Marine Electronics

You know how some people just have to try to make your life miserable? It was obvious to everyone that I looked and felt healthier, but some people just had to try to spoil it. I was told that 'lots of people have died of kidney or liver failure' after being on Atkins I read it in a magazine; you will have a heart attack because it's not natural; your cholesterol will go through the roof and you will need your toes amputated or you will have a stroke; it will affect your eyesight. All sorts of exaggerations. So, I went to see my local doctor, who admitted that he had no knowledge of the Atkins diet, but he also said that he had heard nothing bad about it either. He sent me for a series of tests at the hospital and the results were all OK. He was happy that I'd lost 18 lbs and so was I. Six weeks later, I went for another cholesterol check-up, because of the high fat levels inherent in the diet and, although my cholesterol level was up very slightly, they said there was no cause for concern.

The book warns that you might suffer from bad breath (halitosis). I don't know whether I did or not - no-one mentioned it, but I started brushing my teeth four or five times a day just in case. I guess that's another benefit of Atkins: increased awareness of oral hygiene. It also warns of constipation. I didn't get that either, although I didn't give up black coffee, which has always had a laxative effect on me. But how can you become constipated if you're allowed to eat well over 1lb of greens a day? I wasn't eating that well before the diet! So my two main concerns were unfounded.

After a couple of weeks I was getting bored. Not with the diet, but because I'm single and am used to going to the pub (and drinking beer). So, I decided to treat this scientifically. One day, after work, I had three pints of Guinness and felt great. Before the diet, I would have drunk five or six to feel the same. To my delight, the next morning the ketone sticks told me that I was still 'on the diet'. Over the following weeks, I thoroughly enjoyed checking out what would 'work' and what would not. I found that cider is a complete no-no. Some beers and some lagers are OK. Red and white wine are OK. Consuming alcohol does not knock you off the diet, but it slows your rate of progress. But even slow progress is progress, I say. Better than giving up the diet.

Don't let people encourage you to 'just have a little bit'. They don't understand or don't want to understand the trouble they're causing you. One's body can hold two days worth of carbohydrates: one square of chocolate, one slice of bread, a bowl of cornflakes or one sugar in your coffee will cost you TWO days to clear out of your system. Don't let people do it to you. This is not a diet that you can stop and start when you like, in fact I think that it probably could be dangerous to keep allowing your ketone and other levels to fluctuate wildly. There are also the high fat levels in the content of the Atkins diet, which is not dangerous if you keep to it, because you body devours fat and cholesterol in the absence of carbohydrates.

That is the story so far, with me having got down to under 16 stone and keeping it there until very recently when I moved to the Far East to live. The food is so different here, but once I get used to the food and have my own house and own kitchen, I will get down to 15 stone, I'm sure I will " without any real effort.

Anyway, thanks to you, Mr. Blackwell, wherever you are these days, you changed my life and my understanding of food with that book and thank you, Mr. Atkins too.

Do you want to know more about the Atkins Diet? Visit our site on Atkins dieting at: Atkins Dieting

A very common, but nevertheless astonishing results of 'doing' the Atkins diet is the suppression of appetite. A lot of the advocates of the regimen report that the inter meal hunger pangs they used to experience just vanish and quite rapidly too. This factor makes it easier to remain on the diet and continue losing weight. While other diets leave their followers hungry between meals, the Atkins dieters receive relief from constant hunger. The Atkins diet, with its specific recommendation of foods and ingredients, has powerful appetite suppressing qualities.

The first key component is the amount of protein in the Atkins diet. Protein, much more so than carbohydrates, has the power to satiate hunger pangs. If you have ever eaten a carbohydrate dense meal and then felt hungry again shortly afterwards, you know that carbohydrates don't have much staying power as a hunger satisfier. Protein, on the other hand, when it is combined with a small amount of healthy fats, can keep you feeling satisfied for long periods of time.

One of the most sustained appetite suppressant foods on the Atkins diet is the simple egg. Eggs are a marvellous form of quick and easy protein. A recent report revealed that having eggs for breakfast would actually keep hunger pangs at bay throughout the remainder of the day. The research concerned two groups of women. One group ate only eggs for breakfast and the other had a breakfast of buns and cream cheese.

The calorie count for both breakfasts was exactly the same. The participants noted down what they ate for the rest of the day and answered questions about their hunger levels and satisfaction levels throughout the day. The results of the study showed that the women who ate the eggs for breakfast felt more satisfied throughout the entire day and they ate less at each meal than those women who were in the bread group.

Eggs contain about 6 grammes of protein each, which helps to even out blood sugar and produces a feeling of satisfaction. Both of these factors help to curb cravings. Egg yolks also contain lutein and xenazanthin. These nutrients have been shown to have amazing effects on eye health. So it's important to eat the whole egg, and not just the white. Eggs contain choline which is important for maintaining brain function and memory. These nutrients are just an added benefit to the appetite suppressant qualities.

Broccoli and cauliflower, two of the most recommended vegetables on the Atkins program, also have appetite-suppressant effects. These vegetables are very bulky and they help make your stomach feel full. When your stomach is full, it will actually create a chemical signal in your brain. Your body will reduce its call for food because it believes that your stomach is full of high calorie foods. This will happen regardless of what is in your stomach. You can achieve the same results with water and psyllium husk fiber. Both broccoli and cauliflower provide bulk in your diet and are essential vegetables on the Atkins plan.

The Atkins diet recommends eating small, protein balanced meals a few times per day. This will help maintain your blood sugar level in a stabilized state and avoid carbohydrate-induced cravings. With high carbohydrate diets, you are riding a wave of carbohydrate highs. After you have eaten, you feel great and full. Then after a few hours, you come crashing down and are hungrier than you were prior to eating the carbohydrates. This cycle continues ad infinitum and, over time, you will eat more and gain weight.

The protein, fat and vegetable meals of the Atkins diet put your blood sugar back in balance. They give you just enough of each sort of food, with a proper amount of carbohydrates (from the vegetables). The vegetables provide quick carbohydrate energy, and the protein gives the meal its staying power. This combination helps suppress your appetite throughout the day.

The Atkins diet is actually a craving control plan that suppresses your appetite. If you've had a problem with carbohydrate cravings before, this new way of eating will help control those desires. The more you eat on the plan, the better your cravings will be controlled and the easier it will be to follow the diet - the more you practice the diet the easier it gets.

I read my first Atkins Diet book when I was working in an office in Barry, south Wales. I had been working there for about five years and had put on a lot of excess weight. I had never enjoyed taking part in sport, but my previously, I had worked on building sites, which meant a fair bit of physical activity " enough anyway to keep me in decent shape. After five years on the office computer, I weighed 18 stone 12 pounds (264 lbs or 120 kg), three stone more than I had before and neither I nor my GP were happy about it.

One day a representative of a legal firm came in for an appointment, and, while we were waiting for the other directors to arrive, we got talking about office life and its propensity to put on weight. He said that he had had the same problem before, but that now he made sure he got out of the office regularly and walked everywhere time would allow. He also said that he'd read a good book on losing weight while on holiday in America and that he would send me a copy. I thought nothing more of it and never saw the man again. Mr. Blackwell, I think his name was.

The book duly arrived as promised, but it stayed on my desk unread for months, until one day, I had a dental appointment and had forgotten to take a book to work to read while I was waiting " the magazines are always so old and boring. Anyway, I read several chapters that day and I was fascinated. I had never been on a real diet before and I thought I'd give it a try. I had stopped eating pastry, cakes and chocolate months ago, but it didn't seem to have had much effect and my weight was still rising, albeit more slowly.

It appeared to me that it was a 'thinking person's' diet There is a huge amount of scope for individual tastes and lifestyles and self-discipline did not seem to be much of a problem because for that reason. The book warned of addictions and fads and how best to overcome or prevent them. These did not seem to be an issue for me. I liked coffee, but could take it or leave it and I had already given up chocolate. I knew that maybe beer and bread could be a problem.

The only requirement in the seven-fourteen day induction phase is to eat not more than 20 gram of carbohydrate per day. The book has a clear list of almost every foodstuff and their carbohydrate content. I found it really very easy. In fact, I was eating in a more healthy way in the induction stage than I had been eating before it! I bought a carton of Ketone sticks from the local chemist to make sure that the Atkins Diet was working and I found that I was in ketosis on the third day. It was very gratifying to know that I would be slimming down whatever I did and wherever I was all day long from now on.

I gave up bread (and beer!) for a fortnight and felt great. I actually felt 'bouncy' or 'springy' as you see a boxer in the ring before a fight. I had no trouble whatsoever staying within the 20 gram limit, although I missed fruit more than I'd expected. But I found ways to compensate for everything. The book has loads of recipes and suggestions so I won't go into them here, but I started eating breakfast before I went to work and in the evenings, took great care and attention over preparing a lunch box for work the next day, usually consisting of a salad, some cheese and various nuts to snack on. You can eat a few strawberries too. In the evening, I would cook up something like a curry (no flour) eating it with green beans instead of rice; or a traditional British meal without potatoes followed by cheese and strawberries and cream. I lost 18 pounds in two weeks and felt wonderful.

When I first encountered an Atkins Diet book, I was working in an office. I had been working there for five or six years and had accumulated a fair bit of excess weight. I had never been active in sport, but my previous job had been working on site, which brought with it a certain amount of physical activity " just enough to keep me in reasonable shape. After five years of pen-pushing, I weighed 18 stone 12 pounds (264 lbs or 120 kg), up three stone and neither I nor my doctor were happy about it.

One day a representative of a legal firm came in for an appointment, and, while we were waiting for the other directors to arrive, we got talking about office life and its propensity to put on weight. He said that he had had the same problem before, but that now he made sure he got out of the office regularly and walked everywhere time would allow. He also said that he'd read a good book on losing weight while on holiday in America and that he would send me a copy. I thought nothing more of it and never saw the man again. Mr. Blackwell, I think his name was.

One day the book arrived out of the blue, but it remained on my desk unread for months and months, until one day, I had a dentist's appointment. I had forgotten to take a book to work to read while I was waiting " something I nearly always did/do because the magazines are always so old and boring. Anyway, I read 50 or so pages that day and I was really impressed. I had never been on a 'proper' diet before and I thought I should give it a a go. I had stopped eating pastry, cakes and chocolate months ago, but it hadn't had much effect and my weight was still on the up, albeit slightly more slowly.

It appeared to me that it was a 'thinking person's' diet There is a huge amount of scope for individual tastes and lifestyles and self-discipline did not seem to be much of a problem because for that reason. The book warned of addictions and fads and how best to overcome or prevent them. These did not seem to be an issue for me. I liked coffee, but could take it or leave it and I had already given up chocolate. I knew that maybe beer and bread could be a problem.

The only 'must do' in the seven-day induction phase is to eat not more than 20 gram of carbohydrate per day. The book had a clear list of almost all foods and their carbohydrate content. I found it really easy. In fact, I started eating in a more healthy manner in the induction stage than I had been eating before it! I bought a tub of Ketone sticks from the local chemist to check whether the Atkins Diet was working and found that I was in ketosis on the third day. It was very satisfying to know that now I would be losing weight whatever I did and wherever I was every minute of the day!

I gave up bread (and Guinness!) for a fortnight and felt great. I actually felt 'springy' or 'bouncy' like a boxer in the ring before a fight. I had no trouble whatsoever staying within the 20 gram limit, although I did miss fruit more than I'd expected or some fruits anyway. But I found ways to make up for everything. There are many, many recipes and recommendations in the book so I won't go into them here, but I started eating breakfast before I went to work and dinner in the evenings. I really took great care and attention over preparing lunch for work the next day, usually consisting of a salad, some cheese and various nuts to snack on. You can eat a few strawberries too. In the evening, I would cook up something like a curry (no flour) eating it with green beans instead of rice; or a traditional British meal without potatoes followed by cheese and strawberries and cream. I lost 18 pounds in two weeks and felt really great.

Some people have to try to make your life miserable, if you let them. It was obvious to everyone that I looked and felt better, but some people just have to try to spoil it. I was told: lots of people have died of kidney or liver failure after being on Atkins I read it in the newspaper; you will have a heart attack, it's not natural; your cholesterol will climb sky high and you will need your toes amputated or you will have a stroke; it will affect your eyesight. All sorts of rubbish. So, I went to see my GP, who admitted that he did not know anything about the Atkins diet, but he also added that he had heard nothing bad about it either. He sent me for a series of tests at the hospital and the results were all satisfactory. He was happy that I'd lost 18 lbs and so was I. Six weeks later, I went for another cholesterol check-up, because of the high fat levels in the diet and, although my cholesterol level was up very slightly, the doctor said there was no cause for concern at all.

The Atkins diet book warns that you might develop bad breath (halitosis). I don't know whether I did or not - no-one said anything, but I started brushing my teeth four-five times a day just in case. I guess that's another benefit of following the Atkins diet: increased oral hygiene. It also warns of constipation. I didn't get that either, although I didn't give up black coffee, which has always had a laxative effect on me. But surely you can't suffer from constipation if you're allowed to eat well over 1lb of greens a day? I hadn't been eating that well before the diet! So my two main concerns were nebulous.

After a couple of weeks I was getting bored. Not with the diet, but because I'm single and am used to going to the pub (and drinking beer). So, I decided to treat this scientifically. One day, after work, I had three pints of Guinness and felt great. Before the diet, I would have drunk five or six to feel the same. To my delight, the next morning the ketone sticks told me that I was still 'on the diet'. Over the following weeks, I thoroughly enjoyed checking out what would 'work' and what would not. I found that cider is a complete no-no. Some beers and some lagers are OK. Red and white wine are OK. Consuming alcohol does not knock you off the diet, but it slows your rate of progress. But even slow progress is progress, I say. Better than giving up the diet.

Don't let people encourage you to 'just have a little bit'. They don't understand or don't want to understand the trouble they're causing you. One's body can hold two days worth of carbohydrates: one square of chocolate, one slice of bread, a bowl of cornflakes or one sugar in your coffee will cost you TWO days to clear out of your system. Don't let people do it to you. This is not a diet that you can stop and start when you like, in fact I think that it probably could be dangerous to keep allowing your ketone and other levels to fluctuate wildly. There are also the high fat levels in the content of the Atkins diet, which is not dangerous if you keep to it, because you body devours fat and cholesterol in the absence of carbohydrates.

The story ends so far, with me having got down to under 16 stone and keeping it there, until very recently when I moved to the Far East to live. Once I get used to the food and my own house and own kitchen, I will go down to 15 stone, I know I will " with very little effort.

Anyway, thank you, Mr. Blackwell, wherever you are, you changed my life and my understanding of food and thank you, Mr. Atkins too.

A very common, and surprising effects of following the Atkins diet is the suppression of appetite. Many advocates of the plan state that the between meal hunger pangs they used to have just fade away and very quickly too. This factor makes it easier to remain on the diet and continue to lose weight. While other diets leave their followers starving between meals, the Atkins diet offers relief from constant hunger. The Atkins diet, with its specific recommendation of foods and ingredients, has powerful appetite suppressing effects.

The main factor is the quantity of protein in the Atkins diet. Protein, a lot so than carbohydrates, has the capability to satiate hunger pangs. If you have ever eaten a carbohydrate heavy meal and then felt hungry again shortly afterwards, you already know that carbohydrates do not have much staying power as a hunger satisfier. Protein, on the other hand, when it is combined with a small amount of healthy fats, can keep you feeling full for long periods of time.

One of the most sustained appetite suppressant foods in the Atkins diet are eggs. Eggs are a marvellous sort of quick and easy protein. A recent study showed that having eggs for breakfast would actually keep hunger pangs at bay throughout the remainder of the day. The research concerned two groups of women. One group ate eggs for breakfast and the other had a breakfast of bread and cream cheese.

The calorie count for both breakfasts was precisely the same. The subjects kept track of what they ate the rest of the day and answered questions about their levels of hunger and satisfaction throughout the day. The results of the study showed that the women who ate the eggs for breakfast felt more satisfied throughout the entire day and they ate less at each meal than the women who were in the buns group.

Eggs contain about 6 grams of protein each, which helps to regulate blood sugar levels and produces a feeling of satisfaction. Both of these factors help to curb cravings. Egg yolks also contain lutein and xenazanthin. These nutrients have been proven to have incredible effects on eye health. Therefore, it is important to consume the whole egg, and not just the white. Eggs contain choline which is important for maintaining brain function and memory. These nutrients are just an added benefit to the appetite suppressant qualities.

Broccoli and cauliflower, two of the most recommended vegetables on the Atkins diet, also have appetite-suppressing effects. These vegetables are very bulky and they help make your stomach feel full. When your stomach is full, it will actually create a chemical response in your brain. Your body will reduce its call for food because it assumes that your stomach is full of high calorie foods. This occurs regardless of what is actually in your stomach. You can achieve the same results with water and psyllium husk fibre. Both broccoli and cauliflower provide bulk in your diet and are essential vegetables for the Atkins diet.

The Atkins diet focuses on eating small, protein packed meals a few times a day. This will help maintain your blood sugar level in a stabilized state and avoid carbohydrate-induced cravings. With high carbohydrate diets, you are riding a wave of carbohydrate highs. After you have eaten, you feel great and full. Then after a few hours, you come crashing down and are hungrier than you were before eating the carbohydrates. This cycle continues ad infinitum and, over time, you will eat more and gain weight.

The protein, fat and vegetable recipes of the Atkins plan put your blood sugar back in equilibrium. They give you just enough of each type of food, with the correct amount of carbohydrates (from the vegetables). The vegetables provide quick carbohydrate energy, and the protein gives the meal its sustainability. This combination suppresses your appetite effectively throughout the day.

The Atkins diet is really a craving control plan that helps suppress your appetite - your desire for food or calories. If you've had a problem with carbohydrate cravings before, this new way of eating ie dieting will help control those cravings. The more you eat on the plan, the better your cravings will be controlled and the easier it will be to follow the diet - the more you practice the diet the easier it gets, because you won't want to eat carbohydrates all the time.