Atkins Diet: Most Weight Loss
A randomized trial has compared Atkins, Zone Diet, Ornish, and LEARN. Over a period of 12 months weight loss on Atkins was significantly greater than the other three diets. Those using Atkins also "experienced more favorable overall metabolic effects".
This study has hit all media outlets like a storm. To those who currently follow the Atkins diet it will come as no surprise. Those who have completely bagged Atkins will be forced to do some soul-searching and/or a very critical analysis of the trial (see abstract here).
The sad thing is, that on this trial - the average weight loss over a year was just 2.8kg (6lbs.) Even on Atkins, the mean weight loss was just 10.3 pounds.
For me, the take home message is this: If Atkins works for you and your lifestyle - then you can quite happily ignore all the nay-sayers and people who are telling you you are about to have a heart attack. To all others - pursue what works for you.
The best diet is the one you don't know you're on.
History and controversy surrounding the Atkins Diet
Low-carb diets have grown in popularity since 1972 when Dr. Robert Atkins published Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution, a new approach to weight-loss advocating consuming foods high in saturated fat, which is in direct opposition to the traditional diet norm of minimizing fat intake.
While initially viewed as a radical and dangerous weight-loss plan, in recent years the American Heart Association has acknowledged that low-carbohydrate diets offer some benefit for treating conditions like metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a collection of conditions known to lead to heart disease, such as obesity and high blood pressure.
However, shortly after Dr. Atkins died in 2003, reportedly from head injuries he sustained when falling outside his New York clinic, a medical examiners report revealed Dr. Atkins suffered a heart attack, congestive heart failure, and high blood pressure prior to his death. This has led to continued speculation of the health benefits of a diet so heavy in saturated fats.
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58 Comments
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Created / Updated: October 28, 2011
I think the last sentence of this post says it all.
I know from my own experience that my best results came when I found what worked for me. While I would have difficulty staying with Atkins for long term, I have been on a modified version of Atkins/Southbeach/40-30-30 for a while now,and I enjoy it enough that I have no trouble sticking with it.
Brian
ReplyWow. On a carb-cycling diet, I can pretty easily do 10 pounds in 40 days.
ReplyPse give me more details regarding your diet. U can email me directly on : papwaka@tdm.co.mz
ReplyI lost 60 lbs in 6 months last time I did Atkins around ten years ago . I started again 2 weeks ago and have lost 0 lbs on induction phase . I think this diet is much more difficult the older you get .
ReplyI agree...the last sentence really DOES sum it up. What point is there to being on a "diet" that involves a lifetime of avoiding foods you absolutely love? A better idea is to find what works for you and stick with that. I personally could never do a very low carb diet...I prefer a lower refined carb diet with lots of physical activity.
ReplyI have been on Atkins for over 2 yrs. lost 150 lbs. My wife had injured her knee and I had added so much weight I could hardly get out of the chair. I knew Ihad to and had loss 30# several yrs before. So I did and have lostdown to 375#'s I have more to go but I feel soo much better.
ReplyThe last sentence is the truest one. Who wants to be on a diet for a lifetime? It's really a eating/mind/lifestyle change. Just a matter of loving to eat the healthy, and balancing the unhealthy but oh so good foods. :-D
ReplyThese types of studies are renowned for poor adherence. This one looks almost identical to one done in '04 I think it was. The take home message for me is that people are crying out for a simple solution to weight loss. Even when folks have the backing of a scientific study--the weight lost in a year is very poor. There is way too much 'fluff' out there and not enough solid advice in my opinion.
I feel desperately for those who have struggled with weight issues and now have to struggle trying to get the advice they need. It's a minefield for sure.
Focus on the BIG stuff :) The Calorie is King!
~ Mike
ReplyI have lost 140 lbs following a low carb approach. I have maintained that loss for 1 1/2 years. Every individual needs to find what works for them. These studies are good in that they show no one plan is perfect but neither is a low carb approach wrong either. People need all the options to make an informed decisions. Protein Power, Atkins, or one of the many low carb plans are just as viable as any other and based on my own experience it is far better to cut sugar than fat.
ReplyI am on day 3 does it get easier as you go along
ReplyYeah, im on my 16th day, lost 2 inches off my waiste, any ways you have to set short term goals, for example, my first goal was the first 3 days, then after i accomplished that my goal was four days to make it one week, my next goal was to do it for another week. Now i just began my third and i feel great, i cant wait to reach my goal!
ReplyUnquestionably, Jim, making a permanent lifestyle choice about how to eat is the key to losing weight and keeping it off for good. Whether it is low-fat, low-calorie, low-carb or whatever, just find what works for you, follow that plan exactly as prescribed, and then keep doing it for the rest of your life.
Why do we make this issue more difficult than it needs to be?
Jimmy Moore, author of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb"
ReplyLivinLaVidaLowCarb.com
I also agree to what they say about the last sentence. Nobody wants to live like a pet with almost the same food for the rest of their lives. There's no point on jumping from one to another. Choosing the one the suits us is good enough to live with.
ReplySo well put - I was surprised to see the outcome of this study. Having watched people close to me use this diet for 3 to 4 months, lose the weight they want, start eating normally and gain it all back plus. But if fruit is not your thing, this could be the diet for you.
ReplyAgree with the comments about the last sentence. I've lost weight several times with Atkins, only to regain it. No doubt Atkins "works" for me to lose the weight. In fact, I'm pretty darned good at losing weight. Just turns out I'm a little bit better at gaining it.
ReplyJimmy is right on. I personally lost about 25 pounds doing a healthy version of Atkins (no processed meats, lots of veggies) and am a big proponent of the side effects of low-carbing: reduced mood swings, no more migraines, etc. I've kept it off for over a year. My homeboy Mark Sisson does a pretty good rant on this issue over at his health blog, www.marksdailyapple.com/fat-phobia/. I agree that calories matter, but for feeling great and eating in a way that is in line with the way our bodies evolved, reduced carb intake is by far the way to go.
ReplyThis is the easiest diet I have ever followed. There's variety, and who says you can't have banana or potatoes on occasion? This high fiber low carb approach works and works well. And my blood makeup is excellent. 25 plus years of living preaching a low fat approach surely hasn't helped America.
At any rate, exercise is really the key. It opens the mind and allows you to become focused on whatever diet you choose. I say if you can stick to a low fat diet, then go ahead, but you cannot discount Atkins. Fat tastes great.
Reply