Since the subject of Taubes' book finally came up on a thread I might as well check to say that I've been on it for several months now and have lost roughly 14 pounds. I'm 5' 9" and weighed around 191; I've dropped to the mid-170's and am aiming for the low 170's. I'm wearing clothing now that I never thought I'd be able to wear again in this life. My wife has been on it, too, and is losing weight also.
I have to thank Riv (Grant) for publishing so much in his readers and on his web site about Taubes and the book. Had it not been for that it's unlikely that I would've gotten a copy. My wife and I both read it and were fascinated by the story Taubes tells about the kind of diet that was common among many different races and cultures around the globe and what happened to them when their main food sources were taken away and they were forced to rely on the Western diet of mainly carbs. And, although Taubes never really comes right out and says it in so many words, it makes one wonder if a bit of conspiracy didn't take place in the late 50's/early 60's when the food processing industry began to really ramp up production of cereals, ready-to-eat toaster pastries, etc. Seems like that was when the food pyramid concept began to be so heavily touted. Draw backs to and warnings about the diet would be these: 1) Taubes stresses that you should drink a couple of cups of bullion daily. DON'T ignore this! A couple of days ago I had to replace the front "flex pipe" on my pickup and I fought cramps in my legs, neck, and even hands the entire time I was crawling around under the truck. You simply have to replace the sodium that would normally be supplied by carbs with something else. 2) Figure out how you can deal with cravings by eating something other than carb snacks. I'm fortunate in that regard because I'll eat almost anything - so a tin of sardines or kippers, a bag of pork rinds, etc. - they do the trick. If you absolutely can't stand any of that stuff try Atkins bars from the drug store. 3) Taubes recommends a certain amount of leafy greens and non- starchy vegetables every day. This is important unless you want to suffer from unique bowel problems - I've leave it go at that. At this point I can't say that I really miss all of the breads and other carbs I thought I could never live without. I do miss good beer, though, especially the excellent craft brewed stuff so every once in a while I just have to have one. Other than that I'd think the biggest draw back to the diet down the road is going to be sticking to it. I've heard many stories from people who went on the Atkins diet a decade or so ago, lost weight, then gained it back again when the began to stray from it. It sure is easier climbing hills sans 14 or so pounds, though! On Aug 13, 7:16 am, Michael Hechmer <mhech...@gmail.com> wrote: > Actually, the bulk of the Taubes book is a review of hundreds of obeisity > studies from around the world over the last 250 years or so. Taubes is not > making any new or novel scientific claims, but rather summarizing the > conclusions of those studies and pointing out that today's dominant > nutritional advice is at odds with all of the underlying scientific > research. > > Arguing that insulin levels are not the key variable in weight gain is much > like arguing that volcanoes are the major cause of global warming, after > every independent climate scientist has rejected the conclusion. If someone > wants to dispute the veracity of his conclusions they will need to show that > insulin does not determine what happens to the calories we consume. > > I still eat brownies and ice cream, but I don't delude myself about what > happens inside my body when I do. > > michael -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
