Phase 2 Carb Blockers

[LondonGirl!]

I have a friend in work who is joining me on my atkins journey.

This morning she bounded up to my desk with excitement to tell me about White Kidney Bean extract which promised to 'block carbs'. She seems to think that they might be useful on induction, I think to get rid of the carbs you eat through vegetable consumption.

Does anyone have any experience of this that they could share?

I'm on induction, but I do eat quite a lot of veg - if I don't I find that I feel a bit sick.

LG x

[FwL]

Re: Phase 2 Carb Blockers

If you're following induction as laid out by Dr. A., there's no need for this sort of thing.

If, on the other hand, you refuse to give up pasta and bread, this sort of thing might be useful.



Edit:

Hmmm... now that I think about it, this sort of thing might be useful for those situations where it's difficult to avoid high carb eating.

The problem, though, is that unless you decide to control what you're eating, it's always going to be a slippery slope. It's always going to be a temptation to eat something you know you shouldn't and just take a couple of those nice little pills to fix it. I feel it's much better to actually face your demons rather than relying on things that encourage you to avoid them.

[imagood1]

Re: Phase 2 Carb Blockers

If you do a search for "carb blockers" this has come up several times. Here is one of the latest and answers:

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/vita-nutrient-solution-supplements/74177-carb-blockers.html

[LondonGirl!]

Re: Phase 2 Carb Blockers

I only eat from the acceptable list, but I don't always carefully measure the amount of acceptable veg that i eat.

I generally tend to have eggs and meat for breakfast, chicken and mozzerella salad for lunch (lettuce, cucumber, pepper, pesto as a dressing) and then for dinner I'll have something like pork with stirfried eggplant, zucchini and some more pepper.


LG

[imagood1]

Re: Phase 2 Carb Blockers

so you don't need anything like carb blockers then.

[Alexa]

Re: Phase 2 Carb Blockers

Wow, from that search Iamgood1 posted this bit is an eye-opener

Is from Atkins Diabetes Revolution which Dr Atkins didn't finish:

"Starch Blocking Beans

An extract made from white kidney beans is now widely sold as an over the counter "starch blocker". These heavily advertized products claim to "neutralize" the starch in high carb foods. All you have to do, the ads claim, is take a couple of these pills at the sart of a meal, and they'll block your absorptioin of about 75$ of the calories you eat from the carbohydrates. Starch blocking products do contain a substance found naturally in white kidney beans (as well as some other beans and also wheat) that inhibits or blocks amylase, the enzyme you body uses to break down carbohydrates in your intestinal tract. In fact, the starch blocker supplements work in a similar way to the prescription drug acarbose (Precose or Glyset).

Both the supplements and the prescription drugs have serious drawbacks. they're not meant to aid weight loss---they're designed to help control blood sugar---but that doesn't stop unscrupulous manufactueres from pushing the supplements as a way to lose weight while eating all you want of anything you want. No studies of acarbose have shown that the drug causes weight loss, although a few studies have shown that some people with impaired glucose tolerance are less likely to become diabetic if they take the drug. The side effects of blocking carbhoydrate digestion can be very unpleasant. Severe cramps, diarrhea, and gas are likely. Many people using acarbose experience flatulence. Dr. Atkins never prescribed acarbose. Why take a costly drug with nasty side effects when you can benefit your health considerably more by controlling the carbs in your diet to begin with?"

[imagood1]

Re: Phase 2 Carb Blockers

What I was saying in my first post is this is a newbie - when you first begin don't fall for all the stuff out there that is suppose to make you skinny overnight with no effort - none of that stuff works - Atkins, if followed by the book - WORKS. It takes effort to get the weight off, more effort than it took to gain the weight but if you do it the way the book is written you'll loose the weight by going through 2 weeks of induction and slowly working through the rungs so you know which foods you can eat without problem and which ones may be giving you troubles.

Please don't fall for "hype" products -- tell your friend to follow the plan along with you.

[JulieB]

Re: Phase 2 Carb Blockers

I have to agree ... there is no "magic pill" for weightloss, and the ones out there that claim to help usually have nasty side effects. It is better to learn how to do it right, for life, rather than relying on pills to help you through.