Atkins debate

[Guest guest]

joy Wrote:

 

 

Re: Atkins"... very much disagree with this response. I have been eating Atkins for the last year, lost fifty pounds very healthfully. People who have developed heart and kidney problems are not doing atkins correctly, as presented in the books. They decide they don't need to eat their vegetables, or eat all low carb style junk food - things which the books do allow but only for an occasional treat, not a daily food substitute..."

I agree with Joy's comments and have concluded that the Atkins diet is usually judged by the Induction Phase of the diet ALONE, rather than the prolonged, Ongoing Weight Loss and the Maintenance phases. The induction phase is brutal and would be unhealthful in the long run and is clearly stated as such: it's sole purpose is to get the person into ketosis, let them have fun while doing it, and it's only for 14 days.

 

Each person is instructed to determine their own metabolic rate and insulin resistance by incrementally adding carb grams until they find a level that allows them to eat as many healthful carbs as they can while still losing weight. As the book says, that can be up to 100 grams or more per day, depending on the individual. That's a lot of produce. It's not a lot of grains, but nobody has convinced me that we need grains when there's so much nutrition to be obtained from fruit and vegetables.

 

It's unfair to judge the Atkins diet on the rigid carb restrictions of the Induction Phase, which, yes, allows the person to pig-out on protein and eat fats with wreckless abandon. It's functional, despite permitting one to eat meat and fat with impunity. After the two weeks, the party's over. After that, the body's instiable cravings ought to be gone, allowing the individual to make good, healthful choices and maintaing control. Ketosis allows one to maintain control but if they do not eat well/supplement where indicated, and maintain potassium, etc., etc., as the book clearly indicates, then the person will feel unwell. There's so much more and, as Joy says, people really need to read the entire book and become educated. The diet isn't for life - it's designed to be a life-saver and give people the tools they'll need to maintain their weight afterward. It gives people the opportunity to burn off their fat but they must understand the glycemic index and their own insulin resistence by the time they go off the diet or they will get fat again. That happens after every other diet, too: people go back to eating too much of the starchy, high-glycemic foods, like wheat products.

 

I believe that most people, and doctors, don't understand the diet.

 

Beth