Gyrobob
Serious Thumper
Offline
Posers ain't motorcyclists
Posts: 2571
Newnan, GA
Gender:
|
Quote:The point was that, regardless of the name, the diets are extremely similar. I find the WB diet to be nearly identical to the Atkins diet, but with a more thoroughly constructed rationale. Of course, it's now 40 years since Robert Atkins developed his diet and newer technology allows for more accurate analyses. Since this thread is based on an extremely carb limited diet, comparisons to preexisting diets which are extraordinarily similar are obvious and natural and therefore would be expected to be in the thread. Honestly, the only real difference I see with WB is the explanation/reasoning for it... not the diet itself. Yes, there are some similarities. In fact, for some folks who I knew would never take the trouble to study this stuff (and I knew they had a passing acquaintance with Atkins), I would refer to WB as Atkins with no grains,... just so I could either depart or start discussing something else.
With WB, the avoidance of grains, especially wheat, is not a perfunctory difference. It is HUGE. Taking wheat (and all other grains) out of the diet altogether separates the two schemes by miles. Also a significant difference between the two is how easy it is to stick to the system. See the appetite bullet below. -- Atkins is mostly just low carb,.. which is a good idea, very healthy, and so forth. I did Atkins properly, starting in 2003. I averaged about 50 carbs daily for nearly a decade. Lost some weight, fixed up a blood yeast problem, enjoyed it overall,... but it required constant self-discipline and will-power, which, I will admit, became a habit after a year or two. -- By "outlawing" any wheat, and most grain intake, WB goes way past low-carbing by removing all the toxic and addictive effects of wheat. I know this is just one anecdotal case, but I know personally how this works. I did it. I went from low-carb with wheat/grains to low-carb sans wheat/grains and had a set of life changes I never thought possible. --- Appetite noticeably diminished. Hunger pangs gone. Apparently wheat really does have appetite stimulants in it. This effect here is what makes this system so much easier than Atkins. No self-discipline required. Will-power is not necessary. You are truly liberated from the constant distraction of worrying about and planning bkfst, lunch, and din din. --- Joint pain and stiffness markedly reduced. I ride motorcycles and fly gyrocopters,.. the ability to crank my head around in traffic to look for other traffic behind me (like I did in my 30's) is huge. Also, I can now squat down to work on something for a while, putting a load on my knees, ankles, and lower back, and pop right back up again. No popping, creaky joints. --- Lost some weight, 12 lbs. Now 204 lbs on a 6'3" bod. From less appetite maybe? Burning fat instead of carbs? --- No more pounding violent headaches (this after 40 years of several of these brutal headaches per week). --- Tinnitus diminishing (I'll admit this might be from not taking aspirin anymore). --- Bruises and cuts heal faster, but, again, this might be from no more aspirin. --- After decades of inconsistent fecal combat (up to and including IBS), I now enjoy a serene, gentle, and tidy regularity. --- No more allegra, since allergy symptoms have abated. Sinuses are much more open now. --- Skin problems way better. Some previously itchy/scaly areas (elbows, nose, ears, heels) are smooth now. No more fingertip cracks. No more metal rashes,.. after three decades of not being able to, I am wearing a wedding band again. --- More stamina/energy. --- No more melatonin, sominex, etc. Now when I hit the sack, a few minutes after my head touches the pillow, I am out. --- No more caffeine required in the morning. This newfound energy level has replaced my need to get the brain started after waking up all groggy. --- No more geographic tongue. Look it up. It's icky. --- No more heartburn. Good-by tums and tagamet. --- Blood pressure decreased from pre-hypertension to around 120/75.
Anyway, the biggy here is all these benefits are the result of low-carb WITH wheat/grains changing to low-carb WITHOUT wheat/grains. Life is better now.
I am not diabetic, but on the Wheat Belly FB page, over the past few months, there have been many (50?) people explaining how after a few to several months of wheat-free, grain-free, sugar-free, low-carb living, they are literally not diabetic anymore.
Use whatever labels you want and compare it to any other schemes,... Atkins, p-word, Weight Watchers, whatever,... The big deal here is what happens to folks when they do these five simple things: 1. no wheat 2. no grains 3. no sugar 4. Low, consistent, moderate carbs (40 to 70 daily for the average person) 5. Moderate (or more) exercise.
|