[ale] OT: Anybody sick today?

[Matthew Magee]

> > And please, everyone knows Atkins mucks with your metabolism--that's one
> > of the key parts. You switch over your metabolism from burning carbs to
> > burning fat. It's the goddamned cornerstone of the entire diet. On the
> > other hand, our bodies weren't *designed* for that type of diet-
>
> Obviously our bodies *were* designed for that type of diet insofar as the
> mechanics of the diet work because that is how the body reacts. Continuing
> your thought process, you imply that our bodies are not designed to lose
> weight in general.

Well, as I stated at the last ALE NW meeting, I know more about cars than
just about anything else so...... here's another automotive analogy!

Your argument fails to take into account anything other than one result.
You are stating that if the human body reacts positively in one aspect
(being weight loss) to the diet, then it must be an overall good.  You are
overlooking the all the other effects in your zeal to acheive one narrowly
focused goal.

In the wild wonderful world of hot rodding, everyone knows that nitromethane
is a very effective fuel for internal combustion engines, if, and only if,
you are ONLY looking for more power.  Nitro is terrible for anything else
but making outrageous amounts of horsepower.  It turns the oil into an
acidic soup, melts pistons, and burns your eyeballs.  By your logic, nitro
is healthier than gasoline for an engine because the engine responds well to
it.  In the real world, these engines must do far more than just go fast,
just as our bodies need to be more than just thin.

Cocaine also creates many of the same effects that you attribute to the
Atkins diet and I am sure that although this is radical example, we can all
agree that its use is not conducive to health!

Before you write me off as a B.S.er, I did at one time lose 40 pounds in 3
months.  I did it by cutting out most of my white sugar, and the mindless
fat like buttered bread.  I ate plenty of carbs, and also worked real hard
and got plenty of good excersise.  No voodoo, just a blanced diet without
all my normal bad eating habits.

You really, really, really, really, need to look at the big picture.

BTW.....  If you are riding 15 miles on a regular basis, then you shouldn't
need a radical diet.  If you think you do, that says something about your
state of mind. ;-)