10 Lies About The Atkins Diet and The Surprising Truth That The Low Carb Gurus
Don’t Want You To Know About. By Tom Venuto (Part 1)
Low carbohydrate diets such as Atkins have always been controversial, but with
the recent wave of new research and publicity, the controversy is now raging
hotter than ever. One headline in the San Francisco Chronicle said that the
battle between the low and high carbers had become so heated since mid 2002 that
“Knives had been drawn.”
From my vantage point (as a health and fitness professional down in the
trenches), it looks more like tanks, artillery and machine guns have been drawn!
Tragically, the people being hurt the most by these “diet wars” are not the
experts, but the dieters.
After its original publication in 1972, The Atkins Diet was regurgitated in 1992
as “Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution,” creating a new surge of interest in low
carbohydrate dieting. Then, in July of 2002, the controversy reached an all time
high when the New York Times Magazine published an essay by Gary Taubes titled,
“What if it’s all been a big fat lie?” The article suggested that new research
was now proving the late Dr. Atkins had been right all along.
More research in 2003 seemed to corroborate the Taubes story: Two studies in the
New England Journal of Medicine in May of 2003, and another in June 2003 in the
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, suggested that Atkins was
equally, if not more effective for weight loss than conventional diets – at
least in the short term.
With the publication of this new information, Atkins supporters boasted, "See, I
told you so,” while their opponents fired back in defense of their high carb,
low fat positions. Meanwhile, low carb foods and supplements became all the
rage, bread and pasta sales took a nosedive and the wheat industry cried the
blues.
With differences in opinion as opposite as the North and South Poles, it’s
become unbearably confusing and frustrating to know which weight loss method is
best and safest. At the date of this writing, in late 2003, obesity has reached
an all time high –AGAIN! According to the Journal of the American Medical
Association, 64% of Americans are overweight and 31% are obese, and it’s only
getting worse.
Obviously, the popular weight loss methods today – including the low carb diet –
are still missing something…but what?
If you’re confused by the whole high carb, low carb thing and if you’re
frustrated with your attempts at trying to lose weight and keep it off, then
this may be the most important report you will ever read. In the next few
minutes, you’ll discover the real truth about low carb diets and a real solution
to the problem of excess body fat. Read on to learn the 10 Lies about the Atkins
diet and the truth that will set your body free!
---------
Lie #1: The Atkins and other low carb diets don’t work
=========
If your definition of what "works" is quick weight loss, then the Atkins Diet
DOES work. Recent studies showed that the Atkins Diet causes greater weight loss
than the American Heart Association-recommended high carb, low fat diet. In
fact, for obese people with disorders of carbohydrate metabolism
(hyperinsulinemia, hypoglycemia, and insulin resistance), Atkins-style diets
have been shown to work especially well.
However, if your definition of what "works" is permanent fat loss, then the
Atkins diet doesn’t fare so well... but neither do any other diets. It seems
that despite some encouraging initial successes, Atkin’s dieters still face the
same difficulties keeping off the weight as everyone else. Some of the same
studies showing rapid weight loss on Atkins in the beginning also showed
substantial weight gain as soon as the diets ended.
Truth is, a growing body of evidence is mounting that carbohydrate restriction
can accelerate weight loss in the short term, but it has yet to be proven that
it keeps the fat off in the long run.
Which approach towards low carb dieting is best is also up for debate: Not all
low carb diets are high fat or ketogenic and not all are “ultra-low” in carbs. A
low carb diet can be low in carbs and high in fat, it can be low in carbs and
high in protein, or it can be somewhere in the middle.
I predict that continued research will discover that moderate carbohydrate
restriction (especially in a cyclical fashion) and careful selection of
carbohydrates, will in fact assist with fat loss via hormonal control, metabolic
efficiency and appetite regulation. I believe that neither extreme - the
severely restricted low carb diet (ketogenic diet) or the very high carb, low
fat diet – will emerge the victor.
---------
Lie #2: There’s a ton of new research proving the Atkins diet is effective
=========
If you surf around the Internet for a while searching for “Atkins Diet,” you are
likely to see a lot of advertisements and news briefs pointing to the new
research “proving” that Atkins is effective.
"New England Journal of Medicine Vindicates Atkins diet."
"Studies suggest Atkins diet is safe."
"New research challenges 30 years of Nutritional Dogma."
Truth is, these headlines are not giving you the full picture.
Until and unless you have closely examined these studies and the researcher’s
interpretation of the results, don’t be so quick to believe the hearsay.
The general conclusion of nearly all these studies is that Atkins IS equally if
not more effective for short term weight loss than conventional diets. However,
nearly all the researchers also conclude with remarks such as:
"The results are very preliminary,"
"The take-home message is that this diet deserves further study." "More research
is needed."
Furthermore, consider what the Atkin’s diet was being compared to in these
studies: The traditional “food pyramid” diet with 60-65% carbs including plenty
of pasta, cereals and bread, right?
What if the traditional high carb diet is wrong too?
Don’t write off carb restriction completely, but don’t ditch all your carbs yet
either.
---------
Lie #3: The new studies prove that the Atkins diet is healthy and doesn’t raise
cholesterol as previously believed
=========
In a May of 2003, the results of a 12-month study on the Atkins diet were
reported in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). One group followed the
traditional food pyramid with 60% of the calories from carbohydrates while the
second group followed the Atkins diet.
After one year, Atkins participants had a greater increase in the good HDL
cholesterol and a larger drop in triglyceride than the high carb group. Gary
Foster, the leader of the study said, "Our initial findings suggest that low
carb diets may not have the adverse effects we anticipated."
Conventional wisdom has dictated for years that saturated fat and cholesterol
were dangerous and unhealthy, contributing to coronary heart disease. This led
most health professionals to condemn low carb diets that allowed large amounts
of saturated fat.
This belief is now being questioned. Many authors such as Mary Enig and Uffe
Rashnkov have presented compelling cases that dietary cholesterol and saturated
fat do not cause heart disease. The latest research seems to confirm this.
However, many factors affected the results of these new studies.
In some studies, the subjects did not follow the Atkins Diet to exact
specifications and never entered ketosis, so conclusions about The Atkin’s Diet,
ketosis and coronary health cannot be drawn yet. In other studies,
cholesterol-lowering drugs were used. And in still others, some subjects
actually showed increases in total cholesterol. Those who did show improvements
may have previously been on a high refined sugar, high saturated fat diet and
dropping the sugar was one step in the right direction. Furthermore, some of the
drop in blood cholesterol could be attributed to the decrease in body weight.
Clearly, you can’t lump all dietary fats into the same category. Processed and
chemically altered trans fats have been condemned by virtually every health and
nutrition expert on the planet. Other fats, like salmon and fatty fish, are
among the healthiest and cardio-protective foods you can eat. Much evidence is
showing that reasonable amounts of naturally occurring saturated fats such as
those found in whole eggs and red meat also need not be feared (especially in
the absence of sugars).
Truth is, all the information we have available at this time indicates the “fat
phobia” and “fat makes you fat” scare has been unfounded because not all fat is
the same. However, claims that diets very high in overall and saturated fat are
healthy and safe for long term use are still premature.
-------
Lie #4: The Atkins diet will help you keep fat off for good
=======
Dr. Atkins writes that his diet "Is so perfectly adapted to use as a lifetime
diet that, unlike most diets, the weight won’t come back."
It’s a weight loss axiom that the more extreme a diet and the faster the weight
loss, the more difficult it is to maintain the results. Slow, steady and
balanced seems to win the race when it comes to weight control.
Unfortunately this isn’t what most people want to hear. The four pounds per week
and up to 15 pounds in the first two weeks that Atkins promises sounds much more
impressive.
There are two things you really need to know about rapid weight loss:
(1) What kind of weight was lost? How much of it was body fat and how much was
water, glycogen and lean tissue?
(2) Are you going to you keep the weight off for good?
Most low carbers won’t keep the weight off for more than a year, and many will
fall off the wagon long before that.
Keith Ayoob, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association (ADA), said in
an official ADA statement about the 2003 NEJM studies: "Twelve months is an
equalizer; you hit a wall. Your lifestyle starts to be affected and you get
bored. A high dropout rate is a sign that extreme diets can be difficult to
maintain.
Truth is, despite Dr. Atkin’s claims and the new research apparently supporting
them, we still don’t know what will happen in the long run. Based on the results
of the recent three, six, and twelve month studies, researchers have begun to
organize longer trials. One of them will be five years in length.
What you will probably see in long term studies is that Atkins and other very
low carb diets, while effective for weight loss in the short term, will be found
no more effective for long term fat loss than any other restrictive diet (and
that’s NOT very effective).
-------
Lie #5: Calories don’t count and you can eat as much as you want while on the
Atkins diet.
=======
Dr. Atkins proposed that calories don’t count and he advised his clients to eat
as much as they want while on his program. Atkins wrote, "The so called calorie
theory has been a millstone around the necks of dieters and a miserable and
malign influence on their efforts to lose."
Here’s the truth about calories and low carb diets:
When you go on a very low carb (ketogenic) diet with more fat, your appetite is
diminished and you feel fuller. Appetite control may be a legitimate benefit of
the Atkins diet, especially for individuals who struggle with hypoglycemia,
hunger and cravings. As Dr. Atkins points out, "Our physical urges are hard to
combat."
However, this does not mean you can eat as much as you want. It means that your
hunger may be blunted on Atkin’s plan, causing you to automatically eat less
without counting calories or even thinking about calories.
People on the Atkins diet who lose weight are not eating more than they burn and
losing fat in spite of it. Whether you count calories and consciously eat fewer
than you burn, or you don’t count them and unconsciously eat fewer than you
burn, either way, the end result is the same.
While counting calories in the literal sense is clearly not always necessary,
you always have to be aware of calories and portions. No diet or special
combination of foods can override the law of calorie balance.
Anyone who believes that you can eat as much as you want and still lose weight
is living in a dream world.
END OF PART 1. Check your email for part 2 in the next few days.
---------------
To get the FACTS on exactly how, what & when to eat and how to train to achieve
maximum fat loss, without losing muscle or slowing down your metabolism... AND
to discover the shocking truth about the diet, weight loss and supplement
industries, Check out Tom’s e-book online at http://www.fatlosstips.com/burnfat
Sincerely,
Anthony Ellis
PS -- Please download Tom's new E-book called "Big Fat Lies" at
http://www.fatlosstips.com/BFL.zip It's totally free and exposes the 12 biggest
scams, cover-ups, lies, myths, and deceptions in the diet and weight loss
industry. You will be blown away when you read this report!
Don’t Want You To Know About. By Tom Venuto (Part 1)
Low carbohydrate diets such as Atkins have always been controversial, but with
the recent wave of new research and publicity, the controversy is now raging
hotter than ever. One headline in the San Francisco Chronicle said that the
battle between the low and high carbers had become so heated since mid 2002 that
“Knives had been drawn.”
From my vantage point (as a health and fitness professional down in the
trenches), it looks more like tanks, artillery and machine guns have been drawn!
Tragically, the people being hurt the most by these “diet wars” are not the
experts, but the dieters.
After its original publication in 1972, The Atkins Diet was regurgitated in 1992
as “Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution,” creating a new surge of interest in low
carbohydrate dieting. Then, in July of 2002, the controversy reached an all time
high when the New York Times Magazine published an essay by Gary Taubes titled,
“What if it’s all been a big fat lie?” The article suggested that new research
was now proving the late Dr. Atkins had been right all along.
More research in 2003 seemed to corroborate the Taubes story: Two studies in the
New England Journal of Medicine in May of 2003, and another in June 2003 in the
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, suggested that Atkins was
equally, if not more effective for weight loss than conventional diets – at
least in the short term.
With the publication of this new information, Atkins supporters boasted, "See, I
told you so,” while their opponents fired back in defense of their high carb,
low fat positions. Meanwhile, low carb foods and supplements became all the
rage, bread and pasta sales took a nosedive and the wheat industry cried the
blues.
With differences in opinion as opposite as the North and South Poles, it’s
become unbearably confusing and frustrating to know which weight loss method is
best and safest. At the date of this writing, in late 2003, obesity has reached
an all time high –AGAIN! According to the Journal of the American Medical
Association, 64% of Americans are overweight and 31% are obese, and it’s only
getting worse.
Obviously, the popular weight loss methods today – including the low carb diet –
are still missing something…but what?
If you’re confused by the whole high carb, low carb thing and if you’re
frustrated with your attempts at trying to lose weight and keep it off, then
this may be the most important report you will ever read. In the next few
minutes, you’ll discover the real truth about low carb diets and a real solution
to the problem of excess body fat. Read on to learn the 10 Lies about the Atkins
diet and the truth that will set your body free!
---------
Lie #1: The Atkins and other low carb diets don’t work
=========
If your definition of what "works" is quick weight loss, then the Atkins Diet
DOES work. Recent studies showed that the Atkins Diet causes greater weight loss
than the American Heart Association-recommended high carb, low fat diet. In
fact, for obese people with disorders of carbohydrate metabolism
(hyperinsulinemia, hypoglycemia, and insulin resistance), Atkins-style diets
have been shown to work especially well.
However, if your definition of what "works" is permanent fat loss, then the
Atkins diet doesn’t fare so well... but neither do any other diets. It seems
that despite some encouraging initial successes, Atkin’s dieters still face the
same difficulties keeping off the weight as everyone else. Some of the same
studies showing rapid weight loss on Atkins in the beginning also showed
substantial weight gain as soon as the diets ended.
Truth is, a growing body of evidence is mounting that carbohydrate restriction
can accelerate weight loss in the short term, but it has yet to be proven that
it keeps the fat off in the long run.
Which approach towards low carb dieting is best is also up for debate: Not all
low carb diets are high fat or ketogenic and not all are “ultra-low” in carbs. A
low carb diet can be low in carbs and high in fat, it can be low in carbs and
high in protein, or it can be somewhere in the middle.
I predict that continued research will discover that moderate carbohydrate
restriction (especially in a cyclical fashion) and careful selection of
carbohydrates, will in fact assist with fat loss via hormonal control, metabolic
efficiency and appetite regulation. I believe that neither extreme - the
severely restricted low carb diet (ketogenic diet) or the very high carb, low
fat diet – will emerge the victor.
---------
Lie #2: There’s a ton of new research proving the Atkins diet is effective
=========
If you surf around the Internet for a while searching for “Atkins Diet,” you are
likely to see a lot of advertisements and news briefs pointing to the new
research “proving” that Atkins is effective.
"New England Journal of Medicine Vindicates Atkins diet."
"Studies suggest Atkins diet is safe."
"New research challenges 30 years of Nutritional Dogma."
Truth is, these headlines are not giving you the full picture.
Until and unless you have closely examined these studies and the researcher’s
interpretation of the results, don’t be so quick to believe the hearsay.
The general conclusion of nearly all these studies is that Atkins IS equally if
not more effective for short term weight loss than conventional diets. However,
nearly all the researchers also conclude with remarks such as:
"The results are very preliminary,"
"The take-home message is that this diet deserves further study." "More research
is needed."
Furthermore, consider what the Atkin’s diet was being compared to in these
studies: The traditional “food pyramid” diet with 60-65% carbs including plenty
of pasta, cereals and bread, right?
What if the traditional high carb diet is wrong too?
Don’t write off carb restriction completely, but don’t ditch all your carbs yet
either.
---------
Lie #3: The new studies prove that the Atkins diet is healthy and doesn’t raise
cholesterol as previously believed
=========
In a May of 2003, the results of a 12-month study on the Atkins diet were
reported in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). One group followed the
traditional food pyramid with 60% of the calories from carbohydrates while the
second group followed the Atkins diet.
After one year, Atkins participants had a greater increase in the good HDL
cholesterol and a larger drop in triglyceride than the high carb group. Gary
Foster, the leader of the study said, "Our initial findings suggest that low
carb diets may not have the adverse effects we anticipated."
Conventional wisdom has dictated for years that saturated fat and cholesterol
were dangerous and unhealthy, contributing to coronary heart disease. This led
most health professionals to condemn low carb diets that allowed large amounts
of saturated fat.
This belief is now being questioned. Many authors such as Mary Enig and Uffe
Rashnkov have presented compelling cases that dietary cholesterol and saturated
fat do not cause heart disease. The latest research seems to confirm this.
However, many factors affected the results of these new studies.
In some studies, the subjects did not follow the Atkins Diet to exact
specifications and never entered ketosis, so conclusions about The Atkin’s Diet,
ketosis and coronary health cannot be drawn yet. In other studies,
cholesterol-lowering drugs were used. And in still others, some subjects
actually showed increases in total cholesterol. Those who did show improvements
may have previously been on a high refined sugar, high saturated fat diet and
dropping the sugar was one step in the right direction. Furthermore, some of the
drop in blood cholesterol could be attributed to the decrease in body weight.
Clearly, you can’t lump all dietary fats into the same category. Processed and
chemically altered trans fats have been condemned by virtually every health and
nutrition expert on the planet. Other fats, like salmon and fatty fish, are
among the healthiest and cardio-protective foods you can eat. Much evidence is
showing that reasonable amounts of naturally occurring saturated fats such as
those found in whole eggs and red meat also need not be feared (especially in
the absence of sugars).
Truth is, all the information we have available at this time indicates the “fat
phobia” and “fat makes you fat” scare has been unfounded because not all fat is
the same. However, claims that diets very high in overall and saturated fat are
healthy and safe for long term use are still premature.
-------
Lie #4: The Atkins diet will help you keep fat off for good
=======
Dr. Atkins writes that his diet "Is so perfectly adapted to use as a lifetime
diet that, unlike most diets, the weight won’t come back."
It’s a weight loss axiom that the more extreme a diet and the faster the weight
loss, the more difficult it is to maintain the results. Slow, steady and
balanced seems to win the race when it comes to weight control.
Unfortunately this isn’t what most people want to hear. The four pounds per week
and up to 15 pounds in the first two weeks that Atkins promises sounds much more
impressive.
There are two things you really need to know about rapid weight loss:
(1) What kind of weight was lost? How much of it was body fat and how much was
water, glycogen and lean tissue?
(2) Are you going to you keep the weight off for good?
Most low carbers won’t keep the weight off for more than a year, and many will
fall off the wagon long before that.
Keith Ayoob, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association (ADA), said in
an official ADA statement about the 2003 NEJM studies: "Twelve months is an
equalizer; you hit a wall. Your lifestyle starts to be affected and you get
bored. A high dropout rate is a sign that extreme diets can be difficult to
maintain.
Truth is, despite Dr. Atkin’s claims and the new research apparently supporting
them, we still don’t know what will happen in the long run. Based on the results
of the recent three, six, and twelve month studies, researchers have begun to
organize longer trials. One of them will be five years in length.
What you will probably see in long term studies is that Atkins and other very
low carb diets, while effective for weight loss in the short term, will be found
no more effective for long term fat loss than any other restrictive diet (and
that’s NOT very effective).
-------
Lie #5: Calories don’t count and you can eat as much as you want while on the
Atkins diet.
=======
Dr. Atkins proposed that calories don’t count and he advised his clients to eat
as much as they want while on his program. Atkins wrote, "The so called calorie
theory has been a millstone around the necks of dieters and a miserable and
malign influence on their efforts to lose."
Here’s the truth about calories and low carb diets:
When you go on a very low carb (ketogenic) diet with more fat, your appetite is
diminished and you feel fuller. Appetite control may be a legitimate benefit of
the Atkins diet, especially for individuals who struggle with hypoglycemia,
hunger and cravings. As Dr. Atkins points out, "Our physical urges are hard to
combat."
However, this does not mean you can eat as much as you want. It means that your
hunger may be blunted on Atkin’s plan, causing you to automatically eat less
without counting calories or even thinking about calories.
People on the Atkins diet who lose weight are not eating more than they burn and
losing fat in spite of it. Whether you count calories and consciously eat fewer
than you burn, or you don’t count them and unconsciously eat fewer than you
burn, either way, the end result is the same.
While counting calories in the literal sense is clearly not always necessary,
you always have to be aware of calories and portions. No diet or special
combination of foods can override the law of calorie balance.
Anyone who believes that you can eat as much as you want and still lose weight
is living in a dream world.
END OF PART 1. Check your email for part 2 in the next few days.
---------------
To get the FACTS on exactly how, what & when to eat and how to train to achieve
maximum fat loss, without losing muscle or slowing down your metabolism... AND
to discover the shocking truth about the diet, weight loss and supplement
industries, Check out Tom’s e-book online at http://www.fatlosstips.com/burnfat
Sincerely,
Anthony Ellis
PS -- Please download Tom's new E-book called "Big Fat Lies" at
http://www.fatlosstips.com/BFL.zip It's totally free and exposes the 12 biggest
scams, cover-ups, lies, myths, and deceptions in the diet and weight loss
industry. You will be blown away when you read this report!
.