Atkins Diet, What A Dud

by Annie
(Johnson City, TN, USA)

I decided to try the Atkins Diet because in the past, following a low-fat, high-carb diet had resulted in weight loss but left me feeling very hungry all the time.

I hoped that having more fat and protein would prevent that constant gnawing hunger, and this part at least was successful. However, I never lost a single pound.

In addition, it left me with a funky body odor (although not the ketosis that is the "holy grail" of the diet itself), a freaked-out gastrointestinal system and a constant feeling of being bloated, greasy and sluggish.

I followed the diet for about 4 months and although the food was pretty good, I never did get used to the taste of artificial sweeteners or the lack of fresh fruit in my diet.

I felt like I was trying to make myself believe in a religious cult despite my logical mind screaming at me that it was all wrong.

The diet bars provided to handle sweet cravings were disgusting, having an aftertaste that reminded me of dried, powdered shrimp.

It was easy enough to stick to in restaurants and at home, but what is the point? Nothing was lost on this experiment, and I really started to feel like a dope for being willing to commit to a diet that cut out whole food groups.

This is definitely not something I would do again, and I have to wonder if I have caused damage to my previously excellent cholesterol levels by partaking in this ill-conceived, gimmicky diet.

Note from Dr. Dan


Annie,

In general artificial sweeteners are not a good idea. They trick your body into expecting a rush of sugar into the blood stream.

But with artificial sweeteners there is no sugar. So your body will tend to crave the sugar it is expecting. And that can lead to overeating.

There is certainly nothing wrong with eating fresh fruit in moderation, although excessive fruit juices should be avoided due to the amount of sugar they contain.

If you look at the people who had weight problems but then lost the weight and kept it off, you'll find that they do not eat diets that exclude whole groups of foods.

Diets that do not allow certain groups of foods tend to be too difficult to follow for the long term.

Dr. Dan