Atkins Diet: Everything You Need To Know

Atkins diet is a low-carb diet, usually recommended for weight loss. It a commercial weight loss program devised by Dr. Robert Atkin who wrote a best-selling book about Atkins diet in 1972. Since then, the Atkins diet has been popular all over the world with many more books having been written.

Here you can loss weight while you eat a diet rich in protein and fat, and very low in carbs, and you shouldn’t feel hungry or deprived. Today’s Atkins focuses more on lean proteins, healthy fats, and high-fiber vegetables as part of the plans.

Millions of people have lost weight on Atkins. Actress Alyssa Milano blogs about her success on the Atkins website. Proponents of this diet claim that you can lose weight while eating as much protein and fat as you want, as long as you avoid foods high in carbs.

Originally the diet was considered unhealthy and demonized by the mainstream health authorities, mostly due to its high saturated fat content. However, new studies suggest that saturated fat is harmless. Since then, the diet has been studied thoroughly and shown to lead to more weight loss and greater improvements in blood sugar, “good” HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and other health markers than low-fat diets.

The paramount reason why low-carb diets are so important for weight loss is that a reduction in carbs and increased protein intake lead to reduced in appetite, making you eat fewer calories without having to think about it.

The Atkins diet is supposed to keep your sugar levels balanced, lower fat storage and eliminate cravings and constant hunger by reducing the amount of calories and carbs you intake. While on the surface this diet might sound quite simple, there are a lot of things about it that you should know before deciding to join the Atkins family.

Atkins Diet Is A 4-Phase Plan

Atkins diets operates in four different phases namely;

The First Phase(Induction). This is when you help your body switch from burning carbs to fat. This process is called ketosis, and you should notice weight loss quickly. You’ll eat protein, fat, and only 20 grams of carbs in veggie form daily. Some people (like vegans)may start at the next phase.

The Second Phase(Balancing). Slowly add more nuts, low-carb vegetables and small amounts of fruit back to your diet, until you learn how many carbs you can eat while still losing weight.

The Third Phase(Fine tuning). When you’re very close to your goal weight, add more carbs to your diet until weight loss slows down like when you have about 10 pounds left to lose. You’ll learn how to maintain weight loss and lose the last few pounds.

The Fourth Phase(Maintenance). Here you can eat as many healthy carbs as your body can tolerate without regaining weight.You’ll follow this for the rest of your life, to ensure that you don’t gain back what you’ve lost.

Meanwhile, I know these phases are a bit complicated and may not be necessary. You should be able to lose weight and keep it off as long as you stick to the meal plan below.

Most people choose to skip the induction phase altogether and include plenty of vegetables and fruits from the start. This approach can be very effective as well.

While some prefer to just stay in the induction phase indefinitely. This is also known as a very low-carb ketogenic diet (keto).

What To Eat

Your diets should based around these healthy foods.

• Meats: Beef, pork, lamb, chicken, bacon and others.
• Fatty fish and seafood: Salmon, trout, sardines, etc.
• Eggs: The healthiest eggs are omega-3 enriched or pastured.
• Low-carb vegetables: Kale, spinach, broccoli, asparagus and others.
• Full-fat dairy: Butter, cheese, cream, full-fat yogurt.
• Nuts and seeds: Almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc.
• Healthy fats: Extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocados and avocado oil.

In as much as you base your meals around a fatty protein source with vegetables or nuts and some healthy fats, you will lose weight. It’s that simple.

Beverages

Here are some drinks that are acceptable on the Atkins diet.

• Water: As always, water should be your go-to beverage.
• Coffee: Many studies show that coffee is high in antioxidants and quite healthy.
• Green tea: A very healthy beverage.

Alcohol is also fine in small amounts. Stick to dry wines with no added sugars and avoid high-carb drinks like beer.

What To Avoid

You should avoid these foods on the Atkins diet:

• Sugar: Soft drinks, fruit juices, cakes, candy, ice cream, etc.
• Grains: Wheat, spelt, rye, barley, rice.
• Vegetable oils: Soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil and a few others.
• Trans fats: Usually found in processed foods with the word “hydrogenated” on the ingredients list.
• “Diet” and “low-fat” foods: These are usually very high in sugar.
• High-carb vegetables: Carrots, turnips, etc (induction only).
• High-carb fruits: Bananas, apples, oranges, pears, grapes (induction only).
• Starches: Potatoes, sweet potatoes (induction only).
• Legumes: Lentils, beans, chickpeas, etc. (induction only).

Maybe You Eat

There are many delicious foods you can eat on the Atkins diet. This includes foods like bacon, heavy cream, cheese and dark chocolate. Many of these are generally considered fattening because of the high fat and calorie content.

However, when you’re on a low-carb diet your body increases its use of fat as an energy source and suppresses your appetite, reducing the risk of overeating and weight gain.

When Induction Is Over, You Can Slowly Add Back Healthier Carbs

Despite what you may have heard, the Atkins diet is quite flexible. It’s only during the two-week induction phase that you need to minimize your intake of carb sources. After induction is over, you can slowly add back healthier carbs such as higher-carb vegetables, fruits, berries, potatoes, legumes and healthier grains like oats and rice.

Moreover, chances are that you will need to stay moderately low-carb for life, even if you reach your weight loss goals. If you start eating the same old foods again in the same amounts as before, you will gain back the weight. This is true of any weight loss diet.

What If I’m A Vegetarians?

Don’t worry, It is possible to do the Atkins diet as a vegetarian (and even vegan), but difficult. The trick is that you can use soy-based foods for protein and eat plenty of nuts and seeds. Olive oil and coconut oil are excellent plant-based fat sources.

Lacto-ovo-vegetarians can also eat eggs, cheese, butter, heavy cream and other high-fat dairy foods

Check out this Atkins One Week Diet Menu.