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The Atkin's diet, like many others, is a way to learn how to eat intelligently. It leads you to the point where you don't need to follow a chart or a list to maintain a healthy weight. It leads you to the point where, once you've found that weight, you can throw the book away, because you know what you need to do, in order to maintain. And then you do that, indefinitely. That means, you can't go back to stuffing yourself with triple baconburgers.
Very true. Although the triple baconburger is okay if you leave off the bun.
I've been thinking about the Atkins products. At the same time that I want to do low-carb, I also am trying to eat better quality foods, like organic when it makes sense, fewer ingredients, less processed, yada yada. The products' ingredient lists are a mile long with nothing real in them. I actually do like the taste of them, however.
The use of artificial sweetener is something i had been trying to get away from, too, which would be a problem on Atkins. Splenda, my old staple, now makes me leery. But I did buy some stevia extract, -- just wish more things had stevia in it instead of aspartame or splenda.
I liked that I could bbq a big 'ol chicken breast and pile on the cottage cheese as a side...lost many pounds of 20-something weight and it shaped the rest of my life. Went to my HS reunion 'lookin' goooood'!!!
Don't eat the products; follow the food plan and use the organic foods that you like.
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But I did buy some stevia extract, -- just wish more things had stevia in it instead of aspartame or splenda.
And that goes back to avoiding processed foods. If you make your own lemonade or iced tea, or baked goods, for instance, you control the sweetener and how much.
Best thing though is to kick the sweets habit and just eat fresh foods as they are. You'll actually start appreciating subtle sweetness where you didn't before.
1. maintaining a -healthy- weight is not just "not eat junk food or many sweets." It involves much more intelligence than that. In fact, if you want to maintain a -healthy- weight, you CAN eat junk food - but you have to eat it intelligently. That means, no triple whopper with cheese and bacon, a large fry, apple pie, and a diet soda to wash it all down. However, a single cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato, no mayo, no ketchup, a side salad with low-fat dressing, and bottled water is available in the same fast food joint and will not be a deal breaker to a healthy weight.
2. if you "go off" a diet when you've found your ideal weight, then yes you will gain it all back. And possibly even more. That's the problem with ALL diets, if you don't refer back to item #1 and eat *intelligently.* The Atkin's diet, like many others, is a way to learn how to eat intelligently. It leads you to the point where you don't need to follow a chart or a list to maintain a healthy weight. It leads you to the point where, once you've found that weight, you can throw the book away, because you know what you need to do, in order to maintain. And then you do that, indefinitely. That means, you can't go back to stuffing yourself with triple baconburgers. You can't revert back to hot fudge sundaes twice a week. You can't go back to hanging out on the living room couch playing nintendo when it's a nice enough day to go for a 2-mile walk.
That's why diets fail. Because dieters refuse to live intelligently. They rely on a diet to make them lose weight, take absolutely zero responsibility for their own health, and blame the diet when they gain it all back.
I totally agree with this and would like to add that you need to know yourself too. If you love to bake and eat homemade bread and can't imagine giving that up, then Atkins is probably not for you, and you'd be better to give up the sweets and learn to make really healthy bread instead.
I've been thinking about the Atkins products. At the same time that I want to do low-carb, I also am trying to eat better quality foods, like organic when it makes sense, fewer ingredients, less processed, yada yada. The products' ingredient lists are a mile long with nothing real in them. I actually do like the taste of them, however.
I low-carb but I don't do Atkins "products." Someone here pointed out that Atkins Nutritionals Inc. is a far cry (a very far cry) from Dr. Atkins' original vision, at least as he presented it in lectures and in books.
So many people today "do Atkins" and can't figure out why the weight isn't moving and why they still feel like carp. It's probably at least partially because of those truly barf-worthy "shakes" and bars (the bars are seriously gross, and I'm not usually picky).
I even know of quite a few people who sprinkle Metamucil on foods because "if you have fiber, you can subtract all those grams." It does not work that way. The fiber naturally present in foods binds with the other nutrients in those foods and hinders their absorption.
And of course there's the "net grams" thing. Subtract sugar alcohols, which make you shart and throw up, and you can eat a deeeeeeeeeelicious faux ice cream bar...subtract 18 sugar alcohols from those 22 carb grams. That's only TWO carbs. Why...you could have 10 of those a day and not exceed Induction limits! Why do I just not think this was what Dr. Atkins had in mind? Oh yeah...because I read his books.
This mindset reminds me of the "you can eat anything, as long as it's low-fat" movement. (I will forever hate Susan Powter for this, even though she did get heavily into nutrition after a while; she seemed vaguely into it in her first book, but more from an "I'm a vegetarian" position, and we all know being vegetarian doesn't guarantee health). People were eating two deli-size bagels with jelly in the morning...all low-fat. Three serving sizes of pasta (one large plate); again, low-fat. Half a bag of Tootsie Rolls for dessert...ad nauseum...
I'm no purist and I sure as heck aren't perfect...I'm picking on myself as much as anyone else for always having tried to find the "loopholes" to any "diet," and thinking my body wouldn't know the difference.
I'm sure you know all this but I thought your post was a good jumping-off point for me to make these comments that I've been thinking about as I read the thread.
Very true. Although the triple baconburger is okay if you leave off the bun.
Not really. He frowns on bacon with nitrates and there is WAY too much bacon on those things too. And that bacon has sugar in it too. I remember having to hunt for the proper bacon that was nitrate and sugar free.
Not really. He frowns on bacon with nitrates and there is WAY too much bacon on those things too. And that bacon has sugar in it too. I remember having to hunt for the proper bacon that was nitrate and sugar free.
Yes...and that was when there wasn't even so much sugar, and that sugar wasn't always HFCS.
Back in the day, every hot dog, bacon slab, etc. didn't have sugar...I wonder why we need "sweetness" in our meats? I think we're just *that* used to constantly tasting sugar.
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well...
Why do I just not think this was what Dr. Atkins had in mind? Oh yeah...because I read his books. 
