The Atkins diet, or Atkins Nutritional Approach, is a low carbohydrate diet for weight loss. According to MayoClinic.com, the diet restricts carbohydrates based on the theory that if no dietary carbohydrates are available in the bloodstream, your body will use stored fat for energy and you will lose weight. If you are looking for a diet plan to help you lose weight, you should evaluate its safety and effectiveness. Also, check with your doctor to be sure you are doing the best for your health.
Net Carbs
To track carbohydrate intake on the Atkins diet, you count your net carbs. According to Atkins.com, only some carbohydrates affect your blood sugar levels. Others, such as dietary fiber, do not raise your blood sugar. The net carb count indicates the effect a food has on your blood sugar. To calculate net carbs, subtract grams of dietary fiber from total grams of carbohydrates in the food. Each phase of Atkins has a daily limit for net carbs.
Induction Phase
Phase one of the Atkins diet is called induction. Atkins.com states that the two purposes of induction are to start losing weight and to start burning stored fat by stopping your body from using carbohydrates for energy. In this phase, you eat 12g to 15g net carbs per day from low carbohydrate sources such as high fat cheese, herbs, spices and low starch vegetables. You can eat unlimited amounts of carbohydrate free foods such as meat, fish, eggs, poultry and fats. MayoClinic.com says that the phase lasts for at least two weeks and for longer if you have more weight to lose.
Subsequent Phases
You can eat more net carbs during phases two through four than during the induction phase. According to MayoClinic.com, you eat about 40g to 60g net carbs per day during phase two, or ongoing weight loss. Focus on nutrient-dense carbohydrate sources, including vegetables, berries and nuts. When you are within five to 10 pounds of your goal weight, you enter phase three, transition, and intentionally slow down your weight loss by gradually adding 10g net carbs per day per week. When you stop losing weight, you are in lifetime maintenance. Most people eat 45g to 100g net carbs per day in this phase.
Benefits
A benefit of the Atkins Nutritional Approach is that it encourages exercise because according to MayoClinic.com, the amount of net carbs that you can eat during lifetime maintenance increases if you regularly exercise. Exercise helps you lose weight and improves cardiovascular health. Another benefit of Atkins is that it emphasizes healthier food choices within the plan's boundaries. For example, you are supposed to choose lean meats, unsaturated fats and nutrient dense carbohydrates rather than fatty meats, saturated fats and refined or sugary carbohydrates. The plan stresses fresh rather than processed foods.
Risks
A low carbohydrate diet can increase the risk for nutrient deficiencies because it excludes or severely restricts nutrient dense foods such as vegetables, fruit and whole grains. It may also be difficult to get enough fiber on a low carbohydrate diet because fiber is in carbohydrate rich foods. Inadequate dietary fiber can have long term consequences, such as diverticulosis. Many low carbohydrate foods, such as red meat and butter are high in saturated fat and cholesterol, which both can raise LDL cholesterol in the blood and increase the risk for heart disease.
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