When Dr. Robert Atkins published his diet plan in the 1970s, he may not have known what a controversy he would start. Mention the Atkins diet to a doctor or nutritionist today, and you could get any reaction from utter horror to begrudging acceptance. There have been many studies performed on the Atkins diet showing that it can work. However, as with all diets, you have to stick with the program. It is not easy. It is not a quick fix. There are distinct disadvantages to the diet that need to be considered. You need to discuss this diet with your doctor before you decide to try it.
Atkins Explained
The Atkins diet is an ultra-low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet. According to the American Academy of Physicians, the first two weeks of the diet restrict carbohydrates to 20 g per day. The average weight loss in this phase is usually high due to water loss. After this phase, called Induction, the carbohydrates are increased by 5 g per week. The third phase allows you to increase by 10 g per week, but you have to be careful that you are still losing weight. The fourth phase is the maintenance phase, which you move into after you have lost all the weight you wanted to and found out how many grams of carbohydrates you can eat to maintain it at that level.
Outcomes and Weight Loss
The fewer carbohydrates you eat, the more weight you will lose on the Atkins diet. However, in a study published in March 2007 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, people lost about 10 pounds on average after a year of doing the Atkins diet. This was better than the other diets in the study, but it is hardly a tremendous amount of weight. At the six-month mark, the Atkins dieters had lost 13 pounds, but then started to gain weight back. A study participant interviewed for an Associated Press article on the study said of Atkins that she "didn't always follow it strictly." Staying with the diet may be the hardest part and could determine how much weight you lose.
Ketosis
To lose more than the average amount of weight, you need to understand how the diet works. Atkins operates on a principle known as ketosis. This means that the body will eventually start breaking down fat when it does not have carbohydrates to use as energy. When you are forced into ketosis by eating only protein, weight loss occurs. The Atkins diet recommends testing your urine with chemical strips to know when you are in ketosis and adjusting your carbohydrate intake accordingly. Some side effects of ketosis are dehydration, constipation and altered mental status.
Disadvantages of Atkins
There are many opponents of the Atkins diet that point out its disadvantages. According to Northwestern University, there are nutritional blind spots that the diet does not address. For instance, it does not provide for vitamin D, folate and calcium. A lack of these nutrients can leave you at risk for osteoporosis. Atkins stresses an intake of foods that are high in saturated fats, and that can put you at risk for heart disease. Kidney stones and gout can be side effects from high protein consumption, and there is no dietary fiber in the diet plan for colon health.
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