Hey! I'll hang my post here on the post Steven C. (Doktersteve) sent:
http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/...s.asp?id=26538
The regimen instructs dieters to throw the low-fat adages out with
all their breads and pastas, and encourages people to eat as much
bacon and eggs as they wish.
Not true... Eat high protein foods and low carb veggies. Bacon and eggs
are just two of dozens of foods mentioned that you can have from day
one.
During the first two weeks dieters eat no more than 20g of carbs -
equivalent to a single slice of bread or a serving of corn. Later,
the carb level is increased slightly until weight loss stops. There
are no limits on protein or fat.
Sorta true... No limits are placed because you start eating less (of
everything) anyway. It's supposed to be self limiting.
Surprisingly, recent studies show that the Atkins diet works - at
least for a while. Although participants eat high-fat meals, they
actually lose weight more quickly on the Atkins diet than on a
low-fat diet.
Nice that they finally are reading the writing on the wall...
let's see if they understand what it says.
But is it really possible to eat fatty foods and be thinner?
In April, the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at
all the studies available and found people lost weight on the diet
because they ate fewer calories altogether even though more of their
calories came from fat. Protein is more filling than carbohydrates,
which probably helps people on the Atkins diet feel less hungry.
Eat less and exercise more... where the hell have I heard that?
But before you rush out for 4x4 cheeseburgers at In-N-Out, you should
know there are some definite drawbacks. Eating less fruit and whole
grains means missing out on cancer-fighting benefits of anti-oxidants
and fiber.
For a month or two?
Then you can start adding them back in. Or find LC alternatives.
Eating lots of protein can decrease the amount of calcium in your
bones, increasing your risk for osteoporosis later in life. Calcium
loss is even more of a concern while you're in college because you
gain most of your bone mass before you reach 30. Increased levels of
fat and protein are also linked to kidney stones and kidney problems.
Other minor problems include constipation and bad breath.
Again with the increased levels line... is this by % or by total volume?
Physicians are most concerned about the high amount of saturated fat
in the diet. Saturated fat, which is especially high in red meat and
dairy products, contributes to heart attacks and other heart
diseases. However, a study in the May New England Journal of Medicine
shows the effects of the diet on the heart may not be so bad.
Even though more of their calories come from fat, Atkins dieters eat
slightly less fat overall than they do regularly, and cholesterol
levels actually improved more in individuals on the Atkins diet than
in those on a traditional low-fat regimen.
There it is again... eat less, ...
where the HELL have I heard that before? g (hi JC!)
If you want to try a low-carb diet, a healthier version may involve
getting most of protein from chicken, fish, and nuts, which contain
less saturated fat. Keep in mind, though, that the Atkins diet, like
all diets, is not great at helping you lose weight or stay healthy in
the long-term.
First part of this paragraph is actually recommended in the book I have.
(I liked the idea that I could go ape on the shrimp at the local Chinese
buffet)
And the second part is yet to be conclusively proven true or false by
controlled medical study. For now it is just conjecture either way.
After one year, the New England Journal study found the average
amount of weight loss on the Atkins diet was small, only about 4.5
percent after a year. By then, four out of 10 of those on the Atkins
diet had dropped it, and those still on the low-carb diet actually
gained back about half the weight they lost.
Average weight loss computed by lumping in the quitters with the people
who did it right and changed their lifestyle WOE. That just doesn't
seem fair somehow.
Diets are short-term and, unfortunately, so is the weight loss
associated with them. The best way to really make a long-term impact
on your health is to incorporate small changes in diet along with an
exercise plan that you're comfortable with.
Atkins is not a diet. It is not meant to be short term. It is a Way Of
Eating that you must adopt for life.
Eat less and exercise more.... DAMN, that saying is getting around
these days.
Check out the Student Nutrition Action Committee
(www.studenthealth.ucla.edu/snac) at the Ashe Center for nutritional
tips and body image and fitness workshops.
--
Stephen S.
331/300/220 - as of 26 Nov. 03
LC since 28 Sept. 03
http://dragonfen.com/diet
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