What if It's All Been a Big Fat Lie?

The New York Times Magazine ^ | 07/07/2002 | GARY TAUBES

[Senator Pardek]

As odd as it sounds, I think that you'll find quite a few people that use it in the bodybuilding and powerlifting "community" (and I hate to say that word, community). Its not necessarily a permanent thing, but a very useful tool for overcoming a sticking point or when other approaches fail.

Right, but that's not Atkins. They do it to fool their bodies, just like they change their lifting routines. Effective, perhaps - but not Atkins.

[Senator Pardek]

How many pro athletes utilize the Atkins Diet?

[JimVT]

What I take from this loooooong treatise is a confirmation of something I've known for years.

That is; forget the 'medical menu of the month' crap which changes as often as the wind direction and practice moderation in everything that goes into the body.

We have been told at one time or another that every food group is "bad for us", "ok in reasonable amounts", "no problem" and "eat all you want."

Scienctific research is forever correcting itself.

Eat a pizza and call me in the morning!

[Arioch7]

I already said that I was mistaken, what do you want me to do... cut off my finger?

[WKB]

Bump for a later read when my eyes can take it.

It might be quicker to go to med school!

[cajun-jack]

i agree..my dad always told me that there was no reason in the world for a "working" man to be tired and hungry both...when i die, i don't want anyone looking at me and saying "damn..old jack looks like he starved to death"!! food is not what makes you fat....food and inactivity is what makes you fat.

[Dana113]

Yes, but eating a pound of bacon every morning is linked to those diseases, too. Why is everyone here assuming I'm for a high-carb diet? This is hilarious!

Not hardly. First off, where does Atkins ever advocate eating a pound of bacon? Not only that, you are dead wrong about nitrate free bacon causing any of those diseases. [Atkins bans any processed meats with nitrates in them]

[JimVT]

What I take from this loooooong treatise is a confirmation of something I've known for years.

That is; forget the 'medical menu of the month' crap which changes as often as the wind direction and practice moderation in everything that goes into the body.

We have been told at one time or another that every food group is "bad for us", "ok in reasonable amounts", "no problem" and "eat all you want."

Scienctific research is forever correcting itself.

Eat a pizza and call me in the morning!

[Senator Pardek]

How many pro athletes utilize the Atkins Diet?

[Arioch7]

bingo! Stacking, carbo loading, carb- depleting and other methods are used all the time when a bodybuilder is approaching competition.

The thing is, they are considered dangerous and stopped once the competition is over.

[Skip Ripley]

You may not see many athletes following Atkins by name, but most of the aforementioned bodybuilding community follow a diet that's structured (High protein and fat, lo carb,) along the same lines.

[christine]

have y'all noticed that every time a study is done touting one thing or the other, that a few years later, another study comes out saying the exact opposite?

[Fred Mertz]

What are you doing on a health and fitness thread?

When I saw the title of this thread, I thought it was going to be about individual freedoms and liberties in Amerika.

[TJFLSTRAT]

My own experience as well as many others is quite simple, Carbs make you hungry, if one eats two bagles for breakfast,or a large bowl of pasta for dinner, they can expect to be hungry in about three hours. Limit carbs, and sugar, and get at least 10 hours of arobic excercise a week is the key to keeping the pounds off.

[Dana113]

Ok, I drink juice a half and hour before I work out and then I go for a little under an hour. If I was training for a longer period of time, I would have a different route. I used to be a supplement monger but I have eased up on thier use because sometimes it gets a bit much.

Arioch, you are screaming. Ok, so what happens when your blood sugar crashes after the big spike from the orange juice? [probably about 15 minutes into your workout] And again, you run out of glycogen stores in 20 minutes. Do you then stop?

Why not have something that enables your energy more efficiently and more steady, like a sugar free protein drink or some cheese before you work out? Honestly, you will find that your energy for working out is much higher.

[Dana113]

How many pro athletes utilize the Atkins Diet?

I wouldn't know because I don't follow sports. Sorry.

[Arioch7]

I have to go cause trouble somewhere else but I will drop thes two points...

1 Why are endurance athletes very skinny when they carbo-load all the time?

2 Why are oriental cultures so thin until they eat an American "Atkins" diet?

These two points are not isolated incidents but universal facts with BILLIONS of people on the Oriental side and almost 100% of the Endurance athletes. Hey, I am a Conservative... when I see reality, I just cant help but think it is real. Silly me. :D

[dtel]

Oh how I long for a real country doc, I didn't think they made 'em anymore.
Freeze dried medical school clones is all I've run into lately.

[PhilipFreneau]

I don't know why people make something like this so complicated. Do not eat more calories than you burn off...and you won't become obese.

The hidden problem with your advice is hunger. Some low-calorie diets produce more hunger than others. The Adkins diet produces less hunger (for me) for the same calorie intake than the so-called low fat diet that my doctor previously had me on. I have been on Adkins (against the advice of my doctor) since January of this year. During that period I have steadily lost weight (over 20 pounds, so far), and my total cholesterol has dropped from 265 to 175. Further, I have more energy, and, in general, look and feel more healthy.

I do not consider my doctor a quack, just a lousy nutritionist. On her advice -- a low-fat diet -- I gained considerable weight, and my cholesterol zoomed to the point that she recommended I go on Lipotor if I could not bring it under control with my diet. That was a Catch-22, for certain. Thank God for Dr. Adkins who had the balls to stand up to the quacks in the medical establishment -- the ones who fed my doctor bad dietary information.

[Dana113]

I already said that I was mistaken, what do you want me to do... cut off my finger?

Sorry Arioch, I hadn't read that far yet!