The Atkins Diet: I'm Not An Atkid Now: UPDATE
Written: Feb 21 '02 (Updated May 28 '03)
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Pros: You will lose weight fast.
Cons: I can't list them all in 15 words.
The Bottom Line: I have to say to avoid this. I would be ethically remiss if I did anything else.
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| jo.com's Full Review: Atkins Diet |
Update: It appears that the Atkins Diet is now deducting for fiber. At the time of this review it did not. In fact after the most recent comment I called the customer service line. About one year ago they determined that fiber can be deducted. I also e-mailed them my question and this was their response "Thank you for your email. Net carbs: The carbohydrates that can be digested and processed by the body as dietary carbohydrate and therefore directly impact blood sugar. The figure for net grams of carbs subtracts grams of fiber, glycerin and sugar alcohols from total grams of carbohydrate. Net carbs are the only carbs that you need to count when you do Atkins." I hope this puts the fiber issue to rest.
I am reviewing the Atkins Diet. Since I have started it at least 3 times I figure I have enough experience to answer the questions posed to me by epinions.
Why did I decide to try this diet?
~A few years ago, as a personal trainer, a couple of clients mentioned it to me. I knew about it a bit, especially some of the negative aspects which I’ll go into later and usually tried to steer them clear of it. They told me they had lost weight easily on it. About a year later when I was still using AOL I went to the Atkins board after talking with some weightlifters (one in particular) who encouraged me to try the “diet” or way of eating (WOE as Atkins’ followers call it.) not just to lost weight, but because I would feel great and it wouldn’t affect my lifting at all.
~This was really before I gained the 25 pounds I have been struggling to take off. What I was really hoping to do was stop my cravings for sugar and that is supposed to be one of the best things about this WOE. It stops your sugar cravings.....or does it? I remember at an airport one day, I bought Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution and stocked up on protein, got rid of the crackers in my house and was on my way.
How healthy is the diet and does it pose any health risks?
~Once when I was one it, I happened to have a doctor’s appointment. I told my doctor that I was on Atkins and he had no concerns about it. I was a bit surprised considering that one of the mainstays of this WOE is unlimited fat. What surprised me so much is that my doctor’s specialty is cardiology and I have high cholesterol due to heredity.
~One misconception about the Atkins program is that you eat no carbohydrates thus eliminating an entire food group, especially fruits and vegetables. That just isn’t true. During the first two weeks you can have 20 grams of carbohydrates. That is not a lot but it is more than 0. One cup of cooked broccoli has 8 grams; an avocado has 9 grams. That would give you 17 grams so far. If you had an apple instead of the avocado you would be well over your 20 grams. So the 5 fruits and vegetables per day that many say we should eat won’t be eaten but to say it is a no- carbohydrate diet is inaccurate.
~It is impossible to eat 5 servings and not go over 20 grams. If you stick with this, you will work up to a maximum of 60 grams of carbohydrates per day. A banana is 26 grams! There are some vegetables such as lettuce and mushrooms that are so low they are recommended during your first 14 days, so usually people doing Atkins will get their carbohydrates from peppers and celery (The celery can have full fat cream cheese on it or dip it in full fat ranch dressing!)
~Fat doesn’t make us fat and Dr. Atkins doesn’t consider this a high fat diet anyway. However, most people who are on it (and I was on the AOL boards long enough to know, including myself) eat a lot of fat. I don’t eat red meat, but 1 pound of bacon with a couple of eggs or a steak for breakfast is just fine. So were the chicken wings, skin and all, that I was eating by the dozens each day, in addition to full fat string cheese.
~There are some who have been on Atkins with whom I have spoken whose cholesterol level actually has gone down and they are healthier than ever. Obviously there will be as many varieties of opinions on this diet as there are medical and nutrition experts. I didn't feel great during my Atkins periods. I didn't feel as if I had much energy (The lack of carbohydrates would explain that, you may say, but Dr. Atkins won't agree with you.)
~In my opinion, what makes us fat is eating more calories than we expend. What time of the day, in what combination of foods, doesn’t matter, again in my opinion. (Although I am not the only one who believes that.)
~I am going to quote Dr. Atkins here because I think it is an important piece in understanding his philosophy and why he and others think this WOE works, helps them lose weight and feel better. From the book mentioned above I will not be directly quoting but will put quotes around it anyway, “Carbohydrate food, especially foods such as sugar, honey, milk and fruit contain glucose. Carbohydrates such as four, white rice and potato starch convert to glucose quickly and that requires a lot of insulin. Proteins and fats produce almost no change in the insulin level.” He goes on to say “Insulin doesn’t convert glucose into energy well; rather it transfers it into stored fat.” In other words: fat doesn’t make you fat, carbohydrates do and that is the mantra in a nutshell of Atkids.
~Dr. Atkins recommends that you take vitamins and after learning that you should be taking a multi vitamin and probably Metamucil for the constipation you will encounter, you will then learn that actually he recommends about a dozen supplements and, of course, if you have walked into GNC or Vitamin World or been to his website you know you can get these in handy little packs as well as his shakes and bars. You will also find Atkins cheesecake, ice cream and a whole host of other products that are low in carbohydrates and have no sugar. Natural sugars are used such as Stevia. Artificial sweeteners are not great according to many Atkids and may make your weight loss stall.
~The last piece of this I am going to mention is ketosis. That word scares people and it is what I used when I told people not to do Atkins. Being in ketosis means that “you’re burning your fat stores and using them as the source of fuel they were meant to be.” This is the definition of ketosis (from WebMD found under Diabetes) “ketosis—The presence of large amounts of ketones in the body, secondary to excessive breakdown of fat caused by insufficient insulin in a person with diabetes mellitus. Acidosis precedes and causes ketosis; the combination (ketosis and acidosis) is called ketoacidosis. Ketosis can also result from starvation or illness in nondiabetic individuals”
Dr. Atkins insists that when a person on a safe, low carb diet is releasing ketones, you are in the fat-dissolving state known as BDK or benign dietary ketosis. Well you can make up your mind at this point if this is benign or not. You know you are in ketosis because your breath starts to smell bad and you can tell by your urine. I still have my Ketostix, which you can by over the counter at the prescription desk in the pharmacy. How excited we all were on the Atkins AOL board when our urine was dark enough to prove we were in ketosis, that our body was releasing ketones. The definition of ketones from the same source (WebMD) is, “ketones—Substances formed in the blood when a fat is broken down because of insufficient insulin. Fats are broken down into fatty acids, which are then chemically changed into ketones. Ketones (usually acetone) are often found in the blood and urine of persons with uncontrolled diabetes. Ketones may produce a fruity odor in the breath and urine of a person. “
How noticeable were my results? How much weight did I lose and how quickly?
I lost about 10 pounds in 2 weeks. There is no doubt that the Atkins WOE is the fastest weight loss program short of not eating. I continued to lose weight, also. However, the promise of losing my cravings for sugar never happened. I managed to go one month without any sugar or white products. I was driving my husband and friends crazy and when my daughter, who (cross your fingers) will be going to medical school in September, heard that I was doing this she read me the riot act!
~So on the one hand, you will lose weight, and on the other hand the cravings may not go away. Even Dr. Atkins says that at some point if you stop losing weight, you may need (I am not quoting, this is from my head.) to figure out if you are eating too much! Let’s face it, 2 dozen chicken wings, huge quantities of cheeses, omelets by the many and tuna fish by the cans, do add up to calories. So one may, in fact, have to start counting calories as well as carbs after being on Atkins for awhile.
How restrictive are the portions and the menus?
There are no restrictions on many foods. You can eat as much beef, bacon, duck, and lobsters that you want. At one point my husband commented that it was a very expensive WOE because I was eating lobster twice a week and soaking shrimp in butter as a snack! This may sound wonderful, but it is also nice to be able to have a yam with that or a slice of whole wheat bread.
In addition, for me, not only didn’t the sugar cravings stop, I think this is a nightmare of a diet for anyone with an eating disorder. See below.
For whom would I recommend this diet?
~I really would not recommend this to anyone. The only time I would is, for example, if you just have to fit into the dress you bought for your son’s wedding and you need to quickly lose 5 or 10 pounds. This will do it. You’ll gain it all back the night of the wedding but at least you can walk down the aisle or do whatever mothers do at weddings.
~Regarding eating disorders: Since there are no restrictions on how much or when you can eat, a person who binges will be in his or her glory. You can eat all day long and not be out of control according to this WOE. In fact, according to Dr. Atkins, if you are hungry, then eat. So if you are hungry all day long, eat. That’s where my dozens of chicken wings came in! I certainly would not recommend this to anyone still growing so anyone under 18 or even 21 should not attempt the Atkins diet without consulting your physician. This is just my thought. Many people are fully-grown at 18 or even 16, but that is only up to your doctor to decide.
Will you ever go on Atkins again?
Absolutely not. I almost did for a 4th time a few months back before I started Weight Watchers. I may even still have the unopened jar of full fat mayonnaise that I bought. I did through away the cream for whipping (One benefit is the ability to put real whipped cream on chicken wings....no just kidding....on jello, for example. That was a very popular snack and having cream in your coffee rather than milk was nice.)
I would be glad to answer any questions you have about this WOE. I have the book. I have reviewed the book. I am well aware of Dr. Atkins’ thoughts as well as those people who adamantly oppose him. He has a huge following and there is a lot of information on the Internet.
You may also want to read:
Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution
Body for Life (Bill Phillips)
Weight Watchers
Get With The Program" (Bob Greene - Oprah's mentor)
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Weight Watchers Magazine
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Recommended:
No
Approximate Monthly Cost (US$) 100/lobster!
Food Variety Restrictions A wide variety of allowed foods
Restrictiveness of Portions Gorge all you like
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