Should I Try The Atkins Diet Again? I groaned when I read about the recent study showing that Atkins tops at slimming. When I attempted low-carb dieting years ago, I got sick of meat. And I still don’t see how fruit can be bad! But to lose 50 pounds, I’ll commit to it—is Atkins worth another try?
There’s no need to ditch carbs. It’s true that in a 2007 study, women on Atkins lost more weight than women than women on the Zone (a balance of protein and carbs), Ornish (low-carb) or Learn (higher-carb) diets. Still, Atkins dieters were only 10 pounds lighter after a year. Turns out, the weight they lost in the first six months was regained because the diet was though to maintain. My advice: When eating carbs, choose fiber-rich whole grains and produce, and enjoy “bad” carbs on occasion. My clients who do so lose 80-plus pounds in a year and keep it off.
For more on healthy-carb dieting, read The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Glycemic Index Weight Loss (Alpha, 2005) by Lucy Beale and Joan Clarke, R.D. And don’t be fooled by the title—even I learned some new things thanks to this book!
