The Atkins Diet is a high-protein, restricted-carbohydrate diet that was developed in the 1970s by Dr. Robert Atkins. The original diet has been modified to allow more high-fiber carbohydrates and put some limits on saturated-fat intake. The Atkins diet works by lowering glucose production and forcing your body to burn stored fat for energy. Using the Atkins diet as a model, you can further modify it to suit your individual health needs, reducing protein or increasing carbohydrate consumption. Remember, a diet only works if it works for you.
Atkins Diet Basics
The Atkins diet promises to turn your body into a "fat-burning machine" by increasing your metabolism, regulating glucose and insulin production and burning fat for fuel. It's divided into four stages. Induction lasts only two weeks and jump-starts weight-loss by restricting carb intake to about 20 g daily. You're encouraged to eat 4 to 6 oz. of protein up to six times a day. Animal protein has about 7 g of protein per oz., so that could be up to 260 g of protein daily. In later stages of the diet, protein consumption stays the same, and carbohydrate intake increases.
Your Carbohydrate Level for Losing
One of the most significant changes from the original Atkins diet is the concept of finding your individual carbohydrate level for losing. In the second phase of the diet -- the Ongoing Weight Loss Phase -- you're encouraged to experiment by increasing carb consumption gradually until you stop losing weight. That threshold is your individual CLL, and you need to remain below your CLL to continue to lose weight. This is a radical departure from the original Atkins diet, which simply restricted carbs. This new modification takes age, gender, hormonal issues, activity level and medication into account by allowing each person to find her unique carb tolerance level. You control your weight-loss progress by controlling how close to your CLL you are.
Saturated Fat Intake
Originally the Atkins diet allowed for unlimited fat intake, including large amounts of saturated fat. Saturated fat is the type of fat most closely linked to elevated cholesterol levels, especially bad LDL cholesterol, which can increase your risk of heart disease. The modified Atkins diet restricts saturated fat intake to no more than 20 percent of your calories. However, this is still a far greater amount than the 7 percent recommended by the American Heart Association. You can limit your saturated fat intake by using vegetable oils instead of butter, choosing low-fat dairy products, eating lean protein such as poultry without the skin or fish and substituting plant protein such as beans for meat occasionally.
Modifications, Weight-Loss and Warnings
You control the speed of your weight loss. The closer to your CLL threshold that you eat, the slower you may lose weight. Cutting more carbohydrates may speed weight loss, but you don't want to eliminate carbs, which provide essential nutrients and fiber. You can also boost weight loss by staying hydrated and exercising regularly. Aim for slow and steady weight-loss of 1 to 2 lbs. per week, and remember that some weeks will be better than others. Always talk to your doctor before beginning any weight-loss program. High-protein consumption strains your kidneys; you may need to limit protein intake if you have impaired kidney function.
Member Comments