Adkins diet fraud
Moms View Message Board: The Kitchen Table (Debating Board): Adkins diet fraud
I wanted to start a new topic on this because I noticed everyone is talking about the low carb high protein diet. I think its a bunch of nonsense. Sure, you lose weight.. but the question is, where are you in 5 years (studies have shown low carbs end up gaining more in 5 years compared to veg diets).. and how good is this for your body? (I have seen god only knows how many news reports on how bad this diet is for you)
Why does the Adkins diet get suggested a lot when there is a weight loss question? What are everyone elses views on this?
Annadee,
My dh's doctor suggested he go on a low carb - high protein diet. It was not high in fat though which is different from Atkins. He had him cut out all breads, rice, pastas and most fruits for 2 weeks. He had him eat lean meats/chicken/fish, egg beaters and lots of veggies. Then, he had him slowly add in complex carbs such as beans, whole wheat bread, pastas, cereals along with fruits. He lost weight and has maintained it. He does have an occasional sweet now and then, but he does not have the cravings for them that he used too.
I think the Atkins diet is very popular because people want to see immediate results. I don't personally like it because of all the fat. However, I do not think that all low carb diets are harmful. Yes, you do need carbs, but not the refined/sugary ones. Personally, I think it is all about balance. Dh is at a good weight now. I was successful loosing weight a few years ago by counting calories and exercise(it is what worked for me) We now have a healthy lifestyle of exercise and eating balanced meals. I believe that everyone is different as far as weight loss. What may work for me, may not work for you. The key to any weight loss is looking at it as a life style change and not a diet. It must be something that you can commit to for life.
My doctor suggested that same thing! It's a "modified Atkins" and very close to a diabetic diet, where you get rid of or really limit your carbs and sugar, and stick to the proteins! I'm hovering at the 40 lbs mark (I've been cheating alot and anticipate doing so for Christmas as well  ), but I've lowered both my blood pressure and 100 points in my cholesterol!! So, I'm happy with it!
First, speaking/typing as an individual, please be careful when you use the word "fraud". This is a word which reeks of legal connotations, and I don't think you want to be called on by someone's lawyer to prove it.
Second, while I personally don't approve of the Adkin's diet or any other "popular at the moment" diet, as opposed to sensible calorie cutting and exercise and, if you are more than 25-30 pounds overweight, medical supervision - a lot of medically knowledgeable people have been rethinking their opinions about it in the past few years.
Third, speaking as a moderator, this is a topic for either the Fitness topic, or, if you wish to begin a debate, the Kitchen Table. So, don't be surprised if the moderators decide to move it to one or the other location.
sorry about that! I didn't see the other topics until just now that you pointed them out. I don't know how to move a topic, so can you do it for me?
GTG, my daugters crying...
thanks!
Annadee, as you can see, your "thread" has been moved, and the moderators appreciate your gracious understanding and cooperation.
Just for your information, only moderators can move threads or posts, members can't. And we don't do it very often. Members can, however, edit their recent posts (and post titles), by going into "Edit Profile", typing in your password, and scrolling down to the list of your recent posts. When you click on edit, you get two windows, one above the other. Editing is done in the lower, black/white window.
As Ginny said, how your body responds to a diet is probably not the same as someone else.
I'm not sure if you are approaching this from a vegan philosophical perspective or whether you are truly open to other ideas that may differ from yours.
I don't know if you are chronically obese or have ever known anyone who is, but for many, weight loss can be a matter of life and death.
I say this because a low carb, high protein diet saved the life of a close relative of mine when nothing else helped.
She is in her mid forties and has always had a problem with her weight. She had in the past tried Weight Watchers, OA (Overeater's Anonymous), low fat diets, low calorie, Pritikin etc.
On every diet she tried she would lose a little and then the weight loss would slow to less than 1 lb per month!
When she had her child a few years ago she developed gestational diabetes and was hospitalized for a week.
She continued to gain until she was over 120 pounds overweight a year ago.
Her doctor told her she had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high tryglercides, low thyroid function and was insulin resistant (syndrome X) with elevated blood glucose.
Her doctor said she would probably have to go on diabetes medication and was a "poster child for early death from heart failure" .
She went to a highly regarded Endocrinologist who put her on thyroid medication which caused her to gain more weight.
Out of desperation she went to a OA meeting and asked for help. She was introduced to "Greysheet" a group of people within OA who follow a low carb diet very close to Atkins but with more controlled portions.
After about a month she went back to her Endocrinologist for a checkup and blood work. After completing the tests he asked her in an alarmed voice:
"What the heck are you doing!"
Not knowing what he was referring to, she asked for some explanation.
The doctor said that her thyroid function was at 200% of normal.
She explained about the new diet she was following.
At first he said "That can't be it! A diet shouldn't have this effect." and kept asking her for more information.
Finally he concluded "OK then. Just keep on doing whatever you are doing."
He took her off thyroid medication the next week.
Within two months of being on the diet her blood pressure and cholesterol had returned to normal for the first time in 5 years even though she had only lost about 20 pounds.
One year later, she is at normal weight, has normal blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar and continues to follow her grey sheet diet.
I followed Atkins for a time and lost weight very quickly. However, I found it to be dangerous in the sense that if you go off of it for any length of time, the pounds jump back on you very quickly.
There is merit to the Atkins approach in that we are eating way too many empty carbs and sugar. Breads, pastas, sodas, etc. are just calories that our bodies do not need. Better to focus on eating foods that nourish your body. If you can do that, and limit or eliminate the junk, you will feel better, look better, and no doubt be healthier.
"...if you go off of it for any length of time, the pounds jump back on you very quickly..."
Atkins makes it very clear at the end of his books that this is NOT a diet in the classic sense... a way of eating that you follow for a short period of time and then go back to your old way of eating.
People who are sensitive to carbs ( have insulin resistance) need to change their eating habits permanently if they expect to keep the weight off.
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