Reason #1 for avoiding Atkins

[theivoryqueen]

Reason #2 - kidney damage
Reason #3 - bad breathe
Reason #4 - vegetarianism!

clip/

Marty Bender and Stan Cox
Prairie Writers Circle

Warning: This diet is not for everyone
Atkins diet could be dangerous for individuals -- and almost certainly is for planet earth


"Lose That Extra Weight ... While Eating the Foods You Love!"
For decades, such headlines were fixtures of supermarket checkout lanes, to be taken no more seriously than claims of alien abduction. But times have changed. High-protein, low-carbohydrate diets have become wildly popular because they help adherents lose dozens of pounds without having to gnaw on rice cakes.

It seems too good to be true, and some critics say it is. The debate over the long-term health effects of Atkins and similar weight-loss plans might grind on for years with no satisfactory conclusion. But it is possible to predict some ecological consequences if more of us adopt high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets, forcing the earth and sea to produce more of the "foods we love."

clip/

http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=16134

[girl gone mad]

1. Being a Vegetarian..

I have to kind of laugh about the soaring price of meats, which is blamed on Atkins dieters. It's the same kind of guilty pleasure I get hearing SUV owners complain about high gas prices.

Guilty, because I know I won't be laughing in 20 years when people facing health problems from this diet put a strain on our medical system, or when the air pollution problem from those gas-guzzlers does the same. Not to mention the animal waste problem and global warming. But, let's focus on the biggest threat to society: gay marriage </sarcasm>. But, I digress.

[theivoryqueen]

2. yup, anybody who's seen a hog farm already knows

we already got more "production farms" than our rivers, watertables and noses can stand.

[Norquist Nemesis]

3. Just can't win

I've been doing Atkins guidelines for about 6 months now and I've lost over 50 lbs. I'm not saying it's right for everyone, it's not. But every time you turn around there's bad news about whatever the most favorite diet on the market is, and then there's the people who tell us were all too fat, too thin, too sedentary, too much caffeine, too much too too too too too always blown out of proportion.

I guess my point is, as someone who's had weight issues all of my life and finding something that is successful for me, it's the stuff like this that can completely undermine a persons efforts and throw them right back into a downward spiral.

(sorry for the rant)

[theivoryqueen]

4. okay - special dispensation for all DU atkinsers....

but not republican ones. I don't mind selectively employing the double standard!

[liberalhistorian]

5. I agree, I'm on Atkins

and have been losing weight like never before, and feeling a lot more energetic. While I understand that vegetarianism is very healthy for both individuals and the planet, and I commend those who are vegans, I know that I will never be one and there's no point in me even trying. I don't mind at all if someone's a vegan, but I do mind if they try to shove it down my throat and are constantly making me feel guilty.

[LynneSin]

13. btw - welcome to DU

I noticed your new here!!!

Atkins and 33lbs. Just this week I was able to get into 3 more pairs of pants I haven't worn in over a year.

:hi:

[beyurslf]

6. Atkins is the only diet I have ever seen work

for obese people. My aunt lost over 100 pounds on the diet and her cholesterol DROPPED by 40 points--without any change in medications. My sister lost 50 pounds. I lost 20 (wasn't obese but just wanted to diet) and my cholesterol dropped about 15 points (wasn't high in the first place but is even better now). A friend of mine who is groslly obese was considering gastric bypass surgery, but tried Atkins as his "last diet." He has lost 75 pounds and is continuing to lose--he has another 75 or so to lose. He isn't having the surgery now. Every person I know who has done the diet for at least a month has lost weight.

I honestly believe that if the diet had been so popular 10 years ago, my grandma could have lived another 5 years. She died from diabetes and congestive heart failure caused by life-long obesity. All the women in my family struggle with their weight and obesity is a huge problem for them in later life. (I am lucky in that it doesn't seem to as much of a struggle for the men.)

I can't say enough good things for the diet to those who are severely overweight or obese.

[theivoryqueen]

7. Okay - all those in favor answer this:

if one IS a vegetarian, or wishes to only consume meat products in moderation, is Atkins flexible? Can it be adapted to fit vegetarian diets?

[beyurslf]

8. I think it could be in the 4 th phase of the diet.

It would not be flexible for the induction period or for pahse 2. Phase 3 it may be possible but very limiting. I think it could work in phase 4 but it would be tough even then.

If you bought the Atkins low carb breads (or other low carb breads) it would be easier. The induction and pahse 2 though don't even allow the Atkins breads. Induction is less than 20 carbs every day regardless of source.

[supernova]

10. You can still eat

tofu, but I don't know about saitan (I just haven't looked at the nutrition label).

I stay away from most grains because as soon as I eat them, I can feel my stomach ballooning right out. Unpleasant.

[comradebillyboy]

16. even dr atkins says its real difficult

for a vegiterian to do well on this diet.

but the basic idea should work, that is aviod sugar, refined flour products, white rice and other things with a high glycemic index. stuff like soy products, lentils, beans, high protien-high fiber and lots of olive oil.

[supernova]

17. I eat a lot of chicken and salmon

as my protein sources, as well as snacking on nuts like walnuts and pecans.

I just experimented with making my own gravlax the other day. Turned out well. That's what I'll probably have for lunch. :D

[populistmom]

19. It's hard to be a complete vegetarian, but...

Atkins can be healthy, very healthy. I've been doing Atkins for almost a year. I eat lot of veggies (but not starchy ones like corn), some fruits (berries and melons, rather than sweet fruits) plus tofu, chicken and fish. I eat a small amount of beef, virtually no pork. I rarely eat all the sausage and bacon crap because they are full of nitrates and chemicals. I get most of my calories from fats, but mainly monounsaturated fats like olive oil. I drink about 100 oz of water a day. I actively avoid anything hydrogenated. I have lost 50 pounds and have about 20 to go. Food no longer has any control of me and my cholesterol dropped 80 points. I've stopped being depressed and have massive amounts of energy. This way of eating has literally changed my life.

[supernova]

9. Another Atkins success story here

When I hit 40, I was 30 lbs overweight. I had tried for 15 years to lose weight with pasta and minimal fat intake. Didn't work. Over the years I gained weight.

I started Atkins the day after my 40th birthday. I lost the 30 lbs and weigh a little less than I did in high school today. That was a year and a 1/2 ago when I started.

And I'm keeping it off by eating protein, low-carb fruits and veggies, and rounding out with lower-carb breads/grains when I feel like it.

I have more energy than ever before, I don't get the afternoon slumps. While I am happy for those who wish to be vegetarian, that will never be me. I just don't feel sated eating any other way. Oh, and my bloodwork and kidney function is just fine.

[vi5]

11. I've lost 45 lbs. but yes, my breath is horrendous....

That has been the one down side to the diet for me. Constantly having to chew gum and swallow Breath Assure.

[populistmom]

20. Drink more water

I have no breath issues and I suspect that's why.

[LynneSin]

12. bullcrap!!!!

for every article you post about how bad Atkins is I can find 2 that says otherwise.

Outside being a vegetarian, you are way off base with the other 2 points.

Just because i'm on Atkins (30lbs so far) does mean I go out everyday and slaughter a cow, grill it up and eat it. THIS IS NOT THE FACTS. Meat is something we can all eat on Aktins but like anything else moderation is the key.

Secondly, the bad breath starts clearing up once you get into the heart of the diet because you'll be adding more carbs back into your plan (healthy carbs mind you - fruits & veggies). However a package of Listerine Breath Strips can help out the issue greatly.

I will not lose weight on a low fat/high carb diet. I've tried them all and I've had no sucess. I've done atkins and I'm now down 33lbs.

I don't mean to be rude but I can't help it. These anti-atkins threads are starting to get on my nerves. Should I just stay overweight, risk my heart, my health and my life with bad diets that maybe will lose me a few pounds only to gain them back (which btw, Yo-Yo dieting - that is bad on the organs). Hey, I could stay overweight and just be an adult diabetic instead??? Or better yet I'll chug down volumes of diet pills with such damaging chemicals like ephredra, ma huang or excessive caffeine. That's a healthy diet.....NOT.

Here's a suprise for you - I'm on Atkins and it's doctor approved. I got blood tests, discussed the diet and she was very supportive of me going this route. She talked to me about concerns with the diet (don't over indulge on the meat - eat health portions) and even during the induction phase I was able to add plenty of veggies to my diet (I'm now eating fruits and diary too).

If you don't like Atkins - then don't do it. Simple as that. As you can tell, many of us are sucessful with the plan - and btw it is a plan because let's face it, when you want to lose weight and keep it off you need to make it a lifetime plan (taken one day at a time).

All I'm asking of you and the other folks who don't understand the atkins plan is to please think before you post.

(gets off her soapbox and grabs her lunch from the fridge: Cottage Cheese, hardboiled egg, carrot sticks and a tangerine)

[beyurslf]

14. LynneSin

If you haven't checked your cholesterol, go do it. I bet it lowers on the diet. If you have a history of heart diesease, diabetes, or obesity (or all three) in your family, this diet can help save your life. Aside from quitting smoking, taking steps to avoid coronary illness is the the single most important step to take in living longer, healthier.

[LynneSin]

15. I've not had it checked since I've started...

but I've had 2 coworkers from my last job who both saw their Cholesterol counts lowered from Atkins.

I really don't think I'm eating more meat, just eliminated bad foods that add weight to my ass.

[supernova]

18. Meat lovers unite!

It's not uncommon to eat more meat than is neccessary during the first part of induction. You just go giddy over being allowed to sate yourself with real food. I know I did.

But then, after a few days, my appetite evened out and I went back to regular portions. I'm very aware now of portion sizes and how much I'm eating, of any kind of food.

[LynneSin]

22. All I know is I'm not going to take this anti-atkins crap

I think for over 2 years I've done a great job of being supportive of other DUers and their issues with life (hey, I know I have issues) and it's just sickening when I see these kinds of threads being created.

We should be encouraging folks to get healthy and stay healthy. I know that Atkins is not the diet for everyone, but it's the best diet for those of us with severe carbohydrate addictions like myself. Believe me, if I kept eating the way I did I would probably be a candidate for Adult Diabetes.

I'm sorry if anyone thinks I'm being rude, but yes, it does hurt when I see stuff like this (although I had a great laugh about the atkin's bad breath thread because hey - that is true)

I'm on a sensible diet plan filled with healthy foods and void of junk carbs that do nothing but hurt my body and add extra pounds. Any of us attempting to lose weight through this method should be encouraged - not demoralized.

Thanks for listening to me bitch!!!

[stopbush]

21. Sorry, but Atkins has worked for me as well.

Years ago I went vegetarian and lost 30 pounds. But it was very difficult for me to stay vegetarian, even living in NYC where one had great produce and a wide variety of restaurants available.

I put some of the weight back on because I was carb loading, not because I ate meat. Then, I went macrobiotic for about 4 years, mainly because the So-en restaurant opened up on B'way & 90th. I used to see lots of famous and semi-famous people eating there (Michael York, for one). I stopped eating there when I became friends with one of their chefs...I looked in the kitchen one afternoon and saw a different chef smoking a cigarette over a pot of food he was preparing! When I mentioned it to my friend, he said, "well, if you think about it, it's sort of natural...ashes, you know." Goodbye!

The next 15 years my weight went up and down, but mostly up. Over that period, I studiously avoided red meat, eating mostly fish and poultry. About three years ago, I read about Atkins. Though I wasn't keen on eating so much meat, I said what the hell. I lost 30 lbs - and 5 inches off my waist - in about 6 months and have kept it off for three years. My bad cholesteral also went down considerably.

I think the most important thing about Atkins is to really follow the diet closely. You've got to do the first 2 weeks very strictly and enter ketosis. That's the only period where your breath is truly rank (which is why Atkins detractors harp on that phase so much, as if you're going to eat like that for the rest of your life), so you mask it with some wonderful product designed by a Clark Griswold type. But that phase is very, very short. Once you've jumped-started your body into burning stored carbs, you reintroduce more and more veggies etc until you find the level of carbs you can deal with without storing an excess.

The hardest part for me is avoiding breads. I solve that by only eating bread on special occasions that demand an "artisan" type of bread. Of course, if I'm visting Europe, then I eat anything because the food doesn't seem to be as fattening and it all tastes great. Skipping Wonder Bread stateside to savor a baugette on the Côte d'Azur is an easy trade-off (but since I haven't been to Europe since 2001, I'm not eating much bread at all these days)!

Like any other diet, the big thing is to avoid processed foods and get regular exercise (I now walk 4-5 miles a day). On Atkins, you do have to drink lots of water, but when you consider that few Americans actually drink their amount of daily recommended water, it's not that drastic.

BTW - one of the great side benefits to Atkins is that it cures any gas problems you may have. That was a big problem for me during my vegetarian days, and it has totally disappeared at this point.

[RandomKoolzip]

23. I've been on the Atkins diet for ten days,

And I'm sticking to it. Sorry!

[PVnRT]

24. Every diet has critics

Especially Atkins, and most of them are politically motivated, not motivated by anything, you know, scientific. There are three diets that I know of where I have heard many legitimate success stories: vegetarian, Atkins, and reducing calories and exercising.

And spare me the Chicken Little crap about how Atkins dieters are somehow causing meat production to ramp up. Please. Most people I know on the Atkins diet do not eat any more meat than they did before. I have a feeling if you did a survey of Atkins dieters you would find the same thing.