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Atkins

Old 07-21-2010, 09:35 AM
  #171  
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Originally Posted by charlottes-p
It will always worry me that people consider a low carbohydrate diet as healthy. I don't doubt Atkins loses the weight and fast, but it is not sustainable. Whenever I choose to lose weight, I actually up my carbohydrates (water porridge and rye flour, by trial and error, appear to be my most successful weight-loss foods).

As an athlete who competes at a high level, I've found that physically you can't perform well without at least 50-60% carbohydrates. Lowering carbohydrates even as far to sub 40% has a noticably negative impact on my performance, and so I really don't find it to be good on my body.
Why do you suggest that Atkins is not sustainable? In fact, why did you even come to this particular forum page, which is about the Atkins diet, and throw out a vague accusation that it is unhealthy and unsustainable? There are lots of studies that provide hard evidence to the contrary. As a most extreme example, I encourage you to take a look at the diet of the Inuit natives in the arctic. Theirs is a diet comprised exclusively of fat and protein, and their lifestyle is a very rugged one, requiring plenty of "athletic ability" for survival. Nobody here will deny that a high carbohydrate, low fat diet will also work, but we choose to manage our weight loss via ketosis rather than glucosis. This method also provides the added benefit of reducing blood glucose level for those of us with metabolic syndrome, prediabetes, or full-blown diabetes.

There are plenty of other forum pages for low fat, high carbohydrate diets, and those of us who have read Dr. Atkins book are more than familiar with the vague accusations of this diet being "unhealthy and unsustainable." The diet defies conventional wisdom, and that is ok by us. I encourage you to find one of those other forum pages instead of coming here and trying to discredit an eating plan which many of us have found to be very effective. You might feel less energy when you lower your carbs, just as all of us did in the beginning stages of the diet. Once in ketosis, this lack of energy dissipates as our bodies begin to use protein and fat as its energy sources. In my own experience on the Atkins diet, I have more energy and a more consistent alertness throughout the day than I have ever had. I also have more energy and have increased my swimming longevity to over 90 minutes continuous (a threshold that I had never come close to before). Your personal experience is not necessarily relevant here in the vague sense that you have provided it.

Dave
__________________________________________________
stats, inspired by Ron

Male, 6'0" tall, 37 y/o

Starting weight, 4/19/10 (started Atkins) = 287
6/16/10 (finished Atkins book & joined Fitday) = 261
latest weight 7/15/10 = 250
mini goal (wedding) 9/4/10 = 235
ultimate goal for lifetime maintenance by 4/19/11 (one year mark, 100 pounds loss) = 187
This will be my lightest weight since high school!

Last edited by davej323; 07-21-2010 at 09:44 AM.
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Old 07-22-2010, 01:54 AM
  #172  
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I bought NoSalt at the grocery store to get potassium. It is not yummy at all, but it's easy enough to force myself to take about 1/4 teaspoon of it a day and it's all postassium.

I don't know how much it's helping with my fatigue issues though. I don't think they are necessarily related to doing Atkins, since I was like that before I started.
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Old 07-22-2010, 09:14 AM
  #173  
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Default A skeptical doctor is proven wrong

OK folks, today I had a followup visit with my doctor after three months of Atkins. As I mentioned in a previous post, this is the doctor that didn't want to change my diabetes or blood pressure medications when I started the diet. He also commented that he believed Atkins was a bad diet for me and that I should see a dietician.

When I went in to see him today, I didn't say anything about the diet until he had a look at my bloodwork. Then I told him I was doing a ketogenic diet, but I was careful not to mention Atkins because I have a feeling this guy is someone who was fooled by some of the bad press Atkins used to get.

First things first: my weight. He was positively incredulous that I had lost nearly 40 pounds since I saw him in April. He had to look back at the scale and ask me again if I really lost that much.

Bloodwork - He was also very impressed with my blood results. My glucose and A1C readings have come down to non-diabetic levels and my overall cholesterol was only 1/3 of the reading I had in my first bad blood test back in December. He cut my glucophage dosage in half and said that he may just take me off it altogether if this trend continues. The only bad things from today's visit were that my blood pressure is still a little high. I attribute this to the fact that I am a smoker who drinks a lot of coffee. Those are things I will address in due time. Also, in spite of the fact that my overall triglycerides were down by 2/3, by LDL was slightly elevated. He said that, in light of the fact that everything else had improved, he wasn't terribly concerned with that, especially not while I am still losing weight. If the LDL is still high after my weight has normalized, he might want to put me on cholesterol meds. If that becomes necessary, I am hoping to at least be off of the glucophage first.

Overall, a great doctor's visit with great blood test results. Let's hope that I have created a convert and convinced this doctor that a ketogenic diet is beneficial to a t2 diabetic.

Dave
__________________________________________________
stats, inspired by Ron

Male, 6'0" tall, 37 y/o

Starting weight, 4/19/10 (started Atkins) = 287
6/16/10 (finished Atkins book & joined Fitday) = 261
latest weight 7/21/10 = 248.5
mini goal (wedding) 9/4/10 = 235
ultimate goal for lifetime maintenance by 4/19/11 (one year mark, 100 pounds loss) = 187
This will be my lightest weight since high school!
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Old 07-22-2010, 11:28 AM
  #174  
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Originally Posted by elizestrada
I bought NoSalt at the grocery store to get potassium. It is not yummy at all, but it's easy enough to force myself to take about 1/4 teaspoon of it a day and it's all postassium.

I don't know how much it's helping with my fatigue issues though. I don't think they are necessarily related to doing Atkins, since I was like that before I started.
I use Mrs. Dash's instead of salt; it had potassium in it but do not know the amount. I do not take a multivitamin/mineral; I get more than enough eating the healthy foods. I do use D, E, B1 and thiamin when they appear low in the nutrition intake report.

I am off of OWL (started new Atkins May 7). Still keeping my carbs down and losing slowly. I was on a pleateau for nearly a month but broke the 190 milestone yesterday at 188.2. 10 more pounds to go. I really have to watch popcorn, peanuts, cereal (I have only eaten puffed when and puffed rice). I have had two 2 oz pieces of whole wheat bread since I started the diet. About once a week I eat over 2,000 calories, other days below 1,850. When I do not go the the gym regularly I gain a pound or do not lose. I am sold on the gym and will buy a year membership. It is $0.75 a day and they have two pools, spa, steam room, free classes and all of the equipment you can imagine. The people are nice too. I will have body measurements tomorrow.

So...I hope this is the beginning of a new life. I can see my toes and get into old clothes. I feel lighter and brighter. If I get hungry I eat pork skins and butter or veggies. I have actually gotten to like them.

Good luck to all of you.
Rick
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Old 07-29-2010, 05:24 AM
  #175  
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Originally Posted by RichardBuckner
I use Mrs. Dash's instead of salt; it had potassium in it but do not know the amount. I do not take a multivitamin/mineral; I get more than enough eating the healthy foods. I do use D, E, B1 and thiamin when they appear low in the nutrition intake report.

I am off of OWL (started new Atkins May 7). Still keeping my carbs down and losing slowly. I was on a pleateau for nearly a month but broke the 190 milestone yesterday at 188.2. 10 more pounds to go. I really have to watch popcorn, peanuts, cereal (I have only eaten puffed when and puffed rice). I have had two 2 oz pieces of whole wheat bread since I started the diet. About once a week I eat over 2,000 calories, other days below 1,850. When I do not go the the gym regularly I gain a pound or do not lose. I am sold on the gym and will buy a year membership. It is $0.75 a day and they have two pools, spa, steam room, free classes and all of the equipment you can imagine. The people are nice too. I will have body measurements tomorrow.

So...I hope this is the beginning of a new life. I can see my toes and get into old clothes. I feel lighter and brighter. If I get hungry I eat pork skins and butter or veggies. I have actually gotten to like them.

Good luck to all of you.
Rick
I am continuing slower but constant weight loss on the premaintenance phase. I have been able to go up 5 pounds on the exercise machines at the gym. I have lost 35 pounds and am within 6 pounds of my target weight. One the treadmill going 3 miles in an hour and climbing over 1,000 feet, my HR has dropped from 135 to about 103. I am carefully monitoring and balancing my nutrition intake. My blood sugar is normal and my cholesterol is out of the normal range on the low side. My body measurements have dropped except for my biceps. People stop me and comment on how fit I look. I got off of the month long plateau just by keeping on keeping on as my body readjusted. I am up to over 2,000 calories per day and around 65 net carbs. Today I ate my first one ounce mini blueberry muffin in 3 months--mmmmm good. I have added back some fruits and crispy rice cereal, one breakfast of oatmeal and raisins. The New Atkins diet works. All of my diet buddies have left me; I am on my own. I am writing and producing plays and very slowly making new kinds of friends. I will live to be 100 and make positive contributions to life.
Rick
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Old 08-01-2010, 08:09 PM
  #176  
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Richard,
Glad to see your update. I was just wondering how you were doing. Like you I had difficulty convincing my doctor that Atkins *can be* a healthy way of eating but finally, after interviewing several doctors, found one who agrees that it is just as healthy as other diet options...and my blood tests backed it up.
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Old 08-02-2010, 12:08 AM
  #177  
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Originally Posted by Primal-Lioness
The low carb lifestyle is just that. A lifestyle that is meant to change your mindset and you are not there yet.
I know that Atkins works. I lost 70 pounds...and I've kept it off for 8 years because even though I wasn't eating as low carb as I should've been for the last 8 years, I was always conscious of my carbs. If I gained even a pound of that 70 back, I would immediately start watching my carbs.

Whenever people started trashing Atkins with "sure, but when you go off it, you'll just gain the weight back" my response was "Yep...just like weight watchers, jenny craig, counting calories or any other 'diet' out there. Stop doing it and you'll gain the weight back."

.
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Old 08-02-2010, 12:54 AM
  #178  
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Originally Posted by charlottes-p
It will always worry me that people consider a low carbohydrate diet as healthy. I don't doubt Atkins loses the weight and fast, but it is not sustainable. Whenever I choose to lose weight, I actually up my carbohydrates (water porridge and rye flour, by trial and error, appear to be my most successful weight-loss foods).

As an athlete who competes at a high level, I've found that physically you can't perform well without at least 50-60% carbohydrates. Lowering carbohydrates even as far to sub 40% has a noticably negative impact on my performance, and so I really don't find it to be good on my body.
Charlotte,
You may not be able to sustain it but that is not true of everyone. I went on Atkins 8 years ago and lost 70 pounds. I've kept it off for 8 years by continuing to eat a low carb diet. It's definitely sustainable.

The only thing you've said that is true is that Atkins is not right for you. This does not logically equate to Atkins not being healthy or sustainable.

.
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Old 08-02-2010, 01:17 AM
  #179  
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My .02 cents on cycling in and out of a low carb WOE like Atkins...doesn't work for me.

As long as I keep my carbs below 35gm per day, I have no cravings and I lose weight. As soon as I up my carbs closer to 100, I start craving carbs again and my weight loss stops. I am very successful on a low carb diet. Lost 70 pounds and have kept it off for 8 years...but once I get those carbs back in my system, the only way I get them back out is to go through the hell of the induction phase again (headaches, fatigue, etc.). Not worth it for me.
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Old 08-05-2010, 01:35 PM
  #180  
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Originally Posted by Melfawn
Richard,
Glad to see your update. I was just wondering how you were doing. Like you I had difficulty convincing my doctor that Atkins *can be* a healthy way of eating but finally, after interviewing several doctors, found one who agrees that it is just as healthy as other diet options...and my blood tests backed it up.
You bet. Down to 183 on bathroom scale.
Rick
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