The Atkins diet plan, which may be the best-known example of a low-carbohydrate diet, emphasizes protein and fat while decreasing carbs significantly. While following the Atkins diet, you'll be eating according to a plan that initially contains practically no carbs. The eating plan allows you to gradually ramp up your carbohydrate consumption once you begin to lose weight.
When you follow the Atkins diet, you design your eating plan to switch your body from burning carbs for fuel to burning fat for fuel, according to the Atkins diet website. Carbs include grain-based foods such as bread and cereal, fruit and vegetables. Meat, fish, chicken and dairy products such as cheese and milk all include mainly protein and fat. When you follow the Atkins diet, you consume mainly foods from the protein and fat group, with a smattering of foods from the carbohydrate group.
Initial Phase
The first phase of the Atkins diet restrict carbs to 20 grams per day, according to the Atkins diet website. In this phase, you'll only be allowed to eat carbs in the form of a few vegetables, mainly green, leafy plants, cucumbers, mushrooms and bell peppers. However, you can have all the meat, eggs and milk products you want. You can season your food with plain herbs; consume salad dressing as long as it doesn't have added sugar.
Middle Phases
Once you begin losing weight, the Atkins diet allows you to increase the amount of carbs you eat. In Phase 2, you continue to consume all the protein- and fat-based foods you want, including meats, cheeses and eggs, but you also can enjoy some berries, juices and nuts, all of which contain some carbs. In Phase 3, your carb choices widen further, with bananas, apples, grapefruit and guava allowed.
Maintenance Phase
Once you've reached your goal weight on the Atkins diet, you can consume some carbs from grains along with fruits and vegetables, according to the official Atkins website. If you plan to continue following the weight maintenance program from Atkins, you'll need to base your meals around protein and fat sources and limit your carbs. For example, a dinner for someone in the maintenance phase of the Atkins diet might include a large steak with green leafy vegetables and a small red potato.
Considerations
According to a review of the Atkins diet from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the diet does seem to help people lose weight. However, basing your diet on fat and protein rather than on carbs goes against commonly accepted nutritional advice, the USDA said. In a review of the Atkins diet from Northwestern University, nutritionists warned that allowing all types of meat, most dairy and fats while restricting bread, fruits, juices and most vegetables could lead to health problems, including vitamin deficiencies and osteoporosis.
Member Comments