Vegetarian Diet or Atkins
 

If you had to choose a diet, which would you choose?

I'm vegetarian, so I'm sure I'm biased, but ignoring all the ethical/environmental/health issues, the idea of choosing to eat hamburger all the time over spaghetti completely boggles my mind. The deli near where I work now splits its counter space 50/50 for potato chips and pork rinds.

EDIT: whoops, the vegetarian choice should include eggs.

Meh..I'm a vegetarian who eats fish and tries to consume carbs in moderation...that's my choice.

But, if I had to choose only from your poll, I'd skip the fish and drink more protein shakes or something....

I voted no opinion, but that's actually a lie.

mod·er·ate ( P ) Pronunciation Key (mdr-t)
adj.
Being within reasonable limits; not excessive or extreme: a moderate price.

The key to life :)

I voted Atkins, but I love pasta, so that would be a little annoying.

I would NOT give up steak, though. Nope.

My opinion is neither of the above, but no opinion really covers it. I have seen many of my friends lose a bunch of weight on Atkins only to gain it right back again when they went back to eating the way they used to. One friend lost 50 lbs in 3 months and then put it back on in 4 weeks. A vegetarian diet is a good thing, but it can also cause some problems with getting enough of certain vitamins that you need. If you are well versed in nutrition, a vegetarian diet works, but again if you go back to eating meat afterwards, you are more likely to gain significant weight. I am just about a point where I'm going to maintain (losing 84 lbs in 9 months now). I'm currently 5'10", 170#. The way I did it was simple. I cut my calories and fat intake and started working out. I haven't eaten fast food in almost 6 months. I feel much more confident about my ability to hold the weight off now just due to the habits I have established rather than relying on diets that I know I won't be able to maintain.

those with no opinion:

if someone comes up with a poll that says, "what would you rather eat, coconuts or bananas for the rest of your life", what fun is it to say "I would eat whatever I felt like"?? Choosing between two evils can be fun. Give it a try.

also: what's immoderate about being vegetarian or being on a protein diet? if you go to india, being lacto-ovo vegetarian is pretty much mainstsream moderate. if you go up north to the inuits, they eat seal meat most of the time. it's only because we're in the US that meat-and-potatoes is considered the standard fare. so as an alternative, may i suggest: think for yourself, don't follow the masses.

I would give up meat any day before giving up bread and pasta. I LOVE bread. I've also been thinking about becoming a vegetarian....I'm not sure yet.

I didn't say it was wrong to be on one or the other, but it is awfully hard to stick to one or the other for the long term just due to the exposure you get day-to-day. If I were living in India and meat were very expensive or scarce, then vegetarian would look great. I'm mainly pointing out that most of us have no clue about nutrition, and the easiest way to cover your bases nutritionally is to eat a variety of foods (excluding fatty junk). If you know about nutrition and can get the vitamins that you need through vegetarian or meat only, go for it.

Personally I don't diet. I eat what I want in reasonable portion sizes...

I also get off my ass and get some exercise.

Seems to be working for me. I'm 5'10'' and 180. I've been that for the past five years.

IMHO, neither.

It's called a healthy, BALANCED diet, eating lightly 4-5 times a day, vs. 3 large meals, watching your carb, fat, cal intake. Doing research and knowing how much you should have daily and following it.

Personally, I'd choose the vegetarian diet. Not so much for health reasons, but simply because it'd be easy, since I've been an ovo-lacto vegetarian for over 3 years.

Health wise, I'd say a balanced diet paying attention to the macro-nutrient levels is the best option (regardless of meat or lack there of).

I couldn't stand to go without meat for long. On the other hand my mother has tried Atkins for 3 years. She's quit now because it damaged a few things, gave her gout, and cause some vitamin definciencies for her because she wasn't eating enough vegetables. I would go for the vege diet I guess because I think it's probably better. I really couldn't do either though. Since much of your protein in vege diets you get from beans or nuts. I don't like beans and I'm allergic to nuts.

I voted Vege. Couldn't/wouldn't do either diet.

Or was she was following what she believed was Atkins? If she followed Atkins she should not have had those problems.

Atkins works. And NO I don't follow it to the letter of the book. I do 3 weeks under 20 carbs (I restrict fat also), then a month or so of balanced diet (lots of oatmeal, vegies and fruit). I am now within 20 pounds of goal and feel good.

Yes she was following Atkins under her Dr's supervision. She also has a few food allergies. In particular to green beans, and chicken eggs. Those restrictions in addition made it harder to get the nutrition she needs.

Atkins did work fairly well for her but the amount of time she stayed on it - several years - was part of the reason she started having trouble.

I don't know anyone who's tried Atkins and not gotten sick from it.

I'd have to choose vegetarian if I was going for one of the two. That's the only way I've ever lost any weight, and I've never gotten food poisoning from a potato.

I pick vegatarian! Although I am not one and have no intention of becoming vegatarian.

The atkins diet is a great way to give yourself a heart attack in record time (seriously).

Hi,
Nice to meet you. I feel much better since I have been doing Atkins.

I really wish that I had my diet log to post but the drive got formatted. I am down 39 pounds since I started doing Atkins. It works, and avoiding the carbs keeps the weight off.
Atkins requires alot of effort. Reading, planning and self control are rewarded by the scale and tape.

Funny thing, low carb dodn't "take off" until corporate America found a way to make money from it. Now its everywhere.

I'm a vegetarian.

In this month's Herbivore magazine, some of the editors tried to do the Vegan Atkin's diet. They said it was doable, and they all lost weight. They also said it was gross and they couldn't drink alcohol. None of them are fans of fake meat, by the way.

They mentioned in the article though, that it is not required to eat just meats when on the Atkins diet. It just requires food high in fat and protein. Meat just happens to be the standard for such. I'm no Atkins expert or anything though, and I'm sure there are more requirements to officially be on the diet than low carbs, but fatty and high protein foods.

I'm a vegetarian so I'm probably biased, too, but I think that it is a healthy lifestyle, and I'm happy with it.

I know several people who were on Atkins and they stayed on it for a good while and lost some good amount of weight. But once they stopped the diet, they still ate smart and gained it all back...

Balanced diet. Atkin's may help shed pounds but it is brutal on your heart. perhaps to lose the weight, do Atkin's and then maintain a BALANCED diet with small portions. america is very into the eating copious amounts and its going to haunt us.

I love meat! A vegetarian or cabbage diet would drive me crazy.

did u know atkins died of a heart attack?

I chose vegetarian. If I were to go veg, I'd go vegan. Why do something half-ass if you are going to do it right?!

Atkins is FUCKED, so that was instantly gone, and I do feel right now I am along the lines of the 'no opinion' route, I picked 'cause the poll asked me to.

I was vegetarian for 2.5 years in college, then switched immediately to atkins, a year ago on the 24th of this month. A vegetarian diet is much more open, so gaining or losing weight is completely dependent on how much you eat. Atkins is more restricted in what you can eat, but looser in the amount. I never cheated on either diet, and really didn't find them very difficult. Because of the restrictive nature of the atkins diet, you are much more likely to have health problems on the vegetarian diet. Vegetarians can eat potato chips, after all ^^ Much more cholesterol in those than in lean meat, low-carb veggies, etc.
Often the problems people have with the atkins diet are for very obvious reasons. "I ate bacon 3 meals a day for a week and got diarrhea, omg!" which is obviously not the intent of the plan =p Much like eating only figs on a veggie diet =)
Any way, both diets work, but on atkins you will rarely gain weight without cheating, even if executed poorly.
Also, the weight gain after ceasing atkins, it should be noted, follows the rules of normal caloric intake. You will not suddenly gain weight without over-indulging on calories, same as any diet.

Bobby,
Having said that and knowing that a person only exeriences weight gain by intaking more calories than expending.

Atkins forces the body into ketosis. Ketosis burns fat for fuel and thus the weight loss. Utilizing Atkins to lose weight makes sense to me (and 39 pounds later) and I am maintaining my weight. I am within 20 pounds of goal. I eat a decent diet laden with fruit, oatmeal, protein and low GI foods and am maintaining but not losing weight. Do I continue "eating right" and not losing the last 20 OR should I do Atkins and lose the last 20, then eat right?

Do you really believe your statement?

*Hugs*
Boo