Atkins Diet Review

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Dr. Robert Atkins Diet Plan

Can the Atkins diet help you lose weight? Will a low-carb diet work for you?

Perhaps no other diet plan has had such a major impact on the weight loss market in recent years. Long a fixture on the diet book scene, the Atkins plan got a major second wind a few years before Dr. Atkins passed away. Initially, it was dismissed by many as just another "fad diet", but after the movement lasted 2+ years, it nearly became mainstream, even affecting farmers and food producers in the U.S. and abroad, as well as causing enrollments to drop substantially at the large commercial weight loss chains such as Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers.

The low-carb "movement" became a stampede when a July 2002 New York Times Magazine cover story suggesting that Atkins’s much-maligned anti-carb approach might not just lower your weight but might actually be good for you. The Times article almost overnight spawned what one nutrition expert calls "carbophobia." The story, subtitled "What if It’s All Been a Big Fat Lie?," made a compelling case that Atkins’s low-carb, high-fat doctrine not only worked but could be healthier than mainstream alternatives—that, in fact, eating a diet low in fat might be the culprit behind the U.S. obesity epidemic.

Dr. Robert Atkins first advocated his unorthodox plan, which emphasizes meat, eggs and cheese and discourages bread, rice and fruit, in his 1972 book, Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution. When the book was published, the medical establishment was promoting a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet. The American Medical Association dismissed the Atkins diet as nutritional folly and Congress summoned him to Capitol Hill to defend the plan.

Despite this, Atkins’ books sold 15 million copies and his diet attracted millions of followers. His philosophy enjoyed a revival in the 1990s with Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution, which spent five years on The New York Times bestseller list. His most recent book, Atkins for Life, also made the N.Y. Times’ bestseller list. Other Atkins books push his total sales to more than 21 million books.

Though he first hit the bestseller list in the early 1970’s with Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution, he is enjoying a dizzying turnaround in public perception. He has been dismissed by mainstream medicine as a quack for much of his career, but now, for the first time, some scientists are willing to entertain the possibility that there may be something to his low-carb diet.

The Plan

This low-carb diet plan consists of four phases:

Induction

Ongoing weight loss

Pre-maintenance

Lifetime maintenance.

The first phase of the Atkins plan, called induction, turns out to be the most difficult for most dieters. The diet throws your metabolism into ketosis-allowing 20 grams of carbohydrates a day (about 3 cups of salad and vegetables) and substantial amounts of protein and fats and oils (including fish, foul, meat, eggs, olive and other healthy oils, and butter.). In the Ongoing Weight Loss phase, carb consumption can be liberalized slightly (after 2 weeks of Induction phase) and is followed for as many weeks or months as it takes to get close to the dieter's weight loss goals.

Next, the carbohydrate consumption is increased based on the dieter's response to Induction, as well as their age, weight, sex and activity level (usually 5 more grams of carbs per week). Throughout Pre-Maintenance and Lifetime Maintenance, followers of the Atkins diet will continue to raise their intake of carbs in the form of whole, nutrient-dense foods such as: low-glycemic fruits, whole grains and vegetables.

PurFoods, Low Carb. (formerly called Atkins At Home) - Diet Food Home Delivery

Atkins' main company used to be in the diet food home delivery business. No longer. It is handled by another company now, based in Iowa, called PurFoods, which, among other meal plans, offers a low carb plan called PurFoods, Low Carb. Apparently, the license on the name Atkins At Home expired and could not be used anymore.

Customers are said to be 70% women and 30% men. The typical client uses the plan for 6 weeks, at a cost of about $1,500 and it’s common for a client to return several times a year. Clients are usually urban and affluent. Many are busy executives.

Low Carb

The information on this web site is intended for information purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Before starting any weight loss program, it is recommended that you consult your physician or other health care professional.