James Daugherty, <daugh@home.msen.com>, writes:
> Testimonial:
>
> Lost 25 lbs in about 6 weeks [255-230 lbs@ 6'1" 55 age] following
> the Adkins diet.
>
> Any of you nutrition science wizards out there have any warnings I
> should be considering?
>>The Atkins diet is an extremely low carb diet which throws your body into
>>a state called ketosis. Here is a comment by Curt Adams from April 1998:
>>> This actually does work. When you eat virtually no carbohydrates
> your citric acid cycle fails and your body switches to an alternate
> fat oxidation system. Your body has to ship large quantities of fats
> in ketones around in the blood. Since your kidney lack the ability to
> retain these, they get lost in the urine. The situation resembles that
> of somebody with advanced diabetes, although this kind of ketosis won't
>>> kill you directly.
> You can lose weight like crazy on this plan. You will also be physically
> weak, often nauseous, and you will smell like nail polish remover.
James Sez: I have been in ketosis for over a month now. Never nauseous.
I do smell different in both mouth and sweat....mate thinks it is different,
but
not worse. I lift weights for exercise and note that the number of reps I
can
do at various weight levels has declined a little. I would think this is
because
I have less reserve energy stored in the muscles eventhough I take creatine.
The max weight I can lift has not declined. However, I feel much more
energetic now that the hi-sugar / low sugar cycle is eliminated-Adkins
quotes studies that show all the body's tissues including the brain and
major organs like the heart can utilize ketones as easily as
glucose for energy, contrary to knee jerk opinion in the Establishment. In
fact,
some studies showed that some tissues prefer ketones!
> If you go on the diet and then off it, you will gain back all you lost.
> If you stay on it, you'll subject your body indefinitely to a metabolic
> regime it's manifestly not adapted for.
James Sez: Dr. Adkins recommends a moderate low carbohydrate diet
after your target weight is obtained. One would be in ketosis only part of
the time
on the long term diet. Adkins thinks you cannot be healthly unless in
ketosis at least part of the time. Only in ketosis can body clean-out
excess cholesterol, etc. from arteries! If you have all the energy you
need from a carbs all the time, the body cannot deal with whatever
fat is left in the diet to deposit God Knows Where!?? No fat mobilization
in "GLUCOSIS" according to Adkins...a dangerous situation???
>>Research on the long-term
>> safety of ketotic diets is zilch, which I consider inexcusable given
>> than Dr. Atkins has been pushing this diet for 25 years. Not even a
>> rodent study! Dr. Atkins' diet may be a good thing, but he is a quack.
James Sez: Is this Dr. Adkin's fault or the fault of Establishment science that rejects the diet without any evidence? Quack? That is a pretty extreme statement. Are rodents evolved to eat meat? Studies are expensive.
>How was your experience on the diet?
>Did you get very hungry?
James Sez: The first few days of the diet I was hungry as per usual for
candy
or pastries at various times during the day. Previous to the diet, I would
give-in
quite often. During the first week of the diet, I simply substituted an
Arby's roast
beef sandwich or Wendy's triple burger throwing away buns...totally
satisfying.
Absolutely easy NOT to cheat via this strategem. After a bit, I seldom or
ever felt the munchies desire. According to Adkins this is because my body
was no
longer going through the low sugar [tired/depress] /
hi-sugar[energetic/elated] / insulin overshoot / low sugar [tired/depressed]
cycle.
>How about
>your overall levels of health and well-being?
James Sez: My overall health and well being is great. I do continue to take the extreme supplement regime that I have taken for many years. You name it, I take it.
I plan to lose another 10-20 lbs before I worry about stabilizing.
Hal