This brings up an interesting point. How many people on a "normal" diet really eat a varied menu? I know I didn't. And most people I know don't, either. Most people I know eat the same thing for breakfast almost every day, choose from a few different things for lunch, and a few different things for dinner. Over and over again. Even desserts stay pretty much the same -- instead of apple, cherry pie, or whatever. I bet if people really thought about what they actually eat on a carby diet, they would realize their variety is hardly greater than what a person low carbing eats.

If I was around my ideal weight, I would be able to eat about 2800 - 3,000 calories a day and not gain -- and that's a lot compared to many people, especially women. How many different varieties of food can you fit into 3,000 calories a day, and still get sufficient nutrition? The Cheesecake Factory cheesecake I loved has 600 calories a slice. That's almost out, unless I save calories for it by cutting out other food. If I can't eat the stuff I really want on a regular diet, what is so alluring about "variety?" It's a phantom benefit, I think.

I agree KwikDriver, variety in diet is totally overrated as far as I am concerned.

I have soft boiled eggs for breakfast, sometimes fried but very rarely eat meat for breakfast. Then it is a chippolata left over from the night before or a piece of ham with cream cheese spread in it.
I haven't eaten bacon for months.
I also sometime will eat a handful of nuts, some cheese, berries and creme fraiche.
A lot more varied then toast and weetabix every morning or no breakfast at all, which was my usual choice.

Define 'most' people.
I tend to vary my breakfasts quite a bit and rarely cook the same thing twice in a two week period for dinner. Lunches do tend to be fairly consistent (leftovers or salad).
I think the 'lack of variety' argument is really more perception than reality. When you tell the average person whose diet is based on pasta, rice, bread and potatoes that you are cutting all those things out of your diet, it's only natural for them to think, "Well what on earth is left to eat???" since that's what they know as a 'normal' diet. But..when you stop focusing on all the things you 'can't' have and instead take a really honest look at all the things you can have, the possibilities are really quite great, especially if you are willing to think 'outside the box'.
We even see that line of thinking here on our own forum...posts along the lines of "I'm so sick of eggs I could scream!".
OTOH, if you're the type of person who could quite happily eat the same thing day after day and variety is not an issue for you, it's not a problem, right?

I think what people actually mean when they say Atkins is boring and limited is that they dont really get the choice between savoury or sweet - on the whole everythings savoury.

Well thats what I thought when I started. But I didnt take into account that my taste buds would change in the first week

Jo

Lisa, yes that "lack of variety" argument is really bogus. I'm quite content to get the bulk of my calories from eggs and fatty cuts of beef. I'm convinced that "variety" is only necessary to make up for deficiencies in a diet high in sugar/starch/fiber and thus low in the nutrients we really need - high quality fats and complete, bioavailable proteins.

Wyv

Wyv,

A lot of people don't crave variety in their meals. I know my DH would be quite content to eat eggs every day for breakfast and spaghetti every night for dinner. For him, food is food and variety is not something he feels a great need for.
OTOH, eating a variety of protein sources and vegetables is a great way to ensure that you get a broad spectrum of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients into your body. In that respect, a low carb plan is not lacking at all. Even on Atkins induction (and that's not the only low carb plan around), literally dozens of vegetables and some non-sweet fruits are allowed. Again, variety is only limited by what a person is willing to try/eat and their imagination. If a person only likes cheese, eggs, chicken and a few salad greens and isn't willing to try anything new, low carb could get monotonous pretty quickly. OTOH, if a person is more adventurous and willing to try new things, wow!
Although I personally believe the need for fiber is overstated, that also should not be an issue on a low carb plan if the person following it chooses lots of vegetables and stays away from the processed stuff. I frequently eat a flax and wheat bran cereal for breakfast that has 9 grams of fiber per serving. Add to that the vegetables that I eat daily and I'm often at 20+ grams of fiber for the day; plenty, IMO, and I stick around 30 net grams of carb daily for my carb allowance.

No, Vishal, you did not find "some more facts about Atkins diet." You found an opinion from someone who is highly biased. Not facts. I'd say that he was "lying," except that what he said was literally true. "Low-carb diets have been linked to...." If I tell you that low-carb diets will cause your head to balloon to twice its normal size, you could then say that "low carb diets have been linked to oversize heads." By some bozo on the Internet.

There is no evidence of any weight that low-carb diets, overall, are unhealthy. But if all you want to do is to depend on opinions, including mine, you will find never find understanding. Look at the research. Real research, not just collections of opinion.

Look, if you really want to know what Atkins is about, (1) Read the book. (2) Try it. (3) While you are trying it, ask real questions here. Otherwise you are wasting your time and ours.

As to what you've "heard," it's pretty silly. If you are addicted to coffee, and you stop drinking it, you will get some headaches for a while. The cause is the coffee, not the diet. And you don't have to stop drinking coffee when doing Atkins. Many people don't. As to bacon and eggs for breakfast, I'm a Muslim and that eliminates the bacon... but I can have pretty much any kind of omelet or cheese scramble I want. And there are many other options. People who have such restricted breakfasts simply haven't taken the trouble of obtaining the necessary ingredients. Yes, a low carb diet cuts out some options. Not entirely, by the way. After induction, you gradually add in a certain level of carb content, you can pretty much eat a little of anything. Emphasis on "little." However, there is a fantastic variety of foods that *are* allowed, even on the two-week Induction phase of the diet.

I've never eaten better.

The biggest risk I've found is having to hear more vegan donkies braying about the risk of not living life their way.

I think I'd take someone more seriously who wasn't obviously promoting a vegan agenda and associated with an organization funded by PETA. Science with an agenda isn't science at all.

The reason low carb is so successful in weight loss is that it lessens the amount on insulin in your body at any given time. Less insulin, less weight gain. (Bad) Carbs send your panceras into a tizzy. Therefore, one must turn to protien and fats. I fail to see any health hazards unless you already have kidney disease.