Atkins Diet Review

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Cost: Free membership; Adkins products may be purchased for under $10 and up.

Atkins Diet Plan Features

The Adkins Diet is a low-carb diet plan that initially cuts out practically all carbohydrates. Its premise is that when we eat too many carbs, the body burns carbs for energy and stores the excess carbs as fat. If we drastically cut down on the consumption of carbohydrates (especially white flour and sugar), the body will begin to burn fat as its primary source of fuel for energy.

The Atkins Diet consists of four phases, and you can choose any of the first three phases to start your diet.

Phase One – This induction phase is intended to jumpstart your weight-loss, and it lasts for two weeks. During this phase, you’ll eat only 20 net carbs per day. You won’t get to eat any white flour or sugar, including breads, pastas, donuts, etc. You can’t have any nuts or fruits, either.

Your diet will consist of lean protein from fish, chicken, lean cuts of beef, eggs, and such. It will also include green, leafy vegetables and fresh, colorful vegetables. You can even snack on sweet Atkins snacks. As you drastically reduce the carbs in your diet and increase your physical activity, your body will soon begin to burn its fat as fuel, and the pounds will start to drop off.
Phase Two - During the second phase of the Atkins Diet, you’ll begin adding other healthy foods, such as nuts and fruits, back into your diet. Every week, you’ll add a few more nutritious carbohydrates as you keep track of your weight loss. The weight loss will be slower in this phase than in the first phase, although it should continue to be steady. Your metabolism should be working more efficiently, too. Of course, if you start gaining weight, then you’ve gone beyond your “personal threshold level of carbohydrate consumption” or the “Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing.”
Phase Three – This is the pre-maintenance phase. In this phase, you still have a few pounds to lose. You’ve almost reached your weight-loss goal. You should feel energized, optimistic, and in control of what you eat. You’re still adding good carbs into your diet each week. You continue to lose weight slowly until you reach the point at which you do not lose or gain any weight. (This point is known in the Atkins Diet as your Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium.)
Phase Four – This is the maintenance phase of the Atkins Diet Plan. To keep that new lean body, you will continue to follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly. Embrace your new lifestyle and follow this phase for the rest of your life to stay energetic and fit.

Other features of the Atkins Diet include:

Online carb counter to help you keep track of the carbs you consume.
Online meal planner to help ensure that your meals are within the Atkins guidelines.
Online recipe database.
Online support community.
Online Atkins courses to teach you all you need to know about the Atkins Diet and how to successfully reach your weight-loss goals.

Our Review – The Atkins Diet

I have a friend who likes to follow Phase One of the Atkins Diet (the induction phase) whenever she wants to quickly lose pounds before an upcoming trip or special occasion. She sticks to this phase very well and always loses at least some weight. So, for her, Phase One of the Atkins Diet works! However, she never seems to get beyond this phase, and the weight is eventually put back on.

The Atkins Diet is truly a low-carb diet plan. Once you get beyond the induction phase, the Atkins Diet allows you to gradually introduce more vegetables and fruit. This high-protein method of eating helps prevent the dieter from always feeling hungry. Nevertheless, the nutritional value of the Atkins Diet falls short of the daily requirements listed in the USDA Food Pyramid.

As with any diet plan, your success depends upon how well you follow the plan. According to a popular consumer research source, most people fall off the Atkins Diet due to its restrictiveness. Long-term adherence to the Atkins Diet is below average, and weight loss on this diet is only average. In the long term, the Atkins Diet just doesn’t cut it! Perhaps you’d be better off increasing your physical activity and eating a BALANCED diet.

NOTE: Before beginning any weight-loss or exercise program, consult your physician.

Written by Cyndi Waters, Fitness Researcher and Writer