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**sadgpokx** · 10-06-2009, 08:08 PM

I'm with you guys, my general sense of well being is much better and a host of mystery ailments I took for granted as a part of getting older are simply gone since I started this - and I'd say most of it is NOT directly tied to the weight loss at all. In other words, I do not believe that something "normal" like weight watchers would have conveyed the same health benefits if I somehow (miraculously) managed to lose the same amount of weight on the program.

There are people who want to use Atkins as a tool, not a way of life. Something along the lines of "If I do this crazy program for 6 months, I can lose enough weight to look good for , and then I can go back to a "normal" way of eating.

Maybe the 'normal' way of eating affects everyone differently, but for me personally switching back would lead to such a decreased quality (and very likely quantity) of life, that I never, ever intend to go back.

Disclaimer: Technically I've changed to following more of a protein power/primal WOE than straight Atkins, but they're very compatible and follow the same core principles.

Hindsight is 20/20, and I don't want to rant, but from my current vantage point, it's hard to understand how the "common wisdom" continues to be so widely accepted.

Almost everyone acknowledges that we have a growing obesity problem, but the more we try to apply a "food pyramid" style of solving it, the worse it gets. Overweight people are generally looked down upon, either for "overeating" or "being lazy". While potentially true in some cases, after my own experiences I have to wonder how many people are stuck in a catch 22 - eating a low fat / carb heavy diet... which is causing the very thing they were trying to fix/avoid in the first place!

I truly think this is a period in our history that will be looked back by future generations in much the same way we look back at the people who believed the earth was flat or that night air caused people to get sick. At least I hope that's the case. The other alternative is too depressing to contemplate.

10-06-2009, 08:08 PM	#7
sadgpokx Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 552 Senior Member	I'm with you guys, my general sense of well being is much better and a host of mystery ailments I took for granted as a part of getting older are simply gone since I started this - and I'd say most of it is NOT directly tied to the weight loss at all. In other words, I do not believe that something "normal" like weight watchers would have conveyed the same health benefits if I somehow (miraculously) managed to lose the same amount of weight on the program. There are people who want to use Atkins as a tool, not a way of life. Something along the lines of "If I do this crazy program for 6 months, I can lose enough weight to look good for , and then I can go back to a "normal" way of eating. Maybe the 'normal' way of eating affects everyone differently, but for me personally switching back would lead to such a decreased quality (and very likely quantity) of life, that I never, ever intend to go back. Disclaimer: Technically I've changed to following more of a protein power/primal WOE than straight Atkins, but they're very compatible and follow the same core principles. Hindsight is 20/20, and I don't want to rant, but from my current vantage point, it's hard to understand how the "common wisdom" continues to be so widely accepted. Almost everyone acknowledges that we have a growing obesity problem, but the more we try to apply a "food pyramid" style of solving it, the worse it gets. Overweight people are generally looked down upon, either for "overeating" or "being lazy". While potentially true in some cases, after my own experiences I have to wonder how many people are stuck in a catch 22 - eating a low fat / carb heavy diet... which is causing the very thing they were trying to fix/avoid in the first place! I truly think this is a period in our history that will be looked back by future generations in much the same way we look back at the people who believed the earth was flat or that night air caused people to get sick. At least I hope that's the case. The other alternative is too depressing to contemplate.
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