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| Category: Fitness & Exercise |
Date published: March 21, 2004 |
After my article titled "Beginning bodybuilding for Women" was published I receive e-mails wondering why I only mention the Atkins Diet. What about the South Beach Diet? Well being that Nature boy lives in a cave with my wolf friends, I never put much thought into The South Beach Diet. Actually I never put much thought into any fad diets. Until now. I did some research into three diets. The Atkins Diet, The South Beach Diet and the Protein Power Diet
Here are valid points of all three diets:
They all practice little or no carbohydrates.
All three start with an initial phase with the carbohydrates severely restricted which puts your body into ketosis. This process produces ketone bodies (broken down fat) and they are excreted in the urine. The diet creators claim this is safe as long you drink enough water to help the process.
All three favor weight training to help stimulate growth hormone.
All three work on the principle of controlling the release of insulin. Low carbohydrate intake keeps the production of insulin low which forces the body to use fat for energy.
Sugar rich carbohydrates are completely out. This includes potatoes and rice. In the South Beach Diet you can start to add a little carbohydrates after 14 days.
The experts say all three diets are a quick start to fat loss in the initial phase. Because of the reintroduction of healthy carbohydrates after 14 days the South Beach Diet does meet the criteria of a healthy diet. Both the Atkins and Protein Power diets are highly controversial because of the lack of carbohydrates causing an unhealthy balance in the body. The experts also like the South Beach for not leaving the dieter out in nowhere land after the initial weight loss leading them into a healthy lifestyle with carbohydrates being added.
In Summary: I tend to like the South Beach Diet because of the adding of carbohydrates after the 14 days initial phase. It provides the body with the essential vitamins and minerals to function. It also has a good following plan after you lose the desired weight.
The three diets and bodybuilding. A bodybuilder could use one of the diets to start a cutting up cycle. But after a first 14-day phase is done carbohydrates will have to come back into the diet. For the average bodybuilder none of these diets could fulfil an active bodybuilder's lifestyle in the long run. All the hard-earned muscle would start melting away. A bodybuilder needs the complex carbohydrates to fuel the muscles for growth. All three diets either use no carbohydrates or a very low amount. The key thing for the bodybuilder is the timing of eating "clean" carbohydrates.
Author Bio: Kevin Doberstein is a natural bodybuilder for the past 25 years. 15 years as a gym owner in Northern Wisconsin. In reference to the book "Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus" Kevin's better half claims he is from Pluto. You can visit his site at www.nature-boy.bodybuilding.com. You can join his newsletter list there. You can contact him about articles or bodybuilding at natureboy_bodybuilding@hotmail.com.
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