The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Written: Jun 14 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Achieved good results
Cons: Monotonous & possibly unhealthy
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| francesca57's Full Review: Atkins Diet |
Finding the right diet is very much a personal thing. Everyone is different. They have different eating habits, different metabolisms, different exercise levels, and different amounts of commitment and willpower.
Last year, from May through August, I followed the Atkins Diet. I had read a lot about it, and knew several people who were following the plan. I decided to give it a try. I would like to share with you what I learned during those three months, and hopefully assist in deciding whether Atkins is right for you or not.
How Does It Work?
The basic premise of the diet is the restriction of the intake of carbohydrates. This includes foods with sugar, bread, cereal, some starchy vegetables and pasta. Reducing carbohydrates consumption significantly aids the weight loss process in two ways. First, the main source of energy for our bodies is carbohydrates. When we have fewer carbs in our body, it must look elsewhere for another source of energy. Next in line is stored body fat. So reducing carbs forces the body to burn fat. This process is called Ketosis. Secondly, carbs stimulate the creation of insulin. Insulin is what converts excess carbs to fat. So when you have less carbs you have less insulin and therefore create less new fat.
What Can You Eat?
Protein, non-starchy vegetables. Cream not milk. Butter not margarine. Mayonnaise not yogurt. Sugarless jello. Atkins also has a line of food substitutes with very low carbohydrate content. It included a number of faux food items such as carbo-less pancakes and nutrition bars. The only word I can think of for the Atkins foods I tasted is nasty.
You are also allowed to eat as much and as often as you like, as long as the foods are on the list of approved foods.
The first two weeks you are limited to 20 carbs per day. This puts your body into Ketosis. After that, you can increase your daily intake of carbs after experimentation to see what level you can consume without ending the weight loss. For me that was about 40. Should you consume too many carbs, your body will no longer be in Ketosis, and you will have to go through the strict two week program again.
How It Worked For Me
The first month I was plagued with nausea almost every afternoon and evening. Eventually it went away. At the beginning, I liked being able to sit down to a big, juicy steak or shrimp scampi with no guilt. Eventually though I began to get really sick of meat and fish. By the end of my three months I couldn't look at a steak, or shrimp, or chicken. With no grains or fruits allowed, and only a limited selection of veggies, the diet became fairly monotonous and more difficult to follow Instead of my old nemesis, chocolate, I found myself ogling melons in the supermarket. At this point, I knew the time had come for me to move on. Since I only had a few pounds left, I decided to find something a little more balanced, and a little less trendy.
From strictly a pounds standpoint, the diet was a success. In about 14 weeks, I lost 32 pounds.
Health Considerations
Dr. Atkins claims that his diet gives you more energy, makes you feel less hungry, and actually improves body chemistry. It actually did reduce my appetite significantly, and I did feel much more energetic. I also had bloodwork done both before and after the diet, and much to my surprise, my cholesterol did go down, as did my blood sugar level.
Critics of the diet say that the diet is dangerous and can cause serious side effects including heart disease.
Final Verdict
The key to sustained weight loss is to find a diet that works, and then to be able to alter it to keep you at optimum weight and eating in a healthy manner. Though Atkins delivered the weight loss, it does not resemble normal eating patterns for most people. I don't know anyone who has been able to lose on Atkins and keep it off without changing to another type of diet.
The only medical side effect I had was the naseau, however I was only on it for three months, probably not long enough to make generalizations about its long term health effects.
Was it worth it? The three months I was on it was certainly a small price to pay for the 32 pounds. Could I have stayed on it much longer? Not a chance. Would I recommend it? I'd recommend you read more about other people's experience with the diet, and then make an informed decision of what is right for you.
For more information, you can visit their website at www.atkinsdiet.com. And remember, consult your physician before beginning any diet plan.
Recommended:
Yes
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