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[P776]Pros And Cons Of Diet

by John Ugoshowa, Joh

The Atkins diet is one of the most popular low carbohydrate diets on the market today. Its popularity has sparked dozens of look-a-like diets who center on the same principles of high-protein, low-carbohydrate eating. There are a lot of fish in the sea when it comes to choosing a low-carbohydrate plan.

Studies have shown that low-carbohydrate eating has many benefits. There have been scientific results that low-carbohydrate diets like Atkins do create significant weight loss without having to restrict calories. People who use the Atkins diet have also reported this. There are studies that show that low-carb eating improves triclycerides, reduces blood glucose for diabetics and pre-diabetics and increases good cholesterol (HDL). Low-carbohydrate dieting has been scientifically proven to improve insulin sensitivity, decrease blood pressure and lower blood insulin levels. When compared with low-fat diets, low-carb dieters lose less muscle mass.

Although not scientifically proven, there are many common benefits reported by Atkins dieters and other low-carb dieters. These include an increase in energy, a reduced craving for sweets, better concentration, improved mood and an lessening of depression type symptoms.

However, there are also some benefits that are specific to the Atkins diet. If you have been a low fat dieter in previous years, you'll enjoy eating all of those ?forbidden foods? that you once had to go without. Steak, butter and cream are a regular part of Atkins dieters? meals. There is a certain pleasure that goes along with eating foods that were once off limits. Atkins dieters are encouraged to eat their full of rich meats, cheeses and fats and oils.

Atkins is also simple to use, compared with some other low-carb diets on the market. There are some basic food carbohydrate counts that you'll need to learn, but after that, you are free to eat from the acceptable food lists.

Dr. Atkins also emphasized finding your own personal carbohydrate level. Different people have different levels of carbohydrate tolerance. While some gain weight on just 90 carbohydrate grams a day, others can live comfortably at 120 carbohydrate grams. During the ongoing weight loss phase and pre-maintenance phase of the diet, you will learn your personal carbohydrate count that will help determine your carbohydrate goal for life.

The popularity of Atkins is a double-edged sword for dieters. There is a lot of information available on the diet, which makes it easy to find resources and support. There have been many, many Atkins books written and there are endless amounts of websites that offer tips and group support. However, everyone has heard of Atkins and probably has an opinion on it. There are some big misconceptions out there about the nature of the diet, and you'll no doubt have to defend your new way of eating from time to time.

There are some other minimal downsides to using the Atkins program. You do need to count carbohydrates in everything you eat to make sure that you are staying within your personal carbohydrate range. There is also the issue of Induction, the most hotly debate aspect of the plan. Induction can be difficult to get through if you've had a diet that centers on carbs and sugar. Also, many people try Induction and mistakenly believe that this is the way that the whole diet is going to be. They end up quitting before they get into the actual Atkins plan.

Sometimes, although it is not common, people will experience a carb crash on the 3rd to 5th day of the diet. This reaction is a result of their body finally experiencing ketosis, or running on fat instead of carbohydrates. The effects are transient, but many people have sworn off low-carb diets entirely because of this happenstance.

Overall, with the minor drawbacks considered, Atkins is one of the most popular low-carb diets for a reason. It works. Thousands of people have had success with the Atkins approach to the low-carb way of living.

Before starting a low carb diet, you're probably curious what the actual pros and cons of low carb diets are, right? Looking at both pros and cons can help you make a more informed, educated decision as to whether a low carb diet is right for you, so let's summarize some of the common pros and cons of low carb diets here...

Pros: The pros of low carb diets are fairly easy to list, and they include things like: Quick weight loss, never going hungry, eating really great foods, still having sweets, and it's easy to get started.

Cons: The cons of low carb diets are also fairly easy to list off, and these include: Giving up bread, giving up pasta, giving up real sugar, pastries, cakes, cookies and other common snacks. Other cons of low carb diets can include having bad breath, seemingly bland or boring food choices, and going through withdrawals.

Now that we've summarized those pros and cons though, let's look at some of them in detail.

Pro: It's easy to start low carb diets, but Con: It can get a little expensive. Unfortunately buying lots of meat and fresh veggies can be hard on the budget. High carb and high starch foods are cheaper to buy, but you will pay the price eventually with obesity and associated health problems.

Pro: You never go hungry on low carb diets, but Con: You can't always eat what you're craving. One of the best reasons to choose a low carb diet is because part of the goal is to never allow yourself to go hungry. You don't usually restrict how much food is eaten, just what kinds. The downside of course is that you can't always eat anything you want on a low carb diet. But this is true of any kind of sensible eating plan. If you want to lose weight, you have to be willing to give up certain types of food. And with low carb diets, you give up major sources of bad starches and sugars.

Pro: Going on a low carb diet will finally get your daily cravings under control. But Con: You have to go through withdrawals first. When you first start a low carb diet, you will experience sugar withdrawals - usually in the first three to five days. And these can be difficult to wait out. You'll have headaches, sometimes a bit of dizziness, and you might be a bit lethargic too. You'll also have severe sugar cravings.

Once you get past those initial days though, you get to experience a wonderful thing: You no longer have massive sugar cravings. You no longer get the urge to grab some candy or a soda at two or three in the afternoon, and you no longer feel bloated and gassy every time you eat. Many people also experience much more energy at this point, and of course they're thrilled to see the weight is already starting to come off by now too.

So now that you know some of the biggest pros and cons of low carb diets, you might find it easier to decide whether starting a diet of this type is something you feel would be right for your personal lifestyle and preferences.

Article Source : Atkins Diet

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Both John Ugoshowa & Diane Crawford are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

John Ugoshowa has sinced written about articles on various topics from Affiliate Programs, About Branding and Fat Loss. John Ugoshowa. For more information about Diets see the Diet section of The Free Ad Forum at: