Here is a link to an interview by the one of the contributing authors of a new Atkins Diet book.
Here is one question from the interview that I find quite interesting:
Why do you think so much controversy remains about low-carb diets?
A. “It’s complicated. The Atkins diet was labeled as a high-fat diet. We’ve been told over the past 40 years that fat in the diet is bad. Now we know that fat is not bad. What’s happened is that there is a paradigm shift in thinking about carbohydrates, fat and protein and health. These are things that are slow to change.
In the new Atkins we say, “Meet your new friend: fat.” We’re really trying to do the P.R. for the macronutrient that no one wants to talk about. Fat in the diet does not mean fat in your arteries and fat on your hips, which is what everyone thinks. It’s an American view. If you go to Europe, they’re not so allergic to the idea of fat. It’s a very parochial kind of view. My colleagues outside the U.S. are not so afraid of cholesterol in the blood. They don’t prescribe statins so much.”
I’ve written numerous times on this site that the caloric deficit is what matters most when trying to lose weight. Without taking care of the deficit first, there is no point in figuring out how many grams of carbs or fat to eat. Fat is not the enemy, and neither are carbs, as long as you don’t overeat them. Trying to get your carbs from fruits and vegetables is a winning strategy, however. Cutting carbs, for most people, means cutting out crappy high caloric junk food, so limiting carbs means total calories will be lowered by default.
Most junk food, like baked goods and candy, are “addictive” to many people because the food industry found a winning combination in salt, fat, and sugar. Think about cookie dough. Potato chips. Chocolate bars. There may be some physiological/psychological switch that is flipped on, and never shut off, when people eat this type of food.
Beyond the deficit, the single most important thing you can do is to make sure you’re eating close to your body weight in protein, so that you maintain your muscle. Remember, not all the weight you lose on a diet will be from fat. Preventing muscle loss on a diet is crucial to developing the body you want, so lift your heavy weights and eat your protein.
Beyond eating a ton of protein and getting your carbs from fruits and vegetables, I don’t advocate one dieting style over another. If you aren’t in a deficit, nothing is going to change anyway.
It’s also interesting to note that in the comments section of the article, people are writing in and sharing their experiences on low carb diets. Some even try to claim that the reason they lost weight isn’t “calories in” vs. “calories out”. They most likely don’t understand the science behind what is going on.
Also keep in mind when low carb dieters talk about how much weight they lost, they aren’t saying how much body fat. Body fat is the true barometer. Going low carb will often enable you to lose weight quickly, but the majority of that will be due to decreased water retention, not true fat loss. True fat loss takes time.
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