The Atkins Diet and Me (part two).
Some people have to try to make your life miserable, if you let them. It was obvious to everyone that I looked and felt better, but some people just have to try to spoil it. I was told: lots of people have died of kidney or liver failure after being on Atkins I read it in the newspaper; you will have a heart attack, it’s not natural; your cholesterol will climb sky high and you will need your toes amputated or you will have a stroke; it will affect your eyesight. All sorts of rubbish. So, I went to see my GP, who admitted that he did not know anything about the Atkins diet, but he also added that he had heard nothing bad about it either. He sent me for a series of tests at the hospital and the results were all satisfactory. He was happy that I’d lost 18 lbs and so was I. Six weeks later, I went for another cholesterol check-up, because of the high fat levels in the diet and, although my cholesterol level was up very slightly, the doctor said there was no cause for concern at all.
The Atkins diet warns that you might develop halitosis (bad breath). I don’t know whether I did or not – no-one said anything, but I started brushing my teeth four-five times a day just in case. I suppose that that’s another benefit of ‘doing Atkins’ – increased oral hygiene. It also warns of constipation. I didn’t get that either, although I didn’t give up black coffee, which has always been a laxative for me. But surely you can’t suffer from constipation if you eat about a 1lb of greens a day? I hadn’t been eating that amount of roughage before starting the Atkins diet! So my two main concerns did not exist.
After a couple of weeks I was getting bored not going out so much. Not with the diet, but because I’m single and am used to going to the pub (and drinking beer). So, I decided to treat this scientifically. One day, after work, I had three pints of Guinness and felt merry. Before the diet, I would have drunk five or six pints to feel the same. To my delight, the next morning the ketone stick told me that I was still ‘on the diet’. Over the following weeks, I really enjoyed finding out what would ‘work’ and what would not. I discovered that cider had to be avoided at all costs; some beers and some lagers were all right; red and white wine were OK. Consuming alcohol does not knock you off the diet, but it slows down your rate of progress. However, even slow progress is progress, I say. Better than giving up the diet or giving up going out.
Don’t listen to people who say ‘go on, just try a little bit’. They don’t understand or don’t want to understand how much they are setting you back. A body can hold two days worth of carbohydrates: one square of chocolate, one slice of bread, a bowl of cornflakes or one sugar in your coffee will cost you TWO days to clear out of your system. Just don’t let them do it to you. This is not a diet for stopping and starting whenever you you like. In fact I think that it probably could be dangerous to allow your ketone and other levels to fluctuate wildly. There are also high fat levels in the content of the Atkins diet, which is not dangerous if you stick to it, because you body consumes fat and cholesterol in the absence of carbohydrates.
The story ends at this pont, with me having got down to under 16 stone and keeping it there, until very recently when I moved to the Far East to live. Once I get used to the food and have my own house and own kitchen, I will get down to 15 stone, I’m sure I will ” with very little effort.
Well, there you have it … My grateful thanks to you, Mr. Blackwell, wherever you are these days, you changed my life and my understanding of food and drink with that book and thank you, Mr. Atkins too.
- Related posts:
- What Is The Atkins Grapefruit Diet All About?
- Dr Atkins Low Carb Diet Recipes
- How Safe Is The Atkins Diet To Have Fast Fat Loss?
- Atkins Diet – Is It Any Good?
- Can You Lose Weight Fast With Atkins And Get Results?