The Atkin's Diet: I want my fries…I need my fries!
Written: Jun 29 '00 (Updated Jul 14 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: You will lose weight
Cons: Questions about the diet’s safety, little mention of exercise
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| saprswife's Full Review: Atkins Diet |
Want to lose weight while eating luxurious items such as filet mignon, spareribs, or rack of lamb? Sounds impossible doesn’t it? Well it is possible according to Dr. Robert Atkins, the founder of the popular self-named Atkins Diet. You will have to give up one thing, however, and that is carbohydrates. Say goodbye to pastas, grains, fruits, and sugars of any kind.
With the low carbohydrate diets being all the rage and hearing Dr. Atkins’ name over and over again, I thought I’d give his diet a try. The Atkins’ Diet (like any other to an extent) takes some getting used to. My family eats fairly lowfat (except for those chocolate covered peanuts on the top shelf…ahem…) so going on a basically protein diet was an adjustment to say the least. Replacing the fat free mayo was regular mayo (the low fat varieties usually contain added sugars, thus have a higher carb content), high fat dressing for their low fat counterparts, etc... One would have to admit it’s nice to enjoy the full-flavored condiments and high fat sauces, but you always have the lingering doubt that it is wrong…many of us have grown up learning that fat is bad.
In a nutshell the Atkins’ Diet is an extremely low carbohydrate diet. By restricting your carbohydrate intake your body soon must go to your fat stores for energy instead of the quick energy that is normally produced by carbs. From what I have read, the Atkins’ Diet is probably the severest diet when it comes to low carb consumption.
The Atkins’ Diet lowdown:
The Diet is broken down into four phases: the Induction Phase, Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL), Pre-Maintenance, and Maintenance.
For the first 14 days, fondly known as the Induction Phase, you are limited to only 20 grams of carbohydrates a day. If you take a look in the fridge or on the box of Poptarts in the pantry you will soon realize that 20 grams is not much at all. Most foods have some carb content, even vegetables. For this reason you are allowed only 3 cups of salad vegetables a day. The rest of your diet must come by means of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and most cheeses. During this time you will most certainly lose weight.
After the Induction Phase you move into what is called Ongoing Weight Loss. Carbohydrate content is raised a bit depending on the individual. In reality, Dr. Atkins states that some people will have to stay around 15 grams a day while others can go up to around 60 grams.
Once you are within about 5 pounds of your goal weight you move to the Pre-Maintenance phase. Your carb limit stays the same as when you were on the OWL, but you are allowed to have 1 to 2 deviations a week. These deviations can come by the way of a potato, a few slices of bread, a piece of fruit, or even a glass of wine.
When you reach your desired weight you put yourself on the Maintenance Plan. (You did realize this is a lifelong commitment didn’t you??) Here you are allowed up to 3 deviations a week.
Fasting:
For a diet that touts that one will always be satisfied and never hungry, Dr Atkins was pretty slick to sneak this one in. For the very metabolic restricted, Atkins suggests going on a fast of sorts for 2-3 days and even up to a week to help the diet “kick in.” This “fat-fast” diet, as it is called, has a 1000 calorie limit where 900 of these calories is provided by 100 grams of fat. (Yes, you did read that correctly!) Here is one eating plan he suggests… Eat cream cheese and macadamia nuts. In the diet you eat 4 or 5 small meals, so you’d eat 2oz of cream cheese 3 times a day and 1oz of macadamia nuts twice a day. I’m no dietitian or nutritionist, but I don’t know how that can be even remotely healthy for anyone.
A few general rules:
- Eat as much as you want whenever you want as long as it is an acceptable food.
- No alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, etc…). A few liquors are an exception.
- Make sure you stay within your carb limit.
- Read all labels or consult carb counter books, as many foods have hidden carbohydrates.
Marketing at its best:
In the Atkins’ New Diet Revolution and his various cookbooks there are sections for breads…how can that be? Although a few recipes rely on soy flour, the majority of the recipes call for Dr. Atkins’ special Baking Mix. This can be bought for a hefty $25. Then there are the Aktins’ Advantage Bars that I lived off of when my sweet tooth hit me, that you can purchase for $2.69 each. In addition, there are numerous other Aktins’ products (syrup for those Baking Mix pancakes, etc…) that can be bought if you can handle the high pricetag.
So, does it work??
In a word…yes. Going on this diet you will lose weight, especially during the first 14 days. Will one be able to actually stay on this diet long-term (for life)? That all depends on the individual. Personally I cannot see a vegetarian even attempting this diet since the basis of the diet revolves around meat products of one type or another. For others, like myself, it was very difficult to stay on the diet for more than a month. I was nauseous most of the time, and to this day I cannot eat eggs without getting sick.
If you absolutely adore meats, eggs, and cheeses (and I mean really adore) you may want to give the Atkins’ Diet a try. If you choose to learn more about the Atkins’ Diet through reading Dr. Atkins’ books or cookbooks, be prepared to be bombarded by such words as luxurious, decadent, and enough self praise to make you lose your appetite. Now that’s a whole different diet altogether! ;o)
Recommended:
No
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