Atkins Diet - Why You Lose Weight With Atkins Diet and How It Works
Even if you are
a large eater you will find yourself eating less without effort to do so.
Atkins diet makes
you lose weight and lets you have bacon and eggs for breakfast, heavy cream
in your coffe, plenty of meet and even salad with dressing for lunch and dinner.
Itīs no wonder Dr. Atkins calls it a "diet revolution" in his
bestseller "Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution".
Atkins diet is
perhaps the most widely known of all low carb diets. Created by Dr. Robert Atkins
in the 1970s the diet plan is considered by some to be the most extreme low
carb diet plan.
Dr Atkins means
that virtually all overweight people have one very important disturbance in
their metabolism. They produce to much insulin. And it is insulin that lowers
the blood sugar and makes people hungry.
Dr. Atkins believed
that nearly all obesity is caused by overactive insulin production and not by
overeating. He believed that overeating could be caused by carbohydrate addiction
and that most overweight people actually ate less than their slim counterparts.
However, they crave and eat carbohydrate, which raises their insulin levels
and suppresses fat burning.
Dr. Atkins is a
proponent of ketogenic fat burning, which is achieved by eating fewer than 40
grams of carbohydrate each day. He advises his followers to buy testing strips
so that they can measure the amount of ketones in their urine daily to confirm
that they are in a constant state of ketosis. He also recommends the use of
dietary supplements to help balance nutrition and the bodies systems.
Why
do you lose weight with the Atkins diet?
Your body needs
energy. Both carbohydrate and fat provide fuel for the body's energy needs.
If you eat a lot of carbs, that is the first fuel to be metabolized. As long
there is enough carbs, your body will use them for fuel, and not your stored
fat. But when the intake of digestible carbs is sufficiently restricted, the
body converts from the primary metabolic pathway of burning carbs to burning
fat as its main energy source. Ketones derived from fat are used as energy.This
results in weight loss.
Even a large eater
who avoids carbs will find himself eating less without effort to do so, merely
because he won't have his old appetite more on Atkins diet.
While proteins
and fats have satiety value, carbs actually provoke hunger.
Latest research
shows that you actually eat less with Atkins diet. The reason is that you eat
more proteins as well as fat, and this makes you feel fuller and stops cravings.
So although there is no calorie restriction, you actually eat less calories.
Atkins four stages
The Atkins Diet
is divided into four stages: the Induction diet, the Ongoing Weight Loss diet,
the Pre-Maintenance diet, and finally the Lifetime Maintenance diet.
The Induction
diet is very strict as far as carb elimination (20 grams or less per day),
but generous in the allowance of fat and protein. It should be noted that
low starch vegetables are the recommended source of carbs. This phase of the
diet lasts 14 days and is followed by the Ongoing Weight Loss diet (OWL).
Eat enough protein and healthy fats to feel satisfied, but do not overeat.
Drink 8 glasses of water a day and eat 3 cups of salad or sutbstitute one
cup with non-starchy veggies. This phase turnes you into a fat-burning machine
where you burn stored fat for energy.
The OWL phase
allows for the reintroduction of certain good carbs but the levels are kept
below 40 grams a day. Dieters stay on OWL until they reach their ideal weight.
Now you slowly increase your carb consumption by 5-gram increments each week
until your weight loss slows to 1 to 2 pounds a week. The carbs you add should
come in the form of nutrient-dense and fiber-rich foods. Continue this phase
until you are within 5 to 10 pounds of your goal weight.
Once the ideal
weight is reached dieters transition into the Pre-Maintenance diet, where
they experiment with reintroducing certain good carbs until they discover
their carb tolerance level (the total carb grams they can consume in a day
and not gain weight).
You slow your rate of loss to 1 to 2 pounds a month by adding 10 grams more
of carbs a day, until you stop losing. If you stop losing to early, cut back.
Your goal is to reach and mantain your weight for a month.
When dieters
understand how much carb they can consume and they maintain their ideal weight,
they will enter Lifetime Maintenance. Here they will continue to avoid sugar,
processed foods, white flour and hydrogenated fat/oils.
Now is the time to learning lifetime habits. You can enjoy a variety of foods,
but continue to control your intake of carbs. If you gain back 3 to 5 pounds,
simply cut back on your carbs. Be careful never letting your weight increase
more than 5 pounds before you take it off.
The Atkins diet
offers a number of approved foods and there are Atkins stores in many areas
that sell diet compatible products.
For
whom is this diet?
All diets are not
for everybody. Your personality, your personal metabolism and your health determines
what diet suits you best. A diet which works for your friend might be completely
wrong for you. You have to choose the right diet for your needs from your own
perspective. And remember always to consult a physician prior to any diet or
new supplement regimen. If you take medicines or have some health concern, this
is crucial important.
For some people
who have a "sugar addiction", where carbs triggers overeating, the
Atkins and other low-carb diets can be really helpful.
