Questions about Atkins

[WillyBrandt]

OK, I started a Chicken Breast thread, now an Atkins one. I've always been a skinny guy, but post college I went (I'm 5'9") up to 175, but have gone down to 168 with some slightly better eating habits. (Total surprise! Just checked!)

Anyway, want to get back in shape... I'm looking to go to ~153 and just be in very good shape, so I'm turning to Atkins, which is the only diet that makes sense to me.

Some questions (I won't assume any medical knowlege on your part, etc. etc)

1. Why no alcohol during induction?
2. Why no caffeine?
3. What's the problem with aspartame in Atkins? Why's saccharine so much better?
4. Do people REALLY lose weight in the first 14 days?
5. What are good choices in fast food places if you're doing Atkins?
6. Is Induction compatible with a moderate weight training regiment
7. How many carbs in a cup of salad?

Thanks!

[LTR]

1. You've got to be kidding!

I'm 5'10, and even 165 is near anorexic for me.

Though I'd like to drop down to 175 (I'm 195 now and sliding down, but I'm not fat).

I don't really believe in Atkins. I know some people that had luck with it, but I believe if you eat quality food (not crap) and get some excercise, you'll be fine.

[DS1]

2. I'm 5' 6" and the lightest I've been since about 15

is 153, and that was after about 10 weeks of Marine Bootcamp.

Dude, you're fine.

[SarahB]

8. I tend to agree

Maybe ten pounds, but 153 for a man at that height is a bit too little (unless that's where your body naturally wants to be). My husband has a smallish bone structure and is 5' 8&1/2" and I think he looks best at 165-170 personally.

[WillyBrandt]

13. OK, maybe 158

[WillyBrandt]

3. I've got a pretty slight build, actually...

But I'm starting to think you might be right. I used to eat out every meal for about 2 years, and just recently stopped and started cooking for myself. So that might be enough...

[LTR]

7. You just came up with the answer

Lay off the junk food. Eat better quality stuff.

[flamingyouth]

4. In answer to your first question

Alcohol converts to sugar in your body, which is why diabetics shouldn't and usually don't drink.

[DebJ]

5. caffeine/heart stimulants not compatible with high fat artery killing

diets.
About 6 people at work started Atkins/low carb diets in January. They finished them in January, too! Initially, everyone lost weight, but regained it very quickly.

Unbalanced diets are.....unbalanced!!

[WillyBrandt]

6. Hmm... well....

[Lex]

12. Here's my unbalanced Atkins diet

Chicken
Fish
Lean Beef
Hi fiber veggies
Eggs
Lots of Salad
Cheese
Nuts
Fruit, primarly berries

No refined carbs, no white flour, no sugar.

Yes, it's Atkins. Such a crazy, unbalanced diet, eh?

[SarahB]

16. Exactly.

I've been doing this for a year and a half. I find it easy as Hell and I feel and look so much better (over 60 pounds lost) and technically maintaining now that I'm in a healthy range, but I'd still like another 10 or so. Occasionally, I'll defend it in these threads, but I like when someone does the work for me. Oh, and my cholesterol dropped over 100 points too.

[Lex]

20. Yep.

Although all diets are hard and it is always hard to keep weight off, Atkins is easier to stick to because when one stops eating too many carbs and sugar, the hunger caused by glucose swings disappears. A more normalized appetite returns and that makes it easier to stick to the healthier eating plan.

My blood pressure dropped too and my cholestorol has always been good and continues to show that.

[2Design]

19. what are high fiber veggies

[Lex]

28. Stuff like

spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, brussel sprouts, asparagus, cabbage, turnips, zucchini

I eat more of these veggies than I ever have before, now that I ditched other junk out of my diet.

I also eat more lettuce, more kinds of lettuce, and fresh spinach leaves for my salads. Also fresh cukes, peppers, a little tomato and shredded cheese.

Instead of croutons, I throw in a few crunchy almonds or walnuts into my salads.

[supernova]

9. Caffine

is a stimulant that causes your body to release cortisol, yet another hormone that says "STORE FAT."

That's why you don't want to drink any caffine for the duration of the time you want to lose weight.

Fast food restaurants are not the best choice, cooking for yourself is. But if you must, get your sandwich grilled, meat not breaded, and skip the bun and the ketchup. Everything else is game.

[HornBuckler]

10. Atkins Is Bad All Around

It's Murder On Your Kidneys And It's Bad For Your Brain (If You Can Believe It) Eat Healthy - Watch Your Fat Intake And Exercise - Atkins Is A Total Fucking Joke - It WILL Kill You.

Trust Me, I Know What I Am Talking About.

[Lex]

14. How will this diet kill me?

Chicken
Fish
Lean Beef
Hi fiber veggies
Eggs
Lots of Salad
Cheese
Nuts
Fruit, primarly berries

No refined carbs, no white flour, no sugar.

Yes, it's Atkins. Such a crazy, unbalanced diet, eh?

[JVS]

15. Wait you mean it isn't just Egg McMuffins with the muffin part thrown out?

[Lex]

18. hee hee

Most of the people who complain loudly about Atkins haven't read his book, Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution.

They think it's just steak and bacon. It's too hard to debate with people who don't even come armed with the facts to begin with, so I don't even try.

[supernova]

22. Tonight's Grocery list

Lean ground beef for taco salad
Taco seasoning
fresh salsa
cucumbers
avacados
cilantro
pickles (dill and no-sugar sweets)
chicken
bonless pork chops
seltzer water w/o sweetner
Cola w/ Splenda sweetner (one every other day)
low carb fatfree milk for sugar free pudding - thought I'd try it. If it gets me out of fat burning range, I'll stop it.
eggs with Omega 3s

Whoopie, my big dangerous diet.

[oostevo]

11. I'll answer what I can ...

3) They don't like aspartame. They believe that it is, in general, bad for you.
4) Absolutely. Protein/fat only bypasses most of the ATP (energy) production pathways in the human metabolic pathway, so basically you get less energy out of the food you eat (so you can eat more for the same amount of benefit)
6) Yes. If you been doing it, keep doing it, if you're just starting, go slowly at first as you normally would.

* I do not know you and I am not a doctor. Please ask him/her instead of construing this as valid medical advice for you.

[SOteric]

17. My closest friend dropped 20 lbs, lowered her blood pressure,

felt vigorous and developed a rosy glow in her skin by adopting only one new rule about her eating habits: Don't eat anything that comes in a can.

[flamingyouth]

21. Oh no, does this mean I'll have to get rid of my can tree in my yard?

I think this is great advice - as a culture we've gotten much larger as we've increased our intake of processed foods.

[DS1]

23. What about drinking things that come in cans?

:beer:

[LTR]

26. But I drink beer out of bottles!

Does that count?

:shrug:

[Lou_C]

24. I have some answers

1. Alcohol has carbs
2. Caffeine stimulates your appetite
3. ?
4. Yes they do and it's a good diet
5. Broiled Chicken breast sandwich without the bread, Tuna Salad
6. ?
7. Depends on what you put in it

[Keebs]

30. Well,

Hard liquor has no carbs. Vodka, Gin, Rum, etc. I know - it's in my trusty Atkins carb-counting bible that I carry with me everywhere I go. However, it is correct to say that you should lay low because too much can convert into sugar which is what we're trying to stay away from to begin with.

[Lou_C]

32. Its what you put in it so they never let you drink on diets

[JVS]

25. I have a question

Since starting Atkins have any of you had a change in the consistancy of your bowel movements?

[supernova]

27. Yes, I'm much more regular

like clockwork.

[JVS]

29. How frequent and is there any runniness?

[Lex]

31. I found that on Atkins I'm eating much more fiber

because I have salads and hi-fiber veggies consistently.

It takes a little while for my bowels to get accustomed to the change in diet.

Plus, I drink more water on Atkins and that can affect bowel movements.

[supernova]

33. Are you having a problem JVS?

No. Actually I had more GI distress when I was trying to eat pasta and bread, never mind my daily quota of dairy.

I eat a Viactiv every day for calcium.