Phase two of the Atkins Diet is crucial because this is when you will figure out how many carbohydrates you can eat daily for the rest of your life during this stage. During phase one, the two-week induction phase, you can eat only 20 g of carbohydrates daily. During phase two, the ongoing weight loss phase, you're instructed to add 5 g of carbs to your daily diet each week until the additional carbohydrates cause you to gain weight.
Theory
Phase one dieters are allowed to eat very few carbohydrates--and no pasta, grains, fruit and bread at all--because carbohydrates cause body fat, and eating a predominantly fat/protein diet will train your body to end its reliance on carbohydrates for energy, according to "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution." During phase two, you no longer crave healthy or unhealthy carbohydrates because your metabolism has changed so you're allowed to eat more healthy carbs, according to the late Dr. Robert Atkins.
First Rule
"Protein and fat remain the mainstays of your nutritional regimen" is the first rule of the diet's ongoing weight-loss phase. This means that you should continue eating most eggs, fish, fowl, meat and shellfish liberally. The only foods in these categories that Atkins is wary of in large quantities are mussels and oysters because they include carbohydrates, and processed meats such as bacon, ham, hot dogs and salami that "may be cured with added sugar and will contribute carbs."
Transition
You can't add carbohydrates arbitrarily to your diet during phase two as your body makes the transition to eating healthy carbs again. During phase one, you could eat 4 oz. of low-carb cheeses and 3 cups of salad and other low-carb vegetables daily. During the first week of phase two, you can eat 5 more grams of the allowed vegetables daily, including spinach, peppers, tomatoes and broccoli. During the second week, you can eat 5 more grams of the allowed cheeses daily, including mozzarella, cottage and ricotta.
New Items
You can begin adding foods prohibited in phase one during the third week of phase two. Nuts and seeds are the first foods you can add under the Atkins Diet's "Carbohydrate Ladder" principle of adding 5 g of carbs each week. Macadamias, walnuts and almonds are recommended. Berries can be added during the fourth week and low-carb alcohol during the fifth week "as long as your weight loss continues steadily." You stop climbing the Carbohydrate Ladder if you regain weight.
Effect
Many dieters don't reach the Carbohydrate Ladder's later stages because additional carbohydrates cause weight gain. If there's no negative effect, you can eat legumes, other fruits, starchy vegetables and whole grains during phase two's sixth through ninth weeks. During the phase, the transition to carbohydrates should slow your weekly weight loss from 2.5 lbs. to 1 lb. When you're 5 to 10 lbs. overweight, you enter phase three--the premaintenance phase. You should lose 1 lb. weekly during premaintenance, while your daily carb consumption remains at the last level where you lost weight.
References
- "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution"; Dr. Robert Atkins; 2002
- Atkins International: Home Page
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