The Atkins Diet has been around for over 30 years now, since being constructed by Dr. Robert Atkins. The premise of this diet is low carbohydrates, which the body turns to sugar. By lowering the carbohydrates, it forces the body to burn the existing fat cells, and many Atkins Diet followers have reported quick and lasting weight losses. This diet, offers some things that all dieters love- meat, eggs, cheese, butter and cream. The critics of this diet don't like the fact it is based on high-fat, high-protein, although research has shown that it can lower cholesterol and triglyceride counts.
It starts with the Induction phase, which consists of limiting the carbohydrates to 20mg per day, achieved mainly through cutting out all breads, pastas, potatoes and starches, including all sweets. This phase normally lasts for 14 days, although some dieters personally decide to extend this phase to lose the weight quicker. While you are allowed to eat all the red meat you want, many of the dieters use chicken and fish, and low calorie methods of cooking, to combine it into a low carb/low calorie combination for quicker weight gains. The diet encourages vitamins through salads and low carb vegetables, which is mainly everything but potatoes, corn, peas and dried beans and discourages fruits, as these contain natural sugars.
Atkins
The next phase is the Ongoing Weight Loss phase where you add an additional 25mg per day. This allows a little more freedom as you can chose how you use your 45 mg of carbohydrates. Not only does the website, atkins.com offer carb counts, but it is a large portion of the book, as well. By the time you are at this phase, you already have memorized carbs in many items, and learn to look at every package for serving, calorie and carbs.
The next phase is the pre-maintenance phase, which is started about 5-10 pounds before your weight goal is attained. You can add 10mg more as you head toward your goal, and start re-introducing some carbs that were previously forbidden, with monitoring that you don't go back to your old eating habits. By this time, so many of the Atkins dieters have made the meat, eggs, cheese, butter and their favorite vegetables a mainstay that it has become habit and they are true proponents of the plan.
Once you hit your weight goal, you are at the ACE phase, (Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium), where you will need to determine the proper amount of carbs for your weight and activity level, at the Maintenance level. Dr. Atkins books and website, give you the guidelines necessary to maintain.
In conclusion:
The Atkins Diet offers the dieter a wide range of freedom, with steaks and buttered vegetables, and of course, encourages exercise. Many dieters on Atkins have lost weight without exercise and Atkins sells all sorts of pre-packaged food, if you desire, and sell menus and recipes on eDiet to make using your own. You need to return to a well-balanced diet once you have attained your weight loss, but this can be a very easy diet to stick to for many dieters.
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