atkins center visit (long)

[Guest guest]

I was perusing one of the many low carb bulletin boards I frequent and

thought this post was very interesting and wanted to share it with you all!

This is the URL where I found it:

http://www.lowcarbcafe.com/cgi-bin/HyperNews/get/usr/www/lowcarbc/httpd/htdo

cs/hn/forums/forum23.html . Posts #9, 10, & 23

Hope you enjoy,

Start quote:

I haven't been posting much lately due to phone line problems, so hope to

make up for it with this.

Yesterday was my checkup at the Atkins Center. I always learn so much

interesting stuff from my PA there, Paris, who does the follow-up

appointments. Here are the highlights:

1. Of interest to everyone here is that the Internet is still the only

decent source for Splenda, and will be for another year. That's because

they are stockpiling the product in order to do a media

blitz with it next fall. That's right, we have to wait a whole year, but

then it will show up everywhere, and along with it many new products

sweetened with it. I don't know about you, but I'm counting down the days!

2. Although she was pleased with my progress, I told her that I had hit

another plateau this summer, apparently from hormones. I waited it out ok,

but I asked her if it was ok to do the fat fast the next time that happens.

She said that would be ok, but told me about another diet, the 4-Day Diet,

that would also work and get you back into ketosis. Although Atkins prefers

the fat fast, I think folks here would be interested in it because it's not

as extreme as the fat fast, and also because it allows some fruit which we

otherwise do without. So it might be a refreshing change of pace. She says

they are trying to figure out why it works - possibly the acids. I know you

will see similarities to the 12-Day Diet. I will post the diet separately

in my next post. (Don't thank me - just send money) Oh, and post if you

try it to tell us your results.

4 Day Diet for plateaus

Here it is, direct from the Atkins Center (but don't expect to see it in

the next edition). Eat ONLY what is listed, and nothing else, not even any

form of salad dressing when it says salad:

Every morning: 1/2 grapefruit, black coffee or black tea

Day 1 lunch: 8 oz broiled steak, lettuce & tomato salad Day 1 dinner: 2

hard boiled or scrambled eggs, 1 cup green beans, 1/2 grapefruit

Day 2 lunch: 8 oz lamb or beef patty, lettuce salad, 6 oz tomato juice or

tomato Day 2 dinner: steamed squash, cauliflower & green beans, 6 oz sugar

free apple sauce. If you prefer, repeat day

1 dinner.

Day 3 lunch: 8 oz lamb or beef patty, lettuce and celery salad, 1 apple

(medium sized) Day 3 dinner: 8 oz broiled chicken, white meat only; stewed

tomatoes, 4 oz prune juice (the latter only if constipated)

Day 4 lunch: 2 scrambled eggs, 1 cup green beans, 6 oz tomato juice or

tomato Day 4 dinner: 8 oz broiled steak, lettuce salad, 6 oz pineapple juice.

Then return to Atkins on day 5. Remember, don't put any dressing on the

salads. This should put you back into ketosis.

3. Getting back to the Splenda thing, she told me that it's been in Diet

Pepsi and she thought also Diet Coke in South America for some time. I

imagine they needed the stability of sucralose due to the heat the products

are subject to down there. I wonder why we are the last to get it? Do you

think it just might have something to do with our lawsuit happy citizens -

and they want to be sure it's totally safe before introducing it here?

4. I also learned that I was considered pre-diabetic based upon the results

of my sugar levels last spring. So I know I will never leave this way of

eating, even if I don't lose another pound. Something to think about if you

have this in your genes.

5. We discussed the 20-20 show earlier this week, and how it was a much

fairer presentation this time. We agreed that Atkins seems to get a raw

deal most of the time, but by the sheer numbers of people having success

with his diet the tide should be changing. She told me that all the newest

diets - Sugar Busters, Protein Power, Suzanne Somers - originated from his

diet, although he is never given the credit.

6. I asked her how she maintains (I knew she had been on the diet herself)

and she sort of does a Heller type thing, limiting her carbs to the evening

meal and trying to keep a good balance in that meal.

7. An amusing (to me) anecdote: I had a friend with me at the center. She's

never been on Atkins, but pulled out an Almond Joy as she waited for me.

Somebody passing by scolded her so badly that she was afraid to eat it and

put it back in her purse.

8. On a personal note, I had decided that after 13 months of low carb I was

going to break out and have something totally off plan while in NYC. We

went to the tearoom at Saks and I ordered the tea, which includes little

sandwiches, cookies, scones, etc. I later regretted the order and wished I

had ordered the salmon. Although the scone with clotted cream tasted

wonderful, I couldn't eat much of anything else - I've honestly lost my

sweet tooth! I felt funny in my head from what sugar I did eat and got a

leg cramp on the way home. But it did teach me a valuable lesson, and I

sent the leftovers home with my Almond Joy friend.

9.I was telling my PA how eating salmon seems to have a very positive

effect on my arthritis. She sited studies that are going on now (I think

she said Framingham, but not sure) by a heart specialist. When asked what

one thing a person could do to protect the heart, he answered, " Eat salmon

3 times a week. " My PA said she often makes salmon cakes for breakfast -

just canned salmon mixed with eggs, fried in butter. When she makes them

for dinner she adds chopped

veggies to them.

203/165/130 since 9/98 Yes, I'm a turtle, but I'm enjoying the journey.

End quote.