Road Cycling - Atkins and Cycling

Hi all, this is my first post here. I have learned MUCH from reading this forum the past few weeks. I have a bike on the way (bought off ebay, hey I'm just starting out), and am wondering about a few things.

First, I'm 6'2" and about 230#, fairly muscular, but with a good bit of fat; hence, the Atkins diet. I'm just in the beginnings of the diet and as I'm sure you all know, Atkins is a low carb diet, especially in the early stages. This brings me some concern, as every thread I've read about maintaining hydration/energy levels (preventing 'bonking') involves consumption of what is, to an Atkins dieter, immense amounts of carbohydrates. Is it possible to supply ones muscles with sufficient glycogen through protein and fat (largely body fat) if thoroughly into ketosis/lipolysis?

My second concern is this: I have really long legs for my height (about 35.5" inseam) and yet rather short arms (and broad shoulders). Therefore I bought a bike a touch on the small side for my height (59cm c-c seat tube) with a shortish top tube (about 58cm, according to the seller). It's a Univega Nuovotech 450 Aluminum/CroMo combo (forks, seat stays and chain stays are cromo, the rest is alu). Does this bike sound OK for a person my size? I understand it will not likely be as good as a professionally fit bike, but my budget (I'm a law student) is severely limited (I bought the bike for $145).

Thanks for any help!

I don't know anyone who does a good amount of cardio/endurance exercise who uses the Atkins diet. The people I know who are doing or have done the Atkins diet are not consistent exercisers.

If you want to do well at cycling AND lose weight, eat healthily, cycle consisently, and drink lots of water. Eat low fat meats, whole grain breads, and fruits and vegetables. Eat smaller portions more often (like six times a day).

Check out a book called "Body for Life" and chuck the Atkins book in the trash.

Lets say it the way it really is. It's all just dead animal flesh!
Trust me when I say this.......No one needs to raise, torture, then kill any animal for the sake of a meal. Our bodies are not designed to process dead animal flesh and you would never believe how good you can feel without it. There is so much hype on what we "need" so others make money. Want to loose weight? stop eating meat, its condensed calories anyhow.

I lost 40 lbs on Atkins and I rode and worked out the whole time. As a matter of fact, I considered my workouts a critical part of the weight loss program. I was very strict on the diet for 6 months. Now I just count the carbs enough to maintain. I had no problem staying hydrated (water!!) while riding. The real problem would come if you were into racing or riding distances like centuries. Then you need the mass carbs. If you are just riding for the workout or transportation, you will get energy from the food you are eating. btw - I was very careful to take vitamins daily on the diet. Good Luck!

If you bonk, get off the bike, eat a Cliff bar, and rest for 10 minutes. A little water will help. Try to eat low Glycemic Index carbs before you ride, higher soon after. When you get off the bike, eat a Pop Tart. The body will be able to absorb the sugar .

http://www.glycemicindex.com/

Low fat diets led to the low carb kick. Don't eat low anything. Just cut out uneeded carbs.

By the time you get ready for a century, the excess fat will be gone.

Adjust your seat height. Tingly hands means too much pressure, your seat may be too high. Trial and error.

Pain and soreness are differant. If you have a weakness, the bike may find it.

IMO, if you are looking to do a low carb diet AND lots of cardio, weightlifting, etc you should read Lyle McDonald's "The Ketogenic Diet". There are ways to do a modified ketogenic diet AND still workout. I did it that way for about 6mos after I stopped low carbing.

At this point I'm off low-carb and just bike. I haven't been into the gym in a month as I just can't turn down an opportunity to ride vs being indoors. Once the weather turns crappy, I'll still ride outside but do more indoor workouts.

Bottom line it's calories in vs calories out. If you do regular exercise w/ watching what you eat, it's only a matter of time.

FWIW, I did lose 70 lbs low carbing...almost 2 years ago. But I found that it just wasn't practical in the long run w/ long distance cycling or even for rides over 30mi. You need carbs to prevent bonking. ;)

Atkins is for lazy slobs for whom one flight of stairs is a workout. If you want to do an eliminate-a-food-group fad diet while also seriously exercising, talk to your doctor first. Since you are a student, there may be some sort of university health program you could consult if you are unisured.

Lets say it the way it really is. It's all just dead animal flesh!
Trust me when I say this.......No one needs to raise, torture, then kill any animal for the sake of a meal. Our bodies are not designed to process dead animal flesh and you would never believe how good you can feel without it. There is so much hype on what we "need" so others make money. Want to loose weight? stop eating meat, its condensed calories anyhow.

If god didn't want us to eat animals, why did he make them out of meat?

Atkins is for lazy slobs

????????? I've been called a lot of things before but never, ever a lazy slob. No diets work for lazy slobs. The calories in, calories out comment was the smartest thing said on this thread. Atkins was my way of contolling the calorie count while working out and losing weight.

Atkins is for lazy slobs for whom one flight of stairs is a workout. If you want to do an eliminate-a-food-group fad diet while also seriously exercising, talk to your doctor first. Since you are a student, there may be some sort of university health program you could consult if you are unisured.


Every diet plan has a place in society! If you are struggling with sugar addiction or carbo addiction (I did!) then a short time on the strict phase of Atkins is ok. Especially in the beginning of your cycling. You won't be able to ride more than 15 miles to start out with anyway. You have to build up your base miles and "cycling legs" before you can do more. By then, you'll see the weight taper off and can modify your diet in a way that allows you to ride longer times and distances.

I did the low-carb diet for about 8 months last year. Lost 40#'s! But, I couldn't ride for very long on the strict phase of the diet. I couldn't climb worth anything because I didn't have the energy. So, I modified the diet. I read the South Beach diet book and started following his diet. I gained 15#'s back when I started adding the carbs back in. Truly, though......I added the wrong kind of carbs. You should watch the white bleached flour, potatos, white rice and white pasta while you're losing and limit them when you're maintaining. I thought I would ride it all off. Just be careful with that notion! If you wait until an hour before a longer ride and eat something with carbs in it, you'll be ok. If you eat it all day, figuring you'll burn it off tonight, THEN it rains and you don't get to ride.......guess what........you're wearing those carbs the next day!

Good luck with it. I am sortof off the diet itself. I can't motivate myself to go back to the low carbs for some reason. So, I am slowly whittling back down slowly. Calories in vs calories out seems to work ok for me, just not as fast!

Kim in TN

I'm 6'-0" and weighed ~240+ pounds when I started cycling in 1999/2000. I've been well under 200 pounds for quite some time. All my weight loss is from cycling (150-250 miles a week) and eating sensibly, including lots of complex carbs for energy.

Kandnhome, I was 6'3" 230 8 weeks ago when I started cycling. 100-150 miles a week, and a balanced diet of unprocessed foods, steaming all vegetables, eating lots of fruits and drinking LOTs of water and I am 180lbs. One of the keys I found was to avoid big meals, and eat healthy snacks throughout the day. I don't have a problem with the Atkins diet, but I think for people who exercise alot, there are much healthier and more efficient ways to loose weight.

cibai - Wow 50lbs is ALOT to lose in 2 months time! Have you noticed any reprocussions from the sudden weight loss?

trekchic - I had the same problem as you when doing the strict low carb diet, I couldn't do longer rides, ones with climbs, etc...it was like my power just plain ran out. I tried doing the MS-150 last year while still low carbing....not a good idea OR a good time, it plain sucked. This year the MS-150 was 1000 times easier and more enjoyable too. :)

Lets say it the way it really is. It's all just dead animal flesh!
Trust me when I say this.......No one needs to raise, torture, then kill any animal for the sake of a meal. Our bodies are not designed to process dead animal flesh and you would never believe how good you can feel without it. There is so much hype on what we "need" so others make money. Want to loose weight? stop eating meat, its condensed calories anyhow.

I hope you're taking B12 supplements :)

Check this out www.beyondveg.com

WildBill, no significant effects, I've always had a good metabolism and can drop weight pretty quickly, although its levelled off now, and have only lost a pound or so in the last week. My average times keep going up though, and I really decided to use that as the guage of how healthy any weight loss is, as long as my averages on fast days doesnt go down Im ok. My needed recovery times do seem to be increasing though.

Atkins is for lazy slobs for whom one flight of stairs is a workout.

Funny how the diet stresses the importance of daily excercise which consists of a lot more than just a flight of stairs.

If you want to excercise to get healthy and lose some weight, then Atkins will probably work just fine (and if the "diet" works where others don't you are already one step ahead of the game). If you want to cycle because you love to ride with the health benefits being secondary, then Atkins is probably not the right diet for you. There's a big difference between doing 30-60 minutes of "easy" cardio workout (say 60-70% of max HR) and training to race or ride a century (where your body will need more fuel than what a standard Atkins menu can give you).

If you really get into cycling you may find you can get off of Atkins, or you'll have to modify your diet to meet your needs. Moderate riding for an hour will burn 600-700 calories for somebody your size. Those numbers start to go up the faster you go (and don't drop significantly as you lose weight.

Andrew

I was 6'3" 230 8 weeks ago when I started cycling. 100-150 miles a week, and a balanced diet of unprocessed foods, steaming all vegetables, eating lots of fruits and drinking LOTs of water and I am 180lbs. One of the keys I found was to avoid big meals, and eat healthy snacks throughout the day. I don't have a problem with the Atkins diet, but I think for people who exercise alot, there are much healthier and more efficient ways to loose weight.

WildBill, no significant effects, I've always had a good metabolism and can drop weight pretty quickly, although its levelled off now, and have only lost a pound or so in the last week. My average times keep going up though, and I really decided to use that as the guage of how healthy any weight loss is, as long as my averages on fast days doesnt go down Im ok. My needed recovery times do seem to be increasing though.

50 lbs in two months-congrats. Your balanced approach makes a lot more sense than fad diets. Not to sound like a broken record, but with that kind of weight loss, you really should see a doctor. Losing more than 20% of your weight can be a real shock to your body. A check up would be worth the money. Your body is your most important piece of equipment. Again, congrats.

I have been on the Atkins diet for several years, so I am in the "Maintenance Phase" where one consumes enough carbs to maintain their weight.

I am not a century rider--most of my rides are hilly 15 milers (3-5 times/wk whenever possible) and I do some 30-50 milers from time to time.

For my style of riding, Atkins works fine and I am able to consume some additional carbs because of the excercise. I have to back off of them when I am unable to get on the bike.

I don't know how the first phases of Atkins would be for a rider--I suspect that longer rides could be a little difficult.

So--my advice, FWIW, would be to be careful to not overextend yourself on your rides during the first six weeks of Atkins or until you start adding back in some carbs to your diet. I echo the advice given before about emphasizing complex carbs (whole grains, fruits, veggies) vs. simple carbs like sugary foods, white bread, cookies, etc. If you are exercising consistantly while you are determining your carb balance for maintenance, you should be fine.

If I was putting more miles on the bike I would need to have a commensurate increase in my carb increase (I think). My current carb intake is well-balanced (for the most part, until someone plops a pizza down in front of me!) for the type of riding I do and I don't have a problem. When I do my longer rides, I do bump up the carbs a little bit.

Atkins has been fine for me and I think it can work well for most. One just has to be able to balance the carbs in the maintenance phase and not overextend one's self during the early phases of the diet.

Good luck!

talk to your doctor. A nutritionist told me that almost no carbs + exercise = serious health problems and can be fatal.

If you are cycling, shouldn't you be able to lose the weight without the diet?

Atkins and cycling sounds a little dangerous to me.

I have no experience with Atkins (I love carbs too much), but I went on my own “diet” this spring after none of my shorts fit on vacation in early March :eek:

My “diet” consisted of bringing a sandwich and carrots to work for lunch (vs. McDonald’s or Subway) and not stuffing myself at dinner. I also was riding around 100 miles per week. I lost 17 lbs over 2-3 months and I was already in the low 20’s for BMI (5'5", 148lbs down to 131lbs).

The key is eating a bit less than you want to eat. Feeling a bit hungry should motivate you since that is when you are loosing weight.

Atkins and cycling can probably work, but it will be harder to keep your glycogen stores topped off on longer rides.

-murray

It seems to me that very few of the Atkins bashers really understand the approach....

The only part of Atkins that is incompatible with HEAVY exercise would be the first 2-week Induction phase. After that, the more exercise you get, the more carbs you will need to "control" your weight. Both Atkins and South Beach stress the value of the right kind of carbs (whole grains/veggies instead of processed grains/sugar).

I lost 35+ lbs. last year on Atkins/South Beach and have kept it off with NO problem, and now, because I exercise a good deal, I am eating a healthy amount of the GOOD carbs.

It's simple really-- If you're following Atkins/South Beach and exercising heavily, you will need to eat a good deal of carbs in order to "control" (either maintain, or lose slowly) your weight. If you start eating crap, or stop exercising, you will probably NOT be able to control your weight. This is all VERY consistent with both Atkins and South Beach.

If god didn't want us to eat animals, why did he make them out of meat?


Now that's comedy!

I've been a serious cyclist/racer for over 15 years. I am now 42 and round about 35 my metabolism really slowed down and I now struggle to stay at 165#. For the last 2 years I was on a 60% protien/30% carb/10% fat diet and my cycling suffered. I had to always watch what I was eating and it was a pain in the a@#. I did however keep my weight were I wanted it 160-165# but like I said my cycling suffered. If I did anything over 40mi I ran out of gas. I bought Chris Charmichaels "The Perfect Ride" about 3 months ago and started to follow his diet recommendations (60 carb/30 protien/ 10 fat) and my riding has improved ten fold! I have more energy more strenght and more endurance. This is pretty simple diet to maintain and I'm still at 160-165#.

I'm one of the those guys who doesn't proccess protien all that well. Also the more research that I've done on this I've learned that protien is one of the last things that gets changed into glycogen and the process is very slow. I also agree with the statement that the Atkins diet is a way for couch potatoes to loose weight and not work out. I think that the average person who cycles on this diet could do 20-30 mi at a medium to intensity and not bonk. But if you want to do a higher intensity and/or increase your distance there is no way your body will have enough fuel to get you through the work out without suffering.

try just cycling and eating right first. then if you don't start losing wieght eat a little less. proceed with this until the desired results occur. don't do the atkins. it's not good for the kidneys and liver and such.

A diet is simply what you eat. It varies from person to person.

The only things you can elimate for your diet are things that you are currently consuming, if you want to lose weight.

For most of us, that may mean carbs, simple sugars.

I agree with Merton. I started eating better and lost 20 or so pounds just by cutting out a lot of junk (and unfortunately, beer). Then I started cycling again late this spring and have easily lost another 10-15. I ride hard, and do about 80-100 miles/week. My fear is keeping it off when the weather turns and clocks change. I did some indoor riding last winter but found it very boooorrrring.

mmmm.........

First, I do not think Adkins is a fad diet. There is a lot of evidence beginning to accumulate looking at cholesterol levels, triglycerides, blood sugar etc. that support lower carb diets for the general population. Also, carbohydrate effects on insulin resistance is a very strong theory that may one day prove to be one of the most important health findings ever. Insulin resistance is nothing to take lightly.

Second, riding 40+ miles an outing is no longer considered average American exercise. Competitive cycling is an extreme amount of exercise. Any diet needs to be modified to meet the intensty demands of heavy cycling. Athletes are always modifying any recommended diet. In fact, most low carb diets will talk extensively about adjusting carb intake and diet more than any other diet dares to go. This confuses people, becuase they want a number/percentage to look for. A magic number just does not exist. Specific numbers aren't ideal if your energy demands are very dynamic (fluctuate depending on activity).

I have done Atkin's in the past and I have had both excellent results and some problems from not modifying the diet properly. I have become dehydrated playing tennis in the mid day south Texas sun. I did not drink enough water. Dehydration concerns are amplified with a low carb diet. I have played tennis (singles) matches with no problem except during that hot summer day. I also have suffered in the hills and on rides longer than 30 miles. This was when my carb intake was very low. Recovery times seemed to be longer on the low carb diet.

In summary, I think you will not notice any significant problems with the Adkins diet until you begin high intensity rides beyond 30 miles, become more competitive with cycling, or if you fail to take in plenty of liquids. That is a lot different than saying Atkins is just for fat, lazy people.

First, thank you all! I had no idea when i went to bed last night i'd wake up to 2 pages of replies!

To the Atkins "bashers": You echo my fears and concerns, so thank you for helping me realize there may be difficulties in maintaining Atkins and cycling heavily. However, the Atkins diet is anything but a fad, unless a fad can be said to exist for decades and have significant scientific data proving it's validity.

As to being a "couch potato" or a "fat lazy slob", well, I am, I guess. I have to read/write, etc for school soemtimes up to 18-20 hours a day, which leaves little time for exercise. The reason i need to LOSE weight is because of last school year's sedentary weight gain. That's why the Atkins approach sounded good to me, to get the initial weight loss.

However, I'm supposed to ride in RAGBRAI next year which is about 500 miles in a week's time. I see from most of the posters who seem informed on the Atkins diet that I'll have to modify the diet to allow for increased carb intake for quite a while before I get there, so that i can build adequate base milage.

I think the best thing I've learned from this thread is the sum total of all the posts here: listen to my body, adjust my diet accordingly, and do what works for me: both in terms of weight loss and energy/endurance. Sound about right?

Oh, and Thank you all very much.

You have made a very good decision to listen to your body. That's one of the best ways to go. Atkins isn't a fad diet. Yet, it is for people who tend to excercise on and off instead of constantly. Athletes need carbohydrates. From what I know it is medical fact. Carbohydrates are the only thing you consume that oxidize at the right level for maximum athletic output. The more you excercise the more carbs you'll eventually need. I do believe that athletes are supposed to consume approximately 60-65% of their calories in the form of carbs. When you are sedentary however, Atkins could be a helpful thing. Oh, you may want to look into the South Beach diet as well. It isn't carb limiting, and although some of the things that they suggest are expensive to buy you can always sub something similar.

However, the Atkins diet is anything but a fad, unless a fad can be said to exist for decades and have significant scientific data proving it's validity.



I really dislike these diet discussions, so I hesitate posting this message. However, I am a biomedical scientist, and I have not seen data proving Atkin's validity. I have heard plenty of people refer to it, but have never seen any. Can anyone give me a reference?

I do not want to jump on the vegan bashing bandwagon, but the comment "Our bodies are not designed to process dead animal flesh" is simply untrue.

However, I'm supposed to ride in RAGBRAI next year which is about 500 miles in a week's time. I see from most of the posters who seem informed on the Atkins diet that I'll have to modify the diet to allow for increased carb intake for quite a while before I get there, so that i can build adequate base milage.

Chris Carmichael has a new book ("Food for Fitness") that you may want to look at. Carmichael is not the god he thinks he is, but his books are specifically designed for atheletes training for a goal (like RAGBRAI). He has a couple others out there, too. Check at least one of them from the library to see if sure it helps. Look around the shelves for other similar books.

RAGBRAI is a significant endurance effort for amateur cyclists (60-100 miles a day for a week), so I'd read books aimed for atheletes, not couch potatos (spare me the Atkins incorporates exercise stuff). A low-carb diet would seem like an especially bad way to prepare your body for an endurance event. And if you don't have time to regularly do long rides, I'd reconsider RAGBRAI.



I think the best thing I've learned from this thread is the sum total of all the posts here: listen to my body, adjust my diet accordingly, and do what works for me: both in terms of weight loss and energy/endurance. Sound about right?


Yep. But remember to prepare your body for RAGBRAI. What feels good now might not feel so good on a 100+ mile ride on a 90+ degree Iowa summer day. Read the books (at least one) on nutrition for atheletes. They'll seem like brain candy in between your law school homework.

However, I'm supposed to ride in RAGBRAI next year which is about 500 miles in a week's time. I see from most of the posters who seem informed on the Atkins diet that I'll have to modify the diet to allow for increased carb intake for quite a while before I get there, so that i can build adequate base milage.

Hmmm, RAGBRAI on Atkins, does that mean you'd miss out on pancakes and beer (it's not just for breakfast anymore :D ). I guess you could find the Porkchop Man for food.

I think you'll have to modify the diet with whatever feels right. Personally, I can't image riding without lots of carbs.

-murray

I hope you're taking B12 supplements :)

Check this out www.beyondveg.com
Hey thanks for the B-12 warning. Yup, I'm doing it right. Take a mulit and a 500mcg B-12 too just be safe. Had a blood test with the physical and the doctor about freaked out! He's looking at me like what he was reading couldn't be possible; he couldnt believe the total, the HDL and LDL numbers.He looked so confused so I told him about being vegan for 4 years. He just sat back in his chair and sighed and said, "so that's it, your one of those guys"...

It should be noted to Atkins Dieters that Dr. Atkins died an obese man close to 300lbs. He designed this diet for heart disease patients.

This fact has been only recently released to media, because the whole Atkins thing is just another BS marketing scheme, strongly endorsed by beef marketing boards and fast food chains. There is bad science around this fad, as well as bad doctoring. This follows the "low-fat" BS marketing scheme, that argued that eating 20 chocolate bars (no fat!) was healthier than a cheese sandwich.
As the current fad diet, like all others, it will lead to weight gain by over-compensation with other foods, and Atkins dieters typically gain back all weight if dieting alone.
It's beyond me why an avid cyclist would avoid carbs, like those found in pasta. Pros certainly eat enough pasta to put Atkins to shame. Avoiding refined sugar is just a good idea to thwart diabetes, soft drinks do no one any good.

Atkins-like diets are targeted to obese people who eat sugar and fats like a child out of control and are sedentary. This is quickly becoming the majority of North Americans (13% in 1960 vs. 30% in 2000, 34% in 2004). Just look at any pharmacy: one entire aisle of heartburn remedies, followed by another of laxatives, the third aisle, diabetic supplies. While people can quote success of Atkins and cycling, it is likely that a good cycling schedule alone would have the same effect.

Any medical dietician would tell you to consume foods from all the food groups, including meats, although the amount of meat typically consumed in NA is way too high, even in balanced diets. Fried food, by every measure, should be avoided completely.

My advice: eat fresh foods from all groups, and 1/2 the portions you typically get here, then go for a walk or a ride. STOP DRIVING EVERYWHERE. Avoid all fast food. Period.

My opinion is that North American obesity is not so much a dietary problem as a lifestyle problem due to inactivity. I'm always amazed at the number of overweight teens that will watch the X-games for six hours eating Mountain Dew and Cheesy Poofs, yet never get inspired to get on a bike, skateboard or whatever. You can bet X-atheletes don't actually drink Sprite or Mountain Dew, they just sell it.

Here is an excellent article on Atkins and cyclists:

http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/health/highfat.htm

It should be noted to Atkins Dieters that Dr. Atkins died an obese man close to 300lbs. He designed this diet for heart disease patients.

An urban myth.


This fact has been only recently released to media, because the whole Atkins thing is just another BS marketing scheme, strongly endorsed by beef marketing boards and fast food chains. There is bad science around this fad, as well as bad doctoring.

From The New England Journal of Medicine (peer reviewed):

A Randomized Trial of a Low-Carbohydrate Diet for Obesity (http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/348/21/2082)

Subjects on the low-carbohydrate diet had lost more weight than subjects on the conventional diet at 3 months (mean [±SD], –6.8±5.0 vs. –2.7±3.7 percent of body weight; P=0.001) and 6 months (–7.0±6.5 vs. –3.2±5.6 percent of body weight, P=0.02), but the difference at 12 months was not significant (–4.4±6.7 vs. –2.5±6.3 percent of body weight, P=0.26). After three months, no significant differences were found between the groups in total or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. The increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations and the decrease in triglyceride concentrations were greater among subjects on the low-carbohydrate diet than among those on the conventional diet throughout most of the study. Both diets significantly decreased diastolic blood pressure and the insulin response to an oral glucose load.

An urban myth.

Atkins wasn't 300 lbs, but he did weigh 258 lbs at death, which is still "obese." Whether an earlier heart attack contributed to his death is unknown.
http://www.snopes.com/medical/doctor/atkins.asp

The simplist diet is best: Eat a balanced diet and exercise. Everything else is just commentary.

The study showed that the diet didn't work long term, and that was even under a strictly controlled diet. I read that paper when it came out, it showed the same effects studies show for most diets, simply getting on a strict controlled diet is short-term effective.

Atkins' death weight has been disputed by his widow and his book publisher, who has a lot to still gain from the book revenues. The exact weight in the Wall street Journal article, according to the death certificate, was 258 lbs (he died from a fall). Either way, diets never work.

Subway Sandwiches has a slow-roast pork sandwich as "Atkins approved", complete with logo, under licence from the Atkins' estate. Yeah, eat those and the pounds will melt away...

Just keep in mind when you consider a diet- people are selling you something .

Atkins wasn't 300 lbs, but he did weigh 258 lbs at death, which is still "obese." Whether an earlier heart attack contributed to his death is unknown.
http://www.snopes.com/medical/doctor/atkins.asp

The simplist diet is best: Eat a balanced diet and exercise. Everything else is just commentary.

Read the end of the site you posted:



Thanks to his death certificate (as displayed at The Smoking Gun), we know Atkins was 258 pounds at the time of his death. Yet according to a copy of his medical records, as turned over to USA Today by the diet guru's widow, Atkins weighed 195 pounds upon admission to the hospital 8 April 2003 following his fall. He died on 17 April 2003 after having been in a coma for more than a week.

Apparently, he gained water weight (63 lbs) while in a coma.

-murray

Read the end of the site you posted:

Apparently, he gained water weight (63 lbs) while in a coma.

-murray

Fair gotcha.

But it's suspicious that the widow will release a record of what he weighed when he went into the hospital, but not documents to show whether Atkins' "heart attack, congestive heart failure, and hypertension" had anything to do with his diet or his death. When someone lets some records out, but not others, you should assume she's hiding something.

Fair gotcha.

But it's suspicious that the widow will release a record of what he weighed when he went into the hospital, but not documents to show whether Atkins' "heart attack, congestive heart failure, and hypertension" had anything to do with his diet or his death. When someone lets some records out, but not others, you should assume she's hiding something.

This is confusing. I thought he bonked his head (was not wearing a bicycle helmet) and suffered significant brain trauma.

We do need to give Atkin a lot of credit for the way we look at the old food pyramid, the obesity epidemic, and sugar today.

If god didn't want us to eat animals, why did he make them out of meat?

I have to agree! Although I don't eat very little animal meat, you still see animals tearing the flesh off of other animals. Humans are no different, except that we have self-awareness.

When I started riding regularly last summer, I literally couldn't eat fast enough. If you do 100 miles/week and use a stopwatch or a bike computer to keep your average speed up, you're likely to loose weight. Simultaneously I started eating a high-carbohydrate diet mostly because the only frozen foods without lots of preservatives are vegetarian. I stopped going to fast food resturants because they are not convienent on a bicycle. Last fall my weight loss was 3 lbs./week without any reduction in food intake. Since then, I've been slowly converting the belly into legs and have had a very stable (still too high) weight. Time to lay off the booze I suppose.

Good luck.

One thing that Atkins was very quick to point out was that he did not invent his diet. He got it from the American Medical Association in one of the New England Journals as an alternative to a low fat diet. I believe it was in the '60's when the discription of the low carb diet was suggested for people who didn't lose weight on a low fat diet. Atkins just put a process around it. I saw him on TV right before the accident and he looked much closer to 198 than 258. For those of you who don't think the diet is well balanced, you are wrong. It is what you make it. It is totally configurable to all of your suggestions. The key is to watch your processed sugar, starch, and flour intake. All fruits and vegetables are ok to eat, as is anything else that is "good for you". The problem is that people think the first two weeks of the diet has the same rules as the rest of the diet and that is not the case.

I'm new here, and this is my first post, might not be a good start but I don't care.

How can anyone say Atkins isn't a "Fad diet" The definition of "Fad" is "A fashion that is taken up with great enthusiasm for a brief period of time; a craze."

That's exactly what this is. It caught on because it works really fast and you don't have to exercise that much. In my lifetime (which hasn't been that long) I've learned that the only way to be healthy and stay in shape is to exercise, eat right, and stay away from garbage like cakes and cookies and crap like that. There are a lot of lazy people on the Atkins diet because they know they can loose weight real fast without exercising. Aren't "they" starting to reveal that the Atkin's diet has negative effects on the body? And the FDA still hasn't approved any of the "low carb" foods and snacks that are made, so the processed food companies are having a field day.

In reply to the come-back left for the vegan, involving "god" is a little unrelated here, but whether there is a "god" or not, humans did hunt animals, for survival, they used every part of the animal for their family and tribe, but it's a bit un natural to produce meat products (and by products) by mass killing, packaging, and charging as much as they do. I don't eat meat because the process is disagreeable to me. If things were the way they were prior to the agricultural revolution I would eat meat every day, because I would be hunting it myself. But in modern times, we don't really need meat in our diets. There are a hundred other ways to get protein and vitamins. Besides that, the companies that produce meat and sell it have turned "god's creatures" into a money making institution. So, maybe "god" put these animals here for us to eat (well, it depends on which or who's god you're referring to) but "he" never intended us to mass produce them like toy cars. But, just like it's my choice not to eat meat, it's anothers choice to eat it. So it's quite trivial to argue about it and tease eachother isn't it?

good day sirs and madam's

How can anyone say Atkins isn't a "Fad diet" The definition of "Fad" is "A fashion that is taken up with great enthusiasm for a brief period of time; a craze."

I just don't think that over 30 years of recommending this diet to patients qualifies as a brief period of time.

Welcome to the board, Moose!

How can anyone say Atkins isn't a "Fad diet" The definition of "Fad" is "A fashion that is taken up with great enthusiasm for a brief period of time; a craze."

If you call 30 or so years a fad (when Atkins first published his book), and has been popular for quite a long time now. When I think of "fad" diets I think more of those diets that make some kind of press one day, and then you never hear of it after a few days.

Atkins diet is more of a modification of diet recommendations that have been around for awhile, ketogenic, low-glycemic, etc type diets have been around longer than Atkins and they all preach a lot of the same things.



That's exactly what this is. It caught on because it works really fast and you don't have to exercise that much.

Every medical study shows that people on the diet lose weight no faster than on a "normal" low fat diet (such as weight watchers).



In my lifetime (which hasn't been that long) I've learned that the only way to be healthy and stay in shape is to exercise, eat right, and stay away from garbage like cakes and cookies and crap like that.

Everybody "knows" that, but very little people "listen" to that.



There are a lot of lazy people on the Atkins diet because they know they can loose weight real fast without exercising.

That's no different than any other diet, if you consume 3,000 calories a day (and keep a steady weight the minute you go to an 1800 calorie a day diet you are going to lose weight, and quite quickly to start off with.



Aren't "they" starting to reveal that the Atkin's diet has negative effects on the body?

I've yet to see a study or a person who when following the diet as outlined who hasn't come out healthier in the end.



And the FDA still hasn't approved any of the "low carb" foods and snacks that are made, so the processed food companies are having a field day.

The FDA doesn't approve "food" in a whole sense, there are certain regulations everybody has to follow in regards to packaging, certain ingredients in foods, lots of regulations in regards to preventing food-based illness, etc.

The problem with Atkins is that a lot of people don't read the book itself before going on the diet. They hear about people who stop eating carbs, they hear about how you can eat bacon and eggs all day long, etc. So that's what they do, and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I'd be really scared to eat nothing but high saturated fat foods with nothing else to balance it out (the book talks about how you can "treat" yourself to this kind of stuff, but it shouldn't be the core of your diet).

The other problem people have is that since they haven't read the book, they don't know what to do after the first phase of the diet (where you eat 20g carbs a day). So they start bring in to many carbs, and the "wrong" kind of carbs (primarily simple carbs instead of complex carbs).


This is confusing. I thought he bonked his head (was not wearing a bicycle helmet) and suffered significant brain trauma.

Correct. He fell on an icy sidewalk and suffered a head injury.



We do need to give Atkin a lot of credit for the way we look at the old food pyramid, the obesity epidemic, and sugar today.

I agree 100%. Especially if you look at how he tries and get people off the junk food "addiction" (the main purpose of the induction phase). And then slowly rebuild their eating habits to be healthy. If you look at the "final" piece of Atkins plan, it looks VERY close to the typical food pyramid, but with a little less emphasis on carbs (and those carbs should be primarily whole grains, fruits, veggies...not white bread, sugars).

Andrew

Very well put!!

I started replying to this thread a few times and stooped in the middle.. I hate getting flamed.. :)
Talking about diets is like talking about religion, people buy in to a way of eating and take the position that it is a god given truth. It is very interesting to hear a 25 year old kid who weighs 149lb and rides a century for lunch every day, telling an over weight old fart that low carb diet is bogus, cause he (the 25 yrs old) is eating a ton of pasta every day and is doing GREAT! :)

so let me tell you my perspective, out of my own experience, and what had worked for me, and why do I think it worked.

in January 2001 I weighed 305lb or maybe more, my scale didn't go more then that. I started working out doing weights and cardio in the gym, and after 2 years lost 40lb. I also bought a road bike at the end of '01 (my Giant OCR1) and started riding. Not easy to go up hills dragging 265lb with you. Oh plus the 23lb of the bike... :)
In May of '03 I started Atkins. I lost 55 lb, my cholesterol dropped from 210 to 165, my blood pressure dropped from 150/95 to 120/something (cant remember but its good), and my general well being (mood, alertness) is better that it is ever been in years..
I am still on Atkins today and will try to drop 20 more lb. I ride centuries now and put between 60 and 100 miles a week.

Some misconceptions about Atkins:
- you can eat a ton of meat and bacon and lose weight. With Atkins I am less hungry and I eat less calories while eating as much as I want. I just want less.. Very simple, and it works for me. Obese people have screwed up glucose levels and their insulin levels go crazy. Obese people are hungrier then thin people (duh!).. eating Less carbs and more fat makes you less hungry, and you end up eating less calories then you would have if you eat lots of carbs... (confusing and counter intuitive right?)

- you cant eat veggies and fruits at all! - you can eat carbs, but less then the food pyramid leads you to eat. You can eat veggies, and some fruits..

- it is not healthy - I hear it allot, and I still don't understand how is it not healthy... if all my vitals are better on this diet how is it not healthy? Is it healthier to be 305lb?


Riding a bike on Atkins

First let me define "riding". are you going on a leisure ride for an hour or two? or are you going on a 60 mile ride with 3000' climbs and average speeds of 17 mph?
Second, let define Atkins. Atkins is made of phases and they differ by the amount of carbs you consume.

In my PERSONAL experience, I can not ride a 60 mile ride with climbs while of Atkins Induction phase. I find that I bonk hard after 2 hours.. I also found out that on a century ride I need to eat carbs like any one else, or Ill bonk.

today I am on the maintenance phase of Atkins and I ride just fine long distances. I take in approx 150g of carbs a day, and on a ride day I take it all before I go out riding. I also use a sports drink cut in half with water..

Once winter comes I plan to go back to a more strict phase of the diet to lose those 10-20 lb..

Some stats: I'm 51 years old, 5'11" and now weigh 208lb. I work out 4 times a week at the gym, and ride my bike. and that's how I look (http://www.litman.com/bikes/me%20and%20the%20bike.jpg) today..