Atkins Diet

Lose the carbs to lose weight

Dr. Atkins’ diet program has gone through several revisions since it was first published decades ago, but the basic idea of losing weight by reducing and counting carbohydrates, rather than by reducing fat and counting calories, has remained the same.

Have you prepared to start the Atkins diet by learning more about it through books and websites, but you’re still at a loss about what to eat, or how to prepare delicious meals that keep you within your carb limits? Atkins not only has a customized line of snack products and several cookbooks available that you can purchase, but you’ll find there are tons of resources online that provide Atkins diet recipes and ideas about how to keep your meals interesting and satisfying.
Weight Maintenance: Following the Atkins Diet for Life

The Atkins program clearly lays out the importance of having a long-term attitude toward weight loss: once you reach your goal weight, you can’t just go back to eating the way you used to, or go back to eating carbs without counting them, and expect to maintain that weight.

Fortunately, there are a lot of Atkins diet menu moderations and guidelines available to help you adapt your diet into a long-term Atkins eating plan for long-term weight stability. Many of the recommendations become less strict as you move through the phases of the Atkins diet. Wine and spirits are allowed in later stages, for example, and  your consumption of carbohydrates can increase as you experiment to find the right amount for you.

There is a bit of math involved with the Atkins diet. You have to calculate the “net carbohydrates” of any carbohydrate-containing food that you eat, and track your exact net carbohydrate intake each day. And the amount of net carbohydrates you’re allowed can vary depending on several factors, including which of the several phases of the diet you’re in.

However, people who have adopted the Atkins lifestyle and have successfully kept off the weight they lost say that continuing to see the right numbers on the scale is well worth tackling a few numbers in their daily diet.