Atkins program: Truth and myths
From the NapaNews
Atkins program: Truth and myths
Sunday, March 7, 2004
By ROSEANN KEEGAN
Register Staff Writer
Eat meat, butter and whole eggs to your heart's content and you can still lose weight.
That's what the late Dr. Robert Atkins claimed in his 1972 best-seller, "Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution." The book was so popular that he revised and reprinted it 20 years later and again in 2002.
The basic premise of the diet is that the human body burns carbohydrates for energy. So by dramatically restricting carbs, the body switches to burning its own fat for fuel.
You can bet your morning Cheerios that "doing Atkins" is controversial.
The diet's author, even in death, is under attack for promoting a diet that encourages the consumption of foods known to lead to heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. But it's rarely noted that the diet contains four stages of carbohydrate consumption, from very low to moderate.
During the first two weeks of the diet -- the "Induction Phase" -- a maximum of 20 grams of carbohydrates can be consumed each day. The bulk of those carbohydrates must be from low-glycemic vegetables like cucumber, arugula and mushrooms, which contain carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing glucose (sugar) gradually into the blood stream. According to the 2002 printing of "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution," during those two weeks the dieter should "eat liberally" combinations of fat and protein in the form of poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs and red meat, and pure fat in the form of butter, mayonnaise and oils like safflower, olive, sunflower and other vegetable oils.
Those first weeks completely eliminate all fruit, bread, pasta, grains, starchy vegetables or dairy products other than cheese, cream or butter. Nuts and seeds are temporarily prohibited, as are foods that combine protein and carbohydrates such as chickpeas, kidney beans and other legumes.
Caffeine is also a no-no, since it's been shown to cause low blood sugar, which can trigger sugar cravings, Atkins claims. If constipation occurs, the diet calls for a tablespoon or more of psyllium husks in a cup of water each day.
But often, news articles portray the entire diet as "Induction" -- protein, protein and more protein with a side of fat. Atkins says that's only part of the story.
According to the 2002 book, those first two weeks are so drastic for the following reasons: To change the body from a carbohydrate-burning metabolism to a primarily fat-burning metabolism; to stabilize blood sugar and eliminate cravings, fatigue, mood swings and "brain fog;" and to "knock your socks off by demonstrating how much body fat you can burn, by eating liberally, even luxuriously, off the fat of the land," Atkins wrote.
After those initial two weeks -- or longer, if the dieter has a lot of weight to lose or a difficult time losing -- comes "Ongoing Weight Loss." In this stage, the dieter gradually adds five grams of carbohydrates to the daily menu, and with each passing week, adds five more. At this phase, more vegetables are allowed, as are seeds and nuts, berries, wine and spirits low in carbohydrates, and grains. This stage is where the dieter learns how many carbohydrates they can consume each day while continuing to lose weight, what Atkins calls "the Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing," known as CCLL among low carb devotees.
When the dieter has only five to 10 pounds to lose until reaching their goal weight, Atkins recommends what he calls "Pre-Maintenance." Here's where the cardiologist recommends that weight loss slow to a near-crawl.
"I know this snail's pace can be excruciating when the end is in sight," Atkins wrote. "But remember, getting to your goal weight is not your ultimate goal; your real weight goal is to maintain that magic number indefinitely."
In this phase, the daily consumption of carbohydrates rises by 10 grams each week. Once the dieter reaches goal weight, Atkins recommends staying at the current level of carbs for at least a month. Then, he advises adding another 10 grams of carbs, to see if the body can consume that level without gaining weight. Once the dieter gains weight, Atkins has them drop off 10 grams of carbs from the daily diet. This number is what Atkins called the "Critical Carbohydrate Level for Maintaining," known as CCLM.
"The line between gaining, maintaining and losing is a thin one," Atkins wrote, "and you may have to 'play' with your CCLL and CCLM for a while to understand what your body can handle."
When weight remains constant within a pound or two for several weeks, Atkins has the dieter move to "Lifetime Maintenance."
"Now that you've made it to your goal weight, you can continue to select from a greater range of foods and consume more carbs than you did in the two earlier phases of Atkins," he wrote. "But as I've said at every transition: No way is this a license to return to your old eating patterns. All too often, people win the battle of weight loss only to lose the war of weight control."
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