Atkins vs Weight Watchers

[threeboysmom]

And I'm glad some of you Atkin'ers have posted. I don't feel so alone now.

 

[mfd25wife]

PLEASE don't do Atkins. It's completely unreasonable for the long run, and is actually very unsafe. It puts you at a much higher risk for heart disease, and can also cause: ketosis, constipation, loss of potassium and other electrolytes, and type 2 diabetes, among various other things.

Weight Watchers is a lot better option.. you're actually getting a well-balanced diet and it's teaching you how to live a healthier lifestyle, instead of depriving you of what your body needs to be healthy.

My Dr. actually is the one that recommended I live on a low carb, high fat, high protein diet. I have migraines and fibromyalgia. With fibro, I notice that when I splurge and eat many carbs, my muscle spasms are much much worse. I am an ice cream addict, but it's terrible for me. As for migraines, they believe mine are a type of seizure. There have been studies on people with seizures, where they put them on a low carb, high fat, high protein diet and they improved. I know when I have cut way back on carbs, I feel so much better and have more energy. But, I absolutely love bread and am not great and fighting off the cravings. I forgot to mention that he told me the ones with the kidney problems on the low carb diets already have kidney problems in most cases. If you have any kidney problems, they do not recommend the diet.

I'm still trying to figure out how I can get myself away from the carbs that I love sooooo much. I ***know*** that that's the big thing holding up my weight loss; I can't seem to get away from my BREAD! I just love bread, I'd eat anything if it was between slices of bread (cept mushrooms, lol)...

You may try the Healty Life bread that is lower in carbs. You can get white or wheat and even a sugar free one. I like it, and I don't feel deprived.

 

[tasha99]

My Dr. actually is the one that recommended I live on a low carb, high fat, high protein diet. . . .

I've had TWO doctors say they recommended a low carb diet for some of their patients, including one who was a proponent of Atkins almost 10 years ago. I think assuming low carbs is bad is old fashioned thinking and that most people could improve their diets by cutting out white rice, white flour, and sugar. I think the food pyramid is just plain wrong.

 

[jamimb]

PLEASE don't do Atkins. It's completely unreasonable for the long run, and is actually very unsafe. It puts you at a much higher risk for heart disease, and can also cause: ketosis, constipation, loss of potassium and other electrolytes, and type 2 diabetes, among various other things.

Weight Watchers is a lot better option.. you're actually getting a well-balanced diet and it's teaching you how to live a healthier lifestyle, instead of depriving you of what your body needs to be healthy.

I was gonna say the same thing. The Atkins diet is not a healthy lifestyle choice. We have a woman at our church who did Atkins for yrs and yrs, she stayed thin but also at 50 had to have a heart transplant from the clogged arteries of eating a diet of mainly fat all those yrs. You need a balanced diet that includes"gasp" carbs. My sister worked for WW for yrs and loved the program. She doesnt work for them anymore but does follow their guidelines for a healthy lifestyle. It is not about denying yourself certain foods but just about making smarter, healthier choices.

 

[threeboysmom]

It is not about denying yourself certain foods but just about making smarter, healthier choices.

Come on people. Cut with the crap already. Atkins is NOT about denying yourself "needed" carbs. It's about choosing the RIGHT carbs. If you think denying oneself of white sugar, flour, and processed foods is unhealthy, I don't know what else to say in this thread....

Atkins IS about making smarter, healther choices - meat, eggs, cheese, vegetables, fruit, whole grains... in other words, NATURAL WHOLE FOODS - nothing PROCESSED!

 

[threeboysmom]

I was gonna say the same thing. The Atkins diet is not a healthy lifestyle choice. We have a woman at our church who did Atkins for yrs and yrs, she stayed thin but also at 50 had to have a heart transplant from the clogged arteries of eating a diet of mainly fat all those yrs.

I can guarantee this is a woman who did not read the book and was not informed of the correct way to eat and lose weight. Most likely all she ate was meat and cheese and skimped on the veggies which is a CRITICAL part of the Atkins diet and never progressed up the carb ladder to include fruits, legumes, and whole grains.

Atkins has been proven to be VERY healthy. BUT you have to do it correctly. I think a lot of people just want to take off the weight quickly and therefore they do this "diet" a big disservice by eating incorrectly and then blaming Atkins that it's too hard to follow or that it didn't improve their health or that they gained all their weight back because *gasp* they went back to their former way of eating....

You have to do it RIGHT. It's not just about weight loss (although that's a WONDERFUL benefit); it's about feeding your body the right foods and staying healthy, active, and energetic.

 

[phorsenuf]

I did Atkins (and followed it correctly) and I ended up having the worse gallbladder issues.
Now I do WW and I love it. I lost quite a bit of weight on it. Then I went on a couple vacations and fell back into my old eating patterns. What can I say, I'm Italian. That's what we do, eat.
Anyway, back on WW and feeling so much better already. You can just feel the change in your body when you eat healthy, and that's exactly what WW is, eating healthy.
It's not a diet, it's learning to eat properly.

 

[goofy!]

For something that is not a "personal attack", it sure came off as one.

And no, those statements are NOT false. I've taken several nutrition and physiology classes and can back them all up. When you don't get enough carbs, your body starts burning fat cells to turn into glucose for energy. When this happens, your body creates ketones which causes acidosis of the blood - which is ketosis and usually leads to ketoacidosis - and this all takes a very heavy toll on your kidneys and your liver. Your body DOES need carbs for energy, and will go into starvation mode without them. You're absolutely right - we don't need as many carbs as most people eat, but there is a healthy medium. You shouldn't need to deprive yourself of any food groups (even just in stages, for a week, etc). to get healthy. It's simple: less calories in, more calories out.

I've read the Atkins book and know people who have done it, and on the flipside have taken many many health classes, so I know both sides of the story. I'm not trying to upset anyone, but obviously Atkins supporters are going to be very loyal, and sometimes it's good to hear the other side of the story instead of "well the book said it was okay".

Sorry. I'll step off my soapbox and just watch this thread from afar now. Sorry to anyone who may be offended - but, in the end, what anyone in this thread said shouldn't really make or break someone's diet decision. You should talk with your doctor first to help make the right decision for your dieting habits.

I'm sorry, but you have again been misinformed.

Ketosis does not equal nor does it usually lead to ketoacidosis.

Heck, even in the directions inside the keto strips box it explains the difference.

I am not a hard core Atkins loyalist, but have discussed this with my oncologist, my primary care , my endocrinologist and have done the research.

Atkins, done properly, is considered by a good proportion of the medical community as a very healthy lifestyle, backed up by numerous studies.

It is only unhealthy if you limit yourself to meat, cheese and fat.

 

[AshleyW]

I'm sorry, but you have again been misinformed.

Ketosis does not equal nor does it usually lead to ketoacidosis.

Then the doctors at Johns Hopkins must all be misinformed, too.

"Another way that high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets may cause kidney problems is through a process called ketosis. Ketosis, which occurs when you do not eat enough carbohydrates, results in the production of acidic substances known as ketones that may build up in the bloodstream. This can lead to a diabetic emergency known as diabetic ketoacidosis."

Straight from hopkinsmedicine.org

 

[threeboysmom]

Then the doctors at Johns Hopkins must all be misinformed, too.

"Another way that high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets may cause kidney problems is through a process called ketosis. Ketosis, which occurs when you do not eat enough carbohydrates, results in the production of acidic substances known as ketones that may build up in the bloodstream. This can lead to a diabetic emergency known as diabetic ketoacidosis."

Straight from hopkinsmedicine.org

And I offer this from the Atkins Center... Please read the entire article, however, found here...

http://www.low-carb.com/atarfavsfake.html

Confusion about ketosis often comes from people mistaking it for ketoacidosis, a condition found in Type I diabetics; this occurs when a person's blood sugar is out of control and he or she cannot produce insulin. No doctor should have trouble differentiating physiologic ketosis, which you will experience while doing Atkins, from ketoacidosis. Further, since people are often overweight specifically because of an overabundance of insulin, it is essentially impossible for them to be in ketoacidosis.

 

[goofy!]

Then the doctors at Johns Hopkins must all be misinformed, too.

"Another way that high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets may cause kidney problems is through a process called ketosis. Ketosis, which occurs when you do not eat enough carbohydrates, results in the production of acidic substances known as ketones that may build up in the bloodstream. This can lead to a diabetic emergency known as diabetic ketoacidosis."

Straight from hopkinsmedicine.org

That article was written in 2002. Subsequent studies have proved it erroneous and it is now known that there is a difference between benign dietary ketosis and the more dangerous diabetic ketosis that can lead to ketoacidosis.

In addition, that article was written on the assumption of an extremely low carb/high fat diet where fruits and vegetables are extremely limited. There is no doubt that only meat and fat is unhealthy and can lead to problems. However, that is not the case with the Atkins diet as it promotes large quantities of vegetables and adding in fruits after the 2nd week.

In fact, Johns Hopkins has an extremely successful program using a ketogenic diet for children with epilepsy. In 2005, Johns Hopkins found that a modified Atkins (modified because it has a higher fat requirement than the traditional Atkins) gives the same results as the previously very strict ketogenic diet the hospital had used since 1921. http://www.hopkinschildrens.org/Modified-Atkins-Diet-Treats-Childhood-Seizures.aspx

Currently, Johns Hopkins is using the actual Atkins Diet in clinical trials to test the efficacy of the diet in seizure control in patients with epilepsy.

So, as of 2009 - Johns Hopkins uses and endorses the Atkins diet. Also note the terminology (I underlined it and highlighted in red) of benign dietary ketosis. As a nursing student, I am sure you know that benign means that it is not harmful and will not evolve into ketoacidosis.

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/neurology_neurosurgery/specialty_areas/epilepsy/clinical_trials/

Atkins Diet Protocol
Adult IRB# 04-02-27-08
Pediatric IRB# 05-01-26-05
Primary investigator, Dr. Eric Kossoff, 410.614.6054

This trial is now in the research phase for teens and adults. The investigators use the Atkins diet to induce benign dietary ketosis and monitor the effect of the Atkins diet on seizure control. Children as young as 8 years of age can participate.

Inclusion Criteria:



Johns Hopkins is also studying the benefits of benign dietary ketones on other systems:

Q. You say the diet may have other uses?
A. Possibly. We know ketones preserve heart muscle up to a point after heart attack, probably because an oxygen and glucose-starved heart can use them as an alternate energy source. Would a keto diet be helpful? What about strokes? The brain can metabolize ketones. Would it help stroke victims to go on a short keto diet?

So, contrary to what you posted, in 2009 Johns Hopkins is enthusiastic about the Atkins diet and no longer believes that benign dietary ketosis leads to ketoacidosis.

 

[southernbelle5672]

I prefer WW because I did Atkins diet for a while and lost a decent amount of weight ........

then I gained it all back plus some because it was so strict it was impossible for me to stick to.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Ketosis and diabetic ketoacidosis are two very different things. Ketoacidosis happens when your blood sugar is too high and your body cannot get energy. It begins to cannibalize the fat and muscle producing ketones and causing an emergency. For a diabetic that makes no insulin of their own, ketoacidosis can happen in a matter of hours.

Ketones are another thing entirely and do not necessarily lead to ketoacidosis. Ketones are a naturaly by product of many diets because they occur when your body burns fat. A person without diabetes will not go into ketoacidosis. Low carbs are actually a very healthy way to eat. In fact, there are more and more studies showing that as you cut out carbs your cholesterol actually lowers, even if you are eating higher fat foods. I have a lot of friends with diabetes who after they started low carbing actually had better cholesterol.

And nobody here is saying eat NO carbs. What people are saying is eat a reasonable amount of good carbs.

 

[PaulaSB12]

Ketosis and diabetic ketoacidosis are two very different things. Ketoacidosis happens when your blood sugar is too high and your body cannot get energy. It begins to cannibalize the fat and muscle producing ketones and causing an emergency. For a diabetic that makes no insulin of their own, ketoacidosis can happen in a matter of hours.

Ketones are another thing entirely and do not necessarily lead to ketoacidosis. Ketones are a naturaly by product of many diets because they occur when your body burns fat. A person without diabetes will not go into ketoacidosis. Low carbs are actually a very healthy way to eat. In fact, there are more and more studies showing that as you cut out carbs your cholesterol actually lowers, even if you are eating higher fat foods. I have a lot of friends with diabetes who after they started low carbing actually had better cholesterol.

And nobody here is saying eat NO carbs. What people are saying is eat a reasonable amount of good carbs.

I agree we are told to eat a balanced diet, but you are then told that at least 50% of that should be starchy foods such as potatoes, grains and pasta. Considering carbohydrates turn to glucose when digested that is very much the same as telling people to eat too much sugar. Increases the blood glucose level setting people up for a sugar drop when you get hungry again. I have not eaten so much vegetable matter since starting to low carb. I have decreased my carb level to 60gms a day (because I spend all day at work moving and at least 10 hours a week on my allotment, there is nothing like the joy of eating fresh picked veggies) and haven't felt better in years.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

OK, I'm going to jump in here and give my opinion because I seriously hate it when people who are misinformed about the Atkins diet feel the need to criticize it.

Atkins is NOT about eating all the hamburgers and cheese you want. Not sure why people always seem to think this is true.

Have you read his book? If not, you have no authority to speak.

The first two weeks on Atkins is called the induction period. This is where people criticize the diet because they think this is how you have to eat the rest of your life. It's not. It's for the first two weeks... possibly 3-4 if you have a lot more to lose. You're eating eggs, meat, VEGETABLES, and limited amount of cheese for this period. You will lose quite a bit of weight during this time.

After that, you slowly begin adding GOOD carbs back into your diet, and I emphasize slowly... one at a time... so you can keep an eye on your weight and make sure you're still continuing to lose. You add nuts and berries (yes, FRUIT, people!) You also increase your vegetables from 2-3 cups a day to 3-4 cups a day. How many of you eat that much daily? Hmmm???

As the weeks go by and you continue to lose weight, you begin to add in even more foods, slowly increasing your carb intake, making sure you're still losing weight, but at a slower rate.

Once you're close to your goal weight and ready to enter into the maintenance phase (which I am in), you can begin to add in your whole grains. You're also upping your VEGETABLES and FRUITS.

As you increase in the GOOD carbs, you're slowly decreasing in the fats.

If you've followed all the steps, once you hit your goal weight, you should have a very good idea of the amount of carbs you can eat that cause you to maintain your weight - not lose anymore, but not gain anymore either.

Atkins is a way of eating for LIFE. It is not just a diet to lose weight.

How can you say that eating meat, eggs, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains (i.e., NATURAL foods, nothing processed) is UNHEALTHY???

I have successfully lost my weight and have continued to maintain it eating this way.

Nobody can go back to eating junk (white flour and white sugar and processed foods) and not gain weight. That's how we all got fat in the first place! Atkins eliminates all the "junk" so that not only do you lose weight, but you live a much healthier lifestyle.

 

[goofy!]

Um um um... WHERE do you find these recipes??? I'm really wanting to try to cut out the carbs, maybe this will help!

These two I learned about in the low carb recipe forum of the "Living Low Carb" Spark team (www.sparkpeople.com).

Here is the Oopsie Roll recipe:

Ingredients

3 large eggs
1 packet of Splenda
1 dash salt
1 pinch cream of tartar
3 ounces cream cheese

Directions
This recipe comes from Cleochatra's "The Lighter Side of Low Carb" blog. There is a lot more about these rolls there, including a recommendation for special pans to cook them in.

http://cleochatra.blogspot.com/2008/03/oopsie-perfection-at-good-price.html

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Separate the eggs and add Splenda, salt, and cream cheese to the yolks. Use a mixer to combine the ingredients together.

In a separate bowl, whip egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff (if you're using the same mixer, mix the whites first and then the yolk mixture).

Using a spatula, gradually fold the egg yolk mixture into the white mixture, being careful not to break down the whites.

Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and spoon the mixture onto the sheet, making 6 mounds. Flatten each mound slightly.

Bake about 30 minutes (You want them slightly softer, not crumbly). Let cool on the sheet for a few minutes, and then remove to a rack and allow them to cool. Store them in a bread sack or a ziplock bag to keep them from drying out.

Makes 6 @ about 85 calories a piece, >1 carb per.

Number of Servings: 6

And the Muffin in a Minute Recipe
My notes are in parenthesis
(I mix in 1/4 cup blueberries before microwaving)

Muffin in a Minute (suitable for Induction)

Serving Size: 1

1/4 cup flax meal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 packet splenda (I use Stevia)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large egg
1 teaspoon butter

Put the dry ingredients in a coffee mug. Or a bowl for a different shape. (I use a ramekin)

Stir.

Then add the egg and the butter. Mix.

Microwave 1 minute. Take out. slice, butter, eat. Set mug to soak immediately. ( I found that depending on the microwave, anything over 40 seconds is too much - don't over cook!)

 

[threeboysmom]

Ooooh, your flax muffin is slightly different than mine. Hmmm.... I think I'm going to have to do a taste test now!!

I just had the most yummiful lunch. I cut jalapenos in half, then filled them with chive cream cheese. Topped each with a half slice of bacon slightly pressed in to keep it from falling off. Sprinkled them with grated parm. cheese and baked for about 20 min. Put them under the broiler for a couple more minutes to brown and crisp the cheese (like breadcrumbs). Soooooo good!