How Atkins Diet Help In Losing Weight?

Atkins Diet is a system that enables our body to lose weight in a natural way by inducing a change in metabolism. Our body is capable of burning both fat and carbohydrates to provide the energy required to function properly. Carbohydrate, in the form of glucose, is the first fuel used to provide energy to our body. Dr Atkins suggests that when we reduce our intake of carbohydrates significantly, our body convert from burning carbohydrates to burning fat as fuel. This process is known as lipolysis. The secondary result of this process is ketosis. When fat is burned for fuel, ketones are released through the breath and urine, and their quantities can be measured with ketone strips. This is how we lose weight through Atkins Diet Plan. Dr Atkins also says that ketosis will affect insulin production which will prevent more fat from being formed. Once we enter ketosis, our body begins efficiently using the fat as fuel and our cravings for carbohydrate will subside.

Atkins Diet Plan

Atkins Diet plan is based around four important phases. Each individual phase allows you to knowledgeably select which foods to eat based on your need to achieve weight loss, enjoy good health and prevent disease. Food selections will differ to varying degrees depending upon the phase you are in and your individual metabolism. In phase one (Atkins Diet Induction Phase), carbohydrate consumption is restricted to 20 grams per day. Most carbohydrate can be obtained from salad and other non-starchy vegetables. In Atkins Diet phase two (Ongoing Weight Loss) you add carbohydrate, in the form of nutrient-dense and fibre-rich foods, by increasing to 25 grams daily the first week, 30 grams daily the next week and so on until your weight loss stops. Then subtract 5 grams of carbohydrate from your daily intake so that you continue sustained, moderate weight loss. Atkins Diet Phase three's (Pre-Maintenance) objective is to make the transition from weight loss to weight maintenance by increasing the daily carbohydrate intake in 10-gram increments each week so long as very gradual weight loss is maintained. And the Atkins Diet final phase (Lifetime Maintenance) is the foundation for a lifetime of better health. In this phase you can select from a wide variety of foods while controlling carbohydrate intake to ensure weight maintenance and a sense of well-being.

History of Atkins Diet

Since its first debut in 1972, millions of people have won their battle with obesity and heart disease through Dr Atkins Diet Plan. According to Dr Atkins the diet is also good for managing many health disorders including headaches, blood sugar disorders, slow or sluggish metabolism, food intolerance's, allergies, and many other health problems. Although the main reason why people turn to Atkins Diet is because it provides fast weight loss, many with high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes and polycystic ovarian syndrome had reported that they feel more energetic than they have had in years after one week on Atkins Diet.

While medical experts were recommending low fat, high carbohydrate diets, Dr Atkins suggested people who wanted to lose weight should do the exact opposite. The latest Atkins Diet concept "The New Atkins for a New You" has been revamped to allows dieters to eat more vegetables than the original version. But the diet's original ideal that carbohydrates are the one that makes us fat remain unchanged. Dr Atkins diet philosophy was that up to two thirds of calories could come from fat - more than double the usual recommendation - and people should eat meats and cheeses rather than breads, pastas, and even fruits and vegetables. Instead of carbohydrate and sugar, Atkins Diet Plan highly recommends plenty of fat and protein. The diet specifically recommends animal proteins; therefore vegetarians and vegans will have a hard time following the diet.

Atkins Diet Basics

The Atkins diet is not a new phenomenon. The diet first appeared in the late 1970s and has grown popularity in recent years in response to the low-fat diet craze. As dieters had trouble with low-fat plans, they searched for a new solution and Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution book found a new audience.

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?

The Atkins diet is based on a theory of why we get fat. According to Dr. Atkins, the over-consumption of carbohydrates and simple sugars leads to weight gain. The way your body processes the carbohydrates you eat have more to do with your waistline than the amount of fat or calories that you consume. In his book, Atkins outlines a phenomenon called “insulin resistance.” He theorizes that many overweight people have cells that do not work correctly. Which also explains why there are currently a lot of low carb diets are appearing.

When you eat excess carbohydrates and sugar, your body notices that sugar levels are elevated. Insulin is released from the pancreas in order to store sugar as glycogen in the liver and muscle cells for extra energy later on. However, your body can only store so much glycogen at once. As soon as your body reaches its limit for glycogen storage, the excess carbohydrates are stored as fat. This happens to everyone who eats too many carbohydrates.

However, insulin resistant individuals have an even harder time of using and storing excess carbohydrates. The more insulin that your body is exposed to, the more resistant it becomes. Overtime, the pancreas releases more insulin and cells become insulin resistant. The cells are trying to protect themselves from the toxic effects of high insulin. They create less glycogen and more fat.

As a result, insulin resistant individuals gain extra weight. The carbohydrates get converted into fat instead of energy. Other side effects include fatigue, brain “fog” (the inability to focus, poor memory, loss of creativity), low blood sugar (which can leads to hypoglycemia), intestinal bloating, sleepiness, depression and increased blood sugar. There is much more than weight at stake when you are insulin resistant.

The remedy for people who are insulin resistant is a diet restricted in carbohydrates. The crux of the Atkins diet is a limitation of carbohydrates in all of its forms. The foods restricted on the Atkins plan include simple sugars (like cookies, sodas and sweets) and complex carbohydrates (like bread, rice and grains). Even carbohydrates that are considered healthy, such as oatmeal, brown rice and whole wheat bread, are restricted on the program.

The diet has you restrict your carbohydrate intake to less than 40 grams a day. This will put your body in a state of ketosis. While in ketosis, your body will burn fat as fuel. According to Dr. Atkins’ research, the ketosis state will also affect insulin production and it will prevent more fat from being formed. Your body will begin using your stored fat as an efficient form of fuel, and you’ll lose weight.
Another benefit of the Atkins plan is that ketosis will end your cravings for carbohydrates. If you’ve been living on a carb-heavy diet, you may have found that you simply cannot get enough carbohydrates. With carbohydrate restriction and ketosis comes a reduction in carbohydrate cravings. People who have been on the Atkins diet for some time report that they do not crave carbohydrates as they once did.

Although the initial phases of the Atkins diet are rather strict, the program teaches you to restore balance to your diet in the long run. People who use the diet slowly reintroduce minimal amounts of carbohydrate into their eating until they find a comfortable balance between their health and carbohydrate use.

The basic principles of the Atkins diet have been adapted to many other low-carb diet plans. However, Atkins popularity still remains strong as one of the most effective low-carbohydrate solutions for those who are insulin resistant. There is a lot of critisism to the diet principles of Atkins, tomorrow I will go more indept and tell my opinion about some of those critics.

Change your Eat Habits and Change your Life!

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What is Atkins Diet?

The Atkins Diet is an amazing weight loss diet plan that helps you lose weight without counting calories. You can lose as much as 10 to 30 pounds in the first month on atkins diet meal plan of meat, fish, eggs, cheese, good carbs and good fats.

The Atkins Diet Plan weight loss program works on the principle of severely restricting carbohydrates intake in your daily atkins diet meal plan. As your food cravings melt away with the atkins diet meal plan, you will feel energize both mentally and physically.

Atkins Diet Revolution and Atkins Diet meal plan

The Atkins Diet was first presented in 1972 by Dr Robert C. Atkins, who also authored a number of books to promote the Atkins Diet controlled low carb plan nutrition approach and complementary medical techniques.

Dr Atkins, a cardiologist and a medical graduate of the Cornell University Medical School, warned of the dangers of increase sugar and carbohydrates in our daily diet.

He stressed the importance of a proper low carb atkins diet meal plan with nutritional supplements to help prevent and combat heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

Dr Atkins maintained that the natural healing arts were a safe and effective alternative to pharmaceutical drugs and surgery for many debilitating illnesses. As a pioneer in complementary medicine, Dr Atkins helped to bring credibility to its practice. For more than thirty years, Dr Atkins offered patients "the best of both worlds”, integrating the latest conventional medical techniques with alternative therapies.

Atkins Diet Plan Weight Loss Program

Atkins Diet Plan weight loss program for changing metabolism is one of the most palatable weight loss diet plan ever devised. It allows followers of the Atkins diet plan to lose weight with a minimum of hunger pain and keep excess weight off with ease.

The weight loss occurs as the body automatically adjust to a new way of burning fat. Atkins Diet - four phase Atkins Plan ensures healthy weight loss, slimness and good health for life.

Atkins Diet Plan is based on scientifically supported Atkins Diet controlled low carb plan principles that help people re-energize their life by re-balancing their nutrition, losing weight and keeping it off.

The Atkins Diet Plan activates body metabolism, so that you burn fat for energy and reduce the risk factors associated with certain major health problems, including chronic fatigue, diabetes and high blood pressure.

With Atkins Diet Plan weight loss program, you can increase your energy level, improve your overall health and well being and apply the knowledge & tools you need to truly achieve and sustain permanent weight loss.