Atkins Diet: Anyone gone through this?

[SirFozzie]

I've started the Atkins Diet, with the goal of getting down to 175 to 200 pounds. Of course, that will take a while, currently I'm at 320+.

They warned about fatigue during the induction phase, where you are limited to 20g of Carbs per day (to put that in perspective, one glass of CranApple juice I looked at has 40g).

Now on Day 5 of the diet (began Monday), and I'm noticing that I get VERY fatigued very easily, to the point where I'm sleeping 10+ hours a night. Has anyone else gone through this and if so, is it normal?

[sabotai]

A life without fruit...it's not a life worth living... :)

[jamesUMD]

I've been on the atkins plan since the beginning of January and have dropped from 243 down to 201. Make sure you are taking fish oil, flax seed oil, and a multi-vitamin. I am at the point where I can eat pretty loosely on the weekends and I don't put back on any weight (General Tso's Chicken for dinner). The induction phase is the hardest and then it gets better. I recently found the Crystal Lite's Classic Orange and it totally takes the place of Orange Juice for me. That stuff is great. If you need any tips let me know. I haven't been able to excercise because of my work schedule but I have still lost a good bit.

[Buccaneer]

Oh no, another falling for this dangerous fad. :( My friend, it is all about fat and cholesterol. Do not forsake the healthy (re: low/no fat and cholosterol) foods just because it is the "in" thing to do. You need carbs, you don't need fat and cholesterol. All natural fruit juices, whole grains, etc. are good for you. I'll say it, just lower your intake of foods high in fat and cholosterol, exercise moderately and you'll not only lose the weight but feel good.

[Danny]

Im going to start the south beach diet myself next week. My dad started using it and its been working very well. Remember its not all about eliminating carbs, but about eating the right kind of them. No fruit, juice or many other things. I need to lose about 40 pounds. I have a lot of muscle, so could be pretty good with the loss of weight assuming I work out hard while on the diet. I generally work out very hard during the summer, so that shouldnt be a problem. I definitely wish you success on your diet.

[markprior22]

Just started South Beach diet a couple of weeks ago (per doctors orders) and have lost 17 pounds. The docs main selling point was that I would lose weight and it is extremely good for the heart (the guy who "invented" it is a cardiovascular doc). In VERY general terms, it seems like SB is similar to Atkins except for fats. SB encourages you to go for lean meats and things that won't clog arteries down the line. I think you will definitely lose weight on Atkins but I worry about heart health.

[Danny]

Agreed with Mark. The sb diet was designed for heart health, weight loss was side effect.

[SirFozzie]

Well, the list of allowed foods includes most meat/fish/shellfish (in this first two week period)..

Drinks, are basically water, and any 0 Carb Caffine Free Diet Soft drink (Milk has 13g of carbs. :?)

I think it doesn't help that I was a Coca-Cola drinker before I started (3-4 cans a day).

[vtbub]

I higly recommend the Diabetic lifestyle which emphazises veggies, limited fruits, whole grain breads and a less sat fats.

As a type two diabetic and a ol coke drinker, dumping the empty calories helped me drop 65-70 pounds in a year and dropped my cholestrol 70 pts.

(FWIW, Tab tastes like Coke:))

Good Luck Foz.

[ice4277]

I've dropped just over 50 pounds since November doing what I call the 'common sense' plan. I cut out drinking soda, eating sweets and very fatty foods, etc, etc, as well as starting a good workout regimen. I feel better than I have in a VERY long time, and my eating and lifestyle habits have changed to the point where I cannot see going back to the way I was before, ever. I have a couple friends who are nutritionists and they have told me in no uncertain terms that Atkins is definitely NOT the way to go if you want to start, and (key part here) maintain a healthy lifestyle. What Bucc said earlier makes a ton of sense, its not all about carbs, its about the whole package. My main focus has been on calories and fat, as well as reducing sugars. Your body needs carbs, especially if you plan to exercise. If you want more info on what I have done, PM me and I would be glad to help you out. Whatever way you choose to lose weight, good luck with it, it is hard for the first couple weeks but, after that, you will start to feel like a new man, trust me.

[MizzouRah]

If you are going to do the Atkins diet, a multivitamin (dietary supplement) is a must. GNC has their own brand called, Mega Men, that will do just fine.

Tang has a sugar free orange drink very similar to their original drink mix that tastes excellent. I'm not on the Atkins, but I don't drink soda or eat pasta, high carb bread, etc.. anymore.

I could be wrong, but the Atkins book says if anything you should have more energy.

Edit: Good luck SirFozzie!
Todd

[SirFozzie]

this is the period where your body converts from burning Carbs (food) to burning fat (the excess weight)

[sabotai]

this is the period where your body converts from burning Carbs (food) to burning fat (the excess weight)

I always find it funny how people constantly forget, intentionally or not, that you're not just burning fat on Atkins, but you're also burning protein (muscle).

[Logan]

I went from 330 to 200 lbs in just over a full year doing nothing but exercising regularly and watching what I eat (low carbs, low fat; generally, just being SMART about what and WHEN you eat). Just wanted to let you know that it surely is possible to lose a large amount of weight without dangering yourself (which I believe an Atkins diet may do to some people, but that is a different argument entirely).

Good luck, and may you find the lifestyle that will work best for you...

[GrantDawg]

I always find it funny how people constantly forget, intentionally or not, that you're not just burning fat on Atkins, but you're also burning protein (muscle).
That's because your not (though you commonly do in a low-fat diet).

[Ben E Lou]

Well, as of this morning I have lost over 50 pounds since November (while putting on a decent bit of muscle, to boot), and my experience in going from 265 to 215 (and still dropping) has been similar to ice4277's. What I like about doing it this way is that it is definitely a lifestyle decision: regular exercise (both resistance and cardio) is now part of my routine, and I can't imagine that changing until such time as I'm physically disabled. While I freely admit that I am not intimately familiar with the details of Atkins or South Beach, what I have been told, and have observed, is that various diets can work fine for weight loss for different people, however, without other changes (resistance training in particular), often the dieting person puts the weight back on. As far as carbs, I'm eating a large baked potato, or some other fairly heavy-carb food every day before exercising, while being smart about the carbs, saturated fat and calories that I intake on the whole (although I'm not measuring). I've got a physical coming up in a few weeks, so I'll see how the ol' cholesterol count is going, but I suspect that it is fine.

(A side note: it has been an interesting study in what the genders value. Most females are commenting that I've lost weight. Most males are commenting that I've been lifting.)

A few specifics on what I've been doing, diet-wise:

grits, rice or baked potato shortly before workout
fairly low in carbs rest of the day, but not obsessive. If the rolls look good at the restaurant, I'll eat one (but not 3-4 like I used to. :p) If there's good cheesecake on the dessert menu, I'll order it, but usually not more than once a week.
four smaller meals per day (7am, 11am, 2pm, 6pm), primarily consisting of lean meats and green vegetables
WWJD? (What would Jesus drink? ;)) water or wine :p Actually, I'd imagine I drink less wine than Jesus. I am drinking a little over a gallon of water per day, and have a glass of wine once or twice a week. Other than those two drinks, and a few cups of apple cider at Christmas, I don't think I've had any other beverages since October.
no snacks after the last meal
multivitamin, flax seed oil, and CLA supplements daily
As far as exercise, I'm doing what I would consider "the basics" as far as resistance and cardio training: each muscle group twice a week, and 30 minutes of cardio per day. I'm shooting to get my 3-mile time down to 24 minutes by the end of the summer, and from there I'll seek to maintain that level. I've never done resistance training before the last six months, so I have no real goals with that. I'm not interested in body-building by any means, but I reckon I'd like to see the arms, shoulders and chest continue to expand a bit more, as they have been in the last 6 months.

My only "advice" would be to check in with your doctor or nutritionist about what will work for you. FWIW, the two doctors in my family are *not* fans of the Atkins plan at all. I'm not sure about South Beach, as I just heard of it a few weeks ago, and haven't asked 'em yet.

[Danny]

I agree with almost everything Sky Dog said. You need to work out if you're going to do a atkins/south beach diet unless you plan on sticking to that diet the rest of your life. I think the diet could really be effective for me as Ive been lifting off and on for the past couple of years and generally work out a lot during my summer break. I weigh in at close to 300 pounds, but am naturally very big. Id have to lose a good amount of muscle to get down to my "recommended weight". Im looking forward to hopefully slimming down starting next week. (finals this week, so no diet then :) ). Maybe I'll keep a journal over here, so you guys can bust my chops if Im slacking off.

[SirFozzie]

I always find it funny how people constantly forget, intentionally or not, that you're not just burning fat on Atkins, but you're also burning protein (muscle).

The food I eat (meat/Seafood/shrimp) is extremely high in protein, so that helps

[Ben E Lou]

The food I eat (meat/Seafood/shrimp) is extremely high in protein, so that helpsI don't remember the exact figures off the top of my head, but since I've started looking at this sort of thing, I've learned that the high protein and low fat count numbers in shrimp are pretty amazing.

[cmp]

Personally, I've dropped from 255 to 165 since last summer by just cutting out the junk food. I haven't really cut out any carbs at all and still eat plenty of them, I just don't eat things such as candy bars, chips, or anything like that. Drink a lot more water than anything else. Once in a while I'll still drink pop but not very often. I never went on any real diet, just started making sure I wasn't eating too much junk and was getting enough exercise.

[Ben E Lou]

Personally, I've dropped from 255 to 165 since last summer by just cutting out the junk food. I haven't really cut out any carbs at all and still eat plenty of them, I just don't eat things such as candy bars, chips, or anything like that. Drink a lot more water than anything else. Once in a while I'll still drink pop but not very often. I never went on any real diet, just started making sure I wasn't eating too much junk and was getting enough exercise.That's great stuff! One thing, though. No offense, but if I recall, aren't you in your teens or early 20's? The metabolic rate changes pretty dramatically from age 20 to age 30. When I was in high school, I ate a big bowl of butter pecan ice cream virtually every night, about 15-20 minutes before going to bed, and I remained quite thin. (I think I was around 5'10", 155 pounds when I graduated.) If I did that now at age 35, I can't imagine how quickly I'd gain the 50 pounds back that I've lost. I can say this much for the low-carb fad: as the aging process continues and the metabolic rate slows down, the statement "I haven't really cut out any carbs at all and still eat plenty of them", is likely a recipe for serious frustration in trying to lose weight and remain healthy.

[cmp]

That's great stuff! One thing, though. No offense, but if I recall, aren't you in your teens or early 20's? The metabolic rate changes pretty dramatically from age 20 to age 30. When I was in high school, I ate a big bowl of butter pecan ice cream virtually every night, about 15-20 minutes before going to bed, and I remained quite thin. (I think I was around 5'10", 155 pounds when I graduated.) If I did that now at age 35, I can't imagine how quickly I'd gain the 50 pounds back that I've lost. I can say this much for the low-carb fad: as the aging process continues and the metabolic rate slows down, the statement "I haven't really cut out any carbs at all and still eat plenty of them", is likely a recipe for serious frustration in trying to lose weight and remain healthy.

Yep, I'm only 18. I'm sure that had plenty to do with being able to lose that much. Being a member of the basketball team also helped greatly when it came to exercising during that time also. But I still don't feel someone needs to cut out carbs as much as Atkins wants you to in order to lose weight and be healthy. I'm sure as I get older I'll probably have to watch them a little bit more though.

[Ben E Lou]

Yep, I'm only 18. I'm sure that had plenty to do with being able to lose that much. Being a member of the basketball team also helped greatly when it came to exercising during that time also. But I still don't feel someone needs to cut out carbs as much as Atkins wants you to in order to lose weight and be healthy. I'm sure as I get older I'll probably have to watch them a little bit more though.I agree with everything you said there.

[jamesUMD]

I always find it funny how people constantly forget, intentionally or not, that you're not just burning fat on Atkins, but you're also burning protein (muscle).

You can burn muscle on any diet! The Atkins diet, if properly done,can yield good results. Yes I don't think you should horde down half a lb of bacon and 4-5 eggs in a sitting but if done correctly the atkins diet is fine.

The majority of the low carb foods out there now, if anything replace much of the carbohydrate content with proteins which helps build muscle.

I have a couple friends who are nutritionists and they have told me in no uncertain terms that Atkins is definitely NOT the way to go if you want to start, and (key part here) maintain a healthy lifestyle.

I spent 4 years in the U.S. Army and 4 years personal training while @ University of MD. 90% of my co-workers were nutrition, kinesiology, sports medicine, etc. etc., majors. If I spent 4 yrs. and thousands of of dollars learning how high carbohydrate and low fat diets are the way to eat I would have a hard time swallowing any other rhetoric that went against what I had spent 4 years learning.

Before everyone jumps down my throat, I am only saying that anyone, in any field, that spent 4 years of college learning how to get the best production out of a widget would naturally cringe when some went against almost everything he thought he/she knew about widget's and came up with a totally new process to get widget's to produce even faster.

I would recommend reading the entire book for atkins (not just what to eat but the science behind it) and I would also highly recommend reading the book Protein Power which was the first book regarding carb reduction I had ever read and still stick by.

[HerRealName]

Radii had a great dynasty that helped me get started several months ago. Here is the address:

http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/showthread.php?t=19790

[Buccaneer]

Personally, I've dropped from 255 to 165 since last summer by just cutting out the junk food. I haven't really cut out any carbs at all and still eat plenty of them, I just don't eat things such as candy bars, chips, or anything like that. Drink a lot more water than anything else. Once in a while I'll still drink pop but not very often. I never went on any real diet, just started making sure I wasn't eating too much junk and was getting enough exercise.
That's what I did as well. I went from 170 to 150 in 2 months just by cutting or reducing the junk. I prefer to get my vitamins and minerals from real food (as opposed to manufactured pills) so I drink juice, eat fruits and vegetables and plenty of whole grain breads. The two things that I reduced the most are cheeses and processed meats. My diet is centered around mainly tossed salads, fish and cereals.

[judicial clerk]

Didn't Duke University recently post the results of a study supporting Atkins claims. I believe that the Atkins diet was shown to lower cholesterol, despite the fatty foods allowed on the diet.

I think there are some misconceptions about the diet. First, you don't need to cut out carbs forever. As you approach your ideal weight, you can begin to add carbohydrates back into your diet. (just add back a baked potato, not chocolate cake) Once you attain your proper weight, you can add as many carbs into your diet as you are willing to burn off with exercise. Finally, you don't need to eat the fatty foods while on the diet. In my opinion, the fatty (good tasting) food just make it an easier diet to stick to. I believe that Atkins even has a vegetarian version of the diet. I would also add that dropping that extra 125 lbs., whether using the Atkins diet or not, is going to be more important to your health than wether you eat a high fat diet or not.

Good luck SirFozzie and I am excited to read about your progress.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I'm 27, and my weight has teetered between 110 and 120 pounds for the past 10 years. I have absolutely no idea why I'm posting this.

And, yes, I'm serious.

[Shepp]

I just don't think that I could live without eating carbs, I love pasta too much. About four and a half years ago I tipped the scales at about 270 punds. When my 40 inch waist pants were getting too small on me I decided that it was time for a change. I started by adjusting my diet. I tried to keep my calorie intake to about 2000 per day. I also tried to stay away from foods that had more than 10grams of fat per serving. Next I exercised by running and lifting wieghts. It took about ten months but I got down to 185 pounds.

[Danny]

I'm 27, and my weight has teetered between 110 and 120 pounds for the past 10 years. I have absolutely no idea why I'm posting this.

And, yes, I'm serious.

Holy crap, my left leg weighs that.

[SirFozzie]

I'm 27, and my weight has teetered between 110 and 120 pounds for the past 10 years. I have absolutely no idea why I'm posting this.

And, yes, I'm serious.

Kicks Tudors in the groin. Repeatedly.

[SFL Cat]

I went on Atkins and dropped from about 250 to 215. I plan on starting a modified Atkins diet to get down to about 180. I was a borderline Type 2 Diabetic with High Blood Pressure. Last time I got checked, my blood sugar was okay. I went off the blood pressure medication for a week to see where I was and although it was still high, it wasn't anywhere close to what it was before I started the first time.

I don't go hog-wild over the high fat foods, eating mostly salads, chicken and fish. As others have said, on any diet exercise and nutritional supplementation (vitamins). The hardest thing for me to give up was the soda. I hated diet soda. I drank mostly water, but found that Diet Dr. Pepper wasn't too bad. Now whenever I take a sip of a non-diet soda, I almost gag because it is so sweet.

[Franklinnoble]

Well, as of this morning I have lost over 50 pounds since November (while putting on a decent bit of muscle, to boot), and my experience in going from 265 to 215 (and still dropping) has been similar to ice4277's. What I like about doing it this way is that it is definitely a lifestyle decision:


Trying to get back into the star-spangled speedo, are we? ;)

[sterlingice]

Kicks Tudors in the groin. Repeatedly.
But can you really find it? Where's the groin area of a stick? ;)

Just kidding PT. But man, isn't that unhealthy the other way? Unless you're quite short, I guess. I mean, I'm 6'2" and hanging around 190 and I could see losing some weight maybe down to 150 or 160 but beyond that, I'd just be wasting away as I'd have no fat left at all.

SI

[Desnudo]

But can you really find it? Where's the groin area of a stick? ;)

Just kidding PT. But man, isn't that unhealthy the other way? Unless you're quite short, I guess. I mean, I'm 6'2" and hanging around 190 and I could see losing some weight maybe down to 150 or 160 but beyond that, I'd just be wasting away as I'd have no fat left at all.

SI

6'2" and 150 would make you look like Shawn Bradley's little brother.

[Desnudo]

That's great stuff! One thing, though. No offense, but if I recall, aren't you in your teens or early 20's? The metabolic rate changes pretty dramatically from age 20 to age 30. When I was in high school, I ate a big bowl of butter pecan ice cream virtually every night, about 15-20 minutes before going to bed, and I remained quite thin. (I think I was around 5'10", 155 pounds when I graduated.) If I did that now at age 35, I can't imagine how quickly I'd gain the 50 pounds back that I've lost. I can say this much for the low-carb fad: as the aging process continues and the metabolic rate slows down, the statement "I haven't really cut out any carbs at all and still eat plenty of them", is likely a recipe for serious frustration in trying to lose weight and remain healthy.

It's not just the metabolic rate, it's also that you're generally much more active during the day as a teenager than as a 30-year old. The average thirty year old sits on his duff all day behind a desk and doesn't come out until after the sun goes down.

Also note that he did actually cut a lot of carbs out of his diet by getting rid of junk food, whether he realizes it or not. Junk food also has "worse" carbs, like any refined product, than say, an apple.

[Pumpy Tudors]

But can you really find it? Where's the groin area of a stick? ;)

Funny, my wife asked me the same thing last night. :(

Just kidding PT. But man, isn't that unhealthy the other way? Unless you're quite short, I guess. I mean, I'm 6'2" and hanging around 190 and I could see losing some weight maybe down to 150 or 160 but beyond that, I'd just be wasting away as I'd have no fat left at all.

I'm only 5'4", and I have a small frame, so I don't look bad. I can't say that I've made a conscious effort to gain weight, but with the way I've eaten over my lifetime, it's really amazing that I just can't seem to put any weight on. I hear that my dad was the same way when he was younger. It all caught up to him around the time he hit 40. I imagine that the same thing will happen to me. My wife isn't really looking forward to that either.

[Desnudo]

Funny, my wife asked me the same thing last night. :(



I'm only 5'4", and I have a small frame, so I don't look bad. I can't say that I've made a conscious effort to gain weight, but with the way I've eaten over my lifetime, it's really amazing that I just can't seem to put any weight on. I hear that my dad was the same way when he was younger. It all caught up to him around the time he hit 40. I imagine that the same thing will happen to me. My wife isn't really looking forward to that either.

One of my good friends from high school was a bean pole, like 6' 2" 160ish. Once he got into to college he started lifting weights and really filled out. Recently, at our ten year reunion, he was definitely looking chubby. He would have been the last guy on the planet I would have thought would be fat.

[Mac Howard]

>I would recommend reading the entire book for atkins

Yep! Because when I got to that bit about alcohol having the same effect as carbohydrates I gave it all up. But I had lost 7 kgms by then (which suggests that alcohol DOESN'T have the same effect as carbohydrates, but there you go).

[Draft Dodger]

I've been on exactly one diet in my life, and, barring some life-threatening need, I wont waste my time on something like that again.

2 years ago after our son was born, my wife went on Weight Watchers to help lose back some of the pregnancy weight (before the pregnancy, she had lost about 60 lbs on WW before). I decided to join her, and had a pretty good success, losing about 25 pounds in 3 months. 6 months later, I was right back up to my original weight (250). Worse, when I lost the 25 pounds, I gave away all my old pants that didn't fit anymore...only to need to go out and buy more when I got back up to the old weight. Humiliating.

The ONLY way for me is to change my lifestyle, and I have been doing so...gradually. I'm still at 250, but I do plan to slowly get down to 200 at the most, with a possibility of going down to 180 (I'm a pretty big guy naturally *insert snicker here* so I have a hard time picturing myself at anything less than 200, but we'll see). I'm 33, and I've set a goal of my 35th birthday to do this, so I certainly have time. I don't want to lose it all in 6 months and gain it right back.

It's hard for me, because I don't really LIKE good food - salads, grains, fruits, vegetables etc are just not foods that I like. I am a meat and potatoes guy, and probably always will be. But, the one thing I did learn from Weight Watchers is how to manage portions better - it's not just a matter of what I've been eating, but how much...

For me, I've got a 2-step plan - Diet & Exercise.
So, I've slowly been making dietary changes. I went from 2 Dr Peppers a day, 2 maybe 2 a month. I don't really eat much junk food, but what little I did eat has been pared down somewhat. Now, the focus is on calories; I've started tracking how many calories I'm eating on a daily basis. After a week, it's pretty easy to see a pattern - on a "normal" day, I'll eat about 2,000 calories. But, a couple times a week I'll do take-out or something similar, and that can even double the number of calories for the day. If I can cut out about 250 calories a day, I should be looking at dropping about 1/2 a week - and that's perfectly fine for me. Doesn't really involve changing my "normal" diet, just dropping 1 or 2 times a week of ordering out. I can do that.

The hard part is exercise. I'm extremely frustrated and embarrassed at how severely out of shape I've become. I was NEVER considered an athlete, but I also never got winded going up 2 flights of stairs. And I'm finding it really hard to find an exercise that I can enjoy doing with some regularity. So, I'm still kind of stalling a bit with the exercise part, but even 30 boring minutes on a treadmill would have a huge impact.

So, that's my grand plan. Check back with me in a couple years and I'll tell you how it went...

:)

[ice4277]

DD,

If it makes you feel any better, I used to HATE exercising for the sake of exercising, and it showed. However, I forced myself to start going and, once I had a routine going for a couple of weeks, I discovered it really isn't that bad. Now I absolutely hate it when I miss a day. Also, cutting calories seems to me to be the best way to go, I am on a limited intake right now, right around 1200-1500 a day, but my eating habits have totally changed. I used to get fast food probably 4 or 5 times a week and was a huge soda drinker. Now, I may drink diet pop once a week, and get fast food maybe once a month. Once you stay on this for a while, your body adjusts to it, making it a lot easier.

[Ksyrup]

Just thought I'd throw this recent study out for anyone interested.


http://www.the-aps.org/press/journal/04/19.htm


Was Atkins Right? New Study Provides Support For Those Who Advocate A High Protein Diet For Weight Loss And Better Health

(July 14, 2004) - Bethesda, MD – “Shape Up America,” a new coalition of various health groups recently announced their collective opinion that “booming low-carb diets were unlikely to lead to long-term weight loss and may be dangerous for health.” At the same time, high protein diets are attracting their share of critics, among them the American Heart Association, which has stated that the focus on animal proteins cholesterol raises harmful LDL cholesterol levels.

The scientific community knows that high protein diets induce early marked metabolic changes in human and animal models, especially when the diet contains at least 50 percent of energy as protein, but the physiological and functional consequences of a long-term high protein (HP) diet have not been fully explored. Now, a long-term study involving male rats has found that a protein intake of three times the requirements did not produce any adverse effects in key systems.

A New Study

Researchers are aware that no long-term interventional human studies on the issue exist nor are there any complete toxicological studies on high protein diet effects. This has led to a new investigation of the wide range of biochemical, anatomical and histological parameters to determine whether long-term ingestion of a high protein diet could have adverse and/or beneficial effects in an obesity prone strain of rats. The authors of “A long-term high-protein diet markedly reduces adipose tissue without major side-effects in Wistar male rats,” are Magali Lacroix, Claire Gaudichon, Celine Morens, Veronique Mathe, Daniel Tome, and Jean-Francois Huneau, all from the Physiologie de la Nutrition et du Comportement alimentaire, Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon, Paris; and Antoine Martin, at the Service d’Anatomie pathologique, Hôpital Avicenne, Bobigny, both in France. Their findings appear in the Articles in Press section of the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. The journal is one of 14 scientific publications issued each month by the American Physiological Society (APS) (www.the-aps.org (http://www.the-aps.org/)).

Methodology

This study used male Wistar rats that were administered either a no protein diet or a high protein diet for six months. Detailed body composition, biomarkers of oxidative stress [reduced and oxidized glutathione, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, expression of glutamy-cysteine-ligase, and detoxification function (Glutathione-S-Transferase), plasma hormones (insulin, cortisol and leptine)] and liver and kidney histopathology were investigated. Calcium balance was also assessed over four months after this protocol.

Results

This study sought to estimate the consequences of a long-term intake of high levels of protein in an obesity-prone rat strain. The results showed that the long-term effect of eating protein at will led to a markedly reduced food intake and lowered white adipose tissue. At the same time, basal blood insulin, leptin and triglyceride levels, and glucose tolerance were improved. Calcium balance was not affected by a high intake of milk proteins. Moreover, in contrast to what has generally been admitted, no adverse effects of the high protein diet were reported, particularly regarding kidney and liver health. After six months of the experiment, the body weight of rats fed the high protein diet was 18 percent lower than that of rats fed the non-protein diet. Body composition measurements revealed remarkable differences between the two groups, especially concerning the subcutaneous fat pad.

This study also revealed that the weight reduction in rats fed the high protein diet was strongly associated with lower basal blood sugar and insulin levels, as previously described, and improved glucose tolerance. As the isocaloric exchange between high and low protein diets was performed on carbohydrate, the flattening effect of the high protein diet on insulin and glucose basal levels could be attributed to its reduced carbohydrate content. This contrasts with the results of many studies that have acknowledged the fact that high protein intakes induce an increase in glucose and insulin concentrations.

Conclusions

This unique long-term study found that in male rats, a protein intake of three times the requirements did not produce any adverse effects on the renal and hepatic functions, on oxidative stress or on the calcium balance. On the contrary, exchanging carbohydrates for proteins was beneficial regarding body composition, basal triglycerides, glucose, leptin, and insulin plasma concentrations. The results of the present study agree with the idea that long-term dietary management is of major importance to preventing obesity.

This study will not settle the long-standing debate regarding the merits of a high protein diet. However, these findings will provide support to those who advocate such a regimen for weight loss and better health.

-end-

Source: Online edition of the American Journal of Physiology—Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. The journal is one of 14 published each month by the American Physiological Society (www.the-aps.org).

The American Physiological Society (APS) was founded in 1887 to foster basic and applied science, much of it relating to human health. The Bethesda, MD-based Society has more than 10,000 members and publishes 3,800 articles in its 14 peer-reviewed journals every year.

***

[Danny]

I've dropped 26 pounds so far with the south beach diet. Still have about 30 more that I want to lose.

[Glengoyne]

About a year ago I got off the Atkin's diet after losing about 35 pounds. In the months I was on the diet my cholesterol went down dramatically. My cholesterol has never been higher than 180. On atkins it dropped to 150ish. In that year I have gained 15 back fifteen pounds, and my cholesterol in last week's blood test went to 192. Today I am starting Atkin's round two.

[Crapshoot]

To continue, I think on a personal level that Atkins is not a diet- its a fundementall change in lifestyle. Speaking as the son of someone who has a PhD in nutrition, Im not sure that the "fad" nature of it is a good thing- fundementally, you have to give up Pasta, bread, etc for life to make it stick. I know that personally, I can't do that- I tend to have a fairly high carb diet, and I can't imagine cutting down on pasta. that being said, if you feel these things are unneccessary for you, go ahead- but accept it for it is.

[mgadfly]

I started at 378 and dropped to 308 on Atkins. I then tore a knee ligament playing basketball and have since gained back some of the weight. I'm now at 345 and keep saying that tomorrow is the day I go back on Atkins.

There are a lot of misconceptions about the Atkins diet, but it works fine if you read the entire book and follow the advice. After the induction phase I spent most of my meals eating chicken and spinach salads. It isn't like the Atkins diet mandates that you eat a pound of bacon or a jar of mayonaise.

[Grid Iron]

My cholesterol was around 199-200 about seven months ago. I didn't do Atkins. Instead, I started eating a lot of fruits and veggies, whole grain cereals, preparing smaller portions, eating dinner out only once a week, and giving up cake and ice cream. I still eat pasta, and have a burrito with beans, rice, guac and sour cream once or twice a week!

I lost 30 pounds and my cholesterol is now 136.

Atkins seems to work for a lot of people, but I got great results just by not eating so much cr@p. :)

[Ragone]

I get the feeling in 10 years.. you will see all these atkins diet people have heart problems..

[Danny]

I get the feeling in 10 years.. you will see all these atkins diet people have heart problems..

You might want to do some more research. Atkins and especially south beach (in fact fatty meat is not allowed) do not recommend eating lots of fatty meat. They recommend eating fish, chicken and turkey. People do abuse the low carb idea and eat way too much bad fat, but thats not the fault of the idea.

[miked]

Meh. The APS isn't exactly a great journal and that study wasn't really that good. I work in Cardiology for some pretty decent hospitals and I've hear absolutely nothing good about Atkins. There is some dude named Dr. Mercola (I think hxxp://www.mercola.com) and he has some decent philosophy. It's pretty veggie heavy, but eating meats isn't forbidden. It's all about avoiding sugars, and what foods have what kind of sugar. I think he believes sugar is some kind of drug or something, but it's a little more health conscious than the Atkins. I have a hard time believing the Atkins-friendly wraps of bacon wrapped around ham or whatever, loaded with mayo and oil is good for you because it has thin, low carb bread.

[miked]

Dola,

If you have underlying problems, Atkins can also exacerbate them. My friend tried Atkins and her triglycerides shot up through the roof, over 600.