Not A Very Sly Move Panning Atkins, Stallone!

Stallone ironically bashes low-carb in book, but promotes it for business

Sylvester Stallone is an internationally-acclaimed and widely recognized big-time movie star who will forever be a part of American cinematic history with his roles in many of Hollywood's greatest films of all time. He made all the right moves in building a successful career for himself in Hollywood and he has been rewarded handsomely for doing so.

However, it greatly disappoints me to have to report on a not-so-Sly move by Stallone because of the comments he makes about livin' la vida low-carb in his recent book about healthy living called Sly Moves: My Proven Program to Lose Weight, Build Strength, Gain Will Power, and Live your Dream.

A special thanks to one of my faithful readers for pointing this book out to me and what I found in it literally made my jaw drop to the floor in complete shock and utter dismay at what Sylvester Stallone wrote about Atkins, South Beach and other low-carb diets.

On page 160 of his book, Stallone mockingly describes the late Dr. Robert C. Atkins, the staunchest supporter of the low-carb lifestyle since the early 1970s before his untimely death in 2004, as "Dr. Fatkins" who "saw his kingdom grow (not to mention his coffers) as his enthralled subjects said goodbye to breads, rice, pastas, and" other carbohydrate-packed foods as well as all fruits and vegetables.

"There's no 'happily ever after' on a low-carb, high-protein diet," Stallone wrote on the same page of his book. "All you get are short-term fixes and long-range problems."

Stallone adds on page 148 that the "high-protein, low-carb craze is nothing but a setup for frustration and failure, not to mention all sorts of potential health problems."

"Plus, answer this," he added. "If the Atkins, South Beach, and other diets work so well, why can't most of us name five people on them who've lost weight and kept the weight off for a year or more? It just doesn't happen!"

Oh, but Sly wasn't finished yet! He had some more to say about livin' la vida low-carb on page 169.

"[Low-carbers] are bound up from the lack of fiber. If you're on Atkins, South Beach, or any other high-protein diet, you probably know the feeling."

You know, I'd chalk this little diatribe against low-carb by Stallone as yet another in a long line of rants from an anti-Atkins zealot. But, you see, this one is different. Sylvester Stallone has a vested business interest in people who are livin' la vida low-carb because of his company INSTONE Nutrition and his line of LOW-CARB, HIGH-PROTEIN puddings called Stallone Puddings.

I previously reviewed these great-tasting puddings that have 20g protein and just 2g carbohydrates in them. As you can see from the packaging of these puddings, they proudly and unabashedly tout the protein content and the fact that they are low-carb right there on the packaging.

Mr. Stallone, using your own words about low-carb, high-protein diets, are your puddings setting people up for "short-term fixes and long-range problems?" Are people who eat Stallone Puddings being "setup for frustration and failure, not to mention all sorts of potential health problems."

You can't have it both ways, sir! Either you agree that livin' la vida low-carb is a healthy way to lose and maintain your weight while getting healthy or you don't. It seems foolish and arrogant to me that someone like you who has such a platform for sharing his opinions so freely and openly to millions of people would choose to basically bite the hand the feeds one of your vested business interests.

Have you even run your opinions about the low-carb lifestyle by the employees at InStone Nutrition, Mr. Stallone?! It's gonna make it harder on them trying to convince potential buyers that they need your pudding products when the Founder, CEO and spokesman is out there trashing the low-carb, high-protein diet as unhealthy and unrealistic for weight loss. Have you even thought this all the way through? It sure doesn't seem like it!

Let's be frank here: Sylvester Stallone doesn't need our money. He's made hundreds of millions of dollars from his acting career and other business ventures over the years. Even still, why would he make such incredibly stupid statements about low-carb when the very premise of one of his businesses is predicated on the low-carb, high-protein consumer base? Ugh, I hate it when ignorance rears its ugly head like this! But I always call 'em like I see 'em! And I smell a rat this time.

It does appear that Stallone for some reason or another is a little bit jealous of Dr. Atkins and the success that he enjoyed with his low-carb business endeavors. Perhaps the Stallone Puddings aren't doing as well as Sly was hoping, although they are at or near the top of most low-carb store bestseller lists. Is that a reason to hurl insults at this way of eating, though?

But I suppose all those hamburgers, French fries and other junk food that Stallone has them serve at his Planet Hollywood restaurants is healthier for people than low-carb living, too. Riiiiiiigght! And I was thinking of visiting that restaurant while on vacation in Myrtle Beach, SC next weekend. NOT ANYMORE!

Call me crazy, but me thinks Sylvester Stallone went barking up the wrong tree in this hunt. While it may not hurt his personal finances to stop buying his precious low-carb, high-protein puddings, it might just send a message to his company that he should learn to keep his big mouth shut because it could make an impact on his business. This could hurt a lot of people who work for INSTONE Nutrition all because their leader made the biggest gaffe of his business career.

Not a very Sly move panning Atkins, Stallone! Not a very Sly move at all!

I think Sylvester Stallone should apologize to us low-carbers for insulting our intelligence with his blanket negative comments about people who are livin' la vida low-carb. Urge him and INSTONE Nutrition to publicly renounce the statements made by Stallone in his book by e-mailing them your concerns at info@instonenutrition.com. Tell them that you will not purchase any more Stallone Pudding or any other products from InStone Nutrition until this public apology has been issued either at their web site or at this blog.

If you receive any correspondence back on this, then please feel free to forward it to me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. We shouldn't have to put up with comments like this and it's time to vote with our pocketbooks!

Should someone from INSTONE Nutrition or even Sylvester Stallone himself read this blog post and wish to respond to my concerns, I welcome your feedback and will gladly post your response. We look forward to hearing from you!

5-22-06 UPDATE: I received an e-mail today from a Stallone supporter who said Sylvester Stallone's opinions about livin' la vida low-carb have nothing to do with his company that sells low-carb products. Say what? He labeled my blog post about this story as an "attack" on Stallone. Oh really?

Here's the e-mail:

Just because Sly made a pudding that is low carb doesn't make what he said in his book hypocritical. One thing has nothing to do with another. You sound like you slept with Dr. Fatkins the way you defended him.

There are proven long term negative effects from low carb diets such as heart disease and high blood pressure because people who usually promote those diets promote them by saying you can eat all the fat you want such as cheese, oils, bacon, etc.

The problem with the low carb diets is not the diet itself but the promotion of them. That's what Sly was referring to in his book. Of course he knows there are benefits to eating less carbs.

By the way, I love low carb diets and follow them often but one does need to be very careful with them because from a mental standpoint, you do sort of tell yourself, "okay, I can eat all the fat I want because I'm not eating carbs." It's extremely easy to be unhealthy while on a low-carb diet. So, don't be so defensive. You attacked Sly just for the sake of it.

A response like this doesn't even merit a comment from me. But feel free to share your feedback about it if you would like. Click on the comment link below. :)

5-22-06 UPDATE: Here's another e-mail I received from a British woman who supports Stallone's position on high-protein, low-carb diets while making excuses for his hypocrisy.

Here's what she wrote:

This is a load of rubbish, you don't know what your talking about. Stallone is exactly right. What, do you actually think Sly makes the menu at Planet Hollywood? No! I think you should think before your write!

Actually, the problem is that I DO think before I write and it drives me nuts having to put up with all the constant negativity about the healthy low-carb lifestyle. Nevertheless, I have an obligation to speak the truth and let others decide for themselves what to think. But I welcome any and all opinions on the subject anytime.