Today I weighed in at 261 (yesterday was 260.4 so I was a little disappointed when I stepped on the scale today). Tomorrow will be my last Atkins weigh in and last day of Atkins. For anyone interested in a good scientific review of Atkins check out:
Curr Diab Rep. 2009 Oct;9(5):396-404.
Low-carbohydrate diets: an update on current research.
Wylie-Rosett J, Davis NJ.
Essentially, Atkins dieters loose more weight quickly at first than other diets (which is why I choose it first). But, at the one year plus point Atkins is equal to a low fat diet. Additionally, after five years, as determined by keeping weight off, Atkins was not the best. But, Atkins does very well with helping diabetes, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and even to some degree mood stabilization. The literature also has hundreds of research articles pertaining to how Atkins can improve all sorts of conditions. I don't know how much of it I believe.
From looking at my calories I can see that on this diet I am calorie depleted, even though it is not intentional. There are references in the literature to support this finding also. But, I doubt that is the only reason for weight loss. I think that fat burning works as described by the Atkins people.
Is the Atkins bad for you at all? Some of this will be answered by my next diet, The Zone. One article I found showed that the toxin methylglyoxal was increased in people on the Atkins diet, which is responsible for blood vessel damage. I'm not sure how in depth the research on this subject is. One other issue is that the ketones pull cations like calcium out of the system, which can lead to problems.
One other question I have had, is what exactly are ketones? I know they are created from fatty acid metabolism, specifically acetylCoA, but what are they? They are acetone, acetoacetic acid, and beta-hydroxybutyric acid. The whole thing is kicked off by having too much acetyl CoA around because the TCA cycle is being overwhelmed, because of all the fat breakdown.
One other interesting thing, that might be important for later diets, is that there is a vegetarian version of Atkins, called Eco-Atkins. I can't imagine what one eats on that diet.
I have been craving coffee fro some reason since I started the diet. I have been drinking one cup a day with cream, but decaf only.
I can't wait to see what I weigh tomorrow....
Transforming biochemistry knowledge into weight loss:
This page was begun as an experiment. An experiment I was conducting on myself. An experiment to test which conditions would allow me to loose weight. Now that I have been at it for a while I realize this page serves as more. It serves as a means for me to research. It is a way for me to pick health topics of interest, research them from a biochemistry stand point, and then share them with the world. Sharing them with you gives me an official feeling and keeps me motivated. However, as described below, I am still experimenting on myself.
How did this happen? I don't know exactly although I am almost sure it boils down to diet and exercise. I hope to find the answers as I explore my journey through weight loss on this blog. I was not always fat. Therefore, I know that I can be unfat again.
I am a biochemist. I should have known better. Of all people, I should have known how to avoid this predicament I am in now. I now wish to harness my scientific knowledge to experiment on myself as well as explore the chemical basis for weight loss methods.
Methods:
I will try new diets. I will experiment on myself. The diets will be chosen from among the most popular in our society. I will chronicle the results and my general experience in my blog here. I will also explore the biochemical basis for these diets as well as evaluate their effectiveness and truthfulness. I will also exercise as regularly as possible, 3-5 times per week, to avoid biasing the results. I will try to keep everything constant in my life except the diet. My method is not perfect. I don't necessarily want to lose raw pounds, but rather gain an understanding of what methods work best for me to permanently regain my health.
Hypothesis:
1. No diet will be clearly better than the others. Conversely, each diet will offer some truth, some piece of knowledge or methodology that I can take away with me to help myself. I think that in the end, I will be able to formulate my own diet based on a synthesis of all the things I have learned from all of these diets.
2. I have been on diets before, lost weight, and then regained it. I wasn't born fat. Given that, I think that my main problem will be shown to be psychological. I think that I may have compulsive eating problems- compulsive eating problems associated with very unhealthy foods.
3. I will lose quite a bit of weight. My blog will help keep my motivation levels high.
4. There will be a lack of clear scientific basis to many of the diets.
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