How to Follow the Atkins Diet
Dieting is not just a fad; for many people, it is a lifestyle choice that can make their lives better and help them make better nutritional decisions. With many dieting choices available, it becomes very important to get to know what diet best fits your fitness and weight loss goals, while at the same time making sure your body gets adequate nutrition. The Atkins diet is a nutritional and dietary approach that can help you lose fat, improve your metabolism, and help you feel better about yourself.
Approach
In the 1970s, Dr. Robert Atkins developed a diet program called the Atkins Nutritional Approach that restricts the consumption of refined carbohydrates to provide the body with an advantage in metabolism. Instead of burning sugars like glucose found in carbohydrates, a body sustained by the Atkins diet burns stored fats, which leads to weight loss. While the diet is controversial and many scientists and diet experts disagree on the efficacy of the diet, many people still subscribe to it as a viable choice among many diets already marketed to people who want to live a healthier lifestyle.
Phases
Like many diets, the Atkins diet is divided into phases to allow the body to cope with a shift in diet plans. The phases of the Atkins diet allows the body to anticipate changes in what nourishes it, and it also prepares you for a long-term commitment to the high-protein, low-carbohydrate plan:
dieting
Induction phase. The Atkins diet begins with a two-week preparation that limits the amount of refined carbohydrates consumed by the body. The aim of the induction phase is to prepare the body to enter ketosis, which increases ketone bodies in the bloodstream. Ketosis is the primary function that allows the body to lose weight.
Ongoing weight loss phase. Ongoing weight loss is all about maintaining a balance between carbohydrate and protein intake. Calories taken from carbohydrate sources are managed and regulated until such time that the person under the diet can strike a balance between low carbohydrate intake and higher levels of protein.
Pre-maintenance phase. For the Atkins diet to work, you need to find a recommended diet plan recommended in Dr. Atkins’ outline to fit your lifestyle and your choices of recommended foods that you want to include in your diet.
Maintenance phase. After finding an appropriate configuration of the Atkins diet that you and your doctor can agree on, you can now maintain the diet for as long as it takes for you to maintain your weight loss goals. The phases of the Atkins diet are described in Dr. Atkins’ books and reference guides, which you can buy from the bookstore or borrow from the library.
Before embarking on a new diet plan, you should consult your doctor for possible side effects and illnesses that you may get if your body has an aversion to the foods and servings prescribed by the Atkins diet. With these steps, you can help yourself lose more weight and have a healthier lifestyle thanks to one of the world’s most popular diet plans.