The Atkins Diet was written by Robert C. Atkins and has made news over the past few decades and some people swear by it and others at it. Dr. Atkins concept for weight loss is that we need to be concerned with the carbohydrates we eat, not the fat. Many people have found great success using the Atkins diet, but it’s not for everyone. Before you start the Atkins diet, or any kind of diet, talk to your doctor to make sure it is a good idea for you.
When following the Atkins diet you will be counting very few calories, but you have to give up junk and processed foods. You will be eating very few carbohydrates and many foods high in protein. The theory behind the low-carb diet found with the Atkins diet is that by reducing your intake of these foods, you will enter a phase in your body called ketosis. During ketosis, your body will burn fat in the body for fuel instead of using the foods in your diet, which will in turn stop insulin production, which will in turn prevent more fat from being stored.
The four stages of the Atkins diet are, induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance, and maintenance. The first 2 weeks of the Atkins diet is the induction stage, most people report losing as much as 15 pounds merely by lowering the carbohydrates to 20 grams a day, this would include some low carb vegetables, but not many.The second stage is the ongoing weight loss and you are allowed 25 grams of carbohydrates a day, then comes pre-maintenance, you can try some other foods so you can find out which other carbs might fit in with your diet plan.When you reach your weight loss goals you are then in maintenance you may then eat all good carbs and the idea is by this time you will choose to only eat healthy carbs and it will become a way of life.
As with all diets, you are expected to exercise in order to lose weight. Healthy lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, are also important. Many people have called into question the safety of the Atkins diet due to its severe methods, and some say that the plan only makes you bounce back to your original weight as soon as you hit the maintenance level. The key is to find something that works for you and your weight loss goals and that is healthy for your body. Not all diets work for every body type and usually we need to start with the way we think in order to achieve the outward appearance that we desire.
I agree that everyone needs to find what works for them. I had a friend in her 30′s who tried the Adkins Diet along with her husband. He did great on the diet, but whenever PMS time came along and she wasn’t getting complex carbs, she had a hard time. I tried a similar diet with my daughter once. I think going without the complex carbs messed up my hormones and my daughter said she felt awful on the diet. Women need to pay careful attention to deleting healthy complex carbs from their diet because they are so beneficial to their hormonal health.
(Jude, I’ve been so busy the last month with going to see our new grandbaby, with school starting for our son and with trying to help someone who’s been having a lot of problems. I like what you’ve done with your site and plan to visit it on a regular basis now that things have hopefully settled down for a while.)
Hi Charla,
Congrats on the new Grandbaby, they are definitely special.I hope your able to help your friend, the world needs more people like you and thanks for the comment on the site, I have been trying to make it more pleasing. Take care…Jude