Are you trying to tell us that a diet of protein and vegetables and reasonable amounts of fats, will damage our brains? That being the very diet on which homo sapiens evolved our big brains? Your name must be as apocrophal as your knowledge. Just because we do not eat processed sugar, bread and potatoes, our brains are going to rot? I think you've been sitting alone in your room too long.

A fact is that most people on diets fail at maintence. Not Atkins or anyone one else can promise that once you reach your goal weigh you are going to have the character and will power to maintain it. Atkins does provide a rather effective system for slowly losing weight and then learning to maintain it. I can attest that the low fat/high carb diets are no more successful. In fact, in order for some of us to maintain weight on those diets, near starvation levels are required.

If you are fat and trying to lose weight, get on a plan that works, maintain your goal weight for five years and then come back and tell us how to do it. Until then, I think I shall get my diet information from more reliable sources.

Good Luck!

That five year thing is critical.
Not only that.... but its the point that your body setpoint may have changed in a more downward fashion..anyone that does it for that long will know the work it took.
Nedra

I must be one of the few that can't loose on a low calorie plan, the minute I do it, I gain weight.
As to the other stuff, I think we all need to be proactive in what we do and how we go about it. Luckily I go to a doctor who seems to understand what I needed to heal. I was asking about WW, so the comment that it is NOT low fat is not true, sure maybe you could use up your points eating fat, but is that what they are teaching you? I'm sure it is still high carb, low protein, and lower fat, and eating processed fats, and hydrogenated fats that are high in transfatty acids. He told me that it was too high carb for me. He even mention that I could do Body for Life, but thought that would be too high carb for me. ( I happen to think BFL is a good well balance plan for the most part.) I like TSP because of its emphasis in balance, goes along well with what I was taught about balance in all things. High carb didnt' work for me, with PCOS it was bad news all over. Now I feel so much better, than I have in years, and I mean years. I'm okay with slow, the metabolism has time to readjust to it's new weight, it has time to say oh you aren't starving any more, you aren't malnurished, you are doing what you are designed to do. I'm okay with that. I won't ever go back to a high carb life because I don't want Irritable bowel syndrome to rule my life, I want my skin to look good, (I actually saw someone the other day who said I was looking so young, what was I doing?), I want my hair to be back to what I knew 10 years ago, the last time I did HC/LF/LP I lost my hair, (IT was WW), it still isn't back up to par, I want to be able go outside and play basketball with my children, I want to enjoy going out and being with people, I want the insulin resistance to go away (it wont on high carb), There are so many things I hope for now, when less than a year ago I thought it was hopeless. I have hope now, and the courage to be patient, and take my time, and do what is best for me.
Balance, what a concept.
Tanya

Ah, C'mon...level with us. This is REALLY Susan Powter, isn't it? Dean Ornish, maybe?

This is partially true, but it isnt such a "life and death" issue you make it out to be. Fat stores exist to be used in times of starvation, they are there to keep us alive. Not a very efficient source of back up fuel if it cant be used during food restriction, now is it?

Carbs have a lot of water, and you will need to drink more water to make up. Hardly a big deal.

Atkins is LOW carb, not NO carb. The definition of low carb is, high enough to maintain bodily function, not so high that you end up quivering with hypoglycemia, or type 2 diabetes .

1) Sadly, all weight loss attempts only have a 2% success rate. There are deep seeded psychological and biological functions involved in becomming obese, and not everyone can break them. Unlike other addictions, such as drugs or alcohol, all you have to do is abstain. You say "no", go through withdrawl, and you don't ever have to look at your drug of choice again. The temptaion is there of course, the psychological addiction remains, but its not in your face. You don't choose between "good heroin" and "bad heroin". You don't need heroin to live.

With a food addiction, not only do you have all those problems, but you are further faced with the problem of every day, at least 3 times a day, confronting your drug of choice. Temptation is right in front of your face wherever you look. You have to confront your addiction, engage in the activity, just to live.

Of course the rate of beating a food addiction is going to be abysmally low. It has nothing to do with the atkins diet.

2) All dieting causes the loss of muscle and bone tissue. Atkins is not unique in this regard. It is just a natural biproduct of restricting dietary intake. Now ask yourself, whats worse, obesity or a slight loss of muscle density? Easy choice for me.

I was gonna post something, but my brain is so dried out, I've forgotten what it was...

I forgot the name of the person who is on WW and trying to do the LC thing to "lose those last few pounds." If you're on WW, stick to it! If you want to try LC, stick to it! Don't mix the two together. It just won't work. You will mess up both WOE. I lost 117 pounds on WW, am a Lifetime Member, etc. However, it didn't last. Oh, it lasted for a while...about three years. One day I got a wild hair to eat some candy, because I could...the rest is history. I gained back over 120 pounds in about two years. My problem with WW was that I was always hungry. I loved the program. But, I was always hungry. I had to obsessively count all my portions, too. Now, they have gone to points...same thing. I'm a Neandernut...I'm on Neanderthin and the best thing about it is that I count...absolutely...NOTHING! No carb grams. No Calories. No points...you see, I'm kind of lazy that way. If you see my stats, you can see that I'm almost there. It hasn't been fast. But, I'm in this thing for life! So, it doesn't have to be fast. I will never gain back the weight because I have NO DESIRE...NO CRAVINGS for any of the "FORBIDDEN FRUITS." That's the magic of this WOE, No Cravings! I don't eat ANY grain products. I eat no Dairy products. See? I'm on a more restrcted woe than Atkins, but I'm a "carboholic," and even a little of the carbs takes me off the "Wagon." Each of us is different. WW is really working for my daughter. It has really worked for my mom, who has been a lifetime member and kept the weight off for over 30 years...although, I think she looks like a cadaver because she has no muscle tone, which this woe naturally takes you to, over time. Her cholesterol is pretty much out of control, too and she has high blood pressure, even though she is thin as a rail. I have her genes. She won't do my WOE because she has been indoctrinated to the thought that this is a dangerous "DIET." In the time I've been on this WOE (about 2 1/2 years, now) my cholesterol has gone down where it is supposed to be, my high blood pressure went away in the second week, never to return, my lean body tissue and body fat index have greatly improved. I take a calcium supplement because that is one thing you have to be a little careful about on an LC woe...I'm told that by my doctor, who really believes in what I'm doing. My liver functions were a bit high in protein and low in calcium, at first but I adjusted my eating to include a few more veggies and a little less protein (made my diet that much less expensive) and take that calcium supplement. I plateau every winter and then lose about 20 more pounds over the summertime. My metabolism is like a wild animal in the forest. Animals put on weight in the winter and lose it during the summer. By the end of next summer, I fully expect to be at my goal, or slightly below. I have been given a new life because of this woe. Even my flab is starting to disappear so, I won't have half my stomach hanging below my knees when I'm in my seventies!

I always enjoy how a troll can enter this board, drop an ignorant post, and speed off. A year later, we're still talking about it. The best part is, the threads tend to be useful and informative, long after the troll is back cruising porn or whatever they do when they're not posting foolishness.

I was thinking the same thing, kyrasdad! It's funny how they just drop their little bombshell and then run for cover. Probably keeps coming back to read about all the 'low-carber nuts' going into a frenzy!!

I ALWAYS read these ones, tho, for the same reason you stated. The poop-disturbers who post this stuff don't even realize they're HELPING rather than HINDERING the low carb plan, because we learn soooo much from the posts that follow....backfired, again!

so THERE, Iknowall--stick that in your pipe and smoke it

I was just thinking the same thing, that the originator of this thread obviously hasn't the guts to respond. I learned a lot, laughed a lot. I haven't discussed this at all with my doctor. When he noticed I had lost some weight he said, "Keep it up, eat lean meat, lots of vegetables, stay away from fast food" BUT DON"T DO ANYTHING SILLY LIKE THAT ATKINS!

I won't say I have found everything about this easy but I will tell IKNOWITALL what terrible effects it has had on me:

• I sleep like a baby, no more insommnia
• My irritable bowel symptoms have almost completely disappeared
• my skin isn't as dry
• my nails are stronger
• my mood is incredibly improved
• I actually have hope again

NOW WHERE IS THAT STEAK, PASS THE BACON, BLUE CHEESE DRESSING>>HELL YES! A HUGE SALAD THANK YOU!

Wow! I'm impressed with all of you LCrs...Way to go! Keep up the great attitudes. I know, from experience, that you WILL lose all the weight and inches your heart desires...or that's good for you...if you just stick to this WOE and don't EVER go back to the Old You. Now, an ocassional "slip" does not mean that the WOE has been compromised to the point that you need to give up. Just hang in there and LOSE! I love this LOOOOSERS forum!

mollymom! You are doing GREAT! What an inspiration! All the rest of you are inspiring me, too! I love these trolls! Bring 'em on! You trolls give me inspiration, too! You make me do the research and I learn and learn. And everything I learn just points to the fact that the good Doctor was onto something...something really big...He was ahead of his time. He challenged a false paradigm...(it think that's how you spell it). Challengers to paradigms always get the shaft from small thinkers and those who are afraid to go against "tradition," because tradition is a safe place to hang out and takes little energy. To actually challenge a false paradigm means you're a heretic, and few can stand that label, much less, live in that spotlight. Some of our greatest discoveries have come from "heretics." That term has put more original thinkers to the stake by small-minded people who were just plain afraid to upset the apple cart and try something new and different. So, TROLLS! Give us your best shot! I just wish you'd stay around and take what you give. You might actually learn something. But, then again, with a handle like IKNOWALL, I guess you figure there is nothing left to learn.

On another board I write to we call trolls like that "Seagulls". They fly in, dump their little pile of poop and fly off never to be seen again.......

"I KNOW ALL"????????? Gee, the name says it all...........NOT!!!! There's thinking highly of yourself, but I think your pushing it a bit!! Get a grip, and do some REAL research!!

Dr. Atkins cites many studies in his book proving that there isn't a diet out there that causes LESS loss of lean tissue than his own. Carbohydrates are NOT the only source of blood glucose, they're the source of EXCESS blood glucose, and we all know what that causes.

Nah, I'll stick with what I know works because I'm just one of the many victims of the food pyramid who am grateful as heck that I found Dr. Atkins book when I did.

I notice you're eating plan is "carb depletion". Are you not worried about your own health? Oh, and if you read DANDR, Dr. Atkins DOES warn that bodybuilders and extreme athletes should NOT Follow a carb restricted diet.

I too would love the link to the studies you cited. Thanks!

Iknowall speaks the truth. YOU ARE LOSING WEIGHT BECAUSE YOU ARE ON A LOW CALORIE DIET! YOUR BRAIN FUELS ON CARBS, WHOLE GRAINS ARE GOOD - SO IS FIBER. SCALE WEIGHT IS A POOR PREDICTOR OF SUCCESS, KETOSIS IS THE BODY'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE, SATURATED FAT LEADS TO LONG-TERM COMPLICATIONS AND HEART DISEASE, AND YOU HAVE ALL BEEN DUPED!

EXERCISE! EAT OFTEN, EAT WHOLE GRAINS, REDUCE SATURATED FATS, INCREASE OMEGA-3 SOURCES OF FAT, EAT FRUITS, VEGETABLES, BEANS, NUTS AND SEEDS AND DRINK WATER. ATKINS CAUSES BAD BREATH - NOT "SWEET, KETONE BREATH"

SO MAKE FUN OF IKNOWALL, ALL YOU WANT, BUT IKNOWALL SPEAKS THE TRUTH.

http://www.pcrm.org/news/health031120_report.html

High-Protein Diets Risky for Bones and Kidneys

Ten healthy participants were asked to follow an Atkins-style, carbohydrate-restricted diet for two weeks and then follow a moderately carbohydrate-restricted diet for four more weeks under close monitoring. It turned out that the meaty diets increased their calcium loss by 55 percent (from 160 to 248 mg/d, P < 0.01). The researchers conclude that a high-protein diet presents a marked acid load to the kidneys, increases the risk for kidney stones, and may increase the risk for bone loss.
Reddy ST, Wang CY, SakhaeeK, Brinkley L, Pak CY. Effect of low-carbohyrdate high-protein diets on acid-base balance, stone-forming propensity, and calcium metabolism. Am J Kidney Dis 2002;2:265-74.
Meat-Heavy Fad Diets Linked to Osteoporosis, Kidney Disease, and Colon Cancer
Washington, D.C.—To counter the current flood of misinformation surrounding high-protein fad weight-loss diets, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is launching a TV ad in Houston, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., this week. The ad, entitled “Safe Diets,” warns that meat-heavy diets put people at risk for osteoporosis, kidney disease, and maybe even colon cancer. In addition, a print ad will appear in USA Today during the week of 24 February.
“For weight loss, studies show that high-protein diets do not work any better than other diets, but they do lead to a quick loss of calcium and, very likely, an increased risk for colon cancer,” says Neal D. Barnard, M.D., president and founder of PCRM. “PCRM is countering the flood of misinformation about fad diets.”

A study recently published in American Journal of Kidney Diseases shows that high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets, such as the Atkins Diet, cause a rapid and pronounced loss of calcium in the urine, while studies of vegetarian diets have shown safe, effective weight loss. Groundbreaking studies published in Lancet (1990) and Journal of the American Medical Association (1998) show that a low-fat vegetarian diet can reverse heart disease. Each year, there is additional scientific evidence that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables is best in terms of long-term health. Visit PCRM’s new Web site at www.safediets.org for further information.

New Studies Show High-Protein Diets Fail to Live Up to Their Hype, Say Nutrition Experts

Findings Show Minimal Weight Loss and High Drop-Out Rate Group Will Launch Summer Ad Campaign to Warn of Diet's Risk
Washington, D.C.-Two new studies in the May 22 New England Journal of Medicine on the controversial high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets show that the diets fail to live up to their hype, says the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
Both studies, which compared a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet to a more conventional low-fat diet, demonstrated minimal weight loss and a high drop-out rate. Despite these findings and cautions by the researchers that more studies are needed to assess possible long-term health risks, PCRM nutrition experts are concerned that these messages will be lost in the low-carb publicity machine. To counteract the Atkins hype and inform the public about the diets' risks, PCRM is launching a summer ad campaign; a print ad is scheduled to run in U.S. News & World Report's "Best Hospitals" issue and a TV ad will run on CNN's AccentHealth network. The ads are viewable at www.safediets.org/ads.html.
"The new studies support what many of us have been saying all along," says Amy Joy Lanou, Ph.D., PCRM's nutrition director. "High-protein, low-carbohydrate diets are extremely hard to stick with and don't work any better over the long run than a conventional 'reduce-the-fat' diet-which doesn't work very well itself." A review of 107 studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in April 2003 showed that reduced carbohydrate intake did not impact weight loss-only longer diet duration and fewer calories did.
"If researchers really want to test the effectiveness of the Atkins Diet, they should compare it with the kind of largely vegetarian, lifestyle-changing approach Dr. Dean Ornish recommends: no animal fat, plenty of complex carbohydrates such as beans and legumes, and lots of fruits and vegetables. That's a diet that not only helps people lose weight, but it can help prevent and reverse heart disease, diabetes, and other illnesses," says Lanou.
"It's scandalous how much money is being spent to promote these risky, high-protein, meaty diets," continues Lanou. "For example, a Harvard study published earlier this year in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that high-protein diets may cause permanent loss of kidney function in anyone with reduced kidney function. The most frightening thing about that study? As many as one in four Americans may already have renal problems. Other studies have shown that meat-heavy diets significantly increase one's risk of colon cancer and osteoporosis." PCRM's summer ad campaign, "Safe Diets," focuses on the long-term health risks of the Atkins-like diets. PCRM also maintains a registry at www.AtkinsDietAlert.org for dieters who believe they may have sustained health problems due to a high-protein, low-carb diet.
Second Fatality in Atkins-Type Dieter Suspected; Other Dieters Report New Cases of Serious Illness to Family Members, Patients, and Nutrition Experts Present Details at Nov. 20 News Conference Doctors Urge CDC Inquiry; Video of Conference Available

WASHINGTON-New information questioning the safety of the Atkins Diet and other high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets, including data on a previously unreported fatality and numerous serious illnesses, was the focus of a news conference on November 20 at the National Press Club. A panel of nutrition experts, including Paul Robinson, M.D., the author of the first scientifically documented case history of a death linked to a high-protein diet, presented their concerns about the health risks of these diets. Joining the doctors were several people who report being harmed by these diets, as well as family members of the deceased. The physicians called on the Centers for Disease Control to begin an immediate investigation into these incidents and the prevalence of adverse effects and deaths associated with the diets. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) organized the conference. Video of the conference is available.
For example, 42 percent of registrants describe a loss of energy; 22 percent report reduced kidney function, stones, or severe infection; and 20 percent report heart problems or elevated cholesterol. Related Material: Preliminary Report by Neal Barnard, M.D.