Atkins and Athletes

I just did a search in the site www.quackwatch.org, where the Atkins diet was listed as the Worst Diet for 2003. It's a great site, and I was going to mention it, especially Young's book, Medical Messiahs, which takes an academic look at the social history behind 20th c. quackery- he has some interesting things to say about health food stores, btw (my favourite type of store :eek: ) peace...

LOL BARD Police: There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamth of in your philosophy. I AGREE COMPLETELY! Elaine

Listen to your body.

mag, that's really great that you were cranking so hard. those whole carbs really make a huge difference. Tonight I did an indoor bike session--everyone around me was dripping with sweat, and I was just cranking like a bat out of ... not hurting like the other folks. I swear it's the cleaner diet, and increasing the whole carbs. That enriched stuff is pure junk from a performance perspective...they might be tasty, but I'm believing the taste isn't worth the side effects of sluggishness and bloating--not to mention slower performance. The other day I had some junky carbs--man my whole afternoon was shot. I had to drag myself to the gym, and it took an hour workout to feel right again. Within the last 4 days I've done about 7 hours of work out--minus that one day of eating junky carbs--it's been a wizz. Whole grains, where have you been in my life? jerrys

Talk about quack watch. I am so sick of reading articles that put forth unporven theory as fact. There is absolutely no real science that shows that you lose water weight on the Atkins diet. In fact, I think the opposite is true. More importantly, the Atkins diet that you will use for the majority (the maintenance phase) of your life is not even remotely close to being as resrictive as what is being touted in the media and by dieticians. Like one of the posters said earlier, talk to your doctor before going on a weight loss program and have him/her monitor your progress and to make sure that everything is going ok. Hook'em Blue

The science behind the water weight issue is very well established. Carbs are stored in the human body in the form of glycogen (essentially glucose molecules strung together), mostly in the liver and muscle tissue. Muscle glycogen is bound up with significant amounts of water. The weight ratio can be two to five parts water to one part glycogen. If the glycogen stores are depleted (e.g., by prolonged exercise or starvation), this water is released. This mechanism accounts for water weight being lost when the diet is deficient in carbs. Still, it is correct to say that many people confuse the Atkins diet as a whole with the initial two-week phase of the diet, which is quite severely low carb. If these Atkins dieters then go on to re-introduce carbs, as prescribed in the latter phases, they could (could!!) very well end up eating a sensible, nutritionally balanced, calorie controlled diet. (This would technically require more fruits, veggies and whole grains than even the maintenance phase permits, however.) My point is this: why not just skip ahead to a sensible, nutritionally balanced, calorie controlled diet?

jerrycat: what are some other whole carbs foods? You mentioned whole wheat pasta and oatmeal. Did you ready something about this? Do you eat fruits? --mag

Exactly. But, every diet doc has to have a gimmick, I guess. Atkins has that shock value: oh, I can eat eggs and butter and steak and cheese! South Beach Diet...well, the name says it all. Land of beautiful thin (and rich) people who can afford salmon night and day. I think staying really active and enjoying good, healthy food without overdoing it, keeping away from too much overprocessed junk, caffeine and chemicals (artificial sweeteners) is the bottom line.

mag, here's a list of them that have been recommended to me: sourdough bread rice pasta oatmeal brown rice yams beans--black, white, red, pinto, butter, lima and kidney legumes sweet potatos chick peas whole wheat pasta -if you want other bread, make sure it's whole grain with no white flour or corn sryup...probably hard to find, don't kow as far as fruits go I don't really eat them...even if I buy them I don't eat them, go figure. But here's a list of one's recommended: apples, cataloupe, cherried, grapefruit, grapes (organic only), honeydew melon, pear, mango, nectarine, oranges, papaya, peaches, plum, strawberries, raspberries, apricots (unsweetened frozen fruits ok) If you have a fax number I can fax you this grocery list...and the diet plan that I'm following. Thanks, Jerrycat (JoAnne)

For you. There are others in this world for whom that bottom line doesn't work. Don't be so quick to put down the alternative that works for them.