Many people are looking for the holy grail for weight loss. With many Americans overweight and obese, many are looking towards diet pills, supplements or popular diets that promote low carbs and protein.

Among the popular diets available is the Atkins Diet. A diet that has been estimated that nearly 25 millions of Americans are on a low carb diet during any given period. The popular Atkins Diet was created by Dr. Robert Atkins back in the early 70’s and around 2003, the diet became so widely popular that many people, many restaurants and many companies started to offer menus that were low in carbs.

The Atkins Diet believes that obesity is caused by refined carbohydrates such as sugar, flour and high-fructose corn syrup. The second is due to saturated fat and trans fats.

So, the main purpose of the Atkins Diet is to change a person’s metabolism and thus they would be able to lose weight by eating foods with high protein but limiting them with foods that are high in carbohydrates which are know to raise blood glucose levels. The diet works around ketosis, a process in which the body’s excess or stored fat (the secondary energy source for the body) is burned and thus results in weight loss.

If the body is to consume foods that are low in carbohydrates, the body will produce less insulin and look to other sources in the body for fuel and that is the fat. So, the Atkins diet does not allow refined and process carbohydrates and limits their intake to 20 grams a day in its first phase (out of total of four phases). And when the body breaks down the fat, ketones are formed and thus helps in suppressing appetite. A normal person would consume up to 300+ grams of carbs a day but a person reaches ketosis, their carbohydrate is less than 40 grams per day.

So, for high protein and low carbs, during the first phase, as long as they keep their grams to 20 a day, people can eat meat, poultry and seafood with the exception of organ meat, shellfish and prepared luncheon meats or bacon.

For vegetables, peppers, celery, cucumber, iceberg or romain lettuce, radishes, mushrooms are among the vegetables that are allowed ala two to three cups per day.

And for dairy, people can consume 3-4 ounces daily of cheeses such as cheddar, goat cheese, mozzarella, cream cheese, blue cheese, swiss cheese and other full-fat, firm, soft and semi-soft cheese.

Pros of an Atkins Protein Diet

Researchers discovered that during the six months, those on the Atkins diet lost twice as much weight than low-fat dieters. But after a year of weight loss, the weight loss had slowed down significantly.

Also, researchers have found that participants following the Atkins diet experienced an increase in HDL (good cholesterol).

Cons of an Atkins Protein Diet

Outside of ketosis, some critics feel that rapid weight loss can affect the heart. With the breakdown of fatty acids during ketosis, this can lead to a risk of heart disease. Also, the diet does not teach basic weight management strategies such as portion control and serving sizes.

Researchers have also said that if people go on the Atkins Protein Diet in the long-term, they can expose themselves to kidney problems in the future, thus a short-term diet should be practiced.

Also, ketosis has side effects such as bad breath.

So, there are pros and cons to the Atkins protein diet but make sure you contact your physician before attempting.

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