THE NEW ATKINS FOR A NEW YOU
Page 6
Did you have any health problems other than your weight?
No, but diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease all run in the family. My doctor told me that I needed to do something or it was just a matter of time.
What happened after you started the diet?
I lost an incredible 50 pounds in five months. At this point, I felt, “Wow, now I weigh 256 pounds.” I felt great and kept the weight off for almost two years.
What made you return to Atkins?
I was turning 30 in July of 2009, and I decided to commit myself to getting fitter and healthier. I went back to Induction and lost 16 pounds in two weeks, before moving on to OWL. When I turned 30, I weighed 235 pounds, but I knew I was just getting started.
When did you add an exercise component to your program?
I began walking two miles every other day my second time in Induction. After my birthday, I joined a gym and hired a personal trainer. At first I struggled with her regimen, but now I love it and my body has changed. I regularly jog four miles five days a week without stopping, lift weights every other day, and work out on exercise machines.
What do you eat on a typical day?
For breakfast I might have oatmeal with sucralose and cream and three eggs. Lunch is a big salad with grilled chicken and dressing. For dinner, my favorite vegetable is green beans, which I might have with turkey and sometimes some brown rice. I eat whole grains a few times a week, but never anything white or bleached. I have an apple every other day and sometimes even half a banana. My snacks are usually almonds, but if my energy is low or I’m hungry, I’ll have a piece of grilled chicken or some tuna fish.
You’re getting close to your goal weight. What’s next?
I want to see how fit I can get. My goal weight is now 185, but my larger objective is to be fit enough to join the police force within a year. You need to be able to run three miles and do 100 push-ups. I’m up to 50 now. I feel like I can do anything, and it’s not just about weight. The sky’s the limit!
What advice do you have for others?
I want anyone else who struggles with his weight to know that you can do it too. You’ll learn so much about yourself. My first experience with Atkins was all about weight loss, but later I got into another place and realized that it’s really about good health. I’m sort of a perfectionist, so I counted carbs faithfully, which I recommend. I wanted to get slim and fit so badly that I was able to resist certain foods in the beginning. Now you could put me down in front of a table full of unhealthy foods and they wouldn’t tempt me in the least. That can happen to you if you do Atkins right.
Chapter 4
THE POWER OF PROTEIN
Its satiating nature means that a diet higher in protein results in better weight loss. When you replace some carbohydrate with protein in your diet, you experience fewer fluctuations in blood sugar.
Protein foods are crucial to your health and your low-carb lifestyle. Protein works hand in glove with dietary fat to allow you to cut down on carbs. We’ll look first at the many important roles that protein plays, including its role in preserving lean tissue while promoting fat loss. Then we’ll show you how to ensure you’re getting adequate protein. Finally, you’ll learn why Atkins is not a high-protein diet.
PROTEIN WORKS OVERTIME
Protein is a component of every cell and organ in your body. Proteins are made from twenty different amino acids that are linked together like a strand of pearls. When you eat protein foods, the digestive process breaks the links apart so the amino acids can be absorbed into your bloodstream. There, they are transported throughout your body to provide the building blocks necessary to construct and repair cells. Without a continuous supply of amino acids, your existing cells shrink and new cells cannot be produced. When you embark on a weight loss diet, you want to shrink the cells that store body fat, but not muscle and other critical cells. Eating protein also increases blood levels of amino acids, contributing to:
• Increased satiety (a sense of fullness)
• More stable blood sugar levels
• Burning of more calories
A number of studies have shown that consuming protein is more satiating than consuming either carbohydrate or fat.1 This may be one reason why diets with more than the minimum amount of protein have been shown to result in better weight loss. When you replace some carbohydrate with protein in your diet, you experience fewer fluctuations in blood sugar. Digesting and metabolizing protein consumes more than twice the energy (about 25 percent) as processing either carbohydrate or fat.2 This means you burn more calories when digesting protein than when digesting the two other macronutrients. Higher-protein diets have been linked to prevention of obesity and muscle loss, as well as a reduced risk of developing metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.3
A common assumption is that a calorie is a calorie. Advocates of this concept suggest that only the total calories consumed count and the proportions of carbohydrate, protein, and fat don’t impact weight loss and body composition. Needless to say, this is a contentious issue among nutritionists. Why? Because unlike in lab animals or hospital patients, people live in the real world, making these factors hard to assess accurately week after week. Research shows that higher-protein diets are associated with greater retention of lean body mass during weight loss—independent of calorie intake—providing strong evidence that diets lower in carbs and higher in protein have beneficial effects on body composition.4
The proteins in your body are constantly being both torn down and built up. In adults, protein breakdown and synthesis are usually in balance, so the amount of lean body mass (muscle and organ tissue) remains pretty constant. When slimming down, you want to lose only fat. But with most diets, about one-quarter of the total lost pounds normally come from lean body mass. The key to maintaining lean mass is to keep your protein synthesis greater than or equal to your protein breakdown. Not surprisingly, up to a point, eating protein foods boosts protein synthesis, while inadequate protein intake may result in lost lean body mass—not a good thing. This is another reason that we recommend consuming some protein at every meal, including breakfast.
BEEF ON A BUDGET
A careful look at the offerings in the meat department of your supermarket can literally pay off at the checkout aisle. In addition to making purchases when more expensive items are on sale and freezing them for future use, look for these cuts to pare your budget. The same cuts are sold under an array of names.
For roasting: Top sirloin roast (top butt, center-cut roast)
For braising: Top blade roast (chuck roast) or chuck 7-bone roast (the single bone looks like the numeral) is also known as center-cut pot roast or chuck roast center cut. It makes an excellent pot roast. Brisket is another budget-friendly cut that, like chuck cuts, benefits from long, slow cooking.
For broiling and grilling: Top sirloin is a relatively inexpensive steak. Sprinkle it heavily with salt for an hour or so before cooking to tenderize it. Rinse and pat dry before cooking. Skirt steak is tender when it’s marinated for several hours. Cut it in strips against the grain either before or after grilling. It makes great fajitas. Flank steak is another, slightly pricier alternative.
For pan searing: Boneless shell sirloin (top butt, butt steak, top sirloin butt) and sirloin tips (sirloin tip steak) are relatively inexpensive cuts that can be used in skillet dishes and stir-fries.
Ground beef: Ground chuck is less expensive and more flavorful than ground round or ground sirloin, which can be dry. Look for about 80 to 85 percent lean for best flavor.
PAIR EXERCISE WITH PROTEIN
The body’s efficient use of dietary protein increases with exercise. Consuming enough protein combined with significant weight-bearing (resistance) activity, such as walking up and down stairs or lifting weights, can help preserve and tone your muscles during weight loss. With significant weight-bearing exercise, it may even be possible to add some lean body mass. In that case, you’re basically trading fat for m
uscle. The more you can preserve and tone muscle while losing fat, the better you’ll feel and look. You’ll also be in better shape, more able to heft a couple of bags of groceries up the steps or keep pace with your kids. But that’s not all. The added benefit of more muscle is that whether you’re working up a sweat or flopped on the sofa, you’ll still be burning more calories than someone at the same weight who has a greater percentage of body fat.
Just to be clear, you don’t have to actually work out—although physical activity is important—especially for maintaining weight loss on Atkins. Nonetheless, many people discover a new interest in fitness as they shed pounds. Individuals with a lot of weight to lose may find that they need to slim down a bit before they can exercise comfortably. The choice is up to you. We’ll discuss the role of physical activity in greater depth in part II.
HOW MUCH PROTEIN?
The government’s recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.36 gram per pound of body weight for adults a day. For a 150-pound person, that’s about as much as you’d consume in a large chicken breast and a handful of nuts. It’s important to understand that the RDA reflects the minimum, not the optimal, amount of protein an average healthy person needs. Many factors increase your minimum protein needs, such as your age, gender, body composition (ratio of fat to lean body mass), and whether you’re still growing, are pregnant, have inflammation, or are dieting. Even the amount of stress you may be under can be a factor. Research indicates that adults benefit from protein intakes above the RDA, particularly when they’re losing weight.5
HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO YOU NEED?
The ranges below for women and men should give you an idea of the flexibility in protein intake allowed across all phases of the Atkins Diet, while the listing for typical protein intake will cover the general protein needs of most people.
RECOMMENDED PROTEIN RANGES AND TYPICAL PROTEIN INTAKES FOR WOMEN AND MEN, BASED UPON HEIGHT
Height
Recommended Protein Range in Grams
Typical Protein Food Intake in Ounces
Recommended Protein Range in Grams
Typical Protein Food Intake in Ounces
WOMEN
MEN
(In shoes, 1-inch heels)
Grams per day
Ounces per day
Grams per day
Ounces per day
4’ 10”
63–125
13
4’ 11”
64–130
14
5’ 0”
65–135
14
5’ 1”
66–138
14
5’ 2”
68–142
15
74–154
16
5’ 3”
70–145
15
75–157
17
5’ 4”
71–149
16
76–159
17
5’ 5”
73–152
16
78–162
17
5’ 6”
75–156
16
79–165
17
5’ 7”
76–159
17
81–168
18
5’ 8”
78–162
17
82–171
18
5’ 9”
80–166
18
84–175
18
5’ 10”
81–169
18
86–178
19
5’ 11”
83–173
18
87–182
19
6’ 0”
85–176
19
89–186
20
6’ 1”
91–190
20
6’ 2”
93–194
21
6’ 3”
95–199
21
6’ 4”
98–204
22
THE RULE OF SEVENS
Who has time to weigh food or convert grams to ounces or vice versa? Not to worry. Now that you know about how many ounces of protein you should be aiming for each day, simply follow the Rule of Sevens. Each ounce of cooked chicken, meat, tofu, other protein food, nuts or hard cheese, cup of dairy, or large egg is equivalent to about 7 grams of protein. Consume 10 to 25 of these 1-ounce units daily, depending upon your height and choice within the ranges above, and you’ll be satisfying your needs. These visual comparisons should help estimate the number of ounces in portions:
FOOD
VISUAL
1 ounce meat, poultry, tofu, etc.
Small matchbox/remote car key
3 ounces meat, poultry, tofu, etc.
Deck of cards/cell phone
8 ounces meat, poultry, tofu, etc.
Slim paperback book
3 ounces fish
Check book/iPod
1 ounce hard cheese
Four dice
Spread your protein consumption out over the day, eating at least 4 to 6 ounces at each meal, including breakfast; tall men may need 8 ounces. Unless your initial portions are larger, there’s usually no need to reduce your protein consumption as you move through the phases. On the other hand, if you’re finding it difficult to lose weight and doing everything else by the book, you may want to decrease your protein portions if you’re at the high end of our suggested intake range to see if that may be the holdup.
One way to judge if you’re getting enough protein is simple: take the satiety test. After you’ve consumed what you consider an adequate amount of protein (which naturally comes with a modest dose of natural fat), ask yourself if you’re satisfied. If you are, fine. If not, have a bit more. If you’re still hungry, try adding some olive oil, cream, or one of our delicious salad dressings or sauces. You need to pay closer attention to your protein intake only if you think you might be eating too little or too much.
Don’t waste time calculating the amount of protein you should be eating during weight loss as a percentage of your total macronutrient intake. Instead, as shown in the table above, base your optimal protein intake upon your height and gender. The midpoint of the range expressed in grams is provided in ounces, assuming that an ounce equals 7 grams of protein, but you can choose to have more or less within the range. Just pick your gram level and divide by 7 to get your daily goal in ounces.
THE MORE VARIETY, THE BETTER
When most people think of protein, particularly in the context of the Atkins Diet, they envision beef and other meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, and dairy products. Animal products are all good sources of protein, but they’re hardly the only ones. Nor are they the only ones you can eat on Atkins. In much of the world, people rely in large part on plant sources such as nuts and seeds, legumes, and whole grains for protein. Even vegetables contain small amounts. Animal protein is considered a complete, or whole, protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids (those your body cannot make on its own). Many (but not all) plant sources have reduced levels of one or more of the nine essential amino acids, so they’re considered incomplete proteins. It can be challenging to satisfy most or all of your protein needs from plant sources when you’re on Atkins, but it’s perfectly possible, as we’ll discuss in chapter 6.
We can’t stress strongly enough that the best diet for you is one composed of foods you love. When it comes to protein, you may be content to eat beef, chicken, dairy, and eggs and ignore most other protein sources. But if variety is the spice of your life, make an effort to have fish and shellfish two or three times a week, as well as sampling pork, lamb, and perhaps veal. You may also enjoy goat, turkey, duck, or even pheasant; real adventurers might branch out into venison, ostrich, rabbit, bison, or elk.
The mor
e varied your overall diet, the more likely you are to obtain the full range of vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients your body needs for optimal health. And the more varied your sources of protein, the more apt you are to consume a balance of amino acids and the essential fats you’ll learn about in the next chapter. The point is, you can do whatever works for you in terms of taste and cost, as long as you take a food’s carb content into consideration. Protein sources with relatively more fat tend to be more satiating, so you may feel full sooner after eating duck, for example, than a chicken breast. Because they’re lower in fat (except for tofu and nut butters), plant proteins also tend to be less satiating, another reason to add healthy fats in cooking and to be keenly aware of the carb content of vegetable protein sources.
Our position has always been that when you control carb consumption, there’s no need to avoid fatty cuts of meat or trim the fat. However, if you prefer, feel free to use leaner cuts. Just be sure to serve them with a crumbling of blue cheese or compound butter or a salad dressing or some olive oil on vegetables in the same meal. Again, it’s your choice.
ATKINS IS NOT A HIGH-PROTEIN DIET
Let us set your mind to rest about concerns that Atkins is overly high in protein and can therefore cause certain health problems. With a typical intake of 13 to 22 ounces of protein foods daily, Atkins can hardly be considered a high-protein diet. Instead, we regard it as an optimal protein diet. In any case, most of the concerns about eating too much protein are unfounded, in that they’re based on limited or flawed research. For example, the misconception that a high protein intake can damage kidneys probably arose from the fact that individuals who already have advanced kidney disease cannot clear away the waste from even a moderate protein intake. There’s absolutely no evidence that any healthy person has experienced kidney damage from eating the amount of protein consumed on Atkins. Far more dangerous is failure to drink enough water, as dehydration is a much greater stressor on the kidneys.