Mother doing atkin's diet.

[Bon]

Hey,

my mum's starting the atkin's diet, although she probably won't sustain it for very long. :)

Anyway, I really don't think this is a good thing to do and I'm sure she'll put more weight back on as soon as she goes off it so I'd like to try and point her in the right direction when she comes off it and is frustrated with the weight gain. So how does a middle-aged woman in menopause go about losing weight who claims to have trouble exercising because of their bad back? I think she's also hyperglycemic which may be another reason for the atkin's diet, besides losing weight.

[pgm316]

Shouldn't cause too much of a problem, if she doesn't stay on the diet for a long period of time..........

Whats important is long term lyfestyle changes. Healthy eating and exercise.

Sounds miserable, but I've lost some weight keeping to foods with less than 5% fat etc, and it doesn't mean living off salads.

And fill your spare time with exercise type hobbies that'll be more fun than punishing.

You've got to think whats sustainable!

Sure I'm not telling you anything you don't already know Bon ;)

[khafra]

Actually, the Atkins diet isn't bad. I'm planning on going on a close relative of it soon, the cyclical ketogenic diet, to get down from 'bout 12% bodyfat to around 8%, while keeping as much lean muscle as possible.

If there's a possibility she's hypoglycemic, though, she should definitely consult a doctor. Ketogenic diets, of which Atkins is one, can do bad things to people with unusual metabolisms, like diabetics.

[KickChick]

QUOTE]Originally posted by Bon
Hey,

my mum's starting the atkin's diet, although she probably won't sustain it for very long. :)[/QUOTE]

... well, there's your answer.

As pgm316 posted .... she needs to (at this point in her life) make a lifestyle change altogether. Eat less carbs and processed foods and increase the exercise (walking is ok for her back-- threadmills are great for women her age --- my mom is 75 and uses hers daily!)
Exercise does not have to be some formal program that is put together by a fitness instructor which involves running and lifting weights, and she doesn't have to join a gym. Exercise is simply being more active. You can do a variety of things to increase your physical activity. You can walk, bike, garden, play tennis, bowl, swim, dance, and skate. Any hobby or interest that moves your body and that you find interesting. Older folks have to look at exercise as something fun to do and they will enjoy it. They need to think about when they were a child, ...and very active. Being active was fun because they did not look at it as something tedious to do.

As you know I am a middle-aged woman (please not even close to menapause...yet) ... but I find I am in far better shape than other women my age because I do eat healthy and workout often (which enables me to cheat on ocassion!). Working on "my shape" has always been high priority for me though... especially after having my first child (which was a wopping 10 pounder!) I have been physically training in some type of exercise (martial arts for last 12 years) since then.

She should consult her physician before beginning any type of diet ... especially if she is menapausal and hyperglycemic.... he/she can in fact suggest a program for her!

[Mo Lung]

The Atkins diet is bad for you. A balanced diet and excercise is the only way to effectively lose weight. If she has a bad back, get her swimming.

[pesilat]

Originally posted by Mo Lung
The Atkins diet is bad for you. A balanced diet and excercise is the only way to effectively lose weight. If she has a bad back, get her swimming.

While I don't think the Atkins is the way to go for me, I don't think it's bad for you either. My wife saw a report not too long ago where one study showed that it was more beneficial for heart related stuff than the diet designed by the American Heart Association. Now ... whether that means it's the best way to lose weight or not is debatable. But I don't think it's unhealthy ... at least from a heart health standpoint.

I agree with everything else, though ... a lifestyle change is the only way to go.

I'm no longer "on a diet" ... it *is* my diet. It's just the way I eat now (I chose the Weight Watcher's points plan and have lost about 80 pounds on it).

For pics (if you're interested) and for an essay on my experiences with dieting and weight loss (which may be helpful to some and, hopefully, at least interesting to others), visit http://guild-hall.com/diet_pics

Mike

[Mo Lung]

Excellent work pesilat!

You're absolutely right that a lifestyle change is the only way to make it work. Intermittent exercise, like walking rather than taking the bus; eating healthily as a matter of course, not because you're "on a diet"; regular exercise (i.e. at least half an hour three times a week, preferably more), etc. These changes have to become a part of your life to achieve results. Being overweight is down to an entire lifestyle, not just because a person has a weakness for Walkers crisps. So it takes a lifestyle change to effect any other changes.

As for the Atkins diet, any high protein low carb diet is dangerous. The most protein a body can assimilate is roughly 1 gram per pound of bodyweight (2 grams per kilo or thereabouts). Therefore, say you weigh 80 kgs, you're looking at 160grams max of protein. This is enough for bodybuilders assuming they're eating big and training big at the same time.

OK, so then let's say you have a 200 gram chicken breast with your lunch. Sure, it's a lot of water and stuff, but there's a fair amount of protein there. Probably close to your daily max already. Now think about a deliberately high protein diet. It's quite easy to take in two, three, four or even more times your maximal protein intake daily with such a diet. So while you may be seeing results externally with water loss and so on, your body is having a nightmare trying to process out all the extra protein. This has a very detrimental effect on your system, particularly your liver and kidneys. I could give you the chemistry if you like but I don't have any books handy at the moment and my memory isn't good enough!

So, an HPLC diet in the short term isn't too bad, but that takes us back to the original point. Short term diets are pointless - effective permanent weight loss occurs through a lifestyle change and using a HPLC diet as a lifestyle change is very unhealthy.

[Mo Lung]

BTW Pesilat - I love the Crouching Tiger Hidden Bunny pic!

:D

[pesilat]

LOL. Yeah, I like that pic, too. Someone e-mailed that pic to me last year and it'd been floating around my hard drive for a while so I thought I'd put it to good use :)

Mike

[KY23]

I started the Atkins diet about 3 weeks ago. I've lost about 13 pounds. Good thing is its not water weight. The diet actually makes me want to drink more water. I go through about 8 16 ounce bottles of water everyday. I can really tell the loss of weight in my gut, love handles and chest areas.

The first week of the diet I was so tired and had no energy at all. As soon as that first week was over I have more energy than I know what to do with. I was taking energy pills in the morning and before a workout...I don't need them anymore. I was also taking Tylenol PM to go to sleep and I don't need them anymore either. I do sleep better now.

Another improvement is no heart burn. For the last 4 years or so I've had cronic heartburn. I've seen doctors and they have given me lots of meds to try but nothing worked except for Tums to relieve the pain. Well I was taking so many tums that I ended up with Kidney stones 5 times in the last 2 years. In the last three weeks I haven't had heartburn yet.

Read Dr. Atkins book. It really makes sense to me. I was seeing a lot of the problems he describes in his book.

My father in-law had a triple bypass about 3 years ago. When he started recovery they told him to try the atkins diet. His colesterol went down to normal numbers.

I think if you don't stick to the plan or if you just use it for weight loss its not going to work for you. Its a total diet change.

At first it was really hard to find food that you can eat besides meat. Now that I'm getting better at it I'm eating multigrain pancakes, Jewish Rye bread for sandwiches and toast and all kinds of other good food. There are several good protein bars out there that have 24 - 30 grams of protein and only 1 or 2 Net Carbs.

Hell...before the diet I really had trouble getting to work on time...now I get up way early and get to work early.

This diet has totally changed the way I feel.

[KY23]

Oh...and Mo Lung,

A normal chicken breast has between 30 - 35 grams of protein. No where close to your daily max.

If anything the Atkins diet helps you learn to read labels and what is good for you and what is bad for you. It has really improved the way I feel and that makes me a believer.

Just an FYI.

[Mo Lung]

If you're happy with it, then fine. But I still stand by my points. Nothing you've said there really invalidates what I've said...

[Mo Lung]

BTW, the chicken breast thing was just a random example. Basically, the modern western diet is already loaded with protein - that's the point I was trying to make.

[KY23]

Looking at your example of 1 Gram of protein per lbs of body weight. I'm 180 lbs. So I can take in 180 Grams of protein. I'm on the Atkins diet and still on the plan called induction. This means I can only have 20 Grams of carbs per day. Even on this plan I'm not getting even close to 180 Grams of protein per day.

I'm working out everyday. Doing Judo three times per week. I can really see a significant loss of body fat and a gain of muscle mass. When I get to approximately 165 lbs I'm going to start first phase and add Carbs back to my diet until I start to gain weight or until my weight loss slows. Then I will know with my daily routine how many carbs I can have before I gain weight.

Before you speak against this type of diet read some of Dr. Atkins books. I've tried low fat, low calorie diets in the past but they never worked. With this way of eating you see results pretty quick so its very easy to stay motivated.

My point is don't give out false facts. State your opinion but don't use the word fact unless you have research to back it up. You might discourage someone from trying this diet and it could have helped them. The low carb diets might not work for you. I'm sure there are some body types out there that it doesn't work with. It does work with mine. I've seen results. I feel 100% better.

[Greg-VT]

The Atkins Diet; what is that? Basically?

[pesilat]

Originally posted by Ving Tsun
The Atkins Diet; what is that? Basically?

This should answer all your questions ... and then some.

http://www.lowcarb.ca/

Mike

[Mo Lung]

Originally posted by KY23
Before you speak against this type of diet read some of Dr. Atkins books. I've tried low fat, low calorie diets in the past but they never worked. With this way of eating you see results pretty quick so its very easy to stay motivated.


Hey, a lot of things can be made to sound good in a book. Desn't make them right. A diet with quick results, huh? That should be a warning right there.


My point is don't give out false facts. State your opinion but don't use the word fact unless you have research to back it up. You might discourage someone from trying this diet and it could have helped them. The low carb diets might not work for you. I'm sure there are some body types out there that it doesn't work with. It does work with mine. I've seen results. I feel 100% better.

Where have I given out a false fact? It's not a question of whether a LC diet would work for me. I'm not on a diet. I eat a healthy balanced diet and exercise regularly, so I don't need to diet. Dieting itself is a myth. If you are overweight, it's down to your lifestyle, which includes what you eat, your eating patterns, how you exercise and numerous other factors.

The only way to effectively and permanently lose weight is burn more calories than you take in. After that it's a matter of eating healthy for additional health benefits. This requires a revision of lifestyle if your current lifestyle leaves you overweight and unhealthy.

I'll try to look up the facts and figures of excessive protein consumption for you.

BTW, I've never stated that you won't lose weight on the Atkin's diet or that it hasn't worked for you personally. However, it's not good for you. You're defending it rather zealously...

[KY23]

So let me get this straight...Its your opinion that its bad for you. Correct?

[khafra]

I don't think you'll be able to find any good references for your max protein figure there. I could look further, but in my first glance I didn't see any. Most bodybuilders will tell you that your minimum is 1g/lb of bodyweight, per day. If you're trying to lose weight or gain weight, you should increase that. Eating way too much protein can be hard on your kidneys, but it really isn't that easy to eat way too much.

[KY23]

Khafra,

Your correct...I'm eating under 20 carbs per day...and all the protein I can get down and I'm still only taking in around 120 Grams per day. I could increase that even more if I started drinking protein shakes but there isn't a reason to right now. I'm loosing weight and gaining muscle.

[khafra]

Urah :D

Eventually, as your BF drops down and you continue gaining muscle, you won't be able both lose fat and gain muscle at the same time--that's the time to start in with the supplements. But whole foods are healthier, and all you need now.

[Clumsy Ninja]

I am diabetic and about 40 pounds over weight. I started that Atkins diet and stayed on "induction" (20 carbs per day max) for a whole month instead of the minimum of 2 weeks.

My blood sugar dropped from a 14 day average of around 240-250 to a 110 average. Normal non diabetic levels are 80-140. I had to reduce my medication from 4 pills a day to 1. My cholesterol went from 256 to 110 and my triglycerides went from 600+ to 122 (+ / - ). My A1C blood results went from 7.4 (7 is max a diabetic should have) to 6.3.

I only lost 10 pounds, diabetics can lose weight more slowly due to medications, etc so I wasnt supprised at the slow weight loss. My Endocinologist (diabetic specialist doctor) was THRILLED at what the diet had done for me and was smiling from ear to ear.

The biggest gain I got was that as my blood sugar levels evened out I lost my appitite and ate less. I also ate smaller portions because I was satisfied with less. I used to order and eat an entire 12-16 ounce steak and eat it all with salad, bread, potato etc. Now I eat half the steak and maybe a salad and am full. I quit eating bread, pastas and other carbs that I used to eat in mass quantities. Now I don't even miss them.

The Atkins diet has changed my eating style and it has become "my diet" I am starting to add a few carbs back in though but not NEAR as many as I ate pre-diet.

The Atkins diet may not be for everybody and I would suggest that if you try it, have blood work done before and durring the diet to detect possible ill effects on your system. So far my liver and kidneys, etc are fine, I have blood drawn about every month to month and a half due to my diabeties medication's possible side effects so I can also keep an eye on problems from the Atkins diet as well.

The Atkins diet is not a fad diet, it is designed, and will, change your eating habits if you follow it properly.

Just my .02 worth, your milage may varry. :D

[Jazman]

is that 20 grams of carbs a day? that's half of what's in a coca~cola. seems awefully low to me, I just took in about 150...

[THEGREAT1]

low carb diets are fine in short term for quick fat loss but in the eating of low carbs u are restricting what u eat by a huge amount and in some cases to stay so low in carbs you are eating virtually nuthin.

this upsets the chemical balance in the body heavily, it affects the level of insulin the body makes....carbs are the bodies only source of glucose....low carb high fat = slower energy gains and hence more fatigue and poorer recovery time.

so low carb diet is poor for athletes, fine for short term quick weight loss but the effects of the diet in long term is bad (not proven but lets face it..to limit the food types you eat guarantees you are taking in less oils and nutrients and hence you are gonna suffer even if it's in small ways)

the atkins diet is based on the principle that if you have "no energy" your body has to use it's fat up for energy.......that says it all..it is a short term solution.:P


"The only way to effectively and permanently lose weight is burn more calories than you take in. After that it's a matter of eating healthy for additional health benefits. This requires a revision of lifestyle if your current lifestyle leaves you overweight and unhealthy." <-as stated by mo lung, in the long term the effects on your health are bound to be far better.

[Mo Lung]

Originally posted by KY23
So let me get this straight...Its your opinion that its bad for you. Correct?

Yes. And not just my opinion. Still, if you guys have found your dietary grail then more power to you. Just research the long term effects.

And it is a fad. You watch and it'll fall out of favour again when a bunch of Hollywood brainless morons find something new to harp on about.