Atkins: A Review

The Man swears by Atkins. He lives and breathes telling me what carbs are, where they're hiding, and how many there are in my Hostess Powdered Mini-donut pack. I get it. They're everywhere. This post is brought to you by my osmosis learning from him. I have not read any of the Atkins books, but I have read a lot about Atkins and we all know their premise.

The gist: Carbs are bad. Fat and protein are good. The more detailed explanation is during the Induction phase, you are to consume approximately 20-30 grams of carbohydrates a day. This goes on for 1-2 weeks (or longer, if you wish), and then you begin Phase 2 which allows for the slow addition of carbs back into your diet so long as you continue to lose weight. If you gain, back to Induction. For reference, 1 small apple has approximately 20 carbs. Therefore, the majority of your carbs should come from vegetables; non-starchy such as kale, spinach, lettuce, tomato, broccoli. No carrots!

Pros: If you stick to you, you lose. Typically. I have heard that you feel better; less bloated, more clear headed, less acid reflux, improved sleep. All good things. And, cravings will slowly wane. Atkins meals, shakes, and desserts are available widely as well as online support groups and recipes. Creativity abounds as you try to bring about new techniques to enjoy "normal" foods, but 'Atkins-style'. A la 'protein style' burgers, or cauliflower crust pizza (not bad), cauliflower mashed 'potatos' (delicious), lettuce-wrapped fajitas, the list can go on and on!

Cons: Who can really stick with this forever?! Pizza, pasta, garlic bread, In N Out, tacos, mmmmm. You have to be very meticulous when using Atkins because carbohydrates are in a lot of foods. Ranch dressing has approximately 1 carbohydrate per 2 Tb serving. Most fruit (with the exception of berries, citrus and some melon) contain too many carbohydrates.

Conclusion: The diet consists of high protein and fat. Oil, cheese, cream, and butter are all allowed, but within moderation. It is possible to lose weight with this diet, but I doubt the long-term viability. My personal experience was I felt I was constantly eating protein and fat. Carbs are sneaky and there are everywhere! The more I avoided, the more I craved!

Final grade: C+--short term results, difficult long term.