Top Diets....You have to read this!

[spazzyhilo]

"Don't do it, it is too harsh and you'll get shingles"

I love knowing what diseases i'm going to get from this way of eating from non-medical professionals who don't know what they're talking about - makes me feel so much better knowing how i'm going to die due to my eating

[snorkelman]

the CR report has some food for thought. A LOT of people have trouble sticking to Atkins. Just look at how many people are posting about starting over or falling off the wagon.

Also, CR's report has valid comments concerning not eating enough fruits. Just look at this website. There is an entire section dedicated to EXTENDED induction. Even those who move on from induction have a severe fruit limitation in their diet.

I don't think it is effective to be close-minded. If Atkins works for you, great, but keep an open mind. For example, we should all be concerned about the long-term effects of extended induction.

Just think how much we hate it when others are close-minded to our WOE. Likewise, we too should be open-minded to the CR comments and criticism.

[cleochatra]

People have trouble sticking to many things, including truthfulness, fidelity, and integrity. I mean, look at how many people lie, cheat on their spouses and take what isn't theirs.

It doesn't mean those virtues are in themselves questionable just as it doesn't make Atkins questionable simply because people don't find it the easy way out.

The things worth fighting for are never easy. And the myth lies therein that diets should be easy, when really it's a lifestyle.

So I'm agreeing to disagree, but respect your opinion, snorkelman.

[ttdriver]

the person from the other department straight away came up with the most riduclous response I have heard to date:
"Don't do it, it is too harsh and you'll get shingles"

NOW *THAT* TAKES THE CAKE!! WHAT A HOOT!

Betty

[not2late]

the CR report has some food for thought. A LOT of people have trouble sticking to Atkins. Just look at how many people are posting about starting over or falling off the wagon.

Also, CR's report has valid comments concerning not eating enough fruits. Just look at this website. There is an entire section dedicated to EXTENDED induction. Even those who move on from induction have a severe fruit limitation in their diet.

I don't think it is effective to be close-minded. If Atkins works for you, great, but keep an open mind. For example, we should all be concerned about the long-term effects of extended induction.

Just think how much we hate it when others are close-minded to our WOE. Likewise, we too should be open-minded to the CR comments and criticism.

CR's analysis only deals with Induction and OWL and they misrepresent OWL ignoring the other foods you can add on, such as nuts, more veggies (higher and lower carb), legumes and other dairy. CR's report doesn't evaluate the entire Atkins program. What they did was akin to looking at a family of 4 children and judging character of those 4 children on the 1 child in juvenile detention and the other child in drug rehab.

Here's the first blurb about Atkins on page 18

The Atkins diet worked very well in the short term, with results at least as good as our other top-rated diets. But its nutritional deficiencies---too much fat and saturated fat, too little fiber, too few fruits---depressed its overall Rating and might have a negative effect on some dieter's health.

As for the "too much fat" part, that's debateable because the "Lipid Theory" that everyone clings to was based on "The Seven Countries" study by Ancel Keys---that study is internally flawed because Keys cherry-picked his data to prove his hypothesis that dietary fat was directly related to the incidence of heart disease. If Keys used the data from the 21 countries availabe to him, his hypothesis would be proven incorrect.

The too much "saturated fat"---again, that's debateable too. Beef, pork, shellfish and poultry contain less than 50% "saturated fats". Moreover there isn't a study that proves saturated fat increases heart disease or impacts your health negatively. Even the Framingham study showed that the people who ate more fat had fewer cardiovascular events than the people who didn't.

"Too little fiber"---depends on how you choose to build your menu. If you choose to eat the lower fiber vegetables, then you reap what you sow. If you choose to eat the higher fiber ones, with supplementation you'll be getting the 20 grams of fiber.

"Too few fruit"---If you define fruit botanically, then avocadoes, cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, olives, peppers, and all the other "vegetables" on the Induction list that contains seeds are fruits. Moreover nutritionally, you can find a "vegetable" or vegetable combination that will have the same nutritional profile as an apple, pear, banana, etc. Again, it depends on how you choose to construct your menu. If you construct one of 3 cups of lettuce daily and add on another 5 net carbs of lettuce during OWL, you certainly won't be getting the amount of nutritional benefits as if you choose to eat a variety of the vegetables on that list.

Extended Induction is an option, not a mandate. In fact, the only people who Dr. Atkins said can benefit from an extended Induction are those folks with a high metabolic resistance to weight loss. Unfortunately, folks tend to look at Induction as the "only" weight loss phase of Atkins--a quick fix---so they never get to move on and enjoy a wider variety of food or a more complete nutritional profile. If they want to sacrifice "quick weight loss" for crappy nutrition, that's up to them. I don't even bother getting involved in those threads anymore because after getting called an "Atkin ****" or called some other disparaging epithet for giving advice "by the book", I've realized that some people don't care about their overall health---they only care about squeezing into a size 2 pair of jeans.

[Nutri_Nut]

Slim Fast???

How ridiculous to claim that a diet that promotes eating or drinking two sugar- and hydrogenated fat-laden bars or shakes a day and one "sensible" meal is the number TWO diet!!!! And nutritionists aren't balking at this concept, yet they claim a diet filled with lots of veggies, fruit, whole grains, and protein is "bad" for you??

Who wants to bet PETA is some how behind this?? That's what I have discovered every time I investigate this kind of nonsense.

[G-Mom]

the CR report has some food for thought. A LOT of people have trouble sticking to Atkins. Just look at how many people are posting about starting over or falling off the wagon.

Also, CR's report has valid comments concerning not eating enough fruits. Just look at this website. There is an entire section dedicated to EXTENDED induction. Even those who move on from induction have a severe fruit limitation in their diet.

I don't think it is effective to be close-minded. If Atkins works for you, great, but keep an open mind. For example, we should all be concerned about the long-term effects of extended induction.

Just think how much we hate it when others are close-minded to our WOE. Likewise, we too should be open-minded to the CR comments and criticism.

People fall off the wagon on any weightloss diet, not just Atkins. I should think most folks would quit a low-fat diet before they would Atkins simply due to the lack of satiety. Low-fat diets lack fat, which typically makes foods taste better and when added to protein, helps satiate us. Not to mention the hunger stifling ketosis we experience. I don't know about any of you, but if I am not hungry, I don't feel the need to cheat (hormone fluctuations not-withstanding).

Regarding extended induction, Dr. A himself found no health detriment to an extended induction for those folks who are very obese. He said that as long as we have fat to lose, induction is fine. This being from the 1999 DANDR (the only copy I have). Fruit is not a requirement in the short-term, if you vary your veggies, but in the long-term, it should be.

[Momof3greatgirls]

For me, whie I have been on extended induction, I am eating much healthier than I did before Atkins. I did not eat fruit before, never really a fruit person. I eat healthy meats, calcium laden cheeses, bitamin and fiber rich veggies, lots of water. I eat more veggies now than I did before Atkins.

Amy

[Psymac]

You have to start to believe that many people live in their 'Carbohydrate Matrix' and don't want to come over to reality.

This is an addiction, and like all addictions, denial, rationalization, and minimization run rampant. There's so much easy money selling this 'sugar water'(ie, carbohydrates), the mainstream media isn't going to give it up so easily.

But that's OK, I've never felt better and had more energy![/b]