Does The Atkins Diet Work For Weight Loss?

The Atkins diet, brainchild of Dr. Robert Atkins, works by severely restricting carbohydrates to encourage fat burning. Atkins first introduced the low-carb diet in 1972, and it made a strong resurgence in the late 1990s. According to the "Gale Encyclopedia of Diets: A Guide to Health and Nutrition," Atkins wanted to address the causes of obesity and the increasing problem of diabetes.

Details

The Atkins diet begins aggressively, with quick weight loss, followed by slower weight loss. After reaching a target weight, the diet adapts to the new weight and helps the dieter keep the lost pounds from returning. The diet says the dieter can then continue a lifelong lower-carb existence without regaining the weight.

Function

While the Atkins diet doesn't stress counting calories, it does rely on counting carbohydrates, according to MayoClinic.com. During the initial phase of the diet, the dieter may eat very few carbs, which is supposed to induce ketosis, a state in which the body begins to burn fat instead of glucose, according to the Department of Biology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

Diet Phases

Induction, the first phase of the Atkins diet, may produce the fastest weight loss, as the dieter consumes only 20 g of carbs per day. The induction phase lasts two weeks or longer. During the second phase, the dieter may eat more carbs, as many as 60 per day, reports MayoClinic.com. Weight loss may slow during this phase, but should continue, and most dieters find it easier than the induction phase. The third and fourth phases of Atkins focus on discovering how many carbs you can eat without gaining any weight back, then sticking to that number for the rest of your life.

Foods

Allowable foods have very few or no carbs, including all meats, poultry, fish, eggs and butter. No bread, battered or breaded foods, sweets, milk, corn, rice, potatoes or pasta are permitted during the first phase, but the dieter may introduce small amounts of banned foods during the subsequent phases as long as the total daily carb count remains below the maximum limit. When the dieter does eat carbs, vegetables are the preferred food.

Effectiveness

Despite dire warnings over the past few decades that low-carb diets are unhealthy, the Atkins diet continues to find adherents. A 2007 study, conducted at Stanford University Medical Center, concluded that the Atkins diet is efficient in promoting weight loss, although dieters who do not continue on the diet are likely to regain the lost pounds.