Have you ever seen a FAT CHIMPANZEE?

[Streetcorner Philosopher]

I hope everyone's doing well!

I think many people here need a brief lessen in nutrition. (Nutrition and good health does go hand in hand with Atkins, right?) This board desperately needs a Nutrition czar. Out of sheer boredom, I hereby appoint myself. Don't worry this will be short and fun
This next paragraph is important...please read it carefully....and let it sink in. If you can grasp this next concept, weight-loss will suddenly make more sense to you:

For those of you struggling with weight-loss, you must know that losing weight is more than simply counting carbs....it's a bi-product of BECOMING HEALTHY. See, your body recognizes when you are TOXIC. Years of hotdogs, doritos, nachos and root beers have corrupted your bloodstream. This corruption not only occurs in your blood and in your tissues, but also in your individual cells. When the cells of your body become corrupted (toxic), your body attempts to transport them as FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE FROM YOUR VITAL ORGANS by lodging them in your fat! The more toxic you become the fatter you will get! This is simply your body's own defense mechanism. This is why when people go on a DETOX DIET (mostly fruits and vegetables) they almost always lose weight as a bi-product. Fruits, specifically are HIGHLY detoxifying, which means they are good at transporting toxins out of your system. (Grapefruit diet, anyone?)

Now in contrast, I've heard of people who've "snacked" on a pound of bacon a day. That's over 700 calories in addition to their other food. This same person would scoff at the idea of eating a large Apple because it "has too many carbs in it." Does this strike anyone else as ridiculous?

Likewise, why would any sane person refuse to eat any wholesome, natural foods like "high-carb" bananas or mangos, yet happily chow down on half a bag of low-carb, highly toxic cookies?

Or why would someone would happily eat a large greasy cheeseburger (without the bun), yet shun a fresh orange?

I'm amazed at the lack of good air-time fruits get on this board. Even In the Atkins for Life it says, "Plums and other relatively low carb fruits such as grapefruit, kiwis, peaches, and apples are a great low carb way to satisfy your sweet tooth while also getting a good dose of fiber and a healthy amount of vitamin C, potassium, and other important nutrients....fresh fruit gives you the magic combination of low Net Carbs and nutirition." Yet....on this forum fruits are rarely mentioned.

See, the concept of healthy weight-loss is simple: if you simply switch from processed foods, crackers, breads, cereals, pre-packaged and other junky foods, and switch to a mostly whole foods diet you'll see an almost immediate difference in how you look and feel. This is because you are not simply losing weight, you are HEALING FROM THE INSIDE. In other words your body is able to rid itself of toxins and the layers of fat that is storing them. (There is no longer any use for the fat since the toxins have been transported out of your body)

Of course switching to a whole foods diet can't happen overnight. My experience is that eating habits are best changed slowly. So just keep it in mind the next time you grab for that sausage link or put your hand in a bag of low-carb chips.

Be sure and stay tuned for next week's lesson: How to lose 15 lbs of toxins with colonics! (Hopefully this post won't get me banned again!)

[speedygt03]

I just have one question....
I've never talked to you or responded to any of your posts.

If you are against ATKINS why are you here? Every post I've ever seen from you, is something negative about it...Is there nothing else that you could be doing?

On a side note: I'm pretty sure people arent going to wake up, come to ADBB and start a thread "I ATE AN APPLE TODAY" I'm sure there are people on OWL who are eating apples, though not on induction like alot of us. Just because people dont talk about it, doesnt mean its not happening.

[ttdriver]

We don't need a nutrition Czar.


Betty

[Momtofour]

Many of us here are still trying to lose weight. There are some who are at goal or close to it and enjoying more fruit selections, they just don't talk about it much because they know most of us can't have it yet. I for one will eat a wider selection of fruit again, but not until I am close to goal and then I will monitor how my body handles it. Meat has always been one of the staples of the human diet along with vegetables and fruit. This is an Atkins board, thus we will keep posting about the meat and veggies that we eat. I'm sure if you visited the Maintenance board you will find more people eating the fruit that you want to hear about.

[matawguro]

Originally Posted by Streetcorner Philosopher

I hope everyone's doing well!
Or why would someone would happily eat a large greasy cheeseburger (without the bun), yet shun a fresh orange?

Because a fresh orange a day for a week caused me to gain weight.

Going up the OWL rungs showed me that I am very sensitive to fructose. Ironically, I seem to tolerate lactose pretty well. I can take a cup of yogurt a day and still lose weight.

Before I started on Atkins I had an uncle who drastically reduced his meat intake and increased his intake of bananas. He had no idea why his weight suddenly went up. Now I know why.

My mom who is diabetic. Recently she had a few pieces of lanzones (no idea what they're called in English) a relative brought over from Bangkok and her blood sugar immediately shot up to dangerous levels.

Climbing the OWL ladder showed me which foods I can take and which foods I can't. Fruits is one food group that my body can't tolerate, mainly because of the fructose. The other nutrients from fruits I'll just have to find elsewhere.

And yes, I've seen a fat chimpanzee on the Discovery channel.

[Streetcorner Philosopher]

Originally Posted by matawguro

Because a fresh orange a day for a week caused me to gain weight.

Going up the OWL rungs showed me that I am very sensitive to fructose. Ironically, I seem to tolerate lactose pretty well. I can take a cup of yogurt a day and still lose weight.

My mom who is diabetic. Recently she had a few pieces of lanzones (no idea what they're called in English) a relative brought over from Bangkok and her blood sugar immediately shot up to dangerous levels.

hmmm...strange because I eat at least 3 apples per day (that's 90 per month) along with plums, berries, pears (etc) and I stepped on the scale today and it said 156.1 .... I've not gained a single pound in the past 4 months. Of course I don't supplement my fruit intake with any processed foods or other sugars. Maybe that's the difference.

As far as diabetes goes, fruits are complex carbohydrates which means they actually HELP regulate blood sugar. They're satisfying because of their fiber (NET carbs, anyone?), they fill you up, and they're actually good for diabetes because they don't generally cause a rapid rise in blood sugar like processed foods do unless you overdo them.

I realize everyone's body and metabolisms are different. I also realize fruits do have some sugar in them. I'm not anti-Atkins...(in fact I quoted his words about the benefits of fruit in my post.) However my post was for people who are STRUGGLING on their current regiment (see 3rd paragraph). I simply wanted to point out the correlation between a toxic foods and weight gain.

[Brook]

I hear what you're saying and I agree with a lot of it - to a point.

I think the point you're missing is that the vast majority of the traffic this board gets is from Inductees. That's why the Induction and Extended Induction forums get the traffic they do, and they surf this forum too

Fruit is fabulous for us. When I drop down to Induction levels or lower rungs of OWL to jump start fat loss, I miss it terribly - but while this board does give Induction a *lot* of 'air time', so to speak, it's never remiss in making sure everyone here knows that Induction is NOT the entire Atkins WOE. There are plenty of posts where people are advised to move to OWL. I know cuz I've made some of them

That said, there are several rungs before the fruit rung (excluding berries and melons, of course) that must be negotiated before people indulge in higher glycemic fruits, and that's according to Dr. Atkins - who's plan, remarkably, is the one we're all following.

Things that strike me from your original post and are likely the ones getting a reaction from people here:

I've heard of people who've "snacked" on a pound of bacon a day. That's over 700 calories in addition to their other food. This same person would scoff at the idea of eating a large Apple because it "has too many carbs in it." Does this strike anyone else as ridiculous?

Yes and no. I'll speak to both.

No- because in the beginning stages and for sometime afterwards it's about getting rid of the cravings for sweet/starchy/generally carby things that trigger a LOT of us to eat a helluva lot more than 700 calories in a day. It's also an extreme example that in my 3 1/2 years on this board and others like it I've rarely, if ever, seen. Does it happen? Absolutely. Is it a daily thing? Well, I'm not so sure. However, if it helps someone get through the first stages and bury their cravings - good for them.

Yes- Because nutritionally, 700 calories in bacon vs one 74 calorie apple only makes sense. - Assuming you're in a place that the 74 calorie 17 carb apple doesn't trigger a 2074 calorie binge. The truth is that for a lot of us starting out, it would.

Or why would someone would happily eat a large greasy cheeseburger (without the bun), yet shun a fresh orange?

Why does the cheeseburger have to be large and/or greasy? That's just more of the same old anti-Atkins/lowcarb garbage.

That aside- 4-5oz of lean ground beef with 1oz of natural cheese on it is going to stick to my ribs a *lot* longer than an orange will. If I choose to eat the orange, not only does it have the potential to cause cravings for me, but it also comes with the liklihood I'll be eating again soon anyway because my body will process it MUCH, MUCH faster. With me, so far?!

Again....is the orange a better choice? Depends on who you're asking.
Your focus on things like low-carb chips (read: junk food) isn't something that's touted here on these boards at all. We emphatically emphasize whole, natural foods from start to finish. Period.

Colonic? Thanks but...no thanks.

I already have a nutrition czar. His name was Robert Atkins. Perhaps you've heard of him?

Have a great day, SP

~Brook

[sadie147]

If you are referring to the post about quick breakfast ideas where you were told you should not have recommended an apple with honey for a quick breakfast...That person requested an quick INDUCTION breakfast, and you've been told this several times. I don't think anyone is anti-fruit, on this board, however most of the questions are from newbies, or people that are in induction. I'm sure most maintainers, myself included DO include fruit in some form in their diets. but the maintainence forum is not the busiest as most maintainers aren't asking the questions...the inductioneers, and those on extended induction are. And those fruits are not allowed until higher rungs on OWL. I believe that whole grains are very important, as are the oils in nuts, but i don't recommend someone on induction eat a peice of whole grain toast every morning for breakfast, or a 1/4 cup of almonds? They will get to those phases, and those important foods will be added to their diets in OWL. Atkins has rules, if you don't follow them, it's not atkins. I'm not sure why you seem to have such a problem understanding this?

I'm not saying what you are doing is wrong, on the contrary, if it works for you..that's wonderful. But this is an Atkins board (something that has also been mentioned to you several times as well), so it should be by the Atkins rules.

[Streetcorner Philosopher]

Brook,

Thanks for the great reply...you are obviously well informed.

I love intellectual conversations. So many people here just get mad and take things so personally. They don't seem to want to listen to anything that's not congruent with their pre-formed way of thinking. I find an open dialog and viewpoints from all angles makes the topic at hand so much more interesting. I love learning things. I've done an incredible amount of research regarding health/weightloss. What I'm repeating here is not something I've made up in my head, but a condensed version of tons of research.

Dr. Atkins was a visionary that blew the lid off all conventional weight-loss theories. As far as I'm concerned he is pure weight-loss genius. However, there's more to life and more to good health than simply losing weight. Weight-loss is simply a symptom of being unhealthy. I think too many dieters have "weight-loss goggles" on....which causes them to only focus only on losing the weight. What they should focusing on is getting/eating healthy. When you learn to reverse bad eating habits on a regular basis, your health will improve and your weight will naturally drop.

[not2late]

FACT: It is a common myth that chimpanzees are "vegans". In fact, chimps in the wild eat ants, grubs (larva of insects), monkeys (ask Jane Goodall who filmed this hunting event) and even other chimpanzees (refer to Jane Goodall). Secondly, have I ever seen a "fat chimpanzee"? I've seen an overweight one in the zoo. Unlike their wild counterparts, zoo chimps don't have to walk or swing miles to get their food, don't have to walk or swing miles to get to their camps, walk or swing miles to get away from predators. Although zoo chimps have exercise equipment (like bars, balls, and other exercise toys), they don't get nearly the exercise and as a consequence, they need to be on highly regulated diets.

FACT: Atkins is a multi-phase diet. The first phase is the most restrictive phase. The remaining phases are not and re-incorporate higher carb foods like fruits, starchier veggies, whole grains and legumes.

FACT: This board is not "anti-fruit". But whenever a person says "I'm on Induction and I need some food ideas", we tailor our advice to the Atkins Induction Rules and Acceptable Foods list. Whenever a person says, "I'm on the legume rung of OWL. How can I incorporate kidney beans into my diet?", we give phase-appropriate advice. And we ask that everyone give phase-appropriate advice.

FACT: Robert C. Atkins was a proponent of eating minimally processed and refined food since the 1960s. In his earlier books, he wrote how diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease soared when processed foods like margarine and white flour were incorporated into the standard American diet. The advice on this board follows Dr. Atkin's philosophy about that---which is partly why you don't see us advocating "low carb" processed foods like bars, shakes, etc. etc.

FACT: The people "who snack on one pound of bacon daily". In my experience, these people are the ones who are still in the bargaining mentality of their diet. Just like this poor sole who wanted to know if it was okay to hollow out a baked potato and eat only the skin. http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...ead.php?t=8323 (Baked potato question)

Ok...I know baked potatoes and this site don't mix too well, but I was just curious about something: If I were to bake a potato and carve out all the white part and leave nothing but the skin, does anyone know if that part is also loaded with carbs?

My thought was that I could take the skin, add some butter, grated cheese, chives, a bit of sour cream and some real bacon then toast it in the oven. Yum.

And this:http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...ad.php?t=10022 (Am I the only one?)

But I've lost nearly 20 pounds in 4 months. The thing is I don't think I'm near as strong as most people on here claim to be. Am I the only one who occasionally indulges in sweets or on hamburgers (with the bun)?

I mean really. Can you really go MONTHS without even having a bite of this stuff?

The thing is I seem to be losing weight no matter what I eat now because my stomach is so much smaller and can no longer fit the vast quantities of food that I used to. Also I make a point of stopping long before I feel over-full. This way I can eat small portions of virtually anything.

Now granted, I can't make a meal out of rolls or pancakes. But I certainly can have a small side of potato salad or a tiny taste of mac & cheese. Heck I can even eat a Hershy's chocolate bar (or Snickers) for lunch! Not the healthiest of snacks but at least I dont gain weight.

Thanks to Atkins, I have changed my life for the better. Everything is different and better now. I believe everything I've read in that book. It's all very logical. But to me it's still boils down to portion control. I'm consuming a third of the food I used to eat. I believe THAT'S why I've ultimately lost weight. How about you? How MUCH do you eat now compared to before? (I do, however feel I'm eating much HEALTHIER overall thanks to Atkins.)

I don't bring any of this up to try to be a rebel or make anyone else question their game plan. I bring it up because time and time again I see people on these boards claim perfection in their diets...and then ridicule others for not wanting to be perfect, too. And I don't believe Doctor Atkins envisioned a WOL that involved perfection.

Or they are people who think that Dr. Atkins meant you can stuff yourself like a Thanksgiving turkey like this person: http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...ead.php?t=8666 (How FULL do you get?)

The sidebar question is how full do you get at each meal? On a scale from 1 (being still hungry) to a 10 (being pleasantly and happily full).

The only reason I ask is because my wife and I both have been on this plan for over 3 months now. We're both down in weight....in fact we're almost to our goal weight. But we've both noticed a pattern in HOW MUCH we eat and what the scale says the next morning. (makes sense.)

But for example, I've noticed that eating a meal of roasted chicken or ham and cheese (no carbs) puts more weight on me -- than say -- two pieces of whole wheat bread w/some peanut butter. (We weigh ourselves every morning.)

These are also the people who have a tendency to get upset with the advice they are given and the "testimonials" from other folks who "do it by the book". And so they post quotes from a book dealing specifically with the maintenance phase of Atkins to justify their deviations during the weight loss phases:
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...ad.php?t=10137 (All Perfect People Stand Up!)

Ok, I got pretty slammed pretty good in my first post entitled "Am I the only one" when I asked if other people really NEVER indulge themselves in an occasional treat. Not only do I not believe most of these people, but I think that this philosophy of NEVER eating highly enjoyable foods is absolutely ridiculous. Maybe even unhealthy. To back me up, I refer to page 78 of Atkins for life:

"Some people have the metabolic and psychological ability to have, say, a tiny piece of cake or a couple of crackers and stop there. Then there are those who know that if they have even a taste of such foods, they may veer out of control. Most of us land somewhere in the middle. Fortunately, the ever growing array of controlled carb foods means that doing Atkins needn't mean a lifetime sentence of never enjoying a sweet treat, like chocolate, or the satisfying crunch of a savory chip."

Elsewhere: "Realistically, does this mean you will never again have a piece of birthday cake or dip a conventional crispy cracker into a dip at a party? Of course not, but you have to know where you stand in terms of deviations."

So sorry Street Corner Philosopher, it's hard for me to take your self-appointment as the ADBB "Nutrition Czar" seriously, when you have shown little grasp of nutritional knowledge or knowledge about the Atkins Diet.

I congratulate you for losing weight by following your own low carb diet. But as the others have said, this is an ATKINS diet board and the advice given pertains to the ATKINS diet. It would be morally and ethically irresponsible if we did not do that.