Top 10 Myths About Atkins

Myth 1: The ANA (Atkins Nutritional Approach) is unbalanced and deficient in basic nutrition.

Not according to the tracking I've been doing in FitDay.

Here's my totals for a recent randomly picked day along with the US RDA (my totals first, the RDA second).
Vitamin A mcg_RE...2733.3 800
Vitamin C mg...147.03 60
Calcium mg...2224.4 1500
Iron mg...14.2 15

Other than iron being 0.8 of a milligram too low (lol), I'm getting more than enough. This is without vitamins.

Myth 2: You lose mostly water weight on Atkins.

My body fat dropped more than 13%. 'Nuff said.

Myth 3: The ANA is only effective because calories are restricted.

This is one of those lovely half truths. Atkins does suppress appetite from the fat and protein content, but there is also a metabolic advantage when you are no longer burning carbohydrates for energy and burning fat instead. Burning fat for energy takes more calories, hence you lose faster.

Myth 4: The high-protein content of the ANA causes kidney problems.

There is no study to back this up. Zip. Zero. It's believed simply because it's repeated so often, but there is zero scientific evidence to back it.

Myth 5: Fat intake is detrimental and will lead to heart disease.

My blood lipids improved on Atkins and my risk of heart disease has gone down. The killer is when one eats high fat AND high carb together. Either alone is not harmful, which is why both low fat and low carb diets both work.

Myth 6: Ketosis is dangerous and causes a variety of medical problems.

Ketoacidosis is dangerous, ketosis is not. Ketoacidosis is a condition in diabetics who have out of control (very high) blood sugar. Ketosis is natural and occurs when carbohydrates are used up for energy, and the body starts burning fat (both dietary and body fat) for energy.

Myth 7: The ANA causes constipation because it lacks fiber.

A total lie. Atkins stresses high fiber vegetables, and lots of them.

Myth 8: The ANA increases the risk of osteoporosis.

Some calcium is lost in the urine in the first two weeks, but once the body adjusts to the new diet, this no longer happens. This can easily be corrected by getting enough calcium - 1000mg a day for men, and 1500mg for women. I easily get over 2000mg a day with my leafy greens and daily cup of cottage cheese. Yum!

Myth 9: Atkins will cause weakness, fatigue and a lack of energy.

Only the first few days while going through sugar withdrawal. Once that is over, most people have more energy than before and feel better. I know I no longer have that mid-afternoon slump that left me wanting a nap at work. Stable blood sugar means stable energy. :)

Myth 10: There's no real science supporting the Atkins approach.

There's TONS of studies. One only has to have the desire to look them up. If you don't believe the quoted studies on the Atkins site, then go look up the originals.