The Atkins Diet

The controversy continues

The Atkins Diet has been one of controversy and debate for decades now. Many people are not aware that the Atkins Diet was first released in the 70’s. I am aware of this because my mother put my older sister on the diet when I was a child. She always had her on one diet or another because her weight yo-yoed up and down throughout her formative years.

One of the reasons for her weight fluctuations could be because of the many diets she was exposed to over the years. Her very first diet was the Atkins Diet. This plan was introduced to her when she was only ten years old. However, the plan had been out on the market for a few years before then.
 
Basically, the eating plan revolves around protein and water. You need a lot of water on this plan as is the case in any weight loss plan out there. Water is crucial on the Atkins Diet because your body loses so much weight so quickly that your kidneys have difficulty flushing everything out of your system if you are dehydrated.

The protein is important in the plan because your body will actually burn calories digesting a large quantity of protein. You lose weight through eating certain foods. Your body uses its stored fat to process the protein. However, your body will burn carbohydrates first.
 
When you completely (or almost completely) eliminate carbohydrates from your diet, your body has no other resource for energy besides its storage of extra fat to burn. The Atkins Diet is a high-protein, low-carbohydrate eating plan that works wonders at first. You can lose a lot of weight in relatively little time on this program.

Low Carb + High Protein = Atkins Diet

I can’t remember exactly how much my sister lost when she was on the Atkins Diet because that was many years ago, but I do remember that it was an awful lot. I remember she was getting a lot of compliments on her success and I don’t remember her suffering on the plan at all. If she did, she didn't let on about it... or perhaps I wasn't paying much attention. I do recall that she did eat a lot of cheese, eggs and meat on the plan. She did eventually complain that she longed for some cereal and bread.

Herein lays the biggest problem with the Atkins Diet. The plan is not realistic. People will go back to eating carbohydrates eventually. Unfortunately, it takes only a small amount of carbohydrates to throw your efforts out the window. There are some carbohydrates included such as fruit on the Atkins Diet.

Once she quit the program she found herself gaining weight quicker than she lost it. The Atkins Diet is a great way to lose a lot of weight in a little bit of time, but it is not a life-long eating plan that most people can follow. If you are looking to lose 20 to 30 pounds in one month, the Atkins Diet is a good choice. If you are making a life change, opt for another program.

Article written By Claire Baggerly

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This page is about the Atkins Diet.