a1t3r3g0

What is it about human nature that causes so many people to follow all the latest fads?

All I hear now is pilates this, pilates that... WTF! What's wrong with some good ol' fashioned cardio exercises and weight training? More than half of the people on my AIM buddy list are girls, and one day I was going through checking peoples away messages.. pilates, pilates, pilates!
Through a quick google search, apparently this method has been around for some time... but it's really not doing a damn thing for any of these people who I know are doing it.

And I'm really getting sick of Atkins being everywhere. Low carb this, low carb that. Whoop dee do! The whole thing has scared people into thinking that carbs are evil. You better not eat that hamburger bun - it's a killer!
I also over hear a lot of people at the gym saying something along the lines of "oh yeah I'm on the Atkins diet, but I can't help but eat [insert high carb food product] all the time." Guess what? You're not on the diet then!!! Either do it or don't!

Eh, enough ranting from me. I hope that was coherent enough to understand. I'm a little on the tired side right now..

santafe5000

Sheep. Follow the leader. Alpha cows. Politically correct. People don't think for themselves anymore. That' s to difficult. Just watch the latest Oprah show or Dr Phil and you have the latest rage. I just stand back and shake my head, cause next week these same people will be off on something else. probably just the oposite of the fad this week.

__________________
When all else fails, QUIT.

Sleepyjack

hehe, yes! fully agree. It's all fads, marketing buzz words and techniques for everything.

Also, they seem to invent some new fuckin' ab machine each week. Like on the info-mercial (or whatever those advertising shows are called?) they hvae a new ab machine so often.

I also think, that people like t say these buzz words to impress others around them. Like you were saying yourself.
"At the moment i am doing pilates"
say it, it sounds nice, fresh and impressive, doens't it

I feel a lot of vegans or whatever like to do that as well. And then you find them eating fish later on and you think WTF. They just like to sound more impressive or part of something.

Although this is even more general, there's even a thing about going to the gym. My supervisor likes to claim he goes to the gym and workout, but he really doens't seem in the best shape. People like to advertise themselves as doing something, even though they don't really fully do it, just to sound like some hot-shot.

sorta contradicting what i just said, but my mum does pilates and showed me a few moves and it's actually pretty cool however i am not gonna go around claiming i do pilates or anything like that

PorscheBunny

Exercise some. Drink your water. Eat smaller meals more often. You will lose weight gradually.

Wanna lose it fast? Cut an arm off.

This advice brought to you by someone who still looks pregnant even tho she had the baby 18 months ago.

__________________
This post has been sanitized for your protection by the Ministry of Information of Oceania.

skysooner

Many people aren't very organized, so they flock to something that can organize them. Pilates is okay. So is yoga. I have tried many different things just to keep entertained doing cardio. Believe it or not, my first yoga session just about kicked my ass, and I'm in okay cardio shape (I do cardio 6 days a week now).

I look at weight loss or maintenance in a new light now. After losing 51 lbs since June and 62 lbs since last January, I know that weight loss/maintenance is a life long thing now. I prefer not to do Atkins as I could not possibly maintain that low carb thing throughout my life. I realize that Atkins has an alternate menu that allows more carbs as you go on maintenance, but it is still something I don't feel I would be successful at. Weight Watcher's was what finally worked for me. I can eat anything I want, but I just make adjustments if I'm going to eat something really fattening. I work out like a fiend so that I can have the extra stuff I like. I have been benefitted by a much better appearance, more energy, and constant comments about how much weight I have lost.

forseti-6

I hear your gripe on the Atkins. I did Atkins for a couple months - to kick start my "comeback." I lost 25 lbs in only a few months then I stopped it. It DOES work, and people see other people losing weight on it. People think hey if this guy I know can lose weight on it, so can I - And the fad begins. The problem is, it's so widespread, it too makes me sick. I was at TGI Fridays for dinner last week with my parents, and the first 3 pages are Atkins foods. Ok, so they're trying to make some more money capitolizing on that stuff, ok. Then I ordered some spinach dip thing for appetizer. I've gotten it before, and it came with chips. This time it came with vegetables, and I was like WTF? Turns out the waitress thought I ordered the Atkins version grrr.

Really gets on my nerves. But I'm glad I'm off it, I probably sounded like the "ooh 4 carbs, i can't eat that" Atkins' dieter when I was on it. I'm sure I made people sick.

__________________
"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." - Dr. Seuss

Averett

__________________
Absence is to love what wind is to fire. It extinguishes the small, it enkindles the great.

Tophat665

There is only one diet: Eat less and Excercise more. Atkins just dresses it up in fancy clothes and Pilates just takes it dancing. Put it this way, group mentality can be an effective substitute for self discipline. If that's what it takes for you to eat less and excercise more, more power to you. I'm just going to eat less and excersize more, though, because I understand that the Atkins diet can lead to a fractured skull.

__________________
Light a man a fire, and he will be warm while it burns.
Set a man on fire, and he will be warm for the rest of his life.

legolas

Atkins actually is huge. My mom is on it and has lost over 50 lbs and whenever I mention it to someone else I get this response "Oh my *insert random relation* is on it and lost *insert a ridiculous amount of weight*"
The reason it's such a big fad is because it works very well and very quickly. It only works as much as you do though. You can splurge every once in awhile (some think this is the key to staying on the diet in the long run) and gain that extra half pound or so then just go back and lose it again.
I must say that my mom is also moderately excersicing, but we're talking only like a mile a day on the tredmill.
And the restaurants have to keep up with fads if they want any business. Since atkins is growing, they now have a large portion of their customers unattended to.

__________________
"To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems."

BigBlueWrecking

The Atkins works if you want to lose all of your muscle too. It is a fad diet just like the rest of them, and is not good for you. Your cholesterol can jump through the roof, and many people gain the weight back. Carbs are a vital part of our diet. I think people eat too many of them, so cutting them back will help...but not to the point that Atkins suggests.

Some studies show eating carbs actually helps you burn calories if you are an active person.

Pilates is fine, it is the new Tae Boe kind of thing. I hear it can be pretty tough like many Yoga programs.

forseti-6

Contrary to many studies I have read, Atkins actually lowers your cholesterol level. It doesn't quite make sense to me how it does it, but that's what I read. Now of course some of these studies might have ulterior motives and might not be telling the whole story....

You say that the diet is not good for you. Frankly, I'd have to agree it's not good for the average healthy person. HOWEVER, the type of people going the Atkins diet aren't the average healthy person. The people that go on it are minimally moderately overweight to morbidly obese. In those cases, I think the Atkins is perhaps the best thing they can do - short of getting surgery. It's amazing what Atkins can do for these people. Aside from the obvious weight loss, their confidences rise. They feel like they are in better shape. Overall, it's a win-win situation.

__________________
"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." - Dr. Seuss

legolas

My mom actually does have cholesterol problems, but it's just another thing to watch after. She has it down and is keeping it down.
And part of its appeal is the fact that the weight is lost so quickly. It makes people feel good about themselves again on many levels. It seems to work for a lot of people, so I don't see the problem.

__________________
"To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems."

lordjeebus

I think Atkins is popular for the same reason as diet pills. People are looking for a quick and easy fix for their problems, and they're willing to take risks to avoid a slower, more effortful approach.

I've seen mixed data on Atkins so I'm not sure what I think of it, but when I feel the need to lose weight (albeit I'm not out to lose 50 or 100 pounds) I just eat a little less, cut back on snacking, and exercise more. I'd rather go through that trouble over a long period than miss out on my favorite Japanese and Chinese foods.

BigBlueWrecking

Fast weight loss is not good for anyone's health. It might make them feel better, which is great....but long term it can do serious harm. Really the goal in life should not be wieght loss, rather body fat loss. The easiest way to lose weight is to lose muscle, which is what happens most in the Atkins diet.

Most fitness instructors will tell people not to weight themselves more than once a month (yep that is right). They say if you want to measure progress use a tape measure around problem areas (most likely waist). You can weight 250 lbs and be 10% body fat. Who would care that you are 250? That is what people should really target and not get tricked by fads. We will see where all of these people are in 5 years who are losing weight with the Atkins....most likely on the Atkins again killibg more of their muscle.

a1t3r3g0

Interesting article... http://www.guardian.co.uk/medicine/s...125659,00.html

Galloping gout is blamed on fad diets

Stephen Khan
Sunday January 18, 2004
The Observer

In the nineteenth century it allowed cartoonists to poke fun at portly old gents with throbbing big toes. Now, however, gout is no laughing matter for a growing band of much younger men and women.
Rates of the incurable disease, once synonymous with outrageous, upper-class over-indulgence have more than doubled since the 1950s and experts are predicting a further surge as more people enjoy excessive lifestyles at an early age.

While carrying too much weight greatly increases the risk of gout, shedding weight quickly can also spark the condition. Rapid action weight loss plans such as the Atkins diet, which cut out entire food groups, are already precipitating attacks.

Gout strikes when uric acid builds up in the body to such an extent that the kidneys are unable to flush it out. The acid crystallises, then collects around joints. In 70 per cent of cases the first area hit is the big toe, to which crystals are drawn by gravity.

Gout can cause excruciating pain and lack of mobility. Eventually, crystal build-up can wear down joints to such an extent that they are rendered useless.

Famous victims of the arthritic condition include numerous Dickens characters along with real-life sufferers Henry VIII, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Immanuel Kant, Samuel Johnson and Thomas Jefferson. Another, Benjamin Franklin, described it as an enemy which 'would not only torment my body to death, but ruin my good name', such was gout's association with alcohol.

Ian Phillips doesn't drink any more. He's only 30, but the security guard at Heathrow Airport has been plagued by gout for seven years. 'I was 23 when it began,' he said. 'I thought I had a broken ankle, or perhaps a sprain. But the pain was too extreme for that. It went undiagnosed for four years. When the tests came in I couldn't believe it. I thought, "How have I got gout? That's a disease rich old folk get."'

Phillips had a fairly stable diet and hadn't touched alcohol since the age of 20, but for four years beforehand he'd been in the Royal Navy and admits to having drunk heavily. Often, though, there is a hereditary factor and Phillips's grandfather was also a sufferer. When he was diagnosed, Phillips was teased by friends, but since then his condition has worsened and they have seen just how debilitating a condition it can be. 'The pain is hard to describe. I'm a 6ft 3inch doorman and security guard, but it has had me in tears.'

Ankles, knees, elbows, and shins are all affected. He has spent lengthy periods in hospital and, on occasions, has been confined to a wheelchair. 'I started a new job last year and I had a bad attack soon afterwards, resulting in two weeks off work. It's embarrassing, but what can I do? I'm afraid that I will soon become unemployable.'

Many more women are now having to deal with the disease. Once, there were vir tually no female gout sufferers, but now one in five people with the disease is a woman.

Shelly Rees-Langley had her first attack in the middle of the night. She was 38 years old. It came shuddering up from her big toe. 'It was excruciating,' she said. Her husband rushed her to hospital and the hospital diagnosed it as gout. It was Boxing Day and hospital staff asked Rees-Langley if she'd been indulging over the festive season. She had not. But she had been dieting.

Dr Michael Snaith of the UK Gout Society, a charity which was formed a year ago to raise awareness of the growing affliction, believes the type of gout sufferer is changing and that many more women will develop symptoms in coming years.

'It is almost inevitable that younger women will start to develop gout because they are getting fatter and binge-drinking,' he said. 'I expect to see a lot more women with gout, as they are behaving more like men in their eating and drinking habits.'

About 0.5 per cent of the UK population in the Fifties suffered from gout. The latest figures suggest that figure is now around 1 per cent - 500,000 people.

Dr Snaith added that the Atkins diet could precipitate gout, because, as a high-protein diet, it burns off fat and produces lactic acid. It then joins a queue of acids waiting to be expelled by the kidneys and uric acid levels remain high. Crystallisation follows.That is what happened to 40-year-old Richard Jaques.

'I'm an ex-rugby player and carry a bit of weight,' he said. 'I went on the Atkins last year.' The side-effects of the diet triggered an attack. Jaques is hit by three or four bouts of gout a year, but the Atkins-led episode was different. 'Normally it comes on quickly, but when I was following the Atkins it built up slowly over three weeks. By the end I was in a lot of pain.'

thingstodo

Adkins, Fadkins - well (get it??)! Your car needs gas and your body needs carbs. It's that simple to me.

Looks like everyone focused on Fadkins and not pilates, so let me chime in.

My wife, who got me into lifting about 10 years ago, got into yoga since she was meditating. One thing lead to another and she became a yoga instructor. Since then, she has considered getting certified in pilates since yo can make so much money. The thing is, she found it is very much like yoga - just another version.

So, my point here is that anything that streatches your body and aids in improving balance is a good thing. I lift pretty heavy and never stretched to the degree I do now since I have an instructor in the house. And I feel much better as a result!

__________________
If you're wringing your hands you can't roll up your shirt sleeves.

Stangers have the best candy.

legolas

I didn't know about the gout. When I asked my mom about it she said she didn't use the specific form of Atkins. She just used it as a guide. Her form of it doesn't risk gout nearly as much.

__________________
"To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems."

pocon1

I heard this somewhere, I forget where: "Pilates is yoga without the sexy positions".

raeanna74

My Mom did find some success from the Atkins diet. She did end up with gout from it. She has since seen the Dr and been tested for 47 different food allergies. Once she dropped those foods from her diet she was doing much better than even with the Atkins diet. The reason for that though was simply that she was allergic to many of the things that the Atkins diet already left out. She was on her allergy diet with Atkins before she knew what she was allergic too. Now she's been trying to do her allergy diet AND Atkins at the same time and she's making herself sick trying to do it. I keep telling her she needs to just eat right and listen to her body more. She often will eat a food until she's stuffed instead of listening to her body and realizing when she's had just enough food to be satisfied. These fad diets should all be done in conjunction with seeing a Dr. That's where many people have trouble is that they don't keep their Dr informed of their habits and seek their advice.

__________________
"Always learn the rules so that you can break them properly." Dalai Lama
My Karma just ran over your Dogma.

legolas

All diets should be done that way. Good point though.

__________________
"To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems."

forseti-6

You're right. That is a good point. Which makes me really wonder, why the Atkins NEVER warns that before you start. I have looked at the book, seen ads, gone on the website, I don't believe I have ever read about consulting a physician before going on it. Makes me wonder....

__________________
"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." - Dr. Seuss

legolas

But how many diets do suggest to consult a physician? That's not rhetorical either, I really know nothing about it.

__________________
"To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems."

Boo

Atkins works. I am on day 3 induction and plan to lose 10-15 lbs in the next 3 weeks (= to 7-12 pounds after I rehydrate).

If you plan or know someone who plans to do Atkins BE INFORMED. Read everything twice. Know about supplements.

Remember: Low carb does not equal No Carb!

__________________
Back button again, I must be getting old.

forseti-6

That's a very important thing to remember. I did the atkins for a short while. Every time I would go out to eat with my parents my dad would say my "no carb diet" and I would get mad. Because it was totally incorrect. I feel some people believe it is a no carb diet, and are putting their health in jeopardy.

__________________
"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." - Dr. Seuss

FishKing

Atkins is not for everyone but it works for many. Exercise is always good but GOD did not make everyone the same. Some people eat more fat to lose fat and that is the THICK of it.

Have a nice day Eat less carbs.

Plan9Senior

I love carbs and I love the way it helps put muscle on my body MMmmMmm. Not sure why some of you would want to sacrifice them, just eat low GI carbs and restrict the high GI ones.

Bekkle

Atkins is perfectly healthy, if one is on it for a short amount of time. It works well, I can say that from personal experience. I was on it for two months and lost thirty pounds. I was on it again recently for two weeks and lost ten pounds.

If your body does not get carbohydrates, a big source of energy, it turns elsewhere for something to break down. It goes for fat. This makes a lot of sense. Being on it for more than a month at a time is probably not a good idea, though, and people on it should ALWAYS take multivitamins.

The reason it's popular is because it works, so I guess you'll just have to deal with the obnoxiousness of it.

Also, someone said you'd lose muscle along with the fat. This isn't true! Protein is what makes your muscles recover from strain (after a workout) and protein is the main nutrient one eats on the diet.

forseti-6

Correct me if I'm misunderstood, but isn't it protein that puts muscle on our bodies? It's the carbs that fuel our bodies.

Edit: BTW what is GI?

__________________
"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." - Dr. Seuss

Sleepyjack

haha, GI is an interesting one, in that it's been around for years although i have noticed a huge influx of mentioning it when advertisers sell products on TV. To me, it seems to be another health buzz word albeit it is actually useful to know about.

Anyway, it's all about the rate in which energy is released and the rate in which the carbohydrate is broken down in your system/blood stream. Low GI foods release energy more slowly and hence give you a sustained amiount of energy, instead of a quick buzz and also make you feel "fuller" for longer.

as for actual quantities and presices measurement, i don't really know much about that. however wholegrain breads etc where you can actually see the grains etc are low GI. The more the food is process and refined, it seems, the higher the GI as they're removing natural elements of the carbohydrate that woul naturally be broken down in your sysetm, i guess?

ok, i found this site, which will probably be better than me drivelling off of the top of my head

http://www.glycemicindex.com/

Iliftrocks

yadda yadda yadda, I will use the stair stepper and lift my weights and eat food. Somehow I know it will fail. It is much too simple to work........

MMMM, brownies

__________________
bill hicks - "I don't mean to sound bitter, cold, or cruel, but I am, so that's how it comes out."

Strange Famous

I thought South Beach was the new diet?

I always figures the thing about burning more calories than you consume made the most sense.

Ive always been able to lose weight counting calories, I just find it really really hard to stick to it medium or long term

__________________
"Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate,
for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven. For nothing
hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain
without being uncovered."

The Gospel of Thomas

forseti-6

Due to laziness I'll just ask rather than search, but what exactly is the south beach diet?

__________________
"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." - Dr. Seuss

Bekkle

South beach is just a rip-off Atkins. It's doing without carbs for a few weeks and then slowly nursing yourself back onto them.

Plan9Senior

They work together in that carbs are the fuel that enables me to push my muscles hard so that when I refuel them with protein they will grow.. hence why I said "I love the way carbs help put muscle on my body" . Hope that clears things up.

Here is a site that will explain GI (Glycemic Index):
http://www.glycemicindex.com/

Skettios

Atkins has been working for me.

I've lost 55 pounds, and I've gained muscle.

My only concern is this, someday I want to stop doing atkins, and eat normally. Before I started atkins I was at school, drinking 3 days a week, exercising everyday, and eating what I wanted. I lost 25 pounds doing that, and would like to get back to that lifestyle (with less drinking). If I stop doing atkins and add carbs back into my diet, will the weight come right back, even if I'm exercising?

__________________
Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies.

Frederich Nietzsche

Phaenx

Atkins is just a new spin on the same old thing, it pretty much just tricks you into eating less calories. I go on it every now and then and it does work, so I wouldn't knock it because it's popular.

Being an individual is good, but there's a line to cross when you step into being an anti-social asshole.

__________________
"I went shopping last night at like 1am. The place was empty and this old woman just making polite conversation said to me, 'where is everyone??' I replied, 'In bed, same place you and I should be!' Took me ten minutes to figure out why she gave me a dirty look." --Some guy

Blackthorn

One thing that makes no sense to me is the anti-carb craze that's invading everything including the fast food places which seems ironic. The fast feeders will serve you mountains of trans-fats but now it's whooooah on the carbs.

High quality, complex carbs in the form of brown rice, whole wheat bread (not the enriched kind), sweet potatos and other vegetables that are low glycemic are still the best way to go.

Managing portion sizes is also something that at least in the U.S. we struggle with. Eat frequently and go with smaller sizes. Have an apple instead of a snickers bar. Drink water instead of a soda and of course turn off the television once in a while and the pounds will start to disappear :-)

http://www.bodyforlife.com/ - I'm not a fanatic about Bill Phillips and his supplments, etc but the nutrition information is sound.

__________________
What are you willing to give up in order to get what you want?

smarm

South Beach advertises itself not as a low carb diet, but a good carb diet. You can eat many veggies, even during the "induction" phase (Phase I). You are restricted from all breads/pastas/grains/fruits/dairy products/and alchohol during Phase I (Which is 2 weeks). After 2 weeks you phase in more carbs, fruit, and dairy. Red wine is also allowed during phase II. Most refined starches (such as white bread) and deserts are still not allowed in phase II. Phase III is the maintenance phase where you can add in most things, but in moderation.

The SBD is concerned with blood sugar and insulin (it refers the Glycemic Index mentioned above many times), much the same as Atkins, but it is more rational about things like transfats and cholesterol.

I have found that it works, mainly because it is fairly easy to follow, you don't get hungry on it, and you see weightloss right away.

forseti-6

No. As long as you are burning more calories than taking in, you won't gain weight.

__________________
"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." - Dr. Seuss

Skettios

WOOHOO! On my way to the gym!

__________________
Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies.

Frederich Nietzsche