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The Atkins diet plan is very effective and fruit bearing. It has also supported the actress Alyssa Milano with her weight loss goals.
It’s a normal perception that weight loss diets restrict you from high calorie foods or foods that quenches your taste buds.
However, Atkins diet may sound a bit different to you. It is perhaps, a better option for all the foodies who yearn to stay fit and in shape.
No doubt, it encourages you to cut down your carb consumption, though; it is a diet plan that will allow you to have other delicious options in place.
GOAL:
The goal is to bring down the unhealthy weight to a healthy level, through a diet that is high in fat and protein, but very deficient in carbohydrates.
It pays more emphasizes on:
- Good fats (Oils, butter and cheese).
- Lean proteins (poultry, meat and seafood).
- Vegetables rich in fiber.
It stops you from sugary and starchy carbohydrates and hence you cannot have:
THE FOUR PHASES OF ATKINS:
While you kick start your journey with Atkins, you will be encouraged to take vegetables that have carbohydrates.
Several other foods like whole grains, fruits and beans will be gradually incorporated, with the passage of days.
Standard atkins diet revolves around four stages.
| PHASE 1: INDUCTION. | PHASE 2: BALANCING. |
During this initial two weeks phase, the diet will stimulate ketosis, the process wherein your body burns fat, instead of carbohydrates. This is the time when the dieter tends to shed weight at a speedy pace. The diet during this phase will comprise of fat, protein and a very low amount of carbohydrate. | This is the level wherein you will identify the accurate amount of carbohydrates you can take to stay healthy, but, drop your unhealthy weight at the same time. It’s all about learning to balance. During the stage, you will be incorporating several food items like yogurt, melon, seeds and strawberries. Dieters will be having these foods to the point they discover their self-carb balance. |
| PHASE 3: FINE-TUNING. | PHASE 4: MAINTENANCE. |
| The need to switch to this stage comes when the dieter is left with the extra 10lbs to fight against! During this crucial stage, he or she will take measures to reach to the target weight, and learn to control weight in the future. | The dieters have to follow the last stage of Atkin’s diet as long as they wish to stay in shape. This is the phase wherein they will try not to regain their lost weight or say, try to maintain weight. |
LATEST VERSION:
If we compare the older version of Atkin’s diet with its latest one, that is, Atkin’s 20 with Atkin’s 40, we will find the latter one to be more flexible.
For example, the previous version tends to restrict the carb consumption to 20grams/ day in the initial stage, whist, it rules out many food groups leaving very little options for the dieters to have.
On the contrary, the latest version has no such limits pertaining to the food groups in the beginning, plus, it also permits you to get started with the double amount of carb allowed by Atkin’s 20, 40 grams/ day.
It is important to note that Atkin’s 40 does control your fats or butter consumption to a level, though, it is quite lenient with regard to the intake of meat or other sources of protein.
More: Top Celebrities Diet Plan 2017 for Weight Loss!
THE EFFORTS REQUIRED:
Something I personally like about Atkin’s diet is the fact that it does not bind you to have a check on your calories.
Neither it orders you to pay extra on your groceries or stretch your budget in any other way.
Though, dieters are supposed to make many changes in their eating habits.
Interestingly, these changes may sound ‘major’ to those whose starch consumption is higher or are fond of eating junk for the snacking purpose.
RESTRICTIONS:
In the very initial phase, it stops you from taking carb through sugar and white flour and instructs you to take it through vegetables.
MEALS:
If you are following this specific diet, then we will advise you to prepare your own meals at home.
Though, if you shop for packaged foods that are permitted by the diet, do not forget to check the amount of sugar and carbs it contains.
The best is to avoid the kind of foods as they tend to have many ‘surprising’ and hidden contents, ingredients that are not listed on the packages.
These ingredients can be added carb, unhealthy fats and even salt.
EXERCISE:
Atkins is quite preferable for all those who cannot commit to workout routines or are too lazy to perform them regularly.
It does not demand you to workout or perform weight loss exercises. The diet itself is sufficient enough to engender the required results for the dieters.
Though, it does demand you to keep yourself physically active, if not for all the day, then for at least half an hour a day.
USER-FRIENDLY NATURE:
Atkins diet is equally user friendly for all of its followers, no matter what their dietary preferences are.
Thankfully, having meat is not a necessity to be a part of Atkin or to reap the most from it.
Of course, there are many other sources of protein and meat is not just an exception.
And not just this, if you feel like starting with the second phase of Atkins, because the first one demands you to take your carb intake lower, you can.
The guidelines of the diet plan can be followed through a comprehensive book on Atkins, though, you can always connect to the fellow dieters on its official website.
THE COST:
Atkins diet barely adds to your fitness expenses.
The dieters are not charged with any membership price or burdened with the cost of some special kind of foods it suggests.
It is far more budget-friendly as you may have imagined. You can simply use its online tools without paying a single penny.
The free of cost ‘services’ by the makers of Atkins are not limited to this point, you can also find recipes, counting carbs apps and many other helpful services on the website of Atkins.
More: Your weekly Diet Guide for losing up to 7 pounds swiftly
VERDICT:
Atkins surely works; at least this is what the investigation says.
It is undeniably, the right kind of low-carb diet you can try if you are serious about a change.