The Atkins nutritional approach has been used nationwide since the 1960’s. Long before dr. Robert Atkins released his popular low-carb diet plan, his patients began reaping the benefits of the Atkins diet.
dr Atkins divided his diet into four phases. “Induction,” phase one, is designed to force the body into ketosis, a physical state that occurs in response to starvation. The “ketogenic” diet is used in medicine not only to treat obesity, but also to treat conditions such as epilepsy and diabetes. No alcohol or caffeine may be consumed during this special two-week period.
The second phase, “Continuous Weight Loss,” aims to find the “critical carbohydrate level for weight loss.” This process involves increasing carbohydrate intake by five grams per week until the person is within 10 pounds of their goal weight.
“Pre-Maintenance” is the next step. Like phase two, this phase requires an increase in carbohydrate intake, the difference between the two phases being that this phase is designed to find the “critical carb level for maintenance”.
Step four is “Lifetime Maintenance”, a phase aimed at reinforcing the habits learned through the diet plan in order not to regain the weight lost during the diet. dr Atkins also emphasizes taking advantage of the option to return to one of the other phases if the weight returns.
While many testimonies of success have been recorded, the Atkins diet has come under fire in recent years as more and more analysis has been done. Recent studies have compared Atkins to other diet plans and found that it ranks among the highest for short-term weight loss but among the lowest for long-term weight loss. And after Atkins Nutritionals launched its 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 grocery costs than people who don’t follow the diet keep diet Even in the face of these facts, many still sing the 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 short-term weight loss diet plan published. However, they recognize that there is a higher risk of coronary artery disease. As for weighing the pros and cons to determine exactly how much more at risk those who take part in the Atkins diet are, all reports noted that there is still no evidence that the risks outweigh the benefits .
Almost forty years later, the late Dr. Atkins is still known for his approach to weight loss. Thanks to the innovation of the Internet, accessing Atkins meal plans, Atkins diet bars, Atkins recipes, magazine articles and research on Atkins and virtually anything else related to the Atkins diet has never been easier.
Thanks to Charlene Lee
