Tuesday, December 26, 2006

What Are Atkins Foods?

Atkins foods are essentially ones that are low in carbohydrates, but high in protein. It is the restriction of the carbohydrates that you eat that helps you to lose weight. Your body converts the carbohydrates in the food you eat energy, and when this source of fuel is absent, the body starts to burn the fat enabling you to lose weight. Eating foods that are high in protein also helps to raise your metabolism by helping you to build more muscle, which in itself is a calorie burning mechanism in the body.


The list of Atkins foods that you can eat when you are on this diet is available in the Dr. Atkins diet books and through the sites on the Internet. The main thing to realize is that you should limit the carbohydrates you eat to about 20 per day until you get used to the diet. Then you can start to gradually increase this amount. Some of the foods which people love to eat, and can’t believe that they are included in the list, are bacon and eggs. Fish, meat and poultry are included in the food pyramid as important elements of a well-balanced diet, but people sometimes find it hard to believe that fried foods are acceptable.


Included in the list of Atkins foods that surprisingly enough will help you to lose weight is cream. You can add whipped cream to any dull food to spice it up. There are many specialized foods developed specifically for those on the Atkins diet, such as multi-grain breads, chocolate bars and candy. You don’t have to feel that you are missing out on anything when these foods are available. Because they are expensive, you will not usually find them in all supermarkets. The larger supermarket chains in major cities do carry them, though, because they have a larger base of customers looking for these foods. You have to be prepared to pay the price in order to keep eating foods that you love and still lose weight. For example, a package of 6 Atkins bagels may cost you about $6.00.


You can purchase Atkins foods that you never thought possible, such as the Atkins pancake mix and even the Atkins syrup. There are also a variety of sauces and salad dressings to add so much flavor to your food.


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Best Weight Loss Program - burn the fat , feed the muscles

Monday, December 04, 2006

The Atkins Diet - The Origin Of Low Carb Diets

The Atkins Nutritional approach has been used nationally since the 1960’s. Long before Dr. Robert Atkins published his popular low-carbohydrate diet plan, his patients were reaping the benefits of the Atkins diet.

Dr. Atkins divided his meal plan into four phases. “Induction,” phase one, is designed to force the body into ketosis, a physical condition which occurs in response to starvation. The “ketogenic” diet is widely used in medicine not only to treat obesity, but also to treat conditions such as epilepsy and diabetes. During this particular two-week period, no alcohol or caffeine can be consumed.

The second phase, “Ongoing Weight Loss,” is geared toward finding the “Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing.” This process involves increasing the carb intake by five grams per week until the subject a person is within 10 pounds of their target weight.

“Pre-maintenance” is the next step. Like phase two, this phase calls for an increase in carb intake, the difference between the two phases being that this phase is designed to find the “Critical Carbohydrate Level for Maintenance.”

Step four is “Lifetime Maintenance,” a phase intended to reinforce the habits learned through the diet plan so as not to regain the weight lost during the diet. Dr. Atkins also emphasizes making use of the option to jump back to any of the other phases if weight begins to return.

While many testimonials of success have been recorded, the Atkins diet has been under fire in recent years as more and more analysis is conducted. Recent studies have compared Atkins to other diet plans and found that it scores among the highest for short-term weight loss but ranks as the lowest for long-term weight loss. And after Atkins Nutrionals released their line of Atkins diet bars and meals, Forbes Magazine analyzed several diets and found that the average consumer would pay up to 80% more in food costs than people not on the diet. Even when faced with these facts, many still sing praises of the Atkins diet.

Both the New England Journal of Medicine and the American Journal of Medicine confirmed that Atkins is still the most effective published diet plan for short-term weight loss. They do, however, acknowledge that it does come at greater risk for coronary heart disease. As for weighing out the pros and cons to determine exactly how much more at risk those who participate in the Atkins diet are, all reports found that no evidence documented has yet to prove that the risks are greater than the benefits.

Nearly forty years later, the late Dr. Atkins is still recognized for his approach to weight loss. Thanks to the innovation of the internet, Atkins meal plans, Atkins diet bars, Atkins recipes, magazine articles and research regarding Atkins and virtually anything else associated with the Atkins diet has never been easier to access.

Charles Amith is a successful Webmaster and publisher of http://LowCarbDietSolutions.com.
Charles provides informative content on weight loss, as well as more information on the Atkins Diet.

Fat Smash Diet

Saturday, December 02, 2006

The Staying Power of the Atkins Diet

I have always wanted to get fitter and lose weight and I have tried lots of different weight loss programs. No matter what I did or what kind of products I bought, nothing seemed to be effective. Actually I have spent a small fortune on a large variety of weight loss products. Unfortunately, most of them were ineffective, while others worked only for few months. Let me be completely honest with you, there is nothing worse than giving my hopes up when I hear about the latest diet and a couple of months later see no change when I step on a scale.
I had almost given up any hope when the Atkins diet came out several years ago. I didn't really expect it to help me lose weight as I was afraid of experiencing another disappointment. I was considering not trying it because I thought it was just one of the many diet fads that would blow over in a few months. I wanted to save myself the heartache and some money, too. So, I decided to wait it out.

I was really surprised a couple of months later when the Atkins diet didn't go away. On the contrary, it got bigger and bigger. Every time I turned on my TV or radio I was hearing about people who had lost weight keeping the Atkins diet. I waited for some time before I changed my mind and decided to give the Atkins diet a try.

To be honest, it was very difficult at the beginning. The Atkins diet requires that people who keep it should limit their carbohydrate intake which meant not eating foods as bread, pasta, potatoes. I loved all these kinds of food, so it was quite tough on me. However, I wanted to give my best try, so I didn't hesitate to keep the diet plan precisely. With time I started to lose some weight. Of course, I expected to see it coming back on in a couple of months but it did not. I spent a year following the Atkins diet and I finally managed to achieve my weight loss goal for the first time in my life.

I should admit that what really helped me keep the Atkins diet was my decision to look for outside assistance. I chose to register with a meal service that catered to participants on the Atkins diet. What was really great about it was that I could pick different meals from a large menu and have them delivered to my office or home. This was it was much easier for me to keep ye weight loss plan as I didn't have to prepare my own meals.

In case you are considering giving the Atkins diet a shot it would be best if you learn everything about it and consult your doctor to make sure this diet is good for you. If you have already made up your mind to start the Atkins diet, then I would recommend you to sign up with a food delivery service. It is best if you have a few meals delivered to you at least several times a week if not every day. The Atkins diet really makes a difference and you can fully rely on the weight loss plan to finally stop struggling with obesity.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning weight loss. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting Atkins Diet