Atkins Diet Review

Perhaps no other diet is as controversial as the Atkins Diet. For years, doctors had been advising a high-carbohydrate/low-fat diet as the only way to lose weight. Along comes Dr. Atkins, claiming the complete opposite–low carbohydrate is the way to go. Atkins is not the only doctor with this idea but it seems that he was the first to bring it to such a wide audience.

By now, of course, the Atkins Diet, and other low-carb diets are well known. Many people have followed them and had great success…as long as they stick to this type of diet for life.

It would be impossible to fully explain here how the Atkins Diet works, so I suggest reading Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution. However, the basic idea is that the body’s first choice for energy is carbohydrates. When you eat a diet high in carbohydrates, your body has an almost endless supply of energy. The energy that it doesn’t use is easily stored as fat and it’s difficult to get your body to use stored fat as an energy source. By eating a diet low in carbohydrates, your body will not have its carbohydrate energy source and begin to use the fat that is stored on your body.

There are three phases to the diet. The first phase is quite restrictive, but as time goes on and you get closer to your goal, the diet loosens up a little bit.

Atkins receives a lot of criticism, but this criticism is primarily aimed at the first phase of the diet–the induction phase–which people seem to think encompasses the whole diet.

On the induction phase, which should only last for two weeks, you should keep your carbohydrate intake to 20g or less per day. This means that you would primarily be eating meats. This will “kick-start” your body into ketosis, and most people start losing weight very quickly.

After two weeks, you move into the Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) phase. During this time, you can add 5g carbohydrates per day, until you reach a number where you stop losing weight. You continue in this phase until you have lost the weight that you want to lose.

After that, you go into the maintenance phase. This has an increased level of carbohydrates, but it is low by “normal” standards.

Some people have found great success through this way of eating and if it’s something that works for you, then it’s probably OK. Always check with your doctor before drastically changing your eating plan.

Be aware that this diet can be very high in saturated fat. This may be an issue for you and you should try to eat foods that are Atkins-friendly while being lower in saturated fat.

The Atkins Diet is very difficult for vegetarians to follow, particularly the first phase. The first phase is so carb-restrictive that meat is one of the only things that you can eat. All vegetables have some carbohydrates and these should be limited on the Atkins Diet.

If you choose to lose weight on the Atkins Diet, you should make it a lifelong change to your way of eating. Dieters who have tried to return to a high carb lifestyle have found that they quickly regain their weight. But if you are ready to make this commitment, then it could be the right diet for you.