The Atkins Diet... revealed
So yeah... I didn't quite finish the last 80 pages of reading but it didn't matter anyway... because I gave that midterm a swift ass-kicking! :)
I am sofa king (haha Rob!) stubborn. I guess being a Taurus is more than appropriate. Even though it's been proven time and time again that it is impossible for me to take a "nap" after 10pm, I still try to do it anyway, thinking that this time it will be different. That's what I thought last night. The thing is, I was able to wake up when my alarm clock went off. I'd read a few lines then suddenly find myself asleep again. I did this the entire night... sleep, wake up, sleep, wake up. I'll never learn.
* * *
It's funny how some people are only nice to you when they want something. When I came into work today, some guy that I work with, who's never said hi to me or even acknowledged my existence, finally did today. But why? thought the puzzled Monica. Turns out he wants someone to cover an hour of his shift tomorrow because he wants to go to some conference. Even though I usually keep my Fridays free of school and work, I decided to be a nice Monica and fill in for him. It wouldn't hurt to earn an extra $10.07 (my wage per hour).
He better be nice to me from now on.
* * *
So I'm sure many people are curious about the Atkins diet, and what makes it work for so many people. Finally, the simple explanation is here! I'm taking a nutrition class with one of the most renown nutrition and fitness experts in the country, and she talked about proteins and carbs on Tuesday. She explained how people lose weight on Atkins... so I'll try my best to explain the mechanisms sans overly scientific terms:
-So your body stores carbohydrates in your muscles and liver in the form of glycogen, which is basically a whole bunch of glucose molecules strung together. These chains are surrounded by water. We're just going to talk about those in the muscles.
-Energy = carbohydrates = glycogen = lots of glucose molecules, which is sugar, which is found in foods containing carbs (starches and sugars).
-When your body needs energy, it breaks these glycogen chains into the single glucose molecules, which make their way to your bloodstream and to your brain. You probably know this, but the brain needs glucose to function.
-Why people lose weight quickly when they BEGIN the Atkins diet: So before the body can break down these glycogen chains to utilize the glucose for energy, it has to actually get to these chains, which are surrounded by water (as previously mentioned).
Since you have an assload of muscles in your body, that means you have a lot of glycogen stored, which means there's a lot of water surrounding all those chains. So when a person deprives himself of carbs, the body is forced to get energy this way. SO... the first 3-5 pounds a person loses on this diet is all water loss. That is, the body gets rid of the water blocking the energy source, so that it can reach the glycogen, and do its thing by breaking the chains down into glucose for energy.
-The body usually runs out of stored glycogen within a day. So when a person doesn't take in carbs through food, the body has to resort to making its own energy by breaking down proteins. That's all Atkins people eat, so that's why they can still function.
The downside to having the body make too much of its own energy is that a lot of muscle mass (along with some fat) is lost, so people on the Atkins diet often experience decreased endurance. Basically, they can't perform as optimally as those who do take in some carbs to use as energy.
-The thing that freaks people out is the scientific fact that any excess carbs left in the body automatically converts itself into fat. However, my professor said that this amount is little, if any, because people burn most of the carbs just doing normal things, like walking and sleeping. However, it can become a problem if the person eats waaaay too many carbs and lives a sedentary life (i.e., your assprint is permanently embossed in your chair cushion). But most of us do a lot of moving anyway.
At the end of her lecture, my professor neither praised nor advised against the going on the Atkins diet. But I mean, if you just take in 50-100 grams of carbs a day, that's enough to function. The FDA recommends 300 grams/day for "optimal health." In my opinion, you can probably lose weight just as effectively if you manage your carb intake well, and not completely restrict it. Just don't eat like, five loaves of bread in one sitting. Besides, doesn't meat get boring?
Hope that all made sense. If you have any questions about this, let me know. Hopefullly I remember enough to answer them. :)
[EDIT] I forgot to mention why people continue to lose weight on this diet. First, of course, they cut out carbs, which means it's highly impossible that there are excess carbs to convert into fat. Second, most people, in addition to cutting carbs, restrict their overall calorie intake as well. Remember, calories count too. [/EDIT]
I am sofa king (haha Rob!) stubborn. I guess being a Taurus is more than appropriate. Even though it's been proven time and time again that it is impossible for me to take a "nap" after 10pm, I still try to do it anyway, thinking that this time it will be different. That's what I thought last night. The thing is, I was able to wake up when my alarm clock went off. I'd read a few lines then suddenly find myself asleep again. I did this the entire night... sleep, wake up, sleep, wake up. I'll never learn.
* * *
It's funny how some people are only nice to you when they want something. When I came into work today, some guy that I work with, who's never said hi to me or even acknowledged my existence, finally did today. But why? thought the puzzled Monica. Turns out he wants someone to cover an hour of his shift tomorrow because he wants to go to some conference. Even though I usually keep my Fridays free of school and work, I decided to be a nice Monica and fill in for him. It wouldn't hurt to earn an extra $10.07 (my wage per hour).
He better be nice to me from now on.
* * *
So I'm sure many people are curious about the Atkins diet, and what makes it work for so many people. Finally, the simple explanation is here! I'm taking a nutrition class with one of the most renown nutrition and fitness experts in the country, and she talked about proteins and carbs on Tuesday. She explained how people lose weight on Atkins... so I'll try my best to explain the mechanisms sans overly scientific terms:
-So your body stores carbohydrates in your muscles and liver in the form of glycogen, which is basically a whole bunch of glucose molecules strung together. These chains are surrounded by water. We're just going to talk about those in the muscles.
-Energy = carbohydrates = glycogen = lots of glucose molecules, which is sugar, which is found in foods containing carbs (starches and sugars).
-When your body needs energy, it breaks these glycogen chains into the single glucose molecules, which make their way to your bloodstream and to your brain. You probably know this, but the brain needs glucose to function.
-Why people lose weight quickly when they BEGIN the Atkins diet: So before the body can break down these glycogen chains to utilize the glucose for energy, it has to actually get to these chains, which are surrounded by water (as previously mentioned).
Since you have an assload of muscles in your body, that means you have a lot of glycogen stored, which means there's a lot of water surrounding all those chains. So when a person deprives himself of carbs, the body is forced to get energy this way. SO... the first 3-5 pounds a person loses on this diet is all water loss. That is, the body gets rid of the water blocking the energy source, so that it can reach the glycogen, and do its thing by breaking the chains down into glucose for energy.
-The body usually runs out of stored glycogen within a day. So when a person doesn't take in carbs through food, the body has to resort to making its own energy by breaking down proteins. That's all Atkins people eat, so that's why they can still function.
The downside to having the body make too much of its own energy is that a lot of muscle mass (along with some fat) is lost, so people on the Atkins diet often experience decreased endurance. Basically, they can't perform as optimally as those who do take in some carbs to use as energy.
-The thing that freaks people out is the scientific fact that any excess carbs left in the body automatically converts itself into fat. However, my professor said that this amount is little, if any, because people burn most of the carbs just doing normal things, like walking and sleeping. However, it can become a problem if the person eats waaaay too many carbs and lives a sedentary life (i.e., your assprint is permanently embossed in your chair cushion). But most of us do a lot of moving anyway.
At the end of her lecture, my professor neither praised nor advised against the going on the Atkins diet. But I mean, if you just take in 50-100 grams of carbs a day, that's enough to function. The FDA recommends 300 grams/day for "optimal health." In my opinion, you can probably lose weight just as effectively if you manage your carb intake well, and not completely restrict it. Just don't eat like, five loaves of bread in one sitting. Besides, doesn't meat get boring?
Hope that all made sense. If you have any questions about this, let me know. Hopefullly I remember enough to answer them. :)
[EDIT] I forgot to mention why people continue to lose weight on this diet. First, of course, they cut out carbs, which means it's highly impossible that there are excess carbs to convert into fat. Second, most people, in addition to cutting carbs, restrict their overall calorie intake as well. Remember, calories count too. [/EDIT]