It's a fad diet if...

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Replies

  • July24Lioness
    July24Lioness Posts: 2,399 Member
    Okay...I have to throw my 2 cents worth in as another fellow Atkins follower. For everyone who wants to bash the lifestyle, why not go and read on the "diet" itself? Or perhaps check out the food diaries of those who follow Atkins? I've been doing this for almost a year with a lot of success and have felt an overall improvement in my health and well being since cutting out the processed carbs and crap. I get my carbs from fruits and veggies and will eat healthy grains or the occasional sweet potato when I want it. I also still eat "bad" carbs. I'll eat crappy chocolate or have some pasta or god forbid, potatoes, just because I want them! This is a lifestyle change, not a diet. I eat very healthy - a lot of protein and fiber, lean meats, green veggies, fresh fruits. I mean really, to all you naysayers who calorie count or follow a different "diet" how is this but so much different from how YOU eat?

    Really guys...just don't bash something until you know what it's all about...:grumble:

    This is exactly what I am saying!!!

    I eat the same way, except for no grains or beans for me.

    Just a quick question...If you are on the Atkins "diet" or 'lifestyle"...whatever you want to call it....why are you on here tracking calories....According to Atkins...that is the nice thing about it....no calorie tracking?? Just wondering...not being argumentative :)

    I am not tracking calories. I track my fat, protein and carbs. Check my food diary, I have made it public.
  • pixiestick
    pixiestick Posts: 839 Member
    By Katbass:
    In the end, it seems like its a matter of semantics, no? Call it a "Fad"....call it a "potion"....call it a "lifestyle change"...who cares!? In the end, you only have to answer to yourself in the mirror or on the scale.

    After reading this thread, I am thoroughly amused by the amount of aggression people seem to have against others and in defense of their own lifestyle choices. The way I see it is this: are you doing something now that is making you personally live a happier and healthier lifestyle? If the answer is "yes", three cheers for you. My yes entails calorie counting and a focus on whole foods. Someone else might go for low carbs, low fat, etc. Conversation as to what might be healthier or advantageous adjustments in any one individual's plan would be beneficial as long as people were open to that conversation and learning from it.

    Thank you to all of you that posted insightful comments as I feel I have learned something from this thread.
    Cheers.
  • July24Lioness
    July24Lioness Posts: 2,399 Member
    I get the feeling that some people could argue with a wall.

    Im sure this nice post was certainly not meant to get anyone's panties in a bunch or to spark a good 'ol internet-style bashing. If something works for you, Lionness, Great! Keep up the good work! But did you ever hear the saying "You catch more flies with honey...."? Perhaps more people would be willing to discuss this topic and more willing to read the research you have cited if you present it in a nicer, calmer manner with facts instead of anecdotes or "because I said so"-type arguments.
    Just sayin'.

    In the end, it seems like its a matter of semantics, no? Call it a "Fad"....call it a "potion"....call it a "lifestyle change"...who cares!? In the end, you only have to answer to yourself in the mirror or on the scale.

    I am not being argumentative. That is where being on a forum and not speaking face to face with voice and tone inflection gets skewed on the internet.................People are just too sensitive.

    Anywhoo...............The original poster bashed my way of eating by calling it a Fad, which is a flat out LIE.

    This is supposed to be a website where all ways of eating are to be accepted and the low carb lifestyle is bashed daily by certain members calling is unhealthy, a fad, etc.

    Me being more calm and rational, just gets me bashed even more, so YES I am defending What I Believe In.

    And I don't have the "Cause I said so" type of attitude, again that goes back to you not hearing my voice. I have plenty of scientific evidence to back up what I say.


    And yes I do believe I eat healthier than most people on here. Almost everything I eat is all natural.

    I grind my own meat and make sausage, hamburger (no fillers, no sugar, no preservatives or nitrates)

    I make my own mayonnaise, salad dressings, tomato sauce, hot sauce, ketchup, salsa (again, no preservatives, no added sugar, no fillers)

    I don't use artificial sweeteners - I only use Stevia.

    I buy eggs, raw dairy, fresh chicken, pork, beef and bison straight from a farm. Once again, no fillers, no preservatives, nitrates, etc..................

    I buy as many organic veggies and fruits as I can afford. With summer being here, my sister and I have a big garden at her house and we also signed up for CSA so we will get shares until October time frame. I will can my own pumpkin so I won't have to eat canned pumpkin any longer.

    How many others do this on this board? From what I see, not many because most people are hung up on buying sugar-free, fat free, 100 calorie pack products. Which is processed crap.
  • mworld
    mworld Posts: 270
    your credibility is just significantly lower than the OP's is all.
  • July24Lioness
    July24Lioness Posts: 2,399 Member
    your credibility is just significantly lower than the OP's is all.

    And you determine that how?

    I have scientific evidence to back up every word I say.
  • HealthyChanges2010
    HealthyChanges2010 Posts: 5,831 Member

    People are just too sensitive.


    Me being more calm and rational,

    And yes I do believe I eat healthier than most people on here. Almost everything I eat is all natural.
    How many others do this on this board? From what I see, not many because most people are hung up on buying sugar-free, fat free, 100 calorie pack products. Which is processed crap.
    :huh: I see the problem here and how this thread got ugly. "We're too sensitive, you're more calm and rational, you eat better than all the rest of us, because ALL of us eat crap, sugar free, fat free, 100 cal packs, processed crap."

    I don't eat like that, so I guess if others do on occasion that makes them 'less than' you and all the rest of us too, simply because we chose our own method of eating that's working for US as individuals?

    I'm not sure judging how others eat on here could even be known, there are far too many to track. You mention we judge, and that you are calm and rational and that we are just too sensitive.

    I think that about says it all, your own words spoken seem to speak volumes on your respect toward us other MFP members. I think that's why these threads get heated quickly, lack of respect towards others engaging in a discussion with you, it appears you feel we are all less than because we don't make our own sausage etc.? I don't eat sausage..

    I hope you find solace and what you are looking for in life, & mediate as it can really help with being high strung and stressed out,

    Eating heathly is important, working on our insides is also vital, but being peaceful and respectful of all beings is just as vital, if not more. When we truly believe strongly in what we are doing in life, albeit eating a certain way etc., being defense about it doesn't makes sense to me. When I believe in something strongly, I know within myself it's right for me, if someone doesn't agree, I move on or am working toward that in life (all humans are works in progress:tongue: ), in various aspects to show respect toward myself.

    When a person eats 100 cal packs for snacks, and I might not, I don't attack them telling them it will kill them, and find documents telling them they are crap (just using examples, I have no real proof cal packs will kill anyone:laugh: I simply find them to costly for me and other reasons I choose not to buy them)
    Becca:flowerforyou:
  • saverys_gal
    saverys_gal Posts: 808 Member
    A burger from Burger King surely seems like processed crap to me, even if without a bun it's 0 carbs. It's greasy and full of sodium, I'm sure. Not something I'd ever touch and I eat low carb just like you.

    I'm not being mean or getting argumentative. But you're giving grief to people who eat a bagged 100 calorie snack pack yet you eat a burger from BK after ranting that you make all of your own stuff? That doesn't seem fair to others.

    I've been following this entire thread start to finish and I don't see many others that are low carb like you and I but I'm certainly not taking offense like you are...everyone has their own opinions!! :flowerforyou:
  • MercuryBlue
    MercuryBlue Posts: 886 Member
    ..At the end of the day, anyone can manipulate 'science' to prove the point they want to make. I've seen it done a million times in a million different ways. You can have two opposing viewpoints, both with encyclopedias worth of science behind them, who will never be able to agree.

    At the end of the day, carbs are good. Your body needs them. However, there is a big difference between good carbs and bad carbs.

    You're just not going to ever be able to convince me that I'm better off buying a double cheeseburger from McDonalds and holding the bun than if I were to have a turkey-breast sandwich on two big ol' slices of whole grain bread.

    I don't judge the way anyone eats- do what makes you happy and feels right for you. However, the anti-carb folks will never sway me, and I don't care to read any of the books because I'm sure their 'science' is convincing. That's how they get you to buy their products. But that doesn't mean the 'science' is the truth.
  • Yurippe
    Yurippe Posts: 850 Member

    People are just too sensitive.


    Me being more calm and rational,

    And yes I do believe I eat healthier than most people on here. Almost everything I eat is all natural.
    How many others do this on this board? From what I see, not many because most people are hung up on buying sugar-free, fat free, 100 calorie pack products. Which is processed crap.
    :huh: I see the problem here and how this thread got ugly. "We're too sensitive, you're more calm and rational, you eat better than all the rest of us, because ALL of us eat crap, sugar free, fat free, 100 cal packs, processed crap."

    I don't eat like that, so I guessif others do on occation that makes them 'less than' you and all the rest of us too? I'm not sure judging how others eat on here could even be known, there are far too many to track. You mention we judge, and that you are calm and rational and that we are just too sensitive.

    I think that about says it all, your own words spoken seem to speak volumes on your respect toward other members. I think that's why these threads get heated quickly, lack of respect towards others engaging in a discussion with you, it appears you feel we are all less than because we don't make our own sausage etc.? I don't eat sausage..

    I hope you find solace and what you are looking for in life, & mediate as it can really help with being high strung and stressed out,
    Becca:flowerforyou:

    LMAO, the thread should have ended with this.

    July, if absolutely no one identifies with where you are coming from do you think you might be the problem? You might have wonderful evidence of everything you are trying to say but it always comes out nasty. Not just this thread, every thread I've even seen you comment on. I think you need to reevaluate the way you speak (type) to people if you want to convince anyone of anything. Until this stop trolling. 3 pages of drama for no good reason. Well, I got a laugh out of it, so thanks for that I suppose.
  • MercuryBlue
    MercuryBlue Posts: 886 Member

    People are just too sensitive.


    Me being more calm and rational,

    And yes I do believe I eat healthier than most people on here. Almost everything I eat is all natural.
    How many others do this on this board? From what I see, not many because most people are hung up on buying sugar-free, fat free, 100 calorie pack products. Which is processed crap.
    :huh: I see the problem here and how this thread got ugly. "We're too sensitive, you're more calm and rational, you eat better than all the rest of us, because ALL of us eat crap, sugar free, fat free, 100 cal packs, processed crap."

    I don't eat like that, so I guessif others do on occation that makes them 'less than' you and all the rest of us too? I'm not sure judging how others eat on here could even be known, there are far too many to track. You mention we judge, and that you are calm and rational and that we are just too sensitive.

    I think that about says it all, your own words spoken seem to speak volumes on your respect toward other members. I think that's why these threads get heated quickly, lack of respect towards others engaging in a discussion with you, it appears you feel we are all less than because we don't make our own sausage etc.? I don't eat sausage..

    I hope you find solace and what you are looking for in life, & mediate as it can really help with being high strung and stressed out,
    Becca:flowerforyou:

    LMAO, the thread should have ended with this.

    July, if absolutely no one identifies with where you are coming from do you think you might be the problem? You might have wonderful evidence of everything you are trying to say but it always comes out nasty. Not just this thread, every thread I've even seen you comment on. I think you need to reevaluate the way you speak (type) to people if you want to convince anyone of anything. Until this stop trolling. 3 pages of drama for no good reason. Well, I got a laugh out of it, so thanks for that I suppose.

    :)
  • georgette70
    georgette70 Posts: 158
    I am not tracking calories. I track my fat, protein and carbs. Check my food diary, I have made it public.
    [/quote]

    I did check your diary...and your calories are being tracked....I guess your just ignoring them!
  • Momma2four
    Momma2four Posts: 1,534
    A burger from Burger King surely seems like processed crap to me, even if without a bun it's 0 carbs. It's greasy and full of sodium, I'm sure. Not something I'd ever touch and I eat low carb just like you.

    I'm not being mean or getting argumentative. But you're giving grief to people who eat a bagged 100 calorie snack pack yet you eat a burger from BK after ranting that you make all of your own stuff? That doesn't seem fair to others.

    I've been following this entire thread start to finish and I don't see many others that are low carb like you and I but I'm certainly not taking offense like you are...everyone has their own opinions!! :flowerforyou:

    I know this is not in lines with the conversation going on, But I am curious , only because my hubby is diabetic and he is having a hard time getting his sugars down. I know that lowering his carbs may help him. Can I ask you the type of "carb counting" You are doing?
  • AmandaB4588
    AmandaB4588 Posts: 655
    And yes I do believe I eat healthier than most people on here. Almost everything I eat is all natural.

    I grind my own meat and make sausage, hamburger (no fillers, no sugar, no preservatives or nitrates)

    I make my own mayonnaise, salad dressings, tomato sauce, hot sauce, ketchup, salsa (again, no preservatives, no added sugar, no fillers)

    I don't use artificial sweeteners - I only use Stevia.

    I buy eggs, raw dairy, fresh chicken, pork, beef and bison straight from a farm. Once again, no fillers, no preservatives, nitrates, etc..................

    I buy as many organic veggies and fruits as I can afford. With summer being here, my sister and I have a big garden at her house and we also signed up for CSA so we will get shares until October time frame. I will can my own pumpkin so I won't have to eat canned pumpkin any longer.

    How many others do this on this board? From what I see, not many because most people are hung up on buying sugar-free, fat free, 100 calorie pack products. Which is processed crap.


    I am all about a non-processed foods diet. After eating it for awhile, you do start to get grossed out by things like 100 cal packs! I fell off the wagon awhile back because it is really difficult to stick with it but am inspired to start again, especially since all the veggies I planted are growing like crazy now!

    That said, I am not sure why you are associating unprocessed foods with a low carb diet. Perhaps your particular diet includes low carbs AND mostly unprocessed foods, but those 2 do not go hand-in-hand.
  • saverys_gal
    saverys_gal Posts: 808 Member
    A burger from Burger King surely seems like processed crap to me, even if without a bun it's 0 carbs. It's greasy and full of sodium, I'm sure. Not something I'd ever touch and I eat low carb just like you.

    I'm not being mean or getting argumentative. But you're giving grief to people who eat a bagged 100 calorie snack pack yet you eat a burger from BK after ranting that you make all of your own stuff? That doesn't seem fair to others.

    I've been following this entire thread start to finish and I don't see many others that are low carb like you and I but I'm certainly not taking offense like you are...everyone has their own opinions!! :flowerforyou:

    I know this is not in lines with the conversation going on, But I am curious , only because my hubby is diabetic and he is having a hard time getting his sugars down. I know that lowering his carbs may help him. Can I ask you the type of "carb counting" You are doing?

    Hi Momma2four! I follow Atkins for my carb counting...but modified for my own life. You can utilize www.atkins.com to get you started! Atkins uses 4 phases, with 1, induction, being the toughest and in my opinion, the make it or break it for most people. You cut back all your carbs...you eat around 15g carbs daily, all lean proteins and leafy greens. Over the course of time you'll slowly start to add back in good carbs like whole grains and fruits. Fruits ARE good for you but as you likely know with your husband, high in sugar! So they are initially cut out at the beginning of Atkins.
    It's definitely not for everyone and I do suggest you read a lot before trying it. Not everyone is content to throw out eating breads, pastas, potatoes, etc etc on a daily basis.
    Just send me a message if I can help you out any more! :smile:
  • tralalara
    tralalara Posts: 149
    Not stepping in the argument at all but I just happened to remember something from a LONG time ago. About 20 or 25 yrs ago I remember a friend of my giving me a sheet of paper. At the top it said "Mayo Clinic Diet" and it said it was used for obese patients before having surgery. I don't remember what ALL it said but it definitely said you could not eat ANYTHING white. Bread, Potatoes, cauliflower and a bunch more. It's just funny because that seems like a "low carb" diet to me. And that was from the Mayo Clinic.
    Just popped into my head while reading this heated debate.
    By the way, I'm a Zoner....or at least I TRY to be. (But don't count todays menu....went and had Mexican...carb city).
  • Momma2four
    Momma2four Posts: 1,534

    Hi Momma2four! I follow Atkins for my carb counting...but modified for my own life. You can utilize www.atkins.com to get you started! Atkins uses 4 phases, with 1, induction, being the toughest and in my opinion, the make it or break it for most people. You cut back all your carbs...you eat around 15g carbs daily, all lean proteins and leafy greens. Over the course of time you'll slowly start to add back in good carbs like whole grains and fruits. Fruits ARE good for you but as you likely know with your husband, high in sugar! So they are initially cut out at the beginning of Atkins.
    It's definitely not for everyone and I do suggest you read a lot before trying it. Not everyone is content to throw out eating breads, pastas, potatoes, etc etc on a daily basis.
    Just send me a message if I can help you out any more! :smile:





    Thanks, I have done quite a bit of research on the carb counting for diabetics. He is just struggling right now to really get it below 179. That is great to what it was 2-3 weeks ago at 290-325. I am just so frustrated and want to get it below 140 and thought maybe if he got drastic just until it was in a better range then slowly but surely started adding the carbs back in. I like that idea. I think I will check out that website. Thanks again
  • saverys_gal
    saverys_gal Posts: 808 Member

    Hi Momma2four! I follow Atkins for my carb counting...but modified for my own life. You can utilize www.atkins.com to get you started! Atkins uses 4 phases, with 1, induction, being the toughest and in my opinion, the make it or break it for most people. You cut back all your carbs...you eat around 15g carbs daily, all lean proteins and leafy greens. Over the course of time you'll slowly start to add back in good carbs like whole grains and fruits. Fruits ARE good for you but as you likely know with your husband, high in sugar! So they are initially cut out at the beginning of Atkins.
    It's definitely not for everyone and I do suggest you read a lot before trying it. Not everyone is content to throw out eating breads, pastas, potatoes, etc etc on a daily basis.
    Just send me a message if I can help you out any more! :smile:





    Thanks, I have done quite a bit of research on the carb counting for diabetics. He is just struggling right now to really get it below 179. That is great to what it was 2-3 weeks ago at 290-325. I am just so frustrated and want to get it below 140 and thought maybe if he got drastic just until it was in a better range then slowly but surely started adding the carbs back in. I like that idea. I think I will check out that website. Thanks again

    It sounds like it Atkins may be a potentially good route for him to go if he can commit for a couple of weeks! The Atkins website will give you 2 weeks of menus to help out for the first phase since it is the hardest. I wouldn't be surprised if it drastically dropped by doing the low carb approach after a month since you do cut out so much sugar, starch and a lot of junk in general. Let me know how it goes for him! I'm really curious to see how well it helps drop his numbers. Best of luck to you both! :happy:
  • skywalker
    skywalker Posts: 1,533

    I have many, many doctors telling me this and plenty of scientific research to back it up.

    Besides my OWN blood work tells the tale.........................

    It is not the saturated fats that make your cholesterol high............. That book is probably written by someone that is pushing the low fat agenda for their own financial gain.

    Saturated fats are all natural and anything natural is fine to have.

    here is one of many articles that supports my Doctor's and Naturopath's thinking...............

    http://www.womentowomen.com/healthyweight/fatandcholesterol.aspx
    Low-fat, high-carb diets can raise cholesterol levels

    America has been on a low-fat diet for over 30 years. Yet we’re fatter than ever, we have an epidemic of diabetes, and our cholesterol levels are rising, not falling. One key reason is that low-fat diets can actually disrupt our normal endocrine balance. Here’s how.

    Cholesterol is so important to the human body that nature has devised a backup plan in the event your diet falls short — i.e., during a famine. When that happens, your liver steps in to make cholesterol to guarantee your body a baseline level. The high levels of insulin that are released in most low-fat, high-carb diets also trigger the body to siphon off excess blood sugar into the liver to make cholesterol and triglycerides (which are used for energy and fat storage).

    In its natural, unstressed state your liver makes 75% of the cholesterol you need. The rest you have to eat — in foods that contain cholesterol like butter, meat, whole-fat dairy products, shellfish and eggs.

    If you deprive yourself of cholesterol (and make up those calories in carbs and sugar), your metabolism goes into famine mode and your liver overproduces cholesterol to make up the difference and stock up. This overdrive state can’t shut off until you start eating cholesterol again. So, a low-cholesterol, high-carbohydrate diet can actually lead to high cholesterol!

    Blood cholesterol levels also respond negatively to emotional stress, perhaps for similar reasons.

    Some health practitioners see high cholesterol levels first and foremost as a sign of liver distress. Others think that problems stem more from the oxidization of cholesterol by free radicals than from the presence of cholesterol itself. Both may be true. In any case, that low-fat diet isn’t making you healthier.
    July, do you really think the saturated fat in your Burger King cheeseburger is "all natural"? Or that it's "unprocessed"? Every post I've ever seen of yours seems argumentative and I'm not just referring to this thread. I've seen posts over the past months. Can't you just let there be a difference of opinion? Take a deep breath and let it go. Do what you want to do and stop trying to convince others that you know best. The person who started this thread was just offerring friendly advice based on some info she found. That's all. Chill. :laugh:
  • Ryhenblue
    Ryhenblue Posts: 390 Member
    Not stepping in the argument at all but I just happened to remember something from a LONG time ago. About 20 or 25 yrs ago I remember a friend of my giving me a sheet of paper. At the top it said "Mayo Clinic Diet" and it said it was used for obese patients before having surgery. I don't remember what ALL it said but it definitely said you could not eat ANYTHING white. Bread, Potatoes, cauliflower and a bunch more. It's just funny because that seems like a "low carb" diet to me. And that was from the Mayo Clinic.
    Just popped into my head while reading this heated debate.
    By the way, I'm a Zoner....or at least I TRY to be. (But don't count todays menu....went and had Mexican...carb city).

    If you are going in for surgery it isn't uncommon to have some sort of diet restrictions before the procedure. That diet wasn't meant to be a long term diet. So if the paper said no white carbs there was probably a reason for that procedure.
  • lilmissy2
    lilmissy2 Posts: 595 Member
    Not stepping in the argument at all but I just happened to remember something from a LONG time ago. About 20 or 25 yrs ago I remember a friend of my giving me a sheet of paper. At the top it said "Mayo Clinic Diet" and it said it was used for obese patients before having surgery. I don't remember what ALL it said but it definitely said you could not eat ANYTHING white. Bread, Potatoes, cauliflower and a bunch more. It's just funny because that seems like a "low carb" diet to me. And that was from the Mayo Clinic.
    Just popped into my head while reading this heated debate.
    By the way, I'm a Zoner....or at least I TRY to be. (But don't count todays menu....went and had Mexican...carb city).

    If you are going in for surgery it isn't uncommon to have some sort of diet restrictions before the procedure. That diet wasn't meant to be a long term diet. So if the paper said no white carbs there was probably a reason for that procedure.

    Boy did this thread get nasty! (sorry that's not a reference to the quote above). What I was going to say about the quote is that a pre-surgery diet will generally be a 'very low calorie diet' (VLCD). Basically, it's a last resort diet to cut down the fat around your liver and decrease the risk of the surgery. The person would lose weight quickly on the diet - maybe 5kg in the 2 weeks - but more importantly it does have a much better effect on the liver fat because you lose it more quickly and therefore leave some much needed space around your organs for the surgery to be performed (your body will eventually adapt and fill that space again until the right amount of weight is actually lost). A VLCD is a low carbohydrate diet, but it is also a low fat diet and it's not a high protein diet. What do you eat?? Well, to be fair not very much at all! Usually 3 specially formulated shakes with added vitamins and minerals then extra water and green veg. It's far from a healthy long-term approach but it gets the job done in a couple of weeks if you need a life-saving surgery.
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