i tried it for a month and a half, and i had lost about 20 lbs...went home to visit my family for Thanksgiving....and i couldn't resist the temptations. I've tried getting back on it, but haven't had any luck. once you get past the first week, it's all downhill from there.
True statements about the fiber above, you need to supplement. Also a good idea I think is to take Lipitor and low dose asprin during Atkins. I know the late Doc said his diet would actually lower your cholesterol but better safe than sorry. My doctor say they should just put Statins (like Lipitor) in the drinking water (OK literalist he just joking). I know they are due to be offered over the counter as soon as this fall. In another article I read recently,a heart doctor recommended the devlopment of an over the counter "polypill" that had Statins, low dose asprin and Folic Acid to be taken daily like a vitamin . Vegan I admire your vegitarian diet but I would rather die young than pass on a rare ribeye. Do you eat cheese, eggs or milk? Is your diet a PETA conviction or just a health conscious choice?
I've definitely researched it (as you may guess, vegetarians are challenged daily to condone/condemn this diet or that -- you've gotta know your stuff). When you remove all fiber from your diet and replace it with cholesterol-laden meat and cheese, your chances of a heart attack and/or stroke increase. Also, since you're DRASTICALLY increasing the amount of protein you consume, you're also increasing the likelihood of gall bladder and pancreatic problems, not to mention... ...kidney stones (gulp!)
I'm totally vegan -- no dairy, eggs, leather, fur, honey or any other animal products (though it's impossible to be 100 percent vegan. I just do the best I can). I'm vegan because I want to minimize my contribution to animal suffering. They're tortured, skinned and brutally murdered on their way to becoming "meat." To me, that's a high price to pay for a burger. But a veggie diet also improves your health, minimizes your impact on the environment, and addresses the world hunger problem. And no, I don't want to make everybody vegetarian. We all have decisions to make, and each one is different. I used to eat rib-eye steaks, too!
This is the one thing I never realized when I became a vegetarian. Since becoming one, I cannot count the number of times people have gotten visibly angry at the notion that I don't eat meat. I've even had total strangers, when they find out, get really pissy about it as if I told them they were forbidden to ever eat meat again. The irony is that I am not a supporter of PETA and I don't really even mention it to people unless directly asked or it comes up in conversation. I'm not sure what the great fear is about vegetarianism. As for the Atkins diet, the best advice I ever heard about dieting was this: if you cannot live for the remainder of your life on a particular diet, the diet probably won't work. Eventually, espeically with high protein diets, you get off of it and you gain the weight back. It is temporary. Obviously, for extremely obese people, they need radical intervention. But, if you just want to drop 20 or 30 pounds to get back into shape, the all-protein thing might get you there but, the minute you give it up, the weight will very likely return. As much as we'd all like to believe that diets high in fat and sugar are good for us, the reality is a balanced diet heavy in grains and vegetables and low in saturated fat and sugar mixed with daily exercise is the best way to maintain good health for a lifetime.
Good posts Jeff and GreenVegan, almost makes me want to become a vegetarian. What are the pros and cons of being a vegetarian if you don't mind me asking?
I don't think anyone ever said Atkins would be their permanent lifestyle. But if your current lifestyle has you overweight I believe Atkins offers the the quickest way to get back to a healthy weight. If you go right back back to doing the same thing, yea, your going to put it right back on. I did, but I had a good time doing it. The best scenario would be to do the diet, loose the weight and then adopt a healthier lifestyle. But I like buttery buttery garlic bread, panfried pork chops, macaroni and cheese, apricot nectar cake with powdered sugar icing...... and it's too hot to exercise. Jeep
I mentioned a few of the benefits of vegetarianism in an above post. As for cons, you'll forever have to answer these three questions: "Do you get enough protein?" "What if you and a goat are stranded on a desert island and there's no food. Would you eat the goat then?" "You're a f*****, aren't you?" Other than these three things, vegetarianism is pretty cool. You're healthier, you take in fewer harmful hormones, you help the environment, and you remove yourself from a tortuous food cycle. If you're interested, I can email a few links. Just lemme know.
About 60 percent of the water and soil pollution is directly caused by factory farm animal runoff. These hormone-addled, chemically laced animals create vast amounts of methane and waste, which wind up in our streams and air. Vast tracts of land have been cleared for more cattle, and it's terrible for the soil, making erosion a serious problem. Producing leather also releases tons of toxic chemicals into the environment. As for protein: Most meat-eaters get WAY too much protein. Too much protein is responsible for kidney stones, gall bladder problems and pancreatic disease. You really don't need that much protein. Eat a few peanuts, mix in some tofu and fortified cereal, and you're in good shape.
Going vegan greatly improved my health. I am not as strict as I once was (long story, but it would be nearly impossible to keep it up at the moment), but I still am mostly vegan, especially at home. I lost about 10 pounds at first (a lot for me) because I was eating more nutritiously dense food and, thus, getting full faster (and eating less) but my body soon adjusted and I was able to get back to a better weight. However, prior to my change I was basically a lazy vegetarian anyway. Meat, especially red meat, has never really agreed with me - one of the main reasons for my shift. Oh, atkins = bad. I have known people who have had to go to the hospital because of how their body reacted. Besides, as Jeff pointed out, it is not a lifestly change, it is a temporary bandaid...so what is the point? Jeff, Don't forget that people also try to catch you cheating or something.
Is too much Soy bad for males? Soy has an estrogen-like substance in it. I worry about consuming too much Soy and growing t*** or something. There has been debate about Soy. Most Soy topics focus on the female and the benefits she gains(like a possible reduction in certain types of cancer). Also, 25 grams of Soy a day is said to lower bad cholesterol and promote good cholesterol levels. However, there are debates about possible problems with Soy. I have seen articles cautioning men in particular about consuming large amounts of Soy. I don't know what the hell to believe. I used to do mainly Soy protein shakes with my work-outs. But, that sh*t scares me a little now so I am going to switch to Whey probably(when I get back into my work-outs).
Surf: Soy is TREMENDOUSLY good for everyone including men. Of course, anything in very large quantities can be bad, but I don't know anyone that consumes massive amounts of soy including myself. But, if you are truly worried about estrogen, don't ever eat/drink dairy or meat again because cows and poultry are injected with estrogen as a way to promote growth. There have been studies done that show that the average age of puberty for women has dropped from 14 to 11 since the 60's and the average age for men has risen from 13 to 16 in that same time. Each correlates with the time when the cattle, poultry and dairy industry began the practice of adding female growth hormones like estrogen to their animals. But all that aside, being a vegetarian isn't tough at all. When I first went out on a date with Mrs JB, we went to Bennigan's. I wasn't a vegetarian and she was. I asked her what she could eat there thinking all she ate was tofu, bean sprouts and eggplant. She said, "I can get a salad and a baked potato just about anywhere." Completely changed my perspective on vegetarianism.
From a health perspective, if this is the case, you are better off NOT losing weight at all. Studies have shown that people who maintain a fairly even weight level over long periods of time, even if that level is considered overweight (not obese which is a different situation), are healthier than those who diet and then regain the weight. The gaining and losing weight can be very destructive for the body, especially your heart. Besides, what is the point of going on the diet if you know you'll gain all the weight back? How is switching to this diet then changing your lifestyle later easier? Wouldn't it be easier just to change your lifestyle now and get it over with? There are quick ways to lose weight without Atkins - hundreds of them - which is why there is an entire industry built around weight loss.
Jeff -- I remember the first couple of times we grabbed lunch I was somewhat concerned I would offend you eating meat...or that I would be unable to find a place where we could both eat something we liked. Kinda funny now thinking back on that!
I know! Isn't that a wierd feeling? The only places I've ever found where it has been difficult to eat are seafood places because they rarely have anything without meat in it, Mexican food because they often use lard in everything - though that isn't a problem with nicer restaurants - and some barbeque places, although, most have baked potatoes and salads and vegetables. As for the offended thing, I can understand. That's just because you're polite! But, it doesn't bother me to see people eating meat. If it did, I'd never spend another holiday with my family. Hmmmm, maybe that's not such a bad thing!
