Let’s be clear: I have a deep and yearning love affair with food. So, most people who know me were somewhat taken aback to hear that I followed the Atkins Diet for two weeks.
Yes, you heard correctly: that evil, anti-carbohydrate diet that gained popularity about half a decade ago and subsequently fell from grace to be labelled a “fad diet.”
For good reason, I might add. In a diet diary, I reveal the skinny on Atkins.
Day 1: I am half doing this diet because a) I love a challenge and b) I was really curious. When my roommate found out I was doing this diet, she laughed at me.
“Oh, ye of little faith,” I proclaimed.
What’s so hard about cutting carbs, anyways? The odd piece of bread here, skipping pasta there – big deal. I’m allowed to eat eggs, any cheese I want, most vegetables and meat galore (fish, chicken, horse, you name it). For breakfast, I eat an omelette with cheese, ham and peppers, and for lunch and dinner I eat a mixed greens salad with grilled chicken. I am proud of myself. Take that, carbohydrates.
Day 3: I must say, this diet is not for the faint of stomach. I woke up with a headache I can’t shake. It feels like a really bad hangover. Here’s a list of things that the Atkins Nutritional Approach condemns: any grains, candy, sugar, pasta, rice, juice, potatoes, alcohol, caffeinated drinks and fruit. I really enjoy all of these things – especially the last three.
There is a small ray of hope in all of this: I am allowed 20 grams of carbs per day. I soon find out that 20 carbs isn’t much at all – a meagre piece of bread. I end my day with an empty stomach and a heavy heart.
Day 6: I really hate this $%@!-ing diet. There is a chasm in my stomach that can only be filled with the likes of a hearty stick-to-your-ribs pasta dinner. One of my roommates has made a layered chocolate cake topped with whipped cream and Skor bits. I want to scream, but instead I drool. As everyone enjoys what they call “the best cake, like, ever” I drown my sorrows in water. And cheese. Thank god for cheese.
Day 9: I read an interesting article in the paper today. According to a New Zealand scientist, carbohydrates “stimulate the same areas of the brain that are involved with addiction to nicotine and other drugs.” This must be what a drug addict quitting their habit cold turkey feels like. I need my fix.
Day 14: I near the end of the Atkins ride, and boy, what a ride. Here’s the verdict: DO NOT FOLLOW THIS DIET. EVER. If that is the only advice I can dispense, there it is.
On a lighter note (forgive the pun), I did manage to lose seven pounds throughout this hell of a fortnight.
Before you cross bagels and pasta off your grocery list, I should mention the initial weight loss occurs within the first two weeks of the diet, and since I plan on jumping right back in to my ravenous eating habits, I will most likely gain all of this weight back.
To put it plainly, there are plenty more cons to the Atkins Diet than there are pros. There are potential health risks to any low-carb, high-protein diet. By increasing your fat intake, you increase your risk of coronary artery disease and heart attacks. The high protein levels put added stress on your kidneys, increasing your chances of kidney failure. Plus, any diet that severely slashes one major nutrient can’t be too good for your body. Everything in moderation is truly the best diet. With that being said, excuse me while I go buy a Big Mac.