Atkins Diet Plan - What's it All About?


A typical breakfast consists of 3 or 4 strips of bacon, two or more eggs and coffee. A snack would maybe be chunks of cheese and a cup of coffee with cream. Dinner might be a huge steak fried in butter. Sounds really good right? It sounds so tempting but there is a trade-off. You will have to give up carbs such as breads, potatoes, pasta, rice, and other things like chocolate, cake, some fruits, veggies, and milk at least in the beginning.

The theory is that when you cut out carbs your body are forced into burning fat that your body has stored to give it energy. Your body burns more calories when burning fat than when it is burning carbohydrates and you will lose weight more quickly. Your blood sugars stabilize which prevents overeating.

The first phase of the Atkins Diet Plan is the Introduction Phase and must be followed for at least two weeks. You are only allowed to consume 20 grams of carbs a day. You can load up on as much red meat, chicken, fish, cheese, eggs, mayo, cream, and butter. It is during this phase that your body switches from the burning fat to burning carbs.

The second phase is the ongoing weight loss phase. During this phase you increase your carb intake by about 5 grams daily until you find your critical carbohydrate level for losing weight. The most carbs that you can eat and still lose between 1 and 3 pounds a week. Breads, pasta, potatoes, and rice are still off limits.

The third phase is the pre-maintenance phase that you enter when you have only five to ten pounds to go to meet your goal weight. Your carb intake increases by ten grams each day for a week in order to help your body adjust to the addition of carbs and the final phase of maintenance.

The fourth phase is called lifetime maintenance and intended to help you keep your motivation. Carbs are limited to less than 90 grams a day. Get used to it though because you will be on a low carb diet for the rest of your life.

There are some concerns about the long-term effects of the Atkins Diet Plan and other low carb plans. There is such a high consumption of fat, particularly saturated fats and this can cause an increase risk of heart disease.

The Atkins diet eliminates some nutrients and this could cause deficiencies and other health problems in the future. Since there is a limited intake of bone building calcium you could be at increased risk of Osteoporosis. A very limited intake of antioxidant nutrients could cause problems such as heart disease, cancer, and premature aging.

One drawback of the Atkins Diet is that it can become boring. Vegetarians have difficulty with this diet because veggies, seeds, and nuts are off limits in the first stages. The diet does present a view of healthy eater, which keeps us healthy and free from disease.

Other concerns are that the initial weight loss comes back quickly when you go off the Atkins plan and a lot of people drop out in the induction phase. The carbs are very low and ketosis can result which is dangerous for a diabetic or anyone else for that matter.

This diet is high in cholesterol and you can develop constipation and/or heart disease because of the high fat content. Since the diet is low in fruits and vegetables, it also lacks cancer-fighting antioxidants. The most serious drawbacks to the Atkins plan are that it is not intended for long term use and there are unsafe if not downright dangerous side effects.

A few positive notes about the Atkins Plan are that it works! You lose a lot of weight quickly and you can eat as much as you want of certain foods especially protein and fat.

The Atkins Diet eliminates to a great degree carbs from rice, pasta, potatoes, breads, some fruits and veggies. It also eliminates cancer-fighting antioxidants. It is a high fat and high protein diet that can increase the risk for certain diseases like high cholesterol and heart disease.

On the upside, this is one diet that actually works but it is not a diet that you can be on for an indefinite period of time. Once you go off the program and resume more 'normal' eating the initial weight loss will come back. Also, as with any diet plan check with your doctor to be sure you can safely do it.

To conclude let me give you a reminder. The Atkins diet is not for long term use and it has inherent health risks. If you need to lose weight you may already be at risk for heart disease and high cholesterol, the Atkins plan has the potential of actually increasing those risks.

(c) www.atkins-diet-plan-n-books.com

Reprint Rights feel free to publish this article on your website but you must agree to leave all active links contained within 'About The Author' intact and "as is" and NOT hidden behind a java or redirect script.

About the Author
Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice on a variety of subjects. For more information onAtkins diet plan or Low carb diet plans, drop by the website. His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information.


MORE RESOURCES:

Weight Loss Surgery Helps Obese Women Have Healthier Babies
New York Times, United States - Nov 19, 2008
By RONI CARYN RABIN Women who become pregnant after weight-loss surgery have easier pregnancies and healthier babies than do obese women who become pregnant ...


Current World News

Weight-loss surgery bodes well for pregnancy
Los Angeles Times, CA - Nov 19, 2008
Now researchers have found that obese women who undergo weight-loss surgery before becoming pregnant are less likely to have pregnancy-related health ...
Weight-loss surgery helps with pregnancy: study Reuters
Go for pre-pregnancy weight loss surgery Times of India
Some Pregnancy-Related Complications Minimized for Women Who Have ... MarketWatch
TheMedGuru - U.S. News & World Report
all 58 news articles


Weight Loss Blog: Getting Started
TheDenverChannel.com, CO - 42 minutes ago
I keep hearing Oprah Winfrey in my head saying if there was a magic pill to weight loss, she'd have it. If the woman who can afford personal trainers and ...


That Happened!

Weight-loss surgery bodes well for pregnancy
That Happened!, New York - 12 hours ago
New York - Researchers have found that weight-loss surgery bodes well for pregnancy. They found that women who had weight loss surgery before becoming ...


News Channel 7

Scale Down Weight Loss To Hold Free Seminar
News Channel 7, SC - 5 hours ago
Scale Down Weight Loss Programs will offer a free community seminar on December 4 at The Horizon Center in downtown Spartanburg. ...


Weight Loss Surgery for Two
Ivanhoe, FL - 22 hours ago
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Undergoing bariatric weight loss surgery before becoming pregnant may be the healthiest decision for both mother and baby. ...


Weight Loss Contests Started for Scale-Busting Pets
WLNE-TV (ABC6), RI - 6 hours ago
The pet who achieves the biggest percentage weight loss and best follows their new regime will be crowned champion, winning their owner a pet-friendly ...


PennLive.com

Radio show host inspires with weight loss
PennLive.com, PA - 6 hours ago
by ABIGAIL KETCHUM for Body & Mind As the host of WHP-580's morning show, Harris often shared his diet stories with listeners. ...


LETTER: Weight-loss obsession is harmful
Wausau Daily Herald, WI - 8 hours ago
What do we have to do to change this weight-loss frenzy into something more realistic, like self acceptance and health at any weight? ...


The Buzz: Aspen debuts, LA Weight Loss closes
Appleton Post Crescent,  USA - 8 hours ago
LA Weight Loss will close its two locations here next Wednesday. They are at 1005 Mutual Way in Grand Chute, near Wal-Mart and N474 Eisenhower Drive, ...

Weight-Loss - Google News

Arcade Games | site map
© copyright NextAge Technologies Ltd @ 2006