Atkins Diet – Is it as Effective as they say?

Even though it has been several decades since the late Dr.
Robert Atkins created his self-named low carbohydrate diet, it
was only in the late 1990s and early 2000s that the Atkins diet
took the weight loss world by storm. Millions of people rode on
the low carb bandwagon and nutrition experts were appalled. The
uproar over the diet is understandable; after all, it went
against all the principles of the medically accepted and
traditional low fat regimen, which had been the norm for years.

Simply put, going on the Atkins diet – or “doing Atkins” – means
that a person has to drastically cut down on his or her intake
of carbohydrates, especially those found in starchy foods.
People find that this can be difficult, especially those who
have become accustomed to consuming food like bread, potatoes,
cakes, cereals, and pasta regularly for years. On the up side,
protein-rich foods are not only allowed on this low carb diet,
they are actually encouraged. So there’s no need to give up
mayonnaise, butter, pork, beef, fried food, and many others that
are off-limits in low fat diets.

There are four phases in this diet. The first stage, called
Induction, requires the dieter to reduce his or her carb intake
to 20 grams per day for two weeks. Carbohydrates should be
acquired from vegetables, so the usual starchy baked products
and fruits are forbidden during this period. After Induction,
you are allowed to gradually increase your intake of
carbohydrates until you reach your carb threshold, or the amount
of carbs you can safely eat without gaining weight. For many
adults, 60 to 90 grams of carbs per day is the limit. With this
diet, you count carbs, not calories.

The Atkins premise is that carbohydrates, which our bodies use
for fuel, are the culprits responsible for weight gain. Excess
carbohydrates increase blood sugar levels, which in turn make us
feel hungry in a short amount of time after a meal. An increase
in your blood sugar can also trigger the pancreas to create more
insulin, which in turn influences how the body converts carbs to
fats, which are manifested in that paunch or those love handles.
This extra weight can lead to many health problems, including
diabetes and heart disease.

In addition to helping a person lose a significant amount of
weight in a short period of time, a number of clinical studies
have shown the Atkins diet to be beneficial in the reduction of
the so-called “bad cholesterol” that can lead to heart disease.
In addition, other studies suggest that the diet has at least a
positive short-term effect on diabetics, and anecdotal evidence
states that it is also instrumental in relieving the symptoms of
disorders such as polycystic ovarian syndrome.

One thing that the critics praise about the Atkins low carb diet
is its education of people about being picky about foods; to
avoid junk food and those that contain nothing but sugar and
empty calories. Another aspect of the diet that meets with
expert approval is its encouragement of exercise. It still
follows the basic tenet that if you take in more than you burn,
you will still gain weight, no matter what diet you are on. One
relative difficulty that reduced-carbohydrate dieters complain
about is food boredom. Perhaps this was a problem in the early
days, but not so anymore. Today, there are plenty of “mock”
foods patterned after regular dishes like pancakes, mashed
potatoes, cheesecake, muffins, and the like – but without the
carbohydrates and sugar. If you have a craving for something
sweet, you can still eat candy bars, cakes, and chocolate
products that are sweetened not with sugar but with sucralose.

Weight loss on this low carb diet is quicker than that observed
on low-fat diets, but remember that you should not shed pounds
too rapidly – 2 to four pounds a week is the average. And to
make sure to take the necessary dietary supplements to make sure
that you are getting all the nutrients you need to stay healthy
while losing weight. You should also remember to drink plenty of
water. This will help flush waste from your body and assist it
in the burning of fat as the major source of fuel.

Going on the Atkins diet can help you in your weight loss
efforts if you follow the basic tenets: don’t overeat (eat only
until you feel satisfied); don’t under-eat (eat whenever you
feel hungry); exercise; be realistic. You should not aspire to
be razor thin. Rather, aim for your ideal body weight and stay
healthy on your way there.

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