On Mon, 15 Dec 2003 17:01:35 GMT, wrote:



I'm such a skeptic about diet and nutritional claims (because so many
are bogus) but am interested in this Low carb mania that seems to be
popular these days.

I notice that in the supermarkets there are new products touting
themselves as "Low Carb" with the insinuation that that will help with
weight control.

As I understand it, low carb foods tend to lessen the "amplitude" of
blood insulin levels which can cause hunger signals and consequently
cause a person to eat more. If that's true, isn't the bottom line STILL
calories "in" versus calories "out" or is there something else that the
low carb diet does?

Basically Atkins works by limiting calories. The limiting factor is
that it's quite a hassle to be strictly low-carb, so people tend to
eat fewer calories.
BUT from what I've read, it's more efficient to burn carbs as fuel, so
it's possible you can eat slightly more calories on a "low carb" diet,
or all else being equal you may lose slightly more on Atkins.

The best diet for you is one that helps you limit calories and one
that you can keep to. Remember a diet isn't just for Christmas, it's
for the rest of your life.

Finally, exercise is probably as essential as calories. The best diet
is one that helps you eat less and move more.

Ray

--
rmnsuk
overall - 273/210/182