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Atkins Diet Success Guide
Although the Atkins Diet has been around since the early 1970s and is still controversial, Atkins Diet books have been and remain best sellers. This article has the aim of helping you to make the Atkins diet part of a successful weight loss strategy.
The initial stage of the Atkins Diet is the hardest as it's the time when your brain tries to adapt to using ketones derived from fats for energy instead of carbohydrate this state is called ketosis. People fail the Atkins Diet because they don't get into and maintain ketosis. You need to test your urine for ketones to see whether you have entered ketosis and this can be achieved using ketone sticks available from your chemist. To enter ketosis its necessary to have 0% carbohydrate intake in the first 2 or 3 days of the diet with protein intake no more than 20% and fat intake no less than 80%. Once in ketosis it needs to be maintained by having approximately 5% carbohydrate, 30% protein and 65% fat. For the first 2 weeks you should be having mostly cheese, eggs and meat. After this you can start to re-introduce vegetables and even some fruit into your diet.
You may well notice reduced energy levels during the initial phase. Having allowed comfort foods can psychologically support your low carb efforts. After the initial phase, your carb intake can increase as you progress through the later phases of the diet so adherence should become progressively easier and 90 grams a day is given as the maintenance limit, just make sure you regularly monitor to ensure you remain in ketosis. Supplement your efforts with the Atkins Diet with other more individualised approaches such as hypnosis, support groups, herbal teas/supplements.
Although the carb count of foods may be the same, some will cause a spike in blood sugar and some will cause a much more moderate change in blood sugar. The rise in blood sugar caused by a carbohydrate food is called its glycemic index. So, although the quantity of carb is important, how carbohydrate effects blood sugar levels is more important so while on the Atkins diet stick to nutritional carbohydrates with a glycemic index below 55: most fruit and veg falls into this bracket in particular apples, berries, oranges, peaches, pears, broccoli, green beans, yams, sweet potatoes and cauliflower. It's particularly important to ensure that while on the Atkins diet the carb quota is comprised of these quality carbohydrate foods as the body is taken to a state where raised blood sugar levels can cause the weight to pile on again very quickly, particularly in the early stages. This is a crucial consideration in having sustainable success with the Atkins Diet.
Even if you maximise your nutritional carbohydrate, taking vitamin and mineral supplements is strongly recommended when you are on the Atkins diet, in particular potassium can be lost from your system rather quickly. Drink plenty of water to flush out toxins.
To summarise, the best chance of success with the Atkins Diet comes from monitoring and maintaining ketosis throughout, combining carb counts with glycemic index, having allowed comfort foods, taking and using additional, more individualised approaches.
By John Kirkham
The initial stage of the Atkins Diet is the hardest as it's the time when your brain tries to adapt to using ketones derived from fats for energy instead of carbohydrate this state is called ketosis. People fail the Atkins Diet because they don't get into and maintain ketosis. You need to test your urine for ketones to see whether you have entered ketosis and this can be achieved using ketone sticks available from your chemist. To enter ketosis its necessary to have 0% carbohydrate intake in the first 2 or 3 days of the diet with protein intake no more than 20% and fat intake no less than 80%. Once in ketosis it needs to be maintained by having approximately 5% carbohydrate, 30% protein and 65% fat. For the first 2 weeks you should be having mostly cheese, eggs and meat. After this you can start to re-introduce vegetables and even some fruit into your diet.
You may well notice reduced energy levels during the initial phase. Having allowed comfort foods can psychologically support your low carb efforts. After the initial phase, your carb intake can increase as you progress through the later phases of the diet so adherence should become progressively easier and 90 grams a day is given as the maintenance limit, just make sure you regularly monitor to ensure you remain in ketosis. Supplement your efforts with the Atkins Diet with other more individualised approaches such as hypnosis, support groups, herbal teas/supplements.
Although the carb count of foods may be the same, some will cause a spike in blood sugar and some will cause a much more moderate change in blood sugar. The rise in blood sugar caused by a carbohydrate food is called its glycemic index. So, although the quantity of carb is important, how carbohydrate effects blood sugar levels is more important so while on the Atkins diet stick to nutritional carbohydrates with a glycemic index below 55: most fruit and veg falls into this bracket in particular apples, berries, oranges, peaches, pears, broccoli, green beans, yams, sweet potatoes and cauliflower. It's particularly important to ensure that while on the Atkins diet the carb quota is comprised of these quality carbohydrate foods as the body is taken to a state where raised blood sugar levels can cause the weight to pile on again very quickly, particularly in the early stages. This is a crucial consideration in having sustainable success with the Atkins Diet.
Even if you maximise your nutritional carbohydrate, taking vitamin and mineral supplements is strongly recommended when you are on the Atkins diet, in particular potassium can be lost from your system rather quickly. Drink plenty of water to flush out toxins.
To summarise, the best chance of success with the Atkins Diet comes from monitoring and maintaining ketosis throughout, combining carb counts with glycemic index, having allowed comfort foods, taking and using additional, more individualised approaches.
By John Kirkham
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