Protege5girl said:
I wasnt posting this to say Atkins was a bad way to lose weight. I know many people who swear by it.
This may be a good way to loose weight, but it's not a healthy lifestyle. Ingesting all that protien and fat found in meats and poultry will increase your colesterol even if it lowers your weight. (This coming from my mom who is a degreed and certified nutritionist). It's very possible that Dr. Atkins heart problems were due to high colesterol as a direct results of his diet. The safest way to live on this program for an extended period of time is to eat fish as your main source of protien and limit the amount of meat, pork and poultry you eat. Without the nutrient intake from eating fresh greens your body will not be able to properly break down and expel the waste products found in most meat. You'll still loose weight, but in the long run you could end up just as or more unhealthy than when you started.
You should also take a good daily vitamin if your on the atkins diet.
One thing to really look out for if you want to loose weight and remain healthy is Corn Syrup. This is used to replace sugar in about 90% of the products on the market. It's done so because the US government subsadies (sp?) farmers who grow corn. Corn Syrup taste sweet like sugar, but can not be broken down as easily. It's also really high in transfat, one of the leading causes of colesterol buildup. Corn Syrup is often found in processed meals (like frozen dinners, micro wave meals, chips, soda, you name it) so it is best to always make the meal yourself with freshly bought ingredients. I know most will say they don't have time, but you really do. My wife and I make our dinners together every night, it takes about 35 minutes and gives us a good oportunity to spend some quality time together too.
And as everyone said EXCERSISE is key. A 20 minute jog, or other arobic activity, 3 times a week will produce dramatic improvements in your physical form. Especially when combined with a healthier diet.
Just so you know I'm making this all up: I'm 26, 5'8" and have maintained a healthy and lean 150-155lbs for the last 6 years. I'm not a health nut, I don't workout all the time or watch everything that I eat, I just do a little of everything and keep things in moderation. I also only eat a meal till I'm not hungry, not till I'm stuffed.
