The Passing of A Fad

[puppetmaker]

The Atkins Nutritionals Inc has filed for bankruptcy protection. The low carbohydrate craze is at an end. Now people have moved on to a number of other diets which do allow for the consumption of bread and pasta. I know a number of people who did benefit from Atkins for a while. In the case of one, they have managed to keep the weight off for over a year. In the others, the weight has come back over time. I maintained an Atkins diet back in 1997 while I was with a group that was all doing it. I did lose weight at the time but it didn’t stay off. I am not dunning anyone for whom the diet did or does work, I just feel that it was a fad diet that was going to go the way of the no fat diet, the grapefruit diet, and soon the South Beach Diet. I am a firm believer in the eat less and exercise camp although sometimes I fall down on that path. I just pick myself up and start again.

Rafael Palmeiro has found himself in quite a bit of hot water with a positive test for steroids. He could find himself in bigger trouble than a 10 game ban if Congress decides that it doesn’t like being lied to. Steroids are a short cut with consequences which are far reaching. Like some diets it is a quick fix to a long-term problem. There are medical and legitimate needs for steroids but either we let all athletes compete using them or none. Currently we are opting for none.

There is a discussion (rather heated one) in bodybuilding where supposedly with the new rules the judges are to penalize contestants that show signs of steroid use like the bloated belly in favor of a more natural look of the v-taper of healthy abs. There was recently a contest in New York for pro bodybuilders and those going for their pro card. If you looked at the final pictures of the winners they went for those with freaky size rather than the more symmetrical natural looking bodybuilders. There was a documentary on the Discover Channel I believe about female bodybuilding and how the rules had changed so that the women were trying to figure out how to conform to the rules and still win. Those who were closest to what they SAID they were looking for placed lower than some women who were looking like what was previously asked of the women which was freaky size and definition. I am sure there are some people who have the natural physic and body type for this sort of thing but I read a lot of articles on how steroids are detected and how to mask them too. Which is probably why bodybuilding doesn’t have much chance as an Olympic Sport.

I am grateful for different kinds of paper.

Comments

[darkravenette.livejournal.com]

Bodybuilders just scare me. Have you seen that one kid that's been body building for years? He can't be more than 10, and he look like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime.

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

We tried the low-carb thing, and yeah, it works, but it's just too restrictive to stick to. We're now trying the "eat more sensibly and go to the gym that just opened at least three times a week" plan and we'll see what happens.

I don't ever wanna look like one of those bodybuilders though. Uck. I prefer being a little bit soft and cuddly....it fits my image better. :)

[ghilledhu.livejournal.com]

"I don't like men...with too many muscles." [/RHPS]