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Dr. Robert Atkins’ weight loss program has been all at once the subject of derision,
admiration, controversy and scrutiny. It easily ranks among one of the most hyped
up diets in history, but not many sources will tell you what’s so good – and so bad –
about it. Here are the pros, cons and a few other critical tidbits you should know
before you join the melee – or try the diet for yourself.

The Good

No matter what critics might say, there are still some positive things to Dr. Atkins’
program, otherwise it shouldn’t have gotten so many adherents in the first place.
While medical professionals might scoff at these advantages, they’re still pretty
attractive if you’re the typical person just looking to lose weight.

It works quickly – One of the biggest factors in the worldwide appeal of the Atkins
diet is that it can deliver results in a relatively short time. Dieters under the Atkins
program report considerably greater weight loss in six months than traditional
dieters did in the same amount of time.

Meat and fats are allowed – Even if your doctors say that greens and veggies are
the best food for your body, you’re probably not very eager about turning herbivore.
Under the Atkins diet, eating meat isn’t just allowed; it’s required.

Stick to it! One of a dieter’s biggest problems is to adhere to the program at all
times. While that’s usually a tall order with bland, vegetable-heavy diets, it’s much
easier given all the flavor and variety allowed by the Atkins program. And because
you have a wider range of food allowed, you’re less likely to fall off the path and
restart from square one.

The Bad and The Ugly

This is the part that your doctor probably tells you about. Medical professionals
usually don’t prescribe low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets to anyone other than
epileptics. But these aren’t just dire, pro-vegetable warnings; there are a few things
here that might interest you as well, even if you’ve already started.

It’s not worth sustaining – Although the Atkins diet does give huge results quickly,
the law of diminishing returns kicks in just as rapidly. Within 12 months, the
difference between losses under the Atkins diet and traditional diets will have
become insignificant.

There are risks - Because you’re drastically reducing one part of your diet and then
ramping up the quantity in another, extremes are possible – and dangerous. The
Atkins diet places greater pressure on the liver in particular because it facilitates the
breakdown of fat, which serves as your primary energy source in the absence of
carbohydrates.

Social life may be at risk. There have also been quite a number of rather
embarrassing effects of the Atkins diet like bad breath, smelly urine and body odor.
As a modified ketogenic diet, the Atkins program gets a higher amount of ketones
circulating in your body. The higher amounts tend to manifest as an unpleasant smell
when expressed through glands like the salivary or sweat glands.

The Atkins program isn’t necessarily for everyone, and it will all depend on what kind
of results you’re looking for in your diet. If you think that the advantages are worth
suffering the disadvantages, and then by all means try the program. Just don’t forget
to see your doctor or a medical professional before trying anything out.

The purpose of LackFat.com is to provide unbiased advice and information on everything weight loss. However, at times, in order to fulfill the promise of being “informative” we will have to make mention of what we suggest as being the best choice for diets, exercises, weight loss programs, weight loss supplements and anything else weight loss related.

With that said, I will have to say that I am an advocate of the Glycemic index when it comes to my personal diet. I will not get into too many details right now about the ins and outs of the Glycemic Index (I will save that for a more thorough outline) but it is my favorite diet.

Today I was doing some grocery shopping with my daughter and while shopping for my meals for the week I decided to thoroughly compare and contrast bread content. I have most likely performed this exercise dozens of times in the past however I am sure we all forget things thus requiring a refresher.

Since I am a Glycemic Index advocate any bread products I use are of Whole Wheat or Whole Grain nature. I had compared Sliced Whole Wheat Bread, Whole Wheat Pita bread and Whole Grain wraps.

Surprisingly Whole Grain Wrap carb and fat count was higher than Sliced Whole Wheat Bread and Whole Wheat Pita. I am not going to list specific number as I would have to list the nutritional content across multiple bread brands but I was very surprised to see Whole Grain Wraps as the loser in this exam.

Goes to show you that hype doesn’t always mean right. Sliced Whole Wheat Bread and Whole Wheat Pita carbs and fat count was virtually identical thus leading me to choose Sliced Whole Wheat bread. I just thought it was very interesting and anything I find interesting during my days I will always share with the LackFat.com readership.

Fat Loss Secrets
Fat Loss Message Board

Do you find yourself eating everything in sight before you go to bed? Do you find yourself not being able to sleep without eating? Do you get out of bed just to eat and cannot help yourself?

If this sounds like you, salvation is upon you. In order to solve any problem, the first step is identifying the problem. If you have answered yes to any of the questions above you have already completed the first step in working to stop binge eating before bed time.

The second step is to identify a solution or solutions to resolve the issue. Typically binge eating before bed can be caused by several different possibilities. One possibility could be your diet. When I say diet I am not talking about what you are eating but rather when you are eating as well as your portions.

If you find yourself skipping breakfast, eating meals that are too small or starving yourself all day, you are running the risk of binge eating before bed time.

Make sure you are getting your breakfast in. Breakfast should be your biggest meal of the day. Don’t be worried about how much you are eating in the morning. Eat a big breakfast. You will have all day long to use and burn those calories.

Do you find that your appetite is outrageous before you go to bed preventing you from being able to fall asleep? An appetite suppressant may help. Aside from your appetite you could be suffering from low levels of Serotonin.

Serotonin is a hormone in the body’s gastrointestinal (GI) tract, platelets, and central nervous system and is a well known contributor to feelings of well being. Low Serotonin levels can contribute to the inability to fall asleep.

I have had this problem in the past and in order to defeat the issue I started supplementing with 5 HTP. 5 HTP is an amino acid and precursor to Serotonin. Serotonin is basically the brain nutrient for relaxation and it has appetite suppressant properties.

If your binge eating before bed is either due to the inability to fall asleep or appetite, supplementing with 5 HTP will combat these 2 issues that are contributing to bed time over eating.

The last and the most severe issue that can cause binge eating before bed time is a Behavioral issue. You may just be programmed to eat before bed time and the reason for binge eating from a Behavioral issue has nothing to do with appetite or Serotonin.

In order to combat binge eating before you go to bed that is derived from behavior you will need to make a real effort to reprogram yourself from this binge eating. Binge eating before bed time is a Behavioral issue similar to biting your nails or grinding your teeth.

The same steps to break those habits would be used to break the overeating before bed time issue. Some people have the ability to break this habit on their own. If you are not one of these people and you find that binge eating before bed time is causing you to gain weight in an unhealthy manner I recommend that you see a Behavioral Therapist to work through the binge eating issue.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns on this topic, simply comment below and I will respond to your comment with an answer.