weight loss atkins diet

THE BATTLE OF BULGE -DIETS TO LOSE WEIGHT FAST 

There are numerous ways to lose weight. Some methods work wonders while some yield nothing despite you putting all in it. The battle of bulge can be excruciating, but it is not an effort that goes wasted.

Weight loss is nothing more than the foods you eat and the exercise routine you follow. The edibles in your kitchen shelf may not decide your weight, but what you make of them and in what portions definitely does.

Most people who target quick weight loss successfully ignore the essence of eating balanced meals and eating them in the right portion sizes. Also, the self-crafted diets welcomingly churn out the fat, only to make you bulkier the instant you go back to your regular eating habits. This is where thoughtfully designed weight loss diets come into play.

Weight loss entails a change in one’s dietary habits as well as scaling up the level of physical activity. With a sensible combination of these two factors, you can boast of tremendous results to your weight loss goals.

DIETS FOR A SLIMMER YOU 

The logic behind dieting and resultant weight loss is the calorie intake. Weight loss requires that one expends more calories than one consumes. In cases contrary to this, the body’s excess calories start getting stored as fat.

Dieting, as commonly understood, does not imply starving oneself to weight loss. It refers to eating in a regulated and controlled environment in order to reduce, increase or sustain one’s body weight. It must always be supported with physical exercise for long-term gains.

Here is a list of the most promising weight loss diets which will help you achieve your resolute goal of quick weight loss.

THE ATKINS DIET

Fig: The Atkins Diet

What is the story behind it?

Formulated by Dr. Robert C. Atkins, a cardiologist, the Atkins Diet is a revolutionary weight-loss diet plan. Dr. Atkins, convinced of the negative effects of excess carbohydrates on the weight and overall health of his patients, established this diet in early 70’s.

This low-carb diet restricts carb intake to a maximum of 20 grams per day and in case of a food which is restricted from consumption, one is expected to keep away from it completely.

His first book was published in 1972, by the name of Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution. Since then, the diet has become a rage in weight-loss circles, with Dr. Atkins testifying the use of this diet for himself a numerous times.

In the words of its founder, this diet is “the amazing no-hunger weight-loss plan that has helped millions lose weight and keep it off.”

It sounds too tempting to turn your back on, doesn’t it? But what is this diet all about and how far does it hold true?

Diet Type

High-fat, low-carbohydrate diet

What to expect?

As far as the results of this diet are concerned, Atkins claims that “most people will lose 4.5- 13.6 kilograms in the first month.”

The Atkins Diet Centre claims that the diet is superior to low-fat diet plans, thus effectuating individual weight loss.

What are the foods it includes?

The main class of foods for the Atkins diet is protein foods since they have little or no carbohydrates. While protein foods like meat, sea food and eggs are the perfect choice for an Atkins diet, there are other protein foods to be watchful with. Here are a few tips on how to eat protein foods while on a low-carb diet:

Food Type	How to Choose
Vegetables	Keep a tab of the carbohydrate count of vegetables that you consume. Veggies carry a large chunk of carbohydrates. Ensure you intake 12-15 grams of carbs a day from vegetables alone.
Cheeses	Since cheese contains not more than a gram of carbohydrate per ounce, Atkins permits 3-4 ounces of cheese consumption during the induction phase.This excludes cottage cheese and farmer’s cheese while cream cheese is included.
Fats and Oils	Lots of cold-water fish, Foods with omega-3 fatty acids, Virgin or extra-virgin olive oil, Cold-pressed or expeller-pressed Canola, Groundnut and Grapeseed oil for stir-frying, Full-fat mayonnaise, butter and other saturated fat sources. Avoid Corn, Soy, Safflower and Sunflower Oil unless consumed in small amounts and are cold or expeller pressed. Do not eat margarine unless it is trans-fat free.
Additional Foods	Lemon/Lime juice: 2-3 tablespoon, Heavy cream: 2-3 tablespoon, Sour cream: 28.4 g, Olives: 10-20 Avocado (small): ½. Keep a count of carbohydrates and consume extra fibre.
Beverages	Water is king. Consume 8 glasses of water a day while you are on Atkins diet. Sugar-free soda, plain or flavored sugar-free, decaf coffee and tea. Avoid all sugary beverages, including juice and cider.
Sugar Substitutes	Preferably sucralose (Splenda). Avoid powdered sweeteners as they have additional 1 gram carb per pack.

The phases of Atkins Diet

Atkins diet has four phases, wherein each phase incorporates higher degree of carbohydrates as you proceed from one phase to another.

Phases of Dukan Diet Phase 1: Induction It is the initial “fourteen-day” diet which focuses on balancing the metabolism. The body’s metabolism, during this phase, shifts from that of a carbohydrate-burning to a fat-burning one.  Cravings are arrested by way of abstinence and the blood sugar levels stabilize while the body breakdowns addictive eating patterns. It is the most difficult phase of the diet where each carbohydrate is kept a count of, including those from chewing gums and cough syrups! It is not unusual to achieve a 2.5 kg weight loss or more in a week while in this phase. Fruits, grains, breads, starchy vegetables and dairy products other than cheese, cream, or butter are completely disallowed in this stage. Phase 2: Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) The remaining 3 stages gradually require a slow addition of more carbs in the diet while making room for more deviations from the initial list of restrictive foods. The final stage, i.e. Maintenance, arms the dieter with the knowledge and practice of consuming manageable levels of carbohydrate levels without inviting weight gain. Phase 3: Pre-Maintenance Phase 4: Maintenance

 

What is the intensity of exercise required?

Since Atkins diet entails a low-carb diet, exercise must be kept to moderate levels. With less carbohydrate store in your body, rigorous exercising will burn off fat quickly followed by burning glycogen and water, leaving your muscles lifeless and dehydrated.

How does it work in reducing fat?

Atkins diet results in weight loss based on the principle of Ketosis, a process which burns excess fat (secondary source of energy after carbohydrates) stored in the body since carbohydrate reserves are depleted due to limited carbohydrate intake.

High carbs means high insulin production in the body. Due to raised insulin levels, the food readily converts into body fat. Thus, lower carb consumption leads to lesser insulin production in the body, burning the existing fuel for energy that is fat for the loss of carbohydrates.

Ketosis is stimulated in cases where carbohydrate intake is below 40 grams per day. On an average, a person consumes more than 300 grams of carbohydrates in a day.

Precautions

The Atkins diet is dangerous for people with medical conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, kidney problems and diabetes. Also, pregnant and lactating women must refrain from following this diet.