Atkins, Fit for Life, Jenny Craig – there are almost as many weight loss programs as people who want to lose weight! Sharing our experiences here will help us all get a handle on the wealth of information — and misinformation — out there.
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What most take issue with relative to the Atkinsdiet isn't so much that people believe they can eat whatever they want as long as it's not carbs. Most people aren't that retarded.
I've seen Atkin-esque diets work wonderfully for people. But there's no magic in it.... it's just a way that some find easy to adhere to which nets out to be a caloric deficit.
The beef most who are in the know have is that the diet plan was the catalyst to the current belief that carbs make you fat.
What most take issue with relative to the Atkinsdiet isn't so much that people believe they can eat whatever they want as long as it's not carbs. Most people aren't that retarded.
I'm honestly not so sure about this one. Maybe I just know especially silly people.
I have a friend who lost 20 lbs. She looks great, really she does but she is one of these die hard low carbers. One day I ask if I should measure the calories in ground sirloin before or after its cooked. I kid you not she says "I've never thought about it. All I know is I can eat all of it I want without feeling guilty because it doesn't have any carbs". I have no idea how the woman looks so great after 4 kids with thoughts like this whirling inside her head.
I have a friend who lost 20 lbs. She looks great, really she does but she is one of these die hard low carbers. One day I ask if I should measure the calories in ground sirloin before or after its cooked. I kid you not she says "I've never thought about it. All I know is I can eat all of it I want without feeling guilty because it doesn't have any carbs". I have no idea how the woman looks so great after 4 kids with thoughts like this whirling inside her head.
She's fortunate that her genetics allow her to get by with that kind of thought process floating around her head.
I mean to completely throw the basics of thermodynamics out the window is completely ridiculous. But they know no better.
Let's see, cut out one of the three macro nutrients.... I'm pretty sure caloric intake is going to go down. Especially when the remaining two (fat, protein) tend to be more satiating.
They don't understand that calories are the driving factor.
"I also agree that it is not as simple as calories eaten/burned/reduced equals weight loss. That is the popular theory but it does not seem to actually work that way for many people."
She didn't like my suggestion that you have to reduce your calories to lose fat. You know what is really funny? Most of the people who disagree with me are all extrememly overweight. Hmm..
Last edited by LandonsBaby; February 21st, 2008 at 02:24 PM.
Without knowing all the scientific background, and certainly not being a proponent of low carb myself, I believe it works because your body goes into ketosis, which causes a higher fat loss than just based on the number of calories consumed (they start to have less to do with each other as the body burns fat differently in ketosis or something to this effect). Problem is, as soon as carbs are re-introduced, the body no longer metabolises the carbs efficiently. I believe that is the theory and why they believe the calories arent the be all end all to weight loss.
This is the last thing i will say about atkins!....Calorie deficeit are a SMALL factor of losing weight in a low carb lifestyle..low carb dieting doesn't mean you can eat like a pig(or shove meat down your throat all day)However you are NEVER to be hungry,atkins says if your hungry you should eat(i know when i was low fat/"balanced dieting" i was always very hungry, i became obsessive about food because i was HUNGRY...but my calories wouldn't allow for more food)!!!...what atkins does is you have a caloric "advantage" (its explained in the atkins book to great length and detail including what studies have been done to PROVE this.) by caloric advantage i mean this a person on a high carb diet can eat (for example):2000 cals and break even or maybe even gain whereas me on a 2000 cal and low carb diet would lose. because my body is burning my actual fat whereas you body would be keeping the fat and burning glucose...i hate to sound "preachy"...i just like to clarify so that no passer by gets the wrong idea of low-carb....Best Wishes to EVERYONE
The problem is indeed when you introduce any carbs whatsoever. You gain back every ounce and then some. At that point the calories will be against you and you'll put on weight easier than the numbers would suggest. So would I want to go low carb forever? Ick! And with the fear of putting it all back on, it hardly seems worth it to me. I have read studies that apple shaped people do better (lose and keep weight off easier) on low carb, but not necessarily no carb. Who knows what the damage is from being in ketosis like this and missing out on a whole food group of nutrients, so I would be really leary about this approach. But agreed you can eat more on this than on a diet based on calorie counting, as long as you're totally strict. I would think there are studies to back this up (in other words, studies that have controlled for the number of calories).
Although there are many weight-loss diets, statistics show that most people who lose weight on a diet regain that weight, and sometimes gain more. The best ways to stay healthy are eating well and being physically active.
Without knowing all the scientific background, and certainly not being a proponent of low carb myself, I believe it works because your body goes into ketosis, which causes a higher fat loss than just based on the number of calories consumed (they start to have less to do with each other as the body burns fat differently in ketosis or something to this effect).
At first this is the case.
There's no evidence suggesting a long term metabolic advantage though.
And I've successfully run low carb diets on myself and clients, and reintroduced them just fine. It's the individuals running a muck who really haven't a clue about nutrition that screw things up.
Yea, eat low cal low carbs for a while and then reintroduce them moronically and you're going to see a backlash. This is what most do. And this is why you've got the carbs = evil mentality in that cultish circle.
I will say that some are going to experience optimal results on a low carb approach. Insulin resistance can be a bitch. But that's certainly not everyone, like most of the low-carb asshats would like you to believe.