Atkins Diet-Information about Atkins Low Carb Diet

Jasons Story

When I tipped the scales at 194 pounds from 139 pounds I realized I had to do something. If I didnt, I was going to weigh at 200 pounds - no question. Right about the same time, my friend mentioned Atkins diet - shed lost 14 pounds in about 2 weeks eating steak smeared with butter. Within a couple of hours, I had the book and was making resolutions, I was with the low-carb regime with almost no question asked.

Ferns Story

When looking at my pictures before the Atkins diet, I almost cried. I saw all the side-chunk. The pictures made me determine to lose weight. I think everyone should take before and after pictures no matter how you look....

Jennifers Atkins journey

Ive been on Atkins diet on and off for the last 10 years. But let me tell you I was doing it all wrong. I looked at it solely as a diet, not as a way of life eating plan. So every time I would lose the weight, I would go off the diet and gain the weight right back. Now I treat it as a way of life. It did not only improve my physical outlook but also my mental perception....

The Last Diet Ill Be On....

Influenced by some of my co-workers who were doing the Atkins thing, I decided to go on the last diet Ill ever be on....

My Low Car Adventure

When I follow the Atkins diet closely, I feel great. I sleep better, have more energy and I am happier. I truly believe that this way of life works the best for me and anyone who wants to lose weight and feel great......

Dr. Robert C. Atkins, founder of and medical chair for The Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine, in New York City. His book Dr Atkins Diet Revolution, published in 1972, introduced the Atkins Nutritional Approach that win him credit as person who revolutionize the diet world with his theory that you can lose weight by eating fat, and his followers hailed him as a pioneer.

Dr Atkins was born and raised in Ohio. He majored in pre-med at the University of Michigan, then received his medical degree from Cornell University in 1955. After his residency in cardiology, he moved to New York City.

Dr Atkins is the famous author of the books Dr Atkins Diet Revolution published in 1972. The updated version Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution was published again in 1992 and 1999 is one of the top 50 best-selling books.

Dr Atkins book recommended high protein, high fat diet to loss weight, an idea contrary to the healthy eating advice given by the World Health Organization, the American Dietetic Association and the USA Department of Health, which is that we should eat a diet high in carbohydrates, moderate in protein and fat.

His critics has accused him of selling a dangerous idea, but Dr Atkins dismissed their claims. Studies over the years have both supported and debunked Atkins theories. Nonetheless, millions have followed his advice.

Atkins Diet FAQ

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FAQ Of Atkins Diet

1 What is the difference between Atkins diet and other low carb diet

2 What is ketosis

3 How long does it usually take to get into ketosis

4 Doesnt ketosis lead to loss of muscle mass

5 What about studies stating that high fat intake is detrimental to your health

6 I heard that people on Atkins Diet learn to eat fatty foods like bacon and eggs, so when they go off the program, they are worse than before.

7 Isnt doing Atkins Diet bad for your heart

1 What is the different between atkins diet and other low carb diet

Atkins diet is different from other low carb diets that Atkins diet allows 15-20 grams of carbohydrate a day to trigger ketosis while non-ketogenic low carb diets usually allow up to 50 - 60 gram of carbohydrate a day.

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2 What is Ketosis

Ketosis arises from the term lipolysis/ketosis. Lipolysis simply means that youre burning your stored fat and using them as the source of fuel. The by-products of burning fat are ketones. Hence, ketosis is a secondary process of lipolysis. When your body releases ketones into your urine, this can be a chemical proof that youre consuming your own stored fat. The more ketones you release, the more fat you have burned.

If you are restricting the amount of carbohydrates you eat, your body turns to fat as its alternative source of energy. In effect, lipolysis/ketosis has replaced the alternative of burning glucose for energy. Both are perfectly normal processes.

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3 How Long does it usually take to get into ketosis

The body can only store a two-day supply of glucose in the form of glycogen, so after two days of consuming no more than 20 grams of carbohydrates, most people go into lipolysis/ketosis.

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4 Doesnt ketosis lead to loss of muscle mass

Only individuals on very low-calorie diets can lose muscle mass, because they have an inadequate protein intake. Atkins diets, however, is not calorie restricted this is not an invitation for gorging, but a recommendation to eat until you are no longer hungry and the high protein intake required offsets any possible loss of body mass.

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5 What about studies stating that high fat intake is detrimental to your health

All the studies that state high fat intake is detrimental to your health have been done in mixed diet settings where there was enough carbohydrate for the body to burn glucose not fat for energy. When fat is the primary fuel source, you metabolize fat instead of storing it, and it poses no health risk. There are no studies that have linked low carbohydrate, high fat eating programs to any health risk.

In all phases of Atkins diet, it is a good idea to get much of your fat from fatty fish such as salmon, tuna and sardines, nuts and seeds and olive oil which all have well-documented health benefits. If you do eat baconand no one should eat it every daylook for products that are not cured with nitrates.

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6 I heard that people on Atkins learn to eat fatty foods like bacon and eggs, so when they go off the program, they are worse than before.

If a person does Atkins, loses weight and then returns to his old way of high carbohydrate eating, whether or not he incorporates bacon and eggs, he will likely regain weight. Eating a high fat and high carbohydrate diet can easily cause people become overweight because their bodies are not able to use up these empty calories.

Eating high fat foods such as eggs, cheese and a couple of pieces of bacon is fine only in the absence of refined carbs in your diet. During Induction Phase, when carbohydrates are most strictly limited, you can indeed eat plenty of fat, all the while losing weight and improving your blood cholesterol and triglyceride markers. However, once your weight loss slows down and you are no longer primarily burning fat for energy, you will naturally start to replace some of the fat in your diet with nutrient-dense complex carbohydrates.

The point is that Atkins diet is a way of eating for a lifetime. The gradual process by which you learn new healthy eating habits actually reinforces health.

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7 Isnt doing Atkins bad for your heart

While you may have heard that a diet high in saturated fat causes heart disease or arteriosclerosis arteries clogged with cholesterol-laden plaque, it is actually a diet high in sugar and other refined carbohydrates combined with fat that is the real culprit. Once you eliminate the white flour, sugar and other nutrient-empty carbohydrates from your diet, the fat you consume in meat or from other sources is burned for fuel lipolysis and is not converted into cholesterol or other harmful blood fats. Independent clinical studies indicate that cholesterol and triglyceride levels drop significantly while on Atkins diet and levels of HDL good cholesterol would rise, often dramatically.

However, this does not mean the program gives you license to stuff yourself with multiple well marbled steaks or down a pound of cheese at a sitting. Choose organic products whenever possible to avoid chemicals. The beneficial fats you should be consuming include the monounsaturated fats in olives and olive oil, nuts and nut oils, avocados and the all-important omega-3 fats found in fatty fish such as salmon, herring and tuna.

Avoid trans fats food labels refer them as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. This type of fat can be found in packaged products such as crackers, bread, most margarines and commercially baked desserts and snacks. They have been found to pose a serious risk of cardiac disease, according to several studies.

Atkins diet is a form of ketogenic diet. The diet focuses on the consumption of nutrient-dense, unprocessed foods and vitamin-nutrient supplementation. It restricts consumption of refined carbohydrates, such as high-sugar foods, breads, pasta, cereal and starchy vegetables.

How It Works

The diet works by not unduly limiting food intake. This will cause people to be less obsessed with food .

The science behind atkins diet .

1 The food you eat e.g. meat, fish, cheese, nuts, eggs, low sugar/starch vegetables and fruit, etc. in atkins diet plan is less processed and more nutritious. They contain protein and complex carbohydrates that make you less likely to feel hungry or have food cravings.

2 Restriction on carbohydrate during atkins diet plan would lower the bodys stored carbohydrate glycogen, thus resulting ketosis. During ketosis, the fuel for metabolism comes from the very source you hope to burn up - fat. This biologically zero-carbohydrate diet that triggers ketosis is also known as ketogenic diet.

3 Carbohydrate being taken in excessively stimulates the overproduction of insulin which convert glucose into fat and prevent the breakdown of fat in the body. The atkins diet plan with it near zero carbohydrate content is therefore geared towards diminishing excessive insulin response which is the hallmark of overweight.

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Phases in Atkins Diet

Atkins diet can generally be divided in to 4 phases. The first phase of the diet is the induction phase which last for 14 days and with strict restriction on particular foods for the body to trigger ketoses. During this 14 days of atkins diet your consumption of carbohydrates is restricted to below 20 grams a day your body is taught to burn fate instead of carbohydrates.

Click here for a sample of Atkins diet plan stage1 - Induction Phase.

The second phase of this low carb diet is Ongoing Weight Loss, to be followed until your target weight is almost achieved. During this phase of atkins diet weight loss is slower, and some foods are allowed back into the diet. When you are between five and ten pounds away from your target weight, the Pre-Maintenance of atkins diet phase begins. The weight loss is very slow. More foods are re-introduced into your diet.

The final phase of atkins diet is the Maintenance Diet. This phase of atkins diet is designed to maintain your target weight. Dieters following this low carbohydrate diet are encouraged to stick with the fourth phase diet for life, to remain healthy and avoid gaining weight. For the maintainance phase, we have included here a list of food that you are free to consume and also a list of some food with their approximate carb content in the food list section.

Atkins Diet Summary

As we recognize the universal need for variety, we have decided to provide you additional atkins diet recipe. The objective to make atkins diet your way of life and continue to keep you in good shape while staying in good health.

Finally we must stress here that any basic change in eating habits should not be made without medical advice and periodic checkups. You may be the best judge for how you feel and look but your doctor is the best judge of the changes that take place inside you. So do ask your physician for supervision if you decided to embark on atkins diet.