The Atkins program is a low-carbohydrate diet for weight loss. The first phase of the diet, Induction, has more food restrictions than the following phases and you need to learn the rules if you are going to follow the diet as designed. If you need to lose weight and are trying to decide whether to follow the Atkins diet, evaluate whether the food plan appears healthy and consult with your doctor.
Background
The theory behind the Atkins diet is that if you keep your carbohydrate intake low enough, your body will not be able to use carbohydrates as its energy source. Instead, your body will burn stored fat for fuel and you will lose weight. Rather than counting calories on the Atkins diet, you count your daily intake of net carbs. Calculate the net carbs in a food by subtracting the grams of dietary fiber from the grams of total carbohydrates.
Carbohydrate-Free Foods
The majority of your food during Induction comes from carbohydrate-free food sources, or high-protein and high-fat foods. The instructions for the Atkins diet are to eat three to five meals per day, and include some protein and fat at each meal. You can choose carbohydrate-free proteins such as chicken, beef, pork, turkey and eggs, or low-carbohydrate proteins such as mussels or clams. Also have some fat such as butter, olive oil, vegetable oil or shortening.
Low-Carbohydrate Foods
The Induction phase includes 20 g net carbs per day. Non-starchy vegetables should provide 12 to 15 g, and possible choices are broccoli, mushrooms, lettuce, peppers, spinach and artichokes. You can get a few of your daily net carbs from foods that naturally have small amounts of carbohydrates, such as fatty cheeses, cured meats with added sugars including bacon and ham or oysters. Small amounts of salad dressings can make up the rest of your net carbs.
Forbidden Foods
You may not eat starchy vegetables such as corn, sweet potatoes or carrots during Induction. In addition, potatoes and grains including pasta, rice and bread are forbidden. This restriction includes heart-healthy whole grains such as oatmeal and whole grain cereals. No fruit is allowed during this phase of Atkins, and you may not eat nuts or seeds. You should also avoid processed cured meats such as ham or cold cuts because of their nitrates.
Considerations
A benefit to the Induction phase is that you will probably lose weight quickly, at least initially. In addition, you may not eat unhealthy sugary foods or trans fat from partially hydrogenated oils. However, your diet may be high in saturated fat and cholesterol if you frequently choose red meat, eggs, butter and cheese, and you may quickly regain weight if you return to a moderate carbohydrate diet. Since you will be unable to meet your nutrient requirements from the allowed foods in Induction, you must take a multivitamin and mineral supplement.
