If you have a weight loss or weight management goal, you have several choices for diet and nutrition. The Atkins diet was designed from research on weight loss and weight management. To achieve the best results, Atkins recommends becoming physically active.
History
In 1963 Dr. Robert C. Atkins, founder of Atkins Nutrition, started to formulate the plan for an improved diet that controlled the intake of carbohydrates while focusing on the growing obesity problem in America. The nutrition plan was intended to change how the body uses energy reserves from carbohydrates and from fats. By 1972 Dr. Atkins released a series of books on the Atkins Nutrition plan.
Atkins Pyramid
Similar to the food guide pyramid released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), there is a food guide pyramid specific to Atkins. The pyramid breaks food into five categories: protein, vegetables, fruit, oils and grains. As you start the Atkins Nutrition plan, you should eat from the bottom of the pyramid, including protein and vegetables. Recommended protein sources are poultry, fish, beef, pork and soy. Of vegetables, eat salad greens, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and spinach. Move up the pyramid to the fruits and oils as you begin to reach your weight loss goal. Of fruits, eat berries, pears and avocados. The oils category includes a variety of foods, including seeds, cheese, dairy, nuts and legumes. Grains are at the top of the pyramid and can be added into the diet when you get closer to your weight goal. Of grains, eat oats, brown rice and whole grains.
Time Frame
The Atkins Nutrition plan consists of four phases: induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance. Induction is the most restrictive phase and is recommended for two weeks. The goal is to bring the body into ketosis--in which the liver converts fat into energy--by limiting carbohydrate intake to no more than 20 g per day. Of the 20 g per day, 12 to 15 g should come from salad greens or other vegetables. The ongoing weight loss phase--sometimes referred to as OWL--allows a small increase of 5 g per week to the intake of carbohydrates. During this phase, you may add fresh cheese, nuts, seeds and berries to the diet. This phase lasts until you are within 10 lbs. of your target weight. The pre-maintenance phase increases by 10 g of carbohydrates per week and establishes the maximum carbohydrate level. You transition into the last phase--lifetime maintenance--when you reach your weight goal. Now you eat the foods you ate during the last part of the pre-maintenance phase.
Benefits
Numerous studies on Atkins Nutrition have been conducted to find the effects of the diet on heart disease, blood pressure, cholesterol levels and insulin levels. A 2003 study in "The New England Journal of Medicine" found that low-carbohydrate diets, such as Atkins, can reduce some risk factors associated with coronary heart disease. According to a 2003 research study published in "The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism," women who lost weight and body fat while on the Atkins plan also improved blood pressure, triglyceride, cholesterol and insulin levels.
Considerations
Some doctors, such as Dr. Michael Greger, say that the Atkins plan is an ineffective way to maintain weight loss over the long term. Consult your physician or a registered dietician before starting the Atkins Nutrition plan.
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