The War On Fat: Researchers Chew The Fat On Merits Of The Atkins Diet

USA Today ^ | August 7, 2002 | Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY staff writer

[wardaddy]

I personally use a variety of the Atkins diet....except for the most part I go for leaner protein. The big key is to avoid sweets and tasy carbs like pie crust, cake, cookies and even pasta and most breads. I have found that when I get an extra 10-15 lbs....I'm 6'5" and around 205-210 at decent weight.....anyhow, I've found that a shock diet of only protein and leafy greens and vitamins and no added sugar calories will drop 7-10 lbs in 2 weeks easy. after that it depends on one's discipline. Go to lean meats and fish and stick mainly with the greens and avoid pasta and beans and potatoes. Knocking out sweets is a big ticket as well.....the cravings do go away. On some days, I may change the whole plan and eat strictly carbs just to change my body's acclimation to the protein.

While I do acknowledge the value of varieties of this diet, I do avoid over consuming fat except olive oil and nuts. Butterfat in very large quantities is just a bit scary to me.

[wardaddy]

I agree. A non fat high carb diet simply doesn't work for me as well unless I starve myself.

[wardaddy]

Good for you!

[wardaddy]

Actually Sam, tomatoes and pickles are ok...but yes...bread is a big no-no.

[wardaddy]

Good for your dog. I indulge mine as well.

[SamAdams76]

I completely agree that butter is far better than margarine. I never use margarine and I consider it just one step above toxic waste! I try to use olive oil instead of butter whenever I can though as it is high in the good kinds of fat. Since I started using olive oil daily, my cholesterol is down to 185. Maybe there are other factors that resulted in my lower cholesterol, but I give olive oil the credit.

[redhead]

"There is nothing miraculous about the Atkins diet, but if you put people on a low-calorie diet, they lose weight, says Keith Ayoob, a spokesman for the American Dietetic Association. "It's the number of calories, not where they come from."

Atkins dieters (or anybody on a low-carb diet) eat MORE calories, not less. This signals to the body that it's ok to release stored fats, whereas the body can't tell the difference between a low-calorie diet and a famine, and tries to store as much energy as possible. If you are interested, may I suggest the book, LIFE WITHOUT BREAD by Christian B. Allan, Ph.D. and Wolfgang Lutz, MD? This interesting book focuses on the medical facts involved in low-carbohydrate eating and features no menus or recipes, merely graphs and research results. Most interesting.

[an amused spectator]

Anything I don't cook in butter, I cook in olive oil. I always have a fresh gallon around. :-)

[VOA]

bump

[an amused spectator]

Great point. Why is it that the opposing side of the War on Fat absolutely insists on misrepresenting the Atkins people?

This is going to get nasty. When you start questioning people's religious beliefs (and lo-fat IS a religious belief), you got a smackdown on your hands.

[an amused spectator]

Thanks for the tips! I'm a big guy myself (6'3") and I only joined the 200 club after I was 30. Now, I'm a solid member. ;-)

[Desdemona]

Another trick is to try not to eat after 6pm. At first it's not easy, but...

About three weeks ago, now, after all the articles, I cut a lot of starch out of my diet, am eating more steak and bone-in chicken and, of course, religiously taking calcium (lactose intolerant), but no more than twice a day, and have dropped back down to a 10. I didn't have that far to go, though. That's all it took. And I'm not hungry between meals, either. I also switched to cage-free eggs. There's less cholesterol and more vitamin E.

That doesn't mean that occationally, I don't drug myself up and have a piece of cheesecake or St. Andre...some things you just can't totally give up.

[guitfiddlist]

The Atkins program "may give people a way to eat fewer calories," says lead researcher Gary Foster, clinical director of the Weight and Eating Disorders Program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He says researchers don't know if the benefits of losing weight outweigh the drawbacks of eating a diet high in saturated fat.

There is nothing miraculous about the Atkins diet, but if you put people on a low-calorie diet, they lose weight, says Keith Ayoob, a spokesman for the American Dietetic Association. "It's the number of calories, not where they come from."

Let me be the first here to make a full-fledged attack on the above pinheads that call themselves nutritional scientists, who operate in the fine tradition of the morons that nearly executed Galileo.

These establishmentarians persist in believing absolute BS - like the Atkins diet results in less caloric intake because people get bored with protein. Bull. They NEVER cite any actual studies or data on this bold assertion, but cite this as arrogantly as the "fact" that the Earth is the center of the solar system. Yet any 5 year-old can count the calorie differentials between a diet of steak, eggs and cheese absolutely dripping in fats/calories versus one of low-cal salads, fruits and vegetables.

As for the old calorie-in vs calorie-burned theory - if that's true - what the hell do we need the whole science of diet nutrition for? These guys ignore all the research into the amazingly complex ACTIVE system of digestion and absorption as if it was one governed solely by a simple mechanistic system of conservation of energy.

That said, I think the Atkins diet is very unhealthy - at least for me. I have done the Atkins diet and lost significant weight - something these paragons of an outdated paradigm only now grudgingly admit through gritted teeth - and I have lost weight on more conventional diets. But the Atkins diet also brought severe gout, lethargy, and nausea. However, I did pig out and lose weight. And I don't care if these idiots like it or not - but you'd think these nutritionists would at least acknowledge some undeniable data. Memo to morons: Just because you don't know WHY the Atkins diet works don't mean it don't. So why don't you "scientists" try the Scientific method for once - and DO find out why.

[Sam Cree]

bump

[Oregon W.oman]

I love low carb eating. Last night's meal was a large chicken breast topped with mushrooms sauteed in butter and wine. We also had a delicious spinach salad (with real bacon bits and bleu cheese) and steamed broccoli. Dessert was a homemade cheesecake topped with blueberries and real whipped cream. Quite frankly, there are so many wonderful and satisfying things I can eat, I don't miss the 'bun and the fries'.

My husband and I are permanent converts to low carb eating. I lost 100 pounds and have kept it off for going on five years now. This was after nearly 20 years of failure on low fat diets. I have literally been given my health and my life back. And yes, my bloodwork and blood pressure have returned and STAYED at better than normal values. My migraines and acid reflux are gone, I have great energy and my moodiness is gone. Life is good.

I hope those of you reading this thread will keep an open mind concerning the benefits of reducing carbohydrates in the diet. You will continue to hear more about this. If you are interested in the science behind it, I recommend reading "Protein Power" or "The Protein Power Life Plan" by Dr. Michael and Dr. Mary Eades - a husband and wife physician team.

[redhead]

"Why is it that the opposing side of the War on Fat absolutely insists on misrepresenting the Atkins people?"

Because, it works, and if they admit that, they have to admit that they have been lying to us all along.

A natural diet consisting of mostly meats (with their attached fats) and vegetables is the way humans have eaten forever. If breads and sugars were natural foods, the metabolism would have no problem handling them. But as it is, a shot of sugar/flour spikes insulin (this includes today's luscious, hyper-fructose fruits), which in turn drives down blood sugar and causes lethargy and confusion quickly.

Meat causes little reaction from the pancreas, and fat causes virtually NO metabolic reaction from insulin. The body is composed of muscle and saturated fat. When it asks for these nutrients for repairs and growth, and I feed it sugar and grass, it can do nothing with these things but eliminate the fibrous one and store the other as fat, then ask for protein and saturated fats again. THIS is why the Atkins diet and others like it work...because when you give your body what it REQUIRES, it is not necessary to keep asking for these needs to be met continually, therefore, the appetite is suppressed in the proper way.

[Hamza01]

I lost 22 pounds in three months on a modified Atkins diet, eating steak practically every day. It works because it recognizes the basic nature of human metabolism. The dietary crap we hear from the media and medical community is just that-- crap.

However, I really really miss bread, rice, chocolate... damn!

[redhead]

"However, I really really miss bread, rice, chocolate... damn!"

HAVE it. Just have smaller portions, less often. No big deal. And, here's a tip I learned the hard way: NEVER eat carbohydrate snacks alone. Always have them with a meal or "cushion" them with a protein/fat addition. This slows down the insulin spike and creates less metabolic havoc.

[Grit]

However, I really really miss bread, rice, chocolate... damn!

Atkins bread is fantastic. There are many low-carb recipes available for bread-machine breads. Rice? Who misses rice? And chocolate? I never had a sweet tooth, but there are also many resources available online. (FR is not the entire internet, ya know :))