Atkins Diet Review
Our series on diet reviews continues with the Atkins Diet. Although its popularity has diminished in the past few years, the Atkins Diet it is still one of the most popular diets going. Developed by Dr. Robert Atkins and based on the book “Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution”, the Atkins Diet is a popular option amongst people looking to lose a lot of weight quickly.
Essentially the theory behind Atkins is that carbohydrates (mostly sugars and starches) are what cause people to gain weight. The diet focuses on cutting out carbohydrates by eliminating foods like bread, cereal and fruits, and focusing instead on high protein foods like chicken and lean beef and large amounts of “good fats” found in fish, nuts and certain oils like olive oil.
Normally your body burns carbohydrates for energy but when they are eliminated from the diet for a long period of time, the body goes through a process known as Ketosis where it transforms fat and fatty acids into energy and burns that instead. Since the body does not normally function in ketosis, it takes a few days
for a no carb diet to kick in, and a low energy period during that time should be expected.
It is important for Atkins dieters not to “cheat” with carbs during the diet, as this will return the body to its normal carbohydrate burning processes, and you will essentially need to start over with the ketosis process.
Essentially the Atkins diet is an “all or nothing” diet, even a small amount of sugar or starch can negate the effects of a few days of dieting. The diet has become so popular over the past few years that it spawned an entire industry of low carb products such as low carb bars, powders and mixes to help you maintain the diet, while having a treat.
The common criticism of the Atkins diet comes for its high fat content, and that a diet high in fat content can contribute heart disease and artery blockage. While this is a valid concern, the diet – when done properly – focuses on low saturated fats, however many people veer off course and instead eat foods high in saturated fats like beef and cheese. While dieters can see fast weight loss results by eating these foods, the risk of other problems down the line becomes a major concern.
Some people have a good deal of success with Atkins, often losing a significant percentage of weight in as little as a month. I have tried it, and had a decent amount of success initially but in my opinion, the Atkins diet is very difficult to follow. Unfortunately weight loss is even more difficult to maintain over a long period of time when carbohydrates are re-introduced back in to your diet and starting the ketosis process again takes a strong willed person which I am not.
I also found that the Atkins diet really sapped my energy levels to the point where I was not able to work out for more than a short period of time. To be fair everyone’s body responds differently to diets and I do know a few people who were able to exercise regularly on Atkins, but in my experience I had very low energy throughout the process.
In summary, the Atkins diet can produce great results in a short period of time but all or nothing diets can be very difficult, especially if you are not used to dieting. A more sustainable diet such as the Body For Life or Weight Watchers Points would much easier for a dieting newbie to follow, and is certainly more sustainable over the long term.
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Atkins Diet and any other types of diet that is based on Low Carbohydrate intake is always good for health. research shows that Caloric restriction increases the life span of humans, this is due to the fact that lesser amounts of free radicals are produced inside the body.