opinion--no carb diet

kids · Jan 15, 2004

Originally posted by Dplear
Atkins is very similar to a ketogenic diet that is also used for controlling seziures in kids and adults (They stay on that diet some times for life) In that it makes you spill out ketones which are byproducts of metabolism of fat

I am a confessed carb junkie but this (post) caught my eye.

I associate very low/no carb diets with the ketogenic diet for seizures.

In my experience with children on the keto diet there were periodic attempts at weaning them off the diet as dispite suppliments the diet is not nutritionally complete and does not fully promote normal growth and developement.

The majority of children I worked with developed bowel problems due to a lack of dietary fiber. Even when supplimented (with fiber) they were never able to fully discontinue the use of stimulent laxitives due to the free water restrictions of the diet. Another observation is that kids on the diet had lower enery levels and required more sleep than children of similar age who were being managed pharmocologicly.

LeesieBug · Jan 15, 2004

For those who are interested here is a site that discusses concerns over high protein, low-carb diets.

http://atkinsdietalert.org/

Personally, I think people must decide for themselves what is right for them. For me, balance and lots of veggies are the way to go. My family history is ridden with cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes (YIKES). With that history, I do not think it is wise for me to ignore previous research that has shown a definite connection bewtween high fat, high protein diets and an increased risk of heart disease, colorectal cancer (that's a biggie for me, my grandmother died from it at 55), Impaired kidney function, osteoporosis, and complications of diabetes.

I think people can debate these kinds of issues 'till blue in the face, but it all comes down to personal opinion, and a decision about what works best for you.

SmilingBluEyes · Jan 15, 2004

Originally posted by sbic56
Interesting. I never heard that. Got any reference to that? I predicted the other day that Atkins diet would be pretty much a thing of the past by this time next year. It has enjoyed a pretty good run, but I think people will realize it is just a panecea and a temporary fix when a long tern solution is needed.

yep yep yep....

that is all "diets" are......

YOUR DIET and LIFESTYLE need to change FOR LIFE if you want a long term solution. I don't see eating like a pig on bacon, meat and such as a solution at all. It makes no sense to me.

LilRedRN1973 · Jan 15, 2004

YOUR DIET and LIFESTYLE need to change FOR LIFE

This is exactly why I chose Body for Life. I eat healthily 6 days out of the week, balancing my carb/protein/fat ratio to 40/40/20 and try to consume only healthy fats. On day 7, I get to treat myself to whatever cravings I might have. Then, after I've satisfied my "urges" for any junk food and have a full tummy, I go grocery shopping for the upcoming week. This way, I don't want to put a bunch of crap in my shopping cart. I also prepare several of my meals on my "Free Day" for the upcoming week. After eating a piece of pizza or a candy bar, I feel better about making healthy meals for the next week.

It has to be a lifestyle change and not something you "do just for a while". I can't imagine eating on the Atkins diet forever. Not being able to eat sandwiches, bananas, drink milk, etc. doesn't sound appealing to me and I honestly don't think I could keep that up for the rest of my life. One reason why Atkins is so popular is that it's "quick" and boy, do Americans LOVE quick fixes. I would rather lose the weight by eating a mix of fruits, vegetables, low fat meats/poultry, and complex carbs and exercising 5-6 days a week. I feel better when I eat like this anyways and have a lot more energy. I cut out all the white, processed crap food, quit drinking sodas, and watch my sugar intake. I do pay attention to the carbs I'm consuming, but only to see what type of carbs they are. I eat whole wheat products, brown rice, slow cooking oatmeal, etc. and choose wisely.

My entire family has done Atkins and although they lost the weight quickly, they were just a smaller, flabbier version of the before. My mom lost 45 lbs and went a size 5 after spending years at a size 14. Yes, she's tiny, but she's also very flabby with little muscle tone. Talk to any bodybuilder/fitness professional and they will tell you that you NEED carbs to build muscle. Without carbs, it's difficult for the muscles to rebuild and repair themselves. And I mean more than 20-60g of carbs per day. I had wonderful success doing Body for Life and didn't lose any muscle. In fact, I gained muscle and lost bodyfat. No, it's not as easy as doing something like the Atkins diet, but that's okay. I've never been known to take the easy way out of something!

Erin RN · Jan 15, 2004

Wow sounds like many have made the switch for life to low or good carbs on this BB, that is great.

I tried the Atkins diet a yr ago to quickly lose 7 pounds since I was in a wedding and dresses were very very tight! It did work..

But low carbing is not for me..I watch my carbs (somewhat)..I watch my fats and portions and I run a couple of miles a day (well walk temporarily due to an ankle inj)..I need carbs when I am running..I have cut back a little since doing the walking.

Most people I know that do the Atkins do it only to lose the weight ,they do not do it for life..All of my friends that reveted back to their old eating habits gained all of the weight back and THEN some and rather quickly. I noticed most of them did not seems to overeat after reaching their goal weight as much as increasing their carb intake..can being on this sort of diet make you gain weight when you stop?? I am not being sarcastic rather does anyone know..is there any research out there on what happens when you stop the diet? Erin

RNPD · Jan 15, 2004

"Talk to any bodybuilder/fitness professional and they will tell you that you NEED carbs to build muscle."~RNnTraining1973

Talk to a medical professional and they will tell you it takes PROTEIN to build muscle. Carbs break down into sugar which is used for energy but not used to build muscle. Amino acids, which are what comprise protein, are the building blocks of the human body. In order to gain muscle and burn fat you need to have sufficient protein and fewer dietary carbs because with too many ingested carbs the body uses those for fuel and never gets to the point of burning the stored fat.

"I don't see eating like a pig on bacon, meat and such as a solution at all. It makes no sense to me."~SmilingBluEyes

My breakfast today was a packet of instant cream of wheat made with 2/3 cup fat free milk and sprinkled with half packet of splenda. I drank a cup of decaf tea with another tbsp fat free milk. 17carbs + 12carbs

Lunch was 1/2 Atkins bagel toasted (4.5 carbs) and 2 oz ham and american cheese with a small salad with a vinagrette dressing.

Snack was small pear 23 carbs

Dinner will be 4 to 5 oz rotisserie turkey breast with another vinaigrette salad and steamed broccoli. About 10 carbs in the veggies

Snack at night-handful of peanuts or celery sticks with tbsp peanut butter, or sugar free jello with cool whip or a low carb treat such as Atkins ice cream 4-5 carbs

Other than decaf tea and decaf coffee I drink only bottled water or seltzer.

Tonight I will not eat any snack carbs because I will have already had most of my allotment so I will probably opt for the jello.

I do occasionally eat eggs and bacon-maybe 2, sometimes 3 times a week. But I hardly eat like a pig nor does the diet suggest that you do so. I have one egg and maybe 3 slices of bacon and half a toasted Atkins bagel as an alternate to the hot cereal.

I enjoy eating this way and it has become a habit for the past 7 months that I haven't tired of. I also do strength training 3 times week-the only way to tone and actually build muscle, as well as for cardio fitness.

"Even when supplimented (with fiber) they were never able to fully discontinue the use of stimulent laxitives due to the free water restrictions of the diet"~kids-r-fun

My diet suggests 64 oz of water a day. I haven't had any problems with free water intake, constipation, renal function etc. Actually we all should drink 64 oz of water daily, unless contraindicated by a medical condition.

I think that if the diet is done correctly no one with normal metabolic function will have a problem. Of course if one chooses to "eat like a pig" that's a different story.

sbic56, BSN, RN · Jan 15, 2004

RNPD

Your diet sounds geat, but it is also very low calorie and really doesn't look much like Atkins. I think SBE was referring to those folks who really put down the meats, fats and chesses. I am not saying they don't lose weight as well; they may, but the way you are doing it is healthy and effective in acheiving weight loss.

LilRedRN1973 · Jan 16, 2004

I realize that it takes protein to build muscle...it's the building block of muscle fibers (well amino acids are, but that's a whole different topic). My husband is a bodybuilder and has been for years. They eat tons of carbs thoughout the year to help pack on the muscle (along with TONS of protein...he consumes around 250-300g a day) and then cut carbs drastically about 6 weeks out from a competition. Without the carbs, it's very difficult to do the intense workouts needed to build this muscle. And seeing how my husband keeps his bodyfat around 6-7% off season, 3-4% during competition, he obviously has no problem with his bodyfat. I come from an extended family of bodybuilders, nutritionists, and fitness competitors (not sure what the hell happened with me...ROFL). I look at their diets and see how it works for them. I also have seen how my mother, grandfather, and sister have done on Atkins. My sister and mother could not keep up with us at the gym due to lack of energy and although they lost a LOT of weight, they are "soft" looking. We tried the Atkins to see what all the fuss was about and neither of us could sustain our workouts for very long. We both went back to eating our complex carbs. I also found it difficult to consume enough fiber on the Atkins (I am not a big veggie lover). I couldn't get past 20 grams or so with the Atkins and that was really trying. With the way I eat now, I get plenty of fiber without trying. A day's menu for me looks similar to this:

Meal 1

1 cup of Southwestern Eggbeaters

Bowl of Kashi GoLean Crunch cereal with 1/2 cup of milk

Meal 2

protein shake

Meal 3

grilled chicken breast tossed in BBQ sauce

brown rice seasoned with lemon pepper

steamed zucchini

OR

a turkey, fat free cheese, low fat mayo sandwich on high fiber bread and a protein shake

Meal 4

Cottage cheese mixed with sugar free low fat yogurt and a scoop of protein powder mixed in

handful of berries or a banana

Meal 5

grilled marinated pork tenderloin

mock mashed potatoes (steamed cauliflower mashed and seasoned with butter buds)

broccoli w/butter buds

Meal 6

Apple

stick of part skim mozzarella string cheese

My meals differ slightly just before I workout or just after. If it's a heavy weight training day, I will drink a protein shake just before workout or 30 minutes after working out.

I also supplement with Udo's oil....it's a blend of Omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids.

I realize that different eating habits work for different people. What I don't like to see is people latching onto something simply because it's a quick fix. Atkins became so popular because it works quick and god forbid, it take time to take off the weight that it took time to put on. My philosophy that has always served me well: the slower you take off the weight, the less likely you are to take it off. I watched my bodyfat go UP on the Atkins, even though my weight was going down. Body for Life took it off slowly and I looked much better, as well as taking my bodyfat down to around 20% from 32%.

RNPD · Jan 16, 2004

Melanie-the carbs are used for energy to endure an intense workout. Carbs do not build muscle-only protein builds muscle. I don't think you can compare an extreme-i.e bodybuilder-to an average human-even a body that is at optimal weight and with good muscle tone. The low percentage of body fat and high percentage of muscle that is characteristic of a bodybuilder is not something that most of us aspire to. The average person wants to be fit and of normal weight for his/her size.

I am also talking about restricting simple carbs, not complex carbs. Most complex carbs are good for you and only need to be eaten in moderation. I have plenty of energy on this diet, much more than when I was eating loads of carbs. Carb loading is again, only for intense workouts that require extraordinary amounts of energy. For the rest of us, it isn't burned-it turns to fat.

sbic-my diet actually isn't Atkins, but it is low carb. It is actually the Curves diet, and seems to be working well for me. The weight loss is slow but as Melanie said, it tends to stay off when you take it off slowly.

I agree that quick fixes aren't the best-but what I do like about low carb diets that do work quickly is that when an overweight person-especially an obese person-sees a large loss rather quickly it does tend to motivate to continue. I was unsuccessful at traditional diets-I couldn't lose on 1200 cal/day-my body would simply slow my metabolism down even further and unless I went down to 800cal/day I couldn't lose. And you know that no one can stay long at 800 cals! I would get discouraged with no results and start to eat-especially since I was always hungry and always felt deprived. With this diet I am neither and I really don't see a problem eating this way for life. I am quite confortable with my routine, I am not hungry, I can eat out w/o ordering special foods, I feel well, and I see results.

The diet that Melanie described sounds great-for her! I tried similar diets and just didn't lose. If I stay away from carbs the weight comes off. I don't pretend to know the reason I am just happy with the results. And truthfully there is no way I could eat like Melanie decribed forever. My way I have no problem.

In the end whatever works for the individual is the way to go as long as it isn't harmful. And this works for me!

Dixen81 · Jan 16, 2004

I just went two days cutting out carbs, and I felt SO SICK! Constant headache, very upset stomach and nausea, and zero energy. Finally had to break down and eat a normal lunch today, and almost immediately felt so much better! My stomach is still upset somewhat, but headache is gone and gaining a little energy. I think I'd rather lose weight more slowly or live with being a little pudgy than make myself sick.

live4today, RN · Jan 16, 2004

Originally posted by CPB
Hi everyone...................................I believe carbs are a very important part of the diet!!! I think it's smarter and healthier to cut down on carbs and make better carb choices than to completely remove them from your diet. Tell me what you think:)

AGREE!!! :)

SnowymtnRN · Jan 16, 2004

Originally posted by peggysue
I just went two days cutting out carbs, and I felt SO SICK! Constant headache, very upset stomach and nausea, and zero energy. Finally had to break down and eat a normal lunch today, and almost immediately felt so much better! My stomach is still upset somewhat, but headache is gone and gaining a little energy. I think I'd rather lose weight more slowly or live with being a little pudgy than make myself sick.

It takes about 1-2 weeks to completely "detox" or clean your body of carbs. This was normal. After about 3-4 days you would have felt TONS better i bet. I'm sorry you felt so bad!