A new medical danger

[chperplt]

One that hasn't been touched on is the damage that a high protien diet can do to your kidneys.

The South Beach plan tells you that any dairy product you eat should be low fat and should be part-skim. He addresses the kidney issue and says that it isn't a problem. I went a step further and talked with my family doctor as well as my father-in-law, who is a MD as well. Both say there have been zero links to kidney problems.

Even the Atkins gang is coming out and saying that their old school thinking was wrong. CNN ran a story on TV yesterday talking about the change. They are coming inline with the South Beach plan. Avoid sugars and eat lean meats. Plenty of veggies and eat the fruits that have a low sugar content, and are fibrous.

 

[SkywayFO]

Lets face it it is simple math the go on a diet. Eat less calories than you burn in a day = smaller waist line.

 

[chperplt]

Eat less calories than you burn in a day = smaller waist line.

That's the old school of thought, and it makes sense... Not when you think about it though. You have to eat the right foods that will put your body chemistry in order.

People on Atkins take in far more calories per day than they burn and still lose weight.

 

[Flyforyou]

For those against Atkins, I haven't heard of anyone who has died because they stopped eating refined flour and sugar. Granted, you don't want to eat bacon and steak every day, but I don't think Atkins has ever encouraged this for long term. Just for the first two weeks to get you into ketosis. Just as important, eliminate all trans-fats(partially hydrogenated anything), high fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners(except for Splenda). Trust me, trying to eliminate just these three things from your shopping cart will be very challenging at the supermarket. I started Atkins over a year ago and have dropped and kept off 30 lbs. By the way, it was my AME who suggested it... good luck and keep moving!

 

[Crizz]

It seems there is alot of misconceptions on both sides of the table regarding the low carb craze. I'm not going to debate, but simply share my experience.

One year ago I weighed 342 lbs. I am 6'4". I wore 44" pants. I was convinced that my weight and physical makeup were simply heredetary and i had little control over it. Over casual conversation one day it was suggested how powerful sugar is with respect to your bodys tendancy to store fat versus burn it. I decided from that point forward I would try to limit as much sugar as possible. I cut all pop and juice from my diet, and started to drink large amounts of water and tea. By August I had dropped about 40 lbs and weighed right around 300 lbs. After many people had suggested it, I decided to go on Atkins. This morning I was 263 and am losing between a half pound and a pound a day. Some may say that atkins isnt healthy. However, I cant much imagine that having the 80 lbs I have shed on my body is very healthy either.

I feel the best I ever have. I sleep way better at night, and wake up feeling rested and not tired. I can honestly say that it has been life changing and has been the best thing I have ever done. Hearing "are you losing weight" and "you look great" is enormous motivation to keep on going.

I will say that drinking a ridiculous amount of water is key. As is taking a multi-vitamin supplement every day.

The only gripe I have is the fact that it is hard to be away from home and maintain the diet.


I have a couple questions for you people that seem very educated in nutrition.

What kind of foods can I introduce into my diet that are "good carbs"? Typically I will eat an omlette in the morning and chicken/beef for dinner. Side dish has been almost exclusively green beans. I cant stand salad no matter how many times I force myself to try.

Just looking for some more creative ideas to give a try.

Thanks for the great information guys!

 

[wil]

How come people will mention they heard from Doc so and so the Atkins is hard on the kidneys, etc and yet fail to acknowledge the Dr. Atkins was a heart surgeon!!! If you read his book you will see that his plan is a return to the way we ate in Biblical times and before.

The Sacchrine disease has been proven!! All societies that introduce refined grains and white flour, sugar have high rates of obesity and diabetes!

You may exercise and look great but if you load up on refined carbs and sugar, corn syrup and the like you will end up in a early grave or loose an appendage to diabetes.

Please read the book before you make judgements.

 

[WileE]

Hey Crizz.

Good to hear the diet's been working for you. I would really recommend getting the book (either Atkins or South Beach). You seem to have gotten yourself right into the mid stages of both diet without help, but if you read the books you'll find a lot of foods that are better for you to eat than sticking with what you've described.

There are lots of great recipes in both books that taste really good. You can also find tons of good recipes on the atkins website. I think investing a few bucks in the books will increase the enjoyment you have in your diet incredibly. There are a lot of recipes on the atkins website as well.

Another good thing is that there are a lot of low carb foods starting to appear in the regular supermarket (and I'm not talking about beer).