why do people say that atkins is unhealty?!?!

i posted on fb about my great success and a couple ppl sd tht they were on it or know some one on it and that its not a healthy diet.

I used to bad mouth the Atkins diet due to what I learned in my intro nutrition class in college.

There is a lot of bad information out there and when Dr. Atkins was alive he made a lot of enemies in the nutritional establishment.

I have had more people tell me the same thing and the answer I always give is...read it, do it, then make a judgement about it otherwise...leave me alone!!!
Everyone thinks it's all about the fat...if it works for you, keep going, I think your doing great.

I've been one of those in the past but I've moderated a bit. First, it's been preached for years that fat, especially saturated fat is bad, so how could a diet based on fat consuption possibly be healthy? I think there's an education issue there with people realizing this isn't necessraily true. Second, most people think of induction when they think of Atkins which I definitely agree isn't a great way to live in the long term. It forces you to cut a lot of vital nutrients out of your diet that tend to be found in fruit, for example. Lack of fiber also tends to be a chronic problem from what I've seen. Animal products are also at the core of Atkins and there's an emerging school of thought pointing towards the idea that a more plant-heavy diet is generally healthier.

I still have a lot to learn about Atkins maintenance but do think that probalby is healthy in the long term, but I also think that very few people that lose weight in induction end up maintaining the lifestyle in the end. It that sense, it also has the same pitfalls of any diet that asks you to drastically change how you eat- people see them as a short-term diet and not a lifetime change.

Personally, though, my biggest issue with Atkins is that I vehementally disagree with any approach to eating that villifies specific marcro-nutrients or food groups. We are omnivores at heart and I'm a firm believer in moderation. Any way of eating that thinks an apple is bad, for example, is not for me. On the plus side, though, is Atkins endorsement of whole, unprocessed foods- one of it's strongest features in my book.

There is a lot of misinformation out there and a lot of it is perpetuated by people who eat mass quantities of bacon, eggs, and cheese and claim they are "doing Atkins". Just because you are eating low carb doesn't mean eating pounds of meat and no veggies. Also, many think that it means absolutely no healthy grains or fruits. While that is true of induction (which is the strictest phase), it is not true of the overall plan.

Do you believe everything that other people say about any other topic? Of course not.

Like any other topic, there will be so-called experts always at the ready to give an opinion. They hear about some study or are told about something someone's best friend's co-worker said....you get the idea. There are others who give an opinion without ever having read an Atkins book and others who claim to be "on Atkins" when they're really doing something completely different.

The main issue, IMHO, is that YOU are comfortable with, and that YOU believe in the science and research behind Atkins....why it works the way it does. If you're convinced of the research (lots of it detailed in the various Atkins books and also in Gary Taubes' book, "Why We Get Fat & What to do About it", then you can simply go about your business, confident that you're doing what's right for you.

For myself, I absolutely believe in a low-carb WOE and do not, for a moment, believe that it's unhealthy for me.

Congratulations on your 16-pound weight loss. Good luck.

I agree. Educate the ones who will listen and ignore the ones who won't.

Believe me, I think the word is slowly but surely getting out that we all need fat. Some of the proof about how healthy Atkins is lies in the number of people who follow it for medical/health reasons, and not necessarily weight, like those with Crohn's disease for instance.

gnat,
I'm not sure that Atkins says an apple is bad or certain food groups are bad because you get them in moderation in further phases. The New Atkins for the New You is the most current version. I am only in Induction right now, and have only skimmed the next chapters, but I'm pretty sure this is correct.

wow! thanks u all for the input...i need to get the book. I see how few last afterwards...its hard. while im great with the discipline now i could see myself falling off very easily. I should get the book soon to gain more knowledge on the subject for sure. I dont want to work hard to end up like this again. thank's u all.

The book is very worthwhile. I checked it out from the library, but need to either make notes or buy the book because I can tell I will need it longer than I can check it out for. May check Half Price Books. From what I've heard, don't order the book on an e-reader. I think, with the exclusion of IPad, the charts don't show up well on them. Much better to have the actual book.

Hang in there. It is worth it and this site is a great resource for information.

Girl... I agree with all the response! It's up to the individual, if Atkins is right for them...

Wow, Yolanda, you look great! You're a great inspiration by those pics.

Don't forget that part of the education process is listening as well. Always keep an open mind in case you can learn something new.

There are some thing about Atkins that would be unhealthy for me. In particular, my body no longer digests fats as well as it used to, and I suspect that trying to follow Atkins or another high-fat diet would result in... let's just say gastric distress.

I agree with Natalie that the Atkins focus on animal proteins and fats certainly flies in the face of some recent evidence that a plant-centric diet is healthier.

However, a lot of anti-Atkins sentiment is definitely rooted in the crusade against dietary fat that occurred a few decades ago. See also "lipid hypothesis".

The strictly animal proteins and fats way of Atkins is a thing of the past. The New Atkins Diet for a New You stresses that you get plenty of veggies in, and that is even in the very first phase. The streamlined way of Atkins even has a special section for vegetarians who want to follow it.

I never say Atkins specifically just saying watching my carbs and no one says a word!

@ yolanda congrats! Ur a definite inspiration!

Gdmo,

That's a good one! I may have to borrow it in the future.
So far, I have not received so much a negative response when I tell people I'm on Atkins, as a curious one or a comment that allows me to elaborate. I guess I see it as an opportunity to spread the word about the New Atkins. I think people are uninformed and it's my place to educate them. LOL!

If it works for you do not be bothered by what others say. Just follow what works for you.

Awesome job moondove!

Moondove, Thanks for.sharing your story. It is inspiring! Btw, I would love to hear how you prepare your Brussels sprouts. I am new to that veggie and have only had them once and they tasted a little burnt where I got them from.