I've been off and on a low-carb diet for the past 4 years. After I was in Europe this summer and lost 20 lbs from just walking around and drinking lots of water, I hit the diet when I got back and have kept losing. Though, I am not on the Atkins diet. I have heard that it can lead to problems by cutting out different items. Although I'm not totally sure what is cut out (I've heard carrots/tomatoes...and of course carbs), what are some health risks?

I'm doing a similar diet from the Mayo Clinic...aka The Grapefruit diet. The grapefruit acts as a catalyst when combined with bacon (protein) in the morning, as well as an egg or two. Then a salad with any type of meat, any amount with dressing for lunch. And finally, red or green veggies with meat for dinner, or another salad. Like Atkins, no carbs...or what I like to call "heavy carbs"...potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, etc. Veggies have carbs in them, but they are "light" or "natural carbs". Also, limited milk (if you can handle it, one cup a day for dinner)...and for die hard coffee drinkers, only 1 cup a day. The diet tries to cut out caffeine. Be on the diet for 12 days, off for 2, then on again...etc. It works for me, but once I begun to plateau about 2 weeks ago, I've started to rework my diet by adding a few carbs here and there...like tortillas.

Also, has anyone been on the diet long enough to consider becoming vegetarian? I've had thoughts about it and it would be a much healthier lifestyle, lowering cholsterol and fat intake, etc. Thoughts?

drewopolis:

The best thing you could do is pick up Atkins' New Diet Revolution at the bookstore and get all the information first-hand. Regarding common misconceptions about the "dangers" of following Atkins, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a complete review of all available studies last spring, drawing the conclusion that there was no conclusive evidence that Atkins causes ill effects.

There are some LC vegetarians around this site, perhaps they can address that question.

The atkins diet does not "cut out" anything except what you refer to as "heavy carbs".

The induction phase - 2 weeks - is the most restrictive but even then you are allowed 3 cups of salad and veggies (insluding tomato)
It is this phase that everyone thinks of as the atkins diet. But the diet is much more than that.

Hi, Drewopolis, and welcome! I agree with NickFender. Pick up a copy of the New Diet Revolution from your local library and read it. What we 'hear' and what actually is are often two different things. A friend of my DH's was on Atkins a couple of years ago and came to work staying he could have all of a particular food he wanted. Well, it just wasn't so. When my DH started on this another co-worker friend just couldn't get over how good he was looking doing Atkins, because the guy who'd been on it previously looked like warmed over death! I told DH, most likely he wasn't following the plan right.

And vegetarian? No way! If man were meant to be a vegetarian, he'd have a rumiment digestive system, like a cow! Actually, if you read the book and start reading around, I think you'll be really surprised at the health benefits of the Atkins Nutritional Approach.

Atkins is a healthier lifestyle in regards to cholesterol. My mother lowered hers from 287 to 220 in a few months.
A very informative article, available on the web, is "What if it's all been a big fat lie?" by Gary Taubes:

http://www.mercola.com/2002/jul/24/carbs1.htm

It's a really amazing look at how the whole low fat thing got started (jiggered up research, for one thing) and how little proof there is that eating low fat & high carb is good for you.

Hi Drew. A lot of the concepts you have about nutrition are based on repetition of myths, as mine used to be. I went vegetarian simply because I had this vague idea that it "must" be healthier - my health only worsened! It's just one of those myths, like low-fat, that's been accepted purely because it's been parroted so many times.

>>"I have heard that it can lead to problems by cutting out different items."

It has never happened, not once. Not one properly documented case.

As others have suggested, you might want to read a copy of one of the LC books - I think Protein Power Life Plan is the best for explaining the origins of the myths of current nutrition. In fact, it doesn't even get to "the diet" until the very last chapter.

Another read you might enjoy is the "sticky" post at the top of the Research and Media forum, by Voyageur.

Either way, good luck and enjoy!