The Atkins diet, the most famous of the low-carb diets, has been around for some time now – since 1972. A controversial diet at the time it has held its ground, and focuses on strictly limiting the amount of carbohydrates in order to burn fat.
How does the Atkins Diet work?
The Atkins diet program features four phases that can be tailored to individuals. In all phases, plan followers avoid “bad carbs” (e.g. sugar, white flour) and eat low quantities of “good carbs” (e.g. whole grains, fibrous fruits). The theory behind this is that with fewer carbs to burn, the body burns fat as fuel instead – a process known as “ketosis”. This is also the theory behind the Zone Diet. Atkins dieters are also expected to engage in moderate but regular activity, to accelerate the benefits and help maintain weight loss. Ideally, the later and easiest phase of the diet becomes a permanent lifestyle change. There is no calorie counting involved – the diet works solely through the types of foods eaten, not how much. The Atkins website provides members with full access to the plan and other diet tools.
What foods can I eat on the Atkins Diet?
You can eat quite a diversity of foods on the Atkins Diet so long as they include the bare minimum (if that) of bad carbs and only very limited quantities of good carbs. The good news is that apart from this, you can eat pretty much what you like, including foods that are off limits in most other diets – for instance, butter, mayo, cheese, red meat. Atkins own bars and shakes are also available.
How much weight will I lose with the Atkins Diet?
The Atkins Diet is designed to achieve significant and fairly rapid weight loss – up to 15 lbs in the first two weeks.
Pros and Cons of the Atkins Diet
The Good:
Atkins does work and it works fast. Most Atkins users are thrilled with the rapid weight loss and find this a good motivator to keep it up, at least for a while. Also, Atkins dieters on this plan especially like that they can indulge in high-fat foods like salad dressing, cheese, and mayo which most diets prohibit. Atkins claims that in addition to weight loss, health benefits include a lowered risk of heart disease, hypertension and diabetes as well as helping in the treatment of epilepsy and obesity in children and adolescents. Excellent information, tools and support are available at the Atkins website and it aims to create a lifestyle change for permanent weight loss.
The Bad:
Atkins is notoriously hard to stay with. Since this low-carb diet eliminates nearly all sugars, it can be pretty restrictive and a challenge over the long-term to stay motivated – a problem also experienced with the low-carb Zone Diet. While Atkins claims many health benefits, these continue to be questioned by health and nutrition experts. In particular, high cholesterol is a serious risk since Atkins encourages consumption of higher fat foods like bacon and cheese with few restrictions. This may in fact increase the risk of heart disease and the development of certain cancers.
How much does the Atkins Diet cost?
You get everything you need to follow the Atkins diet at the Atkins website, with no cost at all to become a member. Food needed for the diet will most likely increase your grocery bill since the Atkins diet allows rich but more expensive foods like red meats, real butter and cheese.
For more diet plan options, return to the List of Weight Loss Programs
