Question about SBD
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Question about SBD
| Tue, 10-07-2003 - 1:18pm |
Hi. I have a question about SBD, I'm a little confused about how it works. Atkins (to my understanding) uses fats (mayo, olives, butter, nuts, olive oil, etc.)as fuel instead of bad carbs therefore burning fat instead of muscle. If SBD is low-fat, what is used as fuel and how is fat burned off?
I may be way off base about the science behind this woe, but that's why I'm here. I would be most appreciative if someone would enlighten me as to how SBD burns fat and helps you to lose weight.
I may be way off base about the science behind this woe, but that's why I'm here. I would be most appreciative if someone would enlighten me as to how SBD burns fat and helps you to lose weight.
Thanks in advance!

Here is my intepretation. I have had college courses in nutrition and metabolism and I have done both the Atkins and SBD.
Your body has separate mechanisms for burning what you eat in order to supply energy.
Your body prefers carbohydrates for energy as they are easier to breakdown for fuel.
Atkins you eat basically protein and fat. Because you are not eating much in the way of carbohydrates --- your body stores unused carbohydrates as glycogen in the muscles and liver(stored with water too) and an overload of carbohydrates the body will store as fat.
When you do not eat the carbohydrates, your body goes to the stores that it has, first it takes the glycogen and turn it into glucose to supply the energy (this is also why you lose weight quickly at first because the glycogen is let go, so is the water). When all that is used up, it has not choice but to go to the fat in your body and break it down for energy. Fat does not break down completely and you excrete ketones. That is why on Atkins having only 20 grams of carbs, most people go into what they call ketosis. (not to be confused with the really bad diabetic ketoacidosis which I know a lot of people do confuse the two).
So you see ---- you are not really directly using mayo, butter, etc. as energy --- it is used to keep you feeling not hungry --- you are using your bodies fat as energy.
With SBD if you follow it correctly - you do not go into ketosis, you cut out the bad carbs so you do not get the sugar rush (too much glucose). You are taking in a moderate amount of carbohydrates and only "good" carbs so your body does not store them as fat.
So you have a combination pathway of burning carbs for fuel which is the preferred method for the brain (hence carb depleted headaches when you go too low) and your body also uses stored fat as you are eating less carbs and overall less calories because you are not getting the huge spikes in blood sugar which tend to make people eat more.
I hope this makes sense --- I tried to be as to the point as possible.
Ellen
Fat burning does not cause ketosis --- it is protein burning that the protein does not break down completely :)!!!!!! Because you aren't eating much in the way of carbs and pushing the protein, the thought is that the body will use the protein eaten rather than taking it from the muscles.
I hope I am not completely confusing you.
Ellen
Basically, Atkins recommends "full" good fats like mayo, nuts, avacado, full-fat cheese, etc. and SBD recommends low-fat cheeses and mayo etc. Atkins claims not to work if you do a low-fat version. So then, how does SBD work if I'm to consume low-fats??
* Honest question, I'm not attacking either plan! Thanks.
I am confused but have to say, Atkins has always worked for me...
Oh Lordy....
Mara~
I dont't know the chemical reasoning behind each diet - But I know SBD is working for me. While I was on Atkins - I lost 5 pounds originally, then the scale would not budge. But the reason I am responding to this string is because there was a great article on the front page of the Science Section of the New York Times this morning regarding SBD. "Different Doctor, Different Diet, Still No Cookies". The premise of the article stated that it just winds up being a very low calorie diet. That's all there is to it.
Maybe you could find the article on line - it might be helpful.
Cathy
There are some people that do fine on high carbohydrate diets and lose weight.
It really boils down to what works for you and what you can maintain for the long haul.
What both plans do is get you away from the carbohydrates that are no good for you --- ones made with empty calories and trans fats.
Every person responds differently. Straight Atkins did not work for me, but my body is responding to SBD. Right now I am doing SBD and on Phase 1 I had 0 energy. Now that I am in Phase 2 I have a ton more energy and am still losing weight, albeit more slowly, so I know for me SBD is more doable. A friend of mine is doing Atkins, and she is losing weight and is not experiencing the extreme fatigue that I had.
I suggest reading both books and they go into exactly how their particular method burns fat, and both of them are true and both of them sound better than the other, however, the bottom line again, is what your body responds to and that is where you have to decide what to try.
Ellen :)
Were the person who did not have the book, and you wanted to lose 8 lbs by OCT 23? Atkins and SBD are similar, but they are very different in areas. I think most of use who have responded to you have given you all kinds of suggestions (ie. don't count carbs, drink water, exercise, websites, etc.) SBD is not a quick fix to the weight issue. Maybe, you're body is having issues because you were on Atkins, and now you are switching to SBD that emphasizes different good carbs??? I don't know. Try the websites like hippodamia.com and prevention.com. It will all work out.
Ria
This is only the second posting for me and I appreciate everyone's help.
Edited 10/8/2003 10:32:57 AM ET by fortunatefool