The Atkins Diet

[clarebear]

My dad is on the Atkins Diet - he has done the Lighter Life Diet in the past - and he is losing weight. But all he seems to be eating in red meat,cheese and eggs, which a bit of side salad. Now I'm no dietitian but this can't be doing him all that good. But as I said he is losing weight.

How is this possible that he's eating all that fat and he is losing weight rather than gaining weight? Why is the atkins diet so effective?

Clarebear

[Tom@foresight]

Hi Clare,

Atkins is not one that works for me, I do not see how eating a diet that is deficient in so many things you need can be good for you. I feel that by eating too much of any one thing, is not going to lead to overall wellbeing. I always suggest that people look for a balanced diet, that meets the demands of their SPECIFIC lifestyle (always high in fruit and veg!)

TOM

[Dirty Den]

I think Atkins does have something in a way.

A diet high in carbohydrates (High GI foods) will elevate the eaters insulin levels, promoting fat stores. Eating low GI foods will help but excess calories is excess calories in any diet - too much food will equal increases in fat.

But you're looking to lose weight so I've digressed.

Re: weight loss ... I used to know I girl who would vary her food intake depending on a few factors:

1. What is was doing in the next two / three hours. A lot of exercise or walking or gardening or dancing and she would eat a meal with moderate carbs.

2. If on a given day she had eaten a big carb meal (eatinng out etc) and the following day she would reduce her carbs to an Atkins style diet.

She believed this did two things. Firstly she didn't eat a low carb diet - she would just judge the amount she 'needed' to eat. Secondly, a varying diet meant that her body was left guessing and never fell into starvation mode.

Oh and by the way, she was 5 foot 5 and she weighed 8 1/2 stone - so very fit and healthy looking