insulin-sensitive individuals. Let the guy rest in peace.

[DrBB]

21. That's why I'm on it, and it works

I'm Type I diabetic (insulin-dependent). I'm taking less than half the insulin I was on before I went on it. You need to take some vitamin supplements, C particularly. But since fruit is largely verboten to Type I diabetics anyway, that's nothing new. (Fructose isn't any better than any other molecule ending in -ose; sugar is sugar.) My wife's on it too, and has lost 40 lbs over the last year.

[JPace]

30. I agree,

at 72 most people are going to have some
heart disease, it is more a matter of
genetics and family longevity. I also
know that when one is put in a hospital
and is plugged into many tubes you will
swell to unbelievable proportions. I have
seen people die this way and you cannot
recognize who they are they are so swollen.

[Habibi]

35. Thank you, RR!

Nice to see some sensible posting on this thread.

It's a perfectly fine diet. If y'all actually took a moment or two to read Atkins' own words, you'd realize that it's no more "dangerous" than any other diet.

[reprobate]

70. Dr. Atkins heart problems were genetic--and that's the whole point.

Some people will do well on the high fat, low carb diet. The problem comes when those with a genetic propensity for for not dealing with the fat properly go on a hi fat program. For them this program can be lethal.

One third of all americans die from heart disease, and for one third of them the first symptom is death. While this diet may help some lose weight short term, it will kill many more, unless those that try this get a full work up and their doctor's advice first.

There is a very easy and accurate formula for weight loss:

Calories in minus calories burned is proportional to weight loss.

In other words, eat less and excercise more.

There is also some evidence that a low calorie diet will lead to a higher life expectancy. It works for the nematode, mayby for people too?

[Habibi]

74. Yes. That's what Atkins ends up being, actually:

fewer calories.

The thing is, for people who need the guidance of a "diet" mentality, and need it all spelled out for 'em (like me), Atkins provides an eating plan that is pretty easy to stick to. That's the issue. What can you adhere to? Apparently many of us can't stick to the low-fat regimen, or else that regimen simply doesn't work for us. We can do Atkins, fairly easily. (And anyway, what's the damn USDA food pyramid if not a "diet"??)

Those that can hang with a low-fat lifestyle (and lose weight on it),more power to ya. Some of us have different metabolisms, I guess.

[noonwitch]

19. Weight Watchers is still the best, as long as you cook your own food

It's balanced and can be worked around a normal lifestyle. Atkins always sounded like an unhealthy diet to me because there is no fruit allowed.
The downside of Weight Watchers is that their tv dinners are not as healthy as the hype-too much salt and too many preservatives. Cooking your own food is always healthier than prepared food.

[skippysmom]

25. another endorsement for weight watchers

I lost 60 pounds with them when I was a senior in high school, and kept most of it off for a good 10 years. I'm back on it now, hoping to lose some weight before trying to get pregnant. I eat the same dinners my non-dieting husband eats -- just in smaller portions.

For me, a diet that puts some food off limits isn't sustainable. I once heard Dr. Dean Edell say that the reason Atkins works for some people is that they like the kinds of foods Atkins allows you to eat. I don't. I like carbs and I like fruit. But if it works for you, hey, go right ahead.

Plus it just seems counterintuitive that FRUIT is bad for you. I know all the arguments, but it just doesn't sound right.

[stanwyck]

75. Another vote for WW

the Atkins people I know have regained the weight. WW has the best track record for people keeping off the weight because it's not restrictive. No prohibited foods. You just have to alter your portions, learn more about nutrition, and make choices.

[Mithras61]

20. I keep seeing "no fruit" as an objection

to the Atkins Diet. The Atkins diet does NOT ban fruit, just restricts sugar/carbohydrate intake. If you want to eat fruit, go right ahead, but give up your slice of bread when you eat your banana. Beyond that, there is NO dietetic requirement for sugar or carbs, and all other nutritional values can be gottem from other, lower carb solutions. Carbs & sugars increase the caloric value of foods without adding significant nutritional value.

As for the protein/urination thing, the Atkins Diet substantially increases water consumption when it is actually followed. This isn't a "meat only" diet, despite what you may have heard. Also, the AMA has recognized it as a healthy diet, so you may want to read up on it before you dismiss it as a "fad diet."

[info being]

24. Let them keep saying whatever they need to...

Not everyone is strong enough to break their carb addition.

I've been low-carb for 6 years and never thinner or healthier. I had a physical and all my numbers were way better than when I started.

[demnan]

23. Well at least he wasn't killed by his girlfriend

like Dr. Scarsdale.

[Fleshdancer]

26. the only diet "fad" that makes sense to me is....

Body For Life.

3 days of aerobic excercise, 3 days of weight training each week. 6 small meals throughout the day, all with a balance of lean protein and complex carbs and vegtables with at least 2 of the 6 meals. (and it also stresses the need for good fats) A glass of wine every now and then is fine but you do what you can to cut caffeine from your diet. You get one free day each week and the program is only for 12 weeks.

[progressivebydesign]

51. That's my "diet" but add some cookies and stuff to it!

That's exactly how I live.. but I have to have those chocolate chip cookies. I'm caffeine free, too. It works. I'm at the lowest end of my weight table for my height and build. Oh, and I'm 44.

[HuckleB]

31. What does science say you should eat?

http://www.discover.com/issues/feb-04/features/science-diet/

[chimpy the poopthrower]

45. No fair, HuckleB!

That's a paid subscription site. Can you summarize? :)

[supernova]

32. Surprised at the idiocy on this thread

Did any of you naysayers actually read the article? It doesn't appear so from your posts.


From the article (emphasis mine):

Stuart Trager, chairman of the Atkins Physicians Council in New York, told the Journal that Atkins' heart disease stemmed from cardiomyopathy, a condition that was thought to result from a viral infection.

Atkins' weight was due to bloating associated with his condition and the time he spent in a coma after his head injury, and he had been much slimmer during most of his life, Trager said.

In April 2002, a year before he died, Atkins issued a statement saying he was recovering from cardiac arrest related to a heart infection he had suffered from "for a few years." He said it was "in no way related to diet."

I've amending my post from the Lounge to make to relevant here:

Cardiomyopathy is a complex disease and has a variety of aspects to it, including some which can kill young athletes.

Often the cause is described as "idiopathic", i.e. the cause is unknown. Sometimes the cause is viral, as in strep for instance. In a certain few cases, the cause can be traced to heredity. Cardiomyopathy does clump in families.

It can strike young or old; the age of onset is indiscriminant. Some people can live with cardiomyopathy for years, while others need transplants.

Unless you're the treating physician and know the intimate details of Dr Atkins history, his family history, you cannot state with certainty that his Cardiomyopathy had anything to do with his eating patterns. It seems from all accounts up until the fall, Dr. Atkins was living with his cardiomyophathy.

Shame on the article writer for conflating heart disease associated with poor diet with the death of Dr Atkins. Also, according to the article the Dr in Nebraska who released the info did not have permission to do so, since again he was not the treating physician.

[Merlin]

38. BRAVO! Well said. This whole thread is nonsense.

The Atkins approach to dieting -- focusing on extemely low carbohydrate intake -- is the ONLY diet that actually WORKS.

Regular, low-fat, high-carb diets are the sham that's been foisted on the gullible American public for 40 years.

Atkins illness, a viral disease, is what brought on the water-weight bloating.

That said, it's still smart to keep to a low fat regimen. Low fat and low carbs are not mutually exclusive.

[supernova]

41. Very true

Low fat and low carbs are not mutually exclusive

That's true. I sometimes eat this way if I know I'm going to indulge later, like say a piece of cheesecake.

[formernaderite]

59. Absolutely...

...Years ago I did a fat free, eat carbs diet and lost no weight. I think every BODY is different. Atkins worked for me, and helped me get rid of a sugar addiction. I don't even do the maintenance, just no sugar or sugar free sodas, white flour etc.

[mumon]

48. thanks!

I appreciate that, and stand corrected.

[LiberalTexan]

82. Suppressed immune system from obesity

can lead one to be susceptible to these kinds of infections. So, trying to completely separate the two is a moot point. It is entirely possible that Atkin's weight and poorly balanced diet contributed grossly to his demise. I doubt many medical doctors would rule that out. Especially if the disease is considered idiopathic.

[supernova]

94. Where are you getting the idea

that his diet was poor? Did you read his food diaries?

Also, from the information available (as I reported further up the thread) his cardiomyopathy stemmend from a

viral infection

several years ago, NOT his diet.

It seemed up until his fall, Dr Atkins was living quite well with his cardiomyopathy. Probably after the fall, his inability to get around and exercise -- as he maintained all along you should do-- contributed to the weight gain. Ditto excess water retention due to Congestive Heart Failure, again exacerbated by lack of exercise.

If you can say he had cadiomyopathy due to his diet, and only from the information given, then you are a better cardiologist than the entire cardiology staff of Johns Hopkins and Duke Medical Center combined.

[progressivebydesign]

34. He was living proof.. "diets" don't work in the long run..

Yes, you can lose weight on that diet. You can lose weight eating grapefruit twice a day instead of meals. You can lose weight in a variety of "diets". BUT.. unless you plan on eating that way for the rest of your life (who wants to think about everything you eat all the time?), then you'll gain back the weight. The only people that seem to achieve meaningful, long-term weight loss, did so by changing their lifestyle. It's okay to use a diet to kick-start your new lifestyle. But, if you don't make a committment to life-long good eating habits AND activity, then it will keep coming back.

If simply going on a diet works.. then why are Americans more obsese than ever? Why are surgeries for obesity rampant right now? And why is the diet industry a billion dollar industry? I worked for a medical company that was developing a less-invasive surgery for morbid obesity... I had to study things about that procedure. You never want one... It's being touted as this wonderful life changer.. oh, yeah... You do lose the weight. But be preparted to eat tiny, tiny portions, have lifelong stomach problems, and look like death warmed over most of the time. Lifestyle changes, even for those morbidly obese, are the only way to go. Oh.. and therapy for those that are morbidly obese.. that really helps, too.

[supernova]

36. Misuse of the term "diet"

I don't refer to what I do as a "diet" for precisely all the short-term connotations that word implies.

I prefer to say I follow the Atkins plan. I'm far enough along in the plan that I eat most everything, including some vegetarian fare. But I still stay away from most of the white foods: breads, potatoes, pastas, rices. I've experimented with them, and they balloon me out in a hurry.

Again, anybody who is diabetic can easily recognize the Atkins approach. Are you going to tell diabetics they shouldn't bother trying to control their blood sugar with their eating regimen?

[progressivebydesign]

46. If it's a forever proposition.. then it's not a diet..

It's a lifestyle change. If you stay on it forever... or change other habits so that when you return to "white" foods, then it worked. If you make no other changes in your lifestyle, but start to add those food back, then you'll gain weight. Are you willing to eat that way forever? Then it's a lifestyle change, and it will stick. I personally would shrivel up and die if I could not have rice or pasta. I'd be concerned about my kidneys if I was focussing on protein long term. For me, just eating small meals more often, smaller portions, and being active works just fine. I know that some people cannot metabolize starches well.

As far as diabetics go. They have to eat that way, or become ill. That's not a diet. It's a lifestyle. That isn't relevant to the Atkins diet discussion.

[supernova]

53. I likely will never return to the white food group

at least for staples of my daily eating. I might occasionally enjoy them as a treat, but that's it. Like I said, I balloon out and I'll add that I feel lousy when I do eat them. It's becoming not worth the 3-4 hours of fatigue and feverishness plus the 1-2 lb weight gain that I feel when I do eat white. I quite simply feel better not eating those things.

As far as diabetics go. They have to eat that way, or become ill. That's not a diet. It's a lifestyle. That isn't relevant to the Atkins diet discussion

Actually, it's quite relevant. The Atkins attempts to negate what's become known only in the past couple of years variously as "Metabolic Syndrome" or "Syndrome X". You can Google these topics. It is a kind of pre-diabetes. Symptoms can include weight gain no matter how much exercise you do, poor circulation, and a consistanly high insulin output. You can remain in this state *for years -- decades even* before ever developing diabetes to the point you feel compelled to seek treatment and get a diagnosis.

Atkins and others like it (to a lesser degree "The Zone") short circuit that process by getting the body to stop producing so much insulin for extended periods by eating foods low on the glycemic index. Dr Atkins was trying to find a way to help people never develop diabetes in the first place. That's a worthy goal, don't you think?

So am I saying I'm susecptable to pre-diabetes? Apparently I am. So are a lot of others. I'm fairly satisfied I've found a way to stay healthy. And with CHD, I can't afford to develop other complications.

[K8-EEE]

77. Vegan Diet Cured My Dad's Diabetes

My dad developed type II diabetes on the typical executive steak and martini (and ANOTHER MARTINI) diet...long story short being on a totally vegan diet (no meat, fish, chicken, milk products, processed foods) he is now off diabetic meds AND blood pressure meds and his blood sugar has stablized.

[Lurking Dem]

90. He is, however, not cured.

He is controlling his diabetes through a vegan diet but there is no cure for diabetes.

Many type 2's can do very well with a diet like that but those with hyperinsulinemia cannot and need a more Atkins-like approach.

I have type 1 so take insulin and cannot lose any weight on a high complex carb diet. They actually had me keeping a food diary and I got to where I was eating 500 cals a day and gaining weight.

On a low carb diet I take so much less insulin (which is a fat growth hormone) that I can lose weight. Even on an insulin pump I cannot control my blood sugars at all if I eat things like pasta or potatoes.

[Dulcinea]

39. Hear! Hear!

The ONLY thing that'll work long-term is changing your lifestyle, eating a balanced diet & exercising, but no one's making any money off that.

Atkins may work for some people, but it only made me tired & grouchy. A good friend of mine lost 50 pounds on it, but they came back as soon as she went off it!

I think some the reasons Americans are the fattest people in the world is a combination of the proliferation of junk foods available to us, portions that are too big, an aging population with the slowing metabolisms that come with age, & a refusal to accept anything but a quick fix. We expect to have the same body at 40 that we did at 20, & that's not how it is!

[supernova]

42. How very true.

We expect to have the same body at 40 that we did at 20, & that's not how it is!

In fact, I have a better body at 41.5 than I did at 20. I'm not tired, my energy levels have stablized. I have strength and some stamina. I walk about 4x/week and lift light weights 2x/week.

Not bad for a 40 year CHD patient. :D

edit: Oh yeah. I'm 25 lbs lighter. Woo Hoo!

[Habibi]

43. Precisely what Atkins advised.

Change your lifestyle, eat a balanced diet, and exercise. The balanced diet just happens to be low on refined sugar and flour products. Yes, it's a little more stringent in its first couple of phases, but that's because people are impatient and want to see progress quickly.

And gosh, if you go off ANY eating plan designed to help you achieve/maintain a healthy weight, OF COURSE you are going to gain weight back. Sheesh.

[supernova]

44. Hee Hee

if you go off ANY eating plan designed to help you achieve/maintain a healthy weight, OF COURSE you are going to gain weight back


Yep. It really astounds me how little people bother to learn about subjects they have a natural bias toward.

[progressivebydesign]

47. "sheesh"? How did I earn a "sheesh"?

I didn't think what I wrote was particularly offensive. Why the "sheesh". And.. if you read my post again, you'll understand that most people do not adopt a healthy lifestyle when they diet. They go for the quick weight loss, then revert to their old eating habits. No diet in the world will help you if you don't make other changes in your life. The american obssession with weight loss and diets does not work... if you are prepared to eat the same way forever, then it's a lifestyle change. If you do it for 6 months to lose some weight and revert. It's a diet.

[Habibi]

57. You certainly seemed to be equating the Atkins "diet" to

other "diets." I'm trying to point out that adopting a lifestyle change is exactly what Atkins advised. He didn't say: Eat like this for six months and then go back to your old ways. He specifically stated, over and over, that this is a way of life.

We tend to use the term "diet" to indicate something temporary, and yet "diet" simply means "what we eat."

I think it's a silly criticism of Atkins to say: "But you gain it all back once you go off the plan!"

Hence the "sheesh."

On edit: Wait a minute, Cali, I wasn't replying to you, I was replying to miranda. She earned the sheesh, not you.

[Merlin]

40. WRONG. The Atkins low-carb approach WORKS permanently.

His weight gain was caused by disease, not diet. Read the article.

You want to know:
If simply going on a diet works.. then why are Americans more obsese than ever?

I'll tell you why.

It's because the American press and medical establishment have supressed the truth about dieting for 40 years, and villified Atkins in the process.

What doesn't work is a low fat, hi carb diet.

Carbs are the culprit. Not fat. Fat in moderation is essential and actually help stabilize weight.

Atkins had it pretty much right. You can go on a low carb, high protein diet, stay on it, and it will work and keep working.

[progressivebydesign]

49. I eat tons of carbs... and sweets.

Had two Krispie Kreme donuts yesterday, and two the day before.(that's not a usual thing for me, but I usually have some sweets during the day) I usually eat Cheerios for breakfast, pasta for lunch.. and a meat and rice thing for dinner. I'm healthy. I'm slightly below my target weight. Of course, I don't eat red meat. I don't eat fast food, I don't eat huge portions. I don't watch t.v.

Moderation. I cannot accept that everyone needs to eat exactly the same, avoiding carbs, when.. it's just the American diet and lifestyle that is responsible for the weight gains.

Most people cannot sustain an "eating plan". It's too much work for them. That's why we have rampant obesity. Children, who are more and more obese, are not obese because of carbs. Carbs have been a way of life for the American diet forever. They are obese because they're sedentary, they eat junk food, and they grew up eating Happy Meals. Until corporate America starts pushing healthy foods.. it will always be such.

[Scout]

52. lucky for you

"Had two Krispie Kreme donuts yesterday, and two the day before.(that's not a usual thing for me, but I usually have some sweets during the day) I usually eat Cheerios for breakfast, pasta for lunch.. and a meat and rice thing for dinner. I'm healthy. I'm slightly below my target weight."

You probably aren't insulin resistant ... I know people with worse eating habits than mine, who get no more exercise than I do, who are not overweight. We are all different, no?

"I cannot accept that everyone needs to eat exactly the same, avoiding carbs,"
hmmmmm, this sounds like the preaching we've been hearing for years, that everyone needs to eat the same LOW FAT diet ... can you accept that?

added on edit:
"Carbs have been a way of life for the American diet forever."
no, they have not ... humans have not practiced agriculture "forever" and we have not had the amount of processed foods, processed carbs, and refined sugar that exists today until about the 20th century.

[FlaGranny]

55. You said

"who wants to think about everything you eat all the time?" Let me guarantee you that if you have a weight problem and you DON'T think about what you eat all the time, you're going to keep having a weight problem.

Perhaps the reason obesity is such a problem right now is the fact that for years everyone has been screaming EAT MORE BREAD, EAT MORE PASTA, etc., etc. Carbs are GOOD for you. Carbs ARE good for you, but not all carbs are created equal. We should be eating carbs that are in their natural state. Oranges instead of orange juice, whole wheat instead of refined, etc. Now that we have a list of the glycemic values of food, we should be using it.

Eating a diet low in REFINED carbohydrates sustained the human race from its inception (along with every other omnivorous and vegetarian species on earth). Low refined carbohydrates is what Atkins and South Beach diets are all about. It's the way we evolved. We are supposed to digest the food we eat. Refined carbs do not need digestion - they go directly into the bloodstream to be deposited as fat.

The ONLY diet should be a diet that resembles, as nearly as possible, the diet that our prehistoric ancestors survived on.

I wish I had gotten this simple idea into my head years ago. I've finally discovered I can eat as much as I want, not be hungry and still lose weight. Everyone should be able to do that. Every diet I've ever tried had me hungry and craving food 24 hours a day. That's a sure setup for failure. I gave up dieting at least 10 years ago. Then, after reading about low carb diets, I decided to give it one more try. I'm so glad that I did. No more food cravings!! I'm feeding my body what it was designed to eat. It's happy. The scale keeps inching down.

There is a fortunate probably 20% of the population who can eat whatever they please and maintain their weight within a normal range. I have a suspicion that they just do not understand the other 80%, because it's something they've never had to deal with, therefore some of the unfeeling and hurtful reactions to people with weight problems.

I would never, ever have that stomach surgery. I know people who have had it, but it is too risky. Even with that surgery the weight can be regained. People who try the surgery are desperate - they've done everything they were supposed to and they failed. Modern society and food preparation is a perfect setup for failure.

Sorry this is so long and rambling, but one thought just led to another.

edit: typo (of course)

[lazarus]

111. You're right

Why, after a good 50 or 60 years, that there diet sure enough caused him to slip and fall and die. Diets kill. It's obvious.

[AngryAmish]

56. PETA smear of Dr. Atkins

Graverobbers.

[supernova]

58. And PETA wonder why

everyone thinks they are a bunch of loonies. :eyes:

RIP, Dr Atkins. You did right by your patients and those of us you fought so hard all of your professional life to educate.

[veganwitch]

62. that article doesnt mention peta

what are you talking about?

[supernova]

63. Read post #61

PETA are anything but *ethical.*

[The Stranger]

69. Let's see a link to the AMA censure or the "front group."

Or is there a front group is smearing PETA with that article about it having a "front group?"

[nolabels]

60. It is simple, you either make your stomach work for you or you...........

work for it. Really not that hard to figure out

[Flightful]

61. Report came from a PETA front group

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The late Dr. Robert Atkins is being
smeared for his alleged obesity at the time of his death, by a phony doctors organization that has been exposed as a front group for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and has been censured by the American Medical Association (AMA). The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)has taken in over $1 million from PETA and the animal rights movement. PCRM and PETA also share office space, board members, and staff.

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-10-2004/0002106789&EDATE=

[demdave]

64. Dr. Atkins gained 60 lbs. AFTER suffering his fatal coma of 2 weeks.

He had a well documented weight of 180-195 for years before his accident. But don't let this stop PETA front groups or the terminally malcontented from casting disparaging remarks about a dead man.


:puke:

[K8-EEE]

66. Oh Come On....

Do you think that if this guy died fat and with heart failure, that they would SAY that? He left a billion dollar empire that is totally based on this goofy diet.

Truth is, he always looked chunky to me, and none too healthy. My dad (a vegetarian) looked 15 years younger than him, although he is in fact a couple of years older.

[Habibi]

72. I saw him on a morning news show

shortly before he died. He certainly did not look "obese", even on TV. Also, he looked about what you'd expect a 72-year-old in reasonably good health to look like--not too shabby. I really don't know what the heck you're talking about.

[Enraged_Ape]

81. Amazing that a guy could gain 60 pounds in a coma...

what with the massive muscle atrophy and all. But if you have some sort of peer-reviewed documentation of this, I'll take your word for it.

[NickB79]

85. It's right in the articles

See post #79 further down. This kind of heart condition is well-known to cause water retention. And, how much muscle can atrophy away in only two weeks of hospitalization?

[Enraged_Ape]

88. I don't care what the Atkins mouthpiece says

Heart condition or no, that's a hell of a lot of weight to gain in only two weeks on a freaking vent, unless he had some other serious liver or kidney pathology no one is talking about. And, yes, muscle atrophy begins instantly, if you don't move anything; two weeks of hospitalization does not equal two weeks spent in a coma.

[FlaGranny]

93. You are obviously not familiar with

congestive heart failure. Also, since I think he probably had a slow to develop cerebral hemorrhage with edema in the brain. Dr. Atkins was probably given large doses of prednisone to manage inflammation in the brain, which, on top of the congestive heart failure, would have contributed to weight gain. It is not uncommon for a person with congestive heart failure to gain more than 5 pounds a week WITHOUT prednisone and IV fluids. I would presume that on top of everything else, he probably developed kidney failure, not uncommon for an elderly person with brain injury and heart failure. You would be surprised how fast this can all happen.

[ecstatic]

101. Also, skeptics should keep in mind that the gain was mainly water

weight. As I said before, I do a modified version of Atkins. The moment I slip up and begin binge eating, I gain a ton of water weight (of course, when I get back on track, the weight comes off almost immediately).

[Enraged_Ape]

102. Oh, I'm very familar with CHF and coma patients

I'm a hospital-based physical therapist, for crying out loud.

The initial poster wanted us to believe that Atkins gained 60+ pounds after he went to the hospital. I was merely saying that I found that amount of weight gain, in the hospital, unconscious, for two weeks, hard to believe, unless:

1) Atkins had the worst medical management of any patient lying unconscious in a hospital anywhere, which I doubt.

2) He was one unhealthy man long before he ever made it to the ICU, which IS a very likely scenario. It sounds like this is what you're describing. In which case, I fully agree with you, and it's a sure reason why I would not use him as a dietary role model.

[Lurking Dem]

103. One of my best friends died last year

after heart surgery. He swelled up so bad during the surgery they were never able to close his chest. Then his kidney's quit and he swelled up even more. The dialysis took SOME of the retention away but not nearly enough and he gained somewhere around 30-35 pounds in less than 3 days.

[FlaGranny]

104. Exactly.

The only problem Atkins had was CHF, so far as we know, but, and a BIG but, he was elderly. Major body system injury in an elderly person often leads to kidney failure. On top of being treated with prednisone, which makes you swell up like a balloon, in the large doses required to treat a brain injury, it is not surprising at all that he gained that much from fluid retention. He had the triple whammy, CHF, prednisone, and kidney failure, I'd bet on it.

Where is that doctor who posts here occasionally? I wish he would add his 2 cents.

[Enraged_Ape]

113. Again (how can I make this any simpler)

It sounds like your friend was deathly ill before he even went in to the hospital, n'est-ce pas? Or why would he require open-heart surgery over, say, percutaneous angioplasty or a thoracoscopic procedure?

Good Gracious Lord. All I'm desperately trying to say is that Dr. Atkins was not the picture of health his frothing cultists so often try to make him out to be. I think that's pretty damned obvious, and you all are helping me make that point. Which is great, and I thank you for it, because I apparently can't do it myself.

[EFF BrandyWine]

67. Diets

I know a lot of people who have lost a great deal of weight on the atkins diet and are very happy with the results of their chloresterol numbers, etc. I think the idea of being told not to feel guilty about eating the fatty things that people enjoy is part of the success of the diet for most of the dieters. However I recently dined in the company of a woman on Atkins, who asked if the 'cream soup' contained milk or cream. Upon hearing it was indeed cream she indulged with great enthusiasm. She wasn't permitted to eat if it as milk. Fine...for her. I don't like any regimen that eliminates a food group. Sugar aside, of course.

For me it wouldn't work. Because of food allergy problems I must avoid most dairy products and indulge in soy milk, cheeses, etc. Also the allergy covers chicken and all beef products as well. It also includes turkey but duck and pheasant seem to work fine. Recently tried bison and that is also effective...and very, very lean.

I found that the allergy problem may have been a blessing in disguise because over the period of two years I lost thirty some pounds without even trying. My main point is that I eat goodly amounts of carbohydrates...the complex variety: brown rice, true whole grain breads and cereals and a lo-carb variety of tortillas. I lack for nothing, never feel hungry and the numbers are very good. My b/p is 120/67, cholesterol is 180,
HDL 70, LDL, insignificant, triglycerides very low.

Carbohydrates are my lifeline, along with fruits, vegetables and even an occasional bit of chocolate. I have never been so slender. A lot of our daily fare is in the form of vegetarian variety and fowl/meat intake low and several times a month. Fish is a regular part of our regimen. So is excercise.

I just wanted to make the case for carbs...mine run about 40 grams a day...they aren't all bad.

I think the problem with Americans is they want instant gratification. If someone told you you could lose 30 lbs and enjoy eating but it would take two years...would you do it? I was forced to and I'm very grateful for that. I wish good luck to all who are trying to become healthier.

thanks for your attention!

[Bark Bark Bark]

73. Fads Don't Work. Atkins Is Not A Fad.

Atkins worked like a charm for me, no ill effects and relief from a host of digestive ailments. (I cheated bit by bit for a while, and they all returned. Got back on the Atkins wagon, they went away again. Hmmm. Must be something...else?)

This hardly means it's for everybody.

You'd think even the most militant vegans would be able to relate to what Atkins is being put through; they've been on the short end of the misinformation stick, complete with the same "sudden death" stories. The fact that SproutNazis and the WonderBread people are using rumor and anecdotes, junk science, and outright lies is sad enough, but THIS is outrageous. I hope they all get their asses sued off.

In the end, their tactics are all for nothing. They can't silence me; I'm a walking billboard for Atkins, and so is every single person who has found success with Atkins. Atkins cannot be discredited except by constant failure; we are finding consistant success.

[K8-EEE]

109. I Agree! Oatmeal Is The Best Diet Food

People who are Atkins devotees seem to think that the rest of us survice on a diet of white flour, sugar, etc. which is not true.

I myself have found that oatmeal is almost a wonder diet food. It that keeps you full for hours. I eat it with raisins and apples, cashews, bananas, whatever's around. Plus has fiber and it's cheap and not shot up with steroids, anti-biotics etc.

I wonder if that's what you are having a reaction to with beef and chicken? That is why game meats are better, plus, they are more humanely raised.

I also like cooking oatmeal with peanut butter in it, with maple syrup -- the real stuff, not Log Cabin!

Also why did God put an orange tree in my backyard if he didn't want me to eat them...all the time! I probably eat 3 or 4 a day and I just plain don't think they're fattening.

Have you ever met a fat vegan?? I haven't! Fat vegetarians yes but they are not so prevelant as fat carnivores.

[porkrind]

76. Everyone is putting in their $.02, so I'll put in mine ...

I have had good success with simply counting calories.

Here's the rationale: The human body is *very* efficient with managing and storing food (calories). Natural selection encourages this: the ones that aren't perish in times of famine. Therefore, assume that your body can store calories into fat regardless of the source (carbs, fat, simple sugars, etc.) In order to lose weight then, one has to restrict calories.

As others have said, the equation is simple: calories burned minus calories eaten equal weight loss.

To be successful, you have to be able to budget calories on a daily basis. It's like knowing how much things cost when you spend money. You have to know your BMR (basal metabolic rate), which is how much your body burns each day just to stay alive (for me it's about 1950 calories per day). You also need to know about how many calories you burn in your daily activities. Carry around a pedometer for a few weeks and count steps. Equate the number of steps to miles walked and therefore calories burned (for me it's about 3 miles per day, or about 350 calories). Therefore I burn about 2300 calories per day on average.

One pound of fat is about 3500 calories, so if I want to lose a pound per week, I need to eat about 500 calories less per day. I can eat extra if I feel like it and I do extra activity, but the main thing is to keep track. You can keep a written record at first, but after a while, you just know what everything "costs."

Eat whatever you want, whatever you like, just have a feel for how many calories you are really eating and how it fits into the big picture. Formulaic diets are destined to fail, because they are temporary and don't teach you how to budget and control your caloric intake. If you are going to be successful in the long run, this needs to be skill you have.

Controlling portion sizes. It's as simple and inescapable as that. ;)

[Bark Bark Bark]

83. And The World? Flat.

Because of a fractured toe, I actually exercised a lot LESS during my first month of Atkins. The weight still poured off. The "calories burned minus calories eaten equals weight loss" approach may work for some, but it is not law. Contrary to what Porkrind and others have been trained to repeat without question, it's NOT that simple. Not even close.

Conversely, I spent six years of military service running a kilometer and a half every single day. I also counted every single calorie. Every pound lost was a major struggle, and ultimately a failure; I'm convinced now that it's because I, too, was blindly following the breadhappy Food Pyramid (long recognized today as an agribusiness prop-up) and consuming too many of the starchier veggies like corn, carrots, and potatoes.

Let me repeat it once more: years of exercise and "proper diet" left me overweight and sick. One month of Atkins left me twenty pounds lighter and healthier and more energetic--even with less exercise*. "Cheating" on Atkins made me heavier and ill. Getting back on the wagon took it off again. This is no placebo effect.

*Contrary to the misinformation, Atkins recommends exercise and lots of it, and the plan also warns everyone to beware of potential side-effects and lists how to deal with them. The potential side-effects, by the way, are less horrifying to me than the ones listed in your average TV commercial for a given medicine.

.

[Enraged_Ape]

78. Carbs, shmarbs. The Atkins Diet works like any other diet does.

Because you can only eat so many goddam eggs before you can't stomach the thought of eating another one.

Eat fewer calories than you burn per day and you will lose weight, period. It doesn't matter if you're eating pasta primavera, steak tartar, or Tootsie Rolls. Except you will probably feel more full eating the steak tartar than an equivalently caloric amount of Tootsie Rolls.

It's amazing the kind of mass hysteria that grips otherwise intelligent people. Neoconservatism is one kind. The Atkins Diet is another.

[Emillereid]

79. This is one of the more distorted headlines -- and stories

I think I've ever read:
Here's are the operative paragraphs:

Atkins weighed 195 pounds when he was admitted, the group's chairman said.



"Critically ill patients, when sustained on fluids in the hospital, gain weight," said Dr. Stuart Trager, chairman of the Atkins Physicians Council, a group affiliated with the Atkins diet empire. "He was grossly swollen, so much so that his family and associates barely recognized him."

Then this assertion:

The medical examiner's report also noted that Atkins had a history of heart trouble, including congestive heart failure and high blood pressure. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the records on Tuesday.



The doctor's heart troubles had been previously known publicly, and the council asserted Tuesday that they were a result of cardiomyopathy, or an enlarged heart, which it said stemmed from a viral infection, not diet.

This physician group shouldn't defame a person like this -- they know for well that Atkins so called obesity was 60 lbs. of fluid build up (that he wasn't he least bit fat when he went into the hospital) -- not long ago if fact a 20/20 interview showed him playing tennis (in polo shirt and shorts) and he looked quite lean and fit; furthermore it was well known that his cardiomyopathy was caused by a viral infection and not diet. I expect better from this group -- this is low ball and stupid.

[Bark Bark Bark]

87. NBC Was Worse

NBC Nightly News got really "creative" while editing the story, and simply stated that Atkins "weighed 260 pounds when he died," with no explanation of the circumstances--leaving a blatantly false impression.

That's why I don't watch the TV news anymore; you have no way of knowing if it's just sloppy reporting, or if a sponsor has paid a network to spin any given story a certain way.

[TheWebHead]

84. it's not as if this guy was a hermit

when he was alive... he was frequently on Larry King, the network morning shows, etc... And he never appeared obese.

[Bark Bark Bark]

86. Something I've Noticed...

So many have a "EEEEEEE!! I heard this guy DIED doing Atkins!!" story, or rumors and anecdotes about OTHER people suffering life-threatening problems from Atkins.

Funny,though; I NEVER read--here or anywhere--from someone who said THEY suffered such a problem from Atkins. It's always silent third parties who have the fainting spells and heart palpitations. And these tales of woe almost always come from someone with their own agenda: meat-offended vegans, conspiracy buffs--or simple dumbasses who think they're smarter than everyone else now that they're in Junior High and anything that doesn't suit their accepted wisdom must be wrong wrong wrong.

It's not a cult. Once you start, you aren't locked in a compound and prevented from leaving. Although there are related products, you don't have to buy them. Hell, you don't even have to buy the book; you can read it at your local library for free.

So if you have a weight problem--and traditional solutions aren't working--you can read up on it and decide for yourself. If you try it and it works, great; if it doesn't, you just stop. Diet-related health problems don't just materialize out of nowhere; they have to be ignored as they develop. Use your gray matter.

[villager]

105. it's not a cult -- it's kind of a meme, though...

...what I've noticed is that people who are on it -- or kind of "on it" because their friends are -- suddenly just start eating lots of meat -- burgers without buns, etc...

And blindly supporting the industrialized meat industry just leads to all of us getting crappier food, from brutalized sources -- not to mention the sky-high ecological cost (i.e. tax subsidized cattle grazing, etc.)

It doesn't always seem to be about "good food" in "balance..."

Not a slam, just some thoughts...

had no idea posting this item would stir up such a hornet's nest! We are what we eat! Or at least, we're damn protective of the idea that we are what we eat!

[Scout]

89. What is wrong with this eating plan? NOTHING

The Atkins diet is NOT the "red meat and butter" diet that some people try to portray. You must go to the web site or buy and read ONE book: Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution ... you don't need any other books unless you want to spend the money. You also don't have to buy the Atkins products to follow the diet unless you want to ... you can follow it buying and cooking your own foods just like you do now.

This is the induction phase, the most restrictive ... it lasts for two weeks, and then becomes gradually less and less restrictive.
http://atkins.com/Archive/2001/12/15-464579.html

foods allowed/encouraged:
All fish, including ... tuna, salmon, sole, trout, flounder, sardines, herring

All fowl, including ... chicken, turkey, duck, goose, Cornish hen, quail, pheasant

All shellfish, including ... oysters*, mussels*, lobster, clams, squid, shrimp, crabmeat

All meat, including ... beef, pork, lamb, bacon**, veal, ham**, venison

All eggs, including ... scrambled, fried, poached, soft-boiled, hard-boiled, deviled, omelets
*Oysters and mussels are higher in carbs than other shellfish, so limit them to four ounces per day.
**Processed meats, such as ham, bacon, pepperoni, salami, hot dogs and other luncheon meats—and some fish—may be cured with added sugar and will contribute carbs. Try to avoid meat and fish products cured with nitrates, which are known carcinogens. Also beware of products that are not exclusively meat, fish or fowl, such as imitation fish, meatloaf and breaded foods. Finally, do not consume more than four ounces of organ meats a day.

And don't forget all this!!
OTHER FOODS THAT ARE ACCEPTABLE DURING INDUCTION
Cheese
You can consume three to four ounces daily of the following full-fat, firm, soft and semisoft aged cheeses*, including:
cheddar
cow, sheep and goat cheese
cream cheese
Gouda
mozzarella
Roquefort and other blue cheeses
Swiss
*All cheeses have some carbohydrate content. The quantity you eat should be governed by that knowledge. The rule of thumb is to count 1 ounce of cheese as equivalent to 1 gram of carbohydrate. Note that cottage cheese, farmer’s cheese and other fresh cheeses are not permitted during Induction. No "diet" cheese, cheese spreads or whey cheeses are permitted. Individuals with known yeast symptoms, dairy allergy or cheese intolerance must avoid cheese. Imitation cheese products are not allowed, except for soy or rice cheese—but check the carbohydrate content.

Vegetables
You can have two to three cups per day of:
alfalfa sprouts
daikon
mushrooms
arugula
endive
parsley
bok choy
escarole
peppers
celery
fennel
radicchio
chicory
jicama
radishes
chives
lettuce
romaine lettuce
cucumber
mâche
sorrel
These salad vegetables are high in phytonutrients and provide a good source of fiber.

Other Vegetables
You can have one cup per day of these veggies if salad does not exceed two cups. The following vegetables are slightly higher in carbohydrate content than the salad vegetables:
artichoke
celery root
pumpkin
artichoke hearts
rhubarb
asparagus
chard
sauerkraut
bamboo shoots
collard greens
scallions
dandelion
snow peas
bean sprouts
dandelion greens
spaghetti squash
beet greens
eggplant
spinach
broccoli
hearts of palm
string or wax beans
broccoli rabe
kale
summer squash
brussels
kohlrabi
tomato
bean sprouts
leeks
turnips
cabbage
okra
water chestnuts
cauliflower
onion
zucchini
If a vegetable, such as spinach or tomato, cooks down significantly, it must be measured raw so as not to underestimate its carb count.

Salad Garnishes
crumbled crisp bacon
grated cheese
minced hard-boiled egg
sautéed mushrooms
sour cream

Spices
All spices to taste, but make sure none contain added sugar.

Herbs
basil
garlic
rosemary
cayenne pepper
ginger
sage
cilantro
oregano
tarragon
dill
pepper
thyme
For salad dressing, use oil and vinegar (but not balsamic vinegar, which contains sugar) or lemon juice and herbs and spices. Prepared salad dressings without added sugar and no more than two carbs per tablespoon serving are also fine.

Acceptable Fats and Oils
Many fats, especially certain oils, are essential to good nutrition. Olive oil is particularly valuable. All other vegetable oils are allowed, the best being canola, walnut, soybean, grapeseed, sesame, sunflower and safflower oils, especially if they are labeled "cold-pressed" or "expeller-pressed." Do not cook polyunsaturated oils, such as corn, soybean and sunflower oil, at high temperatures or allow to brown or smoke.

Butter is allowed. Margarine should be avoided, not because of its carbohydrate content, but because it is usually made of trans fats (hydrogenated oils), which are a serious health hazard. (Some nonhydrogenated margarines are available in health-food stores.)

You don't have to remove the skin and fat from meat or fowl. Salmon and other cold-water fish are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Remember that trying to do a low-fat version of the Atkins Nutritional ApproachTM will interfere with fat burning and derail your weight loss.

Artificial Sweeteners
You must determine which artificial sweeteners agree with you, but the following are allowed: sucralose (marketed as Splenda™), saccharin, cyclamate and acesulfame-K. Natural sweeteners ending in the suffix "-ose," such as maltose, fructose, etc., should be avoided. However, certain sugar alcohols, such as maltitol, do not affect blood sugar and are acceptable.

Saccharin has been extensively studied, and harmful effects were produced in the lab when fed to rats only in extremely high doses. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has removed saccharin from its list of carcinogens, basing its decision upon a thorough review of the medical literature and the National Institute of Science’s statement that there is "no clear association between saccharin and human cancer." It can be safely consumed in moderation, meaning no more than three packets a day. Saccharin is marketed as Sweet'n Low™.

We discourage the use of aspartame (marketed as NutraSweet® and Equal®) because of clinical observations that it slows weight loss in certain individuals. The FDA has approved the herb stevia for use only as a supplement, not as a sweetener.

The Atkins preference, however, is sucralose (Splenda™), the only sweetener made from sugar. Sucralose is safe, noncaloric and does not raise blood sugar. It has been used in Canada for years, and the FDA recently approved it after reviewing more than 100 studies conducted over the past 20 years. Note that each packet of sugar substitute contains about 1 gram of carbohydrate, so don’t forget to include the amount in your daily totals.


Acceptable Beverages
Be sure to drink a minimum of eight eight-ounce glasses of water each day, including:
Filtered water
Mineral water
Spring water
Tap water

Additionally, you can have the following:
Clear broth/bouillon (not all brands; read the label)
Club soda
Cream, heavy or light (limit to two to three tablespoons a day; note carbohydrate content)
Decaffeinated coffee or tea*
Diet soda made with sucralose (Splenda™); be sure to count the carbs
Essence-flavored seltzer (must say "no calories" and should not contain aspartame)
Herb tea (without barley or any fruit sugar added)
Lemon juice or lime juice (note that each contains 2.8 grams carbohydrate per ounce); limit to two to three tablespoons
*Excessive caffeine may cause unstable blood sugar and should be avoided by those who suspect they are caffeine dependent. Everyone should try to avoid caffeine. Grain beverages (coffee substitutes) are not allowed. Alcoholic beverages are also not permitted during Induction; those low in carbohydrates are an option, in moderation, in later phases.

Special Category Foods
To add variety, each day you can also eat 10 to 20 olives, half a small avocado, an ounce of sour cream or three ounces of unsweetened heavy cream, as well as two to three tablespoons of lemon juice or lime juice. But be aware that these foods occasionally slow down weight loss in some people, and may need to be avoided in the first two weeks. If you seem to be losing slowly, moderate your intake of these foods.

Convenience Foods
Although it is important that you eat primarily unprocessed foods, some controlled carb food products can come in handy when you are unable to find appropriate food, can’t take time for a meal or need a quick snack. More and more companies are creating healthy food products that can be eaten during the Induction phase of Atkins. Just remember two things:

Not all convenience food products are the same, so check labels and carbohydrate content. (See the Online Store for Atkins brand products.)
While any of these foods can make doing Atkins easier, don’t overdo it. Remember, you must always follow The Rules of Induction.

[Rich Hunt]

91. Screw it, I'm too poor

Guess I'll just die from eating my mediterranean diet.....

:eyes:

[Emillereid]

92. There is an ongoing online conference on the Atkins diet

going on at www.Redflagsweekly.com. This is a subscription service but the Atkins conference, which is supposed to run two months, is free. You can access it at
http://www.redflagsweekly.com/conferences/Atkins_diet/index.html

[K8-EEE]

95. Kinda Moonie-Like IMO

All the devotion to the multi-millionaire diet doctor!! That diet came and went for three decades, it fell in and out of fashion like hemlines, but it built him an empire. Now all these people act like he's cured polio or something!

[Malva Zebrina]

98. I don't think people take into consideration how brain washed they are

in this country re what they eat.

For the longest time, the American Diabetic Diet listed it's foods and all that were included in their diets.

For the longest time, CAmpbell's soup was a biggy in the ADA listings. No other canned soups were listed and of course, no recipes for home made, lower calorie, less salt, less fat or less carbs were listed

How come Campbell's soup was such a strong showing/listing on the ADA diabetic listings?

[ecstatic]

100. He may have "fallen off" his plan, not everyone is perfect

Or it could be that his fall/coma caused the weight gain.

The point is, we don't have enough information to condemn this man. If you read his book closely, you'll notice that all he's basically saying is that we need to get back to eating NATURAL foods (i.e., foods found in nature: fresh vegetables, meats, etc.). There is NOTHING natural about pasta with cheese and donuts. Thats all he's saying.

Atkins was not a good diet for me, but I've found tremendous success while doing a modified (lower fat/controlled portions) version of his diet.Now I am NOT perfect, people looking at me now would probably remark (bitterly) that "low carb diets don't work," but the reason why I gained so much weight over the past year is due to decisions I made that had nothing to do with low carb eating (i.e., pigging out on cakes and candy every single day).

Low carb eating DOES work, and it lowers your heart disease risks, lowers cholesterol, and lowers cravings which can lead to obesity.

[nolabels]

108. Your handle and the title of that post are brutal!

Almost as bad as John Denver's career being All washed up after he crashed his ultra-lite and they found his body on the beach



http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/denver/resources.html

[ecstatic]

110. oh gosh

I honestly didn't realize the other (possibly offensive) meaning behind my post.

[w4rma]

112. At the time of his injury...his recorded weight was 195 pounds.

The Truth About Dr. Atkins’ Weight
By Stuart Trager, M.D.

At the time of his injury at the age of 72, after years of following the Atkins Nutritional ApproachTM, Dr. Atkins’ recorded height was 6 feet and his recorded weight was 195 pounds.

In today's Wall Street Journal a grossly distorted story on the health of Dr. Robert C. Atkins reported that he weighed 258 pounds at the time of his death, making him obese. In fact, the day after his fall, Dr. Atkins' weight was recorded as195 pounds, 63 pounds less than reported at his death! Based on the body mass index (BMI), a desirable range for people over the age of 65, is 24 to 29. At a height of 6 feet, Dr. Atkins’ BMI was 26.4, putting him squarely in the normal range for his age.
...
http://atkins.com/Archive/2004/2/10-133186.html