FDA: The Low-Carb Diet Is 'Sheer Nonsense' - The Common Voice

[L12 13]

That's the frustrating part, that many assume that those of us who low-carb (I didn't say zero carb) haven't read any research and/or our physicans are ignorant. Perhaps if we called it "healthy carb" or "smart carb" some would understand.

I'll never forget the day I (in my 50's) had ordered a meal with a group of co-workers and spouses. I had a salad, grilled fish, and steamed broccoli. When the server asked if I wanted biscuits, rolls or whatever, I said no thank you. A 20 something cutie at the other end of the table began to berate me about low carbing. She was a physical therapy major and knew whatall about what was good for me. So what was SHE eating? Hamburger and fries. I smiled and said that when I was her age I could eat what she did and stay thin too. :rolleyes2:

LOL, I've had that argument over meals with people too; their plate is loaded with crap, while I'm eating grilled meat and piles of veggies. The only time anyone tells me my grilled meat and vegetables are unhealthy is if I say it's low carb. Silly how people argue over a label, instead of thinking about what I'm actually eating.

And funny enough, my husband was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes; he has been placed on a permanent low carb diet by his doctor (even though he's already thin, not trying to lose weight). He's eating healthier with more veggies and less fat eating low carb than he ever has before--no sugar and VERY limited carbs, and it's having very fast, positive results on his daily blood sugar readings and intermittent blood test results. Tell HIM not to low carb and you're going to sentence him to insulin for the rest of his life.

[Ellisa 6]

Yeah... the minute you say "low carb" (or refuse desert/white bread...whatever) all the veggies and berries you are eating disappear from their vision. And of course that grilled chicken or fish is suddenly full of unhealthy fat because a low carber is eating it. But their chickens strips (coated with heaven only knows what) is going to save their kidneys. LOL

[lauragshsu 6]

I don't try and do low carb, but have found bread is almost always a big no-no with the band (for me) and even Pasta can hurt. If people want to say something, I give them the option of either dealing with my weird requests (bunless burger) or seeing the bread PBed all over the table.

[Ellisa 6]

I don't try and do low carb, but have found bread is almost always a big no-no with the band (for me) and even Pasta can hurt. If people want to say something, I give them the option of either dealing with my weird requests (bunless burger) or seeing the bread PBed all over the table.

I found low carbing very easy with my band for those very reasons. I could eat some whole grain breads. Have you tried those very thin Buns (whole grain), (Arnold and Pepperidge Farms both make them)? If I chewed them very well I could eat them. I've actually carried them with me to school sports events where the only options were sandwiches and transferred the filling into my own 1/2 bun.

LOL

Now that I'm "sleeved" don't know if that will be an issue or not. I hope it is because that's a great tool to keep me from stuff I don't need anyway. I'm just starting soft foods this week and am being very careful about choices.

[neveragain 9]

Ellisa: I completely agree. There is a BIG difference between LOW carb and NO carb. Honestly, personally, I err to the side of low carb diets because when someone says "low carb", they're usually referring to a sensible, low-fat, complex-carb, high Protein diet. Atkins diet COULD be healthy if it didn't have the the whole "fat is okay" bit going along with it.

Also being a student of the craft, when the researcher man/woman was talking about how carbs, in general, are the devil, I thought that it was a little over-dramatically stated, but it's true to an extent. Genes definitely don't adapt quickly. For example, there seems to be an argument in the world of nutrition about the necessity of dairy. Why? Because we probably didn't milk cows 10-12,000 years ago, so why should we do it now? There are PLENTY of things, aside from milk, that you can get Calcium out of, like spinach, broccoli, tofu, etc. Also, our life span was MAYBE half of what it is now and obviously we didn't know how much we should eat, so it took a toll on our health. Without bringing institutional economics into it too, lol, the point I was trying to make was that even though our bodies weren't originally created to consume this type of stuff, it can have beneficial uses if consumed in proper moderation.

Also, for the record, nearly everything healthy has connections to disease if it is not consumed in proper moderation. For example, soy has connections to male gynocomastia, zero carb diets have connections to kidney stones, and the list goes on. Just sayin'.

[Ellisa 6]

Ellisa: I completely agree. There is a BIG difference between LOW carb and NO carb. Honestly, personally, I err to the side of low carb diets because when someone says "low carb", they're usually referring to a sensible, low-fat, complex-carb, high Protein diet. Atkins diet COULD be healthy if it didn't have the the whole "fat is okay" bit going along with it.

Also being a student of the craft, when the researcher man/woman was talking about how carbs, in general, are the devil, I thought that it was a little over-dramatically stated, but it's true to an extent. Genes definitely don't adapt quickly. For example, there seems to be an argument in the world of nutrition about the necessity of dairy. Why? Because we probably didn't milk cows 10-12,000 years ago, so why should we do it now? There are PLENTY of things, aside from milk, that you can get Calcium out of, like spinach, broccoli, tofu, etc. Also, our life span was MAYBE half of what it is now and obviously we didn't know how much we should eat, so it took a toll on our health. Without bringing institutional economics into it too, lol, the point I was trying to make was that even though our bodies weren't originally created to consume this type of stuff, it can have beneficial uses if consumed in proper moderation.

Also, for the record, nearly everything healthy has connections to disease if it is not consumed in proper moderation. For example, soy has connections to male gynocomastia, zero carb diets have connections to kidney stones, and the list goes on. Just sayin'.

I agree, moderation is the key. But most of us wouldn't have weight issues if we got that. LOL I don't think Atkins Induction phase will hurt anyone doing it as the book recommends TWO weeks. And nothing in it said your entire meal had to be nuttin' but fat. But the fact that you can have it and still lose weight is pretty amazing to most people starting the diet.

I found the longer I was on it the more veggies and berries I ate and the Protein and fat automatically reduced.

The thing is, most overweight people probably eat MORE fat and cholesterol before doing Atkins than during (I know I did). For one thing, a lot of the fatty foods we consume are ON carbs. French Fries, butter on bread, bagals and philly, sour cream on baked potatoes, etc. We generally don't eat deep fried chicken that isn't coated with carbs.

During the ongoing weight loss (OWL) phase of Atkins and the maintenance phase the (low glycemic) carbs are increased to your own level based on what your are trying to accomplish. Most people have never read that part of his book. LOL

I think Atkins went way overboard to prove his point that fat and protein aren't the enemy with regard to obesity. But the fact is his diet does work. My DH and I followed it closely for 2 years at one point and we both had excellent labs and neither of us has ever had a kidney stone. Which is more than I can say for many of my nay sayer friends who wouldn't be caught dead low carbing.

The problem with it, like nearly all diets, is that there simply isn't any wiggle room. Screw up one meal and you've gained 5 lbs. And our society is built around sugar laden foods so it can be very isolating to try to stay strict to the plan.

[ElfiePoo 109]

I've done Atkins more than once and had good success with it. So have tons of people I know. But the problem Is that no one ever sustains it.

I think the same can be said of WW, Jenny Craig or any other 'diet'. The proof is in how many people are getting WLS.

If you can eat the traditional, high carb diet promoted by the FDA, then more power to you, but for those of us who got fat eating exactly that way...well, we have had to step outside the traditionally accepted and I thank God for people like Dr Bernstein (The Diabetes Solution), Dr. Atkins and Gary Taubes (Why We Get Fat) who've risked ridicule to go against the norm. None of these men have been stupid enough to say low carb is the *only* way. What they've said is, if you have a metabolic disorder and carbs are making you fat...then stop the madness (as Susan Powter used to say).

I went on an 800 calorie Optifast diet and lost nothing over a one month period, despite the fact that prior to that I was eating about 2300 calories or more. If it was just about a calorie deficiency, I should've lost something. I gained 12 pounds in my first month on Weight Watchers. Only on a low carb diet have I been successful at losing weight and, even then, it wasn't until I quit eating grains, dairy, fruits and starchy vegies that I was able to get off my insulin. Best of all, I discovered that these were the source of my hunger. Once I got them out of my system, I was able to 'naturally' eat 900 calories a day and, bonus, began losing 2 lb a week a year after being banded and only averaging *maybe* a pound a week.

Studies show that people with metabolic disorders (e.g. hypoglycemia or diabetes) do not process certain carbs in the way normal people do and continuing to eat them is a bit like someone with Celiac refusing to give up gluten. We all need to determine the reason for our obesity. For some it's simply a matter of controlling how much they eat and choosing healthy options. For some of us, that's just not enough.

Bottom line - pay attention to what your body is telling you. Record what you're eating in something like fitday.com or livestrong.com so you know for a 'fact' what your intake is and not just a vague "I'm following the rules". Then, if you're not losing (or even gaining) or you're still craving and having a problem controlling your choices...try something different.

.

[ElfiePoo 109]

I think some people confuse low carb with NO carb. Too bad.

OMG...yes, if I hear one more person say Atkins is bad for you because you can't eat carbs and it's an all you can eat...and all the fat you can eat diet, my head is going to explode!

As we know, you can eat carbs at whatever tolerance level you have. Mine, most likely due to my insulin resistance, is very low and limited to non-starchy vegies - no grains, fruit or dairy.

Atkins never promoted an all you can pork down food fest. He didn't place a lot of emphasis on calories because he believed that if you're staying within your carb tolerance threshhold, you'd automatically cut your intake due to lack of cravings as well as the appetite suppressing effects of low carb...until I paid attention to not just the number of carbs, but the type of carbs. Now, without deliberately counting, my calories are coming in around 900 a day just because that's what I'm satisfied on.

For those unfamiliar with Atkins, or only familiar with it as portrayed by the media and those who've obviously never read his book, Atkins is low carb (not no-carb), moderate Protein (30%) and high fat (60-70%). Obviously, not unlimited.

Sure hope some of you are still here! I just found this forum!

.

[jms462001 9]

OMG...yes, if I hear one more person say Atkins is bad for you because you can't eat carbs and it's an all you can eat...and all the fat you can eat diet

As we know, you can eat carbs at whatever tolerance level you have. Mine, most likely due to my insulin resistance, is very low and limited to non-starchy vegies - no grains, fruit or dairy.

Atkins never promoted an all you can pork down food fest. He didn't place a lot of emphasis on calories because he believed that if you're staying within your carb tolerance threshhold, you'd automatically cut your intake due to lack of cravings as well as the appetite suppressing effects of low carb...until I paid attention to not just the number of carbs, but the type of carbs. Now, without deliberately counting, my calories are coming in around 900 a day just because that's what I'm satisfied on.

For those unfamiliar with Atkins, or only familiar with it as portrayed by the media and those who've obviously never read his book, Atkins is low carb (not no-carb), moderate Protein (30%) and high fat (60-70%). Obviously, not unlimited.

Sure hope some of you are still here! I just found this forum!

.

"All you can eat". Well, I could probably eat an entire bag of chocolate chip Cookies, a whole bag of chips, and possibly finish the tub of ice cream. But I doubt I would be tempted to gorge on steak in this manner! Nor would I sit and eat a tub of butter or drink a pint of olive oil.