Atkins diet

Dr. Atkins introduced his Diet Revolution in 1972. From the beginning, Dr. Atkins, a cardiologist, said that limiting intake of carbohydrates (sugars and starches) would improve health and aid in weight control. The original premise for developing the diet came about because of Atkins’ frustration with the increasing rates of obesity and chronic diseases such as diabetes.

Description

Throughout the diet, Dr. Atkins recommended drinking at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water each day to avoid dehydration and constipation He also recommended daily intake of nutrients through a good multi-vitamin supplement. Finally, Dr. Atkins mentioned getting plenty of exercise to speed weight loss. The Atkins diet consists of four distinct phases that participants should go through to achieve and maintain weight loss.

Induction

The induction phase is not required, but that doing so jump starts weight loss as dieters cut back significantly on carbohydrate consumption. According to Atkins Advantage notes, the induction phase can make people feel revitalized, since carbohydrates cause blood sugar spikes that lead to fatigue and other symptoms. The diet also claims that the induction phase will help dieters see the benefits of fat-burning and strengthen their immune systems.
This is by far the most restrictive of the four phases, allowing no more than 20 net carbohydrates per day. This equals roughly three cups of salad greens or other non-starchy vegetables. Participants can eat
liberal amounts of protein, including meats, fish, poultry, and eggs, as well as healthy fats. Healthy fats include vegetable and seed oils. High fat condiments such as mayonnaise, sour cream, guacamole, and butter are allowed in virtually unlimited quantities. The Atkins theory is that these high fat foods enhance the flavor of meals, making the Atkins diet easier to maintain. Atkins has reminded dieters that while unlimited quantities of fats and proteins are allowed, the advice is not a license to gorge. Dieters are said to feel hungry for the first 48 hours as their bodies adjust to the abrupt reduction in carbohydrates. Weight loss during the induction phase is said to be significant. The phase is recommended to last at least two weeks.

Ongoing weight loss

The second phase of the Atkins diet moves into ongoing weight loss. It involves slow introduction of foods with carbohydrates that also are considered nutrient dense. Most of the carbohydrate calories come from vegetables. Atkins dieters still eat a higher proportion of proteins and fat, but they gradually add more carbohydrates into the diet. According to Atkins, the purpose of the phase is to continue to burn and dissolve fat while maintaining appetite and craving control. This phase also introduces the dieter.
to a broader range of foods and helps to determine the dieter’s threshold level of carbohydrate consumption. It is the intention of this phase to deliberately slow weight loss.
If weight loss continues, carbohydrate intake is gradually increased each week. In week one, the dieter can add 25 grams of carbohydrates per day. In week two, 30 grams of carbohydrates are allowed. This addition of five grams per week continues until weight loss stalls, then the dieter drops back to the previous gram level. Typical tolerance levels may range anywhere from 30 grams to 90 grams per day. Atkins literature says that the more a dieter exercises, the more carbohydrates he or she can tolerate. The Atkins diet recommends choosing carbohydrates first from vegetables that are low in carbohydrates, then from other sources that are fresh foods high in nutrients and fiber. Examples of low-carbohydrate vegetables are lettuce, raw celery, and cucumbers. Nutrient-rich carbohydrates are green beans, Brazil nuts, avocados, berries, and whole grains.

Pre-maintenance

The Atkins diet considers the third phase a practice for lifetime maintenance of goal weight and “healthy eating habits”. When the goal weight is within five to 10 pounds, the dieter gradually begins to increase carbohydrate intake by 10 grams per week until weight is gained, then drops back to the previous carbohydrate gram level. The purpose is to level weight loss to less than one pound per week. The dieter should continue at this rate until the goal weight is reached, then for one month past that time. The goal is to achieve a level at which weight is neither gained nor lost and to internalize the habits that become part of a permanent lifestyle.
Examples of vegetables that contain about 10 grams of carbohydrates are 3/4 c. of carrots, 1/2 c. of acorn squash, 1 c. of beets, and 1/4 c. of white potatoes. Legumes and fruit are the next preferred food groups for adding 10 grams daily. One-half apple contains 10 grams of carbohydrates, as does 1/3 c. of kidney beans.

Lifetime maintenance

This final phase of the Atkins diet occurs when a dieter reaches goal weight. Although an adult may be able to consume from 90 to 120 grams of carbohydrates a day, depending on age, gender, and activity level, maintaining goal weight is more likely if carbohydrate intake remains at the level discovered in pre-maintenance. The key, according to Atkins, is never letting weight vary by more than three to five pounds before making corrections.

Function

From the beginning, Dr. Atkins said that the traditional approach to weight loss of counting calories and cutting fat must not be working. He blamed carbohydrates for adding to the expanding waistlines and declining health of Americans. Through several updates of the Atkins diet, the same basic premise held with minor revisions. The function of the diet is to enjoy eating while severely limiting carbohydrates. Atkins Advantage mostly makes a distinction between trans fats and other fats. A more clear distinction also is made in the later version between carbohydrates in general and sugar in particular. All along, Atkins has emphasized that a focus on protein builds energy, repairs muscles and bones, and boosts the metabolism.

Benefits

Some dieters have had at least initial success with the diet and have found the liberal rules regarding protein and fats more tasteful and filling than other diets, Advice from the Atkins plan concerning behavioral changes can be helpful, such as shopping the perimeter of the grocery store, where the unprocessed foods are located. In recent years, the program has attempted to modify some of its advice to more closely fit traditional advice from registered dieticians. For example, more clearly defining the types of fats to emphasize in the diet may help avoid mistakes by some who follow the diet to overeat unhealthy fats and increase risk for heart disease. However, experts have said that the diet still contradicts mainstream views concerning health promotion and disease prevention.