The Atkin's Diet: An Outsider's Glance
Written: Sep 26 '00
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Pros: A supposedly lenient, effective diet. Many claim success on it.
Cons: It does require reading the book and sticking to the plan. Many detractors.
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| Archimedes's Full Review: Atkins Diet |
Before I start in with this review, I'd like to state exactly what position I'm viewing the diet from. I only just started the Atkin's diet (one day into it) after reading up on what both the defenders and detractors of low-carb living had to say. After reading a lot of the reviews on Eopinions, many of which are very good, I decided that a lot of people considering this diet may have some misconceptions that need to be addressed in one simple review. Hopefully this will help people who were, like me, hesitant about jumping into a diet that so many are alternately calling a 'Godsend' or a 'cheap fad'. The following is a list of things to consider before engaging in this diet.
1) The Atkin's diet does help people lose weight and keep it off, so long as those people follow the guidelines of the diet. Though the diet has gotten plenty of bad press, this is the one fact that I never see honestly disputed. The problem many people, including detractors who dislike it simply for health reasons, are running into is that they aren't very informed of those guidelines even though they claim to know or have been on the diet. The Atkin's diet is easy to follow, but it can't simply be summed up as 'eat no carbohydrates and gorge on lard'. If you plan on going on this diet, I don't just suggest that you buy and read the book Atkins wrote on it; I'm willing to bet you will fail at the diet if you neglect to read it. Or at least end up feeling less healthy than you would if you had informed yourself.
2) Another reason to read the book is to better understand the kinds of criticisms that you'll likely encounter about the diet from friends and the media in general. Here are a list of misconceptions that I've run into regarding the low-carb diet Atkins offers:
*It eliminates fruits, vegetables, and grains from your diet, all of which are important.
False. These things are important, but they are not eliminated from your diet. In order to promote weight loss, Atkins suggests lowering your daily carb intake to a maximum of 20 grams a day. This means that eating -a lot- of fruits, vegetables, and grains is obviously out of the question. But it does not mean they are eliminated, unless a diet is dropped to zero carbs daily. This is, of course, a radical departure from what many are used to being told about fruits and vegetables especially, namely that you can never have too many of them. But there's a difference between eating a controlled amount of fruits, vegetables, and grains a day, and eliminating them.
*The diet demands you eat a lot of meats, cheeses, and fried foods.
False. Though Atkins defends a diet that is high in protein, he doesn't 'demand' you eat bacon, sausage, and cheese all day. These foods simply have very few carbs; Pure meats have none. He makes it clear that the diet allows these foods so it's more enjoyable for the people on it, and he also insists that they are not harmful either to the person's weight loss or their health. When it comes to what amount of these foods should be eaten daily, Atkins only advises people to eat until they are not hungry. This does not mean to gorge on meat and cheese until stuffed; It simply means you shouldn't starve yourself, and if you have a real hunger, satisfy it.
*A doctor/dietician/physician told me that the Atkins diet is harmful.
Depends. When I've read what 'experts' had to say about the Atkins diet, I usually end up reading about the ill effects of someone who is abusing the diet; People who intend on spending the rest of their lives without eating any form of carbohydrates, people who go on the diet and absolutely gorge themselves on fatty foods through it's entire length, people who eliminate entire food groups (fruits, vegetables, etc) for extended periods of time, etc. In my experience, many of these physicians are citing valid health risks, but risks that are simply not part of the real Atkins' diet. This is another reason to read the book before listening to criticisms of it.
The only 'real' controversy that I've found cited by doctors is that the diet triggers ketosis (when the body switches to stored fats for fuel), which many doctors insist is a harmful state for the body. There are advantages and disadvantages to the state, which I won't bother listing here (I encourage you to search in a library or on the web if you're interested.) I personally believe that ketosis is a function of the body which, while properly 'engaged in' and monitored, is a natural and healthy tool; Ketosis triggers bad breath, slower reflexes, and dampened brain function, but heavy exercise triggers exhaustion, sweatiness/smelliness, and sore muscles. In my view, if an intense workout can be construed as healthy, so can ketosis.
3) If you decide to take the plunge and go on the Atkins diet, here are a list of suggestions/reminders that should be helpful for you.
*Read the book and inform yourself of the diet as much as you can. I can't stress this enough. It will keep you from accidentally harming yourself and will likely make your dieting much more effective/safe.
*Exercise. Even if it's a light workout a couple times a week at first. Again, it helps to make the diet more effective, and it certainly promotes a healthy lifestyle.
*Learn how to cook. One problem you're going to quickly run into if you don't know how to properly season or cook your own food is repetition. Just knowing how to season things properly will make the diet much more enjoyable. Vary your diet and the tastes you're experiencing and you'll almost never feel as if you're dieting on Atkins.
*Always read the label on whatever you eat. Carbs are very common in food and have a way of sneaking in without the eater knowing. You could be swearing off bread, cake, and rice, but if that dressing you're pouring on your steak is filled with sugar, your diet will be shot.
*Take vitamin supplements! Certain vitamins that are present in a lot of foods are hard to get if you're not eating carb-rich foods. Atkins' book goes into the sort of supplements you should be including in your diet. I'd advise you to take it as a rule, not just a suggestion.
*To make your diet more enjoyable, look into low-carb products at health food stores. But be warned. This can be an expensive habit, since the low-carb 'chocolate' bars, shake and bread mixes, and the rest are costly. Also, don't neglect the need for greens in your diet just for the sake of enjoying these low-carb products as much as possible.
*Finally, don't be fooled into thinking that this diet will be free of challenge. A lot of people go on the diet with high hopes, only to realize that their addiction to carb-heavy foods is greater than they thought. This diet is much more forgiving than most diets, and in my opinion it makes more sense than the rest of them as well. But for people, like me, who have been raised on bread and potatoes, it will have it's difficulties.
If you decide to try the Atkins' approach to weight loss, good luck. It's a big step for you and I both.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Archimedes
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Location: Pennsylvania
Reviews written: 7
Trusted by: 3 members
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