Atkins Diet: a dangerous 'diet'

[malatesta1137]

I am no doctor, but what I do know is that I lost 30 pounds in the last 45 days.

I lost weight by basically eating just carbs. Steamed veggies, cereal and lots of fruit. Tuna and salmon are allowed. Lots of water and a lot of walking also helped. I am about 15 pounds from my ideal weight and I feel great.

Two months ago, I was desperate. I was 245 and not a single pair of pants in my closet fit. So desperate that I went on Atkins for 2 weeks, against my friends' advice, my best judgment and common sense.

I followed the diet religiously and at the end of the 2 weeks I was 246, that's right, I gained one pound.

I never felt more disgusted with what I had to eat: eggs, beef, pork, cheese, chicken and heavy cream, all those things that a 5 yo. knows are bad for your blood pressure, cholesterol level and are known to be the cause of cancer in some humans. I was always irregular, in a bad mood and my apartment smelled of fried food.

There are also questions flying around about how Dr. Atkins, the creator of the diet, actually died. I don't think the autopsy was made public and I don't buy that 'fall' thing. Later we found out that he had a history of heart problems.

I just want to warn you people here on DU. Don't make the same mistake I made, the Atkins diet is a scam, you can lose ALL the weight you want by eating ONLY healthy food and by moderately exercising.

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Hope you fit into your asbestos pants

Congrats on the weight loss!!

Just saying to be prepared to be flamed...

Atkins threads are always a battle royale in which everyone loses.

[Deja Q]

2. That's what I've been doing! (Not Atkins, something sensible...)

Steamed vegetables (steamed retains most of the vitamin goodness)

tuna/chicken/lean meats, tohugh I do eat some ground turkey

water chestnuts

cheese

milk

Eating many small meals throughout the day, usually nothing after 8PM and varying the caloric intake during each meal helps keep the body to simply continue burning fat and avoid going into a set pattern - this is purportedly crucial and so far it rings true.

(Eating too many egg whites causes a choline deficiency so eggs are not always good)

Complex carbs release energy slowly and are beneficial (unbleached whole grain bread and rice are two examples). Processed, refined, and pure sugars are simple carbs and are the ones to be avoided. Carbs are necessary, to cut them down drastically is not good.

I've been drinking more and not wizzing more, so I know the water is helping in musclular growth.

And I exercise: At least 3 sessions per week, each session 20+ minutes and I've already increased the resistance setting on my elliptical trainer!

So maybe it's not Diabetes or HIV (I still can't fathom why I have a constant headache but it improves when I eat...)

[Dookus]

3. enough of this bullshit

every day there's a thread by an ignorant ass who thinks he has all the answers.

The fact is, a low-carb diet does wonders for SOME people's blood cholesterol levels. After one month on it, my good cholesterol doubled from 24 to 49, bad cholesterol went from 220 to 160 and my triglycerides went from over 700 to 250.

Recent published studies support the idea that a low-carb diet is good for your heart.

[malatesta1137]

7. maybe for a mutant carbs are bad

as for me, I'd rather stop eating dead carcasses.

[Dookus]

8. lousy argument

why not read the published research that backs up my claim instead of making a juvenile comment?

[malatesta1137]

15. LOL for centuries it had been proved that

high fat diets are just as dangerous to humans as radioactive waste. Who are you kidding with this 'published research' BS? Who sponsored it, Dr. Atkins' widow?

[Dookus]

27. another lousy argument

You can prove NONE of what you assert.

Go look up the research. It's real.

[TopesJunkie]

29. None!? As in all?

All right, you asked for it!

:puke:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

[Dookus]

31. Please

You're making a lot of baseless factual assertions and not backing them up with anything. You'll have to do better than that if you want to be taken seriously.

[malatesta1137]

32. you keep following

scam artist Atkins and eating your cancerous fat. Just don't say you haven't been warned.

[Dookus]

35. again

more baseless crap.

First, you don't even seem to know what Atkins is about. Second, you make a lot of bad assertions about the health effects of non-vegetarian diets.

You're simply unqualified to have this discussion if you won't even educate yourself on the basics.

[malatesta1137]

36. LOL you are oblivious to evidence

Atkins himself had a history of heart problems and was OVERWEIGHT when he died, what other evidence do you need?

I not only researched Atkins, I WENT ON the diet, and found out for myself that it's SCAM, made for lazy people who want an easy way out.

Keep eating junk and get back to me in 3 years, if you're still able to get to your computer without a crane, that is.

[Dookus]

39. well

why not learn something before shooting off your mouth?

You have yet to provide a single piece of evidence for any of your assertions.

Do you know WHY Atkins was overweight when he died? Do you know how much he weighed the vast majority fo his adult life? Do you know anything about the published research I mentioned? Do you know anything?

[malatesta1137]

45. what I do know is that

Atkins lied, and Atkins continues to lie, even from his grave.

He was an overweight con-artist and most probably died from heart failure. His legacy to humanity is a cancerous diet that will kill thousands. Please see the light and stop eating carcasses before it's too late.

[TopesJunkie]

20. We're all mutants!

Even you!

Food fight! Food fight!

Got ya!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

[bloodyjack]

48. would you prefer living carcasses?

:P

[Deja Q]

9. Each one of us has a different metabolism...

Each diet plan, fad or not, has some benefits. A person should see a competent Doctor (hah!) and get properly checked out to determine what sort of plan each of us should go on.

Sadly, my doctor just didn't care (so why everyone says to consult a doctor first is beyond me :eyes: ) so I did things on my own. Though I often have headaches and came close to losing consciousness once, my body has mostly adjusted to the onslaught of exercise and eating pattern I'd given it at once.

The day I nearly lost consciousness, I called the clinic. They thought I was having a PANIC ATTACK because I just started taking zoloft, whose side-effects were identical to what I was experiencing. They said I needed to stay around people and take more of the drug. (bzzt, they were WRONG. Fucking overpriced quacks... they ask for your ID at check-in but then they never bother to read all of the records on your file!)

[TopesJunkie]

18. Doctors don't have the time -

Get a referral to a nutritionist, or better yet, a nurse-nutritionist or nurse practitioner. Check references first, of course. And do your own homework, of course.

Ah, heck. Do what you want. What do I know?

FOOD FIGHT!

[7th_Sephiroth]

34. everybodies body and metabolisim work differently

i lost weight on the atkins diet, i know people who haventif it doesent work, try something else

[KG]

4. it didn't work for you, so that makes it 'dangerous'?

:eyes:

[Deja Q]

6. I concur. Atkins does work for some, but there is a legitimate danger...

I'm worried about the amount of fats in many meats and bacon and such that would lead to other problems; Dr. Atkin's cholesterol level was horrendously high at the time of his death. If he didn't fall, he would have had a heart attack or stroke anyway.

[Dookus]

10. really?

tell me what his cholesterol level was at the time of his death.

[Deja Q]

22. You win.

http://www.pritikin.com/eperspective/specialissues/pritikinatkins/

http://www.pritikin.com/testingserver/eperspective/aprmay04/pritikinAtkins.htm

And other sites say similar things. Others say quite the contrary. only know that eating too much fat and grease is bad, you can mock me all you want.

I could have sworn that information had been released. (funny how I can't find that particular info on the net...) However, Dr. A was 258 pounds at the time of his death. Given his height, 6.0 feet tall, he was rather OBESE. He also had a history of heart problems. Assuming he ate what he preached (bacon'n'butter), he was doing himself few favors.

As for bullshit, we can go on with this childish bickering forever. Like I said in other posts, had you bothered to read outside your box, I said different diets work for different people and anybody who wants to start one ought to talk to their doctor (which is what everyone says, but we also have to assume their doctor is going to LISTEN.)

[TopesJunkie]

25. Food fight!

Yeah, the 'net is becoming increasingly worthless when it comes the validity of the information available. Alas, we all have to go back to the library! Go outside and see other people!

I can't do it, man!

Fooooooood FIGHT!

[Dookus]

30. How on Earth did I mock you?

I asked you what Atkins' cholesterol level was at the time of his death. You asserted it was dangerously high.

As to his weight, you realize he was on powerful steroids for awhile before he died, right? They can cause massive weight-gain.

His weight stayed in the 180s for most of his adult life.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

5. Prepare yourself for the Atkins flamefest.

Most people have the mistaken notion that Atkins is all meat and no fruits/veggies. Also, it is the diabetic diet, and most Americans are insulin-sensitive, therefore it works for people who are insulin/diabetic sensitive. I lost 35 lbs doing Atkins, and I still follow the plan, which does include whole grains, vegetables and fruits. When I eat refined sugar and white flour, I feel like shit.

[DS1]

13. What she said.

I skimmed the book. Halfway through I put it down, it's not about ketosis and induction and all that, it all boils down to common sense. Eating smaller amounts of nutritious foods instead of plates upon plates of pasta/rice/etc. The induction is merely there to kickstart the weightloss and get the (let's say people who don't or can't exercise) users to see a sudden improvement and hopefully keep going.

There's a reason you can buy enough pasta to fill the bellies of a family of six for one dollar, there just isn't much in it.

Walk. Use the stairs. Skip the candy and soda. The pounds will go away in time.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

17. Exercise helps but may people never lose weight

if they're carb-sensitive. I know more people who have had success on Atkins, and you're right that the book is mostly common sense. Portion control. Fresh Fruits and vegetables. No refined carbs like white sugar and white flour. And the Atkins convenience foods are to be used in moderation. The bars are a lifesaver when I travel and there's only crappy fast food available.

[TopesJunkie]

19. I know you are, but what am I?

F-f-f-f-f-f-fOOOD! FIGHT!

[Kathy in Cambridge]

24. Yeah, whatevah

:eyes:

[TopesJunkie]

26. Hey, FOOOOOD FIGHT!

Roll those at this!

:argh:

[Dookus]

33. topes...

we get the idea already. You're becoming disruptive.

[HuckleB]

37. Umm. This is the lounge. It's all about disruption.

Chill. 'Topes did nothing wrong. In fact, his responses were probably the most appropriate ones on this thread.

Now I'm sure you'll get all defensive, but I don' care.

[Dookus]

38. no, not all defensive

just point out that making the same comment repeatedly in the same thread is sorta disruptive. I understand how he feels. He doesn't need to say the same thing repeatedly.

[HuckleB]

40. Whatever you say.

[Dookus]

41. *shrug*

Do you have a point to make?

[TopesJunkie]

11. Food fight! Food fight!

:freak:

[onebigbadwulf]

12. It's all in how you approach it

Yes if you approach a low carb diet with no exercise, no fiber, no vitamins, and eat only high salt/fat/cholesterol foods of course you're going to have problems!

But if you approach a low carb diet with exercise, water, vitamins/minerals, lots of vegetables/fiber, and lean meat it will do wonders.

There are no such things as "essential carbs" but there are many essential fats and amino acids. Given this - a zero carb diet is inherently harmless.

The problem with Atkins is that it implies "high fat/ high cholesterol" is okay. Well it's not. It never is.

I've been on a lean meat and veggie diet for 2 weeks now and feel great. I'll keep you updated on my progress as I strive toward getting my 6-pack back.

[TopesJunkie]

14. Them's fighting foods!

Atkins schmatkins! Fruit schmuit! Vegetable schmegetable! Carbo schmarbo! Fad schmad!

[TopesJunkie]

16. Lude food dude!

OK. Yeah, there are worse things than Atkins. Still, why would anyone lose weight via something based on great marketing rather than something truly based on the best science? That's what boggles my mind about the whole Atkins thing.

Food fight! Food fight!

I'm right! I'm right!

:)

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahaha!

Nannynannynanah!

:bounce:

[Zomby Woof]

21. spoo

Er fiel in einen Narrenstall.
Da rauscht ein zäher Wasserfall.
Da sank ein zäher Gummiball.
Er aß von seinem Widerhall.
Da gab er seinen zähen Knall.
Wer gab da seinen zähen Knall?
Der zähe Gummiwasserfall?
So endete der zähe Prall
Im allgemeinen Knall und Fall:
Von Arp und Merz in diesem Fall.
So springt ein zäher Wasserball.

[Deja Q]

23. That's high in protein, you know!

:D

[TopesJunkie]

28. What kind of protein?

Whole grain or processed?

[Susang]

42. Dr Atkins-dead at 72, Marlon Brando-dead at 80

Oh, the irony! }(

<ducking and covering>

[SmileyBoy]

43. Thank you!!!

I don't buy into the Atkins-bullshit craze either. I think if you keep up the diet enough, you can cause REAL cardiovascular problems in your body. (cholestoral, heart disease, hypertension, etc.)

It's all a marketing scam.

[angee_is_mad]

44. Keep politics out of Diets....pleaseeeeeeeeeeeee

I lost over 50lbs on Atkins and did not suffer any of the side effects. Not even the bad breath. I guess every individual is different. I just wish some people will keep politics out of diets.
I respect anyone who has a vegetarian lifestyle and hopefully they can respect my meat loving lifestyle.
Oh, did I mention that I look good? Damn good in fact! I wish you continue success on your diet and I am glad that you found the right ONE for you.

[tcfrogs]

46. Wife lost 35 lbs on Atkins

But, she also had some prescription help from her doctor. She has been very devoted to the no-carb principles, so I don't know whether it was just that or the meds. Either way, I'm happy for her.

[leftofthedial]

47. I am on the Chet Atkins diet

you know, the one where you just pick at your food.