Over the past 3 weeks I've managed to lose about 10 pounds. I've got a good way to go, but it's a start. What I'm getting down with is Dr. Atkins' diet.

This evening I pulled into a local Burger King and ordered a bunless Whopper with cheese. It was apparently the first time the girl on the mic had gotten such an order. She was silent for a few seconds and said, "A double Whopper with cheese?" "No, a bunless Whopper with cheese." More silence. "A Whopper with cheese with no bun?" "That's right."

Then I asked her, "Could I have some potatoless French fries with that bunless Whopper?" That was followed by a much longer period of silence. So I said, "Just dip me up a cup of hot grease and put some salt in it." Silence again, but now I could hear some background giggling. Finally I had to tell her I was joking about the potatoless fries. They forgot the vegetables on the Whopper, but I reckon I'll make it till next time.

I've never read Atkins book, but my ex-wife (the Queen of dieting) got me onto something similar just before we separated 2 years ago.

I basically just removed all the starch (carbs) from my diet. No rice, potatoes, bread or pasta. I didn't find this a chore, because I eat mostly stir-fried veggies and salads, along with a decent helping of whatever meat I've decided to have (these days, a lot of moose and deer. ) Bacon and eggs for breakfast every morning. In fact, the only modification I made to my diet was the removal of the starches, because I've always eaten lots of meat and veggies.

I combined this with walking about 2 miles a day and lost 40 lbs. in about 6 months.

I've gained back about 15 lbs. over the last year, mainly because I've started dating again, and my gf lives about an hour away. I'm there 3 or 4 nights a week, and timewise it's just not as convenient for my style of cooking, plus I don't get the walking in that I used to. Plus, she has an electric stove and I hate using it. I much prefer my gas stove.

I've already told her that if we make this permanent, our home will have to have a gas stove.

The men I know who've tried Atkins do well on it. For some reason, I haven't met a woman yet, who has lost weight on it.

Check out the pumpkin cheese cake recipe i posted on the recipes section. Wouldn't you know it has equal in it after i praised "real" food. Low carb and high protein, though.

Plinker

Thanks, Plinker!



Yeah, hydrogenated oils have trans-unsaturated fatty acids in them that aren't found in nature. When I read that in a biochemistry text back in 1976 I wondered what effect they might have. That stuff was put into massive circulation in our food supply back in the 1930s with no study. Turns out it's worse than saturated fats for the arteries. And it's often marketed as being epecially healthy, because it's "cholesterol free."



I was a big Atkins critic when his plan came out 10 years ago, having been taught that low carbohydrate diets produced only temporary fluid loss, and muscle mass loss as you produced glucose from stored protein, that they were hard on the kidneys, basically caused chronic dehydration and electrolyte imbalances and would aggravate problems with high cholesterol and fat in the blood. Well, it's been pretty popular for 10 years and we haven't been seeing folks flopping over on it right and left. What's opened my mind are the reports of several large studies originally funded and set up for the purpose of showing the harmful effects of Atkins-style low carb diets that haven't found any of this bad stuff happening, and show better weight loss on average than lower calorie low-fat diets. I've been on those before and was miserable. I feel good on this and am losing weight. I plan to stick with it for the long haul.



You're right about the potatoes in the fries!

That's pretty funny.

Congratulations on your success and for choosing to eat healthy. I like Atkins and was SO enlightened on the chapter that says that margarine is what started all the heart disease in this country. So, i quit buying it and only use real butter. This country would experience severe food shortages if everyone suddenly started eating REAL food and cut the overprocessed junk.

BTW, the potatoes are just a medium to hold the grease together.

Plinker