Atkins Diet Review
The Atkins Diet was one of the first high protein, low carb diets. And its popularity is no real surprise.
One of the things that keeps most of us from trying many diets is the fact that they restrict you from eating some of the foods you love most. But, on the Atkins Diet, not only are you allowed to eat eggs, butter, red meat, and bacon, you are encouraged to do so.
Still, while the Atkins Diet has enjoyed quite a bit of popularity over the years, it is still controversial.
What Is the Atkins Diet?
Developed by Dr. Robert Atkins, a noted cardiologist and nutritionist, the Atkins Diet is based on the principle that you can lose weight by eating more proteins, and eating fewer carbohydrates.
Usually, your body burns carbohydrates to provide it with the energy it needs. Eating fewer carbohydrates means there are fewer carbohydrates in your body to burn. So, in order to get the energy it needs, your body is forced to burn fat in place of burning carbs. And, as a result, you lose weight.
Why People Are Attracted to the Atkins Diet?
People are attracted to the Atkins Diet for many reasons.
One of the biggest is that it allows you to eat foods most diets don’t, like butter and red meat. On many diets, both are usually either drastically reduced, or removed from your diet entirely. But, with the Atkins Diet, you can eat as much butter and red meat as you want.
Also, this isn’t a starvation diet. Rather than restricting how much you can eat (for example, only allowing you to eat a certain amount of calories a day) the Atkins Diet controls what you can eat. So, whenever you get hungry, you can eat something, and probably something you really like.
Finally, you can lose weight pretty fast on the Atkins Diet. You can lose from 6 to 10 pounds in the first week, and 1 to 3 pounds each additional week. Losing 6 pounds in a week while eating bacon every morning is certainly appealing.
The Drawbacks of the Atkins Diet
While the Atkins Diet is certainly effective, it can have some drawbacks.
- While burning fat helps you lose weight, it can also result in a condition called ketosis. Side effects of this condition can include dizziness, nausea, fatigue, insomnia, and bad breath.
- A lot of the foods you can’t eat, or can only eat in low quantities, while on the Atkins Diet provide your body with important nutrients. For example, during some stages of the Atkins Diet, you are only allowed very little, if any, milk. But milk is a source of calcium, which is needed to build strong bones. Fortunately, many of those nutrients can be replaced with dietary supplements.
- One of the biggest drawbacks of the Atkins Diet is the lack of variety. Eating bacon every day might sound great, but even bacon can get boring after a while. And, eventually, you’ll start missing high-carb foods like breads, potatoes and pasta. And if you’re anything like me, that will happen sooner rather than later
Lack of variety in food choices might make the Atkins Diet difficult to maintain long term, which is why we recommend the South Beach Diet instead. You can sign up to get a free diet profile and 7 days of South Beach Menu plans online
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