The atkins diet blames carbohydrates for weight gain. Carbohydrates are organic compounds that include sugars, starches, celluloses, and gums and serve as a major energy source in our diet. Pasta and starchy vegetables are the most common sources of carbs. If you cut the carbs, you'll drop the pounds. The Atkins system claims to switch your body from a carbohydrate-burning mode to a primarily fat-burning mode, basically. It also suggests you cut sugars, which are a form of carbs. What do you replace it with? Eat lots and lots of fats and proteins. Because the diet recommends animal proteins, vegetarians have a pretty hard time following the diet. "The American Heart Association (AHA) does not recommend high-protein diets for weight loss. According to the AHA, diets like the Atkins system aren't proven effective for long-term weight loss. They point out that these diets restrict healthy foods that provide essential nutrients. The AHA asserts that most Americans already eat more protein and fat than their bodies need, and eating a high-protein, high-fat diet raises the risk of many types of disease. " In other words: you lose weight at first with the diet but then you gain it back. Plus its very bad for many different aspects of your body. High-protein diets may work in the short term because some of their principles are accurate. "Americans do eat too many simple carbohydrates like sugar, white flour, and white rice, according to Ornish. The body absorbs simple carbs quickly, causing blood sugar to spike and provoking an insulin response that speeds the conversion of calories to fat. Reducing sugar and processed grains can aid in weight loss. Ornish proposes eating a high-fiber diet that replaces simple carbohydrates with complex carbs like whole wheat, brown rice, fruits, vegetables, and legumes in their natural forms."

To simply put it this diet causes the body to go into ketosis which means the body burns its own fat for fuel. The body has too because there are not enough carbs in the diet to sustain body functions. Then it means at the end of the day your total calorie consumption is less than if you ate a carb rich diet because it is difficult to continuously eat 2-3 thousand calories a day without eating cards. They say back in the caveman days there were no diseases like diabetes heart disease, and many other eating related illnesses, because they only ate fish, meat and stuff such as that there were no refined sugars or carb. rich foods. Ive been on this diet and have lost 50lbs in a few months without any hunger, my blood numbers were never better and thats the amazing thing, however I sure did miss my potatoes, orange juice and breads!!!!!!! However eating all those fat rich foods scared me away but it did teach me how to eat healthier so it has something to offer the over all healthy diet

When you cut out carbs, your body will burn fat for fuel. Fat does not make you fat. Carbs make you fat. When you eat a high carb food, your blood sugar spikes up which causes your body to release insulin to carry the glucose to your cells, where it's stored as FAT. The Atkins diet isn't really a high protein diet, unless all you're eating is meat. My daily consumption breaks down to 65% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs.