Jealousy among South Beacher's and Atkins for my success?

[Eppy]

Hi all. On a board that I frequent, we all decided to band together and give each other support for our weight loss plans. Everyone could do what ever they wanted, but we would report our success each week. We started out with about 25 people...most doing South Beach or and Atkins type diet. I was the only McDougaller. I had to read through endless talks about how bad carbs were for you and read all of their high fat menus for the day. I just kept posting my weigh loss and what I was eating. When I would try to explain how carbs are NOT bad for you and it only makes sense that fat makes you fat, I got poo-poohed!!!

Well...

Guess who is about the only one left still reporting and STILL losing weight?? I am down 28 pounds now since mid August. The others have become silent one by one. There is another lady doing weight watchers, who is going fairly well too, but all the others are gone. I also get the feeling they are not too happy with me. Hmmmmmm!?

[momof4]

Good for you for your weight loss and for being able to handle that board. No, I don't think others really care to hear about our success--they want to believe good things about their bad habits, and they don't want to hear that you can be healthy without meat. Perhaps they'll file your information away in their memories, to be remembered at some later date!

At this point in my life, I don't even want to be in a conversation about nutrition with someone who's either not on the same page as me, or who's not genuinely interested in hearing about a plant-based diet.

[Eppy]

I understand what you are saying. I found that to be very true the last time I lost all the weight. It seems that all around me were people wanting to lose weight and struggling. It was so easy for me and I would tell them what I was doing and the next thing I knew, they were trying to get me to eat things that were bad for me, or saying things like, "This little bit won't hurt". Even my family, who had been after me to lose weight for YEARS and were delighted that I was thinner would try and get me to eat the wrong stuff. I did get to the point that I wouldn't discuss it anymore and I guess that I will be there again shortly. It's just so hard...when you have something in your hands that could change their lives and they won't bite (punk intended ).

[Berry]

I also get the feeling they are not too happy with me. Hmmmmmm!?

or maybe they are disappointed, and unhappy with themselves. most people are more often concerned with themselves than with others, I think. especaly when they are troubled or sick. hopefully they will eventually find answers and be open to them like some of us have been able to.

[DavidMR]

Eppy,

That is a really great story!

For some reason, my doctor keeps mentioning the South Beach diet. I've told him that some experts consider it to be among the most dangerous of fad diets. I don't think he hears me.

--David

[Eppy]

My husband is also doing McDougall and they are having a challenge at his work place to see who can lose the most by Jan. 1 Like my situation, most at his work are doing South Beach or Atkins. He is winning too. What makes makes his situation even more interesting is that he is an MD. He recommends McDougall to all of his patients!

[margiereilly]

My sister(two years older) and I started out dieting when I was fifty. I went to the McDougall program for my fiftieth birthday and she started Atkins. She lost more weight. I still outweigh her but here is the rest of the story that I am sadly having to report:

My older sister developed neuroendocrine large cell cancer and three years later, she has stage four liver cancer. Yes, she is 133 pounds and I am 190 but I am healthy, brimming with vitality, my cholesterol is 138 and I have never felt better. Am working on the pounds issue.

However, I truly believe that Atkins is so terribly destructive and dangerous. I could not convince her to stop it and even now she is high protein. I tried my best but I consign her to God and expect soon, short of a miracle to be going to her funeral. I am so sorry I could not help her see the destructiveness of that Atkins diet. If anyone out there is doing high animal protein, I beg you to learn a lesson from my dear sister's fate.[/b]

[Eppy]

How sad, Margiereilly!!!! I too believe that Atkins is terrible for you and am always trying to convince people to stay away from it...AND gastic by-passes!!!!!

My husband came home tonight and said that one of the nurses who had been giving him a hard time about what he was eating (she was following Atkins), went out and ordered TWO of Dr. McDougall's books today!!! Perhaps there will be help for her!

[Gramma Jackie]

I have tried both the South Beach and the Atkins diet and of the two I can tell you without a doubt that the South Beach is the healthier because it allows you to eat plenty of veggies, nuts and legumes right from the start. Also, after the first two weeks (Phase I) you can eat oatmeal and whole grains including whole wheat bread and brown rice on the South Beach Diet. It is also MUCH lower fat than Atkins. It does allow dairy products and meat but stresses low fat dairy and lean meat. The problem with the SB diet is that weight loss (if any) if very slow. I personally don't see how this diet could be dangerous but I don't think it's very effective at weight loss either. Atkins on the other hand only allows 2 cups of salad and 1 cup of green vegetables during the first two weeks (induction). This throws you body into a state called ketosis. I can testify that is a bad state to be in. If affects different people in different ways. My legs ached horribly. I had injured my knee from a fall and thought my pain was mostly from that, but when my OTHER leg started to hurt, I knew something was wrong. I think I had severe postassium or magnesium loss. As soon as I added more carbohydrates back the pain went away. Even though I lost 10 lbs. during Induction, as soon as I started adding a few carbs back my weight loss came to a complete halt. So for all my trouble, I just lost 10 lbs. There are other side effects of Atkins like severe constipation (although some people have the opposite probelm), hair loss and other things. I minored in Anthropology in college and the draw I had to low carb diets was that they are touted to be like the diets of our primitive ancestors and so the biologically best way to eat. I have since decided that I do not want to eat like a cave man (or cave woman in my case). Afterall the average lifespan of our ancient ancestors was less than 30 years old!