Beef Vs. Bagels: Food Companies Take on Dr. Atkins

Reuters Science via Yahoo ^ | 3-16-03 | Carey Gillam

[AAABEST]

Are not a steak and a salad a low carb/low sugar diet?

Yes. Good stuff.

The calories that a person consumes that the body does not need for energy the body converts to fat.

NO!! (lol, I've got to get you right on this, its for your own good). That's 1980s weight watchers stuff.

Just one argument against that is that many times if your body doesn't utilize calories they are simply passed, just as many other ingested elements. Feces contains calories.

In other words it's not just a mathematical eqaution. There are many factors that are to be considered when thinking about how fat cells are formed and how the body absorbs food.

Another argument would be that you could eat a 1,000 calorie meal of candy one day, a 1,000 calorie meal of steak on another, 1,000 if salad another and a 1,000 calorie meal of bread on another day and have very different results as far as weight gain, fat production energy levels, blood sugar, metabolism, etc. etc. on each day.

See what I'm saying?

[Rytwyng]

The main supplier of glucose into the blood is the liver - either directly from its own glucose store (as glycogen, like muscle) or because it can turn fat and protein into glucose (called 'gluconeogenesis' - the new formation of glucose).

True, but as I noted, the muscles can also burn fats directly.

[big bad easter bunny]

I don't believe that to be true but I would love to read your reference material supporting your argument. I personally have never read that, except some supplement claims but they also say you can turn fat into muscle which is pure BS.

[RobFromGa]

mark for later, I'm back to serious Atkins again.

It works great if you really do it, if you fall off the wagon and keep eating the high-fat, moderate protein diet, but add bread and carbs, you gain weight very fast.

This time I'm sticking with it. Last time I felt great and lost 70 pounds in about 7 months. 50 back on now.

[Rytwyng]

Regarding fat burning enzymes directly in the muscles -- the first reference was many years ago, in a sports medicine journal that I borrowed from a USC track coach. Alas, I don't have the reference.

But the experimental design was simply this: Trained runners were switched to hi-carb or hi-fat diets for 4 weeks, then VO2 max, time trials, and other running related measurements were taken. Also, small pieces of muscle fiber were taken out before and after. Result: the change in diet produced (a) no statistically significant alteration in athletic performance, and (b) the hi-fat group, over 4 weeks, significantly increased the number of fat burning enzymes in their muscles.

Obviously such a study can't be done "blind", as the athletes know what they're eating. Nevertheless, the results are interesting. If anything, a placebo effect would have favored the carbs, since conventional wisdom at the time was, "runners should carbo-load".

Prior, similar studies had claimed to show that going high-fat hampered running performance, but, those studies were of much shorter duration. The authors concluded that it took several weeks to fully switch over the enzymatic pathways. But the pathways are there, and can be turned on at will.

Turning "fat into muscle", on the other hand, is pure marketing B.S.

[dennisw]

Way to go!

[AAABEST]

Glad to hear that Rob. Just make sure you take supplements and find some interseting foods. My biggest problem with it is it gets boring.

[restornu]

I agree with Atkins and now am doing

http://www.suzannesomers.com

she has taken Atkins diet made a wonderful fulfilling way to live.

[dennisw]

Have you ever read William Albrecht? 

http://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010143albpap/010143idx.html

http://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010143albpap/010143csiro.htm

Please scroll 2/3 the way down to read about Kansas wheat and the health of Army recruits from West (arid) and East (more rain) Kansas. Out of respect for the www.soilandhealth.org  website I am not posting their images.

Fig. 11. (Continued). Protein concentration in wheat in Kansas, 1949.

Fig. 12. The concentration of dental caries per inductee into the United States Navy 1942 gives a reciprocal curve at that for soil development under the climatic, forces. The minimum of caries is in the Mid-continental area of maximum of soil construction. There is an increase in caries in going westward from there to soils less developed, and more so in going eastward to soils more highly developed.

[jennyp]

Breakfast is the hardest, and I don't have time for cooking, eggs or otherwise. Any good (tasting) breakfast suggestions that aren't broccoli?

I split the week between these (in descending order of frequency):

• Sugar-free yogurt. All Kroger's stores (includes Fred Meyer, QFC, Fry's, & a whole bunch more) sell a yummy line of sugar free yogurt. One 6oz. container has 9 protein & either 16 carbs or almost none if you assume, as I do, that the lactose all got turned into lactase by the bacteria. Plus I sprinkle on a lot of wheat germ (4/4 per 2 tbsp) or some plain puffed wheat (1/5 per 1/2c.) for some mouth-feel variety.
• Cottage cheese. Different brands taste very different. (I prefer Fred Meyer/Kroger & HATE Safeway's.)
• Hard boiled eggs. Use eggs that are several days old before you boil them, so the shell separates a lot easier.
• Eggs & Spam/Bacon/Sausage. Best appetite suppressor of the bunch.
• Atkins bars. They're great in a pinch. (We also split one for after-dinner dessert.)

[Lee'sGhost]

Eggs and s/b/s? Is prepackaged? Sounds great.

[glory]

I see a lot of testimonies here, so I'll give one of my own. Atkins was the worst for us. We were so damn lethargic and tired all the time. We had no energy to work out and never felt like doing anything. Once we ditched that and added some things in that were "strictly forbidden by Atkins" we lost weight and felt AWESOME! And, hey hey, our blood levels were great too. Working out in my opinion is the absolute key to any weight loss, image improvment, spirit lifter, etc etc. This is my personal experience and I expect Atkins folks to respect it as I respect the fact that Atkins has worked for them. It isn't for everyone.

[Pharmboy]

You are OK in my book, DW.

[Pharmboy]

You are right--up to a point. The megacarb diet that we as Americans ingest is baaaaaaad. And yes of course we need to get out more and exercise.

[CheneyChick]

LOL - the megacarbs along with the portion sizes! DANGER! It is good that so many have been able to drop the pounds with Atkins, and if there is a way to maintain - even better. We only get one body...

I'm just a rebel who doesn't want to be told what/what not to eat - I like to enjoy an occasional pizza, homemade bread and good pasta. So, I keep running.... Moderation is key, and then using and burning up what you've stored. And lots of water.

Congrats to everyone who has been successful with their goals and encouragement for those working hard on becoming healthier and more fit.

Cheers, CC :)

[Theresa]

"Atkins is not universal,not for everyone. Don't be brainwashed."

That's true. And in the long run it's not practical. Not to knock others who like it. Whatever works. But I like milk and cereal and fruit....they are healthy, wholesome food! I can't be convinced otherwise.

[jennyp]

Eggs and s/b/s? Is prepackaged? Sounds great.

Not prepackaged, sadly. But by making scrambled eggs in one skillet & s/b/s in the other, it doesn't take too much effort for once a week more or less.

Jenny (who just came back from splitting a big wedge of chocolate espresso cake at the coffeeshop. Aghhgghhgghhg <drool>)

[jennyp]

I see a lot of testimonies here, so I'll give one of my own. Atkins was the worst for us.

I'll bet that something like the Metabolic Typing Diet turns out to be the best approach to dieting. (And eventually they'll have a genetic test they'll run & come up with a customized diet for everyone, & all the heated arguments will have to stop.) For many people, like myself, the optimal diet will turn out to be low-carb. But for others (like my sister, go figure!), some very different combination will turn out to be their best.

[Rytwyng]

Working out in my opinion is the absolute key to any weight loss, image improvment, spirit lifter, etc etc. This is my personal experience and I expect Atkins folks to respect it as I respect the fact that Atkins has worked for them. It isn't for everyone.

I don't doubt for a moment that working out was the key for you. But there are some folks, myself included, who have been diligent exercisers all our lives and got fat anyway.

I started running at age 15, yet by my early 30's I was struggling with a severe weight problem in spite of the running. Weightlifting didn't help either, and the standard low-fat diet made things MUCH worse. Only low-carb PLUS exercise does the trick for me, exercise alone does nothing.