TheAgitator.com
Diet/Atkins/Fitness Blog
Sunday, August 24th, 2003So tomorrow I will again enter the “induction” phase of Atkins. I’ve actually been off the diet for about six weeks now. By “off,” I mean I’ve generally been eating whatever I crave. But I guess once you’ve done Atkins, you’re never completely “off” it. I have no desire, for example, to eat pasta or rice or bread. I have been eating potatoes again (you can take the boy out of the Midwest…), and I’ve been indulging my sweet tooth.
But the good news is, my weight has pretty much stayed between 190 and 195 — about 30-35 pounds lighter than when I started the diet, and almost exactly where it was when I allowed myself to eat carbs regularly again. Even when I get lazy about going to the gym, my weight basically stays unchanged. I think this is partly because I started a pretty vigorous weight program for the ten weeks I was on the diet. Muscle burns fat all day, every day, so once you’ve put a little extra on, you can afford a few extra calories, or a few more nights in front of the TV instead of the treadmill.
So why go back on? Well, my original target weight was 180. And now that I’m closer to that, I’m thinking it should probably be more like 170 to 175. My waist is still at 36 inches, and I’d like to be at about a 34. If, as has been the case so far, you can figure about 10 pounds equals one inch off the waist, well, even I can do that math.
Two cautions I’ve discovered that I’d throw out to anyone thinking of trying the diet:
1) My hair is thinning. This could be entirely genetic, though at 28, it seems a little early. I’ve read recently that high-protein diets can cause thinning hair, though that seems really odd to me. Isn’t hair made of protein? Starvation diets I could understand. But Atkins is anything but a starvation diet. At any rate, make of that information what you will.
2) Be sure to eat your daily alotment of greens. And, if you’ll pardon the “too much information,” I’d also recommend either buying a fiber supplement, or some over the counter stool softeners. My colo-rectal doctor (yes, I have one — colon cancer runs in my family) told me Atkins has sent him loads of plugged-up customers over the last couple of years.
Or you could buy one of those sugar-free ice creams they have at the grocery store. They are sugar free and entirely Atkins friendly and quite delicious. But they’re usually sweetened with sorbitol or malitol, ingredients which the label says “may have a mild laxative effect.”
Mild, my ass (pun fully intended). One bowl of that stuff and you’ll be celebrating your own private 4th of July, alone, in the bathroom. Again, I’m sure that’s far more than you wanted to know.
So it’s back to steak, chicken, cheese and eggs. Back to wine and booze instead of beer.
Once I hit my target, I think I’ll start training for the 2004 Marine Corps Marathon. I didn’t get in to this year’s (it’s a lottery system), so I’m guaranteed a spot next year. I ran the thing in 2001, but my time was pretty disappointing. It’s hard to do 26+ miles when you’re carrying an extra 40 pounds or so. It’s also not that bright. I’m still not sure how I managed to train all summer without popping a tendon.
And I had planned to run the Honolulu Marathon in 2002 unti my appendix decided to thwart my plans by, well, exploding.
So while I can say “I’ve run a marathon,” I’d like to do at least one more, this time for time, not merely to finish.
I’ll keep the three of you who are still reading this post updated on my progress.
As a fellow 28 year old marathoner, I’d say cutting carbs is a bad idea. Especially after reading Sandy Szwarc’s series on tech central station:
http://www.techcentralstation.com/1051/techwrapper.jsp?PID=1051-250&CID=1051-082103C
Don’t stuff, don’t starve. Consume 60% of your calories before 6ish. More carbs earlier in the day, protein heavy later. Do your training runs. I don’t know that much about atkins, but cutting out an entire food group seems like a risky proposition to me.
And ultimately, who cares what you weigh? Would you want to get down to 180 if it meant compromising your health or (if you’re like me, worse) your marathon time? I’m not saying that’s the case, of course. Just entertaining the idea that ability and fitness has little to do with actual weight, especially when talking about the magical “last 10 pounds.”
Anyway, I’m not a doctor. Frankly, I’m still trying to figure out who’s full of shit and who’s not in the fitness/nutrition world.
Hope the training is going well. I’m doing the NYC marathon this Nov, and look forward to reading your updates.
Good idea getting back on Atkins after only 6 weeks. Last winter, my Christmas “cheat” turned into 4 months of carb binging, and I ended up with a screwed up metabolism. I’m still struggling to get it going at the rate it was a year ago, and I’ve been back on Atkins all summer.
And the hair thing: I’m a woman, and I noticed my hair thinning, too. But I believe it’s more about the vitamins than the protein. Try taking Carb Solutions vitamins (they have less iron, since you’re getting enough with all the animal products). And be sure to eat plenty of steamed or raw broccoli and leafy salads (put whole flaxseeds on the salad for that other little problem. . .the sugar alcohols are just too cruel.)
How would a vegetarian do the Atkins thing?
I read it all the way through. I have a mild interest in what you say about diet. However, instead of running, I like to cycle. I was doing a lot of it here in beautiful Germany until July, when work took me away from the bike for a month.
As in other endurance sports, carbs are a very important part of the diet. But, I have found that with age (and also not training to race anymore) they are not as important and I do not ‘carbo-load’ so much anymore. But after a 75 mile ride, it is a very good idea to put back in the body some carbs along with a good bit of protein. The protein helps rebuild what muscle may have been pushed too hard, depending on the stress induced on them.
I lost probably a good ten ponds when I started cycling again back in March, after several years of not riding. In July, I gained a good bit of that back from eating whatever I wanted and drnking a few brews alongside. But, the bike has beckoned me once more. Time to lose a little weight while doing what I enjoy doing.
To me that is key. Enjoy it, and it will happen naturally.
Then again, I can’t really say I was watching my weight. I never weighed myself except way back last Winter when I was going to the gym intermittently. I just looked better and felt better when riding.
“How would a vegetarian do the Atkins thing?”
This is Atkin’s response, as I remember it, to that question in the FAQ section of his book:
Can vegetarians be on the Atkins diet? Sure! As long as they stop being vegetarian!
That might have changed now that there are so many meat substitutes out there and Atkins put out the 8538509930th version of his book.
The Atkins diet is a crock. I hate to tell you, but the fact is that accumulated fat is the difference between calories consumed and calories expended. The only way to lose weight is through portion control (to reduce the number of calories consumed) and exercise (to increase the number of calories expended). Preferably, include more than a bit of weight/resistance training (not just cardio/aerobics) to try to increase the muscle mass, which, in turn, helps burn more calories.
Last fall, I saw a review of the studies that the Atkins diet uses to supposedly show its validity. The review indicated that those who lost weight on the Atkins diet actually were eating a very calorically-restricted diet. In other words, it wasn’t so much what they ate that caused them to lose weight, it was the fact that they weren’t eating very much. AND it is a well known fact that people who are on diets on which they don’t eat a wide variety of foods that they like to eat, don’t usually stay on those diets very long.
Weight Watchers points is a better diet. You eat what you want, but it forces portion control through the points. I don’t go hungry, I just make better choices. I’ve been on it for six weeks and lost fifteen pounds. That is an intensely healthy weight loss average. The foods and portions I choose have become second nature. There isn’t anything I miss, because I eat what I want.
We’ve been doing it at the office. My partner lost fifty pounds, is off of all his diabetes and cholesterol meds and has his blood pressure med reduced to the lowest dose. His lifestyle has improved remarkably.
I too lost quite a bit of weight on an “Atkins like” diet. Theory being that you don’t cut out all carbs, just refined carbs. Like bread, pasta, rice … I ate (eat) a controlled amount of fruit and and all the broccoli and other veggies I want. I cheat occasionally (usually a beer or 2 or 3). I can tell you it worked for me. Dropped about 30 pounds. This was about a year ago and the weight is still off. I also run 5 miles a day 3-4 days a week. That obviously helped too.
My humble $.02. Good luck
I would also like to add that weight has little to do with running performance on the amateur level. I’m 135lbs (5′7) and, humility aside, ripped like a mofo. Yesterday I did an 18 mile race, and crossed the finish line with a chubby guy and a spindly old(er) lady, and we finished in the top 1/3.
What are the chances that your ‘ideal’ weight is a round number? Isn’t 180 rather arbitrary? Why not 183.5? 178.6637?
Also remember weight fluctuates like crazy, especially when physically active. You will weigh less after a long run than you do after dinner on a rest day.
Josh
Yup, Raj, you are right, it is a crock. So much of a crock I’ve been on it for 4 years now, and maintained my same body (size 6/8, 5′6″) even though I’ve stopped exercising lately (lately = last year). And yeah, restricted, I have noticed that when I eat 5 Whoppers with no bun, or a whole chicken with a side of veggies I do feel slighted. Portion control does work for some people, and carb restriction works for others, and low fat works for some too. Actually, no “diet” will work if that’s the point you are making, which I think it is. Restricting calorie intake IS a diet, sorry to say, and personally, I wouldn’t wish portion control or calorie restriction on my worst enemy.
Oh, and a couple of other things.
i) If you believe you are hungry, drink water. Oftentimes hunger pangs are really a sign of dehydration.
ii) One’s absolute weight is less important than one’s body fat percentage. For most people BF percentage can be substituted for one’s body mass index. (There are various BMI calculators on the net, do a google search.) A BMI of 20-25 is good, anything over 30 is usually (unless you are a competitive body builder) a sign of obesity.
iii) It is generally better to eat 5-6 small meals a day (I call it grazing) than to eat 2-3 large meals a day. It keeps the blood sugar on an even keel, which also helps reduce hunger pangs.
Different diets work for different people, body types, and lifestyles. To say that only one type of diet is good for everyone is to proclaim dieting socialism.
I have been doing a version of Atkins, and it has worked for me. This is the only diet that I’ve seen that does NOT require starvation and still really works.
“I would also like to add that weight has little to do with running performance on the amateur level. I’m 135lbs (5′7) and, humility aside, ripped like a mofo.”
If what I’ve seen of people running in the Boston Marathon–they run through our town–weight and physique has nothing whatsoever to do with running at the amateur level.
BTW, regarding my bona fides, I am 5′ 6 1/2, 135-140 and 6-8% body fat. At almost 54 years old. (I know, that is far too low to be healthy at my age, but, regardless….) In my experience, the best way to reduce weight (which I had do to several years ago) is to reduce caloric intake and increase physical activity. That is what the Atkins studies really showed. Limiting one’s food intake to certain kinds of foods is a recipe for disaster.
“This is the only diet that I’ve seen that does NOT require starvation and still really works.”
No diet that requires starvation will work. None.
A reasonable rate of weight loss is 1 1/2 to 2 lbs per week. The problem is that people who are on diets often demand a larger amount of weight loss. It doesn’t work like that.
Raj, you said it yourself…”In my experience, the best way to reduce weight…”
In YOUR experience, the best way for YOU to reduce weight. In MY experience the best way for ME to reduce weight is to follow Atkins. I am glad that calorie restriction works for you and you’ve found a way to succeed in being fit. Be glad that others have also found a way that works for them. And oh, my cholesterol has even gone down. LDL= 97 mg/ml HDL= 39 mg/ml. Go Me!
I don’t argue the atkins diet doesn’t “work”. I’m saying the objective of weight loss is not always healthy. Body image does not equal health.
I have friends who have lost a LOT of weight with atkins. Some are/seem healthy. Others put themselves in the emergency room.
While they probably exist, I don’t know any runners who improve performance by eliminating carbs.
“Raj, you said it yourself…”In my experience, the best way to reduce weight…”
In YOUR experience, the best way for YOU to reduce weight. In MY experience the best way for ME to reduce weight is to follow Atkins. ”
Well, it just isn’t my experience. More than a few other people have had problems on fad diets. And Atkins is a fad diet.
If you want to follow Atkins, feel free to do so. If it has worked for you, nice. The fact is, however, that, for more than a few people, fad diets don’t work. They diet to get down to a weight that they believe to be desirable, then they go off the diet and gain weight back. Then, they go onto the diet again, to try to lose weight again. They cycle–which is worse than not going onto the diet at all. Dieting improperly–particularly without resistance training–causes not only the loss of fat, but also the loss of muscle mass, which is undesirable.
Come back in five to ten years and tell us what your experience with the Atkins diet was. For most people, being forbidden from some foods that they find enjoyable is anathema. The issue is usually portion control, not being forbidden from eating foods that they like to eat.
Here’s an interesting web link for those who might be looking for an alternative to the normal diet fads. It’s some good information, or at the very least an interesting, differing point of view on the whole diet thing.
http://www.dragondoor.com/b23.html
On the sick side of things, I have a reason not to diet. What do the first three letters of the word ‘diet’ spell? I rest my case.
I have a feeling Raj does not and has not ever had a weight problem. Your comments infer that you have been well educated about dieting, but have not had to put it to use. I’m compelled to ask, are you also a member of PETA or NOW?
I agree with Raj about resistance training. Nothing has ever had a more positive effect on my body – and I only do it twice a week. Eating breakfast is also key.
My dietician gave me the basic advice of thinking about what you are putting into your body and asking if it adds anything positive. You eliminate the worst stuff this way – french fries, white bread, etc.
Also – besides hair loss, guys, Atkins makes your breath reek. Isn’t too much protein also pretty hard on your kidneys?
“I have a feeling Raj does not and has not ever had a weight problem.”
Your feeling would be in error. After about a decade of weight gain, about 6 years ago I went from 165 to 145 in about 12 weeks, and reduced further to 135-145, using precisely the method that I described.
What the Atkins diet tries to do (although I have never seen it put this way, but it is fairly obvious) is to satisfy the body’s craving for fats–which have very high energy density. And also to allow one to consume as much protein as one wants. But that’s somewhat artificial, and it ignores a lot of nutrients provided by other kinds of foods–primarily fruits and vegetables–that are necessary. Getting used to eating a wide variety of foods in small portions 5-6 time a day to keep the blood sugar on an even keel is far better than eating a diet relatively high in fats and proteins like the Atkins diet.
After reading these posts and another Atkins-related thread at http://www.armyocs.com, two things are clear.
1) A lot of different types of diets are required for a lot of different shapes of people.
2) Atkins folks are ridiculously defensive about their plan.
Perhaps the basic elements which allow for good humor are found in carbs?
“Perhaps the basic elements which allow for good humor are found in carbs?”
I am guilty. Touche!
re said: “Atkins folks are ridiculously defensive about their plan.”
Or perhaps those who’ve never tried the plan are ridiculously aggressive (often to the point of distortion) in their criticism of others who’ve lost weight on the plan.
I think everyone’s getting a little defensive, here.
If you’re doing Atkins correctly, you shouldn’t be cutting out carbs completely, just limiting them. In addition, other than on the induction phase, you’re really just ruling out things that pretty much all *other* diets say are bad, too. I don’t think you’ll find loads of sugar and refined flour on any diet designed to help someone control their weight.
Now, personally, I have a lot of reasons other than weight loss for liking the Atkins diet. First, I don’t have to actually *give up* anything long term–just find alternatives. I have whole-grain pancakes instead of buttermilk ones. I eat smaller portions of things like potatoes, and I eat them less frequently. A major thing that I like is that there aren’t an abundance of snack-type foods on Atkins; if I want to snack, I need to exert some sort of effort. I make my own low-carb cheesecake and ice cream for when I really want something sweet, but another advantage is that I don’t find myself wanting those things very often. I can tell the difference between being hungry and being thirsty now; and the difference between thinking something sounds good and actually being hungry. I don’t feel like eating everything in sight.
In addition, I’ve noticed that I haven’t gotten any really killer headaches since I’ve been on the diet.
I’ve never cared so much for white bread and rice. I don’t crave sugar. There’s no reason for me to go off Atkins, because it’s working for me–making me healthier, helping me lose weight.
Incidentally, I don’t know, and don’t really care, whether Atkins works by limiting calories or through some sort of metabolic advantage. I *do* know that I’m eating less, because I’m simply not as hungry.
It’s a keeper, as far as I’m concerned.
When I get lazy about going to the gym, my weight basically stays unchanged. I never cared so much for routine diet and didn’t bother gonig out for walk.
its really good
To use atkins you need to be smart. The atkins is benficial to reduce your sugar but its plan is somewhat a troublesome.It can reduce weight with in no time
I enjoyed reading your blog and about your progress. Iâ??m trying something similar at scaredfit.com
Iâ??d like to involve more people to see if we can motivate each other toward success and share ideas.
Feel free to join us and to spread the word. Thanks and good luck.