Eating fat doesn't necessarily make you fat, according to the Atkins Diet website: You will gain weight only if your body doesn't use that fat for energy. But your ancient ancestors needed fat supplies to survive times of deprivation, and according to the site, your body hasn't forgotten that. The body's natural inclination is to store fat and use it as a secondary energy source. It wants to burn carbs first for its energy. The Atkins diet philosophy is that if you reverse that order, you will lose weight.
History
The book "Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution" by Dr. Robert Atkins was published in 1972. The diet has maintained a consistent following since and has prompted a number of copycat diets, according to the website Health News.
Premise
Dr. Atkins based his diet plan on how the body processes carbohydrates. Carbs become glucose or sugar once digested and trigger the production of insulin. A paper published online by Vanderbilt University indicates that when your body is producing high levels of insulin, it converts anything you eat to fat. The Atkins website says this is because the body can store only a half-day's supply of glucose. So when you eat a meal heavy in carbohydrates, your body immediately tries to burn the carbs and the glucose for energy because it can't store the excess. Anything else you eat will then turn to fat, which the body can stockpile indefinitely, and you gain weight.
Implementation
Phase 1 of the Atkins Diet, called the induction phase, is the one most people are familiar with, according to Health News. Carbohydrate consumption is strictly limited to shock your body into realizing that it must start burning fat because you're not going to give it energy from carbohydrates and glucose. In Phase 2, you begin adding a few more carbs into your daily diet and maintain this intake until you're within 10 to 15 lbs. of your desired weight. In Phase 3, you gradually add still more carbs until you stop losing weight. This is the amount of carbs you can consume daily without gaining. This is Phase 4, or lifetime maintenance.
Pros
Health News gives the Atkins diet points because it does not require buying any special meals or products, unlike Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig. Your grocery bill might go up a bit because you'll probably be buying more meat, fish and poultry--protein foods that can be a little pricier. The Atkins website offers a comprehensive carb counter tool, as well as forums and a newsletter for support, all for free. Initial weight loss in Phase 1 is usually very quick and gratifying. Vanderbilt University cites surveys conducted by the Atkins Diet Center in which 54 percent of dieters said they lost as much if not more of the weight they expected to lose.
Cons
Vanderbilt University points out that hidden carbs are everywhere. Something as innocent as chewing gum can sabotage your diet if you forget to count the carbohydrates in each stick. The university also says that ketosis, the process of your body burning fat, its preferred second source for energy, can cause fatigue, dehydration and loss of potassium, which could have adverse effects on your heart. Neither the American Heart Association nor the American Cancer Society endorses this diet.
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