Atkins Diet - Why it Works and Why it Doesn't

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As with other types of diets, the Atkins diet is also broken down into different phases. Each phase has its own unique purpose and should by all means be followed as strictly as possible to get the best results.

The first phase is the “induction phase”. This is the first phase of the diet and is the hardest to complete compared to the rest of this diet for slimming. Before facing this phase you have to be sure that you have enough determination and desire to slim-down before attempting it. For most of us who are used to consuming a lot of carbohydrates this phase is quite life-changing and even uncomfortable. During this phase you have to limit your carbohydrate intake to a miniscule 20g a day. This means that you can probably only eat a meal with a small side serving of carbohydrates once a day. You will have to avoid all sugars and even carbohydrate rich treats like bisquits, cakes, fizzy drinks and even that coffee in the morning with sugar. On the bright side you are allowed to eat as much meat of any kind that you want. You can also eat as much fatty foods as you want so things like eggs, mayo, cheese cream and butter are all in. It is at this induction phase that your body is basically weaned of carbohydrates forcing your body to burn fat for an energy source.

The second phase is called the “Ongoing Weight Loss”. It is slightly better and less torturous than the initial induction phase. You are allowed to progressively increase the intake of your carbohydrates by 5g per day until you find the point where you start to plateau or even start gaining weight. It is that point that you must recognize the intake amount and be sure that you never exceed it. You should be looking at scaling back from the critical carbohydrate amount slightly so you can continue your weight loss but at a slower scale. You can maintain this level of carbohydrates until you nearly reach your weight loss goals.

The third phase is called the pre-maintenance stage where you have about 2-5 kgs left before you actually hit the ideal weight that you are happy with. Instead of going up in carbohydrates by 5g a day you can now increase your carbohydrate intake to 10g a day and is to be stepped up every week instead of everyday like the previous step. In this phase the belt gets loosened even more so you are able to consume most starches and even sugars as long as you keep the amount that you consume to the pre-determined levels and never exceed them.

The forth and last step is called the lifetime maintenance stage which is basically what you do to maintain your weight at the current level for the rest of your life. With the critical carbohydrate intake amount that you have measured previously, you can add it up for 7 days and just ensure that you do not exceed the total of the 7 days carbohydrate limit per week. That way you will never have enough carbohydrate in your body to put on any extra weight and fat. This maintenance stage isn’t very concerned about the types of carbohydrates that you eat but rather the amount. You must be sure that the mount that you take never exceeds your critical carbohydrate limit.

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