Let's Talk About Fad Diets

Although the big push for fad diets has died down a little bit, it is still estimated that at least two-thirds of Americans are on some type of diet at any given time. Although research shows the importance of eating from all the major food groups, people are still confused about what type of diet to follow, keeping the window open for more quacky solutions to pop up.
In an effort to help readers determine what makes a diet healthy and when it's time to steer clear, I am going to discuss what makes a diet a 'fad' diet and why these diets are something best to stay away from. Along the way, we will discover what each food group has to offer that can be beneficial to our health.
Our bodies are uniquely designed to take advantage of the proteins, carbohydrates and fats that we eat. In order for the liver to do the best job it can for us, we actually need all of these nutrients, known as macronutrients. Even a 'detoxifying' diet should also include all of these macronutrients!
During the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States. Currently, more than 64% of US adults are either overweight or obese, according to results from the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). So, look at the facts: Two thirds of all Americans are on some 'diet', yet we are getting fatter and fatter. Would that perhaps mean that the fad diets don't work? Let's talk about it.
Identifying a fad diet
A 'fad diet' is defined as something temporary. Therefore, it's no surprise that these diets are not successful. Let's begin by looking at how to identify a fad diet.
#1 - Promises a fast weight loss.
This is great, in the short term, but how many readers have or know someone who has followed one of these diets, only to regain the weight back, plus more for added bonus? When people lose weight very quickly, they lose a lot of lean muscle tissue, and the weight that comes back will most likely be more fat and less muscle, making it easier and easier to regain weight each time they drop the last fad diet. A healthy diet to follow will be one that will encourage slow, progressive weight loss over a longer period of time. It will have enough calories to support vigorous exercise, so that you lose fat and not muscle. Diets that are too low for the body's basic needs will result in the body breaking down it's protein stores (muscle) for the fuel it needs. Sort of defeats the whole purpose of the diet!
#2 - Eliminates foods or food groups.
The very first thing that alerts us that a diet is a 'fad' is when a particular food, or entire food group, is considered off-limits. This is a good time to talk about the low carb diets.
What is it that has made carbohydrates a bad nutrient? When you look at other countries, where the intake of carbohydrates is as high as 80%, and see that many of these countries are not suffering even close to the obesity rates we are in America, you have to wonder why they are not having the same problem. So, can it really be the carbs? Probably not. But, maybe it's the type of carbs. Many people who decide to go on one of the popular low carbohydrate diets start to eliminate a lot of food from their diets, including all the snack foods they were eating, particularly at night. Gone are the chips, the cookies, the crackers, the ice cream. Gone are up to 300 to 1,000 calories per day! Anyone would lose weight if they cut out those many calories from their daily diet.
Another problem with eliminating entire food groups, especially on low carb diets, is that they are recommending eliminating or limiting the intake of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables. With all the substantial research showing how beneficial these foods are to preventing various diseases, such as cancer and heart disease, it's amazing that anyone involved in healthcare would recommend such a diet. Something to also notice, however, is that none of these fad diet books are written by anyone with a degree in nutrition. Even the medical community is confused, which explains why physicians will fall for some of the hype fad diet authors write.
But let's talk a little more about fruits, vegetables and starches: A diet high in animal protein and animal fat has been linked to various disease and inflammation states. A diet very high in protein puts a great load on our kidneys and can contribute to constipation, gout and bone loss due to calcium depletion from the high protein load.

Combine that with decreased fiber from lack of whole grains and fiber-rich fruit and vegetables, and many people just don't feel well; they feel fatigued, sluggish and their immune system is depressed.
#3 - Starts with a shock or follows a strict plan.
When the diet says you have to start with an extremely restricted diet, or you can only eat certain foods on particular days, you know it's a fad diet. They justify this by saying you have to clean out the body, or only certain foods will help with the weight loss process. Any change in how you currently eat will result in changes on the scale. Very few people can remain on these diets very long, so once they are 'off' the diet, the weight returns. The dieter learned nothing other than the misinformation the author provided them with. This can actually have far-reaching consequences, as then the dieter is more confused than ever and doesn't know what to believe!
Once a person learns what the qualities of a healthy diet consist of, they find that their optimum calorie level is for their own needs, and they are able to achieve their goals, combining their eating plan with exercise. Not only do they start to enjoy life again, but enjoy food AND see weight loss!

Although fad diet authors want you to believe their 'miracle' (and buy their products), there really is no get-thin-quick solution that is permanent.
But what does constitute a healthy diet? A healthy diet is one that is adequate in calories to support healthy weight, low in animal fats and saturated fats, animal protein should be very lean and adequate enough to support a diet high in fruits and vegetables and whole grain starches. Any healthy diet can include foods that are just for enjoyment, however. All foods really do fit, in moderation. A general rule is an 80/20 rule: Eighty percent of the time the diet should be healthy and then 20% of the time it can include foods you would not eat on a regular basis if you were trying to eat for health and weight loss.
#4 - Contradicts what experts say.
Authors of low carb diets say that the carbohydrates are what have made American's fat. But they can't explain why other countries whose diets are very high in carbohydrates don't have the same problems with obesity. You know it's a fad diet when the author says they have the 'inside' or 'hidden' truth about our health or diets. You also know it's a questionable publication when they say there is a hidden agenda among health professionals or the government.
But why is America getting fatter and fatter? America is a country of grab-and-go: The faster, the better. Families seldom sit down to meals, together. There are fewer physical fitness programs in school and many of the school food choices are fast foods. People and entire families eat 2-3 of their daily meals from a drive-through or a restaurant, most of which provide very few of the foods high in nutrients and low in calories. Restaurants add extra fats to their dishes to enhance the taste, so a meal you could make at home without added fats could have up to 60% of it's calories coming from fat to make it taste better! Plus, the serving sizes are much larger than they were 20 years ago, so most of the time the size of the meals could actually feed us for 2 to 3 meals, instead of one! However, many people still feel they must clean their plate rather than let the food 'go to waste'. They really should say, "go to waist"!!
As you read this, think back to the last week. How often did you sit down at home and eat a home-cooked meal? Do you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner each day? How often do you exercise vigorously? In Europe, the meals are much smaller and people walk a great deal more than in America. In some neighborhoods, it's actually impossible to walk to work, even if you live very close! Our road systems are no longer built for riding bikes or walking to work. You take your life into your hands, either from passing traffic or crime.
#5 - Relies on testimonials rather than scientific research.
The fact that Jane lost pounds in a week because she just ate cabbage soup does not mean it's safe, effective, or that it will work for you! What if you don't LIKE cabbage?
An example of testimonials, combined with the research to back it up, is the National Weight Control Registry. In order to join the Registry, a person has to have lost pounds and have kept it off for a year. Currently consisting of over 4500 individuals, the Registry was founded in 1993 as a longitudinal prospective study. Currently, there have been six studies resulting out of the Registry. For more information on the Registry, along with how most of the Registry members have in common, here is the website: http://www.nwcr.ws/.
#6 - Has a gimmick.
The problem with diet plans that have some type of gimmick, is people can't stay on them and they don't learn how to eat for the long-term. It's no secret that all the books must have something to 'catch' the reader. However, hidden among all the hype are books that really DO offer safe and effective solutions to weight loss. A book written by a registered dietitian (RD) is a guarantee that the material is accurate and safe. An RD is someone whose education, training and experience all revolve around the science and practice of nutrition; these truly ARE nutrition experts.
Consider this: If you had heart disease, you would see a cardiologist who specializes in heart health. If your teeth needed work, you would see a dentist. However, many people will buy 'diet' books from people who are not educated in nutrition! People will buy a diet book from a person who found what worked for them, or a movie star or a physician. In many of these books, because the author does not understand nutrition, many facts are distorted or misrepresented. It may not always be on purpose, but the point is these books are written by someone who really does not know nutrition and the science behind it, so either they distort the facts, or they make them fit the gimmick they are trying to sell.
So, the next time a friend mentions this great new diet they're on, or you see a new book that offers 'miracle' weight loss or something that 'health professionals don't really want you to know', take a step back and ask yourself these questions:
1- Does it promise fast weight loss?
2- Does it eliminate any major foods or food groups?
3- Is there a strict plan that must be followed for success?
4- Does it contradict what nutrition experts and science has to say?
5- Does it rely primarily on testimonials and 'before and after' pictures too good to be true?
6- Is there a gimmick?
If you answered yes to all or most of these questions, after you have stepped back, walk away and find a better plan. Isn't today time to get real and make your weight loss plan permanent and realistic?

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Marjorie Geiser is a registered dietitian, certified personal trainer and life coach. Marjorie has been the owner of a successful small business, MEG Fitness, since 1996, and now helps other nutrition professionals start up their own private practice.
To learn more about the services Margie offers, go to her website at http://www.megfit.com or email her at margie@megfit.com.

Fat Burning Diets - The Facts

There are a plethora of so called fat burning diets out there on the market. It can sometimes be confusing as to which ones are actually healthy and which are not. The goal of this article is to discuss some of the popular recent dieting trends and help you to understand the facts concerning these fat burning diets.
Lets start out with the infamous;
The Atkins Diet
This diet supposedly works by cutting out carbohydrates, food like bread, rice and potatoes. Our bodies use carbohydrate as its primary energy source, when these are cut out, the body must use fat and protein instead. On the face of it this might seem like a good idea, the problem is the metabolic processes involved in using fat for energy instead of carbohydrates can lead to various health difficulties such as kidney problems, gout and headaches due to increased uric acid and ketone's. On this type of diet there can be low amounts of dietary fiber which leads to constipation and chronic bowel disease. There is also a common held belief amongst experts that the high amounts of animal fat eaten on the Atkins diet has a negative effect on cholesterol levels which over time can lead to heart disease. Having said all that, this type of low carbohydrate diet can be very effective in helping you to lose fat quickly, the key is to use it in moderation and not as a lifestyle diet.
The next of our fat burning diets is;
The Zone Diet
Barry Sear's 'Zone Diet' is a high protein, low carbohydrate, semi-starvation diet. This diet focuses on balancing the ratio of carbs, fat and protein. It is suggested that by consuming the correct amount of these components your body's insulin production is controlled. The theory is that when insulin is at the correct level the body burns fat more effectively. The ideal ratios suggested are 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein, and 30% fat with a concentration on avoiding 'bad' carbohydrates. Whilst on this diet many people claim that their general alertness and energy levels are increased. The problem with this diet is the emphasis on restricting calories which makes it very difficult to stick to for any length of time.
The South Beach Diet
Another of these fat burning diets is the South Beach diet which includes many celebrity advocates. This diet involves minimizing the consumption of bad fats and bad carbohydrates. It has three phases and begins with a somewhat restricted two-week induction phase. In this phase most carbohydrates (such as pasta, rice and breads) must be avoided. Plenty of protein is on the menu however with chicken, turkey, and fish along with nuts, eggs, salads, and vegetables.
The second phase includes specific meal plans and recipes. It reintroduces some of the foods avoided in Phase 1 - but only sparingly. This phase is used until a specific weight loss goal is reached. The third and final phase is more about living a healthy dietary lifestyle to maintain weight. The South Beach Diet may seem similar to the other fat burning diets we have discussed but other than the first phase, which definitely emphasizes low-carbs, it is not a strict low-carb diet. This diet is all about balancing the good and the bad carbs.
The Fat Loss 4 Idiots Diet
This diet has been growing in popularity. It involves a process know as calorie shifting. Nutritionally it is a reduced carb diet that cycles macro-nutrient ratios (to try and trick your metabolism). There are no processed foods included in this plan, it relies on whole foods, although after every 11 day cycle on this diet you are allowed 3 cheat days where within reason you can eat what you want. There is no calorie or carb counting and no limit on portion size, just eat until you feel full. This diet program is online and creates your own personal diet plan after you input foods that you most enjoy, it then creates an 11 day plan with 4 meals per day utilizing many of your favourite foods. This is one for the person who has tried the other fat burning diets without success, the Fat Loss 4 Idiots diet is far easier to stick to in comparison with the other diets mentioned here as it sets out a clear plan incorporating foods you like and also allows 'cheat' days.
Ultimately the best way to keep weight off is to change your lifestyle habits. Fat burning diets are a dime a dozen, it is more common sense than anything else. Avoid processed and sugary foods and drinks, have a balanced dietary plan and follow a quality exercise program.

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If you are interested in reading my Tips To Lose 15 Pounds Fast please click the link. I also review in depth the Fat Loss 4 Idiots plan which may help you decide whether it is right for you. If you are interested in finding out the 7 Secrets To Fat Loss please visit by clicking the link. I hope this article has been of some use in your search for a better body and healthier life.
Daniel Depp is a health and fitness fanatic. He is a former professional athlete who, since retiring found himself over-eating and piling on weight. He decided that enough was enough and embarked on a mission to gather as much information about weight-loss and fitness as he possibly could and then implement these in his own life. He has since lost over 20 pounds of body fat, lives a healthy and vibrant lifestyle and is committed to helping others do the same. Visit his website at Secrets To Fatloss to learn the '7 Secrets' to ultimate fat-loss and achieve the body you always wanted, permanently.

Free Diet Programs - How to Create Diets From Your Food Choices - And is Your Diet "Tricking" You?

One of my biggest pet peeves is hearing people tell each other how much weight they've lost in the last few days on their new diet "kick."
It's not that I don't want people to lose weight; in fact, I'm probably going to be your biggest advocate if you want to lose weight.
The reason why I get frustrated with this extremely quick "weight loss" is because I don't want people to just lose "weight," I want them to lose the RIGHT kind of weight.
And believe me it really matters.
Hear me out for a second...
People who lose a ton of weight right after starting up a new diet are not losing the right kind of weight.
Very low calorie diets and very low carbohydrate diets will cause you to lose lots of water weight and glycogen stores (glycogen stores are just carbohydrates stored in your muscles.)
And for every ounce of glycogen, you store 3 ounces of water.
When you are eating a very low calorie diet, or a diet that totally restricts or severely limits carbohydrates then guess what?
Those glycogen stores and the water surrounding them gets used up very quickly, and all that water, and glycogen weighs quite a bit and it also burns up very quickly.
So the actual weight loss you see on the scale is just this initial flushing of the glycogen and water, and nothing more.
In addition to this loss of glycogen, you will probably lose quite a bit of energy as well, because this glycogen is used to give energy to your muscles.
To make things worse, you can't visibly tell if anyone has lost water and glycogen. No one walks around and says, "Wow it looks like you've lost lots of glycogen lately! How did you do it? What's your secret?"
No one cares, and no one can see it, so why should you care?
And that's the thing, you shouldn't really care, but lots of people are tricked into thinking that a specific diet works "magically" because they see this initial drop of bodyweight is such a short period of time.
And they see this drop in water weight when they step on the scale.
Don't be fooled by these "tricks."
You probably want to lose weight to get healthier, or to look better, or maybe both. And I'll tell you right now that flushing this water weight and glycogen is not going to help you do either.
If you think these diet tricks are bad...
They are only half the problem.
There's an even bigger issue that can really set you back on your quest to lose weight that is rarely brought up in the dieting community.
And that problem is:
After you're done flushing out this "non-visible" weight, often times you begin losing something you really don't want to lose... your muscle.
You really don't want to lose muscle because muscle burns fat, and muscle is what gives you your tone, and lot of your shape.
Also, it's much harder to get back the muscle that you lose.
Unfortunately, most diets are geared towards eliminating muscle.
But why would they want to destroy your muscle?
Simple, it's because muscle weighs more than fat, and muscle is easier to lose than fat because your body wants to hold on to it's reserves.
And your body's reserves are fat.
When you get on a really low calorie diet your body will begin to think it's starving.
And when your body is starving, it really wants to hold on to it's fat stores, but it has to get energy from somewhere... so your body will literally eat away your muscle for energy.
But again, why would diets target muscle loss?

Because it's a quick and easy way to see results on a scale, and if you see results on a scale you'll probably think the diet is working.
But this muscle loss is a problem because just like water weight, losing muscle is not really a "visible" way to lose weight, especially if you have a good deal of fat covering your muscles.
Think about it for a second, if you can't see your muscles right now, if you lose some muscle, will you see that weight loss in the mirror?

Probably not.
Sure, if you lose some of your muscle you will see the scale weight go down, but you'll most likely look in the mirror and wonder why you aren't actually SEEING any results.
And once you get rid of too much muscle, it just gets that much harder to lose fat, or any weight at all, because remember muscle is what burns fat.
And if you're losing your muscle just to make your scale happy, you're really asking for trouble.
What you want to do is to find a way to preserve your muscle while losing fat.
Basically, you want to keep the muscle that will give you your toned shaped body, and burn the fat that is on top of that muscle.
That is really the ultimate goal. Not just blind weight loss.
If you didn't need to know your body weight to find out the best nutritional plan for you, I'd say just throw the scale away.
But that's another story...
People who experience the initial "scale weight" drop from these restrictive diets often get excited and think that the diet is working extremely well...
But the truth is their weight loss will level out quickly and they will either stop losing weight, or just lose weight at a slower rate.
And the really bad part is that the second they start eating more food, or eating more carbohydrates then they will almost always gain all of, or a majority of the weight back in just days.
This is especially true if they've only been on one of these restrictive diets for a month or less.
The weight gain you will experience when you switch back to your normal eating habits will be just as fast, and just as dramatic as the initial weight loss.
And that's no fun.
But why does this sudden weight gain happen?
Remember that when you are on a very low calorie diet, or a diet that is very restrictive on carbohydrates, that the carbohydrates in your muscles (glycogen stores) are extremely low.
As soon as you begin to replenish them you will gain weight at an incredible pace as the glycogen goes back into your muscles, and along with that you will also gain three times as much water as the glycogen you get back.
Because remember, for every ounce of glycogen you have, you store three ounces of water.
And this water and glycogen is really heavy, so it will show up on your scale.
Keep in mind that this weight gain may be shocking, but it is mostly weight that no one can see. So although it's kind of scary, it really does not matter in the mirror.
What does matter is the fact that if you've been on these kinds of diets for any significant length of time, the diet has probably destroyed a good chunk of your muscle tissue.
Remember that muscle burns fat, and now you don't have as much.
What do you think that does to your ability to burn fat?
And what do you think that does to your ability to eat the same amount of food and maintain your weight?
That's right, you have a lower ability to burn fat, and you're likely to gain fat at a faster pace.
Does yo-yo dieting sound familiar?
And in addition to this problem, extremely low calorie diets can severely slow down your metabolism beyond just losing muscle.
Your body adapts very quickly, and when it realizes that you're not giving it enough food it starts to panic and begins to conserve energy as a defense mechanism.
Basically, your body slows down it's metabolism as a direct response to extremely low calorie diets.
Sow now we have an even bigger problem to compound the problems we already had.
To summarize...
-We have a body that didn't have any glycogen stores
-And we've destroyed a lot of our muscle tissue
-And now we have a slowed down metabolism
-Which means we can't eat as much food as we used to or else we'll probably gain weight.
As you can imagine, we've put ourselves in a very bad environment for trying to maintain any type of weight loss. And this is probably one of the biggest reasons why people have so many problems with keeping their weight off.
In summary, extremely low calorie diets or diets that severely limit your carbohydrate intake often do these things:
-Give you rapid weight loss that you can't see in the mirror (glycogen, water)
-Destroy muscle tissue
-Slow your metabolism
And when you go back to your normal eating habits, these things often happen:
-You gain back the weight you lost as quickly as you lost it
-You probably gain back more than you lost because you destroyed muscle and damaged your metabolism.
Now we know what happens when we go on these extremely low calorie diets and carbohydrate restrictive diets, and why the weight loss is "fake."
And we also know that this "fake" weight loss can also cause you to gain back more weight than you lost originally because this "fake" weight loss can slow down your metabolism and destroy your muscle tissue.
Alright... but what can we do to prevent this from happening?
The solution may be simpler than you were expecting...
You can avoid these negative side effects first and foremost by making sure you are eating enough food, so you don't damage your metabolism.
Eating enough calories (food) is the key here.
Food is the key because when you drop too low in calories (food) your metabolism slows down, and you begin to destroy your lean muscle.
Eating the right amount of calories is the most important factor to looking great and losing the right kind of weight.
And if you want to take your weight loss to the next level, you can see even greater results by making sure you have enough protein in your diet.
Protein is the building blocks to muscle, and when you give your body enough protein, it will help your body hang on to as much lean muscle as it can because you are giving your body what it needs to keep your muscle around.
With calories (food), there really is a fine line between being too little and too much. And each person is different.
That's actually another reason why a lot of these "popular" diets are really bad. They simply don't take YOU into account. They just engineer a diet for the average person, and they just assume that you are that "average person."
Because most diets don't tailor their plan around YOU, they simply won't work for YOU, unless you get lucky and fall into the definition of the diet creator's "average person".
There's such a fine line between losing and gaining weight.
You have to make sure you don't eat too little, and make sure you aren't eating way too much.
You really need to find the right number for you. Not the "average person."
So how do we find your number?
First let me say this...
If your diet is not asking you these questions before giving you a recommendation on how to lose weight, then you're probably not going to want to use that diet.
These are the questions that will determine how many calories you need to lose weight that you can actually see in the mirror:
-How old are you?
-How much do you weigh?
-How tall are you?
-What is your gender?
-How active are you?
It seems simple, but I bet you've never been asked those questions before starting a diet... but you really do need that information to recommend anything that will work effectively for you.
"Prescription without diagnosis is malpractice." (Think about that quote for a bit.)

But, really these are really the two biggest factors...
1.) Get your calories right. Make sure you aren't eating too little or too much food.
2.) If you want to turbo charge your visible weight loss, make sure you're eating enough protein.
Finding out your optimum protein level also depends on your goals, what you want to look like, and how much muscle mass you want to retain.
Most diets won't ask you those types of questions.
The fact is that most diets are just trying to be a one size fits all solution.
The only way they can make it appear like their diets work is if they just give you a really low calorie, or really restrictive diet. That way they know they'll at least get that quick "fake" weight loss to trick you and get you hooked.
Even if the diet isn't really working, and you're not seeing any results in the mirror.
Here's something to think about...
Notice that we did not talk about specific foods, such as whole wheat bread, salads, fruits, fast foods, etc?
We didn't talk about them because the truth is, specific foods don't matter as much as you might think.
Even eating "junk food" does not matter in moderation, and yes you can lose weight while eating "junk food" or even candy. (It may not be the healthiest thing to do, but that doesn't mean you can't do it and still lose weight.)
It's probably one of the best kept secrets in the diet industry.
The concepts we talked about in this post were all about eating enough calories, and not restricting carbohydrates.
And now that we've started to understand that you can eat more calories, and don't need to eliminate specific things like carbohydrates, or fat out of your diet.
You may begin to realize that this opens up a lot of possibilities...
-You can eat protein.
-You can eat fat.
-You can eat carbohydrates.
Did you know that these three categories (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) are the building blocks to all foods?
All foods have at least one of these, if not two or all three of them.
What does this mean for you?
Well, it means that all these building blocks are ok for you to eat while losing weight.
And because all foods are made of these building blocks, then that means almost ALL foods are ok for you to eat.
Even while losing fat.
You just have to know how to come up with the right combination of these building blocks to help you lose weight.
I've spent over a year of my life developing a tool that not only helps you figure out how much of each building block you need to lose weight.
But this tool figures out the right numbers for you based on who you are right now and what your goals are.
This tool also lets you pick the foods you want to eat, and it figures out how to create a diet for you using the foods you chose.
Yes you can eat more use it to eat all organic, vegan, raw foods, or even a diet based entirely on fast foods, or candy it's your choice. And I'll be perfectly honest with you, this software program is not for everyone. Some people will love it, and others will choose not to use it. But either way it's at least worth checking out.
I've named this tool OK-Cal.
And OK-Cal actually asks you the right questions, and ensures that you get enough calories, and if you want it will help you get the right amount of protein too.
OK-Cal figures all of this out for you, based on who you are, and what you want to eat.
It's your choice, and you can have a custom tailored weight loss diet created just for you every day based on the foods YOU choose.
100% organic, or 100% fast food, it's your choice. OK-Cal has the technology built right in to handle almost any food preference.
Wishing you great success and happiness in 2008.


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For your free diet programs created by OK-Cal just click here. And for more free dit and fitness advice visit YummyFitness.com today.

All Diets Types and Their Explanations - How to Navigate and Choose the Best One For You

Atkins Diet
"The Atkins Diet is a high-protein, low-carbohydrate weight loss diet developed by Robert Atkins, M.D., during the 1960s. In the early 1990s, Dr. Atkins brought his diet back into the nutrition spotlight with the publication of his best-selling book "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution".
The Atkins Diet severely restricts the consumption of carbohydrate-rich foods and encourages the consumption of protein and fat. The diet is divided into four phases: Induction, Ongoing Weight Loss, Pre-maintenance, and Maintenance. During the Induction phase (the first 14 days of the diet), carbohydrate intake is limited to no more than 20 grams per day. No fruit, bread, grains, starchy vegetables, or dairy products (except cheese, cream, and butter) are allowed during this phase. During the Ongoing Weight Loss phase, dieters experiment with various levels of carbohydrate consumption until they determine the most liberal level of carbohydrate intake that allows them to continue to lose weight. Dieters are encouraged to maintain this level of carbohydrate intake until their weight loss goals are met. During the Pre-maintenance and Maintenance phases, dieters determine the level of carbohydrate consumption that allows them to maintain their weight. To prevent weight regain, dieters are told to maintain this level of carbohydrate consumption, perhaps for the rest of their lives. According to Dr. Atkins, most people must limit their carbohydrate intake to no more than 60 grams per day to keep lost weight off. In addition to the dietary restrictions discussed above, Dr. Atkins recommends regular exercise and nutritional supplementation as part of his weight loss program.
Note: The dietary recommendations issued by various organizations, including the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Institutes of Health, and the American Heart Association, encourage a daily carbohydrate intake of approximately 300 grams. To stay healthy, you will need to consume five times more what Atkins prescribes in his diets. Can a human being last long enough on this diet without experiencing any side effects? If the dieter dares to cheat on this program, the result can be detrimental and the weight can be regained easily, twice as much as what has been lost during the diet. The quick weight gain brings about eventual depression and the dieter will eventually reach his original weight before the weight loss.
What is so attractive about the diet that so many individuals have taken the time and effort to apply?
High-protein diets are the fad regimens of the moment. Their theory for weight loss consists of eating lots of animal proteins and skipping carbohydrates such as breads, rice and pasta. The theory behind these diets is that if you load up on animal proteins, you will feel fuller faster, so you'll end up eating less.
The Atkins Diet is attractive to dieters who have tried unsuccessfully to lose weight on low-fat, low-calorie diets. Atkins dieters can eat as many calories as desired from protein and fat, as long as carbohydrate consumption is restricted. Consequently, many Atkins dieters are spared the feelings of hunger and deprivation that accompany other weight loss regimens.
The underlying premise of the Atkins Diet is that diets high in sugar and refined carbohydrates cause weight gain, and ultimately lead to obesity. Such diets increase the production of insulin (a hormone secreted by the pancreas). When insulin levels are high, the food we eat is quickly and easily converted into fat, and stored in our cells. By restricting the consumption of carbohydrates, the production of insulin is moderated. In addition, the lack of available carbohydrate (the body's preferred fuel source) forces the body to burn stored fat as energy.
What do the critics say?
Many nutrition experts disagree with the basic premise of the Atkins Diet - the notion that high-carbohydrate, low-fat diets cause obesity. For evidence of the implausibility of the Atkins Diet, some nutritionists point out that the traditional Japanese diet is very high in carbohydrates, low in protein, and very low in fat; however, before the introduction of high-fat and high-protein Western foods, being overweight was rare in Japan. Such findings make sense because ounce for ounce, carbohydrates contain far fewer calories than fats (4 calories from carbohydrates versus 9 calories from fat). These critics blame the over-consumption of calories (from any source) and lack of physical activity as the primary causes of obesity.
One concern about a high-protein diet stems from all the saturated fats one eats - those fats that we're told cause high cholesterol, clogged arteries and, eventually, heart disease. Critics also express concern about the impact of the Atkins Diet on the overall health of the dieter. Depending on the foods chosen by the dieter, the diet may contain a large amount of saturated fat and trans fat, putting those at risk for heart disease in danger. Recent research has found that high-protein diets speed up the progression of arteriosclerosis, the main cause of heart attacks. Moreover, contrary to Atkins' claims, extremely low-fat diets have been found to reverse heart disease. In addition, the lack of grains, fruits, and vegetables in the Atkins Diet may lead to deficiencies of key nutrients, including dietary fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, and several minerals. Finally, high protein diets may increase the risk of osteoporosis and accelerate the rate of deterioration in kidney function associated with aging.
Critics concede that Atkins dieters often experience significant weight loss during the initial stages of the diet. However, these critics argue that the diet has a diuretic effect and that the initial weight loss is due to water loss, not fat loss. Eventually the body restores its water and sodium balance, and the rate of weight loss declines. Critics also note that there is no evidence showing that the Atkins diet leads to greater weight loss than do other diets that provide more carbohydrates, yet the same number of calories.Critics also note high-protein diets can lead to dangerous imbalances - bone loss and kidney problems - because too much protein can overwork the kidneys.
Dr. Atkins was the first person who brought a low-carbohydrates diet to major prominence in the U.S. and I credit him for defying "the system" and offering a weight loss plan that works for some people. He presents scientific fact, but for the most part his recent book provides anecdotal information from many of his patients.
Dr. Atkins claims that some people have a condition of "hyper-insulinism", in which they produce excess amounts of insulin when they eat carbohydrates, which in turn causes fat storage, diabetes, and a craving for more carbohydrates. This theory is scientifically logical but has not been accepted as proven by the medical community.
In Dr. Atkins' "maintenance phase", he advises that persons increase their carbohydrate intake to the point where they do not gain or lose weight.
All that is great, however, how can we understand the whole concept behind his diets and why do people truly believe in it? How does it actually work?
Insulin is a hormone, which is a substance that travels through the body and stimulates chemical reactions. The human body has mechanisms to regulate how much of each hormone is produced, so that their effects can be controlled. With insulin, however, there is no "shut-off" switch as there is with other hormones. The digestion of carbohydrates produces insulin, and there is no way to stop its activity once it is present in the bloodstream. There is also no way to prevent it from being produced when carbohydrates are consumed, even if these are in excess of what the body needs for fuel.
So, the more carbohydrates you consume, the more insulin the pancreas will produce to help digest the sugars of the carbohydrates. The more insulin that is being produced, the more stored fat will be sent to the cells, especially to those around your waist.

I believe Dr. Atkins' diet may be useful for persons who are very sensitive to carbohydrates and have extremely slow metabolic rates.
Dr. Atkins' diet does not restrict protein intake, which is the correct approach. However, his advice to add carbohydrate grams for the maintenance phase so that continued weight loss does not occur is not scientifically sound. There is no indication that a person will continue to lose weight below his ideal bodyweight, taking in consideration his body type and metabolism. Your body is predisposed to a certain weight, even though you interrupt carbohydrates consumption from your diet, the body will still maintain the same weight. After that phase, you will simply need to maintain it and be happy with it.
Extreme dieters will need to understand that all the information mentioned above and below these lines is to make you realize some facts that you've never taken the time to research. When a diet becomes popular, people jump on it without researching in more detail what it can do for their bodies or if the diet fits their standard. It is not because "John Doe has lost some weight on this specific diet" that you will have a similar result. The same goes for diet pills: be careful with them. If they work temporarily for some people, it doesn't necessarily mean they will have the same effect on you.
As for me, experiencing my own programs enabled me to lose weight, maintain it and still eat as much as I want of the right foods. I eat and exercise plenty.
Remember that moderation is important. If you want to eat something that is not healthy, go ahead and eat it. However, make sure to moderate the rest of the day with the right food. The following information should be helpful when it comes to moderation regarding a well-balanced diet.
Here are some good reasons to avoid high-protein diets:
1. They violate almost every known fact about nutritionally balanced eating. For some dieters, these diets can even be life threatening.

2. Popular high protein diet foods are high in cholesterol and saturated fat, which are now established as major culprits in heart attacks and strokes.

3. They overload you with protein, which results in loss of calcium from your bones, which may lead to osteoporosis. Protein overload also pressurizes your kidneys as they try to eliminate large amounts of urea, a by-product of protein metabolism.

4. They forbid foods known to lower the risk of heart disease and many cancers.

5. They deprive you of carbohydrates, the nutrient group most readily converted to energy. Even moderately active people will notice this lack during exercise.

6. They deprive your brain of glucose, which it needs for normal functioning. The result is a slowdown in thinking and reaction time.

7. They deprive you of the enormous benefits of fiber, which is a form of carbohydrate (cellulose).

8. They are deficient in essential vitamins. Indeed, some high protein diets even require you to take vitamin supplements for the sake of your health.

9. They cause potentially dangerous changes in your body chemistry.
10. They deliver temporary weight loss. However, a large part of it is water weight and lean muscle mass - not fat. (You lose water because your kidneys try to get rid of the excess waste products of protein and fat, called ketones, that your body makes.)
Note: Weight gain is usually rapid when you go off the diet.
11. Finally, it's worth knowing that while your body burns up 23 calories for every 10o carbohydrate calories it digests, it only burns up 3 calories for every 100 "fat" calories it digests. Therefore, a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet makes it easier for you to stay fat!
FYI (For Your Information):

The average Western diet contains TOO MUCH FAT.

That's why an estimated 1 in 3 American children are overweight!

That's why heart disease is the No. 1 killer in America and Europe.

We should be eating less fat, not more.
High protein diets encourage high-fat eating and - for this reason alone - should be avoided.

What are those medical miracles that are being publicized to consumers for their rapid weight loss programs? The magazine Self, in March of 2002 investigated some of the programs that are simply bogus.
"Healthy weight loss" is not a particularly sexy marketing slogan. It is quite impossible to sell these types of slogans to Americans: "Drop pounds by eating fewer calories and increasing physical activity!" Instead, manufacturers of weight loss concoctions resort to selling their products with dubious promises of magically speedy results. Thankfully, separating fact from fiction is easy.
Try to separate bogus slogan from reality:
o "Lose 30 pounds in just 30 days" - Very tempting, isn't it? However, it is physically impossible to lose so much weight in such a short time. Moreover, it is not healthy. You could only hurt your health throughout the process and I can reassure you, you will gain back the weight faster than a speeding bullet.
o "Lose weight while you sleep" - Yeah! Heard that one before. If all you have to do is sip a magical potion or swallow a miracle pill, the product is as likely to be as real as your "wet dreams" at night.
o "Lose weight and keep it off for good" - The only permanent weight loss plan involves changing your diet and exercise regimen. It is all about burning more calories than you are consuming. It's all about simple mathematics. You burn more than what you ingest.
o "John Doe lost 90 pounds in just six weeks". Yes, and I am Superman! As I said previously, it is very dangerous to try to lose that much weight in such a short period. Let's analyze this slogan. We'll have some fun!
One pound equals 3,500 calories. You will need to reduce your diet by over 315,000 calories (90 pounds x 3,500 calories) during that 6-week period. Now how is that going to happen? Let's say your body needs 2,000/day calories to function. That equals 14,000 calories weekly, right? Multiply that by 6 weeks. That equals 84,000 calories for 6 weeks. Now, I am not a rocket scientist, but do you get my point? You will actually need to fast for 6 weeks in a row, and still have to burn an extra 231,000 by exercising. What are these morons thinking when they try to advertise these slogans to the American people? I would suggest that they go back to school and retake elementary math. It seems they can't even do a simple calculation.
Bottom line, ladies and gentlemen. There is NO MIRACLE DIET. Quit being triggered to spend your money by these bogus slogans.
Low Carbohydrate Diets
We all love carbohydrates. Pasta, bread, rice and potato are America favorite foods, to say the least. However, we all know that they contain ingredients that can lead to what we are most afraid of: being overweight. The problem with carbohydrates is that they cause the body to produce insulin. However, insulin turns carbohydrates into sugar, and whatever sugar we don't use right away gets stored in the body as fat.
On the other hand, a lack of carbohydrates tricks the body into thinking it's starving, at which point it flicks on an internal switch that causes the body to burn its own fat. This is called ketosis. We did mention that if the body doesn't use the extra sugar produced by the intake of carbohydrates, it would be stored in fat. Hmmm, now what about exercise? Have we thought about that?
After studying in depth the way the human body's nutritional processes work, and considering the type of diet these processes evolved with, I must conclude that consuming carbohydrates in limited amounts (not eating a whole pizza, loaf of bread, or a pound of french fries) is the most natural and healthy way for us to eat, not just for weight loss but for ongoing weight and health maintenance - even for people who do not have a weight problem. The "low carb diet" has become extremely popular in the United States in the past few years and continues to have a large following despite the frequent criticisms by various diet experts. Although many of them are without scientific validity, some of them are on target, especially when considering the calorie intakes of some of the formulas presented.
There is a major issue here with all of these plans - that is whether the diet is being used merely for weight loss, or for long-term weight maintenance. As a weight loss diet, any of these plans can work. However, if they are then discarded and previous eating habits are restored, it is likely that any weight lost will be regained, as with any short-term diet. Eventually, going off the low carb diet can definitely promote weight gain in excess of that which was lost, due to metabolic changes that occur. The only sensible way to use a low carb diet for weight loss is to remain on this type of diet on an ongoing basis afterward. The question then asked, "Is it safe for weight loss" and "is it safe for ongoing use as an eating plan?"
Americans now eat more carbohydrates than ever - 50 more pounds per person, per year, than a decade ago (ABC.NEWS). Carbohydrate-related diseases have also reached a peak. After decades of being warned away from fats, many people have turned to carbohydrates instead. At the same time, obesity levels in the country are greater than ever.
Is there a connection? Do carbohydrates lead people to become obese? Experts in the field have different opinions.
The Zone
Biochemist Barry Sears, author of the best selling low-carbohydrate diet book The Zone, believes carbohydrates do cause people to gain weight. He has developed a controversial theory that suggests that people who eat a lot of carbohydrates get caught up in a cycle of overeating because carbohydrates can be addictive in a way other foods are not. People who critique Sears' theory have various problems with it, including some of his basic premises that carbohydrates lead to weight gain or that carbohydrates are more addictive than other foods. Zone dieting is designed to avoid ketosis, which the author claims causes one to lose muscle weight even with high protein diets. The author also claims that high levels of protein in a meal cause high insulin levels, which converts the protein into fat.
The concept of The Zone is that food should be treated like a prescription drug that is designed to promote the desired hormonal response throughout the day. The hormones in question are insulin, glucagon, and eicosanoids. Insulin and glucagon are well known hormones, and their functions are described accurately.
Sears says eating lots of carbohydrates triggers a flood of insulin. Because there is so much insulin, sugars are cleared from the blood so quickly that people feel hungry again after a very short period. Therefore, carbohydrates drive the sugar level up and then the insulin drives it down. The obesity crisis in America is a result of "carbohydrate hell." Sears suggests that eating a lot of carbohydrates triggers a biological mechanism that lowers the blood sugar level and leads people to need a sugar boost and therefore to crave more carbohydrates. He says the cycle of eating and craving keeps them hooked on carbohydrates and causes overeating.
"You eat a big carbohydrates meal at 12. By 3 o'clock you're hungry again. You eat more carbohydrates. By 7 you're hungry again," Sears says. His theory accepts some of the basic principles about how the body processes carbohydrates and takes them a step further. The basic principle is that carbohydrates turn into sugars that trigger the release of insulin. The insulin routes the sugars to our muscles for energy and stores the rest as fat.
To reach the "Zone", one must consume foods in a protein-to-carbohydrate ratio of 0.75, which is 3 grams of protein for every 4 grams of carbohydrate, at every meal and snack, and without allowing more than 5 hours between meals or snacks. The author converts grams into blocks of protein and carbohydrate and provides food lists and meal plans for these. He distinguishes between carbohydrates with high versus low glycemic indexes, which is a measure of how fast the carbohydrate is digested for each food type. In addition, he adds fat "blocks" to his meal plans and distinguishes between various types of fats, recommending against saturated fats and favoring monounsaturated fats, due to their effect on eicosanoid production. Protein requirements in the Zone are based on lean body mass and level of physical activity (the same method that is used in Protein Power). Lean body mass is calculated using standardized charts that use height, hip, and abdomen measurements in women and weight, wrist and waist measurements in men.

The calculated protein requirement is not to be exceeded, and is to be spread throughout the day to avoid increased insulin levels caused by protein digestion. Therefore, a person would end up with a calorie limit on their total daily intake, since protein has a maximum value, and carbohydrate and fat intake are measured by protein intake.
The second half of the book is a description of how Zone dieting can improve numerous health conditions, primarily based on the eicosanoid activities.
In this program, the author provides excellent scientific explanations for how too many carbohydrates in a diet cause fat storage. The entire design of the Zone diet is also explained in a very scientific fashion, however, it is greatly lacking in scientific evidence to support it. The concept that providing higher levels of carbohydrates would avoid ketosis, which is a condition that may be hazardous over the long term is correct, however, because of a restriction on the intake of protein, carbohydrates, and fat, it is likely that insufficient calories and carbohydrates will be available for most people to avoid ketosis. In other words, the ketosis that results from starvation - getting too few calories to meet basic needs - can easily occur in many persons based on their calculations for daily intakes. There may also not be enough protein in the diet to prevent loss of muscle mass.





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