The Atkins Diet - Is it Effective?

Nearly everyone that’s tried multiple diets has tried the atkins diet – and it’s no wonder. It’s simple to follow, uses foods that most people enjoy, and doesn’t require that you give up fats or dairy. Created and followed by Dr. Atkins himself, this particular diet has spawned numerous copycats and look-alikes. But when it comes down to the original dieters’ choice, atkins is still the favorite.

What do I do on the atkins diet?

Also known as a low-carbohydrate diet, the atkins diet has a few simple rules. There are three different phases that you will need to follow with this eating plan. The first phase lasts two weeks and it’s the strictest eating that you will have to do. It states that you can only eat 20 grams of carbohydrates each day.

Also in these first two weeks, you will need to avoid all fruits and most green leafy vegetables as well to get in under this carbohydrate limitation. After these first few weeks, you’ll move on to more carbohydrates each day – preferably in the form of vegetables rather than breads or pastas.

This will allow you to still lose weight, but not as quickly as you probably did during the first few weeks. And after you have lost the weight that you want to lose, you will want to add a few more carbohydrates each day to steady the weight loss and create a maintenance way of living.

What can I eat on the atkins diet?

There are many foods that you can eat on this diet – delicious foods – which is why it has become so popular with many people. Dieters can eat everything from meat to pork, chicken and fish to cheeses and other high protein, low carbohydrate foods.

Because of this diet revolution, many food manufacturers are also making foods that are low in carbohydrates, but taste like ‘normal’ foods – i.e. low carb breads and pastas. You can have egg and cheese omelets for breakfast, chicken for lunch and then steak for dinner. You can still eat fats like olive oils and other cooking oils because they do not include carbohydrates. This makes for a tasty menu selection.

But how does the atkins diet work?

The idea behind the atkins diet is that you are severely restricting your carbohydrate consumption, which leads the body to undergo ketosis. In ketosis, your body begins to burn its own fuel (your fat) to make up for the lost carbohydrates. What happens is that you are getting energy from the ketones that are being produced, while losing weight as this process goes on. Instead of turning to your carbohydrate reserves in your body, you have no choice but to burn fat. 

What are the problems with the atkins diet?

But as you probably already know, the atkins diet has come under scrutiny by the medical profession because it states that dieters should eat high amounts of fats and saturated fats.

This can lead to heart problems in some patients, according to studies that have been done. However, there is also conflicting evidence that the atkins diet is actually helping (women in particular) dieters to have a healthier cardiovascular system. Only time will tell if the diet is something that works in the long term without causing future problems.

Should you try the atkins diet?

Because of the convenience of this diet, many people find the atkins diet is a great place to start their weight loss efforts. They find that the rapid initial weight loss is motivating and it keeps them on the track to their overall goals.

However, there are ways to make this diet a little healthier. Some dieters opt to cut back on their overall carbohydrate intake instead of reducing it completely. Others find that choosing lower fat meats and even soy-based meat products is a good way to decrease their carbs without adding cholesterol and excess fat to their diet.

Atkins Diet Summary

The atkins diet seems to be slowing down in terms of its popularity, but there are still many that believe it has saved their health.  And with the ease of preparation and shopping, maybe it’s the right step in the right direction for you too.