There is so much controversy surrounding the facts about the Atkins Diet. Some say it's totally unhealthy for you, others swear by it.
There are so many diets on the market today, all promising great results if you follow their specific instructions.
There is the fiber diet that disallows animal products - the liquid diet, a replacement for one meal a day - the cabbage diet - banana diet - egg diet................ the mind boggles!
I won't argue or debate that these diets will work for you (if only for a short time) but is your body slowly suffering healthwise? The same question applies to the Atkins diet............... is it a healthy choice in the long term?
- Is Atkins Right For
You
Just because it
has been effective for others doesn't mean it will be right
for you. No specific diet works for everyone, and you may
even find that a type of low carb diet that works better for
you than another.
- Pros And Cons
Although not
scientifically proven, there are many common benefits
reported by Atkins dieters and other low-carb dieters. These
include an increase in energy, a reduced craving for sweets,
better concentration, improved mood and an lessening of
depression type symptoms.
- Criticism
Some believe
that it is dangerous, some say that it is a healthy method
to lose weight and others say that it works on a short-term
basis.
- Planning
As with all
diet plans, becoming used to the Atkins way of eating is
going to take some time and adjustment. The standard
American diet relies heavily on carbohydrates and other
restricted foods.
- Induction
When you start
the Atkins plan, you'll need to make sure you understand
which foods are acceptable for your stage of the program.
The Induction phase is the most restrictive, but it only
lasts two weeks.
- Induction Rules
During
Induction, you need to eat three regular-sized meals per day
or four to five smaller meals. If you find yourself jittery
and hungry between meals, try breaking down your meals into
smaller portions and eat more frequently.
- OWL Phase
During the OWL
phase, you'll gradually increase your daily carb intake from
the 20-gram level that you used in induction. Each week
you'll try adding another 5 grams of carbs and then take
note of what happens.
- Pre Maintenance Phase
During
pre-maintenance you will increase that to 10 grams per week.
As long as you are continuing to shed weight (no matter how
slowly it is coming off) you will continue to add
grams.
- Common Mistakes
If Atkins isn't
working for you, or you find yourself suddenly gaining
weight after weeks of effective dieting, make sure you
aren't making any of these common mistakes.
- Diet Basics
A lot of people
have jumped on the Atkins bandwagon and there has been a lot
of hype as a result. But what are the basic principles of
the Atkins diet?
- Diet Foods
On a daily
basis, your diet should consist primarily of these foods.
The second tier has low glycemic vegetables like salad
greens, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and spinach.
- Shopping Tips
When you go
shopping for the first few times you may feel like a fish
out of water. However, with a bit of practice you'll feel
just as comfortable as you were with your previous shopping
lists.
- Cost Saving Tips
Make sure to
carry an acceptable food list with you the grocery store so
you can tell whether a sale food is an okay substitution on
the Atkins plan.
- Snack Choices
If you've been
a snack food junkie you've become used to eating
carbohydrates of the worst kind. Snack foods are made from
highly refined carbohydrates like white flour, white sugar,
corn meal and corn syrup. They are high in trans-fats (which
is a contributor to clogged arteries).
- Appetite Suppression
If you've ever
eaten a carb heavy meal and then felt hungry afterward, you
know that carbohydrates don't have much staying
power.
- Sugar Cravings
When you eat
concentrated sugar, your blood sugar will raise to high
levels. Your pancreas thinks there is something wrong and
then it secretes insulin to lower the blood sugar.
- Carbohydrate Cravings
There are many
signs of physical carbohydrate cravings. You will experience
a compelling hunger for carbohydrate rich foods.
- Carbohydrate Substitutes
This new way of
eating will challenge your old habits. However, there are
many carbohydrate substitutes that can fill in the
gap.
- Unprocessed Foods
Raw, fresh food
ingredients provide the best basis for a healthy diet. Many
dieters rely on foods that are technically allowed on the
plan, but not good for health.
- Overcoming Plateaus
On some weeks
it may not seem like you are losing any at all on the scale.
But a quick look at your measurements will prove
otherwise.
- Exercise
Physical
exercise is essential for Atkins diet success. Without
exercise, your body isn't configured to process
carbohydrates successfully.
- Diabetes
The road to
diabetes has to do with something called the glycemic index.
All carbohydrates are rated on this index with regards to
the level of insulin reaction they produce.
- Intestinal Problems
There are
simple solutions that can prevent and help with these
symptoms and allow you to continue with staying on the diet
plan.
- Ketosis
Many people,
even those who are on low carbohydrate diets, don't quite
understand ketosis and why it works.
- Maintenance
Choose your
lifetime maintenance weight goal range. This is a range of
weight that is acceptable to
you.
