<p>Came out best by good margin against several more conventional programs in study. Also better in health impacts. The health industry thought they knew about diets and they were flat wrong. Makes me wonder about less established science–like global warming.</p>
<p>But the long term losses not as significant… Global Warming an entirely different field. Individuals versus populations…</p>
<p>The LT losses were nearly double the netx best diet so I think that’s pretty good. Science is science and they had this one flat wrong and we thought we knew much more about diet metabolism etc. than we do long term weather and climate trends which is barely even a science at all.</p>
<p>I’ve known a number of people who together have lost a lot of weight on the Atkins diet. But I’ve never met anyone who could stick with it long term. Such a strict carb-free regimen is just not a sustainable lifestyle.</p>
<p>As for science, I’m a practicing scientist myself, and in my observation the mainstream is usually right. On a few rare occasions the crackpots and contrarians turns out to have been a geniuses after all, but mostly they don’t. And sometimes the mainstream turns out to be blinkered and misguided by their conventional thinking, but mostly they’re not.</p>
<p>Atkins for loss, something else for maintenance. I’m on my second try at Atkins. Down about 14-15 pounds since Jan. 10. Got quite another stretch to go. May have to interrupt diet in late May/early June and go back on induction afterwards but it will be for a good cause. The secret (for me) is to be absolutely ruthless re carbs.</p>
<p>In almost two months, I’ve had one tortilla, about five classes of wine, only one serving of salad dressing of unknown provenance, no bread, no potatoes, only low-carb chocolate and no sweetened beverages…regular ice tea is a treat. And (sob!) no coffee.</p>
<p>I have lost 24 pounds and counting by going to a dietician, eating more fruits and veggies, smaller portions, not too much bread, no wine, some meat and lentils etc. 2 portions of fish a week etc. Just cutting the fluff and adding the substance. I have been on this program since November and will continue it for one year. Going and weighing and paying every few weeks is a huge incentive. I didn’t think I could do it any more. Over the hump. Menopausal. Not true. I am trying to see food in a different light. One piece of great advice from my doc. Never treat yourself with food: massage, the theatre, a trip…yes. Food, never. Food is for sustenance and health. And eating right, tastes so good now!</p>
<p>Atkins was talking metabolic resistance and glycemic index long before all these other programs jumped on the bandwagon. He was the guru of low carb. His first book was full of research ignored by the AMA. He was shot down because he came out with his findings right as the gov’t was gearing up their first food pyramid which was the opposite of his. Very interesting read and he was a very good writer. I stand by the diet 100%. Ask almost any Dr. how much time in school they studied nutrition. You will be shocked at how little they were taught.</p>
<p>There is no question that eating foods low in metabolic resistance and GI is the key to weight loss.</p>
<p>I know people who have lost scads of weight on Atkins. The problem is, they eat one orange and they gain five pounds. It is very unsustainable over the long term.</p>
<p>The South BEach diet is much more user-friendly for the long term. It relies on similar principles of low carb, but doesn’t encourage high fat meats, oils, butters, whole eggs, and a host of other heart unhealthy foods. And it is more sustainable in the long run, because as most of us know, it is fairly easy to lose weight, and very difficult to keep it off (I have gained and lost the same 20 pounds about ten times).</p>
<p>I lost weight easily with Atkins. The best part was how you never had to feel hungry. But it was hard for me to maintain it afterwards too. Right back on.</p>
<p>What finally worked for me was </p>
<p>(1) EXERCISE like crazy (1 hour heavy cardio, 5x/week)</p>
<p>(2) Pay attention to food combining. Only fruits in the morning. For Lunch and Dinner it’s EITHER carbs + veggies OR meat + veggies… but never meat + carbs. Fats and oils in moderation. Sugar/alcohol all by itself. Wait 2-3 hours between eating foods from different food groups. </p>
<p>It’s a very easy plan to follow. Post Atkins, I lost my yen for refined carbs. Now my preferred carb would be a baked potato.</p>
<p>I don’t know if this plan works because it is digestion based (that is the claim) or if it works simply because you are paying attention to choices (like atkins) and never have to feel hungry (like atkins). But it is easy to stick to because you get to have stuff (fruit, potato) that rounds out your diet. </p>
<p>The exercize part is key.</p>
<p>Once you’ve lost the weight you want, you can reduce the exercize slightly or splurge a bit on the eating and you will maintain.</p>
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<p>Like I said, not sustainable. I defy anyone to stick to a diet that severely carb-restricted day in and day out, month in and month out, year in and year out.</p>
<p>I agree with SBmom. For me the key hasn’t been extreme diets; its been exercise. I’ve stayed skinny all these years by eating a moderate, balanced diet that doesn’t cut out or limit any particular food or food group, coupled with a lot of running.</p>
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<p>Same. It’s useless, for me at least, to put any limits on my diet other than counting calories (shoot me).</p>
<p>Coueur, as I said, we’re not planning on using Atkins for maintenance once we get to where we want. TheMom has been looking at South Beach. And exercise certainly is a key. I’d like to ditch whatever sinus-infection has been hanging on for four months now…the fatigue factor has made exercise look unappealing.</p>
<p>I tried running a while back. My knees and I agreed to disagree.
As a once-upon-a-time x-country runner, I found that depressing.</p>
<p>Elliptical machines and other low-impact exercise methods are good for people with joint issues.</p>
<p>P.S. Take it from a girl, when you’re feeling under the weather, running actually helps.</p>
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<p>Agreed. That is why I think Dr. A’s approach with South Beach is so good. His book is a great read. He gives alot of background about dieting, metabolism, glycemic changes in his early chapters, long before he gets into what to eat and what not to eat. He differentiates between good fats (allowed) and bad fats (not allowed), and after the first two weeks, he gradually introduces more good carbs, while leaving off the bad carbs. He has three phases, and approaches what to do about maintaining. For patients who need to loose weight esp due to high cholesterol, blood sugar, etc, I have recommended this book as a must read, even if the diet is not followed to the letter. And eating an orange on this plan is not going to put 5 pounds on you. </p>
<p>The JAMA article not only showed better weigh loss at 12 months (months not weeks), on the low carb plan, it showed much better metabolic results, including more improvement in lipid profile (low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and non–high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride levels), percentage of body fat, waist-hip ratio, fasting insulin and glucose levels, and blood pressure. The investigators apparently chose to study Atkins over South Beach because Atkins seems so extreme, and many health care professionals considered it harmful, despite the fact their patients lost weight and lowered their cholesterol on in.</p>
<p>I got down to the 120s (on 5’7" frame) doing the Atkins diet…and my husband lost 30 lbs…eating steak, eggs, real butter, etc. Yum. But, while he suffered no ill effects, the ketosis was extremely hard on my kidneys and I was constantly in the ER with kidney stones. Doctors said no more low carb for me. It’s definitely harder to lose weight…but it’s back to the low fat, complex carb, exercise thing. I also found it really hard to work out while on the Atkins diet…not enough energy.</p>
<p>The other problem is switching from low carb to low fat. You really have to do a major overhaul on your eating habits because as soon as you start adding back those carbs combined with some of those high fat food choices, it makes for a very fast weight gain.</p>