Q. Sugary treats = candy, cake, cookies, pastries
Also, will I be more likely to binge? Should I allow myself to "cheat" every now and then?
Also, will I be more likely to binge? Should I allow myself to "cheat" every now and then?
A. Carbs create cravings for more carbs. Carbs trigger binges.
U.S. government guidelines were changed 35 years ago to suggest we lower our fat intake & increase our carb intake. American society followed these recommendations & lowered their fat intake by 11%. In this same time frame obesity, diabetes, heart disease, thyroid dysfunctions are all at epidemic levels. Most of this is caused by a high carb diet. Through their direct effects on insulin & blood sugar, refined carbohydrates, starches & sugars are the dietary cause of coronary heart disease & diabetes.
There is no better way to bring the body to the state of optimal health than with Atkins low carb way of eating. Atkins doesn't cause high blood pressure, high blood sugar or high cholesterol, it cures it. It is actually dangerous to take meds that lower these levels and do Atkins at the same time because the levels will become abnormally, dangerously low.
Your body requires fats & protein, you will die without them. You will die if you eat protein without fat. You do not require carbohydrates. The body can manufacture all it needs from the protein/fat combination.
A low carbohydrate diet is a high fat diet. The protein should only be a little higher than adequate. Although it is completely possible to live on a fat/protein only diet for long term (as proven by research done in a hospital setting) it becomes boring fairly quickly. Luckily many vegetables & some fruits, nuts & seeds are low in carbs and greatly expand the diet. Most long term low carbers eat as many, if not more non starchy vegetables than vegetarians.
Glucose is the bodies preferred fuel (if you want to get technical, it actually burns alcohol most efficiently, but that doesn't make it any healthier for the body than carbs), the body can convert 100% of carbs, 58% of protein & 10% of dietary fat into glucose. The body can also be fueled by fat (dietary fat & fat cells) but only in the absence of carbs. Your brain actually prefers (* reference info) to be fueled by ketones (part of the fat burning process), only the heart requires glucose, but glucose can be easily converted from excess protein if needed or dietary fat.
IF a person eats sufficient fat & protein & minimal carbs, they can become very healthy. Free of blood sugar health problems, high blood pressure, health problems associated with high cholesterol, obesity health problems. Anything less that 9 grams of carbs per hour controls insulin and is considered low carb (up to 144 grams per day).
Simple carbohydrates trigger insulin. High insulin levels unbalance other hormones. Controlling insulin levels balances out other hormones & allows the body to function properly.
The link between saturated fats and heart health is based on faulty science. Dietary fat, whether saturated or not, is not a cause of obesity, heart disease, or any other chronic disease.
Plaque build up in the arteries is more attributable to carb consumption than dietary fats, which seems to be the conclusion of the following study. Carb consumption raises triglycerides & VLDL (bad cholesterol). Fats raise the HDL (good cholesterol). High triglyceride levels & low HDL levels are an indicator of plaque & glycation - the precursors to a heart attack & heart disease.
http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2009/1â¦
study from the Oxford group examining the postprandial (after-eating) effects of a low-fat vs. low-carbohydrate diet. (Roberts R et al, 2008)
Postprandial lipoproteins, you'd think, would be plentiful after ingesting a large quantity of fat, since fat must be absorbed via chylomicrons into the bloodstream. But it's carbohydrates that figure most prominently in determining the pattern and magnitude of postprandial triglycerides and lipoproteins. Much of this effect develops by way of de novo lipogenesis, the generation of new lipoproteins like VLDL after carbohydrate ingestion.
*
The brain gets its energy from ketone bodies when insufficient glucose is available. After blood glucose is lowered for 3 days, the brain gets 30% of its energy from ketone bodies. After 40 days, this goes up to 70% (during the initial stages the brain does not burn ketones, since they are an important substrate for lipid synthesis in the brain). In time the brain reduces its glucose requirements from 120g to 40g per day.
Ketones have been described as "magic" in their ability to increase metabolic efficiency, while decreasing production of free radicals, the damaging byproducts of normal metabolism. The heart and brain operate 25% more efficiently using ketones as a source of energy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketone
U.S. government guidelines were changed 35 years ago to suggest we lower our fat intake & increase our carb intake. American society followed these recommendations & lowered their fat intake by 11%. In this same time frame obesity, diabetes, heart disease, thyroid dysfunctions are all at epidemic levels. Most of this is caused by a high carb diet. Through their direct effects on insulin & blood sugar, refined carbohydrates, starches & sugars are the dietary cause of coronary heart disease & diabetes.
There is no better way to bring the body to the state of optimal health than with Atkins low carb way of eating. Atkins doesn't cause high blood pressure, high blood sugar or high cholesterol, it cures it. It is actually dangerous to take meds that lower these levels and do Atkins at the same time because the levels will become abnormally, dangerously low.
Your body requires fats & protein, you will die without them. You will die if you eat protein without fat. You do not require carbohydrates. The body can manufacture all it needs from the protein/fat combination.
A low carbohydrate diet is a high fat diet. The protein should only be a little higher than adequate. Although it is completely possible to live on a fat/protein only diet for long term (as proven by research done in a hospital setting) it becomes boring fairly quickly. Luckily many vegetables & some fruits, nuts & seeds are low in carbs and greatly expand the diet. Most long term low carbers eat as many, if not more non starchy vegetables than vegetarians.
Glucose is the bodies preferred fuel (if you want to get technical, it actually burns alcohol most efficiently, but that doesn't make it any healthier for the body than carbs), the body can convert 100% of carbs, 58% of protein & 10% of dietary fat into glucose. The body can also be fueled by fat (dietary fat & fat cells) but only in the absence of carbs. Your brain actually prefers (* reference info) to be fueled by ketones (part of the fat burning process), only the heart requires glucose, but glucose can be easily converted from excess protein if needed or dietary fat.
IF a person eats sufficient fat & protein & minimal carbs, they can become very healthy. Free of blood sugar health problems, high blood pressure, health problems associated with high cholesterol, obesity health problems. Anything less that 9 grams of carbs per hour controls insulin and is considered low carb (up to 144 grams per day).
Simple carbohydrates trigger insulin. High insulin levels unbalance other hormones. Controlling insulin levels balances out other hormones & allows the body to function properly.
The link between saturated fats and heart health is based on faulty science. Dietary fat, whether saturated or not, is not a cause of obesity, heart disease, or any other chronic disease.
Plaque build up in the arteries is more attributable to carb consumption than dietary fats, which seems to be the conclusion of the following study. Carb consumption raises triglycerides & VLDL (bad cholesterol). Fats raise the HDL (good cholesterol). High triglyceride levels & low HDL levels are an indicator of plaque & glycation - the precursors to a heart attack & heart disease.
http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2009/1â¦
study from the Oxford group examining the postprandial (after-eating) effects of a low-fat vs. low-carbohydrate diet. (Roberts R et al, 2008)
Postprandial lipoproteins, you'd think, would be plentiful after ingesting a large quantity of fat, since fat must be absorbed via chylomicrons into the bloodstream. But it's carbohydrates that figure most prominently in determining the pattern and magnitude of postprandial triglycerides and lipoproteins. Much of this effect develops by way of de novo lipogenesis, the generation of new lipoproteins like VLDL after carbohydrate ingestion.
*
The brain gets its energy from ketone bodies when insufficient glucose is available. After blood glucose is lowered for 3 days, the brain gets 30% of its energy from ketone bodies. After 40 days, this goes up to 70% (during the initial stages the brain does not burn ketones, since they are an important substrate for lipid synthesis in the brain). In time the brain reduces its glucose requirements from 120g to 40g per day.
Ketones have been described as "magic" in their ability to increase metabolic efficiency, while decreasing production of free radicals, the damaging byproducts of normal metabolism. The heart and brain operate 25% more efficiently using ketones as a source of energy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketone
How much weight is good for me to lose in a day? And what helps lose weight in a day?
Q. I mean I tried losing weight by not eating, made it worse.
A. Generally it is safe to loose 1-2 pounds per week if you are trying to shed a lot of weight over time. The best way to lose weight and keep it off is to simply reduce your caloric intake by changing your dietary habits for good. Stop eating between meals, or before bed. Stop eating large portion sizes.
When eating a wide range of foods your digestive system works at the most efficient level and is able to get a high percentage of the calories. In nature, this is good because it allowed us to survive in food-scarce conditions. In the modern world this is bad, since you can easily gain access to too much food and become fat. Diets like Atkins and others work by promoting the consumption of only certain types of food, which makes your digestive system less efficient at harvesting the calories from the food rather than reducing the total caloric intake. The biggest problem with this method is that it the moment you go back off it, the calories come right back. Additionally, our bodies are meant to get a rounded diet, and cutting out certain food groups can lead to vitamin deficiencies.
Any type of 'crash diet' will have similar results in the long term, as you aren't actually changing your behavior. In addition, repeated binge/diet cycles actually can affect your metabolism and make your body MORE prone to keeping weight on in the future, since your body learns that it will need to store food to prepare for starvation periods.
When eating a wide range of foods your digestive system works at the most efficient level and is able to get a high percentage of the calories. In nature, this is good because it allowed us to survive in food-scarce conditions. In the modern world this is bad, since you can easily gain access to too much food and become fat. Diets like Atkins and others work by promoting the consumption of only certain types of food, which makes your digestive system less efficient at harvesting the calories from the food rather than reducing the total caloric intake. The biggest problem with this method is that it the moment you go back off it, the calories come right back. Additionally, our bodies are meant to get a rounded diet, and cutting out certain food groups can lead to vitamin deficiencies.
Any type of 'crash diet' will have similar results in the long term, as you aren't actually changing your behavior. In addition, repeated binge/diet cycles actually can affect your metabolism and make your body MORE prone to keeping weight on in the future, since your body learns that it will need to store food to prepare for starvation periods.
Is it possible to loose on Atkins if you go off it on the weekend?
Q. I have heard of this working for some people. I don't know exactly how they do it, or what they consider the weekend; i.e. Friday-Sunday or Saturday and Sunday. I am loosing very slowly doing Atkins strictly and not going off on the weekends. How could I loose if I eat what I like a couple days a week?
Is that possible?
Is that possible?
A. It will slow your weight loss way down but yes you should continue to lose weight. One diet, the Carb Addicts diet by the Hellers is low carb 23 hours a day and allows carbs one hour a day (in a balanced meal) with the theory that insulin is controlled and not as highly responsive. I don't recommend this for true carb addicts or the insulin resistant but for most people it is fine.
I would suggest on your cheat days to not let it become a carb binge and restricting your carbs to one meal a day if possible. You can cheat easier than someone in glycolysis. IF you trigger insulin, all those carbs that would go to fat cells on someone in glycolysis instead fill up the empty glycogen stores & go to muscles for burning instead of fat cells. Which would slow weight loss but if you're in maintenance, weight loss is not a concern. (neat little bonus package) Some folks with massive amounts of weight to lose, do weight loss, maintenance & back to weight loss mode - gives them a cheat period without blowing anything.
I don't recommend this path, but it's better than a high carb diet all the time. I recommend folks go through the whole program which converts the body and increases carb levels by 5grams a day every week and making it a lifestyle change. The longer you don't do carbs, they really kind of lose their appeal. (Tastes like wet dough) I still cheat with sugar occasionally. It's just not a regular part of my life (as it was preAtkins, nearly 6 years ago, when I felt it controlled me & I had no control)
There is no reason to ever go off a low carb way of eating, you slowly re introduce carbs to your way of eating and as long as you don't exceed 9grams of carbs an hour (144 carbs a day) you will never trigger insulin (the fat storage hormone) no matter the calories. Most of us do low carb most of the time and occasionally cheat and slip back into low carb the next day. If you gain weight, drop your carbs a few grams til you slide back into loss mode. Who wants to spend their life on semi deprivation?
The rungs to reintroduction of carbs in 5 gram units - all available to very active people in as little as 11 weeks. Make sure you do them in order & you can skip a rung if you do not intend to include it in your permanent way of eating, such as the alcohol rung.:
* (minimum week 3 - maximum 25grams day) Acceptable vegetables, larger quantities
* (minimum week 4 - maximum 30grams day) Add 5grams Fresh cheese
* (minimum week 5 - maximum 35grams day) Add 5grams Nuts and seeds
* (minimum week 6 - maximum 40grams day) Add 5grams Berries
* (minimum week 7 - maximum 45grams day) Alcohol can be added if desired
* (minimum week 8 - maximum 50grams day) Add 5grams Legumes
* (minimum week 9 - maximum 55grams day) Add 5grams Other fruits
* (minimum week10 - maximum 60grams day) Add 5grams Starchy vegetables
* (minimum week11 - maximum 65grams day) Add 5grams Whole grains
If you are continuing to lose or maintain (whichever is goal) in week 12 and beyond, you continue to add 5grams a day per week til you reach your personal carb level.
Many people gain weight on high carb, then switch to low carb to lose weight & then are shocked when they return to high carb that they gain weight. (Isn't insanity defined as doing the exact same thing, in the exact same way and expecting different results??) Many people can return to moderate carb levels but very few can really eat all they want of sugar and maintain weight or health.
You will lose more body fat eating protein and fat (don't eat protein alone) than not eating AT ALL. To lose weight fast eat all you want but nothing but meat, eggs, healthy oils, mayo, butter and half an avocado a day (you'll need added potassium). Keep the calories high and the fat percentage high, at least 65% of calories. Adding in green vegetables & some cheese will continue weight loss but at a slower pace.
Your body won't release fat stores if you lower calories below what it needs. It will slow your metabolism to compensate and store every spare ounce as fat. If you continue lowering your calories, it will continue lowering that set point, til you can survive off nothing and store fat on anything. The body will only release it's fat stores if it knows there is plenty of food.
Eating carbs while trying to lose body fat is terribly inefficient. When in glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) you have to lower your calories (which slows your metabolism) and exercise heavily to deplete your glycogen stores before burning body fat.
The core of the Atkins program is converting your body from glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) to ketosis (burning fat as fuel). You need to keep your fat levels at >65% of your calories, if you don't your body will still remain in glycolysis by converting 58% of excess protein into glucose (via gluconeogenesis).
Simple carbohydrates (sugar, flour, bread, cereal, pasta, potatoes, rice) triggers insulin which can store the calories y
I would suggest on your cheat days to not let it become a carb binge and restricting your carbs to one meal a day if possible. You can cheat easier than someone in glycolysis. IF you trigger insulin, all those carbs that would go to fat cells on someone in glycolysis instead fill up the empty glycogen stores & go to muscles for burning instead of fat cells. Which would slow weight loss but if you're in maintenance, weight loss is not a concern. (neat little bonus package) Some folks with massive amounts of weight to lose, do weight loss, maintenance & back to weight loss mode - gives them a cheat period without blowing anything.
I don't recommend this path, but it's better than a high carb diet all the time. I recommend folks go through the whole program which converts the body and increases carb levels by 5grams a day every week and making it a lifestyle change. The longer you don't do carbs, they really kind of lose their appeal. (Tastes like wet dough) I still cheat with sugar occasionally. It's just not a regular part of my life (as it was preAtkins, nearly 6 years ago, when I felt it controlled me & I had no control)
There is no reason to ever go off a low carb way of eating, you slowly re introduce carbs to your way of eating and as long as you don't exceed 9grams of carbs an hour (144 carbs a day) you will never trigger insulin (the fat storage hormone) no matter the calories. Most of us do low carb most of the time and occasionally cheat and slip back into low carb the next day. If you gain weight, drop your carbs a few grams til you slide back into loss mode. Who wants to spend their life on semi deprivation?
The rungs to reintroduction of carbs in 5 gram units - all available to very active people in as little as 11 weeks. Make sure you do them in order & you can skip a rung if you do not intend to include it in your permanent way of eating, such as the alcohol rung.:
* (minimum week 3 - maximum 25grams day) Acceptable vegetables, larger quantities
* (minimum week 4 - maximum 30grams day) Add 5grams Fresh cheese
* (minimum week 5 - maximum 35grams day) Add 5grams Nuts and seeds
* (minimum week 6 - maximum 40grams day) Add 5grams Berries
* (minimum week 7 - maximum 45grams day) Alcohol can be added if desired
* (minimum week 8 - maximum 50grams day) Add 5grams Legumes
* (minimum week 9 - maximum 55grams day) Add 5grams Other fruits
* (minimum week10 - maximum 60grams day) Add 5grams Starchy vegetables
* (minimum week11 - maximum 65grams day) Add 5grams Whole grains
If you are continuing to lose or maintain (whichever is goal) in week 12 and beyond, you continue to add 5grams a day per week til you reach your personal carb level.
Many people gain weight on high carb, then switch to low carb to lose weight & then are shocked when they return to high carb that they gain weight. (Isn't insanity defined as doing the exact same thing, in the exact same way and expecting different results??) Many people can return to moderate carb levels but very few can really eat all they want of sugar and maintain weight or health.
You will lose more body fat eating protein and fat (don't eat protein alone) than not eating AT ALL. To lose weight fast eat all you want but nothing but meat, eggs, healthy oils, mayo, butter and half an avocado a day (you'll need added potassium). Keep the calories high and the fat percentage high, at least 65% of calories. Adding in green vegetables & some cheese will continue weight loss but at a slower pace.
Your body won't release fat stores if you lower calories below what it needs. It will slow your metabolism to compensate and store every spare ounce as fat. If you continue lowering your calories, it will continue lowering that set point, til you can survive off nothing and store fat on anything. The body will only release it's fat stores if it knows there is plenty of food.
Eating carbs while trying to lose body fat is terribly inefficient. When in glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) you have to lower your calories (which slows your metabolism) and exercise heavily to deplete your glycogen stores before burning body fat.
The core of the Atkins program is converting your body from glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) to ketosis (burning fat as fuel). You need to keep your fat levels at >65% of your calories, if you don't your body will still remain in glycolysis by converting 58% of excess protein into glucose (via gluconeogenesis).
Simple carbohydrates (sugar, flour, bread, cereal, pasta, potatoes, rice) triggers insulin which can store the calories y
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