This Atkins Diet weight loss (and weight maintenance) program is based on the theory that your body needs more protein and less carbs. It is rooted in the science of eating fewer refined carbohydrates and refined sugars – what we refer to as ‘bad carbs.’”
The Atkins Diet Revolution gives you the tools to change your eating habits, adopting a permanent lifestyle change that helps you lose and maintain your weight without having to count calories (although you will have to learn to gauge carb counts). Dr. Atkins believed that you would feel better, look better, and be re-energized by following the basic tenets of the diet.
There are 4 stages of the Atkins Diet Plan:
• Induction: lasting for 2 or more weeks, very restrictive
• Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL): lasting until your weight loss goal is within 5-10 pounds
• Pre-Maintenance: occurs during the last 5-10 pounds of weight loss
• Lifetime Maintenance: once desired weight is achieved
While the program is somewhat restrictive in the initial stages, this allows your body to slowly ramp up and adjust to a new way of eating. The food you eat allows your body to target fat stores to be used for energy, rather than carbohydrates. Carbs turn to glucose to fuel your body. If you restrict your intake of carbs, the body will look elsewhere for that fuel, which means that energy will instead come from the fat stores in your body.
While you don’t count calories on Atkins, you also don’t eat unlimited amounts of calories either. There still needs to be some control, as the whole idea of taking in as many calories as you expend still holds true. You are just going to get those calories from different sources. The difficulty here is finding and adjusting to those foods. This includes the time it may take for shopping and preparation, as well as providing variety so you don’t get stuck eating eggs every morning for breakfast.
Unlike Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig, there is no storefront or office, no counselors, no meetings. There is a comprehensive website, which allows you to join for free and receive their newsletter, use their forums, and get support from the Atkins Community.
