Dining out: No-carb Atkins diet is highway to hell

By Michael Muckian, Special to The Capital Times, January 31, 2004

link to article

Curse you, Robert Atkins!

Your diet has made my life a living carbohydrate-free hell. No fruit, no muffins, no bagels and certainly no devil's food cake. How does anyone survive the induction phase of this diet without wantonly attacking every passing pastry cart in his path?

I've been on it only a week, and I have yet to stay on the protein-and-green-vegetables wagon for more than a day or two at a time. Nevertheless, I soldier on in search of lighter weight.

Breakfasts are easy. Bacon and eggs, followed the next day by more bacon and eggs (maybe scrambled this time) and then, for variety, sausages and eggs. One morning I was so desperate for change I had coffee and broccoli for breakfast. That's no way to live.

Lunch on the run is tougher. Had I the time and inclination, I could sit down with a tasty filet, a small side salad with Bleu cheese dressing and maybe some baby asparagus spears dressed in a butter sauce with my glass of Evian. Most days, however it has to be "grab 'n' go," and therein lies the problem.

For my own survival, I've tried some of the fast food options. Here's my report.

Subway has Atkins in its pocket pita -- literally -- with its "Atkins-friendly wraps" ($3.99). The sandwich chain, famous for Jared and its low-cal subs, has struck a deal with the late diet doc's estate to use the familiar name for its Turkey & Bacon Melt and its Chicken Bacon Ranch wraps.

Every calorie has been counted, every carbohydrate charted, with a detailed menu board that brings to mind the Periodic Table of Elements from chemistry class.

I tried the Chicken Bacon Ranch wrap with 8 grams of net carbohydrates as opposed to the Turkey & Bacon Melt, which has 10. It came wrapped in butcher paper oozing creamy ranch dressing on my sleeve.

The wrap, made of whole wheat, soy and sesame flour, was filled with sliced chicken breast, red onion, green peppers, olive, melted shredded Swiss cheese and the ever-present bacon. To a hungry man it tasted very good, but it was gone in four bites. The wraps are not as large as a Subway sub, even a 6-incher. Plan on at least two and remember that it is not recommended for dieters in the Atkins induction phase.

McDonald's is where all good carb-aholics go when they die. The restaurant doesn't even try to pretend its sandwiches and french fries are even remotely suitable to people "on Atkins."

Instead, McDonald's has a series of three "classic salads" ($3.99 each), all of which are served with chicken either grilled or "crispy." There is the Classic Cobb, the Chicken Caesar and the Bacon Ranch. Each comes with fresh greens and about 4 ounces of sliced white meat with the skin removed.

Without knowing how the chicken was prepared, it's hard to know if the meal is truly carb-free. The packet of Newman's Own ranch dressing that comes with the Bacon Ranch lists 4 grams of net carbs, but the lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, bacon bits and sliced cheese is probably a safe bet.

And as such salads go, this one is very good, too, and just the right size for a reasonably good lunch. McDonald's classic salad does fall short in the grab 'n' go department and is a little messy to eat while driving to your next appointment, but that's apparently why buns were created in the first place.

Finally, we have the Whopper Platter ($2.20), Double Whopper Platter ($3.10) and Chicken Whopper Platter ($3.70) from Burger King. Check these out quickly, kids, because I don't imagine they will be around for long.

The little counter-sign advertising the low-carb dishes make the three selections of "flame-broiled" beef with fresh salad fixings look and sound appealing. In reality, what you have is burger-in-a-bowl, which works a lot better in theory than in practice.

I ordered the Double Whopper Platter and was presented with a black plastic bowl with two perfectly round, flat patties topped with chopped iceberg lettuce, onions and two anemic tomato slices. With this came two packets of catsup, not my first choice for what essentially acts as salad dressing.

It was, indeed a burger without a bun but, like turkey bacon, was a variation I'm sure God had not meant to be. One quickly sees how important a bun is, both to combining the elements and disguising the contents all at the same time.

I now have an entirely new respect for bakers.

Published: 11:40 AM 1/30/04

Have I missed the release of a new book? I'm not familiar with the No-carb Atkins diet.

"How does anyone survive the induction phase of this diet without wantonly attacking every passing pastry cart in his path?"

They stay on it for more than a "day or two at a time" so that they can clear their system of excess carb storage and get to ketosis which vastly lowers cravings for the pastries.

At least he is trying

"I've been on it only a week, and I have yet to stay on the protein-and-green-vegetables wagon for more than a day or two at a time. "

This man is seriously addicted. Just think what would be said if he couldn't stay away from alcohol for more than a day or 2 at a time.

danny

Quote :-
At least hes trying.

yes he is very B""""y trying.

I love this article.

Because God knows, if a diet doesn't work for you, it can't work for ANYONE.

Ummm...try some leftovers. They're not just what's for lunch anymore. Seriously....it's this lack of imagination when it comes to meals that often does people in. Think outside the box, dude. There is no LAW that says you have to eat only bacon, sausage and eggs for breakfast on low carb.
I eat breakfast every morning and eggs are on the menu only one or two days a week.



Yes, therein lies the problem, but it's not lack of time that's doing you in, it's again lack of planning and imagination. Ever hear of leftovers and a microwave, dude? How about deli lunchmeats and salad bars? Raw veggies in a baggie, even?

Seems to me that the majority of this is kvetching about lack of convenience on low carb (second only to "I can't shake my sugar addiction"). Okay...you can't breeze through Micky D's drive through and scarf a hamburger and drink a shake while driving to your next appointment, but if he's seriously so busy and tightly scheduled that he can't afford to sit down for 10 minutes to eat a meal, I'd vote him as one of the most likely candidates for a stress-related illness I've seen in a while.

mmmm leftover cold chicken thigh with mayo and leftover salad (after its been killed overnight with salt pepper lemon and oil) my favorite breakfast of all time!

But then again it used to be my fave breakfast before low carb too... I just used to eat ketchup instead of mayo and sometimes a slice of bread.

Cold leftover stir-fried chicken breast and baby shrimp w/ asparagus, mushrooms, jalapenos, broccoli, red pepper, etc in a spicy Thai sauce...mmmm...tomorrow morning can't get here quick enough.

I guess I'm just lucky.

I
N E V E R
get tired of eggs and bacon and sausage.

I'll even make omelets for lunch or dinner sometimes.

even before starting the Atkins WOE I ate eggs all the time.
And I did not (and still do not) have a cholesterol problem.
I suspect its genetic. No-one in my famly has cholesterol problems.

Well, so it is said (if I recall) that the busy Earl of Sandwich was out on a hunting trip and wanted convenience food. By placing hunks of beef between two wedges of bread, the "sandwich" was born.

Of course folks in other parts of the world have been using flatbreads for the same purpose for millenia--pita serves as an edible plate.

Owen...it's not that I don't like eggs or am afraid of the cholesterol they contain. It's more like after 3 years of low carbing, eggs every day gets a little boring. I like more variety myself. My DH, OTOH, could probably eat eggs for breakfast every day of his life and not get tired of them.