Atkins: Bankrupt!

From the Associated Press
July 31, 2005

NEW YORK - Atkins nutritionist Inc., the company that promoted low-carb eating into a national diet craze, filed for bankruptcy court protection Sunday, a company spokesman said...

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...and personal trainers, doctors and nutritionists finally let out a collective sigh of relief to see this rather embarrassing chapter of the never ending story from "The Latest Diet Craze Handbook" start to come to an end.

Granted, for a lot of people, this diet did technically work. In fact, I have friends and family members who used the plan to drop some unwanted weight (but most of them gained it all back). However, it was widely regarded from Day One as a medically unsafe regimen that could have serious, negative long-term effects on the body. In short, the diet caused the body to enter a catabolic state where it consumed its own tissue, including lean muscle, to make a number on a scale lower.

However, there are two sides to every story. Here are some positive and negative lessons that have been learned by millions of those who subscribed to the Atkins craze.

Positives

1. Many learned to strictly track and log exactly what food they put into their body.
2. Many accepted the fact that, in dieting, ingesting certain foods must be sacrificed or severely curtailed.
3. Many found that they are ultimately in control of their own weight loss, and no one can do it for them.

Negatives

1. Some may be looking for the next "trick" to make them lose weight instead of sticking to basic principles of healthy nutrition combined with regular exercise.
2. Some may blame themselves for failing to keep the weight off instead of correctly blaming a faulty nutrition plan with unrealistic promises.
3. Some may try to simply "modify" their plan by adopting another craze that is just a hybrid of the primary components of the Atkins philosophy ("Atkins Lite" type plans).

The reason that this craze is disappearing, along with the revenues of Atkins Nutritionals, is that it is an unrealistic and unhealthy approach to maintaining an ideal body weight. You could always easily spot a disciple of the Atkins approach, couldn't you? Their faces appeared gaunt. Their skin had an ashy, dull tone. Their muscle mass loss made them look like they were older than they actually were. Ten years ago, you would see someone like this who had lost a great deal of weight, and your first comment to them would be, "Wow, have you been sick?" But, in the last few years, it usually meant they had bought into the Atkins lifestyle. Skinny--but at what cost?

People who tried and failed at the Atkins Diet should adhere to the positive lessons mentioned above and apply them to a balanced nutrition and exercise plan than creates a caloric deficiency of 500-1000 calories per day. What they should do is avoid highly processed foods, excess sugar, alcoholic beverages and too many trips to their favorite restaurants. They should engage in daily exercise (both aerobic and resistance training), each natural foods without the trimmings and make healthy food decisions every day for the rest of their lives. You do not have to live a totally Spartan lifestyle, but you also cannot treat every meal as Thanksgiving.

In jest, perhaps I should have latched on to this craze by offering an alternative plan that uses the same way of thinking to help people drop 15-20 pounds quickly. However, I do not think the Amputation Diet would have caught on as quickly, but you never know...

Have questions on how to do so? Email me your questions, and I will be glad to help as well as share with others on this blog!

Mix It Up

Sometimes, it pays to adjust your training to fit more closely with the exact goals you are trying to accomplish. Of course, this makes perfect sense. But, many people ignore the law of specificity when it comes to training.

It is noble to create a specific training plan and then be extremely diligent in carrying it out. However, as you become more advanced, you will find that designing training that directly influences the exact skills you are trying to improve upon works best.

For example, I have added sprint and hill training to my weekly workouts to compensate for the new demands placed on my body for starting competitive rugby again. I had begun to find out (the hard way) that general cardio fitness developed from running at a constant rate on a treadmill or in my neighborhood does not even remotely prepare you for the stop and go style of a competitive sport. This is even harder when you have younger and stronger guys chasing you and trying to turn you into a lawn divot.

Establishing a foundation of fitness is extremely important, but eventually, you must get specific. What are the abilities I need to develop? What are the skills that are needed from this new demand? What are my weaknesses that are not improving? This frank discussion with yourself must end with new action steps that customize your efforts to your new goals.

The same concepts apply to business development. Yes, you must learn the basics and establish a baseline of competency. However, once you get specific goals, such as developing your speaking skills or conducting great first client meetings, there is no substitute for actual practice and working on honing those specific skills.

Specificity of training is hard. But, trying to make your generic program one that produces specific skills that get you closer to your goals is much, much harder.

Older? I Prefer Better

When I was 16-22, I was a great rugby player. No kidding, it was my sport, and I absolutely loved it. The day my high school coach, who used to play for the US national team, came up to my Dad and said I was "very violent" and wished that he played more like me was one of the top 5 proudest moments of my life.

Yikes. I just started playing again, and I learned one thing very quickly. I am not 20 anymore, and a lot of other people on the team actually are.

However, I was able to hold my own. Yes, I was tired and extremely sore afterwards. I have to admit that I was also extremely nervous going to my first practice in 15 years. The nice thing about rugby is that it is a social sport, and it is very common for people to continue to play well into their middle age years. They are known as the old, crazy guys.

Here is what I am learning.

1. You play differently when you are older. You play smarter, look for opportunities and keep your head up.

2. Hits hurt more now, so avoid them. Go for the smart play that maximizes results without a lot of trial and error that eventually just wears you out. But, when it comes time to pop someone, do it real, real hard so they remember it.

3. Energy is finite. You have a limited amount, so there is no sense going all out, 100% of the time. It is also counterproductive, but you can make up for that when you are younger.

4. It is the little things and fundamentals that count. It levels the playing field with those going on raw ability.

5. I am better at this than I was 15 years ago. Not as fast or as tough, but better...

Wait, am I talking about about playing rugby or doing business development as an older professional? I forget---but it seems like they have some similar lessons...