Do you love carbohydrates? Foods that are heavy in carbohydrates include: grains,
pastas, fruits and starchy vegetables like potatoes. These are all foods that are high in
carbohydrates. If you love carbohydrates then joining the Atkins life-long approach to
eating will be difficult for you.
The premise of the Atkins eating plan is to eliminate carbohydrates since they are high in
sugars. Also, carbs are the foods which are responsible for giving us energy. Atkins’
ideas state, if we cut the carbs, our bodies will burn fat rather than carbohydrates. Atkins
recommends eating foods that are high in fat and protein.
Some advantages to the Atkins diet are:
There is no limit to the amount of foods you can eat. You must eat foods that are
high in fat and protein only foods like cream cheese, bacon and burgers (less the
bun).
You are less likely to become hungry because there is no limit to the amount of
food you can eat.
Some people say that the Atkins eating plan is good for people with type II
Diabetes.
Some of the disadvantages of the Atkins diet are:
Studies show little difference in weight loss between low calorie and Atkins
eating.
There are various side effects to the body if carbohydrates are cut out of a diet.
The increased intake of animal fats may increase the body’s cholesterol levels.
The Atkins eating plan does not conform to the guidelines set by the American
Heart Association.
There have been a lot of positive success stories of people who have changed their eating
habits to match the Atkins way of thinking. In short, this eating lifestyle is great for
people who exercise very little or not at all. As mentioned above, carbohydrates are
essential to the body to give us energy. As athletes or strict exercisers, our bodies need
the energy in order to perform. Why do you think that the night before a big game the
high school hockey or football team gathers together to eat a huge pasta dinner with sides
of bread and butter? They need the energy to perform the following day.
As with every diet plan being advertised, it is a matter of personal choice and what will
work best for you as an individual. If you eat a lot of carbohydrate heavy foods and don’t
exercise, then maybe all it will take is to reduce the amount of carbs you eat each day to
help you lose some weight. Whether the Atkins lifestyle is right for you or not you can
only give it a try and see. For every success story out there, there are two failures to
match it. Maybe the Atkins plan is the match you have been looking for.