Day 42: Atkins+South Beach

Well, I am kind of doing these diets anyway, but I am going to chat a bit about this "new" diet that people are talking about.  I eat tons of fish, cuz um...it is so good!  So when I read this article in Women's World Magazine last night I thought well, I should share the wealth.  The article titled "Turbo Atkins" caught my eye in the February 15th magazine.  It talks about eating the best protein for weight loss.  This is fish according to Spanish Scientist Fred Pescatore, M.D. and many other studies.  Dr. Pescatore says "Fish has the most fat-fighting power. Studies show that nutrients in fish not only make our anti-hunger hormones work better, they also help 'ignite' fat so flab burns faster."  *Pregnant and nursing mothers need to only eat seafood as instructed by their own doctor.  Not all fish are safe to eat regularly, due to mercury levels.  In general you can safely eat the following fish; wild salmon, cod and halibut.  Avoiding predator fish like shark and swordfish.  You can read more about this at EDF.org and search "health alerts seafood selector" I also learned in this article that having fish as your protein every other day can speed up your weight loss.  As you may know, the Atkin's diet suggests that you cut or eliminate your carbs.  There are lots of produce that have healthy carbs that you can use to get your energy.

Let's talk about carbs for a minute, Carbs to have a "bad rap" in the dieter's world.  However, carbs are energy and we need them for brain function and they give fuel to our major organs like the liver, heart and lungs to name a few.  There are 3 types of Carbs.  Monosaccharides, Disaccharides, and Polysaccharides.  HUH?!  Well, that is great, but what does that mean?  I did some more research and found an article that explained it better.  You can read the full article here, but I am going to paraphrase the article Types of Carbs and Nutrition by Jennifer Murray here.  Monosaccharides are single sugars.  Mono=one.  That will be easy to remember right?  These are sugars like glucose and fructose.  Glucose is found in many sports drinks.  Fructose is found in fruits.  Disaccharides are double sugars. Di=two.  These are sucrose and lactose.  Sucrose is table sugar. Lactose is found in milk.  Both of these types of sugars Mono and Di -saccharides are soluble in water.   Now Polysaccharides are complex found in starches and fibers.  These can be stored and used for energy or broken down and used for digestion.  Ok, now that you know that, what can you do with it?  Simple carbs (mono) digest quickly and found in fruit and dairy products.   These are fine and healthy carbs.  When carbs/sugars are refined and processed in foods it can be found in corn syrup, sugar, cake, pop and candy as well as processed foods.  Refined carbs have been stripped of their vitamins and nutrients.  These Refined Carbs contribute to Type 2 Diabetes, some cancers, obesity, depression and heart diseases.  These are white pasta, white rice, sugary cereals, you get the drift.  Lastly is complex carbs.  These are important to a healthy diet.  They take longer to digest, meaning your body is continuing to digest them, so you are not hungry as quickly, meaning you don't eat as much.  Refined carbs have been known to actually increase eating because they don't send the satiety signal to your brain to tell you, that you are full.  Complex carbs are a great source of fiber are nutrient rich and can assist in digestion, stabilizing blood sugar levels, and longer levels of satiety.  These include beans, whole-grain versions of breads, rice, potatoes and pastas.
I mention all of that to say that eliminating certain carbs is great for your health and weight loss, but not all carbs carry the same bad effect.  Complex carbs are our friend!  So, while I know the Atkins diet does deliver, it is vital we get a well rounded meal plan.

Back to the Atkins+South Beach diet.  It sounds great, and do-able to me.  It encourages using Olive Oil as your fat source.  It can help dampen your appetite as well as speed your metabolism.  I am rather confident that a snickers bar will NOT do that.  So use your olive oil in your salad dressing, and cooking.  Of course veggies (especially leafy ones) are going to be a great low-carb option.  You can eat as much of these as you want.  No need to feel hungry when you can nibble on veggies throughout the day.  Fruits are great for you too.  This diet even encourages 2 small glasses of red wine a day!  Oh Yeah!!  Why?  Red wine contains antioxidants, one of which has been studied to lower blood sugar.  So there you have it!  Eat a low-carb (using your new smarts on carbs) diet, high in veggies, eat lean protein every day, eat fish as your protein every other day. Snack as needed on veggies, avoid simple and refined sugars and drink a little red wine each day.  Of course you need to be doing your exercise too.  This will unveil the fit under the fat.

I always tell myself that I am building muscles now (even though, there is no trace of them under their fat blankies) so that when the fat is gone the fit is there.  I don't want to lose my fat and then need to get fit, when I can be doing both at the same time and in the end have a fit and fine me!
I know this is long, but I had so much to share!

Now, here is something I am not getting...MY WEIGHT!
I have gained another pound.  I am back up to 205.  Why?!
I don't get it.  Well, off I go to eat some fish and veggies, then after I put the kids down... I will do Jillian's shred.  Hopefully the scale will be on my side tomorrow!

*If you are pregnant or nursing seek your doctor before considering this.  In my opinion, have the baby, nurse it and then focus on you!
**All diets and workout plans should be discussed with your doctor first.
***If you are allergic to fish and want to do this diet, well, you need more help than I can give you.  If you are allergic to seafood, stay away from seafood!