Weight Loss & Diet Plans

The Promise

Can you lose weight by drastically cutting back on carbs like bread, potatoes, and sweets while still eating bacon, mayonnaise, and butter?

That’s the idea behind Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution. Robert Atkins, MD, wrote the book more than 40 years ago. There are newer versions of the diet, including New Atkins for a New You, and a web site.

Old or new, the Atkins diet turns the typical carb-heavy American diet on its head.

The theory is that when you drastically cut back on carbs, your body turns to your fat stores for fuel. The result is you burn body fat, releasing a by-product called ketones that you’ll use for energy.

The plan is not recommended for people with severe kidney disease.

Does It Work?

There has been quite a bit of research on low-carb diets for weight loss and management of diabetes. 

Studies show that low-carb diets are as effective for weight loss as traditional approaches and can improve cholesterol and triglycerides.

But like any diet, it can be challenging to stick with for a long time.

What You Can Eat and What You Can't

The first part of the plan, called the induction phase, has these rules:

• No more than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day, mostly from certain vegetables
• Protein and fat from poultry, fish, eggs, red meat, butter, and vegetable oils
• No pasta, bread, grains, fruit, starchy vegetables, or dairy other than butter, cheese, and cream
• No nuts, seeds, or legumes like beans
• No caffeine
• No alcohol

Next comes the "ongoing weight loss" stage, when you slowly add more vegetables, and you can include seeds, nuts, legumes, berries and other fruit, wine and other low-carb alcohol, and whole grains.

After that, to help keep the weight off, you may be able to eat more carbs and add more foods to your diet, depending on your body's needs.  

Newer versions of the diet, including New Atkins for a New You and the Atkins web site, emphasize making good food choices, such as healthy fats.

THE PROGRAM: PHASE 4 What You Can Eat in this Phase

The name Lifetime Maintenance says it all. This is not so much a phase as a permanent lifestyle. Pre-Maintenance is designed to make the transition from Phase 3 to [the so-called] Phase 4 practically seamless, so you should have no fears about moving on once your goal weight is stable. First of all, the Acceptable Foods for Phase 3 are the same as those for Phase 4. Of course, you may not have reintroduced all the foods you’ll try in the months and years to come, but as long as you’re alert to the potential of any individual food to cause weight regain, cravings, unreasonable hunger or any of the other symptoms of carb intolerance, you know what to do. As long as you comply with the program and stick to your ACE—which may require some modifications as you get older or make some lifestyle changes—you’ll be able to maintain your healthy new weight and say goodbye to on-again, off-again diets once and for all. 

Starchy Vegetables*	Serving Size	Net Carbs
Acorn Squash	½ cup	10.0
Carrots	¾ cup	10.2
White Potatoes	½ cup	13.9
Yams	½ cooked	9.6

Legumes*	Serving Size	Net Carbs
Black Beans	½ cup	12.9
Chickpeas	½ cup	16.2
Great Northern Beans	½ cup	12.5
Kidney Beans	½ cup	11.6
Lentils	½ cup	12.1
Lima Beans	½ cup	14.2
Navy Beans	½ cup	18.1
Pinto Beans	½ cup	11.0

Fruit	Serving Size	Net Carbs
Apple	½ of whole	8.7
Banana	1 small	21.2
Cherries	¼ cup	4.2
Grapefruit	½ of whole	7.9
Grapes	¼ cup	7.1
Guava	1 medium	5.8
Kiwi	1	8.7
Mango	¼ cup	6.3
Peach	1 whole	8.9
Plum	1 whole	7.6
Watermelon	½ cup	5.2

Grains*	Serving Size	Net Carbs
Oatmeal	½ cup	10.6
Pasta (whole wheat)	¼ cup	8.3
Rice (brown)	¼ cup	10.3

source : www.atkins.com

THE PROGRAM: PHASE 4 How to do Phase 4 Right / Troubleshooting

Have you gained a few pounds and want to deal with the situation before it gets any more serious? Maybe you over-indulged a little on vacation or an injury prevented you from exercising. Not to worry. Cut roughly 10 grams of Net Carbs a day from your intake until you return to your goal weight. Give or take a couple grams, here are some options you can eliminate:

• ½ banana
• 1 cup watermelon balls
• ½ large grapefruit
• 2 carrots
• ½ baked potato
• ¾ cup beets
• ½ small sweet potato
• ½ cup cooked oatmeal
• ¼ cup brown rice
• 1 slice whole-grain bread
• Scant ½ cup lentils
• ¾ cup shelled edamame
• 1/3 cup chickpeas
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

source : www.atkins.com

Atkins Diet Plans

Cauliflower Pizza Recipe (Low Carb/High Protein)

Atkins Induction Diet Food Haul - What I Eat

THE PROGRAM: PHASE 4 Objectives of Lifetime Maintenance

How long

Ongoing.

Purpose

Transition to a permanent way of eating that allows you to maintain your new weight.

Goal

Remain in control of your weight by adjusting your carb intake if your carb tolerance changes or you regain a few pounds. 

THE PROGRAM: PHASE 4

How a Weight Loss Diet Becomes a Lifestyle

If you can accept that Phase 4 is a lifestyle and act accordingly, most likely you will never have to “diet” again. Does that mean you won’t ever regain a few pounds? Of course not. But now you possess the tools and skills to turn around any situation. Here’s why:

• You’ve transitioned from phase to phase, gradually increasing your carb intake, as you worked toward a permanent way of eating.
• By reintroducing foods one by one, you know which, if any, could spell trouble for you.
• You now know which foods you can do without and which you can love but must eat in moderation.
• You’ve learned how to be alert to signals of cravings or undue hunger and how to respond before you lose control.
• You’ve discovered how to substitute certain low-carb foods for high-carb ones, treat other foods as garnishes, and more.
• More important, you’ve come to trust the Atkins program and experience the pleasure of feeling good, both physically and emotionally.

THE PROGRAM: PHASE 3 When to Move On

The big question, of course, is how to know when to transition to Phase 4, Lifetime Maintenance. If you can answer all the following questions in the affirmative, go ahead. Otherwise, hold off until you have three yeses.

• Are you at your goal or adjusted goal weight?
• Has your weight remained constant for the last four weeks?
• Are cravings and undue hunger no longer a problem?

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PHASE 4 - CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!

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You did it! You’re finally in Phase 4, Lifetime Maintenance. This is not so much a phase as a permanent lifestyle. In general, the foods you eat in this phase are the same ones you’ve already been eating. There are some foods you tried to reintroduce earlier without success that you can now handle. You can experiment with these foods at any time as long as your weight remains under control.