Well, here goes, for what it’s worth. You seem to be strongly against a controlled carb diet such as Atkins and that’s your choice. You say your a trained professional, but why do you object to this alternative so much. Is this part of your training? You may not believe it, fine. Then I will continue to promote it to those who still are left wanting due to your dislike.
“Atkins and controlled diets aren’t the holy grail,”
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- No, and they aren’t good nutrition either. I know you’re happy with what you see, but I don’t know why you’re so impressed. Please read on…
“but I truly think something else was wrong with people as well.”
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- Sure, they were overweight and out of shape, like about half the people who come to me. But the ones who eat a sensible diet don’t have the same challenges, and have more energy. Diets high in carbs can leave people wanting, craving and overeating. I believe that carbs and the insulin reaction they cause greatly contribute to this. I rarely am “hungry” on a controlled carb diet and this helps to keep me from the wantings, cravings and overeating.
“Once the body becomes acustomed to burning fat as it’s main fuel source, this shouldn’t happen.”
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- I’ve tried to tell you before, Sean, the body CANNOT become “acustomed to burning fat as it’s primary fuel source.” The demand on the liver is far to great. Yes, you tried to tell me before and when I said primary source I didn’t mean only source. This is something that can be tested. I haven’t done so, but will. My Doc authorizes labs whenever need them, so no problem. Do you request labs of your customers to customize a dietary plan for them?
“I know nothing about these said people, but something tells me that they weren’t very far into their ‘fuel conversion.’”
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- No, they weren’t, and they also weren’t very open to listening to a trained professional until AFTER they had a problem. Proper training can cut the weight off you just as fast, and NOT put the excessive load on your liver, and give you A LOT more energy. Controlled carb plans take time. This liver thing really bugs you. If this has been part of your training, what’s your source?
Me: “I’ve also seen people get truly ripped and lean eating 65% carbs.”
You: "I totally believe it. But, How old are these people, What’s their metabolism, bodyfat, etc.
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- Well, most of my clients are in their late thirties of older. I personally am 53 and 9.6% body fat. Your metabolism is whatever you make it. OK, I’m 37 and 14% fat. My goal is 10% or less and I can be as fit as you when I get to be 53 as well. Doesn’t it dissapoint you that you are the exception instead of the norm in today’s society?
“I think most amateur athletes eat like pros. I did and I continued to look the same, an overweight AG triathlete.”
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- Maybe you need a better coach? You caught me here. I have no coach.
Me: “In terms of race performance, I’ll put my money on the guy eating the carbs every time.”
You: “This, too, shall come to pass. I feel that in the near future we’ll see a new fitness boom that will be led by the controled carb movement.”
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- I’ll take that bet, and retire on the winnings. You can fool some people’s bodies some of the time, but you can’t win a race on the Atkins Diet, Sean, YOU JUST CAN’T EVEN HOPE TO DO SO. Atkins does allow carbs, so this winner may have already won. It’s not no carb, it’s controlled carb eating.
“You’ll see far more truly healthy people and they will flock to sports like triathlon to give them a challenge beyond the everyday workout.”
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- No, because of the points mentioned above. Atkins can make you lean, but it won’t make you healthy. If it’s the only way you can control your weight (and it IS NOT, but if you’re only open to the answer you want, then it’s the only way YOU can control YOUR weight) then it’s better to be lean than fat, but that aside, Atkins is still VOODOO nutrition, and BAD FOR YOU. You said it yourself, “it’s better to be lean than fat.” I concur. You think it’s Voodoo nutrition and bad for us and you haven’t said why. This can be tested and used to prove you wrong.
“I’m a MOPper. Started there and haven’t improved much since being on Atkins since 4/21/03.”
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- I’m an FOPer, and I do well on lots of carbs. I have the utmost respect for you and your abilitites as an athlete. Your views on controlled carb eating though are unsubstantiated.
“But, I’ve lost 25 lbs, look great, feel great and am starting to see muscle striations I’ve only dreamed about and veins are popping up all over the place.”
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- I guess I’m happy for you, but I know what you’re doing isn’t healthy. Then again, if you’re well into the program, it’s just a high protein diet and not too far from Zone. See, you like The Zone and realize that Atkins changes over a period of time. Now how can that be all bad?
“Plus, I’m starting to race Cyclosross and still have aspirations to complete my third marathon Dec. 7th. (Achilles’ Tendon is being bothersome).”
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- That AT might be a sign of bad nutrition… Perhaps, but how many athletes on “regular” diets have AT problems? Many.
“My overall health is excellent as determined by my BP (controlled with meds)”
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- Do I really need to comment on that bit in parentheses? You need meds to control your BP, and your overall health is excellent? Helllloooo? So you have a problem with people if they “claim” to be healthy if they use meds? Jeez. Don’t tell your clients that, I smell lawsuit. I had this problem WAY before this diet. This point is person specific. With two parents with hypertension, i guess you could say I’m genetically predisposed, but far healthier and more active than my parents were at this age. My father needed coronary bypass surgery in '87 at age 66. He’s still alive, but now he has Alzheimer’s type dymensia. Man, I’ll do anything to avoid that.
On the one hand, you say you’re not an expert, but you’re pretty darned opinionated. I’m a professional, and I just shake my head. MOPer taking BP meds thinks he’s in great health thanks to Atkins… Yep, I’m opinionated. As are you. You keep mentioning your a professional. Great. All that means is you get paid for what you do. That doesn’t make you an expert. Your expertise ends at your first failure. Life is full of failure and the true experts are the ones who can learn from them and prosper. I want to give people choices based on my experience and you want to take them away (by admonishing your clients that they are bad by doing Atkins and not listening to you). If that’s the soup, I’ll have the big, juicy steak and a salad.
You provide your own best rebuttal. We truly want the same thing, we just don’t agree on the route.
