Calorie counting vs Atkins

[Eligura]

Hi all,

Just a general question before I start Atkins on Monday.

Wouldnt calorie counting and eating a more varied diet is better for you? the fact that most fruits are not allowed is making me worried. Also yogurt is usually very good for you, just as milk and as far as I understand we to have non of it. - healthy?

I am not anti Atkins, otherwise I wouldnt be on here, I just wanted to find out what you guys think.

Thanks.

Eligura

[moosemeadow-te]

Re: Calorie counting vs Atkins

I used to wonder that same thing but I turned to Atkins because I was sooooo hungry all the time. Counting calories has worked for me in the past but it's really hard to stay on track when all you think about is when it's time to eat again. Not to mention the headaches, hunger pangs and irritability.

With Atkins, I have seen the same weight loss results as calorie counting but without the hunger or other stuff. And that, to me, makes all the difference in the world.

Good luck!

[sadie147]

Re: Calorie counting vs Atkins

Atkins IS a varied diet (remember the entire plan is not induction!) I'm in maintenance and eat from all of the food groups daily, including fruits, veggies, whole grains, healthy fats and proteins, etc. To me that's as varied of a 'diet' or way of eating as anyone needs!

Staying away from the sugars and white starches and eating whole foods has been far more benenficial for me in my weight loss and overall health (including maintaining), than living on weight watchers frozen dinners and 100 calorie packs ever was!!!!

Have you read the book? Induction is only meant ot be for the first 14 days, after that you will add back your OWL foods, including more veggies, dairy (including yogurt!), berries, nuts, fruits grains etc.

[Eligura]

Re: Calorie counting vs Atkins

Atkins IS a varied diet (remember the entire plan is not induction!) I'm in maintenance and eat from all of the food groups daily, including fruits, veggies, whole grains, healthy fats and proteins, etc. To me that's as varied of a 'diet' or way of eating as anyone needs!

Staying away from the sugars and white starches and eating whole foods has been far more benenficial for me in my weight loss and overall health (including maintaining), than living on weight watchers frozen dinners and 100 calorie packs ever was!!!!

Have you read the book? Induction is only meant ot be for the first 14 days, after that you will add back your OWL foods, including more veggies, dairy (including yogurt!), berries, nuts, fruits grains etc.

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. i do understand that, but as I read in the book, some people are only torelant to 30g of carbs and thats what they have to do with.

I just dont want to start and then feel like I cant have a lof of things and quit.

I suppose all diets work if you stick with them. hopefully Atkins will this time

[Creek]

Re: Calorie counting vs Atkins

The biggest problem that I see with calorie counting is that protein and fat get sacrificed because they are higher in calories. Pick up just about any low fat or low calorie food and you'll find that high fructose corn syrup is used to replace the texture of fat in food. If you were calorie counting, would you eat a bacon cheeseburger with your cup of tossed salad? Would you be using vinegar and olive oil on the salad, or one of those chemical spray creations? Olive oil has 120 calories per tablespoon, while the salad spritzer has 10 calories per ten sprays, but the spritzer's top ingredient is high fructose corn syrup. Although the salad sprays are touted as 'healthy' and low fat, which seems healthier to you?

This is not to mention all the other benefits of the Atkins lifestyle which include, lower cholesterol, more energy, no hunger, loss of bloating, and stabilization of blood glucose...just to name a few.

[sugarsack]

Re: Calorie counting vs Atkins

i tried "watching what i eat" and i was always hungry... even on extended induction i am doing so much better, i am not hungry, i am not bored with the food.. i am the type who can have the same thing over and over again however i am eating so much less.. volume, because i am not hungry.. i thought i was always hungry and would snack all the time... today i still have a bag of pork rinds in the pantry that i opend almost a month ago.. im just not hungry between meals... to me thats the miracle !

[not2late]

Re: Calorie counting vs Atkins

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. i do understand that, but as I read in the book, some people are only torelant to 30g of carbs and thats what they have to do with.

But that's for weight loss. Weight maintenance is a different number.

Also, if you choose your foods wisely, even on 20 net carbs, you will get a full complement of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. A red bell pepper has more Vitamin C than an orange. An avocado has more potassium than a banana or a potato. 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree has the same about of fiber as 1 serving of oatmeal.

I just dont want to start and then feel like I cant have a lof of things and quit.

What are those "alot of things"? Make a list of them and see if they or alternate versions of them are allowable during OWL Phase.

[TWS]

Re: Calorie counting vs Atkins

Wouldnt calorie counting and eating a more varied diet is better for you?

I am not anti Atkins, otherwise I wouldnt be on here, I just wanted to find out what you guys think.
Eligura

I was brought up thinking that radically cutting calories and exercising almost to exhaustion was the key to weight loss. Now that I've read extensively about nutrition I've come to believe otherwise.

In a summary of his findings on diets, Gary Taubes states:

Consuming excess calories does not cause us to grow fatter, any more than it causes a child to grow taller. Expending more energy than we consume does not lead to long-term weight loss; it leads to hunger.

I believe calories from fat and protein are the proper fuels for humans, along with vegetables and fruits.

Of couse, I also believe that we've suffered as a species since the advent of agricultural foods. In my lifetime the onset of industrialized farming has severely damaged our collective health. Health policy has been purchased by corporate interests. What sad set of circumstances has led many to believe (at one time or another) that hydogenated oils/fats are good for us, that low-fat is a healthy diet or that manufactured crap is actually food?


In my diet, I try to avoid all grains, beans, potatoes, dairy and sugar. The operative word there is 'try'. We also try to have our protein/fat come from pastured animals when ever possible. I've stated before that saturated fat is healthy for humans as long as it's grass-fed. Almost everything in the supermarket is grain-fed.

Sorry to the swerve in the thread and I wish you well with your efforts.

TWS

Read an excerpt here:
ABC News: Excerpt: 'Good Calories, Bad Calories'

[LaceyLooWho]

Re: Calorie counting vs Atkins

I think you need to really read and comprehend the book. You will be able to add all those foods back in as you work the rungs of owl. This program teaches you a lifestyle. A way to remain trim and healthy for a lifetime, not just long enough to drop 10 pounds and then go back to your old junk food habits (boy did I do that 100 times!).

As far as what foods are healthy and what are not, I truly feel that I have been force fed a food pyramid that has made 50% of the population overweight. Not only has it made us fatter but heart disease, cholesterol, diabetes... the list goes on and on. Just because we have been told a food is healthy doesn't make it so. If Atkins is unhealthy then I cant imagine why peoples bad cholesterol goes down and good cholesterol goes up... that's heart protection in action. I personally stabilized my blood sugar and my blood pressure after 2 weeks on Atkin's. I have never felt better than this in my LIFE! That is the proof to me. Do some research on the internet about low carb vs low fat diets. It has been proven again and again that this is not only healthy but safe and effective. Hope that helps you, good luck!

Hi all,

Just a general question before I start Atkins on Monday.

Wouldnt calorie counting and eating a more varied diet is better for you? the fact that most fruits are not allowed is making me worried. Also yogurt is usually very good for you, just as milk and as far as I understand we to have non of it. - healthy?

I am not anti Atkins, otherwise I wouldn't be on here, I just wanted to find out what you guys think.

Thanks.

Eligura

[pstansel]

Re: Calorie counting vs Atkins

nt nt

[not2late]

Re: Calorie counting vs Atkins

pstansel, no one said calories didn't matter. Even Dr. Atkins wrote that calories do matter, because if you overeat, you will gain weight. But on his diet, it's not necessary to obsessively count every single calorie or every single food you eat or drink in order to successfully lose weight.

[pstansel]

Re: Calorie counting vs Atkins

Oh, I think you misunderstood I'm not disagreeing at all. I just thought it was an interesting discussion on much the same subject.

[carbless_in_seattle]

Re: Calorie counting vs Atkins

i think we're the only mammal that eats/drinks dairy after infancy. So i don't think that it is required for a healthy diet. There are other ways to get the calcium and other benefits that certain dairy provides.

as far as the fruits thing...yeah fruit is healthy, we're allowed to eat it eventually, just not in the begininng when we're trying to change our bodies metabolism.

[not2late]

Re: Calorie counting vs Atkins

The other thing about fruit....waaay before there were airplanes to airfreight strawberries in the middle of winter, fruits and vegetables were eaten seasonally. So you ate fresh strawberries during strawberry season; you ate fresh apples during apple season. Even when eaten off season, the fruits and vegetables were eaten in relatively smaller quantities in their preserved form. Preserved fruits (dried or in jams) were used as garnishes for dishes rather than as a handful snack because they were precious commodities.

[murphy'smom]

Re: Calorie counting vs Atkins

I hope this doesn't come across as rude, but it always seems to me that people will say that Atkins isn't healthy but.....
If you need to lose weight, you probably haven't been eating all that healthy. Counting calories is not always healthy. My friend counts calories, and she barely eats! She has lost a lot of muscle tone, and she does work out. Your body needs fuel to run properly. An apple a day does not keep the doctor away. Low calorie foods usually are not good for you (as pointed out already). Putting your body into starvation mode may eventually get you to lose weight, but its muscle you will lose. Its also the easiest to put back on, because I can promise you will get sick of being hungry all the time. If it was as simple as 'count calories-be skinny' nobody would be fat.
At any point anyone wants to lose weight, my advice is to find a way to lose weight, BE HEALTHY, and keep it off long term.
Good luck to you.

P.S. Do not ever risk your health just to be 'skinny'. Its not worth it.