Atkins: Low Carb Diet Program and Weight Loss Plan

Atkins: Low Carb Diet Program and Weight Loss Plan

     

The late Dr. Atkins in his office at The Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine

The Atkins Diet focuses on losing weight by limiting your carbohydrate intake and replacing high-car bohydrate foods with high-protein and high-fat foods. A wide variety of foods can be eaten on the diet and many recipes have been created specifically for those who are cutting back on their carbohydrates

The main idea behind the Atkins diet is to change your metabolism so that you burn fat for energy instead of glucose, a process called ketosis.

When you eat foods high in carbohydrates, such as refined sugar, your body turns it into glucose. Your body can only store a certain amount of glucose. So it burns it off first, leaving fat to accumulate in the body.

The theory goes that if you significantly cut back on the amount of carbohydrates you eat, your body will spend more time burning fat and you will lose weight.

A low-carb, ketosis-based diet, where your body metabolises its own fat content.It consist of Fish, poultry, dairy, minimal vegetables and grains.

Millions of people around the world have lost weight with the Atkins Diet. It’s quite simple, actually. When you control your carb intake, you burn fat. Here are some other reasons why you will love the Atkins Diet:

• You’ll see results quickly. Even after just a few days, your clothes will fit better!
• You’re never hungry. In fact, you’re eating every two to three hours.
• You don’t have to exercise. While it’s a good idea to exercise for other reasons, on Atkins you can still lose weight without exercise.
• As you approach your weight loss goals, you'll add more fruits, starchy veggies, and whole grains.
• It’s easy to stick with the Atkins weight loss program. This is a delicious and satisfying way of eating you can live with.

The Atkins plan includes 4 phases: The Induction Phase, Ongoing Weight Loss Phase, Pre-Lifetime Maintenance Phase and Lifetime Maintenance. Each phase will permit and forbid different foods.

1. The restrictive induction phase

• Eat only the foods on the Acceptable Foods in Induction list .
• .No more than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day, mostly from certain vegetables 

• Eat at least 12 net carbs per day of acceptable vegetables - that's four cupfuls, three as salad and one of other vegetables. You can have more if you stick to salad. 
• 
• Spread your carbohydrate intake over the course of the day
• Eat three regular meals or four or five small ones. Do not skip meals, especially breakfast, or go for more than six waking hours without eating.
• Eat at least 6oz/170g (the size of two decks of cards) of protein at every meal. Protein and fat from poultry, fish, eggs, red meat, butter, and vegetable oils 

            

• Between meals eat a low carbohydrate snack if you are hungry, such as a boiled egg, a celery stick filled with cream cheese, or a slice of turkey wrapped around a steamed stalk of asparagus.
• Drink two litres of water throughout the day.Drink water, coffee, tea, diet sodas and any other beverages that do not contain sugar. The plan cautions against too much caffeine, which can often trigger hunger, No Alcohal    

 

• Take a daily multivitamin, a fibre supplement  and essential fatty acids.
• Stay on the Induction phase for a minimum of two weeks.   

• No pasta, bread, grains, fruit, starchy vegetables, or dairy other than butter, cheese, and cream
• No nuts, seeds, or legumes like bean

• No pasta, bread, grains, fruit, starchy vegetables, or dairy other than butter, cheese, and cream
• No nuts, seeds, or legumes like bean

2. The Ongoing Weight Loss Phase

You increase your carbohydrate intake by 10g a week, as long as you still keep losing pounds or inches. Your weight loss will slow to a crawl, but this is exactly what you want if your goal is permanent weight control.

During this phase, you will reach your goal weight. Once you have maintained it for a month, you are ready to move on to Lifetime Maintenance - not so much a phase as a permanent way of eating.

 when you slowly add more vegetables, and you can include seeds, nuts, legumes, berries and other fruit, wine and other low-carb alcohol, and whole grains.
3. Pre-maintenance.
During this phase, you will reach your goal weight. Once you have maintained it for a month, you are ready to move on to Lifetime Maintenance - not so much a phase as a permanent way of eating.

After that, to help keep the weight off, you may be able to eat more carbs and add more foods to your diet, depending on your body's needs.  

Newer versions of the diet, including New Atkins for a New You and the Atkins web site, emphasize making good food choices, such as healthy fats

4. Lifetime Maintenance  

 After that, to help keep the weight off, you may be able to eat more carbs and add more foods to your diet, depending on your body's needs. 

This is not really a phase at all, but a permanent way of eating. We recommend that once you have reached your goal weight, you monitor it closely, being careful never to gain more than 5lb.

If you do gain more and haven't altered your diet, you may need to start doing some more exercise, or cutting back slightly on your carbohydrate intake

Warnings

• Consult your doctor or nutritional professional before beginning the Atkins diet, or any meal plan. Discuss your weight loss goals and expectations, and be sure to monitor your overall health as you progress on the diet. especially if you have certain health problems or if you take medications.
• Low-carbohydrate diets such as the Atkins plan have been a source of controversy in the medical field. Studies will continue to be conducted, comparing the results and safety of these plans to other weight loss plans such as low-fat diets and plans such as Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig.

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Antioxidants fight free radicals, support our immune system, and protect us from chronic disease - and a stronger, healthier body tends to lose weight more easily and quickly.

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antioxidants help directly with weight management by increasing metabolism, but they help indirectly with weight loss, as well, by improving our overall health.

Antioxidants fight free radicals, support our immune system, and protect us from chronic disease - and a stronger, healthier body tends to lose weight more easily and quickly.

- See more at: http://www.theteatalk.com/hibiscus-tea-and-weight-loss.html#sthash.TKzAqyKT.dpuf