Some people on another forum I'm on are raving about the Low Carb High Fat diet. I'm pretty much against diets that restrict certain food groups or otherwise "normal" foods, but at the same time I'm curious. I don't think I'd be able to maintain this particular lifestyle for very long, though.

What's your opinion of this particular diet?

As Dr. Ornish put it:

"The high-protein advocates are right when they say that people in the United States eat too many simple carbohydrates ...

So the diagnosis is correct: we are eating too many simple carbohydrates. But the cure is wrong. The solution is not to go from simple carbohydrates to pork rinds and bacon, but from simple carbohydrates to whole foods with complex carbohydrates like whole wheat, brown rice, and fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes in their natural forms.

These foods are naturally high in fiber, which slows their absorption, preventing a rapid rise in blood sugar. Fiber also fills you up before you eat too many calories, whereas you can eat large amounts of sugar without feeling full. Best of all, these foods contain at least 1,000 substances that have anti-cancer, anti-heart disease and anti-aging properties."

I agree with all the replies posted. For me it's enough to restrict/exclude junk and similar stuff; I definitely don't need to avoid any normal food on top of that.

Some years back, I tried the CAD (Carbo Addict's Diet) on a short term and happened to be going in for my routine quarterly cholesterol exam just after that. My doctor was horrified at my cholesterol and other tests and said to cease and desist immediately and never go on such a diet again.

Now I HEAR that Atkins professes to LOWER one's cholesterol but, looking at the list of fatty foods they encourage people to eat, I can't quite imagine HOW. It is no secret that I am an anti-Atkins person. I have seen so many people lose weight VERY quickly and then put every pound PLUS many others back on almost as quickly.

Perhaps there is some magic wherein if you follow it to the absolute letter, it works without doing damage to one's health, but I don't know what the magic formula is. My advice would be--stay away.

My immediate sense was that this was the Atikins Diet. My concept of that is that it works but people always regain the weight.

Linda

Sounds like the Atkins Diet to me. There is also the Carbohydrate Addict's Diet, very similar to Atkins-both high-fat, low-carb. I have lost weight on low-carb/high-fat but always gained it back. They always say that after losing X amount of pounds that you can slowly re-introduce carbs. As soon as you do that, your weight will go right back up. And when I did low-carb diets, going up a flight of steps just about killed my legs. I had NO energy and NO strength. And I pretty much cannot stand to eat eggs anymore, unless they are hard-boiled. When you eat eggs for breakfast every day for weeks or months, you will get very sick of them. I still sometimes get drawn in by the quick weight loss of the low-carb lifestyle, but more South Beach and it last VERY temporarily. I have days where I don't eat carbs at lunch or dinner(mostly when I'm feeling really fat). I'll eat chicken and salad and veggies, or tuna and no bread, rice, pasta. I don't do it on a regular basis, and I certainly don't consume bacon, beef, etc. when I do it but stick to lean meats/veggies.

Jill

i have learned to run far away from anything that is extreme like this. i have known people who lost 60 pounds on this diet, kept it off for 4 years, and then the minute they introduced pasta back into their eating, their body craved carbs so badly, they ate pasta like the world was coming to an end, and they re-gained the weight.

i have done low carb eating, and it felt the same way. my body needs carbs.

i also disagree with high fat diets. enjoy a steak once in a while but eating bacon every day for breakfast? count me out.

i have learned--balance works for me. i like my bananas on toast for breakfast. i enjoy my brownie once a week. i like udon noodles. i love curry over rice. carbs are not bad. manipulative misleading marketing is bad.

It is probably just another incarnation of a diet that has been around since the 1800's. It was popularized by Dr. Atkins in the 1970's but he did not invent it. He talks about the history of the low carb diet in his first book. It keeps coming back under various different names.
Most people go way overboard on the "high fat" part of it. Lots of butter on their potatoes, lots of real cream in their coffee and tons of Ice Cream. In my opinion you can lower your carbs (if you want to) without ingesting gobs of fat (butter & cream).

Atkins is the only "organized diet plan" I have ever tried and it did not work for me because, at that time (mid 70's) I did not like any of the vegetables you were supposed to add back in after the first week.

I don't think it's healthy. High fat anything is a recipe for long term health issues.