Please, don't diet.  You'll only end up torturing yourself for the duration until your appetite becomes insatiable and then you'll eat it all back and be left feeling defeated.  Studies show 9 out of 10 dieters experience the yo-yo effect--American or otherwise.  Enjoy your food and enjoy your life!  Excercise moderately.  Early to bed and early to rise.  Cut out the crap and don't snack after dinner.  

If you must diet, then diet only 1 meal a day:  Dinner.  Starve yourself during the day and you'll feed at night.  It's just a matter of time.

Let's assume for a minute that we aren't going to convince John not to do the Adkins bit.  

John, get a book, if not the Adkins book, then at least something that has carb counts--heck, go to the library and make some photocopies!  If not now, you'll need to know how many carbs are in things that aren't labeled so well--like alcohols and such.  Really we're talking about your health, right?  Isn't your health worth $12--don't you have a couple hundred dollar helmet on your head?

About alcohol--I think the point is, if you drink the beer, it adds to your carbs, but because of the quantity, you are probably stealing from your body a chance for some actual nutrition.  Health, remember...

My mom is on the Adkins diet and she drinks wine, a small glass (maybe 6oz)--must be sweet wines, though, like zins.  Also, she made some comment as to how she can subtract the fiber gms from the carbs--but she's also a couple months into it.  Really though, even at a couple months in, she's still bagging up her snacks of 15 or so soy nuts and making her 1/2 cup sized "desserts".  

Good luck with this and remember this is a lifestyle change...not just a diet.

Right, thats why I like the Atkins diet because for 2 or 3 weeks it is really strict carb wise, but then I can ease myself back into eating healthy foods onve the induction phase ends.  It that point I can eat a lot more veggies and cut back on the meat.  

In fact I am trying not to eat, as some would suggest, 4 eggs fried in butter and 6 slices of bacon for breakfast -that is rediculous.  but one hard boiled egg is also OK and much better for me.  Also Hot dogs and sausage are VERY high in fat, I prefer low fat/fat free hot dogs.  Steak isn't bas -especially if I eat only 8 or 10oz at night.  I also have a lot of chicken breast which I cook for lunch (1 piece).

I know people who have gone on Atkins and eat the fattyest most disgusting foods known to man -I mean really, pork rinds dipped in sour cream   But if I can eat lean meats and not too much and lay off the butter which I previously did then how bad can it be for a few weeks?

Truth is a long while ago I switched to using low fat foods and watched what i eat.  My weight had remained constant for 2 years.  If I can do Atkins, lose 20 or so pounds, and maintain with my old diet which stressed vegetables, less meat, some vegetarian meals and lower fat foods whats wrong with that?

I have a carb/food list.  I think I'll take out an Atkins/lor carb power diet book from the library -thats a good idea.

ps.  2 days and lost 2 pounds. (i know mostly water but its a start)

Quote from: JeffDKinda interesting theory I heard about.  Just read for a second.


Your body tries to maintain 98.7F or about 37C.  So if you drink 32f or 0C water then your body is going to have to use energy to raise the temperature of the water up to 98.7F to try and maintain body temp.  So in theory if you drink a lot of freezing water you body will eventually use some stored energy to maintain the temperature of your body.  
(what do you think?  I know all the diets tell you to drink LOTS of water)


I thought I might try it,  But I have also started running every other day too.  OH and my Girlfriend went on Weight Watchers and has lost ~ 5lbs in 1.5months, so I am kinda pulling stuff from her too.  FYI weight watchers is basically calorie counting for dummies  

Well being from florida this wont help you JeffD...I actually found a simple way to get this 32F effect...Whe I lived in WA state I'd go to the gym by walk in winter with a full set of warm clothes in the extreme cold, start stair climbing inside the gym and in 5 mins or so just as I start breaking a sweat I'd get off and get into the road and start jogging with just a sweats/shorts and T shirt. Works like a charm....10 mins of that and make sure you get back into the gym before stopping or you'd cramp up like crazy and that worked like nothng else so far...
Atkins is a permanent lifestyle change BTW and excercise is also supposed to be added to the diet. It doesn't tell your body that there is a shortage of food...That's what a real diet does. It just tells your body there is a shortage of carbs. Carbs are ebergy and that makes you body dip into its reserves for energy. It doesn't care about the fat that its using up fat...There is plenty of that going in...So it dips into your reserves for energy and doen't care to hang on to anything you eat...If you droped to 500 calories under what you eating now...say you eat 2500 currently and drop to 2000...in 2 weeks you'll lose 2 lbs or so...by then your body will figure out how to live on 2000 (heck it may figure out to live on 1500) and your hit a wall right there...That is called metabolism... Excercise will keep it up but might increase you appetite too...Sorta catch 22.. Atkins will help you by pass that.
Cool.
Srinath.

If you're goign to buy a book just to get a carb count for various foods...dont. You can find that online. My wife seems to find that stuff constantly (you'll be amazed what a In-n-Out Double double with cheese and fries has!).

Also, I think 6oz is a single serving of steak (dont quote me though), about the size of your fist. 6oz is also serving size for fish...you can qoute me.

Excersize is important?  Well I am/have been briskly power walking 2.5 miles a day.  45 minutes and I work up a good sweat in this 90 degree humidity soaked weather.  Actually I work up just as good a good sweat just sitting on the deck in this weather  :lol:

Quote from: johnExcersize is important?  Well I am/have been briskly power walking 2.5 miles a day.  45 minutes and I work up a good sweat in this 90 degree humidity soaked weather.  Actually I work up just as good a good sweat just sitting on the deck in this weather  :lol:

Rather than power walking, why don't you try running?  I bet if you went running three or more times a week for a half hour you would lose weight regardless of what you eat.  If it's really hot there, or running is too high impact, you could also look into swimming or an elliptical trainer.  Anything that really gets your heart rate up (i.e. not just power walking) is bound to shed some pounds.   Probably a lot more healthier than just dieting, especially for lowering the risk of coronary problems later in life.

Hey John, click on the link in my sig. I can help you out. You can pm me too if you want. Ive got access to THE BEST tasting and performing products out there. #1 Health and beauty site on the web.

Some more little tips:

On exercise: Muscles burn calories even when they're idle.  The more muscle in your body, the more calories you burn during every activity, even sleeping.  So if you can squeeze some strength training into your routine, you'll only benefit from it.  Strength training means 1 or 2 days per week, performing the basic compound (multi-joint) exercises - bench press, squat (or deadlift), shoulder press, cable pulldown (or cable row or 1 armed row), and some accessories.  Forget about isolation exercises and when in doubt, do less weight training as opposed to more.  Over-training is easy to do and the #1 reason for failed weight training.

On good fats: They're called Monounsaturated Fats.  At least one of them is.  You'll find them in all types of foods, including fish, avacados, granola, and others.

On lack of evidence of harmful effects of the Atkins diet: It's an extreme diet.  It has harmful effects if common sense is not used.  How long were cigarettes around before anyone actually acknowledge the obvious fact that they kill people.  It was years and years before any 'evidence' came out to prove it.  Give it time and people will eventually start dropping dead from the long term harmful effects of extreme dieting.

On common sense:  Make it your #1 determinant of whether specific parts of any diet make sense or not, and you'll be fine.  The Atkins diet can be a great guide as long as you use common sense.  Oh, and I agree with someone above that the Food Pyramid is a bunch of   and should not be considered part of your common sense yardstick.  We do not need 8 servings of bread along with 4 of meat and veggies.

Good luck!

I've just finished my 3rd week on the diet and up to this point I've lost 21 SOLID pounds (not water-weight pounds).  In addition to the diet I also walked 8 flights of stairs Monday through Friday and walked around my neighborhood during the weekend evenings...

Regarding the food itself I personally didn't worry about high-fat foods as the exercise kept everything in check.  I would stick with things like meat (real meat, nothing processed - no bologna, hot-dogs, or spam...), eggs, cheese, SOME veggies to keep fiber in check, and a host of spices and flavor-savers (mayo, salsa, garlic...).  

You need to know that EXERCISE IS VERY IMPORTANT!!!
You will lose pounds without it, but you'll suffer in the long run.  The exercise will also keep you from having a heart-attack (keep in mind eating mayo, meat, eggs, butter and such can make your heart stop thumping!!!).  

Also, I found that the first week was very unpleasant - muscle cramping, issues with stool (which lead to needing Metamusel - BUY SOME!!!), less than pleasant breath, and strange cravings - I even noticed an increase in my ability to smell pizza crust from a distance!!!

Anyway, good luck with the diet, IT WORKS and as long as you keep taking vitaman supplements and eat as well rounded meals as possible you'll lose the weight also.  Also, 2 weeks of induction - don't over do it.  2 weeks ONLY then add to the diet.

If you have any questions about recipres or anything like that lemme know.  


FYI - buy PORK SKINS - you'll thank me for the advice when your first fench fry/potato chip urge hits!!!