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To: Skeeter Bug who wrote (143849)	7/17/2002 4:52:16 PM
From: craig crawford	Respond to of 164684

>> craig, it is more extreme than the zone. << well i like to equate 'extreme' with revolutionary. george orwell said, "in a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act". so when people label the atkins diet exreme, or they call me extreme, it doesn't bother me one bit. simply telling the truth in this day and age is revolutionary or 'extreme'. >> also, many people never get out of the induction period b/c they have short attention spans. that isn't atkins' fault, but it is a reality. << i guess i don't understand what you're saying here. it's only supposed to be for two weeks. many people lose 10-15 pounds right off the bat. that should spark their interest and attention. i think that is maybe why atkins puts the induction phase in there. just to prove to people that you can eat plenty of fat, meat, butter, cheese, and shed pounds very quickly. just to shock their senses and make them pay attention. i can't imagine people lose their attention span after dropping that much weight that quickly. >> he previously tried atkins and didn't like it at all. he was one of the 40% that don't like atkins and one of the 90% that do like the zone. << i don't deny that some people have tried atkins and don't like it for whatever reason. probably the most likely reason is because america is in the throes of carbohydrate addiction. it is very hard to break free from that addiction to flour and sugar and convenience foods out of a box, and dr atkins wants you to go cold turkey. most people are so lazy and want food that they can just grab and take on the run. you can't really do that with atkins, and also you have to learn a whole new way of eating. people are so used to having bread with their meat, or potatoes with their steak, or rice with their chicken that it takes effort to learn new recipes and prepare good tasting food. since the zone isn't as restrictive, you can spend less time with your food preparation and also have more food choices. americans lack time and discipline in this day and age. the zone is more forgiving in that department so of course some people are going to like it better. dr atkins has the courage to say, i don't care how much you like that bread or how cheap and easy it is to boil some pasta, you shouldn't eat it. of course many people aren't going to be happy with giving stuff like that up, so if dr sears tells them you can still eat some of those foods as long as you cut back, people are going to be pleased. i bet if i cooked for these people they would probably like atkins, because i take the time to use spices, herbs, and natural fresh food to make good tasting meals. most people don't make time in their day to prepare a rich and satisfying meal. >> you s/b glad for the zone b/c it ISN'T that carbo nonsense and is quite similar to the moderate ideas behind the atkins diet. << heh, i don't hate the zone. i just need to argue with you about something, and i prefer atkins and you prefer the zone so we have something to debate. >> it DEFINITELY adds value to some people. << i will readily admit that the zone diet is preferable to the standard american fare, although less preferable than atkins or protein power. >> No, you probably won't run 40 miles a week while in Ketosis, at least I couldn't [craig, do you run 40 miles a week in the ketosis miracle state?]. << we have been through this over and over. it takes your body a few weeks to ramp up the enzymes needed to switch to burning fat as your primary fuel, rather than carbohydrates. you may experience a lull for the first week or two, but after a few weeks your endurance actually increases to a level greater than when you started the low-carb diet. dr sears even referred to a study in his book showing this. so perhaps some people feel they don't have a burst of energy for the first week or so. their body is in total withdrawal from carbohydrates, caffeine, and other stimulants and it takes a while to adjust. most people i know who make it past the first week or two tell me they feel vastly increased levels of energy. lastly, i know of many people who are too stupid to even know how to follow the diet correctly. perfect evidence is those people on e-pinion who were shooting sugar-laced whip cream into their mouths from a can and then claiming they were on the atkins diet. many many people i know follow most of what atkins says, but they don't give up their coffee or caffeine. or they suck down gobbs of artificial sweeteners because they haven't broken their addiction to sweets. they eat lots of meat, but they don't eat fresh meat. they eat meat that is convenient and in a can like spam. they eat hot dogs. they eat bologna. because it's quick, cheap, and easy. they'll lose weight all right, but they might not feel well because processed or canned meats are not going to have the nutritive value and they are laden with chemicals and preservatives, which can make people feel awful. furthermore, many other people gloss over the fact that while you are on the two-week induction phase, you are supposed to eat a generous salad and or vegetables every day. many people think the atkins diet is all about eating meat and cheese and butter and eggs and you can just skip the salad part. you don't need to eat the salad to lose weight, you can lose weight just eating meat all day, but eating the salad will add many vita-nutrients (and hardly any carbs) which will make you feel better as you are losing weight. that is why i am much more interested in analyzing the scientific merits of the diets than trading anecdotal stories.