Atkins, Shmatkins -- fad diets are all the same

[gotbeer]

Atkins, Shmatkins -- fad diets are all the same

link to article (http://www.thenews-messenger.com/news/stories/20040122/localnews/276790.html)

A lot of people have been asking me about my thoughts on the widely popular "it" diet of the moment, the Atkins diet.

Actually, no one's asked me, but I'll tell you that, for what it's worth, this "diet," once a semi-interesting dinner table and talk-show conversation item has officially slipped into the abyss of cliché and is spiraling dangerously toward being a full-fledged, overexposed marketing tool.

There.

The idea of throwing out the window the traditional weight-loss rhetoric of expending more calories than you take in through exercise and a balanced diet had turned Dr. Atkins into the fifth Beatle before his sudden death last year.

Now all of a sudden, Dr. Atkins is Van Gogh as the regard with which he was held by his contemporaries has just gone through the roof since he died.

Case in point, when Dr. Atkins was still alive I'm sure it had never crossed the mind of any bigwig at the Burger King corporate think tank in Miami to begin offering bunless Whoppers as an actual menu item.

Now, the science of the Atkins diet is pretty simple: Eliminating carbohydrates from your diet will send your body into a state of ketosis during which it will begin burning fat for energy.

Seems logical enough. Medical research is now telling us that Dr. Atkins wasn't such a quack after all, that the diet actually has some merit to it.

But is medical research telling that man or woman in your office who's dropped a few pounds on Atkins to say, "do you have any idea how many carbs are in that sub?" while they proudly throw their pizza crusts in the trash? Is it telling Hardees to serve its sourdough melt sans the sourdough and between two pieces of lettuce? Or worse yet, is it telling every marketing wizard in the country to trot out all of their bogus, "hip" commercials with flashing colors, rapid camera shots and hip-hop jingles to advertise some boring, mediocre, low-carb wrap-thingy?

No.

I haven't read that report yet.

Which brings me back to this bunless Whopper.

Burger King has launched a full-scale advertising blitz to promote this silly idea that its customers are completely incapable of removing their own bun from their own damn sandwich.

They'll tell you it's because they feel that they need to offer their loyal customers a "nutritional" alternative to the usual fries, onion rings, calorie-loaded sodas -- and especially those evil buns. (I'm thinking that if you're a loyal customer of Burger King, a four-inch bun on your Whopper is the least of your worries. You might want to rethink your commitment to Dr. Atkins' holy diet if you're still running out to BK a few times a week for a Whopper -- bun or not.)

What they mean to tell you is that they feel they need to offer their loyal customers whatever they need to offer them to keep them coming in as the fast food nation suddenly looks down at its collective love handle and gets a temporary (aren't all diets temporary?) conscience.

Who knows, maybe the bunless burger will change the face of the fast food industry. Maybe you'll look around the U.S. in a couple years and we'll all be as thin as Frenchmen, sucking down turkey-wraps like they're Big Macs.

I doubt it, but for you Atkins devotees, enjoy it while it lasts. Once this latest ploy runs its course, you'll have to start taking off the buns yourself again.

Jack Buehrer's column appears every Thursday on the Go! Weekly page. Contact him at 419-334-1050 or jbuehrer~fremont.gannett.com.

Originally published Thursday, January 22, 2004

[TBoneMitch]

Man, why such animosity?
Quit being such an asshole and LOOK UP your facts before commenting.

[katwoman]

Am I wrong or are fast food chains still also serving burgers with the buns. It's not like those who don't lc have to bring their own bun. Why shouldn't those of us who choose to lc have some convenience?

Also, I have personally never asked anyone if they know how many grams of carbs are in something they are choosing to eat. I wonder what the real issue is here?

[Bugspit]

I dont think gotbeer was being an ass,but he just posted a link that he read.

[gotbeer]

I took TBoneMitch's comments as directed against the author of the article, not me personally.

Not that I care - I've been called much worse. ;)

[Nancy LC]

Yeah, we all make fun of the authors of the articles gotbeer posts, not him!

I wonder if this author would find it perfectly acceptable to replace the burger with a high-carb veggie burger? Probably. :p

[K Walt]

Heck, don't shoot the messenger. Gotbeer somehow gathers a lot of stuff for us to peruse, contradict, and fuss over. It's not that he agrees with all this drivel.

Personally, I LIKE reading throught he things he uncovers -- even if some of it (most of it) is brain-numb nonsense.

[DWRolfe]

Um, hey...I don't think anyone here was directing comments at gotbeer...only at the asshole who wrote the stupid, uninformed article.

It amazes me that he actually got paid to write such crap.

[gotbeer]

Personally, I LIKE reading throught he things he uncovers -- even if some of it (most of it) is brain-numb nonsense.

Indeed, I think it is important to reveal the "brain-numb nonsense", for several reasons:

1. This group is stunningly adept at engaging and refuting the nonsense.

2. Members of this group frequently go back to the media source of the nonsense with complaints and they often win corrections for their efforts.

3. Newbies often want and need to see the latest rubbish engaged and refuted.

4. Nonsense left unchecked can fester.

The Atkins diet was dismissed as nonsense for decades - no one would engage it, they just ignored it. If only they had studied it, the current obesity epidemic might have been stopped before it ever started.

I love the "feel-good-about-Atkins" articles but I recognize they don't advance our knowledge in the way that exposing and challenging the nonsense does.

[Lisa N]

but for you Atkins devotees, enjoy it while it lasts. Once this latest ploy runs its course, you'll have to start taking off the buns yourself again.

Goodness! Such hostility. It's not like you can't low carb without patronizing Burger King (or any other fast food corporation that is currently catering to the dietary preferences of low carbers). I don't think I've stepped foot in a fast food joint in over a year and have managed very nicely without it.
OTOH, what's it to him that several restaurant chains have chosen to give low carbers an option to keep them patronizing their establishments? Methinks someone was on a sugar crash and feeling crabby when he wrote that article. :lol:
I have yet to say to anyone in a horrified tone of voice (or any tone of voice for that matter), "Do you know how many carbs in in what you're eating???"

[adkpam]

Well, I THINK it, but I don't say it.
Every new idea has a hard time...from the planets revolving around the sun to Dr. Atkins.
It's discouraging though...did you ever notice, that when the news reports on something you know something about...that they always seem to get it wrong?
Chilling reality, that.

[ellemenno]

I really wonder where gotbeer finds these articles sometimes... ;)

The author sounds a little bitter, I think. How a wrap or a bunless burger could cause so much animosity is a mystery, though.

[TBoneMitch]

Hello everybody...as pointed out, I wasn'"t pointing my comment against GotBeer, but against the author of this rubbish!

[gotbeer]

No harm, no foul.

[riteymcgee]

Ladies and gentlemen of the low-carb kingdom:
Good morning. I'm the brain-numb author of the "Atkins Schmatkins" column that was recently posted to this wonderful forum by a gentleman who, I'm assuming, very unironically calls himself "gotbeer." I was recently told by a friend to check this thread out because of the hilarious attacks that were made as to my character, my knowledge of my subjects, my motives for writing this particular piece, etc. Before I go further, let's all give all praise to Atkins. First of all, as I write this, i'm ingesting a delicious Kelloggs Pop Tart (75 grams total carbs). But that's not important right now. Rather, I'd like to simply say: thank you for reading my obscure little column and giving me yet another idea to write about — the angst-ridden low-carber. Praise be to Atkins. And by the way, at 6'5'', 220 lbs, there are no "other issues" at work here as some have suggested. I was just airing out a grievance I have about this little fad (and that's exactly what it is) and, apparently, I've struck a nerve. Praise be to Atkins. Lovely. I welcome your retorts. Please, let the games begin. I'm off to eat a blooming onion.
Yours in The Zone,
Jack A. Buehrer
Gannett News Service
jbuehrer~fremont.gannett.com

ps. You were right, however ... the media is 100% wrong 99% of the time. And believe me, I'm well aware how "lucky" I am to get paid for this as someone seemed to doubt.

[adkpam]

Ahem...once again, the media does not address points brought up by other sources.

[nowonder]

Ladies and gentlemen of the low-carb kingdom:
Good morning. I'm the brain-numb author of the "Atkins Schmatkins" column that was recently posted to this wonderful forum by a gentleman who, I'm assuming, very unironically calls himself "gotbeer." I was recently told by a friend to check this thread out because of the hilarious attacks that were made as to my character, my knowledge of my subjects, my motives for writing this particular piece, etc. Before I go further, let's all give all praise to Atkins. First of all, as I write this, i'm ingesting a delicious Kelloggs Pop Tart (75 grams total carbs). But that's not important right now. Rather, I'd like to simply say: thank you for reading my obscure little column and giving me yet another idea to write about — the angst-ridden low-carber. Praise be to Atkins. And by the way, at 6'5'', 220 lbs, there are no "other issues" at work here as some have suggested. I was just airing out a grievance I have about this little fad (and that's exactly what it is) and, apparently, I've struck a nerve. Praise be to Atkins. Lovely. I welcome your retorts. Please, let the games begin. I'm off to eat a blooming onion.
Yours in The Zone,
Jack A. Buehrer
Gannett News Service
jbuehrer~fremont.gannett.com

ps. You were right, however ... the media is 100% wrong 99% of the time. And believe me, I'm well aware how "lucky" I am to get paid for this as someone seemed to doubt.

Thanks for dropping by. You are, of course, allowed your own opinions on subjects... But why does the existance of a low-carb option at a fast food joint anger you to the point of having to write about it? I don't see any of the high-carb options going away, so it's not like it is limiting your choice. Articles likes yours are not uncommon these days, and I'm just trying to understand the animosity behind it.

Thanks
--nw

[mrfreddy]

"I was just airing out a grievance I have about this little fad (and that's exactly what it is)"

um, how long does low carb need to be around for you to accept it as something more than a "fad?" 2 years? 3? 5? 10?

I think it's almost 2 years since the Taubes article in the times, and Atkins/low carbing is still spreading like wildfire around the planet, so...

...you won't mind if we remind you every year or so, will you?

[potatofree]

As for the convenience of the bunless burger... I just prefer not to waste food and make a bigger mess. <shrug> I doubt my discarded bun would keep a third-world child alive for a year or anything BIG, but I have a problem with throwing away food.

Maybe the author has the misfortune of being stuck in a cubicle next to one of those "Holy Rollers of Atkins". That would put a burr under my saddle too. Having been stuck in a carpool between an Herbalife distributor and a new convert to Weight Watchers, I could identify. I now drive alone.

[RCG]

It seems that Jack Buehrer's main beef (pun intended :)) was that Burger King is offering more food choices now. It boggles one mind to think that he should care if I eat a whopper minus the bun or not.

There has been a widely held opinion that one has to suffer in order to lose fat. When people see folks that have lost weight eating the way LC'ers do, I believe it makes them upset.

[PoofieD]

Oooh.. how brilliant you are Mister Author.
You put down the fact WE have more choices. You put down our diets.
And then to show us that its really just how stupid we are, that is causing us to be fat your eating the true diet of death, laden with sugar and bad fats, with evidence that your "skinny", even if you have the musculature of a ruler.
But hey.. OUR is the "Fad" diet.. right?
Stupid.

[riteymcgee]

First of all, PoofieD, how do you know about my ruler-esque musculature? Am I that transparent? Actually, it's more like that of a Bic pen, but, with any luck, the blooming onion and poptarts I've eaten thus far today will soon get me to that wheelbarrow-full-of-apples physique I've been coveting since I was a small boy in the flat plains of Northern Ohio. I'm also eating spoonfulls of Nesquick. Keep your fingers crossed!! Praise be to Atkins.

And no, I have no cubicle-neighbor souring me toward the low-carb diet...nor am I sour on the low-carb diet. I am but a simple columnist, with no intentions of engaging in a battle of wits with someone who calls themself "Poofie."

And to Mr. Freddy, I have no idea as to the statute of limitations on a "fad," but I do know that we wore bellbottoms for more than a couple years, and hair metal bands were around for about 6 or 7 years before they were ridiculed away. We are but specks on the timeline my friend. So, 2? 3? 5? 10 years? Go ahead and remind me every year if you'd like. But the next Subway commercial I see will probably save you the time and energy.

Live from South Beach,
Jack A. Buehrer
Gannett News Service

[charlene1]

Food for thought. Speaking of 'angst-ridden', I wonder if the steady intake of your carb-laden indulgences doesn't promote your hostile, bi-polar attitude towards this particular subject. I have not read your article, nor do I intend to, simply due to the fact that you obviously do not have an objective opinion even in this forum, or respect for the good it has done for thousands of people. What works for some may not work for others, and that is that. If you do not like the Atkins system or any low carb way of eating, then so be it. By all means, continue stuffing your face with donuts. While you are sleeping off your sugar-induced coma, we will continue to keep our good health and our happy dispositions. :D

[riteymcgee]

A couple of things:
First of all, look up the term "bipolar" ... I don't think it means what you think it means. Secondly, I Just ate 4 doughnuts in 4 minutes. My record is 8. Taking down two Krispy Kremes in a minute is damn near impossible, but I'm applying myself. And I've never actually been in a sugar-induced coma but it sounds exquisite. How can I achieve this?
I'm proud of you and admire you all very much.

[magnamater]

Hey. Mr. Buehrer, I gotta admire your verve and nerve when you posted:

"First of all, as I write this, i'm ingesting a delicious Kelloggs Pop Tart (75 grams total carbs). "

Now I know we are all supposed to salivate, get angst, and drop our low down low carbing ways because you dare bring to our minds such an idea of a Pop Tart, *drool*. . .not!

I got to say for the first time in my 56 year life, I don't even want the above food.

Sweeping the sugar out of my life was the best thing I have ever done.

Check back with me and a large group (in about 10-15 years) who have discovered LC as a WOL, more than a WOE!

[charlene1]

"I'm proud of you and admire you all very much" vs. "Bring it on!". (I think you should work on that in therapy) :p

Aside from that, I don't know what to make of what exactly you are trying to do here besides argue.... I am not mad at you and I do not hate you, I just think that your whole take on the lc thing is a little off (okay, a lot off). Speaking from my own personal experience, losing weight is more about the commitment you have to your own well-being than anything else. Nothing works unless you apply it in a consistent manner, including the very famous Subway diet. It has more to do with the willpower and dedication a person has than any so-called 'fad' diet. A fad, if I am not mistaken, is temporary and inconsistent with what many of us are trying to accomplish here. For argument's sake, working out could also be considered a 'fad'. Eliminating sugar from my diet is working for me and many others, so if it ain't broke - don't try and fix it. (I know that sounded entirely redneck, but in this case, I felt is was appropriate). I would love to debate with you, but this writing back and forth is getting a bit tedious. Perhaps you should post your picture (?)

[mrfreddy]

let's have a reality check:

riteym seems to think his original article created quite a stir, actually there were only a few comments, and then a sorta meta discussion about not blaming gotbeer (the poster) for the contents of his post... then the topic dropped out of sight..

...until ritalen, er, I mean riteym came in here obviously trying to stir things up.

yawn...

poor righty, he thinks he's dangling irresistable temptation in our faces with the pop tarts and donuts... for most of the folks here, nothing could be further from the truth... sweets dont interest me at all, especially transfat ladden disasters like pop tarts....

and where is this angst? I dont see any angst... I see a lot of people who've gained control of their weight, some who've lost a lot, and I mean a LOT of weight, by low carbing, and loving it. No story about angst here buddy....

and righty, you're 6'5 and 220 pounds and eating donuts and whatever... so what? I know lots of people who don't worry about carbs, and don't have weight problems. Some are just young, some are genetically blessed, etc. etc. So what?

one more comment, you might want to check your bloodwork, I'm a little worried about your triglycerides and probably your LDL/HDL ratio...

[Hellistile]

Once upon a time there was this troll, who loved donuts and pop tarts and ate them with wild abandon. He made fun and teased those who didn't. But he was a very young troll and his IQ was still higher than his age. As he continued eating donuts into his late forties, when his age started surpassing his IQ, he began to notice that those 4 donuts he ate at one sitting would find their way to his hips, stomach, lungs and knees and would remain there and not disappear as they had in his younger and more carefree days. In time, it became increasingly difficult for the troll to walk, breathe, climb stairs and make fun of others.

[riteymcgee]

You're onto me. I was raised by a pack of coyotes in the foothills of the Appalachians. I always thought that love meant a lick on the nape of the neck and a playful paw to the face. Since joining the civilized world soon after my 18th birthday, I have yet to feel that kind of affection. So I went looking for love elsewhere. Forums on low-carb Websites seemed like a logical place to start. But when I found out that all they wanted to do was post my columns (mother coyote taught me to write) and ridicule me for not supporting the shameless, opportunistic business-side of the diet to which they choose to subscribe. Now, I don't know how much you know about coyotes, but we (I mean, they...sometimes forget that I AM human) lash out when we are attacked. We also really, REALLY love bread. So you'll forgive me if I just want to argue. Coyotes have very quick tempers and we're all products of the environment in which we were raised.

But your invitation to be friends has moved me beyond words...which isn't saying much, because i still have yet to learn to speak real words...and I would love to post my picture, but it won't be necessary. It's plastered all over the Internet.

Thank you for your love and all praise be to Atkins.
Jack A. Buehrer.

[riteymcgee]

Mr. Freddy...
I have never made this out to be more than what it was. I was responding merely to the messages that had been posted about me. I just wanted to break it down for you on the real, yo. Let's be friends. By the way, bellbottoms are coming back...and last I heard, some hair metal bands were reforming and making records again. Maybe this thing will actually stick around.

[Berolina]

I am new to this board, but I am already surprised at the hostile tone of some of the postings in this particular thread, in particular how someone with a different opinion than the low carbing majority has been attacked. Have you no humour? Also, having just joined and signed the agreement its content is still fairly fresh in my mind -- about how discussions are to be conducted in this forum -- aren't there rules about flaming people? Just curious.

B.

[mrfreddy]

Mr. Freddy...
I have never made this out to be more than what it was. I was responding merely to the messages that had been posted about me. I just wanted to break it down for you on the real, yo. Let's be friends. By the way, bellbottoms are coming back...and last I heard, some hair metal bands were reforming and making records again. Maybe this thing will actually stick around.

well I do fondly recall my bell bottom days, but I can't say I ever liked the hair metal bands... unless you count Led Zep in that category....

only time will tell about low carbing, but I think the fact that millions of Americans and more around the globe are trying it and discovering that it actually does work and that most of the "journalism" that comes out slagging it is ill-informed at best... well, at some point, you just can't dismiss it as a fad anymore...

now where is my Motely Crue LP...

[Marge]

I understand your having a lot of fun with this but for some of us, this is a matter of life or death. Your right, it probably is a fad but, as a diabetic, I have more food choices now than in the past. It's nice to have more choices and a way of eating that helps me get my blood sugar and weigth under control. Not all of us are lucky enough to eat donuts, and poptarts every day.

[RCG]

To the mods,

If this thread is allowed to continue may I suggest it is moved to the "War Zone".

This thread has become a tit for tat flame war that serves little purpose IMO.

[Berolina]

hear, hear.

[Starmaker]

Haha, ok ok...let up on the poor guy already! Hello Jack! I'm a fan! I Loved the piece on internet downloading. I was in stitches.

A Fellow Canuck

[Hellistile]

I agree with Marge. Low-carbing saved my life. Although I am not doing the Atkins plan, I respect him because of his strength of character and stamina in championing the low-carb way of eating in the face of tremendous opposition and persecution that did not end with his death. Mr. Buehrer, low-carbing, as a way of eating, has been around for millions of years. Now what exactly is your definition of "FAD"?

[cartbabe]

Wow, I do not know what else to say, than "how sad". I have no argument with anyone. I just know that I have lost 115 pounds on Atkins, enjoy my menus, feel great, have perfect labs (which were bordering on heart attack levels before), have continued to lose, and never gain in almost two years......etc..... I really feel sorry for people who feel so threatened by other peoples accomplishments. We are not "a different person" for doing Atkins. The only difference between us and the "bashers" is that we do not bash other people for the way they CHOOSE to live their lives, and their way of eating. It is just sad.

[kathyshy]

never mind

[Lisa N]

I do find myself wondering why the media (or this author) didn't get their undies all in a bunch when low fat was first introduced and was all the rage and low fat devotees everywhere admonished others about how much fat they were eating with looks of horror on their faces..."Oh my GOD...do you know how much fat is in that Egg McMuffin and hash browns you're eating???" (as they sucked down an alfalfa and fat free yogurt smoothie smugly) and a new fat free or low fat product hit the market shelves every week while restaurants busied themselves with offering "heart healthy" symbols on their menus along with Weight Watcher points? Presumably because they thought their customers were too ignorant to realize that a salad was a healthier choice than french fries?
Oh...nevermind...this author was 4 at the time...or maybe there were more newsworthy things to write about than what people choose or don't choose to eat back then. :rolleyes:
I can understand folks not wanting to be preached to about what they happen to be eating. I don't like it either having suffered through the experience of a cube farm neighbor who kept track of my daily Weight Watchers points even though I wasn't ON Weight Watchers, but c'mon...what's the big yank with some restaurants offering a burger without the bun for those that don't want to eat the bun or offering a side salad or extra veggies instead of rice or potatoes? I dunno...maybe some serious form of post-traumatic veggie syndrome from their childhood.... ;) I look at it as more for everyone else who wants them...they can have mine...after 3 years of low carbing I've found that I don't want them anymore. And they're more than welcome to my portion of transfats and acrylamides. Really. I don't mind sharing. :rolleyes:
You love Pop Tarts and live on Krispy Kremes? Have at it! After all..doctors are going to need patients in coming years to keep their practices open and fund their retirement. Mine's gotten a lot less business from me and my family in the past 3 years so someone's gotta take up the slack. ;)
Enjoy that high metabolism while you still have it. After 30 the warantee runs out and all the beer, pizza, Krispy Kremes and Pop Tarts of your youth come find a home on your hips and quiety mock you. They might not find you until you're 40, especially if you have a good disguise, but they will find you. :lol:

[Lisa N]

now where is my Motely Crue LP...

I'll see your Motley Crue and throw Kansas, REO Speedwagon and VanHalen into the pot! :D

[Lisa N]

(aren't all diets temporary?)

That all depends on how you define "diet" and whether you are using the word as a verb or a noun. Webster defines diet (the noun) as: "The food and drink regularly consumed" and diet (the verb) as "To eat or to cause to eat less or according to a prescribed rule."
The former usually isn't temporary unless you are currently experiencing a famine. The latter may or may not be temporary depending on the sustainability of what you have chosen for your "prescribed rules".
As for being a "fad", the concept of low carb has been around since the mid-1800's (see William Banting's "Letter on Corpulance" for reference) and the term "to Bant" still means to diet (the verb) in some parts of Europe. Sounds like it must have been pretty popular back then to have been turned into a slang word for dieting. ;)
In the early part of the 20th century, low carb diets were routinely used to treat diabetes and today are still used to treat diabetes, PCOS, epilepsy and the newly coined medical term, Syndrome X. Obesity is but the most recent medical condition to have low carb applied to it as a treatment. In the early 60's pediatricians were admonishing parents to not let their children eat too many sweets or starches "because too much of those things will make them fat."
That's quite a long lived fad now isn't it?

[mrfreddy]

actually, if you consider that our hunter gatherer ancestors almost certainly ate in a low carb manner for a few million years, then it's one doozy of a fad we got goin here...

[DietSka]

For someone who calles himself a journalist, Mr. Buehrer seems quite upset that us, mere mortals, have dared to criticize and comment on his writing. Um, isn't that what a journalist should expect from his public: comments and criticism? Then why tie one's panties in a knot and start making fun of one's readers? Maybe Mr. Buehrer cannot handle criticism well but I suggest we be the better ones and remember that Pop Tart-related sugar highs and lows do lead to excessive mood swings and irritation. ;)

[itmekim723]

Okay, first thing I must point out is it seems to me the author was SUPPORTING Atkins, to some degree anyway. "The diet has proven to have merit." No where did I see him slam anyone on the diet. Sure, he poked a little fun at atkins zealots. Hell, I have met a few and wanted to smack them myself and I am a low carber. What he was doing was making sport of the idiot companies who were jumping on the low carb bandwagon. (and jumping on anything with a group of folks as large as some of us are here is a dangerous thing at best) OH NO! Wait, I just made a joke about low carbers. Am I now too to be insulted and flamed like some of you have done to this author? Good heavens people, lighten up! Lighten up . . . ooops, once again I am sure some of you will see that as a slur against fat people on atkins. Anyway as for this being a fad, Watching carbs and eating healthy, I am hoping it is here to stay for all our sakes. As for counting every carb, including the glue in stamps, and preaching from the mountains that even to look at a pop tart will bring about the end, not to mention losing ones sense of humor, lord PLEASE LET THAT BE A FAD!

[shipto]

I doubt it, but for you Atkins devotees, enjoy it while it lasts. Once this latest ploy runs its course, you'll have to start taking off the buns yourself again.
or we could just eat good proper food that doesnt come from <insert fast food restaurant here> like most of us do at the moment.

[Lisa N]

What he was doing was making sport of the idiot companies who were jumping on the low carb bandwagon.

And companies are idiots for jumping on the low carb bandwagon how? Capitalizing on the latest trend is how corporations make profits if they're quick enough to respond before the trend is passe'. Corporations have been doing this for decades and yet few have seen fit to criticize them for this before (how many companies jumped on the "low fat" bandwagon?).
Granted, some of them just don't seem to get it, but that's where consumers educating themselves comes in. If you find that a product doesn't fit with your eating plan there's a simple solution; don't buy it.
Personally, on the rare occasion that I may happen to patronize a fast food establisment, I rather appreciate not having to scrape the cheese off the bun. OTOH, most of the time I order a salad anyway. :rolleyes: Last time I heard, giving the customers what they seem to want was called....customer service. :rolleyes:
Funny thing is, a few years ago (if you read really far back in the Low Carb Products forum), there was weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth because there were no products for low carbers that made this lifestyle more convenient. Now that we have them and restaurants are offering menu items the way that low carbers have been ordering them ala carte for the past few years (no bun, hold the rolls, veggies or salad instead of rice or potatoes), people seem to see it as a bad thing and now we have posts criticizing corporations for "jumping on the bandwagon".
My only criticism is when corporations cut the carbs and still produce an unhealthy product filled with transfats and other things that are unhealthy. Low carb junk food is still junk food. :rolleyes:

[steveed]

I LIKE the bun.
If I ever ate fast food (which I don't)...the bun makes a great plate! I also love normal tortilla wraps which make great receptacles as well! As a grease sponge, let's face it...lettuce just doesn't cut it!;)

I do think the author of this article is "kinda/sorta" funny, and saves us from taking ourselves too seriously, I can both laugh at his writing and disagree with him at the same time.

These people were put here to teach us the most important lesson that there is...don't take yourself too seriously.
As Tom Robbins would say, "People of da wurl relax!"
Praise Atkins indeed. :D

[fridayeyes]

Ok, he has me. Irreverence, sarcasm and a good jab at a sacred (and low carb) cow. (Yes, that's a sentence fragment. I, too, have an artistic license.) And the cow, by the way, appears to be more the opportunistic food industry than low-carb itself. All opinions about LC aside, I found the article well-written and wickedly, cuttingly funny. It's an op/ed piece folks. Whether we like it or not, the trend in op/ed is a bit like similar trends in reporting and talk radio - rock 'em, shock 'em, get the ratings. It can also be said that sometimes enlightenment comes like the *whack* of the shinai, orthodoxy is defined by heresy and other pithy, enigmatic sayings.

As for me, sugar and white flour are poison 6 days a week. And on the seventh day, Lyle (McDonald) created the carb-up. I've heard it called stupid, uninformed, dangerous, unhealthy and an assortment of other impolite words. And this all happened *here*. For the most part, just like the rest of the LC world, I do what works and filter out the bulk of the useless 'noise' that gets launched at me from nay-sayers.

To the author:

Never heard of you before, but like the writing. :) Krispy Kremes and poptarts? Only the low fat ones, dude, and only on carb-up. See you on Saturday.

Cheers,

Friday

P.S. Doggerel alert - the way the hamburger chains are desperately scurrying after customers reminds me of a certain kids' book.

Would you eat it in the sun?
Would you eat it sans-a-bun?
Would you eat it round or square?
Would you eat it anywhere?

[mrfreddy]

I actually didn't mind the original article, it was sort of entertaining in a wrong headed kinda way... for some reason he has a problem with all the new low carb options in fast food joints and with low carbing in general (he persistently dismisses it as a "fad"), I don't agree with him, but at least he writes in a snappy style!

what got my panties in a bunch was his sneering, superior, insulting, mocking, and even taunting tone of his subsequent posts to this board.

[Lisa N]

It's an op/ed piece folks. Whether we like it or not, the trend in op/ed is a bit like similar trends in reporting and talk radio - rock 'em, shock 'em, get the ratings.

You mean...it's a fad? :rolleyes: Does anybody but me see the irony in that? :lol:

[steveed]

what got my panties in a bunch was his sneering, superior, insulting, mocking, and even taunting tone of his subsequent posts to this board.

Well, there is that. Gotta agree with you there. I just don't think the fish should bite with such an obvious looking hook!
:D

[riteymcgee]

LOVE ME!!!! Please...love me like only my coyote mother has been able. That's all I want guys. Oh, and read my latest column. THEN love me....

[steveed]

You're a freak Ritey...
keep on keepin on.


http://forum.lowcarber.org/gallery/data/500/25299nixel.jpg

[gotbeer]

The Great Carb War of 2004 is officially under way

by Jack Buehrer

Originally published Thursday, April 22, 2004

http://www.thenews-messenger.com/news/stories/20040422/localnews/277708.html

I've gotten my share of hate mail since I started writing this column a little more than a year ago.

I've offended my share of people, some of whom have lashed back at me via e-mail, telephone, snail mail, et. al.

But last week I realized that I'm bigger (and more hated) than even I thought possible -- at least with one small, but growing, sector of our society. I'm now the subject of an entire Web forum thread on lowcarber.org.

Let me tell you something, these righteous folks hate me something fierce and I'm now engaged in The Great Carb War of 2004.

I found my way to this Web site after a friend told me he'd seen something I wrote bashing the Atkins diet on "some low-carb site."

"They didn't like it very much," he said.

That was all I needed to hear. After a few minutes of running searches with my name and "low carbs" I found the aforementioned Web site's bulletin board crawling with evil posts about me and a column I wrote last month called, "Atkins Schmatkins -- all fad diets are the same."

I've done several "mail bag" columns in which I respond to my mail, and I don't necessarily want to turn this into one of those, but I feel compelled to share, at the very least, a post from a woman who calls herself "PoofieD."

It reads:

Oooh...how brilliant you are Mister Author.

You put down the fact WE have more choices. You put down our diets.

And then to show us that its really just how stupid we are, that is causing us to be fat your eating the true diet of death, laden with sugar and bad fats, with evidence that your "skinny", even if you have the musculature of a ruler.

But hey...OUR is the "Fad" diet ... right"?

Stupid.

Now, I don't understand half of what that means, but it's important that I backtrack a little. OK, so I actually registered on this site under the name "riteymcgee" and said I was the author of the piece they hated so much. I don't think I helped my cause any by telling them I was eating a blooming onion as I wrote and regaled them with a story of how I was raised by coyotes and I was using low-carb Web forums as a means of finding out what human love is like.

Needless to say, they also didn't appreciate my smarminess a whole lot either. But I screwed around with them for the better part of a day or so, mainly attempting to defend my honor after being called such things as "brain numb," "stupid," and, my personal favorite, "fat," and it blew my mind how hostile these low-carbers were. Save for a few who actually got the joke, these guys were so defensive and paranoid, you'd have thought I'd insulted Dr. Atkins himself -- and he was their dying grandfather.

Eventually it came down to a few people threatening to turn me in to whomever polices the site, claiming I had come into the forum just to stir things up. So I left.

Friends of the low-carb diet, if you're out there, I just want to thank you for taking time out of your busy days to indulge me. I had no idea I'd caused such a stir, but I had even less idea that a bunch of angry, bread-starved dieters could be so much fun.

Jack Buehrer's column appears every Thursday on the Let's Go! page. Contact him at 419-283-8526 or jbuehrer~fremont.gannett.com

[steveed]

The anthill has been stirred. Who will be the first to wiggle their antennae? :D

[mrfreddy]

reality check:
he came into this forum, posted a smarmy (in his own words), sarcastic, insulting message, and is shocked, shocked that a few people were upset.

yawn....

and who has a problem with "blooming onions?"

[riteymcgee]

Just take it easy, Broham.

[tamarian]

The Great Carb War of 2004 is officially under way

by Jack Buehrer

Originally published Thursday, April 22, 2004

http://www.thenews-messenger.com/news/stories/20040422/localnews/277708.html

I've gotten my share of hate mail since I started writing this column a little more than a year ago.

I've offended my share of people, some of whom have lashed back at me via e-mail, telephone, snail mail, et. al.

But last week I realized that I'm bigger (and more hated) than even I thought possible -- at least with one small, but growing, sector of our society. I'm now the subject of an entire Web forum thread on lowcarber.org.

<snip>

Eventually it came down to a few people threatening to turn me in to whomever polices the site, claiming I had come into the forum just to stir things up. So I left.

For the record, no one reported anything to me or any of the other "police" here.

Having said that, Jack, you're welcome here, and thank for mentioning our site in your column :)

Wa'il

[shipto]

For the record, no one reported anything to me or any of the other "police" here.

Having said that, Jack, you're welcome here, and thank for mentioning our site in your column :)

Wa'il

you realise this will open the floodgates for idiots worldwide to come here and wind up the angry bread starved dieters :sigh:

[tamarian]

you realise this will open the floodgates for idiots worldwide to come here and wind up the angry bread starved dieters :sigh:

The War Zone was specifically opened for this purpose, i.e. for debate with those who think LC is bad, fad, responsible for missing organs, spontaneous combustion, etc.

As far as I'm concerned, it's great for debate, and it is welcome. Those who do not enjoy such debates, may simply ignore the War Zone.

Wa'il

[mrfreddy]

Just take it easy, Broham.

easy like sunday mornin eggs and bacon!

did you get your triglycerides checked yet?

[potatofree]

Free advertising for the author, free advertising for the forum. Win/win. You have to admit it's kind of funny.

[Lisa N]

But last week I realized that I'm bigger (and more hated) than even I thought possible -- at least with one small, but growing, sector of our society. I'm now the subject of an entire Web forum thread on lowcarber.org.

Let's see...one thread out of 184,121 on the board with 3 posts directly about the article (out of over 2 million posts on the board) and several more relating to some general comments to clear up a minor misunderstanding about the poster and that was it. Until the author decided to show up and insult/taunt the members of the board 2 months after the original article was posted and the thread in question had been buried several pages back (no further responses for several weeks). And even then, only a handful of posters (25 out of over 45,000 members) have bothered to enter the conversation.
Bigger and more hated than he thought possible? :lol: :lol:
Methinks someone has a bit of an overexaggerated opinion of themselves. :rolleyes:

But hey...free advertising for the forum! :thup:

[steveed]

In fact I think he's the greatest thing to come along since sliced bread.
wink.
wink. :D

[gotbeer]

[another weight-loss-related article by Mr. Buehrer, from last October. sorry - I couldn't stop myself - gotbeer]

Drink beer, lose weight ... where do I sign?

By Jack Buehrer

Originally published Thursday, October 2, 2003

http://www.thenews-messenger.com/news/stories/20031002/localnews/376030.html

Traditionally, I've always tended to spit on the concept of fad diets, but I have to admit, this one sounded really, really cool.

Gather them all up and some of them sound pretty silly:

A shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch and a sensible dinner.

Eat one of seven different Subway subs for every meal every day a la the greatest '90s slacker weightloss icon of them all, Jared Fogel.

Eat greasy double cheeseburgers three meals a day, drop the bun, lose 80 pounds.

Or my personal favorite that my mom showed me once, the all soup diet.

I've typically had two things going for me when the topic of dieting came up: I always understood that fad diets never last and, most importantly, I was always thin.

All through college, I'd scarf down Taco Bell and Chinese takeout by day, and by night, I'd powerload beer like it was the last night before prohibition.

But I never gained a pound.

But as the 229 pounds I now carry around will indicate, I can't really do that anymore.

That is, I thought, until a press release found its way to my desk promoting the latest book by Chicago-based author and beer enthusiast, Bob Skilnik, "The Drink Beer Get Thin Diet."

I was having visions of staying out until 2:30 a.m., closing down the bars and pounding a sixer before bed, all in the name of good health.

Liver, schmliver. I'd be back down to my fighting weight in no time.

Before I launched myself into this new way of life (it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle), I decided to talk to Mr. Skilnik, who ended up giving me some rather sobering CliffsNotes on his new book.

First of all, staying out until all hours of the night is evidently not the point of this diet.

"There's a little more element of risk with a beer diet," Skilnik told me over the phone last week. "They can easily pile up on you. That's why I tell you in the book to try to keep it under two beers a day."

Two beers a day? Easy. I never drink two beers a day during the work week. Obviously, this would allow me to party like a rock star on the weekends while the pounds just melt off.

"I can pile them up and drink like, 10 on the weekends then, right?" I asked.

"Umm ... no," he said, laughing, presumably at my naïveté. "If your idea of a good time is to throw down a 12-pack on weekends and get hammered, then you've got bigger problems than weight loss. I'm guessing you've not been a person of great discipline if you're trying this diet in the first place.

"So don't tempt fate."

Well, what fun is that?

Not only is Skilnik -- himself a certified brewer of beer and associate editor for the American Breweriana Association Journal -- a member of the "Drink Beer Get Thin Diet" club, he's also a client. He weighed as much as 305 pounds before starting his low-carb, beer-inclusive diet. He's since shed about 80 pounds and says he hopes to get down to 199.

After giving me his rather impressive testimonial, he started on me.

"If you can understand what moderation means, you should be able to do this," he said. "A guy like you who's only trying to lose a couple pounds, it should be pretty easy. This is a little more liberal than the other low-carb diets out there."

Yeah, well what about all of that "moderation" talk? How liberal is that?

"You don't want to give people the impression that you can go out every weekend and get crazy and start on Monday and go back to the diet," he explained. "It's not that easy."

Really?

Unfortunately, he was starting to make sense.

Damn.

[potatofree]

But just think of it, TENS of ...well, the TEN people who read his column might come here!!

Any publicity is good publicity.

[RCG]

But just think of it, TENS of ...well, the TEN people who read his column might come here!!

Any publicity is good publicity.

Heh heh. I hope he enjoyed his 15 minutes of fame.

Another Dave Barry wanna-be (oh my, he may attack me in his next article for that ).

[fridayeyes]

Hmm, I really like Dave Barry. He had a great line about becoming a parent and finding several hundred free-range Cheerios roaming his backseat. :)

[riteymcgee]

After posting bail following my arrest for stalking and plagiarizing Mr. Barry, RCG, I DID enjoy my 15 minutes of fame. It was a whirlwind...where do I start. I was whisked away in a limo to a party at an exclusive Miami Beach nightclub called Mynt. So I get in the limo, right? And guess who's in there...P Diddy and Paris Hilton. We get to Mynt, they take down the velvet ropes for us, we go to our own table in the back and meet other scenesters Elijha Wood, Leonardo DiCaprio (I was allowed to call him "Leo" for only my 15 minutes), and J-Lo (it was kind of awkward with P-Diddy there and all, but it was cool...Leo was HILARIOUS!!) So I ordered a drink (a really pretentious, famous-people-only kind of drink, Johnny Walker Blue with one ice cube), turned down Paris to go to the ladies room to do some blow and received a lap dance from J-Lo. Then, at the stroke of midnight, 15 minutes after the limo had picked me up, a woman calling herself "potatofree" stormed into the club, told me my 15 minutes was up and ordered me to leave. I got outside, the limo was a pumpkin, and Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore actually looked at me like they'd never heard of me. Oh, and I wasn't in Miami anymore, I was in Toledo, Ohio. I ended the night with a 40oz. of Laser malt liquor, watching porn on pay-per-view. Hey, back to reality, right?

But it was a wonderful ride while it lasted.

And you guys flatter me. 10 readers? I only have about 6 ... 7 if you count my mother. I should have known better than to come in thumping my chest to such a shrewd bunch of cats like yourselves. Color me humbled...

[mrfreddy]

hey "Dave" why don't you write about the real story:

for decades nuitritional authorities tell the world the only way to lose weight is to eat low fat, then one fine day we find millions and millions of people happily thumbing their noses at these authorities, filling their pie holes not with tofu or bread or pasta but with filet mignon, bunless burgers, pork chops... all sorts of delicious and luxurious fat filled foods (and of course lots of vegetables too!), and low and behold, they lose weight and improve their cholestoral.... all the while the nuitritional authorities continue to knash their teeth, issue warnings, point to bogus studies, and a few smart-ass pundits try their best to mock them, but to no avail, the word continues to spread that this new "fad" actually works and works well and many more millions decide to give a go....

but I guess it's easier to make fun of things you don't really understand isn't it?

[muffinbean]

I'm new to these boards but I've been "lurking" for a few days now. I'm all about the low-carb thing, I've lost weight doing South Beach and I'm hoping to get down to my high school weight of 200 lbs (I'm a little over 250 now). I respect anyone who defends the diet. I really do, because I really think it works. But let me just say to the vast majority of the people in this particular thread, DUDE, YOU GUYS REALLY DON'T GET IT, DO YOU? It's like, did any of you actually READ this guy's stuff? Yeah, he's been a smartass since he's started posting, but wouldn't you be? I don't know where you guys think he's taunted or sneered or any of that other stuff about the diet itself. he's just poking fun of you guys because you're mad at him for making fun of you which isn't even what he was trying to do in the article. I think he's funny. My friends and I ripped on Burger King for marketing a bunless sandwich too. and I was on the diet at the time!! You guys just need to chill. (and keep goin' with the lifestyle!!)

[potatofree]

Wow, I never realized I had such power... :lol:
:rolleyes:

There's nothing wrong with taking a few jabs at the "sacred cow" for sport and amusement. I've been chastised by a few on the boards for questioning Atkins, like I'm a traitor. They just make it EASY to rattle the cage. C'mon.. how many of you trying to convert the author to low-carb wouldn't happily take a swipe at Susan Powter or an Herbalife salesman if given the chance?

I'm sure you're just basking in the glow of my approval, aren't you Ritey? :rolleyes:

[tamarian]

I'm new to these boards but I've been "lurking" for a few days now. I'm all about the low-carb thing, I've lost weight doing South Beach and I'm hoping to get down to my high school weight of 200 lbs (I'm a little over 250 now). I respect anyone who defends the diet. I really do, because I really think it works. But let me just say to the vast majority of the people in this particular thread, DUDE, YOU GUYS REALLY DON'T GET IT, DO YOU? It's like, did any of you actually READ this guy's stuff? Yeah, he's been a smartass since he's started posting, but wouldn't you be? I don't know where you guys think he's taunted or sneered or any of that other stuff about the diet itself. he's just poking fun of you guys because you're mad at him for making fun of you which isn't even what he was trying to do in the article. I think he's funny. My friends and I ripped on Burger King for marketing a bunless sandwich too. and I was on the diet at the time!! You guys just need to chill. (and keep goin' with the lifestyle!!)

Mr. Buehrer, please don't signup under multiple accounts. It's a violation of the registration agreement, to which you clicked "I agree".

Wa'il

[riteymcgee]

this is getting absurd. i'm getting scolded by the atkins police now for something I didn't even do. i'm registered under one account. I will tell you that because of my email address being on the bottom of two of the columns that have been posted, i've been getting several emails from members of this site. But I suppose no one on this site would DARE register as someone else. How this was traced to me, I don't know, but this is getting ridiculous. I've tried to have some fun, I've clearly let myself be a punching bag, presumably providing fun for others, and i've actually been chatting casually with those who email me and want to know what I'm really all about. I'll thank you to cease with the accusations and simply cancel my registration. I'm not against the soldiers, I'm against the war. Good luck to everyone.

[tamarian]

this is getting absurd. i'm getting scolded by the atkins police now for something I didn't even do. i'm registered under one account. I will tell you that because of my email address being on the bottom of two of the columns that have been posted, i've been getting several emails from members of this site. But I suppose no one on this site would DARE register as someone else. How this was traced to me, I don't know, but this is getting ridiculous. I've tried to have some fun, I've clearly let myself be a punching bag, presumably providing fun for others, and i've actually been chatting casually with those who email me and want to know what I'm really all about. I'll thank you to cease with the accusations and simply cancel my registration. I'm not against the soldiers, I'm against the war. Good luck to everyone.

My intention was not to scold, simply pointing out the policy not to use multiple identities. I maybe mistaken, and the exact IP match along with the same name on the email accounts may be just a pure coincedence.....

But if you want us to cancel your registration, we will comply with your wishes.

Wa'il

[RCG]

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%257E142%257E2041652,00.html

A better written article by the real deal. :D

This is really a tempest in a teapot. Sorry I touched a nerve there Mr. Buehrer concerning the 15 mins of fame.

[tamarian]

Now what are the odds that we can convince Dave Barry to drop by? Would each member be willing to send a Snickers bar? If we send a collection of say, a couple of thousands Snickers bars, would he join us?

But the Atkins Diet lives on, helping millions of Americans to lose weight. The irony is, you can't tell this by looking at actual Americans, who have, as a group, become so heavy that North America will soon be underwater as far inland as Denver. Which can only mean one thing: You people are still sneaking Snickers. You should be ashamed! Uh, got any more?

[riteymcgee]

Tamarian, all is forgiven, though I still feel as though my virtue has been taken from me.

Do it ... send Dave Barry a bunch of Snickers and bring him on board. We'll have a triathalon to see who's better. The winner gets a harmonica.

[tamarian]

Jack, your account is removed per your request. Thanks for the laughs :)

Regards,

Wa'il

[shipto]

The War Zone was specifically opened for this purpose, i.e. for debate with those who think LC is bad, fad, responsible for missing organs, spontaneous combustion, etc.

As far as I'm concerned, it's great for debate, and it is welcome. Those who do not enjoy such debates, may simply ignore the War Zone.

Wa'il

Oh dont get me wrong i enjoy the debates and have learnt so much from the intelligence of the people here this forum rocks.

[page40]

i just see alot of people who have gained their lives back . and i know for me it has given me health that i didn't even have as the stick figure i used to be , using low fat high carb food. yep just alot of peaceful, mellow, calm, very calm people here hehehe...

[page40]

well said mrfreddy ;0)