A new medical danger

[WileE]

The formulas are okay

To a point, but if anyone really wants the best way to measure your percent body fat (unless they've come up with something new recently that I don't know about) then it's the immersion test. What they do is measure how much water you displace when you float in a tub of water. They then use that figure to calculate your percentage of body fat. Problem is it's hard to find a health club or clinic that has the equipment and training to do the test.

 

[SaladShooter]

The water test for body fat is a great test, I would also recommend a high quality electrical test for body fat to go with it. Once you have those two tests done you can get a caliper test and see how much the overall error is and then figuire out a formula to correct the caliper test in the future. The reason that is a good idea is that the caliper test is realitivly inexpensive compared to the two other tests and can be done quite easy. If you are lucky your gym has great deals on body fat tests and you can have all three done for about 150 bucks.

I will admit I have never read the Adkins diet but I have read alot of research about it in my wifes monthly peroidicals that is pucblished by the American Dietitic Association. The problem they see with the Adkins diet is Americans always think that if low carbs is good for you no carbs is even better. If a little fat is good for you alot of fat is great for you. It does not work that way. Just remember all you are doing in this diet and others is redistrubuting where the calories are coming from. A carb has more calories than a fat or protein so if you cut down on carbs you cut down on the overall calories you intake.

I also admit I have never been on a diet in my life, if I see I am overweight I just pump out a few more miles on my bike each and every day and it comes off quite quickly. In addition I try to avoid high fructose corn syrup as it is nothing more than empty calories, that means no to little soda. But as they say different strokes for different folks, just do what works for you and just make sure you stay healthy as your job depends on it.

Nice to see an adult discussion on this web site for once.

By the way anybody road bikers, I mean bicycling, living in NOVA I am trying to get together a weekly ride once the weather warms up. Just PM me and we can try to work out a little peleton for the spring.

 

[WileE]

Actually

A carb calorie is the same as a fat calorie, it's just a unit of measurement. It's just that the body has to expend energy to extract those calories from the food. In the case of fats the body expends more energy to metabolize them into a useable form that it does simple carbohydrates, which are metabolized into glucose very easily. You can actually eat more calories of a fatty diet than a carb diet and end up with fewer net carbs. Its called metabolic advantage.

Of course there are some fats you should avoid completely, such as hydrogenated fats and trans fats. They have no place in either diet. Also total calories from fat as opposed to protein and carbs should not exceed 20% of your total. The biggest advantage of consuming the proper fats in your diet is that they make you feel full quicker and taste better, meaning it's easier to stay on this kind of diet.

I believe you are dead on accurate that a lot of people claiming to be on the Atkins diet have not researched the diet at all and have no clue about how to go about it properly. It's that kind of half-arsed approach that get them in trouble. The biggest problem with organizations like the ADA is that they are an institution that has been highly invested in their philosophy of weight loss for decades. Trying to get an organization such as that to change is pretty difficult, there will be lots of resistance to any new ideas that would force them to admit that they could have been wrong all along. Some of these groups are more accepting of the new studies that find the low-carb approach both healthy and effective and some are not.

It sounds to me that you are one of those guys blessed with a good metabolizism and a great work ethic as far as exercise goes. Just be careful as you get older, metabolisms tend to slow down (**CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** it all) and you may find that you have to keep adding more and more miles to your routine to stay at the same weight. Not necessarily a bad thing but you should keep it in mind. Some people are affected more than others.

 

[chperplt]

If you read the South Beach Diet, the Dr. there is saying that by eating a low carb (good carb), low fat diet, you are allowing the proper amounts of insulin to be produced at the proper time. By doing this, your body turns off the "I need to store food" switch, and turns on the "It's time to burn this fat" switch.

He says that most people who's body chemistry is messed up carry most of their weight around their midsection. (That's me!!)
He calls them prediabetic and prone to heart problems.

Like I said in my earlier post, I'm dropping about 1 to 1.5 lbs each day so far. Most of the weight has come off my midsection. The true test will be 6, 9, 12 months from now, but I think as far as losing weight the proper way, this is the best "plan" I've seen so far. I've been on Atkins, Pritikin, and all others.

 

[cmonkey]

As said the low carb, high protien diets are great for quick weight loss, but there are downsides. One that hasn't been touched on is the damage that a high protien diet can do to your kidneys. After talking to a urologist and other Dr.'s they say that breaking down protein in high amounts causes excessive work for your kidneys. In addition to this some of the foods, ie cheeses and protien shakes mixed with milk, are high in calcium. Most males have gotten all of the calcium needed for development by the end of their teens and as such excessive amounts afterwards are just that, excessive. This MAY lead to kidney stones, which as anyone who has had them will tell you are not pleasant. Not to mention from a pilot's stand point an additional pain due to medical certification concerns. Most of us eat poorly due to quick turns or financial concerns, but drinking plenty of water during the day, steering clear of too fast food, along with exercise can go a long way in terms of how we feel overall now and in the long run. Not that it will make a 0500 show any less painful.

 

[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).