WARNING! Atkins is not safe!

[Guest]

For those of you thinking about the Atkins Diet, here are some FACTS and things to think about:

Even though carbs are the body's PRIMARY energy source, fats are PREFERRED. Fats are preferred because 1 fatty acid broken down gives 141 ATP (our bodies conversion into energy). Thats over 100 times more ATP then any other nutrient metabolized. However, this process takes place after 30 min of steady aerobic activity. Carbs are PRIMARY because they metabolize the fastest of all nutrients but give you very little ATP.

In other words our body's make energy out of carbs the fastest and fats the slowest.

HERE IS THE IMPORTANT PART:

Once our body's are deprived of our primary energy source, it immediately goes into defensive mode and PANICS! It then goes to the next easiest accessible (or quickest) nutrient to grab for its energy. That would be PROTEIN!!! Where do we find protein???? In our muscle!! Our body gladly strips the protein from our muscle in order to sustain itself because its alot more accessible than fats are! Why is this?? Our body's want the energy RIGHT NOW!! Fats are unable to provide us with the essential energy RIGHT NOW, because it takes at least 30 min to metabolize itself into accessible energy. So it continues to strip away and strip away and strip away at the muscle until carbs are put back into our system again!!

Why do people lose so much weight on the Atkins Diet? Because muscle weighs 5 times the amount of fat!!! Thats why its quite common to lose 20-30lbs in the first month easily.

Those of you who defend Atkins and stick by it may say "WELL LOOK HOW MUCH WEIGHT I'VE LOST"!! Well, your body shrinks as a whole due to the lean body mass lost. You may lose 3, 5, maybe even 10 inches around your waist. But, you can lose 10 inches around your waist, and lose 30 lbs of muscle in the process while only burning 1lb of fat.

For those of you thinking of starting this diet, go get a proper body analysis done and find out your lean body mass as opposed to your fat mass. See how much you lose of each at the end of the first month.

ANOTHER WARNING: Depriving your body of its primary energy source will drop your metabolism faster than you can blink. Leaving you more subseptable to illnesses and weight gain after the diet is over. Not to mention the irritability, energy loss, and sudden dizzy spells that can be common with this type of diet.

Those of you wondering what my credentials are... I'm a clinical nutritionist and personal trainer. I have to be able to provide my clients with proper information and advice. And I would like to give members of this forum the same advice I give all my clients:

DON'T DO ATKINS!

[audrey]

Thanks for your insight...

I heard ATKINS was unsafe before, but wasn't sure why. Now I know! After reading your post, I researched Atkins some more and I don't know why anybody would even consider it! It seems like a horrible way to loose weight... and a scary one at that!

I guess if you're looking for a quick fix, Atkins might be OK. But in the long run, it sound like a bad idea. You've caught my attention!

Thanks again!

Audrey

[Guest]

It`s a great article! Hope you don`t mind if I repost it to http://dietpillsnews.com/