Atkins Diet is the most sensible and health efficient way to lose weight, and keep it off permanently!
The Atkins way to good health involves cutting back on those bad carbohydrates, increasing protein intake, drinking plenty of water, and getting some exercise, although this last step is not absolutely necessary.
Dr. Atkins proposed that all new Atkins diet participants should go through "induction" that may not be totally necessary either. What is necessary is reducing the total intake of carbohydrates in the diet low enough that weight loss occurs. Nearly all Americans consume somewhere between 300-600 Grams of carbohydrates a day. That amount is conducive to heart disease, with increased cholesterol and triglyceride levels, diabetes, and all its nasty side pathology, arthritis, infections, and many other health related problems. Dr. Atkins proposed dropping those carbohydrate levels to 20 grams or less a day for several weeks, then slowly upping them to a critical level where weight loss either continues to occur, or weight stability is maintained, according to the patient's desire. Patients can stay on 20 grams of carbohydrates or less on a permanent basis without any health problems at all.
To offset the low carbohydrate levels, one is to increase the use of proteins to eliminate hunger & other cravings. Any protein is acceptable in nearly any amount. Feel free to eat all the meat, fish, eggs, and nearly all the cheese one wants. Dr. Atkins wants a patient to limit cheese intake to four ounces per day, but I, personally, have not heard of anyone not losing weight due to eating too much cheese.
The low fat proponents lodge several complaints against this diet. The first complaint is obvious. How can this diet be good if the use of animal saturated fats is unlimited? The answer to this question is found in the 30-40 years of research that backs the Atkins way of life. It isn't the fat in the American diet that is causing the increased heart disease and diabetes statistics; it is the combination of the increased fat and increased carbohydrates that drives the numbers. Eat low carbohydrate and high fat, cholesterol & triglyceride numbers plummet. Eat high carbohydrate and high fat, those same laboratory results surge. Research proves it! Personal stories back up the numbers! And, if one doesn't take in sufficient cholesterol needed to maintain cell wall integrity through the diet, the body produces its own version of cholesterol which is more artery clogging than any amount of butter or animal fat or egg yolks one could ingest!
Another complaint is this diet will cause kidney disease because of the increased protein intake. This is another false claim by those trying to discredit the Atkins way of eating. Human kidneys can handle the slight to moderate protein intake and will be the healthier for it because the diabetes risk is significantly lowered. Diabetes is one of the biggest risk factors to healthy kidneys.
A third complaint is the diet is monotonous and boring, making it nearly impossible to continue for any length of time. The answer to this complaint lies within the health desire of the patient. How badly does one want to be healthy at a normal weight level? Today, the mountain of new low carbohydrate products makes Atkins diet simple available. Anything from breads to cake mixes to jelly to cereals to beverages to hamburger buns, etc. While the products may not be inexpensive, they are readily available on a multitude of Internet websites.
The fourth complaint is the low carbohydrate products are expensive. While this may be true, becoming diabetic or have a sick heart is quite expensive, too. The latest statistic I read was diabetic and heart/cholesterol medication can cost a patient up to $550.00 per month. One or two people in any given household can eat quite well on $550.00 to $1100.00 per month. That money buys a lot of steak and lobster! And the side benefit is being healthy enough to enjoy it, and all else that life has to offer.
As an anecdotal example, my husband dropped his carbohydrate level 75% down to 80-100 grams of carbohydrates a day. In one year, without any further effort, including doing the Atkins induction, he has lost 20 pounds of weight, 100+ points on his triglycerides, 40 points on his blood sugar, and 30 points on an already within normal cholesterol level.
Atkins way of life is absolutely safe and effective for most patients, but one has to make the commitment that this is a lifestyle change, not a diet! Immunity level improves significantly, along with energy and an overall sense of well-being.
Try it; it is a wonderful way of maintaining good health.