It all started when a doctor sparked on a topic within earshot of an ardent low-carb blogger. The doctor, an associate professor, Dr David Katz of Yale University was reported by Forbes to have claimed that the Atkins diet had resulted to the hospitalization of one of his patients. The blogger and also purveyor of low-carb diets Jimmy Moore of Livin La Vida Low-Carb Blog felt his feathers ruffled by this claim.
Moore, author of the weight loss book with a similar title to his blog, and the subtitle 'My Journey from Flabby Fat to Sensationally Skinny in One Year' claims to be living proof that low-carbs work. He says he has lost over 180 pound on a low-card diet in a year. In his blog on he posted an article titled 'Health experts gang up on Atkins Diet' where he criticized, first the media for a seemingly regular "orchestrated negative splash against low-carb diets". The article in contention was one appearing in Forbes titled "Atkins diet not safe for everyone" where Dr. Katz was reported to have had a patient that developed serious ketoacidosis which he linked to the Atkins diet the unnamed patient was on.
Secondly, Moore turned on the doctors cited in the article starting with Kartz. Moore went to the extent of calling the co-authored diet book by Dr Katz Flavor Point Diet "one of the biggest fad diet books you'll ever read". Disdainfully, but seemingly aggrieved, the good doctor responded to the posting by email. Moore went on to dissect the email in his blog.
Dr. David L. Katz is a clinical professor, division of Health Policy and Administration, Epidemiology and Public Health of Yale University. Even Moore, though sarcastically, thinks of him as a nutritional genius with his string of titles.
Katz asserted that Moore has no academic ground to differ with him. And on the doctor's bashing of the Atkins diet, Katz says he wasn't starting on bashing the diet rather he's "been beating up on Atkins for years, never wavered never will". He further criticized the diet as lacking in fundamentals of healthful eating and sustainable weight loss. Moore on the other hand defended it on grounds that he's 180 pounds lighter.
Atkins diet is a low-carb ketogenic diet designed for weight loss using significant changes in your dietary macro-nutrients. It recommends you eat fat and more proteins to replace the highly restricted carbohydrates. This is unconventional as carbohydrates are considered to be the primary source of calories for the body. Often this drastic change of dietary requirement is viewed with great suspicion. But the underlying question and continued basis of feuds such as this is how do we explain outstanding results by people like Jimmy Moore?
Lyn Steffan of the University of Minnesota school of Public Health was reported in the contentious Forbes article as saying that low-carb diets are not diets for life. She went on to recommend a healthy diet that results to weight loss and that can be used for life. But the question still remains unanswered. How do Moore and others who swear by low-carbs mange to shed off pound of body fat, improve their cholesterol and claim to be healthy.
Steffan seems to think it's not sustainable long-term. Then one wonders what she thinks of the massai diet that is low-carb, high fat and high protein like Atkins. Yet the East African massai, who are extremely lean, have lived with the diet for centuries.
So would this comparison vindicate Atkins diet?
It is best to view weight loss in the environment in which it occurs. A particular lifestyle is associated with obesity. Naturally, to deal conclusively with the menace one has to deal with the environment in which it occurs. Permanent weight loss is possible; it is also possible that it can be achieved relatively fast, safely as well as healthy. But this requires a holistic and long-term approach. Such a weight loss plan should deal with most of the reasons that result to weight gain.
© Mark Kimathi writes about Weight Loss at Health-eMark.com and related topics like weight loss surgery
Monday, October 30, 2006
Drama Over Atkins Weight Loss Plan
Saturday, October 28, 2006
How The Dr. Atkins Diet Plan Works
How The Dr. Atkins Diet Plan Works
The Dr. Atkins diet plan is one of the most popular weight loss methods in use today. Its approach to weight loss is different from so many other weight loss programs because it involves a change in lifestyle, not just a change in eating. Unlike other lifestyle changes, though, the Dr. Atkins diet plan is full of the foods you love so that making the changes necessary is easier than you might think.
What is the Dr. Atkins Diet Plan?
The plan works by reducing the amount of carbohydrates in your diet, which in turn prompts your body to start burning fat as its primary fuel. It is an approach to eating that emphasizes foods which are tasty, flavorful, and wide in variety. No starving yourself required, just eating the right foods as allowed within the low carb plan.
Phase 1 - Induction
The Induction phase is designed to “jump start” your weight loss by curtailing carbohydrates substantially for 14 days. The idea is to get your body’s metabolism switched over to burning fat. During the induction phase of Dr. Atkins’ diet plan you are allowed up to 20 grams of net carbs per day (defined as total carb grams minus fiber grams), mainly from leafy green salad and other vegetables that are low in starch.
The rules of induction are very specific and must be followed closely for the process to work. They may seem strict and for the first few days it can be hard to stick with them, but once your body starts to adapt it becomes much easier. It also helps to remember that Induction only lasts for 14 days, after which you are allowed to gradually increase your carbs.
Induction Rules Include:
• Eat three regular meals or four to five smaller meals each day• Do not go more than six hours (waking) without eating• No fruit, bread, grain, pasta, or starchy vegetables• No dairy products EXCEPT for cheese, cream or butter• No nuts, seeds• No chickpeas, kidney beans, or other legumes• Do not eat anything that is not on the allowed foods list – not even a single bite!• Cut down on or avoid caffeine as much as possible• Drink at least eight 8 oz. glasses of water each day
The results of induction are usually quite dramatic, as long as you follow the rules exactly. It’s a great way to get yourself going on a low carb lifestyle and enjoy immediate, visible success.
Remember – DO NOT eat any foods during the Induction phase that are not on the allowed foods list. Doing so will only slow down or stop your progress through the Induction process, and may even sabotage your efforts to the point where weight loss stops altogether. If you need help sticking with Induction, look for sources of support by connecting with other followers of the Dr. Atkins diet plan via web sites, online forums, or local community support groups.
Phase 2 – Ongoing Weight Loss
The second phase of the Dr. Atkins diet plan is known as Ongoing Weight Loss. In this phase your food choices increase somewhat and you are allowed to increase your net carbs intake each week in increments of five grams per day.
This means that after Induction is over you can add more variety to your diet, as long as you do so gradually and pay careful attention to how your body reacts. Your weight loss will gradually slow as you increase your net carbohydrate increase; how much it slows will depend on your body’s natural metabolism and resistance to carbohydrates.
Each person has a different level of carbohydrates that they can eat and maintain their weight. Above that level weight starts to rise, while below that level weight starts to drop again. During Ongoing Weight Loss as you gradually raise your carbohydrate intake you need to track the number of net carbs you are consuming and note at what level your weight loss levels off. You then know to stay below that level for the remainder of ongoing weight loss.
Phase 3 – Pre-Maintenance
Once you are within five to ten pounds of your goal weight you can move into the Pre-Maintenance phase of Dr. Atkins’ diet plan, where you increase your net carb intake in larger increments each week until you reach the level at which weight loss stops.
Pre-Maintenance is sort of like practice for the rest of your low carb life. By continuing to add carbs in increments and noting at what point your weight loss stops you can establish your Lifetime Maintenance intake of carbs. As tempting as it may be to skip right to the next phase, it is important to follow through on the Pre-Maintenance activities so that you are fully prepared for moving forward with a low carb lifestyle.
Phase 4 – Lifetime Maintenance
This phase of the Dr. Atkins diet plan is just what the name implies – a program of eating that maintains your desired weight for a lifetime. If you have been successful in establishing your maintenance level of carb intake and eating low carb has become and automatic habit, you are in great shape, both literally and figuratively.
Living low carb by now has become just a natural part of your everyday life, but that doesn’t mean you won’t occasionally indulge in an extra cookie, a slice of birthday cake, or some other high carb food. It does mean that when you take in a higher level of carbs than normal, you simply cut back for the next few days so that your body remains in balance.
Choosing Foods During Each Phase
Choosing the right foods is critical to the success of each phase of Dr. Atkins’ diet plan, especially during induction. It helps to keep a small notebook with a list of allowed foods during each phase, and also to write down the number of net carbs you consume each day. A good carb counter is a great help, too, so you can know at a glance the levels of net carbs in various foods.
There is a wide variety of Atkins foods available in pre-packaged form to help you with ongoing choice of foods. Atkins breakfast bars, snack bars, candy, ice cream and liquid shakes are good options to help add variety to your low carb lifestyle while making it easy to control your carb intake with the Dr. Atkins diet plan.
About the Author:
Kevin Urban is the editor at Atkins-Diet-Advisor.com, an easy-to-use guide on the Atkins Diet Plan. The site features all the information on Dr. Atkins' Diet Plan, including where to find recipes and Atkins diet snacks.