Atkins Man: One Off, One Still On (Atkins diet vs. competition)

wlky ^ | 11-13-03

[steppenwolffe]

Interesting new research this week from the folks at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine: They put 40 overweight people on four diet plans for a year: Atkins, Ornish, the Zone, and Weight Watchers. What they discovered, I found quite surprising: the volunteers all lost weight, but there was no clear winner. All of the volunteers who stuck with the diet lost about 5 percent of their body weight. And, get this: all of the volunteers reduced their risk for heart disease, regardless of the diet.

They also said the dieters stuck more easily to the Weight Watchers and Zone diets than Atkins and Ornish.

That being said, I have a confession to make: I've decided I'm done with the Atkins diet. I have to admit, the seasonal treats got to me. And I'm not talking cookies and cheesecake. I want to enjoy some just-picked apples and stuffing with my Thanksgiving turkey. One thing I am thankful for is how Atkins was more than a diet -- it also got me interested in working out, a habit that I continue almost daily, either at the gym or in yoga class. It changed my lifestyle and made it more healthy.

[buffyt]

They did a special on TV a few months ago, I forget which channel. They tested all the diets you listed, plus eating right, and exercising. On all of them they lost weight. But the MOST successful person was the one who cut back on portions of food, cut back on fats, ate a balanced diet of fruits, lean meats, veggies, etc. and exercised at the gym regularly.

That is what I am doing now. I will let you know if it works. The older I get the fatter I get and I eat much less every year.

I work out almost every morning at local gym for 1 1/2 hours. I do bike/spin class three times a week for an hour. I do Pilates several times a week.

I am down to eating about 1/4 of what I used too... sigh...

[StatesEnemy]

weightLoss(int calIn, int calOut){
    bool Weightloss = false;
    if(calIn < calOut) return true;
    else return false;
    }

[steppenwolffe]

It stinks, doesn't it? As we get older, our metabolism slows down and it takes less food to sustain us. But we tend to eat as when we were younger. That's why we gain weight with the same diet. I hate it. If I have to cut out much more, I'll be on water and ........ water.

[krb]

Your code ignores an important fact...the value "calOut" is different for different people for the same task, and even within the same person the amount of energy spent on a given task can vary depending on the diet.

[mollynme]

I'm going to try her pumpkin pie recipe out on my family.

1 big can of pumpkin (make sure it's just pumpkin, not a pie mix) (8 carbs in can)
2 12-ounce cans of condensed milk (3 carbs in each can)
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice (there is a spice mix called this, in the spice section of the grocery)
1 ½ c. Splenda

Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit. In a little bowl, mix Splenda and pie spices. Pour it into big bowl, add pumpkin, then add and mix 2 cans condensed milk.

Pour into deep dish pie container. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 ° for another 45 minutes. Your fork should come out clean.

[StatesEnemy]

the value "calOut" is different for different people for the same task, and even within the same person the amount of energy spent on a given task can vary depending on the diet.

My code is wrong for different reasons (or rather sloppy).

CalOut is 'fed' to the function, so it reflects the variability of the system doing the 'function call'. There is no dispute that cals expended versus cals collected is what decides weight loss (or gain)

[Grit]

I make an low carb punkin' for all the holidays. It is excellent with pecan crust. (Crushed Pecans, Butter, Splenda)

It's about time to dig out the recipe again.

:)

[Okies love Dubya 2]

Sounds delightful! My husband has been on Atkins since April and has lost over 45 pounds and kept it off! Down 3 pant sizes and his cholesterol and BP have dropped dramatically too...his doctor says to keep it up :)

He tried the low-fat, cutting back on his portions, etc., but he was always hungry. Now he eats less but is still full, go figure!

[mollynme]

Please freepmail me the crust recipe. It sounds goood!

[RJayneJ]

I'm experiencing the same thing. Any time I ever went low fat and calories, I was always hungry and would lose about 10 pounds and then quit because I couldn't hack it any longer. I was cranky and nervous all the time. Atkins does it for me and I don't have that hungry feeling all the time.

[SamAdams76]

Well the article doesn't exactly break any new ground. It's just common sense. Those who stick to a particular diet plan lose weight. Once they go off the plan, they gain the weight back. The key is, which diets are easier to stay on and also, what diets are healthiest for the long-term?

Since April 1, I have gone on a diet that eliminates completely all junk and processed foods. I eat only natural based foods consisting of meats, fish, vegetables, berries, some fruit, nuts, yogurt, olive oil, butter, eggs, cheese, etc. Even with those foods, I study the ingredients carefully. For example, I do not eat yogurt made with high fructose corn syrup and other junk. I do not eat candied or heavily salted nuts. I do not eat Kraft processed cheese - just the real stuff.

This is a diet that I believe I can live with for life. It's been over 7 months and I haven't cheated once. It's easy to stay on. And I've lost all my excess weight, going from a size 48 to a size 34 waist. I also find it much easier to exercise regularly on this diet. I have tons of energy and never get fatigued like I used to.

This diet can be compared to the Atkins diet because it cuts out most of the carbs. But it's not Atkins. There is no ketosis-inducing induction period. And you can have an apple on it because it's natural. You just can't have a candied apple or apple pie.

Anyway, it sounds like you are doing things right.

[LBKQ]

I would like to have that pecan crust recipe, too.
Thanks!

[RJayneJ]

Post that crust recipe.

[Sam Cree]

Just don't cut back too much on fat, that's very unhealthy in my experience.

[umgud]

2 months ago, I decided I wanted to loose 30 lbs, even though I probably only needed to loose 25 lbs. I didn't pick a canned diet. I just cut my carbs dramatically, but not to Atkins levels. I lost 18 lbs the first month. Since then I've found I don't need or want as much food. In the last month, I've been loosing about a pound a week. My energy is returning and I feel great. I even cheat once in awhile.

[SamAdams76]

I discovered the same thing after cutting carbs. My hunger went away. I used to snack all day long. Now I have breakfast (usually eggs and yogurt) and a small lunch (usually sardines and nuts) and that's it until dinner, which is usually a full, hearty meal. Sometimes I have to remind myself to have lunch because I'm just not hungry during the day at all. It's amazing.

BTW, I never went with a canned diet either. I just decided I was going to put nothing but good stuff in my body and everything just fell into place after that. I am convinced that all this processed crap is killing us. At least it was killing me. I feel (and look) 20 years younger after just 7 months of this.

[Trust but Verify]

Just keep on doing it YOUR way. Don't let anyone tell you differently. People need to find what works for them and stay with it.

BTW, I did it the same way as you are and I lost 110 pounds and have kept it off for three years now. I feel great!

[RossA]

Atkins rulez. Enough said.

[umgud]

I didn't set out to cut out processed foods, but cutting carbs almost requires it. I'll be sticking with this. After 2 months it's easy, which wasn't the case with previous endeavors.

[Okies love Dubya 2]

I found that when he went on the induction phase, I lost weight too...not that I needed to at 5'5" and 110-115 lbs (when I am not pregnant, that is). He lost something like 10 pounds the first week. Once he got past the withdrawals the first week, he was more energetic and his headaches got better. His back has improved and he doesn't tire as easily as he did before. He even is able to eat a fair amount of carbs a day and still stay on track.

[tubebender]

Atkins ping...

[randita]

Aren't there supposed to be eggs in that pumpkim pie recipe? The one I have is similar, but calls for eggs or Egg Beaters®.

[holyscroller]

That butter/pecan/splenda crust sounds divine. Can you sent or post the recipe? Thanks

[Old Professer]

There is no dispute that cals expended versus cals collected is what decides weight loss (or gain)

There is on this site.

You have just entered a logic-free zone.

[Old Professer]

You could lose a few "o"s in your post, as well.

[umgud]

Yup, the old luce vs. luz.........

[snowstorm12]

If a person wants to shed a few pounds all they have to do is add up calories. You don't even need to worry about carbs or "you can't eat any of that carb stuff only eat little bit of carbs". Counting calories is way easier. You don't need to spend money on the Zone books or south beach weight loss program books just get a pad of paper and write all the calories down. Spend the money on those ephedra or ephedra/freelike pills because those really work better.

[RJayneJ]

That's great! I had my yearly checkup and bloodwork done 2 weeks ago and my sugar is so well under control the doctor took me off of insulin. I can attest to more energy on Atkins that I have never experienced on any other diet.

I keep my crunchy cheese chips or celery handy and that helps me through the evening when the desire to munch is strongest. (Let me know if you want to know how to make crunchy cheese chips.)

[Old Professer]

Take one bag of crunchy cheese; strike with big, weighted object, such as a hammer...

[RJayneJ]

};^D)

[Politicalmom]

RECIPE!! : )

[Poser]

I'll stick to steak and salads (Chicken wings at Hooters last night). Atkins was the man.

[RJayneJ]

This is more of a method than a recipe. I was watching Emeril Live and he put Parmesans cheese in a Teflon skillet and fried it crispy. He only rubbed a little oil on the bottom with a paper towel. I tried it and it was really good. It is real crunchy and tastes like cheese crackers. That is one thing I missed the most--something to munch on.

It didn't take very many skillets of cheese that got munched in a minute and a half for me to figure out that it might be reasonable to try baking the cheese in the oven. I tried using non stick foil and regular foil on cookie sheets with cooking spray, but that was expensive and I finally tried parchment paper and that works like a charm. (I have one mat of Silpat and it works but takes longer to bake.)

Then I began to experiment with different cheeses, from American cheese to Mozzarella. Mozzarella doesn't work very well. My personal favorite in a blend of shredded Colby and Monterey jack that I get at Wal-Mart. (The drier the cheese the crisper the chips.)

I use a ring from a small mouth Mason jar to space the little piles of cheese on a cookie sheet on parchment paper. Pop them in a 350º oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Every oven is different. If you leave them lighter in the middle the outside is crunchy and the inside is chewy. Mild cheddar takes about 13 minutes. It won't take long for you to figure the time for each type of cheese. A little heat from a dash of Cheyenne or Jalapeño pepper makes them even livelier, or you can buy a Mexican blend that has a little heat.

[Bommer]

Low Carb Crust

Recipe By: Shelli
Categories: Desserts

about 1/2 cup crushed mixed nuts
1 stick butter
2 packets sweetner

Mix together and pat into a pie pan. Bake at 400 for about 15-20 minutes until a little brown. Let cool then add your filling. This crust tastes great as a cheesecake crust.

NOTES : No counts provided

[CajunConservative]

If a person wants to shed a few pounds all they have to do is add up calories. You don't even need to worry about carbs or "you can't eat any of that carb stuff only eat little bit of carbs". Counting calories is way easier. You don't need to spend money on the Zone books or south beach weight loss program books just get a pad of paper and write all the calories down. Spend the money on those ephedra or ephedra/freelike pills because those really work better.

Not necessarily. 1200 calories worth of junk food is not the same as 1200 calories of real food ie, meat, veggies, nuts, good fats, fruit, cheese and starchy veggies. Those ephedra pills don't provide nutrition. You have to have vitamins and minerals for proper functioning.

For some people eating too many carbs, even a limited number of calories, causes the insulin to spike which causes hunger. That makes it damn near impossible to stick with any plan because when the blood sugar drops you will go and grab something to eat usually something sugary. Thus the vicious cycle goes on and on and on. By the way insulin is the fat storing hormone so when you keep spiking the insulin you end up gaining weight. Which by the way is what leads to diabetes.

So for us folks who are insulin resistant, low carb is the method that works for us. If you do well with calorie restricted diet and ephedra more power to you. Find what works and stick with it is my motto.

I will tell you a little secret, low carb food tastes so much better than that low fat diet. I imagine I eat about 1200 calories a day, but I choose good quality food.

I will never go back to eating that fake crap ever again, even if I don't lose all the weight I would like to lose. I physically feel better eating this way. The brain fog is gone, the depression is gone, the fatigue is gone, the food cravings and obsessive thoughts of food is gone. The daily migraines are gone, the symptoms of a medical disorder I have has reversed and most are gone.

[CajunConservative]

Oh and I forgot, if you do a google search you can find the diet info for free :o) Not to mention recipes, menues, support groups, etc.

[Maven]

2 12-ounce cans of condensed milk (3 carbs in each can)

If you meant evaporated milk, it's about 37 carbs for each can.

Condensed milk is almost always sweetened with sugar, and a single 12-ounce can has *150* carbs.

Maven

[Maven]

I make an low carb punkin' for all the holidays. It is excellent with pecan crust. (Crushed Pecans, Butter, Splenda)

I called my mother today to go over the T-day menu. We all low carb, so it's just a matter of who cooks what. Mom's doing the main dish stuff, and I'm doing the desserts. I'm making low-carb pumpkin tartlettes (using a nut crust, like you are) and a cheesecake. I'm also making the cranberry sauce (yum).

For a low-carb pumpkin pie, use the recipe on the back of the Libby's can, but use cream instead of evaporated milk, and Splenda for the sugar. You might want to toss in an extra egg, too, to make up for the lack of real sugar (and its ability to bulk/solidify a custard).

Maven

[nutmeg]

bump

[Grit]

For the pecan pie crust I use a modified version of the recipe from lowcarbluxury.com linked below. I'll list my changes and link the original, if you haven't been to that site, there are a lot of good recipes there.

Judging by the date on my last printout (12/24/2002) I haven't made this in a while. I use it for pumpkin pies and cheesecakes.

Ingredients for Pie Shell:

• 1 Cup pecan meal (finely chopped pecans)
• 1/4 Cup Splenda^®
• 4 Tbsp butter - melted
  

Ingredients for Pumpkin Filling:

• 1 can Pumpkin (not "Pie Filling" - it has sugar!)
• 1/2 Cup Splenda^®
• 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar Twin^®
• 2 Eggs - beaten slightly
• 3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract (Use high quality unsweetened!)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Cloves
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp Ginger
• 1/2 tsp Cardamom or Allspice (optional)
  

Prepare pie shell: Melt butter in a small bowl. Add ground nuts and sweetener. Mix well. Press firmly into bottom and up sides of 8 or 9 inch pie plate [If you have chopped the pecans finely enough this works pretty well. I use plastic wrap to press the crust in and although it does not look like much it does cover a 9 in plate pretty well.] and refrigerate until firm.

Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, mix all filling ingredients in the order given. Use your own judgement about spices - some like a more cinnamon-y mix and others like less. This is your call, but amounts listed result in a rich, aromatic "classic" mix. You can also adjust sweetness to your own taste (if you're using the Canadian cyclamate based Brown Sugar Twin you'll get better, sweeter results than from the American sacharine based version.) Pour mixture into prepared pie shell and place in preheated oven until center tests done (about 45-55 minutes - ovens vary.) Allow to cool completely before serving.

This pie must be kept refrigerated (no sugar to act as a preservative), but this pie is amazingly delicious!! Top with artificially sweetened real whipped cream if you like (I do!) This pie is at its best the 2nd day!Very true, I try to make it the night before.

Makes 8 servings. 8 carbs per serving (allowing for fiber.) Holiday Pumpkin Pie

[Grit]

Let me know if you want to know how to make crunchy cheese chips.

Please post that when you get the time. Thanks.

[LTCJ]

Dear Lord,

Pour your blessings down upon Grit this day, for I am having punkin' pie for Thanksgiving.

Amen.

[mollynme]

Condensed milk is almost always sweetened with sugar, and a single 12-ounce can has *150* carbs.

You're correct. I tried to find the ingredients the article listed last night & there is no "condensed milk" with 3 carbs per can or pumpkin with "8 carbs per can". Evaporated milk has 3 gms carb per serving or 36 gms per can. #41 recipe sounds much more likely!

[ContemptofCourt]

I started Adkins in May, and have lost about 35 pounds. However, I am on my own modified plan now, sort of a cross between BFL and Adkins and common sense. Cut out the refined crap, reduce carbs, eat whole foods, and exercise.

I also cycle every week or two, with a "refeeding". And allow the imbibement of adult beverages on the weekend.

[Grit]

Very easy No-Bake Cheesecake

I usually prepare this as instructed on the Knox Gelatin package. Since I don't have that with me at the moment I pulled this from the Kraftfoods website. I think this is exactly how I make it except for the part I struck.

• 1 envelope KNOX Unflavored Gelatine
• 1/2 cup Splenda
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 Pecan Pie Crust

PREPARE Pecan Pie Crust from post #41 and Refrigerate.

MIX gelatine and Splenda in small bowl. Add boiling water; stir 5 minutes or until gelatine is completely dissolved.

BEAT cream cheese and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add gelatine mixture, beating until well blended after each addition. Refrigerate 45 minutes or until thickened, stirring every 15 minutes. Pour into pie crust.

REFRIGERATE 3 hours or until firm.

Easier than Pie.

[LTCJ]

My fork runneth over.

[RightWingMama]

bttt

[RJayneJ]

See post #34.

[Grit]

See post #34.

Oops. Thanks, I am going to try that.