ITS SO INCREDIBLY SAD

[AllieCat0817]

Girl just ignore the haters.

[Nutri_Nut]

No, I did not come here to bash anyone. I support Atkins and the low-carb WOE. I am trying to get my diet more in-line with the low-carb lifestyle once again.

I think it's great that many of you have had success with Atkins. I was successful, too; but I gave it up because a strict low-carb lifestyle is not realistic for ME. I think I can do better in regard to my food choices, though.

I am concerned, however, about eating disorders among women in this country. Both extremes of the weight spectrum are equally dangerous. One can be too heavy, and one can be too thin.

After reading many of ttdriver's messages, a red flag went up. I have been a part of this board for quite awhile, although I have been absent for several months. But I have never run across someone who APPEARS to take this diet to an extreme. If I am wrong, please correct me. I can only go by what I read in a select number of messages.

I have tried to get ttdriver to answer my question as to whether or not she eats whole grains and/or any starch veggies. But I can't get an answer. On lifetime maintenance, these foods are allowed in quantities appropriate for a person's metabolism. Just as Atkins' followers are concerned about those who don't follow the diet to one extreme - and then complain because they can't lose, we should be concerned about those who don't follow it to the other extreme.

The message about the obesity in our country just came across a little smug. People who have never had to struggle with their weight (and I do not consider someone who is 5'3" and 132 lbs. "overweight") often do not understand how some people cannot be as thin as they are and certainly cannot eat meats, fruits, and veggies ONLY and run 9 miles a day.

If ttdriver did not mean to convey this attitude, then I misread her. I am just SO tired of women obsessing over their bodies and making that the focus on their lives and source of self-respect. I, for one, will not fall into that trap again. And I'm just as healthy at 160 lbs. as I was at 135 - and I have the medical records to show it!

[spirittalker]

I have tried to get ttdriver to answer my question as to whether or not she eats whole grains and/or any starch veggies. But I can't get an answer.

Actually she already did.

How do you know my diet? Have you been watching me eat? Excuse me, but I think you have me confused with someone else ... I eat whole grains every single day ... where did you ever get the idea I shun anything completely??

[Nutri_Nut]

OK, thanks. I missed it. My apologies.

She said she didn't eat "flour" or "starch," and since whole grains fall into that category, I took that to mean she does not eat whole grains.

I am curious what kind of menu she has each day for someone on lifetime maintenance.

[cleochatra]

I have a hard time with this (personally-- it's totally a me-being-weird thing) because I honestly can't judge people. I've been judged based on my looks and my habits (we're such a visual society), and really I just had to learn for myself what was best for me. Sure, it took 6 years, but I came around because I wanted to (and because the earth was starting to buckle under my ample load).

I never notice what others are doing, putting into their cart, or into their mouths. I'm too busy trying to keep my act together!

As an aside, I appreciate everyone working to keep this topic polite, on topic, and working towards goals on Atkins in an uber-good, happy-vibe kind of way.

{{{everyone}}}

[LilBit]

ttdriver, I understand your point, and yes, IMO, it's valid. I've been in the same mindset that you are, just wanting to SCREAM to the world, WAKE UP, ATKINS WORKS WONDERS! I only felt this way of course, AFTER I began Atkins, and it stopped my "shakes" from being hypoglycemic, the first WOE that has done that in the last 20 years that I've been hypoglycemic. I have told my kids, my hubby, everyone that I know, "Without the weight loss benefit of this WOE, it's absolutely the way to eat for ME, based only on the way that it makes me feel, not look."

The problem with most of America as I see it, is that we have put such enormous trust in the Medical field to guide us. If they tell us to eat 15 servings of grains nowadays which is where the standards have been set, we believe that they know what is best for us. If they tell us that eating fat will make us fat, we believe them.

SOOOOO NOT TRUE!

'Someone', Lord only knows who, decided that carrots were diet food, ignoring the amount of sugar that they're pumping into your veins with every bite. The list goes on of "trusts" that we have when we're being "guided", as well as when Dr. Atkins was bashed so badly by his own peers for this WOE....which only sets up MIS-trust for his knowledge among the average people who simply 'listen' to reports, but never do actual investigating, thinking on their own, or experimenting with Atkins WOE themselves.

I'm not blaming it all on the Medical field, because the Medical field surely doesn't tell us to stuff ourselves with the amount of fast food that we do; that's a personal choice, albeit a poor one.

My point is that I do believe that if half of the obese people out there really had something that they KNEW would work for weight loss (such as Atkins), with the bonus of making them feel terrific while doing it.....I have to believe that they would opt to follow this plan.

I believe it's the ignorance of knowledge, the ignorance of allowing others to do your thinking for you; and a side-order of too many convenience foods that keeps Americans obese.

[LilBit]

Nutrinut-Did you come on the forum to bash people. ttdriver is not too thin. I have seen a couple of her menus and they look fine to me. Maybe you haven't seen how buff she really is. She posted a picture a few weeks ago and all I can say is she looked toned and buffed but not overly thin. Reading the few posts you wrote in this thread it alsmost seems like you are against Atkins. I could be wrong but I do not think your critisism is very contructive.

The only problem that I see with ttdriver is that she needs to start running barefoot so that she tans those feet and gets rid of her 'sock marks'. :guns

Just teasin ya ttdriver, I think you look maaaahhhhvelous. :hug

[ttdriver]

ttdriver, I understand your point, and yes, IMO, it's valid. I've been in the same mindset that you are, just wanting to SCREAM to the world, WAKE UP, ATKINS WORKS WONDERS! I only felt this way of course, AFTER I began Atkins, and it stopped my "shakes" from being hypoglycemic, the first WOE that has done that in the last 20 years that I've been hypoglycemic. I have told my kids, my hubby, everyone that I know, "Without the weight loss benefit of this WOE, it's absolutely the way to eat for ME, based only on the way that it makes me feel, not look."

The problem with most of America as I see it, is that we have put such enormous trust in the Medical field to guide us. If they tell us to eat 15 servings of grains nowadays which is where the standards have been set, we believe that they know what is best for us. If they tell us that eating fat will make us fat, we believe them.

SOOOOO NOT TRUE!

'Someone', Lord only knows who, decided that carrots were diet food, ignoring the amount of sugar that they're pumping into your veins with every bite. The list goes on of "trusts" that we have when we're being "guided", as well as when Dr. Atkins was bashed so badly by his own peers for this WOE....which only sets up MIS-trust for his knowledge among the average people who simply 'listen' to reports, but never do actual investigating, thinking on their own, or experimenting with Atkins WOE themselves.

I'm not blaming it all on the Medical field, because the Medical field surely doesn't tell us to stuff ourselves with the amount of fast food that we do; that's a personal choice, albeit a poor one.

My point is that I do believe that if half of the obese people out there really had something that they KNEW would work for weight loss (such as Atkins), with the bonus of making them feel terrific while doing it.....I have to believe that they would opt to follow this plan.

I believe it's the ignorance of knowledge, the ignorance of allowing others to do your thinking for you; and a side-order of too many convenience foods that keeps Americans obese.

:clapping :clapping :clapping :dancing

WHAT A TERRIFIC POST!!

Betty

[ttdriver]

The only problem that I see with ttdriver is that she needs to start running barefoot so that she tans those feet and gets rid of her 'sock marks'.

I just *knew* somebody would notice that!!! Looks pretty geeky, huh! :geek Guess I better invest in some fake bake for the feet! :guns

Betty

[will7128301]

Betty, lets just prop you in front of the oven and turn it to broil and stick your feet in there for a few hours we can tur na movie on for ya? How about Dances with wolves or Titanic and you stay there til its over with? After that once your done you'll be hopping around ready to go running, yeah you may be going OW OW OW OW OW OW OW with each step but you will have a nice tan!

[ttdriver]

Betty, lets just prop you in front of the oven and turn it to broil and stick your feet in there for a few hours we can tur na movie on for ya? How about Dances with wolves or Titanic and you stay there til its over with? After that once your done you'll be hopping around ready to go running, yeah you may be going OW OW OW OW OW OW OW with each step but you will have a nice tan!

:yikes :yikes :yikes :yikes :help :help :help

Betty

[AllieCat0817]

I have tried to get ttdriver to answer my question as to whether or not she eats whole grains and/or any starch veggies. But I can't get an answer. On lifetime maintenance, these foods are allowed in quantities appropriate for a person's metabolism. !

I have been on Maintenance for many many months and I do NOT eat starches and whole grains. Why? Cause starch in particular had me addicted. Dr A said a person on Maintenance CAN have these things, but he also said if a person has a trigger food they probably should NOT eat it anymore. For me that was potatoes. Furthermore, I don't eat starch or whole grains cause I feel totally bloated and CRAPPY when I do. And it isn't worth it to eat them just because I 'can'.. if I feel like CRAP when I do.

When you get to Maintenance and maintain for months, then talk to me about what you are eating and why. If something makes you feel crappy, maybe its not the best thing to eat. It bothers me to hear someone who is not yet at Maintenance question or criticize a Maintainer's menu choices. When you get there and stay there THEN you'll know what its like.

For me Maintenance is not something to play around with. I take it seriously, like life or death cause that's what it is. My dad had diabetes and at times his sugar was 700! And he DID die from diabetes complications. Which is exactly why I pursued low carb with such a vengeance and as long as I am conscious and can control what goes in my mouth I will eat low carb. I have never gone off plan since starting this WOE.

Maintenance does allow me to play around with foods and I am grateful for it. But I know what makes me feel like crap and what doesn't. That's what it boils down to. Now that the weight is gone, what foods make me feel crappy vs feel great is what I focus on.

[not2late]

I have tried to get ttdriver to answer my question as to whether or not she eats whole grains and/or any starch veggies. But I can't get an answer. On lifetime maintenance, these foods are allowed in quantities appropriate for a person's metabolism. Just as Atkins' followers are concerned about those who don't follow the diet to one extreme - and then complain because they can't lose, we should be concerned about those who don't follow it to the other extreme.

When you get to lifetime maintenance, the foods you choose to eat are up to you. You have the option to eat whole grains, fruits, starchy veggies, legumes, nuts, and the usual Induction foods. But you aren't required to eat them. You devise a diet that suits both your nutritional needs and your tastebuds needs.

In fact, once you move onto the OWL phase, your diet opens up 100 fold.
That's the key: Induction isn't the only phase of the Atkins diet. Clearly Dr. Atkins knew that 1. you need variety in your diet to keep up with it long term and 2. you need a diet that supplies you with a balance of vitamins and minerals while you continue to lose weight. The OWL phase does exactly that. But for some misguided reason, OWL gets a bad reputation that weight loss slows to a crawl and folks become carb-phobic. And that's too bad, because in the time I've been on this board, I've noticed that the people who fall off this diet tend to be the ones who stay on Induction longer than they should have.

[Peterlock]

Hi Folks, :wave

I just want to chime in here with a few thoughts of my own.

First off, Thank you Betty for originating such an important thread and making such important observations about the state or rather burgeoning size of our country.

And second and perhaps on a more personal note I think you're an inspiration to anyone, regardless of body size that Atkins is a health based WOL for everyone no matter what size or shape.

Dr. Atkins knew more than thirty years ago that our food pyramid was based on a lie. A lie bought and paid for by political back scratching and corporate greed - and he had the foresight to see the deadly consequences of the national problem of obesity long before it reached epidemic proportions.

With 65% of Americans classified as obese - resulting in diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke, colon cancer, post-menopausal breast cancer, endometrial cancer, gall bladder-disease, osteoarthritis, and obstructive sleep apnea and dozens of other life threatening diseases - Obesity taxes our already compromised health system a whopping 92.6 Billion Dollars.

Those issues aside, it's my belief that the overwhelming majority of over weight people don't understand that they're addicted to sugar and addicted to carbohydrates.

Dr. Atkins considered refined sugar "the most insidious drug on the planet" - and as a recovered addict on many fronts I can tell you he was right on the money.

Atkins is more than a "diet" it's more than a means to an end or a way to reach a desired goal weight, It is in fact a detox and recovery program designed and proven to shatter addictions, re structure eating habits and save lives - and it accomplishes all of this regardless of body size, shape or weight.

Peter ha

[Elizellen]

But for some misguided reason, OWL gets a bad reputation that weight loss slows to a crawl and folks become carb-phobic.

And one of our mods reported recently she was eating 100 carbs a day and STILL losing weight!! :yikes