Letter from Jess Meyers

wrote:
"Matthew P. Cummings" wrote:


Those who cry GENETICS are those who do not have the will power to do a
proper diet. I admit there are those who truly do have medical problems,
but not all that cry it.

Lets use you for an example because I already posted my info, how many
calories do you consume in a day before and during your diet now?



Ok, I'll try. I must admit I don't know the exact amount of calories
I have been consuming before and during the Atkins diet, so the
following is just a good guess.

I would have to say that my caloric intake is probably doubled from
what it was before I started back on the low carb diet. This is
because before, I ate cheaper foods that were relatively low fat.
Things like baked potatos and fruits are comparatively very low fat
and not unreasonable in calories. My experience has shown that a low
fat, high carb diet results in weight gain.

However, with a high fat, low carb diet, I'm eating lots of zero carb
ice cream, fatty steaks, hamburger, bacon, sausage, eggs, cheese,
hotdogs and the like. A gram of fat packs a lot more calories than a
typical carb. I frequently have a bowl of popcorn consisting of 2
tablespoons of kernels with 3 tablespoons of butter and 4 ounces of
velveta cheese melted over the top of it. And Yes, despite all the
calories and fat, I'm losing weight. Popcorn does have a lot of carbs
(about 20 as described here), but I don't eat that more than a few
times a week.

The most serious problem with the low carb lifestyle is the expense.
Now that its catching on more, the price of meat products has gotten
unjustifiably unreasononable. Zero carb ice cream runs about $5 a
half gallon.

But getting back to your question, all in all, I would have to say
that there is good reason to beleive that I'm consuming at least
double the calories and still losing weight.

I'd have to see some records to believe you have doubled your intake and
are losing weight. I'm not saying you are lying, I just don't think you
have the data to know. Many studies have shown that people who don't
actually record their intake make guesses that are pure fantasy.

I certainly believe that some foods are metabolized better than others,
or have calories that aren't easily extracted (they end up in the
commode in other words!), but I really question a 2:1 change and have
never seen any documentation that such a large delta is possible.

Keep in mind that it is simple physics. Energy in = Energy out + stored
energy.

If you double your calories and don't gain weight then you must be
doubling your energy out. The question is where is that going? There
are really only a few places it can go. It can be used to heat your
body, but unless your body temp is now a lot higher on the Atkins diet
than before, it isn't being consumed here. It can be used to do "work",
which basically means move your body from place to place. If you are
doing a lot more exercise than before the Atkins diet, then this is the
most likely use of the extra energy. The other place it can go is down
the crapper. I may be forgetting something, but that is about it.
There simply isn't any magic place in your body where energy can just
disappear. It has to be accounted for somewhere, and if it isn't being
stored as body fat, then it goes to one of the three places above.


Matt

Matt Whiting wrote:

I'd have to see some records to believe you have doubled your intake and
are losing weight. I'm not saying you are lying, I just don't think you
have the data to know. Many studies have shown that people who don't
actually record their intake make guesses that are pure fantasy.

The volume of food I eat has remained about the same. Its what I'm
eating that's changed. My guess is that the fact that I'm eating more
fatty foods and less starchy foods has caused my caloric intake to
increase. I have also eating a lot of stir fry recently to get the
much needed fiber. The catch is that I cook it with about 1/4th cup
of oil which becomes part of the meal. That is, one pound bag of
stir-fry plus 1/4 cup oil plus 4 hot dogs or sausages equals one meal
for me. (Not counting the ice cream for desert).

I certainly believe that some foods are metabolized better than others,
or have calories that aren't easily extracted (they end up in the
commode in other words!), but I really question a 2:1 change and have
never seen any documentation that such a large delta is possible.

Unless I hear a better theory than mine, I'm sticking with it. Fat is
a complicated molecule and we can't burn fat - we burn glucose - which
is a simple carb. Complex carbs, such as sugar and starch, are very
easily converted into glucose. Howver, fats are a much more complex
process.

To reiterate my theory, I believe that carbs are necessary to
metabolize fat. Without carbs, the fat just goes down the toilet.
Given the drastic results that some people have realized with atkins,
its kind of like a knifeless stomach staple.

Another thing is that if you don't get sick or weak within the first
few days of starting the diet, then you're not doing it right. The
weakness subsides as your body gets accustomed to consuming body fat
and not direct carbs. Its kind of like having the reverse gear on
your car rusted stuck because you never use it.

One final note, both Pepsi and Coke have come out with half-carb
beverages. I'm not sure what they are thinking, but here is what I
found out. Pepsi is sugar and sucralose. Coke is sugar, acesulfame K
and aspartame. So obviously, Pepsi is a healthier product.
Unfortunately, I can't have either one because they contain sugar, but
diabetics are allowed to consume limited amounts of carbs. So
Pepsi-half might be a good thing for them. Nevertheless, Diet-Rite is
better than both.

Dennis.


Dennis Hawkins
n4mwd AT amsat DOT org (humans know what to do)

"A RECESSION is when you know somebody who is out of work.
A DEPRESSION is when YOU are out of work.
A RECOVERY is when all the H-1B's are out of work."

To find out what an H-1B is and how Congress is using
them to put Americans out of work, visit the following
web site and click on the "Exporting America" CNN news
video: http://zazona.com/ShameH1B/MediaClips.htm

I never heard of anyone get SICK starting atkins. weak and tired yes,
but not sick.

I've lost 50# on atkins, gained back about 10 over the holidays
(couldn't resist!) and am slowly getting it back off again (not getting
as much exercise, but wait til Oshkosh...).

Any diet must be a lifestyle change, not lose your weight then go back
to your old eating habits that made you fat in the first place.

John

wrote:

Matt Whiting wrote:


I'd have to see some records to believe you have doubled your intake and
are losing weight. I'm not saying you are lying, I just don't think you
have the data to know. Many studies have shown that people who don't
actually record their intake make guesses that are pure fantasy.


The volume of food I eat has remained about the same. Its what I'm
eating that's changed. My guess is that the fact that I'm eating more
fatty foods and less starchy foods has caused my caloric intake to
increase. I have also eating a lot of stir fry recently to get the
much needed fiber. The catch is that I cook it with about 1/4th cup
of oil which becomes part of the meal. That is, one pound bag of
stir-fry plus 1/4 cup oil plus 4 hot dogs or sausages equals one meal
for me. (Not counting the ice cream for desert).

Guessing is a very accurate method.


I certainly believe that some foods are metabolized better than others,
or have calories that aren't easily extracted (they end up in the
commode in other words!), but I really question a 2:1 change and have
never seen any documentation that such a large delta is possible.


Unless I hear a better theory than mine, I'm sticking with it. Fat is
a complicated molecule and we can't burn fat - we burn glucose - which
is a simple carb. Complex carbs, such as sugar and starch, are very
easily converted into glucose. Howver, fats are a much more complex
process.

To reiterate my theory, I believe that carbs are necessary to
metabolize fat. Without carbs, the fat just goes down the toilet.
Given the drastic results that some people have realized with atkins,
its kind of like a knifeless stomach staple.

The short-term gains have been impressive in some people, but I don't
know of any who have doubled their calorie intake and still lost weight.
Some recent studies over the longer-term have shown that Atkins has
essentially no long-term advantage over other diets.

Matt

Rob McDonald wrote:

Matt Whiting wrote in
:


Ernest Christley wrote:


Matt Whiting wrote:

It's a medical problem that has always existed, ...

Baloney....


Matt



From: http://pwp.value.net/~fitness/wghtnews.htm#10

"In a study of 11 individuals who were highly resistant to weight loss
while dieting, researchers measured all of these individuals' activity and
food calories for 14 days. The individuals also kept a log of their food
and exercise activities. At the end of the experiment, the research showed
that these individuals under reported their food calories by 47% and over
reported their exercise calories by 51%.

Prior to testing, these individuals believed their inability to lose weight
was due to a low resting metabolic rate and other metabolic factors. They
were distressed to learn tests showed their metabolisms to be normal.

These results are in agreement with many other studies showing individuals
oftentimes mis-report and consequently mis-perceive their actual food
intake and exercise activities."


Rob

Yep, you simply can't argue the physics and chemistry. Even a very
efficient body, still needs a certain number of calories to keep itself
warm. If you cut back on the calories far enough, you WILL lose weight!
There is simply no way to avoid it. The hard part is cutting back the
calories and/or increasing the calorie consumption. At least it is hard
for me.


Matt

Something I have found useful for controlling diet is the DietPower PC
program.
www.dietpower.com

You set up a target weight reduction schedule, log food eaten and exercise
taken along with daily weight records. It continually adjusts for your
metabolic rate from this info to give you target calorie intake to track the
weight reduction schedule.

Works for me- information is everything.

There is also a similar program for Palms- EatIt.

Stuart (enjoying the free additional 5hp) Parker
ZK-JAW Airborne Edge 582
www.sparxfly.co.nz