The Atkin’s Diet Review: Does It Really Help Lose Weight?



There are many diets out there and the Atkin’s Diet is one of them. I tried this for all of two weeks a long time ago and I think it’s about time I write my Atkin’s Diet review and tell you all why I’ve decided against it.

Remember that I want people to lose weight and be able to keep it off in the end. I want you to have a diet that is easily integrated into your life and it’s something I don’t think the Atkin’s Diet can offer.

What Is the Atkin’s Diet?

It’s often referred to as the diet that bans carbs. While it doesn’t completely ban the use of carbohydrates—your body needs them!—it does cut out the bad ones. Those that lead to high blood sugar and spikes in insulin.

It focuses on protein and fibre. Honestly, when the Weight Watchers program changed about two years ago, the Atkin’s Diet was what I thought it was going to turn into! Thank goodness it didn’t!

The idea behind the diet is that by cutting out the carbohydrates, your body has to get the energy from the fat that is stored. You burn more calories so you lose weight quicker. It has been through changes since I last tried it though and it seems much healthier and easy to fit into a lifestyle.

Atkin’s Diet Review: The Four Phases

There are four parts to the diet. The first is the kick start. You will lose a lot of weight during this stage but you’re likely to lose a large amount of weight in the first couple of weeks of any diet. It is extremely restrictive though, cutting out all of your carbohydrates, except 20 net grams of them and these should come from your vegetables!

Most people remain on Phase 1 for two weeks. The only exceptions are if you’re very close to your goal and you just want something to help kick start your shift of weight or you’ve got a large amount to lose and you want to shed a bit more quickly before moving onto Phase 2.

Phase 2 is the longest stretch and where you should lose around two pound per week. This is a healthy weight loss program now. The idea is to build up the amount of carbs that you eat until you find your tolerance level. Some will find that they can eat more than the recommended amount and still lose weight because of their metabolism.

Once you’re close to goal, you move onto Phase 3, where you gradually add in more carbs as you get ready to maintain your goal. Phase 4 is the maintenance, similar to Weight Watchers, which offers a great maintenance program and support.

Does the Atkin’s Diet Work?

For the majority of people, it will definitely help you lose weight. I did lost weight within the first couple of weeks that I tried it. My problem was how restrictive it is.

I don’t like being told that I’m not allowed to eat something. I like having the choice to choose one thing over another, which is what I love so much about Weight Watchers. If I’m told I can’t have something then that’s all I want.

I also found that it’s not the easiest to fit within a normal lifestyle. If you go to a restaurant, there will be things that you’re not allowed to eat and you could find yourself stuck at home all day. Sure, Phase 2 allows you to start adding more carbs but there are still issues with eating out.

Another thing that bothers me is the keeping the weight off. You still have to stick to the very restrictive diet. It’s not a real maintenance plan if you can’t make up all your own decisions.

That’s just my view though. Some people find that the diet really works and won’t agree with my Atkin’s Diet review. It’s worth trying to see if it does help you reach your goals but please remember to do it healthily!

What do you think about the Atkin’s Diet review? Do you agree or disagree with my thoughts. Feel free to share and tell me why you do/don’t agree with my review.

Image credit: ninahale

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