Vegan Atkins

[socraticomatic]

Major Australian newspaper has an article on a veganised version of Atkins (ie., high protein) in its online Diet section (summary: results positive):

Eco-Atkins: the new diet craze

Comments

[socraticomatic]

PS: How good does that meal look? Mmmmm.

[socraticomatic]

Although, holy hell, that's a lot of protein. 150g! I wouldn't be willing to take in quite that much. Excess nitrogenous waste taxing kidneys, anyone? No thanks.

[dorisp]

Yeah, it basically focuses on making your body stay in ketosis.

[orphe_]

*sighs* yet another diet article touting a quick fix while completely ignoring the fact that people don't drop weight fast because we're not built to do it. it's unhealthy!

oh well, i guess if people are going to be morons and massacre their kidneys, i'd rather they do it with beans.

[socraticomatic]

"after 28 weeks a group of overweight men and women following a vegan diet had lost 10 per cent of their starting weight"

10% in 28 isn't really unhealthily fast.

[socraticomatic]

*28 weeks, oops.

[stellamaris]

For reals. Seems a lot of people didn't read that closely :/

[bitspike]

At least it says something contrary to the popular opinion that veg*an diets lack protein?

*shrugs*

Still, from what I've heard (and what has been said above), atkins doesn't sound like such an intelligent choice.

Oh, and why don't they just try a normal vegan 'diet'? Is it because it's easier to market something about an ethical way of losing weight if you attach the phrase 'atkins' to it? I don't live in the US. Can someone enlighten me as to how popular it is over there?

[iwillcomeagain]

It used to be pretty popular some years ago. I remember my parents trying it. It's pretty much over with now. If someone is trying the Atkins diet now, they have been living in a box. I haven't come across one person that still takes it seriously.

[bitspike]

Perhaps this article, then, is an attempt to revive it and cash in on the last remaining potential income it can make? It's a little strange that they would use veganism as the last resort selling point.

*shrugs*

Honestly, I haven't given the issue that much thought and I haven't read the article (tl;dr), but I assume it has potential to do more good for animal rights than harm? Unless it creates a link between atkins and veganism (which is not a 'weight-loss diet').

It would be funny if people soon asked of vegans, "yeah, I know you can get protein, but where do you get everything else your body needs that only meat can provide?"

. . . not funny 'ha ha', obviously.

[socraticomatic]

This article is actually written by Paula Goodyer who does have sense when it comes to diet. Not only that, but she regularly writes articles for the SMH's diet section encouraging readers to think more ethically about what they eat - in fact every second or third article she writes is about ethical eating.

I'd say the objective of the writer in this article was not to "revive [Atkins] and cash in on the last remaining potential income it can make", but basically using this research that a Toronto academic has done, basically to emphasise that vegan diets can be high protein too.

[sinestetici]

I'll be honest with you, I'm vegan and have been for a long, long time. An all protein vegan diet sounds not only dangerous, but disgusting as well. Variety, please.

[socraticomatic]

I agree. 150g a day is too much unless you're a 300lb weightlifter. (And would you even get a weightlifter that big or are only morbidly obese people up around 300lb?)

[stellamaris]

Beans, soy, and gluten are not "all protein"...they all contain carbohydrates and fiber as well. I don't even know why they're touting this as another version of Atkins because those are all foods you're not allowed to touch in the weight loss phases of the diet.

I don't see anything wrong with restricting your intake of things like bread or pasta if you have some weight to lose, but I don't see the need to eat 150g of protein a day either.

It just seems like someone is trying to cash in on a brand name here, and that name is what people are getting all jumpy about--not really the facts presented in the article.

[electricube]

You could cross-post this to veganweightloss.

[socraticomatic]

I could.

And I just might.

[electricube]

You get a spacing-LOL!

[socraticomatic]

Thanks for reminding me that community exists.