Atkins Diet

Enjoy indulging in rich foods while you lose weight?  The Atkins Diet may be just what you’re looking for!

You’ll enjoy foods like steak, eggs and bacon, cheese, rich dressing on your salad, and high-fat yogurt – as long as you cut back on the carbs.  These rich foods are allowed as part of the controversial diet described in Dr. Robert Atkins’ book New Diet Revolution, now known as simply Atkins Diet.

Dr. Atkins wrote New Diet Revolution in 1972 and since then Atkins diet plan has become one of the most popular diet plans ever.  Time Magazine named Atkins Diet “The most popular diet program”, and the craze for low carbs comes mainly from the popularity of the Atkins’ books.  However, Atkins Diet did fall out of favor (sometime after 2000) and prompted his follow-up book in 2010 New Atkins for a New You.

Although it’s undoubtedly the rapid weight-loss success stories that sell the books, the Center for Complementary Medicine in New York (which Atkins founded) claim that most people follow the Atkins diet for weight maintenance, good health, and disease prevention.

The Atkins diet claims you will lose 15 pounds within two weeks.  It is a low-carb diet focusing on controlling the levels of insulin in our body through diet.  If we consume large amounts of refined carbohydrates our insulin levels will rise rapidly, and then fall rapidly.  Rising insulin levels will trigger our bodies to store as much of the energy we eat as possible as fat – it will also make it less likely that our bodies use stored fat as a source of energy.  Dieters on the Atkins Diet will consume a higher proportion of proteins than they normally do, but cut back on the carbs.  The fats are meant to curb your appetite, while reducing carbs control the blood sugar and insulin.  Atkins is very similar to South Beach Diet, Eco-Atkins, and the Paleo Diet.

How the Atkins Diet works

The thrust of the Atkins Nutritional Approach is to significantly reduce your carbohydrate (carbs) intake.  Reducing the carbs helps the body burn more fats.  The Atkins diet uses a four-phase eating program, combined with vitamin and mineral supplements, as well as regular exercise.  Following this it’s expected dieters will lose 15 pounds in the first two weeks, and then keep the weight off by continuing with “Lifetime Maintenance”.

The diet is based on the theory that overweight people eat too many carbs.   Our bodies burn both fat and carbohydrates for energy, but carbs are used first.  Drastically restricting carbohydrates to a fraction of that found in the typical American diet causes the body to go into a state of ketosis, which means it burns its own fat for fuel.

Consider what happens when you eat a high-carbohydrate meal. Sugar from the carbs quickly enters the bloodstream.  To keep the blood sugar from rising too high, the body secretes insulin.  Insulin allows the sugar to be stored in the liver and muscle as glycogen, but these stores are rapidly filled to capacity.  The insulin then converts any extra sugar to fat — the stuff we’re trying so hard to get rid of.  The more sugar in the blood (from carbs), the more insulin, and the more rapidly this insulin works to convert sugar to fat.

When our sugar levels are low our insulin levels are low.  Ketosis kicks in when our insulin levels are low.

For most people on Atkins Diet the carb consumption must be no more than 40 grams a day. Exercise is not a large component of Atkins Diet, but it claims some people will need to add physical activity for ketosis to kick in. People are also urged to supplement the diet with vitamins.

By allowing high protein, and high fat, foods Atkins claims it will reduce your appetite.  This is due to these types of foods taking longer to digest, so they satiate your body.  Atkins Diet strictly limits carbs, but allows you to eat foods that many dieters have only dreamed about.

The first two weeks are very restrictive, since it’s basically a cleansing period.  Later, the carb allowance is broadened to include fiber-rich foods.  The diet does allow for adding fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain foods after the two-week induction period.

Over time, the transition from weight loss to weight maintenance is made by gradually increasing carbs so long as gradual weight loss is maintained.  Exercise in all phases as part of a healthy lifestyle is emphasized – recently more than when the diet was first introduced.

Health Effects

According to the Atkins theory, if the body keeps on making “too much” insulin — as it tries to deal with the “excess” sugar — it may become less responsive to insulin and eventually may develop the metabolic disorder diabetes. The Atkins theory states that this should properly be called “unstable blood sugar” since the blood sugar level rises and then drops quickly.

This “first step in an unhealthy metabolic path” leads to “the early stages of diabetes.” However, bodies in ketosis burns up excess fat, and in time — according to the Atkins theory — returns to normal metabolic function. Though all the fat in this diet may temporarily spike someone’s cholesterol level, this is usually short lived and soon rights itself with lower cholesterol and triglyceride level as weight loss occurs — at least, that’s the theory.

Atkins said that for patients with Diabetes Type 2 or metabolic syndrome, the Atkins diet lowers, and sometimes even eliminates the need for medications. However, professional dietitians warn that although watching carbs and glucose intake are a vital part of diabetes care, the Atkins Diet is not a simple solution for diabetes.

What are the four phases to the Atkins Diet?

• Phase 1: Induction
  • The induction phase lasts for a minimum of two weeks.  Calorie consumption from carbs limited to 20 grams each day. Carb sources are mainly from salad and vegetables, with no starchy vegetables, fruits, grains, or bread.
• Phase 2: Ongoing Weight Loss
  • Nutrient-dense and fiber rich foods are added as additional carb sources, at an increased rate of 25 grams during the first week of this phase, 30 grams during the second week, and 30 grams each subsequent week until your weight stops going down.  This takes place until the “Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing” is reached.
• Phase 3: Pre-Maintenance
  • Increase your carb intake by 10 grams each week until your weight loss is very gradual.
• Phase 4: Lifetime Maintenance
  • Carbohydrate intake can be increased, while carefully monitoring your weight does not go up. Foods that lead to weight gain are avoided.  If your weight starts to go up, ease back on the amount of carbs you consume each day, and any of the new carbs you have been introducing.  Dr. Atkins states “this lifestyle is the foundation for a lifetime of better health”.

The New Atkins

Atkins new book “The New Atkins for a New You” is designed to reflect a greater emphasis on healthy, nutritionally dense foods along with portion control.   It was mainly borne of the desire to modernize the diet plan, and may also be to address criticisms from dieticians and medical professionals.

The New Atkins for a New You differs from the original in the following ways:

• Emphasis on wholesome foods like fresh vegetables, and lean meats
• Discusses the importance of healthy fats
• Flexible for folks with busy lifestyles
• More emphasis on total calories and portion control
• Attention to those who are diabetic and vegetarians
• Includes more of an exercise component

Overall Strengths of Atkins Diet

Pros

• Many success stories losing weight following the Atkins Plan
• Dieters are kept satisfied by eating foods they enjoy and that are filling
• The New Atkins has modernized to include broader range of dieters
• Atkins Diet low-carb philosophy has wide acceptance

Cons

• Controversial due to high fat consumption
• Health concerns with losing weight through Ketosis
• Difficult to follow since it is so restrictive
• Claims of solving diabetes, and other health concerns, not conclusive

Recommendations

Atkins has helped thousands of dieters reach their weight loss goals, and had a huge impact on dieting throughout the years. Atkins has not only helped millions understand how our bodies process excessive amounts of “bad” carbs, but illuminated how American food production and consumption can be improved. The Atkins Diet has also been modified and improved over the years to promote a variety of foods including lean protein, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and address exercise and various lifestyles.

If you stick to the Atkins Diet it will work. However, many of its restrictive guidelines are difficult to follow. And, it’s been known to have a high rate of drop-off. The general principals are a great help to understand how our bodies are processing these foods and what we can do to improve our health and lose weight. After reading Atkins’ book, I recommend picking it up and learning more. Even without following Atkins Diet guidelines to the letter, you’ll still learn enough to help make better choices. If you are thinking of beginning this diet, I would caution following any diet that drastically cuts your calorie intake can be risky. I encourage you to research and read as much as possible before beginning the diet and consult with your health professional.

alth professional.