Doctor wants me off Atkins NOW!!!

hazmat · Nov 14, 2003

Frankly, I thought they were nuts. High cholesterol kills. A little extra weight just looks bad 

Tough to say, it's actually pretty hard to find an overweight person with low cholesterol. Skinny people with high cholesterol are usually due to a genetic disposition to it, vs. diet.

I was discussing the atkins diet (down 24# so far) with a Doctor buddy of mine. His concern was that it is only recently become popular & there are no long term studies to show if there are any long term effects. He thought that the maint. phase was a healthy diet.

Maybe I'll have to get the south beach diet out of the library & compare.

All I know is that I'm, loosing weight, ain't hungry, feel better, and the wife thinks I'm sexy /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Old_Hickory · Nov 14, 2003

A guy I work with was on the Adkins diet this summer and he lost 30 lbs and he just had his chloestoro checked(this week) and his had dropped 60. Go figure....l

mikim · Nov 14, 2003

I've been on a "push away" diet for 10 months now. I don't limit any specific foods, I just cut back on junk. I also started walking. I't's not a fast way to lose, but it's a "change of diet" rather than a "diet" that I would otherwise come off of at some point and start gaining again. I've lost almost 40 pounds - 38 as of this a.m. I tried Atkins for 10 days and it was the most miserable 10 days I've ever had self induced. I was physically ill for the whole 10 days - that told me it wasn't something I could live on for the rest of my life - so I went back to my "push away" and I'm still losing slowly - but I can eat like this forever without watching what I eat or keeping strict calorie count. If it's fattening - I eat less of it - stay away from cookies & pastries (my big downfall) - and stay the heck out of the golden arches et al - the golden arches are definitely not for our golden years. My annual checkup isn't til april - hope to be down to 200 by then - total loss will be 50#. For years I was between 200 - 205 -- I'll be happy to get there again on a life diet that will keep me there without working at it.

Golfgar4 · Nov 14, 2003

( He actually recommended the South Beach Diet as an alternative, so I'll have a ton of questions for Garry (Golfgar4).
)

Wow Pete! You must have just about fallen over when your doctor told you your cholesterol numbers! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I don't think you'll have any problem shifting to South Beach. I would strongly urge you to buy the book and read it. I'm still somewhat befuddled by the differences between simple and complex carbs, but Jenny seems to be able to keep it straight. The book does provide a fairly complete list of the foods that are acceptable for each phase of the diet.

Like Tim said, the first two weeks are the most difficult. I like eggs, but every morning got to be a little too much! the really nice thing about the way the plan is structured is that if you do occassionally "cheat" (and you will!), it's really easy to get right back on the plan without losing much ground.

I think more than the kinds of food you eat, the plan has made me change how much I eat. I find I'm eating a lot less and not missing the extra. I've also found that I'm thinking about what I'm eating all the time now. I NEVER did that before. You should have seen my sons face when, while we were out to dinner, I ordered vegetables with my steak instead of potatoes!

Another side to this whole thing is that we've found that many, many restaurants are modifying their menus to be able to offer more choices to patrons who are following these food plans. Many times, while we were on vacation, we would place our order with the server, and because of what we ordered, they wouldn't even bring the bread/roll basket to the table. The person would almost always ask about it to make sure they were right, but that's how common it is now.

Hey, good luck with the switch. I wouldn't expect that you'll have too much trouble making the change, because both plans do have some similarities. Let me know if I can help out or answer any more questions for you! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

tc35dforme · Nov 14, 2003

Tough to say, it's actually pretty hard to find an overweight person with low cholesterol. Skinny people with high cholesterol are usually due to a genetic disposition to it, vs. diet.


Here I am ... 6'-3" -- 265 # --- cholesterol historically under 160. I would eat inordinate amounts of rice, grains, and salads. I have a volume of consumption weight problem. I eat healthy food, just most all of it /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

My doctor describes me as 'healthy as an overweight horse'. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Boondox · Nov 14, 2003

Garry -- I definitely need to buy and read the book, but one big question I had for you involved the startup stage of the SBD. Since I limit my carbs to less than 20g per day on Atkins, do I still have to do the SB startup phase or can I go directly to the next phase?

How did others who made the switch deal with that?

Pete

hazmat · Nov 14, 2003

Here I am ... 6'-3" -- 265 # --- cholesterol historically under 160

The exception that proves the rule! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Note my wording "pretty hard" not "impossible". However, the heavy-low cholestrol combination is so rare, that you are statistically insignificant in the medical studies.

How's that for a paradox - You're exceptional, but insignificant /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Golfgar4 · Nov 14, 2003

Pete,

I would think that you could begin directly in the 2nd stage. I think the 1st stage is designed to 1) clean out your system, 2) provide an initial positive weight loss experience, and 3) modify the person's eating habits.

I'm guessing that you've accomplished all 3 of those things through Atkins, so it would seem to be an uneccessary step for you to take. Heck, based on what you've already done through Atkins, you're almost to the 3rd stage!

What will be more important for you to do is to find out what the differences are between the two plans so you understand why you're changing to SBD (other than the doc telling you to!). That's why it'll be so important to read about the plan, and begin following it at the 2nd stage. Like I already mentioned, purely from the weight loss part of it, you're almost at stage 3. But your doctor must want you to change because of the differences in the foods that are allowed in SBD, and you won't understand why the foods are different until you read the book.

I think you'll find that you'll enjoy SBD a lot more because it has more flexibility and is easier to live with than Atkins. At least, that's what I've been told by people that have done both. I've never tried Atkins, so I can't personally comment on that. I'll look forward to hearing what you think about it after you've read the book and gotten started on it. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

tc35dforme · Nov 14, 2003

You're exceptional, but insignificant 
I like that !!!! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

There are plenty of studies both past and on-going that attribute the placque that accumulates in arteries to diminished intake of B-complex vitamins especially B6, B12, and foilic acid in our diets as well as the marked increase in refined sugar consumption in the US.

You just don't know who to listen to !!

I think I'll try that SouthBeachAtkinsWeightWatchersJennyCraigZoneHolleywood Diet.

I hear that works /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

gadgetman · Nov 16, 2003

My Doc says

"IF IT TASTE GOOD, SPIT IT OUT!!!!!!!!"

First thing my Doctor started me on was an Antioxidant vitamin, extra Vitamin E and Folic Acid supplements. Atkins has been good to us so far. We can eat things we like and enjoy. We sometimes miss the things we are not allowed to have, but any sucessful diet requires giving up bad habits. Either by eating less (NO BIGGIE FRIES) or by following a "FAD" diet. The best long term diet is to change bad eating habits and find what works for you.