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Old Wed, Feb-04-04, 07:45
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gotbeer gotbeer is offline
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Plan: Atkins
Stats: 280/203/200 Male 69 inches
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Progress: 96%
Location: Dallas, TX, USA
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related article:

Comparing popular low-carb diets

02/04/04


http://www.cleveland.com/living/pla...89781222790.xml

Maybe the American public can't be faulted for its collective girth. The time-honored method of weight loss - eat less and exercise more - is far too boring.

Consider the American Dietetic Association's mission statement for diets: "Successful weight management to improve overall health for adults requires a lifelong commitment to healthy lifestyle behaviors emphasizing sustainable and enjoyable eating practices and daily physical activity."

It's way too simple. Better a dieter should be challenged by diet programs that take full books to explain. Following are some popular options.

Curiously, they all offer variations on the low-carb, high-protein theme.

- Fran Henry


"Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution,"
by cardiologist Dr. Robert Atkins, Avon Books, 1992, $7.99 paperback.

The key to the diet's effectiveness, according to Atkins, is a process called ketosis, which is a potentially serious condition associated with fasting, starvation and uncontrolled diabetes, according to the American Medical Association. Ketones form when the body burns fat instead of carbohydrates. A dieter enters the state of ketosis by severely limiting carbohydrate intake to force the body to burn fat. Ketosis causes "fruity- smelling" breath and loss of appetite, both typical in Atkins dieters.

The Atkins diet has four phases:

During the first two weeks, termed "induction," the dieter is allowed to eat liberal servings of eggs, meat, fish, fats and oils, but no more than 20 grams of carbohydrates a day, a requirement met by three cups of dressed salad or two cups of salad and one cup of nonstarchy vegetables, such as broccoli or cauliflower.

The second stage, "ongoing weight loss," can last from two weeks to two months. During this time, the dieter is allowed to increase carbohydrate intake by five grams per day as long as weight loss continues. When loss stops, the dieter eases off the carbs.

When the dieter comes within 5 or 10 pounds of his goal, he enters the diet's third stage, "premaintenance," when weight loss slows to about a pound a week.

When the target weight is attained, the dieter enters the "maintenance" stage, during which he or she must be careful about carbohydrate intake to avoid regaining weight.


“The South Beach Diet"
by cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatson, Rodale Press, 2003, $24.95.

This plan is similar to the Atkins’ diet, except that it steers dieters away from red meat and saturated fat and toward chicken and fish. Except for vegetables, carbohydrates are banned the first two weeks of the diet, during which food cravings are supposed to disappear. After that, unrefined carbohydrates might be reintroduced judiciously, as long as weight loss continues. The diet encourages eating complex carbohydrates, such as whole-grain products, instead of simple starchy carbs such as white bread and pasta.


“The Zone,”
by Barry Sears, Regan Books, 1995, $25:

Food is eaten in precise amounts, at specific times to alter the hormonal balance and send you into a near-euphoric state, called the Zone. Once there, weight loss is automatic, according to Sears.

To enter the Zone, the dieter calculates how many grams of protein he or she needs on a daily basis, distributes the amount over three meals and two snacks and never goes more than five hours a day without eating. Dieters eat lean meat and high-fiber vegetables and fruit, and they avoid “bad” carbs, including carrots, corn, peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, bananas, raisins, prunes, all fruit juice, most grains and breads, ice cream, honey, jelly and sugar.


“Sugar Busters,”
by businessman H. Leighton Steward, CEO of a Fortune 500 energy company; heart surgeon Morrison Bethea; endocrinologist Samuel Andrews; and gastroenterologist Luis Balart, Ballentine, 1998, $24.95:

The diet eliminates refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and pasta, and anything containing sugar in favor of high-fiber vegetables and whole grains. The diet also permits lean meats and unsaturated fats in controlled portions. In fact, a Health magazine review of the diet calls it “a low-calorie diet in disguise.”
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