What Is Atkins Diet? How To Do It?

You may have heard countless times from doctors who kept stressing the benefits of eating healthy. That is because the foods that we eat are directly related to the immunity system of our body.

The nutrients that are present in the food are known to boost the immunity of our body. Nutrients like beta-carotene and vitamins C and D are some of these that help out body fight the harmful disease-causing germs.

This is the reason why so many people who are determined to stay healthy by eating good food are always on the lookout for beneficial and effective diets.

There are many diets that have managed to yield effective results. One of these magical diets is the Atkins Diet.

What is Atkins diet?  Stick till the end to know about this diet.

What Is The Atkins Diet?

One of the earliest and the very first low-carb diets is the Atkins diet. It hit the market in the 1970s when Dr. Robert Atkins devised it. However, it became popular only in the 2000s after the publication of the book Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution, which became one of the best-selling books in history.

This diet style claims that anyone can effectively lose weight only by limiting and supervising the quantity of carbohydrates they intake. In other words, Dr. Atkins stated that restricting or limiting carbs is very necessary if you want to lose weight.

However, this does not mean that you have to eat only bland boiled food. The best part of this unique diet is the fact that you can consume a lot of saturated fat and protein. Some call it the “high calorie way to stay thin forever.”

In a way, it is similar to the weight watchers diet as it also does not restrict you from eating to your heart’s content.

Read More: Signs You Need to Let Go of Your Diet Plan

How Does The Atkins Diet Work?

The main focus of the diet is eating right. You need to eat the right amount of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. This balanced intake is what drives the body to lose weight.

There are four phases of the Atkins diet. Let me introduce you to them one by one.

1. Induction

This is the first phase of the diet. In this phase, your body switches to burning fats instead of carbs. This is similar to what happens in a ketogenic diet. The process is known as ketosis. In this phase, you will be able to see a fast weight loss.

2. Balancing

This is the second phase of the diet. This is the phase where you learn to balance. You will be adding the foods back to your diet. This is where you will know where to restrict your carb intake so that you can eat what you want without gaining the weight back.

3. Pre-maintenance

You can gradually increase the food range in this phase. You can add the foods that you like to eat while maintaining the balance. However, you should be able to stop your urge to add more carbs when you see that your weight is increasing.

4. Maintenance

This is the last stage of this diet. When you have reached your goal weight, all you need to do is maintain it. This means that you need to keep the balance of protein, carbs, and fats in your diet.

Atkins Diet Menu: What Can You Eat?

The Atkins diet is all about limiting carbs and enhancing the content of saturated fats and proteins. In case you are wondering what to eat on Atkins diet, let me help you. You can eat foods like.

• Plant nuts
• Vegetables
• Meat and fish

Here is a sample menu that can help you organize your diet:

Can Vegetarians Be On An Atkins Diet?

It can be difficult to be on an Atkins diet if you are a vegetarian, as it needs some extra planning. This is because most of the options that are to be included are based on animal protein. However, it is not impossible.

You can increase the proteins that are derived from plants. Eat more nuts and seeds to substitute for animal fats. You can also try to include coconut oil or olive oil as they are good sources of plant-based fats as well.

You May Like To Read This: What Are Plant-Based Diets? – How To Do It?

The 4-Phase Plan Of The Atkins Diet

Here is a summary of the Atkins diet, which is always a good idea to consult with your registered physician and dietician. Below, I am going to discuss the 4-phase Atkins diet. 

Phase 1: 

Ensure the carbs are under 20 gm for two weeks in your Atkins diet. You must eat high-protein, high-fat, low-carb vegetables such as leafy greens. 

Phase 2: 

Make sure you are consuming nuts and slow-carb vegetables at this phase. 

Phase 3: 

When you reach your goal weight closer, you can add more carbs. 

Phase 4: 

In this phase, you can eat many healthy carbs that your body can tolerate. 

Foods To Limit In Atkins Diet:

Here are some individuals that you should consume on the Atkin diet, but make sure you are not over-consuming those foods:

Sugar: 

One of the foods you should limit in your diet is soft drinks, cakes, candy, ice cream, and other similar products. 

Grains: 

you can consume grains such as wheat, rye, barley, rice, etc. 

Diet and Low-Fat Foods: 

these food items are high in sugar, so make sure you are not over-consuming at a high rate 

High Carb Fruits: 

Apples, Oranges, Pears and Grapes

Legumes: 

Beans, Chickpeas, and others. 

Foods To Eat In Atkins Diet: 

While you are on the Atkins diet, make sure you are based your diet on such foods as: 

Meats like beef, pork, chicken, bacon, and other foods.

• Ensure you consume enough fatty fish and seafood such as trout, sardines, mackerel, and so on. 
• Eat enough low-fat carb vegetables such as Kale, Spinach, broccoli, and asparagus.
• Eat enough full-fat dairy like butter, cheese, cream and full-fat yogurt
• Ensure you have enough healthy fats such as extra virgin olive oil, avocadoes, coconut oil, etc. 

Some Beverages That Are Acceptable In The Atkins Diet 

Here are some drinks that are acceptable in the Atkins diet, which I have mentioned below. 

Water: 

Make sure you are consuming enough amount of water and make sure this should be a go-to beverage 

Coffee: 

Coffee might be high in antioxidants, but this beverage might offer multiple health benefits

Green Tea: 

Did you know consuming green tea is necessary at the time of the Atkins diet? Because it is high in antioxidants.

Pros And Cons Of The Atkins Diet

If you were thinking about the effects and the side effects of the Atkins diet, think no more. I have jotted down the pros and cons of this diet below.

What Is Good About It?

• Helps manage weight effectively.
• No need to count the calories.
• It does not stop you from eating anything.
• Focuses on maintaining low carb intake.

What Is Not Good About It?

• Restricts a number of fruits that are natural sweeteners.
• Restricts certain nutrients.
• May cause weakness and fatigue.
• Sometimes it causes problems related to the kidney.

Benefits Of Having A Healthy Diet

You might remember that the last time you visited your doctor, he or she had advised you to change your diet. “Eat healthy” is what he said, didn’t he?

Well, there’s a reason why he told you so. There are multiple benefits of eating healthy and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Some of the benefits of having a healthy diet are as follows.

• It helps you to lose weight.
• It improves your heart health.
• Reduces the chances of diabetes.
• Protects your body against many diseases.
• Boosts your immunity system.
• It prevents cancer and other terminal or chronic diseases.

Because of all the benefits, there are many people who follow very strict eating habits. There are many healthy diet options that are available at present. Some very popular types of diet are the paleo diet and vegan diet.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

The Atkins diet might lead to dehydration. That is why while you are maintaining this diet, ensure you are consuming enough water. Below, I am going to discuss some FAQs related to the Atkins Diet.

Q1. What Foods Do You Eat On An Atkins Diet?

When you are on an Atkins diet, you need to restrict the quantity of carbs and increase the amount of protein and saturated fats. You can eat a lot of meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, and butter. Vegetarians can eat legumes and seeds.

Q2. How Much Weight Can You Lose In A Month On Atkins Diet?

In the book written by Dr. Robert Atkins, he claims that following this diet, one can lose up to 10 to 14 pounds, or 4 to 6 kgs a month.

Q3. What Is A Major Problem With Atkins Diet?

One of the major problems of the Atkins diet is the fact that it restricts a lot of necessary nutrients. This can cause several problems related to the kidney and electrolyte imbalance in the body. Another problem is that it focuses too much on saturated fats.

Wrapping it up!

In a world full of diets where new trends are popping up every minute, it is important that you find the right diet for yourself that will help you lose weight effectively. The Atkins diet is one of the oldest diets. This is one of the very first diets that focused on the importance of having a low-carb diet.

The Atkins diet plan is totally free, and you can do it from home by just restricting the amount of carbs you intake. However, as it also restricts the intake of several essential nutrients, it can cause several side effects and even kidney problems.

However, people who have tried this diet have claimed that they have experienced gradual weight loss. The key feature of this form of diet is the fact that the people who are eating have the power to balance and know what works best for them.

Read Also:

1. What Is A Low Fat Diet? – How To Do It?
2. What Is The Mediterranean Diet? – How To Do It?
3. Starting A New Diet Plan: Here Are 5 Factors You Need To Consider