Atkins

[Prana]

Ok guys, who likes it, who doesn't?

 

[wrestler]

Some may disagree, but I think the Atkins diet sucks. I think it says to cut your carbs to like 20 a day for the first week. I totally disagree with this. You can't deplete your body completely from carbs. Focus on good complex carbs and less sugar. Sugar=fat in my book. I have had great success getting cut up and still eating plenty of good carbs. It also says you can eat all the saturated fat you want. This is another thing i totally disagree with. I can't believe that this diet is still looked upon as a good one by many people.

 

[pokkeyy]

I completly agree with wrestler! Any diet that requires you to totally eliminate or extremely reduce any part of the pyramid is not healthy. The body uses carbs as fuel, yes your body can run off ketones, but the brain itself does not do well long term on ketones. (kinda ironic that adkins died from a brain injury from his fall).

 

[string_bean00]

When I diet, I do go a low carb route...but I do not take it far enough to reach ketosis.

Overall I've found that low carb/high protien dieting seems to be the most muscle sparing as compared to just simple calorie reduction.

 

[Prana]

The body uses carbs as fuel, yes your body can run off ketones, but the brain itself does not do well long term on ketones. (kinda ironic that adkins died from a brain injury from his fall).

Hi pokkeyy, just for some controversy in Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution, it states that the brain prefers ketones over glucose for energy.. and of course there was a study supporting this evidence... please don't make me search for the reference!! LOL

Also, about the sat. fats - the whole mystery behind that is insulin apparently... & of course on Atkins Diet, insulin is not being released into the blood stream, the book says:

1) insulin increases salt and water retention (therefore increasing hypertension)

2) insulin is directly involved in creating atherosclerotic plaques

3) insulin is the primary contributor both to high levels of triglycerides and low levels of the HDL cholesterol (HDL chol. is good, takes plagues away for the arteries)

4) insulin provokes the liver into producing more LDL (bad chol.)

Maybe he's on to something here?? I was watching the news the other day and they did a study on Atkins keto diet. They reported that the diet does in fact decrease LDL's and triglycerides

I swear this is no conspiracy to sell books for atkins!! LOL

 

[Muay Thai Guy]

The premise of the atkins diet is fundamentally flawed because it goes against the laws of thermodynamics which state there is a constant flow of energy in otherwords, despite what dr atkins says, Calories do count. It's not just carbohydrate grams

Low carb diets IMO are great on paper and in theory the body works great on them because carbs are "non essential" BUT (and that's one big but!) That's not the be all and end all as whilst carbs are not necessery to the actual function of life in the body they do contribute alot to other areas of health and well being which if taken for granted can be detrimental to ones health.

Atkins also discounted the fact that people are different and have different needs etc
A middleaged housewife has very different needs to an athlete yet he still promotes the fact that you should start at 20g carbs in the intro stages

Atkins diet is marketed as an eat all u can fest of fried eggs, sausages and other foods that are probably too high in sodium, saturated fats and probably trans fats too, far from healthy!
It offers a quick fix solution imo and the initial weight loss is mostly water and glycogen yet because you lose this weight within the first couple of weeks, everyday folk think wow they're losing fat and that's why everyone thinks the atkins diet (low carb diets) are so great when really, imo if you're going to do a low carb diet, you should know exactly what and why you are doing stuff

Just my 2 pence worth

 

[Fyre]

Well said Muay Thai Guy.
I'm not a big Atkins fan either.

 

[Muay Thai Guy]

Fyre has spoken!

 

[Fyre]

Fyre has spoken!

LOL

 

[pokkeyy]

The premise of the atkins diet is fundamentally flawed because it goes against the laws of thermodynamics which state there is a constant flow of energy in otherwords, despite what dr atkins says, Calories do count. It's not just carbohydrate grams

Low carb diets IMO are great on paper and in theory the body works great on them because carbs are "non essential" BUT (and that's one big but!) That's not the be all and end all as whilst carbs are not necessery to the actual function of life in the body they do contribute alot to other areas of health and well being which if taken for granted can be detrimental to ones health.

I completely agree! Prana, I know all about the diet and I have read all the books. Trust me, I tryto read every fad diet book on hte market. It allows me to talk about something I have looked into enough to know what I am talking about. My undergrad thesis compared protien diets to carb diets. And just as Muay Thai Guy said, it is a great idea on paper. I compeltely understand the fundamentals behind what this diet is based on. It is a great idea... not in practice though! It doesn't work, not to the best of everyone's potential.

Also the brain runs only off glucose. When the body is in ketosis, it does not function as properly nor for as long as with glucose. I also have read many of studies on it. But in our field, with every one study that supports, there is another against. Pick and chose which to believe by how reputable the researcher is and who is their moeny backer!

Atkins diet is marketed as an eat all u can fest of fried eggs, sausages and other foods that are probably too high in sodium, saturated fats and probably trans fats too, far from healthy!
It offers a quick fix solution imo and the initial weight loss is mostly water and glycogen yet because you lose this weight within the first couple of weeks, everyday folk think wow they're losing fat and that's why everyone thinks the atkins diet (low carb diets) are so great when really, imo if you're going to do a low carb diet, you should know exactly what and why you are doing stuff

So people lose some weight but what about their fat%? I don't see any of thses big supporters saying hey he lost 50 pounds AND 7% BF! You never hear aobut that. I had a client that was 5'6 110lbs and had a body fat percent of 24%. It was unbeliveable! I am sure that is what is happeneing to these Adkins supporters.
Also as Mauy Thai Guy stated, it promosts fatty foods. So they are gonna be skinny with high cholesterol and heart disease! Ever wonder why Adkins created that diet? He was a heart doctor... First of all it was originated for obese people at high risk (so a walk around the block would help them!) He was going to try anything to help them. Now imo he realized that it could be marketed but also would bring him new patients that ended up with heart disease do to the unhealthy food.

I was waiting tables in a mexican resturant for some extra cash and we had these low carb fajitas (lettuce wraps and such) Then these peope would get extra sour cream, guacamole, and cheese. That is supposed to be healthy!?!?!?!

But hey prana... i always love a good debate AND

 

[Prana]

Pokkeyy and Muay, you both have some solid points... It is a fact that the diet was intended for the obese. For myself, when I read the book I became an instant Atkins fan.. the concept seemed like such a miracle (mainly because if I had to eat another 3 pieces of chicken that day - I was going to vomit) LOL, however, I am becoming just as skeptical as all of you are....

But, how can we argue with ketosis? Fat metabloization for energy, muscle sparing (with adequate fat intake)... the diet is proven to increase HDL's!!

Also, we have to look at the epidemic of obesity... our society is filled with processed, carb-filled foods... besides, let's not forget - cavemen ate meat!! 0

On a serious note, pokkeyy, Im very interested in what you came up with in ur thesis!! Please share

BTW - I am only using Atkins for cutting,.. not for long due to the lack of research and solid facts

 

[wildman536]

I like The Atkins Pancakes. but also do not like The Diet.

 

[brizo]

Whilst attempting this diet found that my body reacted very badly.

i dont like the idea of ketosis.

dieting has definately got to be a slow process that starts with simple decisions to cut the crap

then you are half way there

 

[Prana]

Oh I almost forgot - about the sat. fats, I listed some things insulin does above ... the logic is that without the insulin there is no deposits of fat of arterial walls - all of the fat is being used for energy!!

Pokkeyy, can u give me an educated opinion... with no insulin and of course when in ketosis, how can fat comsumption be linked to heart disease?

 

[pokkeyy]

Hyperinsulinemia is a marker for several disease, and carbohydrate ingestion causes the release of insulin, but high carbohydrate ingestion does not cause hyperinsulinemia. The reason that the, "if x=y and y=z, therefore x=z" argument doesn't work is because the problem is the insulin receptor. We are dealing with a biological organism that is extremely complex. There are more variables than meets the eye, and controlled scientific analysis of the situation reveals that a high complex carbohydrate diet lowers insulin levels. Regular aerobic exercise also enhances insulin receptor sensitivity and is protective against the development of atherosclerotic disease.
Insulin promotes anabolic (storage) processes and inhibits catabolic (breakdown) ones. Thus, it signals a "fed state" and instructs the body to store fuels for use later. Insulin promotes uptake and storage of glucose in muscle and fat cells. In the muscle, glycogen is built from glucose molecules. In fat cells, the glucose is used to make fat. Once assimilated into fatty acids the glucose is trapped (i.e. animals cannot break down fatty acids to yield glucose). However, the fatty acids can be exported into the blood stream for use as fuel. Additionally, insulin inhibits the production of glucose by the liver. The body has a series of checks and balances to all of it's processes and insulin is no exception. There are counter-regulatory hormones (glucagon, catecholamines, and cortisol) which give the opposite signal to insulin.
If one looks at epidemiological data, the traditional diet of many third world countries consists of high complex carbohydrate content, very low fat, and high fiber. Athersosclerotic disease was virtually unheard of until the introduction of the high fat Western diet. There are many published studies which show that starting insulin resistant individuals on a high carbohydrate / low fat diet reduces hyperinsulinemia, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. For example in a study published in the American Journal of Cardiology (Am J Cardiol 1992;69:440-444), diabetic patients (NIDDM), insulin resistant patients, and normal controls were started a 3 week program of diet ( 75 - 80% carbohydrate, 10-15% protein, and<10% fat) and exercise. in all there were statistically significant reductions in blood pressure, insulin levels, and triglycerides. additionally, high-carbohydrate / high-fiber diets have been shown to lower cholesterol and may reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Unfortunately, that is the best straightforward answer I have. There is no exact reason why it is or isn’t happening but if you want to check out some articles or studies that I used, let me know I will send em.

 

[Bimmer]

wieght lose is based on calories consumed vs calories burned. Yes if you dont eat carbs your body will begin to burn but if you eat bacon all day the fat being burned will just be replaced. Its all a gimick. There was a diet craze every9-10 yrs or so where someone stumbled upon the secret of life. Well now its atkins. I hope it blows over soon, im kinda sick of all these carb free everythings. I like carbs.

 

[Muay Thai Guy]

prana be careful when you read stuff
the human psyche is somewhat programmed to agree with what it reads in books

 

[Prana]

Wow pokkeyy what a great reply! (now I will reread it 100 times)... I wish I could go to school to learn about the endocrine system but with a bbing focus.. I mean to understand more about Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) and atkins of course. I went to nursing school, all they taught us what where the hormones come from.. and a bit about ketoacidosis... I want to do some major research on insulin
I wish someone would speak up on here who agrees with atkins and the no insulin idea... someone who can give me both sides, but then again there is not alot of research to back it up I suppose

Pokkeyy, that would be great if u could send me any info on insulin... umm, not too difficult to inderstand info!! , let me know if you can dig something up, and I will pm my email address ur way. Thanks.

 

[Prana]

prana be careful when you read stuff
the human psyche is somewhat programmed to agree with what it reads in books

LMAO....... I read the atkins book in two sittings in amasement, hey - was dr atkins a hypnotist???

 

[Prana]

wieght lose is based on calories consumed vs calories burned. Yes if you dont eat carbs your body will begin to burn but if you eat bacon all day the fat being burned will just be replaced. Its all a gimick. There was a diet craze every9-10 yrs or so where someone stumbled upon the secret of life. Well now its atkins. I hope it blows over soon, im kinda sick of all these carb free everythings. I like carbs.

you could say the same thing about low fat and cals too !! all you see in the grocery store is light and low fat / cals everything.... WHO and all the others, make a claim and the media is jumping all over that shit.. its about $