Atkins Diet ?

[dananne]

This is an interesting thread. My wife did the Atkins, and lost quite a bit of weight. She went off it and gained much back. She didn't have the stomach to take it on again, so she's South Beaching it right now.

Unfortunately, she's not of the body type or lifestyle where she can adjust her activity level to burn the amount of calories needed to hold at a good weight -- she'd have to work out 3 hours a day, and already works about 12-14 a day. When discussing her body type, she says she's Darwinianly evolved to survive famine. I, however, would be hard-pressed to survive one.

I'm vegetarian (meaning I've gone the complete opposite direction from her Atkins-ish diet, making our dinners particularly difficult -- I'm also pretty certain I'm the only one on this board), but I've been lucky enought to never really have any weight problems. I'm an active competitive soccer player, eat healthy, and almost without trying stay at about 119 (I'm just shy of 5'6"). That drives Anne almost insane, and I'm no longer allowed to weigh myself in her presence.

From what she says, the Atkins diet works if you do it right, and the cholesterol stays low if you limit the fat.

Quijote referenced a great read above with Fast Food Nation. I also agree 100% with the above post about portions. The portions we eat in this country, especially when dining out, are truly absurd, and they're shockingly higher than they were in, say, 1950. My God, everything in this country seems supersized today.