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Atkins Diet

Atkins Diet helps you live the best life you possibly can. And it all starts with the Atkins Nutritional Approach.

The Atkins Nutritional Approach is a powerful, long-term plan for weight loss and weight management that works unlike any diet you’ve ever seen or tried. Atkins is a totally different way to look at food – it will show you that eating the right foods can actually change the way your body works – change you from a fat storing to a fat burning machine.

What Is It?
The Atkins Diet was the leader in the “no carb” craze back in the early 90’s promoting a low carb and high protein diet. The program caused a media frenzy and much controversy over advocating meats, cheeses and other fatty foods and eliminating fruits and vegetables (due to the high carbohydrate content) which many viewed as an unhealthy approach to weight loss. The Atkins Diet plan is broken into four phases in which the goal is to gain “carb control” before slowly reintroducing carbohydrates into the diet.

Phase 1 – Induction Phase (2 weeks)
» Combinations of fat and protein can be eaten liberally and no more than 20 grams of carbohydrates can be consumed. Must be followed precisely.

Phase 2 – On-going Weight Loss
» Nutritious carbs are slowly reintroduced in this phase. The daily amount of carbohydrates allowed is increased to 25 Net Carbs.

Phase 3 – Pre-Maintenance
» Daily net carb allotment is increased by a total of 10 net carbs every week, as long as weight loss continues.
» The ultimate goal is to achieve the state of balance called “Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium (ACE)” – the individual level of carb intake where weight is neither lost nor gained.

Phase 4 – Lifetime Maintenance
» A similar diet to phase 3 is followed to maintain desired weight.

The Atkins Nutritional Approach is focused on healthy lifestyle goals by providing an optimal nutritional mix to help you lose weight and regain your health. Atkins is a great match if you are looking for a diet plan low in carbs but high in fiber, love protein-rich foods, and don’t want to count calories.

Types Of Food
On the Atkins Diet, you will enjoy 3 meals a day and a healthy delicious snack. Below is a sample meal plan from the program:

Greek Omelet with Sliced Tomatoes
Ham and Turkey Chef Salad
London Broil with Broiled Herb-Tomato
Cream Cheese with Chives Ham Wrap

Atkins does not allow you to eat white bread, pasta and rice, baked goods and chips. The website and Atkins Diet books provide a comprehensive list of Atkins-approved foods.

Exercise
The Atkins Diet does mention exercise as a key component to weight loss and weight management, but doesn’t provide specific fitness programs on their website.

Cost
The Atkins brand has a vast selection of food products formulated to their diet philosophy. The plan is also available at eDiets.com for about $5 a week.

Pros
» » Products have no trans fat
» Easy on-line ordering
» Reviews claim food to be tasty even
» High fiber foods, low-carbs

Cons
» Diet may be impractical to maintain long-term
» No exercise routines given
» High fatty foods could increase cholesterol
» Very strict, disciplined diet
» Not for vegetarians or people with certain medical conditions like diuretics

Conclusion
Atkins has become an extremely popular diet due to its high protein/low carb appeal. Many people have used this approach to shed a significant amount of weight and start their quest for a healthier lifestyle. Though there is a maintenance phase to this program, we don’t know how realistic it is to stay on this diet long-term. Without a workout plan, it also leaves the dieter in the dark as to what types of exercises they should be doing to optimize weight loss. Regardless, Atkins is a great way to jump start your health and fit your way back into those favorite jeans again!

Editor’s Note: Atkins Diet is a popular diet that has been around for a long time. It’s helped people lose weight while giving them the chance to eat food that taste good still. To see if Atkins Diet is for you, get a free diet profile from Atkins and see if it’s the right diet for you. Click here to get your free diet profile.

Common misspellings: Attkins, Atkin Diet, Atkins Deit, Atkin Diet, Atkinsdiet, Atkns Diet

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