Printable View
All right, for the last few days I've been noticing "Low Carb!!!" this that and the other thing all over the place. Why is the carbohydrate all of a sudden the most evil part of food ever, needing instant elimination from all human consumption forever and ever, world without end, etc.
Probably just another stupid eating fad, but I wouldn't mind knowing exactly how I'm supposed to properly be mocking people at the moment.
James
If you are trying to lose weight it's good to cut down on carbs.
Because people are fat, stupid, and believe Atkins.
Because it works. If you want to lose weight, Atkins will work.
Carbohydrates (or consuming too many calories in a single sitting) give your body that very full feeling. Ever been very satisfied and a little tired after a big meal? That feeling is insulin being released into your body to let your body know to store fat. Different people have different genetics, and therefore different amounts of insulin is sent out, and different amounts of fat is stored. If you reduce Carbs and don't overeat your body will get less messages to store fat, and you will lose huge amounts of weight.
It is, however, bad for your health in the long term and as soon as you eat carbs again you will get fat again. I suggest against it, unless you are morbidly obese and need it to start a normal diet.
If you aren't lucky enough to have great genetics, healthy diet and exercise, that is the true only way.
PS: The Atkins diet has also been proven to lower testosterone levels in men. Less muscles. Less powerful erections. Erectile disfunction later in life. Infertility. You name it. You want your nads to do their job, right? Say no to the Atkins diet. ;)
I was tempted to go on a low carb diet till my sister warned me against it (she's going for her pre-med degree). She told me that it wasn't good for you, but I didn't know about those side effects for men that you mentioned. Thanks Master.
For the last year I have been getting back into shape to start boxing again, (havent fought since I was about 16-17).
Anyways after trying everything including running my ass off and eating healthy the thing that did it like magic was cutting out most of my carbs.
In 6 months time I lost around 50 pounds, I have given my body the last few months to stabalize and get through the holliday eating and today I start to shake the last 10-20 pounds off or whatever my body is willing to do in a healthy manner.
Im pretty thin atm but to be in "Boxing Shape" you have to be in perfect condition with narry any fat on your body anywhere so the 10-20 will still come off.
So in short Low Carbs or Atkins does work if you stick with it like I did, most fighters blow up 30 pounds or so between fights and use a combination of low carbs and exercise to get to fighting weight.
They have been doing it for years and it works hands down...
Low carb is NOT bad for you and my personal physician that I brought in to guide me through my weight loss suggested it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brotherman
Dont go Atkins just go low carb, Atkins is mostly against eating veggies and fruits.. with him its meat meat meat and fats fats fats..
I just went low carb, no candies, sweets or breads (while trying to loose the bulk of the weight).. and ate healthy stuff like your veggies, fruits and meats.
So yes low carb works BUT I dont agree with Atkins hard line aproach to it...
And btw, I wanted to mention that I never cut out the ice creams, sweats and stuff %100 particularly since this stretch of letting my body get into its own and holliday eating and I havent put any weight on..
Its all about eating things with discipline.. you wont blow up as soon as you throw a ho ho in your mouth.. but if your throw a gallon of ice cream and 8 ho ho's 3 times a week then guess what...
:nod:Quote:
Originally Posted by JMET
I've steered clear of the Atkins diet because really, when I first heard about it, it just struck me as being unhealthy in the long run. Plus, it doesn't teach people to change their eating habits. So they'll go on Atkins, lose lots of weight, then go back to stuffing fast food in their mouths 4-5 times a week, eating just 2 or 3 huge meals a day, and so forth.
I'm on a lower carb, higher protein diet, drink a lot of water, and do resistance training twice a week. I used to do cardio in the mornings, but work and general inability to wake up early have cut that back, but I need to get back to it.
So far, I've droped about 40-45lbs since I started, and replaced a lot of fat with muscle. People I see around ask me what the "secret" is and I just kind of laugh. It's no secret, just diet, exercise, and a willingness to make your health a priority. Most people don't have a problem with 1 and 2, it's 3 that they have trouble with.
I dropped 30 pounds in three months by cutting out all bread, and drinking light beer.
Its amazing what carbs can do to you.
p.s. My work also kicked my ass (I was a bussboy at a busy ass Hard Rock) so that may have contributed. The funny thing is when I wasn't working I was sitting on my ass, playing CVS2 smoking pot and eating ice cream.
I still lost mad weight.
Carbs are weird.
Weird, seems we've all been doing similar things lately...
I've also been eating less carbs and more protein, and have been doing some cardio since late November, and have dropped 25 pounds. I was planning on starting some weight training this week to start working on muscle, but yeah. Cool.
Ah, thank you genetics. I eat more than a lot of my friends sometimes, I don't exercise for half the year much, and I don't gain a damn pound. I love my messed up genetics that allow that.
Here's praying it doesn't crash.
My father's a doctor, and my brother a (former, now) college athlete. I overheard a lot of discussions about low-carb diets. Our family's against Atkins in it's purest form, but the restriction of carbs seemed to work really well. As long as you're smart about it, and check with your doctor, I haven't seen any negative results going that way.
Being horribly strict to Atkins, though... I've heard a lot of unpleasant things, some of which Master mentioned.
Heh. Weird how many of us are doing this. I've been increasing my workout schedeul gradually, as well as eating more protein and less carbs. Thank you Dr. Atkins. ;)
I did try the Atkins diet for all of two days, but it seriously screwed with me, so now I'm on a modified South Beach diet.
I hear pot works great for weight loss. You should go in the market for that. http://www.neomega.net/forum/images/smilies/zrock.gifQuote:
Originally Posted by Icepick
I've just never understood how somebody can look at the Atkins diet and think it's a good idea. "Let's see, no fruits or vegetables, and lots of meats with fat and cholestoral. SWEET!"
I spoke to my doctor before I started, and he said the diet I was starting was fine, but that I needed to do more cardio work since I have high blood pressure.
On another note, I was driving home and saw an ad for a Atkins friendly meal deal at Hardee's. HARDEES. Because people eating at Hardee's are pretty concerned about their health and eating habits. Makes good business sense though!
You really should do some research on it to better understand it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Masaka
Fats are proteins. Your body either uses the protein, or pees it out (which is why constipation is a huge danger in the Atkins diet). You don't retain any of it. Carbs, on the other hand, are complex sugars, which are stored as body fat if they aren't entirely consumed and used by the body.
Also, the Atkins doesn't totally remove carbs from your diet, but strictly limits them.
And cholestoral isn't a problem so long as you make sure to eat meats with a low LDL count.
Atkins/low carb diets are bullshit. They're for lazy people who don't actually want to exercise. Granted, you shouldn't eat all the carbs you want, but cutting them too low isn't healthy.
I agree, which is why I'm on a modified South Beach diet (which is essentially the Atkins diet with much more carb allowences), and I excercise every day.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dolemite
I'm not looking for "cheap and dirty." I want the real thing.
Good points. The problem is that most of the people I know who are trying it are totally removing carbs from their diet. I guess they fall into the "Strict Atkins" role?Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain Vegetable
Atkins seemed really extreme, and after taking a look at it, it appeared to me that by simply lowering your carb intake, and decreasing your calorie intake overall, you'd get results, albeit, not quite as quickly. It would also do more for improving your general eating habits, which Atkins or otherwise, most of America needs to do anyway.
That and get outside every so often.
EDIT: damnit, you guys reply too fast
I figured you'd love low-carb diets, if only to save your ass from being eaten, Veggie-boy. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain Vegetable
The thing with carbs is eating the right kind while avoiding the sugar-based ones. Veggies, rice, oatmeal, and fruits- carbs like that are the best for you.
No, they fall into the "stupid" role. I don't think they realize how much danger they'll put themselves in if they totally remove carbs from their diets. Where is their fiber going to come from? How do they expect not to get all backed up, intestinely?Quote:
Originally Posted by Masaka
Atkins is strict, but it isn't stupid.
Dude, you hit the nail on the head. Doctors have done studies, and reguardless of the type of diet you are on, it's always the low calorie diets that see the best, longest lasting results. Atkins or not, if you eat like a pig, you're going to look like one.Quote:
Atkins seemed really extreme, and after taking a look at it, it appeared to me that by simply lowering your carb intake, and decreasing your calorie intake overall, you'd get results, albeit, not quite as quickly. It would also do more for improving your general eating habits, which Atkins or otherwise, most of America needs to do anyway.
Heh. You got a chuckle out of me. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Dolemite
:nod:Quote:
The thing with carbs is eating the right kind while avoiding the sugar-based ones. Veggies, rice, oatmeal, and fruits- carbs like that are the best for you.
I did the low carb thing a few years ago and lost about 30 pounds. I pretty much just ate salads everyday and drank an assload of water. But like a damn fool for about a month I cut out pretty much all carbs and had pretty bad intestinal problems (mostly just had the shits a lot). But after that I started to be smarter about my diet and continued to lose weight. After I went off the diet I gained about 20 of the pounds back but I still look better than before because I also got taller and still haven't gained any weight in my face.
I was thinking about going back on the low carb thing to shed some weight after all of these extra few pounds I've added on from college and the holidays. But it works pretty well if you're smart about it.
How are carbs with ramin noodles?
Noodles...I don't think noodles are too bad. Shitloads of sodium in ramen noodles, however.
That's about all I've been eating for the past week and a half. I'm finding it a little strange that I haven't been hungry for quite some time now...
Low-carb foods are also good for some suffering diabetes.
This is kind of off topic, but why do some people say dairy is so bad? Is it because a lot of dairy foods are high in fat? I asked becasue I drink a lot of milk (skim milk) and was wondering why that would be bad.
I was eating a fairly low-carb diet, out of habit more than anything, but I stopped because I lost too much weight I think. Right now Im really skinny, actually slightly underweight for someone with my height and build. I have a bit of fat around my middle but that's more of a genetic thing that will be a long long haul to get rid of (dammit). Still I am working out 4 times a week (even that's really hard with my schedule) and seeing the results I want to.
Right now Im eating a diet which consists of a lot of protein, some complex carbs, and as many fruits and vegetables as possible (more so than Ive ever eaten before). I cut down on like 85% of alcohol, like 95% of soda (Im drinking it now because Im at work, Im trying to wake up, and I got class all day) and like 75% of my sweets.
It's actually really difficult to keep this up, because a lot of times Ill get stuck on campus in the middle of the day, be really hungry, and have basically no choice but to eat the crap they sell (today is one of those days, I know it already), but I can deal for now. There's only so much I can do.
Man I can totally relate to this. I'll be halfway through the day's classes and be fucking starving, but the only food is the junk in the machines.Quote:
Originally Posted by diffusionx
I'm considering packing a lunch, just some simple stuff like apples, cheese, and crackers.
What I ate through my big loss and what im starting again starting today to drop the rest off is.
Breakfast: Usually eggs or sausage
Lunch: Salad EVERY DAY for lunch
Dinner: Meats and veggies all the way.. no or very little breads and no to little dessert.
I drink allot of water, mostly flavored with no sugar and if I drink soda its diet or without sugar...
Just as an idea to the weight loss im trying to get to, the guy in my avatar is a boxer who is always in PERFECT condition and is what I looked like as a teenager.
That is being in boxing shape right there...
I feel you on that. I have similar problems at work, where I'm stuck in a bunker for 8 hours a day. Same when I'm travelling to tournies and what not.Quote:
Originally Posted by diffusionx
What I started doing was making tons of extra snack and food stuff on the weekends that I can take with me. Grilled chicken or pork, a little steamed rice, carrotsticks, celery, apples, pears, hard boiled eggs, etc. Stuff that's easy to eat on the go, and can keep relatively well. So in the mornings, I'm basically grabbing stuff and taking it with me, since I'm usually running a bit late.
Even if you're just taking a sandwich or something, anything you make is going to be 100x better than the junk you have to get on campus.
Frankly, I'm sick of walking into supermarkets and seeing "LOW CARB" signs on every shelf, like for tuna and chicken. :rolleyes: Plus, now food joints like Subway and Ruby Tuesdays have "Atkins Friendly" shit on their menus, most of which is low in carbs but high in fat and grease.
You know another bad aspect of Atkins? Bad breath. You see, Atkins forces your body into a state called "ketosis", which is when your body starts burning it's stores of fat because it's not getting enough carbs. This produces bacteria that in turn eventually causes really bad breath, no matter how much you brush and use mouthwash.
Also, if you're hardly eating any carbs, you better be taking vitamins out the ass, because you're missing vital nutriments that you can only get from otherwise eating healthy carbs.
Yea, true. I guess Ill start carrying around stuff with me in the next few days. Ive been doing this long enough to know when those days are Im gonna get hungry. Usually I take a Met-RX Protein Bar (Frosted Maple Pecan is good as hell) but today I forgot.Quote:
Originally Posted by Masaka
A lot of my family lost a lot of weight on Adkins but they were also pretty heavy, very lazy and ate damn near everything they saw. Some of them have kept to the diet and kept the weight off, while others (like my dad) fell off the wagon and put most of the weight back on.
You're only supposed to really cut the carbs early on to force your body into ketosis to start burning the fat. After two weeks any low carb dieter should consume more carbs, albeit in a controlled manner.
While the diet itself is overkill, it's not a bad idea to pick up some low-carb habits. Anyone who wants to lose a few pounds should start by cutting sugar out. Use sugar substitutes, drink diet drinks and unsweetened juice, and generally stay away from sweets. So many foods are just packed with sugar, and sugar is just packed with empty calories. Fatty, greasy foods are packed with them too, but anyone who gives a damn about what they eat generally knows better than to eat six pieces of Extra Crispy with the skin on.
And Adkins wasn't a doctor...he was a mortician.
Yeah, that's exactly what prompted me to start this thread. Whenever I see something like this my inherent cynicism leaps to the fore and I instantly disbelieve every word of whatever is being pushed as "common wisdom" this time. Carbs = Evil! seems to be the current message, and the info I've gotten off all of your replies has been a big help.Quote:
Frankly, I'm sick of walking into supermarkets and seeing "LOW CARB" signs on every shelf, like for tuna and chicken. Plus, now food joints like Subway and Ruby Tuesdays have "Atkins Friendly" shit on their menus, most of which is low in carbs but high in fat and grease.
And why am I so clueless on it? Well, I'm 6' even and about 135 pounds, and tend to eating habits that'd probably kill most people dead in a week. My knowlege of proper dieting is fuzzy at best, just the generic "fruits and vegetables with meat and bread, low on fried foods and sweets" stuff, and I don't pay a whole lot of attention to it. Believe me, I know how lucky I am to have a hyperactive metabolism, and I've probably abused it more than absolutely necessary.
James
*pulls out a forcible to steal some metabolism*Quote:
Originally Posted by James
(note: obscure book reference)
I wish my metabolism was hyperactive. I gain 2 pounds walking past a bakery.
You're skinny as a rail dude. But ultimately you are so clueless on it because you don't need to know about it. Im clueless on plumbing.Quote:
Originally Posted by James
My body is also sensitive to shitty foods. If I go nuts and eat a lot of ice cream and fast food and cake for a week (its pretty easy to succumb to temptation, you know), I will gain 5-6 pounds, easy.Quote:
I wish my metabolism was hyperactive. I gain 2 pounds walking past a bakery.
HA, I was going to say something similar... like I smell a cookie and I gain 10 lbs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Masaka
[sinbad]I didn't eat no cookie, god![/sinbad]
Oh, definitely.Quote:
Originally Posted by diffusionx
But that also means we can actually build more muscle and survive longer during a food shortage, unlike those skinny people.
Ha!
The worst thing is that it pretty much goes right to my stomach. I talked to my dad and he has the same problem - genetics, must be. It's gonna be hella hard for me to get a 6 pack. :(
It all goes to my gut and my face/neck area. My arms and legs are fine.
And it seems like my metabolism quit on me after high school, where I ate shit every day and managed to stay at 5'8" 125 lbs. After 2 years of college I was 175 at my fattest. Now I'm 150 and working on getting the rest under control.
Traitorous ass body.
Wow! You can get a job as a mortician these days without being a doctor? Fascinating. :pQuote:
Originally Posted by burgundy
To do any kind of undertaking, you need a medical doctorate, burg.
And his name is spelled with a "T," not a "D."
Does anyone know if the thyroid has anything to do with the speed of your metabolism?
Obscure reference? You mean, the Runelords by David Farland :D!? I've read all four of the series (Calliander had the first three and after the first one I was hooked)...and since his last book JUST came out, I'll have to wait for a little while till the next one:(. It's cool that you've read the series though :).Quote:
Originally Posted by Masaka
http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/02/10....ap/index.html
so... Atkins himself was obese and suffered from hypertension... :lol:
His diet plan is a joke. Exercising regularly while eating moderate portions of a 4-food-group diet is probably the safest bet.