The Atkins diet is a popular low-carbohydrate weight loss and maintenance diet. The diet says you can lose weight and control your blood sugar by following the plan. The goal of the Atkins low-carb diet plan is to restrict carbohydrates so that your body uses stored fats instead of dietary carbs for fuel.
Net Carbs
The Atkins low-carb diet plan sets daily limits for your intake of net carbs. To calculate the net carbs in a food, you subtract the grams of dietary fiber from the total grams of carbohydrates. Add up all of the net carbs you eat to make sure you stay within the amount that the Atkins diet recommends. The Atkins diet plan uses net carbs instead of total carbs because unlike other carbohydrates, dietary fiber is not a source of fuel for your body.
Phases
The complete Atkins diet plan has three weight-loss phases and a maintenance phase. According to Atkins.com, the first phase, called induction, jump-starts metabolism and inhibits sugar cravings. You restrict net carbs to less than 20 grams per day by eating only low-carb foods. During ongoing weight loss, you increase daily net carbs by 5 g per week until you are at about 40 to 60 g daily. You slow down weight loss during phase three, pre-maintenance, by gradually increasing daily net carbs by 10 g per week. The final phase is lifetime maintenance, and you can eat about 45 to 100 g of net carbs daily, depending on your body size and level of exercise.
Foods
The induction phase has the lowest net carb limit. You eat carb-free foods such as meat, poultry and fish, fats and eggs. You can also eat small amounts of low-carb foods such as lettuce and other non-starchy vegetables and high-fat cheese. You increase your net carbs during the weight loss phases by adding in healthy carb sources such as nuts and seeds, berries and tomato juice. During lifetime maintenance, you continue to focus on healthy carbs to get to your daily limit.
Weight Loss
The Atkins low-carb diet plan can help you lose weight if you follow instructions. According to Mayoclinic.com, the initial rapid weight loss results from fact that a low-carb diet can act as a diuretic and make you lose water weight. You might also lose weight on the Atkins plan because you may be decreasing your calories. A high protein and fat diet may help to suppress hunger so that you eat less. Also, you may eat less because you have fewer food choices. Neither of these reasons is the direct result of reducing dietary carbs.
Risks
The Atkins low-carb diet plan may have some long-term health risks. Limiting fruits, vegetable and whole grains can mean a lower intake of fiber and essential vitamins and minerals. A lack of fiber can cause colon cancer or constipation. Another concern is that many low-carb foods are high in fat, cholesterol and protein. Saturated fat and cholesterol can increase the risk of heart disease, and MayoClinic.com says a high protein diet may harm the kidneys.
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