Supplement Your Weight Loss with Nutritionally Sound Meals

While millions of Americans look for a fast weight loss cure, the latest diet plans and programs continue to rise to popularity. Which one will work for you? Which one won’t? By getting back to the basics of nutrition and using some common sense, you can make a sensible evaluation of any diet plan before you fork over a dime.

A Practical Perspective on the Atkins Diet

Have you tried the Atkins Diet? Was it a success? Of course, that depends on how “success” is defined. For a fast reduction of weight short-term, the Atkins Diet may have measured up for you. But for long-term weight loss and lifelong healthy eating habits, nothing indicates it is beneficial to avoid carbohydrates and opt for high-fat, protein based meals.

While nutritionists and doctors battle out the pros and cons of the Atkins diet, one simple observation involves no advanced degrees or medical statistics to be made. What should raise a red flag for even the nutritionally obtuse is the fact that the diet is not nutritionally sound. Even if one subscribes to the belief that the body does not require carbohydrates or starches in more than miniscule amounts, the Atkins diet is still lacking in vital nutrients. How do we know? By the simple fact that a vitamin supplement for the Atkins Diet is not only recommended, but sold by the company itself.

Compromising Nutrition in the Name of Weight Loss?

While many nutritionists recommend we take a quality multi-vitamin supplement while dieting, they rarely suggest an imbalanced diet that demands one if we are to meet the RDA of essential nutrients. Yet this is exactly what the Atkins diet does.

Why is a vitamin supplement for the Atkins Diet so essential? In one study, sample Atkins diets recommended for the “induction” period were seriously skewed in terms of their provision of some vitally important nutrients. Only 37% of the RDA of calcium was provided, only 86% of the iron, and only 33% of the RDA of vitamin C. What’s perhaps even more disturbing is that the vitamin supplement for the Atkins diet sold as part of the plan was also lacking in calcium. The main source of calcium during this initial period would be the supplemental Atkins bars – which also had to be purchased.

Analyzing the diet at the “maintenance” stage, it was found that over 400% of the RDA of vitamin C was provided by diet meals. It seems questionable to say the least that the nutrients our bodies require in one week shift that dramatically the next. Equally hard to swallow is the notion that it somehow makes sense to eliminate food sources of certain nutrients, only to insist they should then be supplemented via tablets or processed snack bars.

A Nutritious Approach to Weight Loss

The next time you’re considering starting any new diet, remember the Atkins dilemma and look for your own red flags. Talk to your doctor or a nutritionist. The simple truth is any diet that reduces your caloric intake while you increase your activity level will result in weight loss over time. The more balanced your diet, the more likely you are to stick with it long-term and support better health through nutritious eating rather than meal replacement products.