The New Atkins Diet is an updated version of the diet that became explosively popular in the late 90’s and into the 21st century. Since the original was starting to show wear and many people who had been following had discovered its flaws, this new version promised improved successes.

The New Atkins Diet’s book “New Atkins New You” became wildly popular, with the promise on its cover “Lose up to 15lbs in 2 weeks”. The book declared that the weight would be very easy to lose in this form and that it’s healthy, too. Of course, with claims like that, it’s not difficult to understand why it has also been the target of substantial criticism.

What is the New Atkins Diet?

The New Atkins Diet is the strategy outlined in a book written by three doctors: Dr. Stephen Phinney, Dr. Jeff Volek, and Dr. Eric Westman. Drs. Phinney and Volek were both members of the Atkins Science Advisory Board. The purpose of the book was quite basic: to offer a new and updated version of the original strategy created by Dr. Robert Atkins with astounding popularity.

What most critics had expected to find from the New Atkins Diet book was that they would need to cut carbs, but not quite as dramatically as the original version. They also figured that while they would be encouraged to eat protein and fat, there would be a greater focus on healthy fats, while avoiding saturated fats. This was not the case.

The main difference between the original and the New Atkins Diet strategies was that there was less science applied to the methods, but that there was a substantially larger amount of practical advice available to the dieter. This meant that while the problems associated with the concept of the original diet were mainly still there, it did become easier for dieters to understand in a way that they could apply to their real lives.

The New Atkins Diet’s 4 Phases

Like the original diet, the New Atkins Diet also has four phases which must be followed by the dieter. The book offered the same guidelines regarding the quantity of carbohydrates permitted during each phase. That said, the book also offered more practical information to help the dieter actually achieve that goal in a realistic way.

Unfortunately, the same concerns remain throughout each phase of the New Atkins Diet. By following this guidance, it is still very easy for a dieter to lose track of nutrition in favor of focusing on his or her macro balance. With very little focus on consuming fruits and vegetables, for instance, it would be quite simple for a dieter to avoid eating many of the nutrients he or she should be consuming every day. Fiber intake would also likely fall, leading to a range of challenges including likely constipation.