The Atkins Diet Plan is named after Dr. Robert C. Atkins, who invented the diet and wrote a book on it. The Atkins diet plan involves lowering your carbohydrate consumption so that your diet consists of proteins and fat only. At the beginning of the diet, you need to cut out carbohydrates completely, and then as you get closer to your goal, you can add a few carbohydrates to the diet.
There are 3 different versions of the Atkins diet plan, depending on how much weight you want to lose.
These three Atkins Diet Plans are discussed below:
Atkins 20 Diet
The Atkins diet plan can be divided into 4 phases:
In this phase, you can slowly add a greater variety of foods to your diet. For the first week of this phase, limit your carbohydrates to 25 grams per day. Then, for the next week, add fruits to your diet and limit your carbohydrates to 30 grams per day. After that, limit your carbohydrates to 40 grams in the next week. Here are a few foods you can introduce in Phase 2:
At the end of this phase, you should be about 5-9 pounds away from your ideal weight goal.
During this phase, weight loss will slow down. You can add more carbohydrates to your diet (but make sure you add them slowly) to reach about a limit of 70 grams of carbohydrates per day. The rest of your food should be high-fat and high-protein. Here are a few foods you can introduce in this phase:
This phase ends when you reach your weight goal.
During the maintenance phase, you can include about 100 grams of carbohydrates per day. The goal in this phase is not to lose weight, but to make sure your weight stays constant and doesn’t increase.
High-fat, high-protein meals are encouraged in this phase. No new foods are introduced in this phase, you can just increase the quantity of the foods here. The maintenance phase continues indefinitely for life as a healthy dietary plan.
Atkins 40 Diet
If you have less than 18 kg of weight to lose, you should follow the Atkins 40 diet plan. According to this diet plan, your maximum carbohydrate consumption per day should only be 40 grams, and the rest of your food should consist of proteins and fats.
The foods listed in the section above can all be consumed in the Atkins 40 diet, you just need to make sure that the carbohydrate component doesn’t exceed 40 grams.
When you’re 10 pounds away from your goal weight, you can add 10 grams of carbohydrates per day each week till you reach 100 grams of carbohydrates per day for maintaining your weight!
Atkins 100 Diet
The Atkins 100 diet is just for maintaining your current weight while leading a healthy lifestyle. In this diet, you can consume a maximum of 100 grams of carbohydrates per day! The rest of your food should consist of proteins and fats!
Atkins Diet Pros and Cons
The Atkins Diet pros and cons are discussed below:
Pros:
Cons:
These were the Atkins diet pros and cons. Let’s head over to Atkins Diet Plan FAQs to answer any queries you might still have!
Atkin Diet Plan FAQs
The Atkin Diet Plan FAQs below will answer the questions you have in your mind.
How do I know when to enter Phase 2?
Once you’re within 15-20 pounds of your ideal weight, it’s time to move to Phase 2! This can take a few months for some, while just a few weeks for others!
I am a vegan. Can I follow the Atkins diet plan?
Yes, vegans can also follow the Atkins diet plan! Just find vegan recipes that are low in carbohydrates and high in fats and proteins!
How do I deal with an appetite increase during the later phases of the Atkins Diet Plan?
According to an Atkins Diet review, you can decrease your appetite by cutting out refined sugar. Notice the recent additions you’ve made to your diet and alter them so that you don’t feel hungry! Go for nutritious and non-refined carbohydrate sources like vegetables and fruits.
These were all the Atkins Diet Plan FAQs that are bound to pop up in your mind.
So, what are you waiting for? Start this diet and improve your health!