Atkins Diet

BMI is so one-dimensional in scope

don't let it fool you

 

Last comment on the subject. It may be easy to go out for food, but it's also the fastest way to gaining weight. Most of the food that you buy outside your home is far too filled with fat, sugar and refined carbohydrates.

10 years for many is the difference between having a faster metabolism in their 20's to having a slower metabolism in their 30's, and putting on weight even though they never really changed their dietary habits. I think that you should certainly avoid the energy drinks, because like most of the beverages that you buy they usually contain a large amount of sugar, but they aren't the whole whole story of your high glucose. I'm sure it food related.

IMO, you should be paying attention to portion control as I mentioned and getting the right kind of cardio workout. Changing the way that you eat is key, not a fad diet of any type. You can make some temporary weight losses but you can encounter other problems as well related to the high fat.

Proper nutrition requires work, looking at labels and knowing what you're putting in your body. I know how many calories I consume in a day, what percentage of those calories come from fat, protein and carbs. I know that the good diet should be 55% Carbs, 20% fat and 25% protein. But, it also means good carbs, brown rice and pasta, sweet potatoes, not Wonder whole wheat bread that isn't real whole wheat bread, and contains sugar and refined flour. The fats should be good fats, from omega oil rich fish twice a week, peanut butter, olive oil and canola oil, rather than fried foods, bacon and other high fat sources. The proteins can come from a veggie source, as long as you make sure that you're getting complete proteins in the foods you eat or from lean meats, fish, chicken, ostrich or turkey, not ground turkey patties.

Those are the rudiments of a healthy diet, one that won't contribute to your high glucose levels. A healthy diet works and there's no controversy about it, period. You have to realize that in the multi-billion dollar weight loss industry, they're many people pushing special diets to appeal to people. But, like anything else the real results come from what you invest, in knowledge and how you apply it to what you eat and what you do in the gym.

In any case, I wish you well on your path toward better health.

 

Hmm, I have my reservations about that article, although I appreciate the mention of cancer. However, what the article doesn't mention is that all soy products are metabolized by the body as estrogen (male or female), and that often sets the stage for cancer. Our patients, if they have ER+ breast cancer, are told not to eat soy under any circumstances if they can avoid it because it could case a recurrence. There's still not enough evidence about soy to convince me that it's safe, especially when all it does is dump more estrogen into my body at obnoxiously high levels.

I'm also glad they tackled the misconceptions about Asians eating a high soy diet.

Anyway, I'm going to do a little more research into the fermented soy, and touch base with some of our oncologists when I get a chance. I'd be interested to hear their takes on it. Thanks for the interesting article!

 

qnet, truly the only person who can figure out what works for you is you.

I do understand that Atkins is not the healthiest method of weight loss, but it is a means to an end. My friend's husband dropped 50 lbs on Atkins this year, and he is still maintaining that loss focusing on healthier proteins. I think where people get stuck is the idea that people must be sitting around eating plates of bacon, where that's just simply not the case (well, maybe for a few, but at what cost? lol). He eats a LOT of vegetables, and even occasionally cheats, but he's still managed to lose and maintain. If your doctor told you to drop some of the carbs, then as long as you're doing it with him monitoring you, I'd go for it.

I don't know enough about Atkins to tell you much other than consult with him, stay in tune with your body, and do what works for you.

 

Yes yes yes! I have heard/read much the same about it causing breast cancer. And think about how much soy we consume as a by-product...soybean oil, for example. Look at dog food..#1 ingredient..soy! (and wheat). WTH? Which is why I always check the labels.
Again, if I have to eat it, I lean to tempeh, though my fav is miso (miso soup with seaweed is to die for).

 

You're absolutely correct. When the FDA was considering approving soy for human consumption, doctors from around the world, including Japan, urged them not to do it. Yet, they did, because of companies like Monsanto, who were just waiting to get their hands on the stuff. It frustrates me that more people don't understand their food and what's in it. Granted, eating less processed foods can definitely go a long way in helping that, but being vegan/vegetarian it becomes extremely difficult to avoid some of those modified beans of death (yes, bit of hyperbole there. lol).

Anyway, I love miso soup, too! There's a Japanese place across the street from my office with miso that's to die for!! OMG.

 

Congrats on your weight less and keep it up! Bro when my weight gets out of hand, I do the Keto diet which is an even more restrictive diet than Atkins but you cannot deny the results. Like right now I'm sitting at 205lbs, I could lose 10-12lbs within a week if I decided to do it now.

 

Thanks DM, having my DR. monitor me is a good idea and, deep down I knew that is what I should do.

The thing I like about Akins is, it's the easiest for me to follow. I like eating vegetables and, don't go crazy with a lot of meat like some may assume. I love salads and, never was a big bread eater anyway. When I did eat bread it was real whole wheat (something I've been doing for years). I do miss pasta and potatoes.

A co-worker who is around my age, lost 50LBS. He started out on the Akins and had great success, especially after he started working out. He's not on the Akins diet now but, still works out, is active and, has kept the weight off for seven years. When he showed me a old picture of himself, it was hard to believe; he looked totally different.

The deal with me is, I've never had a issue being active and, working out. I actually enjoy it, once I get going. My eating habits were the problem.

Anyway, I'm off to the gym. (kind of late).

 

Don't follow any diets eat everything as long it is the right amound and not over eat ... food that is high in calories and bad for health, dont have every day.. still you can have it as long it is not often ..
just control what you eat you can enjoy every food.

I saw a lot of people go on strick diet eat almost nothing... then when lose some weight... fall like pigs on food because they have cut so much of food before..

 

The miso that is best for you in 2 year aged barley miso. It is yummy and takes away the whole soy thing :heart:

 

yeah or boxing.

 

I've thought about taking some martial arts classes, they're a lot of those places in Atlanta. Jiu-jitsu or judo are actually the ones I've thought about because they seem more practical. I've also thought about Aikido.

 

Jiu jitsu is very practical and the training is exhaustive. Unlike striking arts like boxing, you can go as hard as you want and not really injure yourself or someone else in the process. Plus not a lot of people train grappling like that, so you'll be able to dictate where fights take place and end them with chokes or broken bones. Cross training with judo adds more takedowns and counters as well. The guy I train with is an aikido/judo blackbelt and brown in jiu jitsu, which allows us to thoroughly cross train.

If you really want practicality tho, I'd train mma. Many places want you to hold rank in jiu jitsu first, since you'll find yourself in bad positions when going against a more exp fighter. Mma allows you to work strikes or grappling, in the event you do come across someone on the street with training

and with any good training period, you'll become a better athlete, allowing you to move quicker with more purpose.

 

I couldn't agree more with this. My training diet revolves around me cutting out bread and pasta, any refined carbs basically, I also dont eat red meat at all. I eat lots of veg, chicken and fish (gotta love salmon and mackerel for omega 3 oil). I like egg whites dry scrambled too and have 1 yolk for every 3 whites. I avoid cooking with fat at all.

I also limit fruit to 2 portions a day to avoid sugars although I don't count a banana pre-workout.

Portion wise I eat 5 times a day but small portions, so that my body doesnt get into "starvation mode"

It's hard to stick to at first but then it becomes a way of life.

Don't get me wrong though, I do have treats (once a week I will treat myself to one meal of anything I want.... could be pizza or chocolate cake with cream mmmmm). The idea is to shock the body so it doesn't get used to a particular way.

I drink water all the time, and I think a number of people often mistake hunger for thirst. Try drinking a glass of water first if you really feel hungry, then if you are hungry after you know its the real deal.

Regardless of this, a change of thought about what you eat and how much you eat.

Training wise I combine cardio with weight training but its about what suits you and gets those muscles and heart working.

Gotta also agree with the BMI comments...

Either way it's great that you are looking after your health and i wish you the best of luck in achieving your targets

 

Thanks for your comments. I didn't realize that people in the U.K. were as focused on fitness. I can see that you live a pretty healthy lifestyle based on knowledge and application.

I've to agree with every one of your points as well. I don't eat red meat either.

Wow, your diet is a mirror image of my own diet. I have 6 to 8 small meals a day. My first meal of the day is similar to your meal. It consists of 8 egg whites with one yolk and oatmeal, which I believe you guys refer to as porridge. I have fish twice a week, salmon and talapia, to get the omega oil benefits. I drink lots of water throughout the day.

I also eat fruit twice a day. I have almost a liter of cold water when I first arise in the morning. That's followed by a tablespoon of peanut butter, a good fat, an apple and then green tea. I have a banana as part of my post workout snack along with a protein drink. My pre-workout snack varies, sometimes a small amount of sweet potato or plain yogurt with a few berries, and a protein drink.

My routine in gym is basically volume training, meaning lots of sets, and I lift heavy during all exercises. I utilize cardio at the beginning of my workout as a warm up. It's a very high intensity session that's never more than 15 minutes. Any more than that and I tend to lose weight, which is not my goal.

I wish you well in your training and achieving your fitness goals.

 

Thanks for your comments Swirlman...

I forgot to add in the green tea and protein shake. I have the shake post workout too.

Porridge I adore! I tend to add a mix of milk and water with cranberries though. Don't like egg in it but I also eat some smoked salmon alongside it too.. what a breakfast

I must admit that it's going to pot at the moment as I have no kitchen for a few weeks and just focusing on getting fitness back after injury. I've just started playing about with powerplates too, having been accused of being a bit old school LOL! We will see how it builds up and if the Powerplates work!

The hardest thing for me is not having a training partner and relying on mirrors to check form; that and being slightly hypermobile.

 

I don't know about Akins diet and i have my own diet plan which you can loss your weight easily.
1. Eat simple bread with fresh juice in breakfast.
2. Eat vegetable role or fresh salads in lunch.
3. You can take green tea at 4:00 PM.
4. Eat boiled rice in dinner.

 

I did Atkins 7 years ago, but the healthy version with greens, lean meat fish melon and berries. I keep the weight off via exercise and only a few carbs and healthy ones. never reacquired my tast for sweets which is good,

 

My sister and brother-in-law did Atkins a few years ago, because my brother-in-law's cholesterol was to the point where he was going to be ordered to take Lipitor. My sister's cholesterol was 156.

After doing Atkins for several months, they both went back to the doctor. The doctor told my brother-in-law: whatever you're doing keep doing it, because your cholesterol is going down. My sister's cholesterol went up 20 points.

I cut out most sugars whilst I was pregnant (I had gestational diabetes) and I only gained 16 pounds and I felt so great. I tried Atkins during the time they were trying it and lasted less than 1/2 a day. No joke. I was STARVING and it was after shoveling food in my mouth all morning. My body requires carbs. It just does.

I realized this: some people do well cutting out most or all carbs. Some people do well cutting out most or all sugars.

It all depends on what effects your body. Just because you know someone who did well on Atkins or South Beach, does not mean it's the right diet for you.

Do some experimentation and figure out what your body has trouble processing correctly and work on cutting that out.

Don't diet.

Do a lifestyle change. It's your best bet to keeping the weight off forever and keeping your body healthy (yo-yo weight gains and losses are horrible for the body).

Oh and like someone else mentioned: going to a dietician would be a great way to start. They know their stuff and can help you in finding a good ratio of carbs and proteins, etc. It's worth the cost of going (it would be a one or two time charge).

 

Gotta admit I didn't read everyone's comments, but I had to chime in here.

I lost 75 pounds on Atkins and when I went off of it, I didn't gain one single pound back. In fact, I continued to lose because I had changed my way of thinking about food. I no longer live to eat, I eat to live and I work out and stay active.

If you only lost 10 pounds in a month, you're probably eating too many carbs. The average loss is 5 pounds per week for women, a little more for men. Tapers to more like 3-4 per week after a month or 2. I'm living proof, even though there are many skeptics and critics, that the Atkins diet works.

HOWEVER, some people cannot do the diet because of pre-existing health issues. As mentioned, your kidneys take a beating on Atkins! My friend gets incredibly lethargic and worn out on Atkins (not sure why). Some just don't excel with it. But, if it's working, I say keep on keeping on. I'm on it again and have lost another 10 pounds this week. I'm 20 pounds away from "perfect" BMI and from being right where I wanna be!