This Associated Press story is all over the place today heralding a new rating of the top diets in America according to the June issue of Consumer Reports magazine out today.
Do I even need to tell you what they think of livin’ la vida low-carb?
The top two diets according to Consumer Reports is the meetings-based low-fat program Weight Watchers and the high-sugar shakes and bars plan Slim Fast.
The rating were determined by the amount of weight participants lost, nutritional content of the foods that were eaten, the diet’s ease of use and the length of time partipants stuck with the diet.
Weight Watchers got the highest overall marks, but Slim-Fast was found to be the best weight loss program for losing weight, according to Consumer Reports.
I used to be on Slim-Fast way back when. It was an okay diet, but you quickly get tired of sucking down those nasty-tasting bars after a while. Talk about boring, this was the epitome of boring, regardless of the new flavors they would come out with. It was certainly easy and you can lose weight on it, but it’s not something that can realistically be done over the long haul like low-carb.
Speaking of the low-carb lifestyle, Consumer Reports applauds it as a great “short-term weight loss” program, but lambastes it for failing to help participants retain their weight loss and for providing poor nutrition. Additionally, the Atkins lifestyle is criticized for having too much fat and saturated fat, too few fruits, too little fiber and that it “might have a negative effect on some dieters’ health.”
Here we go again! While I not only used Atkins to lose my 180 pounds in 2004, I have been using it as a weight maintenance program for the past 5 months and have held steady ever since. I have eaten many of the same great-tasting foods I ate during my weight loss with a few additional carbs than I used to eat.
I get excellent nutritional content from the fruits and vegetables I consume and have never felt more energetic in my entire life. As for fiber, I’m eating so much fiber now I can’t stay out of the bathroom! Okay, maybe it’s not that bad, but fiber is a crucial element for people doing a low-carb lifestyle.
As for fat, I wrote about a new study earlier today that proves restricting your fat intake is not only unhealthy for you, but it will make you fatter! The focus on fat in the United States as a main contributor to the obesity problem has been exposed, and it appears the real story is the myth that says you can lose weight by restricting fat grams. That idea’s gone bye-bye now!
This whole idea that low-carb is only for the short-term and lacks nutrition is unfounded. There is no evidence that backs up this repeated lie. There are millions upon millions of people like you and me who can attest to the improvements in our weight and health as a result of livin’ la vida low-carb!
An Atkins spokesperson said this Consumer Reports study only examined the first stage or two of their weight loss program and ignored the nutritional approach advocated and promoted in the third and fourth phase where maintenance is encouraged and there is greater flexibility in the plan.
I thought it was interesting that the magazine based its conclusions on “clinical research on each diet,” “a nutrient and calorie analysis” of the foods eaten and “how closely they follow federal dietary guidelines.”
Well, of course the Atkins approach did terrible with this as the criteria for rating it! With all the negativity about the low-carb lifestyle out there, do you think the “clinical research” is going to look highly on this way of eating. And as for the “nutrient and calorie analysis,” these aren’t as important when you are doing low-carb as they are when you are on a low-carb/low-calorie diet. Finally, the low-carb lifestyle certainly does not adhere to the “federal dietary guidelines” recommended by the government. Is it any wonder why low-carb was at the bottom of this list of diets?!
The conclusion made by Consumer Reports Senior Editor Nancy Metcalf is that any weight loss and maintenance program needs to be something that people can stick with over the long-term.
And that’s why we’ve chosen to be livin’ la vida low-carb, Ms. Metcalf! It is indeed something we can do to lose weight and to keep it off for good.
