Viv's Modified Atkins Diet

[viviennem]

You should never be hungry on this diet, because protein and fat keep you fuller for longer than carbohydrates. Stick to the listed foods, and the amounts if I've given them - eg no more than 4 oz cheese daily, and no more than the given weights of veg/salad. If you do this you won't be eating too much, which is a difficult concept for those of us who think 'weight loss diet = starvation'! :lol:

Make sure the carbs aren't creeping in with the odd oatcake or Ryvita - they are not included in the Induction Phase by Robert Atkins!

There are some people who don't seem to lose weight on the diet - a very few, and I have no idea why. :? .

Did you take your measurements before you started? measure chest/bust. waist, hips, upper arm and upper thigh, every week, and see if you are shedding inches instead of pounds. This can happen, and all of a sudden the scales will catch up.

As long as you are content with the diet, stick with it and see what happens. As I've said before, I'm not obsessing with my weight this time, just my BGs. Weight loss for me is something of a side-effect . I've lost 4 stone in 18 months, and am now about 17st 7lbs. This is much slower than the first time around, and I think it should stay off longer this time. But of course - I can't go back to my old ways of eating, so maybe this time the weight loss will be permanent.

I told you diabetes had been good for me :lol: :clap:

Viv 8)

 

[beancounter]

Thanks for replying, Viv

I am sticking religiously to the diet so hopefully as you say the scales will catch up soon :thumbup:

 

[libbyM]

Having just read through this section I think I'm ready to shoot myself :crazy: I've had some real help from a member of your forum who seems to have the patience of a saint but I just can't get my head around it all as I also have the problem of too much protein. Having said all this Whitbyjet in particular recommendations are an inspiration so maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel :thumbup:

 

[viviennem]

I'm really sorry, but I can't help you with that at all, LibbyM. I have no idea how dietary protein intake affects blood or urine protein levels, and you really need advice from someone who know what they're talking about on that. But even reducing your carbs to a moderate intake - Grazer's 100g - 150g, for instance - should help your BG levels.

Good luck!

Viv 8)

 

[tanyalbeck]

Hi Viv,
I'm overweight type 1 on insulin (also hypothyroid and hyposplenic so I take thyroxine and antibiotics permanently!!) but am only 32 and am really ready to lose some weight!!
Right now I eat a lot of carbs to 'cover' my insulin. what's a good way to go low carb without hypos? any ideas on where to start?
also.... is salami OK?! It' hight meat and fat but is also processed (I LOVE cold meats!!)
Tanya

 

[viviennem]

Hi Tanya

Salamis etc are okay - read the labels for carb content. Some have no carbs, some have a few. The only thing with them is the chemicals used in the processing, if that sort of thing worries you. I've always used them in my diet, in moderation. But any non-processed cold meats are fine - even cold roast turkey :lol:

I'm afraid I can't be much use to you regarding Type 1 and insulin, as I'm Type 2. It is possible to low-carb as a Type 1, I know. I think maybe you have to be more careful about spreading your carbs equally over each meal, and adjusting your insulin dose to compensate. Maybe some low-carbing Type 1s could help us here, please?

Dr Richard Bernstein, who wrote Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution, is a Type 1 low-carber. If you google his name or the book title, some of the book is available to read on line - I think maybe diabetesbook might lead you there.

Hope this helps.

Viv 8)

 

[Maryannonsilk]

This is an excellent blue print for low carb ... I can really live with this ... lots of extra ideas such as rhubarb .... will be pretty well sticking with this .... finally I think I know which road I'm travelling on

 

[Maryannonsilk]

I am now feeling pretty confused and depressed .... Having felt that low carb was the way to go and having completely bought into it I now read that the cure for Diabetes is all in eliminating trans fats ...

 

[carbman]

I am now feeling pretty confused and depressed .... Having felt that low carb was the way to go and having completely bought into it I now read that the cure for Diabetes is all in eliminating trans fats ...

Do not confuse dangerous trans fats with healthy saturated fats. Most shops have stopped using products with proven highly dangerous trans fats. Carb control is the way to go, for all diabetics. Eat to your meter and stay away from processed foods and junk.

 

[viviennem]

I am now feeling pretty confused and depressed .... Having felt that low carb was the way to go and having completely bought into it I now read that the cure for Diabetes is all in eliminating trans fats ...

Do not confuse dangerous trans fats with healthy saturated fats. Most shops have stopped using products with proven highly dangerous trans fats. Carb control is the way to go, for all diabetics. Eat to your meter and stay away from processed foods and junk.

Listen to Carbman, Maryannonsilk. If you are eating based on this diet, you couldn't come near a trans-fat if you tried - and as Carbman says, products with them in have all but disappeared from most shops.

Keep at it!

Viv 8)

 

[Angeleyes]

Healthy saturated fats? :lol:

Harmful dietary fat

The two main types of potentially harmful dietary fat:

Saturated fat.
This is a type of fat that comes mainly from animal sources of food. Saturated fat raises total blood cholesterol levels and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, which can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. Saturated fat may also increase your risk of type 2 diabetes.

Trans fat.
This is a type of fat that occurs naturally in some foods, especially foods from animals. But most trans fats are made during food processing through partial hydrogenation of unsaturated fats. This process creates fats that are easier to cook with and less likely to spoil than are naturally occurring oils. These trans fats are called industrial or synthetic trans fats. Research studies show that synthetic trans fat can increase unhealthy LDL cholesterol and lower healthy high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. This can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Most fats that have a high percentage of saturated fat or trans fat are solid at room temperature. Because of this, they're typically referred to as solid fats. They include beef fat, pork fat, shortening, stick margarine and butter.

[Mayo Clinic advice about fats]

 

[borofergie]

Healthy saturated fats? :lol:

It isn't as clear cut as all that (particularly if you are a diabetic):

While many studies have found that including polyunsaturated fats in the diet in place of saturated fats produces more beneficial CVD outcomes, the effects of substituting monounsaturated fats or carbohydrates are unclear.[31][32] Current dietary advice recommends limiting saturated fats, though the scientific basis and usefulness of these recommendations has been questioned. Accurso et al. attribute the contradictory findings to the failure to distinguish between replacing saturated fats with either unsaturated fats or carbohydrates and suggest that while the former have recognized health benefits, "Replacement of saturated fat with carbohydrate, however, is almost always deleterious."[33] Frank Hu also believes that refined carbohydrates are a greater health risk than saturated fats, particularly for obese and sedentary populations, recommending a low intake of saturated and partially hydrogenated fats rather than a blanket recommendation to reduce total fat intake

From my own experience, I'd agree with Frank Hu. I'd much rather eat saturated fat than refined carbohydrate.

In 2010, a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies supported by the National Dairy Council including 348,000 subjects found no statistically significant relationship between cardiovascular disease and dietary saturated fat.

 

[carbman]

Results: During 5–23 y of follow-up of 347,747 subjects, 11,006 developed CHD or stroke. Intake of saturated fat was not associated with an increased risk of CHD, stroke, or CVD. The pooled relative risk estimates that compared extreme quantiles of saturated fat intake were 1.07 (95% CI: 0.96, 1.19; P = 0.22) for CHD, 0.81 (95% CI: 0.62, 1.05; P = 0.11) for stroke, and 1.00 (95% CI: 0.89, 1.11; P = 0.95) for CVD. Consideration of age, sex, and study quality did not change the results.

Conclusions: A meta-analysis of prospective epidemiologic studies showed that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD. More data are needed to elucidate whether CVD risks are likely to be influenced by the specific nutrients used to replace saturated fat. :thumbup:

http://www.ajcn.org/content/early/2010/ ... 5.abstract

 

[Grazer]

From my own experience, I'd agree with Frank Hu. I'd much rather eat saturated fat than refined carbohydrate.

+1 from me Borofergie! Interesting that reducing my refined carbs and increasing my saturated fats saw a reduction in my cholesterol levels from 5.5 to 3.8, with no change in meds.

 

[wiflib]

Same experience here guys.
Pre-diagnosis my total cholesterol was about 3.8 and last years results were about 4.9
However, the majority of that 3.8 was the bad stuff and the majority of that 4.9 was the good stuff. My trigs are 0.6!
My diet is very high in saturated fat, I go through about a litre of cream a week, butter, cheese and the fat from animal protein.
I know this is only an anecdote but add up all the anecdotes here and it must mean something.

wiflib

 

[viviennem]

Saturated fat? :shock:

Such as pig fat? Lard? Nasty greasy white stuff? Must be the worst of all! :shock: :shock:

According to the USA national nutritional database (http://www.nal.usda.gov), lard contains:
45% monounsaturated fat;
16% polyunsaturated fat;
39% saturated fat, of which 35% is stearic acid. This metabolises into oleic acid, which increases HDL (good cholesterol) without affecting LDL (bad cholesterol).

So if lard loses 35% of its saturated fat (let's call it one third, the arithmetic is easier)) to oleic acid, it actually contains 26% "harmful" saturated fat.

Beef fat (same source):
51% monunsaturated, of which 90% is oleic acid (see above)
45% saturated, of which 33% is stearic acid (see above);
4% polyunsaturated.

So beef fat contains 30% "harmful" saturated fat.

On the other hand, olive oil contains 16% saturated fat. You can't win, can you?

The whole subject is much more complicated than the simple term "saturated fat" makes out.

Like Grazer, my lipid profile is never better than when eating a low carbohydrate diet. It's carbohydrates which increase triglycerides, the worst bit of cholesterol. The best triglyceride reading I've ever had was 0.65, after 12 months on Atkins. I'm not back down there yet, but I intend to be very soon.

I don't gorge on fat, I don't deliberately seek it out (except mayonnaise - eggs and olive oil :?: ), but I'm not frightened of it, nor do I avoid it. I eat, as far as possible, natural , unprocessed foods (except Slimfast shakes :lol: ), and enjoy them.

To be quite honest, the thing that does most damage to my lipid profile is alcohol.

We need cholesterol to help us process sunlight into Vitamin D, which is essential for life. Our brains depend upon cholesterol to function, and there is beginning to be some evidence that low brain cholesterol levels are associated with Alzheimer's. I did say 'beginning', so don't panic yet! Google "Stephanie Seneff" and have a read.

There was a motto over the temple of Apollo at Delphi which translates "Nothing to excess". Not a bad idea really, if sometimes difficult to keep to. :wink:

Viv 8)

 

[Sid Bonkers]

The big fat debate again eh?

It is generally accepted that saturated fats are not good for you, I know a few mavericks will say different but the fact still remains that the vast majority of 'experts' will tell you that it is not a good idea to eat too much of anything especially fat.

Those on a ketogenic diet will need to increase their fat intake so as to give them the energy they need to survive and function normally they will also need to take vitamin supplements as a severe low carb diet of this sort starves the body of these vitamins that would normally be taken up from a more balanced diet., but those eating more than 30g of carbs a day do not benefit from extra fat as it is not used for energy unless you are in ketosis, the human body will always use the easiest available source and that is carbohydrate.

So like everything in this life eat fat as you always have but dont overdo it, it is no surprise to me at all that so many diabetics who call them selves low carbers struggle with their weight, quite simply it is because they eat too much fat and too many carbs, or in other words you need to cut your carbs down to below 30g a day in order to eat more fat, so drop the double cream and all that cheese unless you are in ketosis.

Oh and for those interested the 9lbs I put on over December and early January has been reduced by 5lbs so only another 4lbs to go to reach my fighting weight, all without having to increase my fat intake or stop eating carbs

 

[viviennem]

I know Atkins recommends vitamin supplements (and the Atkins Foundation makes a lot of money out of them!) but he specifically states that one of the reasons for taking them is because the poor soils that can result from intensive large scale agriculture mean that our food crops are often lacking in the essential vitamins and minerals we need.

I take a course of multi-vitamins and minerals at about this time every year. I take extra Vitamin D3 all year round, because we can't get enough from any balanced diet - though Atkins scores well, with the recommended intake of eggs and oily fish. I take extra magnesium for my blood pressure all year round. I honestly can't think of any vitamin that is only available from starchy carbohydrate sources, though many are available from the variety of low-carb, non-starchy fresh vegetables I do eat.

The diet recommends up to 14oz of salad and 14oz of other fresh veg every day, so I doubt if there's a shortfall from that.

Atkins also states, quite clearly, as I have also said before - as you increase the carbs, so you cut down the fat.

"Am I advocating a high-fat diet? Not in the long run. As you increase the percentage of carbohydrates, while advancing through the different phases of Atkins, the percentage and actual amount of fat you consume will diminish. However, as long as you are at the lower end of carbohydrate consumption, higher fat consumption poses no threat to your health".

from Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution p22, London 2003. The reference he gives for the final sentence is: Phinney, S D, et al, The Human Metabolic Response to Chronic Ketosis without Caloric Restriction: Physical and Biochemical Adaptation in Metabolism 32 (8), 1983, pp 757 - 768

You don't stop eating fat - you simply need to re-balance. A knob of butter on cauliflower is fine - too much butter on a slice of bread and the weight goes on!

"My" version of his diet, at the head of this thread, is Atkins' first stage of a weight loss diet that he discovered has the added advantage of controlling blood glucose levels. It's also the first stage of a lifestyle change.

I'm not sure that I agree with you, Sid, that 30g of carb is the upper limit for ketosis, but I'm not going to argue that here. And I certainly agree with moderation in everything - most of the time!

Well done with the weight loss! I'm almost relieved that you gained a bit over Christmas - makes me feel a bit better about mine! :lol:

Viv 8)

 

[Helenababe]

'Back in the days when 'man' began, the hunter/gatherers were coming home with their catch for the day'.

One hunter found his wife yeilding a home made knife, and he said to her: 'What are you doing?'
And she replied: 'I 'sense' that the fat on this meat is bad for us darling, and our children, and their children will not survive, so I'm cutting it off.'

Don't think so somehow....

Helena

 

[alliebee]

Now thats the best post of the day :lol:
well done helena....

Makes so much sense simplified