Diets...

[twhrider13]

This summer, I lost 11 pounds on the South Beach diet--in 5 days. Unfortunately, after the third day, I barely had the energy to get up off the couch (I'd been trying to implement an exercise program, too, but every time I stood up, I got dizzy and saw bright spots before me). On the fifth day, I passed out on my way to the bathroom. After I got up, I went to the kitchen, made myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (on wheat bread), and felt stronger within an hour.

I had my suspicions about what was going on, so I did some research and discovered that I was right. I am hypoglycemic, which I thought was odd, considering I am a bit overweight. Nevertheless, severely restricting carbs from my diet, even for only 5 days, made my blood sugar absolutely bottom out to the point of causing me to become unconscious for a few seconds. Not good at all. I don't recommend the Atkins or South Beach diet to anyone who is hypoglycemic. My advice to anyone is that if they do become weak to stop the diet, or at least back off of it a little bit. The weakened state of your body makes it impossible to exercise, which is a key factor in weight loss. (Also, like any diet, much of the initial weight loss is due to water loss.)

As a side note, weight loss/gain is due to the ratio of calorie intake and calorie expenditure. The Atkins and South Beach diets, especially in the first phases, severely restrict carbohydrates, which have 4 calories per gram, and encourage the intake of eggs, meat, etc., which contain a good deal of fat, which has 9 calories per gram. So according to the calories in/calories out "model," a person can eat more than twice the amount of carbohydrates as fats with the exact same calorie intake. Just something to think about.

That said, I know there are people who can stick to the Atkins or South Beach diet, and none of them have experienced the "side effects" that I did. If either of these diets work for you, I congratulate you on having more willpower than I did! And as someone else said before, "Find what works for you and stick with it!"

Edited because I'm a perfectionist! LOL

[absolutuscchick]

Originally posted by DZHBrown
So it's healthier to eat loads of sugar and refined carbs as long as you go run? I highly doubt that. And not everyone is a runner. By changing your LIFEstyle (NOT a fad diet), you increase your health. I know I'm much healthier eating lean meats, fruits, vegetables and whole grains while cutting out the excess sugar.

I agree 100%

[Anchorgirl]

So you guys are saying you cut out all excess sugar? That just doesn't make sense for me. Especially around this time of year when every where I turn there is a candy sale! I believe that a diet loaded with veggies and fruits with a occasional reward is okay....for me and my sweet tooth, it is the only way!

[krazy]

Originally posted by lovelyivy84
If people did that they would die of malnutrition, and many people live on this diet, maintaining it as a lifestyle.

Yeah, these people are OCD and have a serious problem. They are a stage away from anorexia. I feel sorry for them. I will leave it at that. I am sorry if I offended you. I read that dang Atkins book anyway for a sports nutrition class I took, and I do remember it outlawing all but 20g of carbs a day... I could be wrong, but that is what I recall. That equals like 1/4 of an apple. To me, that would be cutting them out.... If you normally only eat 1/4 of an apple, I guess you can consider that eating fruit.. Oh well. Al I am saying, is that EVEN IN THE BOOK it states that this diet was designed for those who had a great chance of being killed by their obesity. I am not saying you wont lose weight, only that it is not a lifestyle. I cannot think of anything more disgusting anyway. You smell like meat all the time and it is barbaric. Gross. It just reminds me of someone with a horrible eating disorder but whose actions are accepted b/c it is the current THING to do... Speak to this please... And don't get so darn mad, I am open to learning something new.. I just want to know why you would limit your diet to these things and not work out? If you really work out, you don't have to eat like this, so that argument about "part of a healthy active lifestyle" is crap...


I know this sounds like I am yelling, but I am your good friend krazy...

[lovelyivy84]

I am just wondering if you read any of the posts by people who are actually on Atkins? Many people have told you that they DO in fact eat carbohydrates in moderation- many of them are probably at more than the recommended 5+ servings of vegetables/day.

I am not on the Atkins diet and never have been- I chose a WOE that is high in protein AND ridiculously high in fiber, it allows a bit more than the occasional starchy carb. But I have seen Atkins work for people when it's done properly, so I know how it works in real life. So anyway, here goes:

1. 20g /day is only during induction, which has been cut down from a two week period to a couple days because of people like yourself who read the book and only remembered about the 20g. Many of them go weeks or even months on 20g of carbs. They are NOT following Atkins! These are people just cut out all of their carbs- which results in exactly what you described, and an incredibly bad time in the bathroom to boot.

2. Any way of eating can be abused, but that doesn't make that way of eating inherently flawed. People who abuse the diet would abuse anything that they ate. If it wasn't Atkins it would be the Hollywood Juice diet, or fasting, or heck, eating carrots because their eating disorder is mental. That does not negate the positive effects that Atkins any more than it makes carrots bad for you.

3. Atkins IS a lifestyle, not a diet. It's about eating in a way that makes you feel good. For many people, that doesn't involve starchy carbs. It most certainly is not for everyone, but that doesn't make it bad.

4. I don't believe this is a thread about exercise, it's about diet. I don't know where you got the idea that I or others on this board don't work out. I am a committed exerciser in the gym doing weights and cardio 3 days a week minimum despite my 50-60 hour work weeks. I didn't start to make real progress and gain muscle tone until I increased the amount of protein in my diet and cut down on starches. I did that and I had a six-pack within two months. When I started eating "normally" again, I lost muscle tone and had no energy for the gym anymore. I know plenty of Atkins exercisers, who make great muscle gains with the increase in proteinl.

I don't know why you would equate Atkins with anorexia- what is wrong with eating lean meat, vegetables and whole grains? Aside from protein shakes there are milk products, beans, nuts and ten million types of tofu/bean curd/soy/gluten meat. There are vegetarian Atkin's dieters who do quite well with it.

FYI, I am not angry at all. Annoyed by your unwillingness to be even the slightest bit open-minded, yes, but far from angry. I think it's silly to criticize something that you admittedly have little knowledge about and no experience with, especially when people who have done Atkins, like Cream and the others on this thread, are telling you what they have actually done. Think about what they said, and compare it to the mental picture you are holding to so tightly. You'll note the big discrepancies.

Hey if you don't believe me, ask lifesaver and Munchkin03! I don't recall any complaints about anyone smelling of meat when we all met up.

Originally posted by krazy
Yeah, these people are OCD and have a serious problem. They are a stage away from anorexia. I feel sorry for them. I will leave it at that. I am sorry if I offended you. I read that dang Atkins book anyway for a sports nutrition class I took, and I do remember it outlawing all but 20g of carbs a day... I could be wrong, but that is what I recall. That equals like 1/4 of an apple. To me, that would be cutting them out.... If you normally only eat 1/4 of an apple, I guess you can consider that eating fruit.. Oh well. Al I am saying, is that EVEN IN THE BOOK it states that this diet was designed for those who had a great chance of being killed by their obesity. I am not saying you wont lose weight, only that it is not a lifestyle. I cannot think of anything more disgusting anyway. You smell like meat all the time and it is barbaric. Gross. It just reminds me of someone with a horrible eating disorder but whose actions are accepted b/c it is the current THING to do... Speak to this please... And don't get so darn mad, I am open to learning something new.. I just want to know why you would limit your diet to these things and not work out? If you really work out, you don't have to eat like this, so that argument about "part of a healthy active lifestyle" is crap...


I know this sounds like I am yelling, but I am your good friend krazy...

[aephi alum]

Thank you lovelyivy! Well put.

Atkins absolutely is a lifestyle. Yes, during the first two weeks, you are restricted to 20g of carbs... but after that point, you start adding carbs back into your diet. You have a bigger salad, some veggies, even certain fruits (like berries). When you get to your goal weight, you enter maintenance, where you are eating enough carbs to stay out of ketosis but not so many that the excess turns into fat. And always, always, always - you must exercise.

[Shine]

I've done Atkins, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, the "Grapefruit Diet"...you name it, I've tried it.

I was always able to follow the programs perfectly for a month until I just got sick of them and then gained my weight loss plus 20lb back every time.

So...how have I lost 50lb this year?


Moderation. Exercise.

I cut out soda and beer, limited fried foods to one side dish a week. Started eating wheat bread. I cut out almost all bad fats and ate a limited amount of refined sugar. For a long part of this weight loss cycle, I was a vegetarian, so I definitely wasn't eating meat.

I learned to BALANCE protein and carbohydrates. I started eating six half-sized portion means a day.

I started working out. First just walking for 30 minutes a day, now I either run for 30 or walk for an hour.

It's all about finding a good balance. Fad diets don't work. Diets that completely cut out one nutrient don't work. Diets that severely limit food choices don't work.

It's as simple as finding moderation.

[Kristin AGD]

Originally posted by Anchorgirl
So you guys are saying you cut out all excess sugar? That just doesn't make sense for me. Especially around this time of year when every where I turn there is a candy sale! I believe that a diet loaded with veggies and fruits with a occasional reward is okay....for me and my sweet tooth, it is the only way!

I have lost over 20 lbs. since June by lowering my carbohydrate intake. (My doc monitors me once a month). And I do cheat. I have had a slice of pizza here and there. And I ate a frosted cookie last night. But as for my everyday routine, less carbs are going in. And I can live with that.

[cashmoney]

Originally posted by BearyCuteAPhi
Question about diets: Has anyone done (and kept doing until successful ) the Atkins Diet? Or something similar that works and not that hard?? My aunt did not do the exact Atkins but she simply stopped eating carbs. (and no sweets at all) and lost a lot of wieght. She first did it religiously for about 3 months then she still did it but every once in a while she would treat herself to some fruit, a baked potatoe, you know lil things. She has lost 85lbs in the course of 2ys. But really she lost it fast and just has kept it off. Does anyone know if that is good for you?? I heard both sides...so just wondering what works. Thanks!

ronnie

Have no fear, Cashmoney is here. I've done something similar to the Atkins diet.


Here's what I ate and drank each week:


1 lb of Irish Swiss cheese from the deli
1 lb of Honey maple ham from the deli
10-15 chicken breasts
3 gallons of milk
1 carton of eggs
1 pack of 16 slices of Deli style Kraft American cheese
1 pack of 6 bottled waters
9 pack of Chicken Cordon Bleus from the frozen section
2 packs of broccli cutlets, steamed in butter and tinfoil
4 packs of Mushrooms (white,portobella), steamed or sauteed
1 pack of cellery cutlets, steamed and well seasoned
2 packs of creamy potatoe soup, Knorr (kosher) brand
2 Ribeye steaks
1 small can of Peach Lipton Iced tea
3-5 Arbys roast beef sandwiches
10 pieces of toast
1 pack of Canadien bacon


This has done wonders.

[Shine]

Are you being sarcastic, cashmoney?

[cashmoney]

Originally posted by Shine
Are you being sarcastic, cashmoney?

Dead serious. It works. It's a diet VERY high in protein.

[Peaches-n-Cream]

Except for the bread, milk, and iced tea, the diet cashmoney described is pretty close to Atkins. I ate a lot of meat, cheese, and salad and lost weight.

Shine, congratulations on your weight loss.

[krazy]

This is more like what I am talking about... I like the way this diet is being described... I guess the people that I have known on the Atkins have tried to maintain the 2 week induction for the whole time. I believe the diet you guys are describing, is close to how I like to live and eat on a normal basis. See, I would not have recieved a reaction from most of you unless I took an opposing standpoint... I like the fact that you are including whole grains, vegetables, and an occasional treat (or cheat.) Really though, It sounds pretty good. I guess if you maintain a diet like that, and work out, you can afford to eat a sweet or carb here and there and not fret about it. I like what I am hearing.

I know this is not a thread about exercise, but I feel it is an integral part of a healthy diet. I guess the key is balance and moderation... Atkins is NOT anorexia, I just likened the mindset... or what I thought the mindset was before my Atkins awakening...

You gotta love a good argument...