AIBU to think Atkins is a reasonable option?

[leanbh21]

I'm generally within a healthy BMI but have gained about 10lb in the past few months, probably through eating junk. I'm thinking maybe Atkins will be helpful to kick start and drop most of the weight in a few weeks but AIBU to try doing this with a young family and a demanding job? Will I just be a tired and smelly-breathed grump?

Really, WhiteWidow? Can you give me some evidence to support that? The body adapts easily to burning different sources of fuel - there is no reason why it cannot use protein and fat for energy rather than the (too easily accessible) carbohydrates. And why is it not a sustainable diet? I've eaten this way - on and off - for almost 10 years now.

It can be a diet - it is also, more beneficially, a 'way of eating'.

Totally agree about people needing to be taught how to change what they are eating. Most people eat far too many carbohydrates.

babybarrister - only grumpy or feel any adverse effects in the first few days of carb withdrawal. Beyond that - no reason to feel grumpy at all.

imnotbatman - afternoon slump is because your blood sugar drops dramatically after consuming high carbs at lunchtime.

Thats not correct, sorry.

I prefer some kind of adapted Atkins i.e. no induction phase etc, just going basically into mainly eating meat, fish, salad, vegetables, eggs, berries and apples, and er.... thats mostly about it, a few unprocessed carbs thrown in.

I have experimented with IT (intermittent fasting or Dieting Every Other Day) which also works very well. But I just have to deal with a kind of carb semi-addiction that I always seem to fall back in to, which I hope I can find a balanced way of dealing with once this current eating plan over.

You need to drink lots of water and do feel tired and headachey first few days without usual bread, sweets, etc, but then with my "carby" way of eating I was getting spots and feeling bloated .

Lots of interesting discussion going on ?

I did start today. I figured I'd not come to any harm trying it for 2 weeks and I can decide whether it suits me. My main downfall of late has been refined sugars and I think I just need something quite didactic to rid me of that habit. Fingers crossed?

Why not, iamnotbatman? Everything I have read about the biochemistry would say it is. What's the alternative?

It certainly is a simplistic view to say high carb = slump afterwards. This doesnt take into account glycaemic response due to different food components, due to quantity or to glycaemic load. It just isnt as simple as that.

OK. I'm sure it isn't. So can you explain it more?

I've only recently started thinking about low carbing as I've always lived off mainly bread but recently started to love meat (was pretty much veggie before.

I have Fibromyalgia and some other conditions and am always bloody knackered but I realised I started feeling better when I tried steak for the first time, became addicted and started eating it loads, I have way more energy when I eat more protein and less carbs and feel way happier and sleep better without needing as much and my muscles hurt so much less and I have noticed my constant headaches seem to be dissapearing.

I recommend everyone watches the movie "FAT HEAD", the guy disproves everything said in "Supersize me" and tells you all the reasons why you need a lot of protein and even sheds some light on the truth about cholesterol.

If you have the time Gary Taubes' 'The Diet Delusion' very comprehensively puts the case for refined carbs, sugar and wheat being hugely responsible for western diseases and diet problems, especially diabetes. He is a medical investigative journalist, with no particular axe to grind, and has looked at massive amounts of research on this with a very balanced approach.

Going back a bit further, other interesting reading :
'Pure, White and Deadly' by John Yudkin, concerned about sugars as disease forming agents
'Not all in the mind' Richard Mackarness. about the effect of wheat on mental and physical health

A Royal Navy surgeon , T.L.Cleave, in 'The Saccharine disease' , identified what he called The Twenty Year rule regarding western type diseases appearing in 'non-developed' civilisations. He identified rapid increases in cancers, thromboses and other degenerative illnesses in civilisations within twenty years after the introduction of refined flour and sugar into their diet.

Many people can eat refined carbs without problem, but many others suffer quite badly because of them, me included.Asthma much worse when over eating sugars and wheat., dairy not a problem for me.

Personally, I wouldn't go full Atkins.

Carbs aren't evil, it's just that 95% of people in the UK eat way too much carbs.

I'd recommend gradually reducing your carbs and increasing your protein and fibre. Portion control will do it - have some potatoes/pasta/whatever, but just have a bit less than you normally would, while having more protein and leafy stuff instead. Then the next week shift the ratios a bit more.

All these big, rapid changes with nasty side effects can't be good for you. Be nice to your body and do it gradually. Something you can stick with for long term good health.

research shows Atkins is bad for you Balanced reporting of a large scale study published in a peer-reviewed journal.

It works but you have to be strict. Unlike calorie counting boredom is more of a problem than hunger. I found Dukan far more tolerable and believe it to be healthier

That is a poor piece of reporting, edam, and doesn't prove anything. Just makes assertions.

And, actually, cholesterol levels increase naturally as we age. There is not necessarily any proof that this causes problems - we need cholesterol as a healing agent.

No, it isn't, it's a balanced report of a proper study published in a peer reviewed journal. And it adds to previous evidence that too much animal protein is bad for you.

You may enjoy eating low-carb - up to you. But you can't claim there are no health risks. That's where properly conducted, reputable studies published in peer-reviewed journals come in.

Indeed. Read Gary Taubes The Diet Delusion for exactly that reason.

I just ordered this book www.randomhouse.com/book/216497/the-skinny-rules-by-bob-harper-and-greg-critser which mentions eating protein at every meal and eating carbs at specific times of day to avoid insulin surges etc. looks interesting.

I'm completely against Atkins because it stresses the kidneys producing that level of ketones plus the idea that a lot of saturated fat is ok just makes no sense. Being skinny isn't worth being unhealthy IMO.

How can someone poo-poo a 25 year major country study in favour of a book which someone has written for personal profit? I havent read the study yet so certainly wont be until I see the study design etc. Bit blinkered.

It would be difficult not to eat protein at every meal, seeing as protein is found in so many foods [yes, even the 'evil' bread]. Foods don't come neatly divided into 'protein' and 'carbs'.
It's just a matter of taste really. People who like eating meat, butter, cream etc. will probably be more motivated to try and stick to the atkins diet [or similar]. People [like me] who find these foods rank won't be interested in trying it.
Of course, instead of buying books we can just do what the majority of people around the world and throughout history have done. ie eat a wide variety of the food that is available at the time, prepared with as few additives and chemicals as possible. Then get off our arses and use our bodies as they are designed to be [as long as we are physically able to do so].

Having a look at the study today...very interesting. If you look at the results, protein intake remains fairly much the same.The results are really around increased fats at the expense of CHO. The ASO group is having a chat about it today...cant wait to see the discussion.

The trouble is with these studies that they are not actually looking at a population who have followed a low carb diet exclusively for any length of time. Most people don't read beyond the headline and don't do the plan properly. Most people dip in and out of low carb when they have weight to lose. That's the worst of all worlds.

As I say I've followed it for 8 years. I'm on maintenance levels now. I've been having regular health checks throughout. In my pre low carb ('healthy' low fat eating) days I had a 5.8 mmol/l total blood cholesterol level. Now I'm on 3.6 mmol/l and that's been steady throughout the last few years. Triglycerides are slap bang in the normal range.

I'm one person - not a study. I'm a believer in low carb for myself because it suits my particular situation. I do not think that it is right for everyone and I think that calorie counting is a better way of managing weightloss for people who are not prepared to understand the low carb method or follow it accurately.

As I've said many times already - you wouldn't know I was low carbing if you saw what I eat.

The Swedish study results in a nutshell.
i50.tinypic.com/qxj777.jpg

I'd say a pre-requiste for understanding the increase in cholesterol from 2008 is to understand the reduction from 1986 to 2002, when fat intake was fairly stable. What was behind that? Something that's not on these charts is having a big influence.

Anyone else noticed the massive rise in alchohol intake? Wine in women especially?

Thanks for posting that MrsBethel

Atkins is unhealthy, in my opinion.
Carbs are necessary.

You eat carbs on Atkins. You are just selective as to where those carbs come from

nowhere near enough carbs though