Atkins Diet

The Atkins diet is a low-carb, high-protein weight loss programme. You start with a low-carb diet designed for rapid weight loss. This lasts at least two weeks depending on your weight loss goal. During this phase, you’re on a protein, fat and very low-carb diet, including meat, seafood, eggs, cheese, some veg, butter and oils.

In contrast to the Dukan diet, Atkins allows unlimited fat and some veg, such as peppers, cucumber and iceberg lettuce, during phase one. During the next three phases, the weight loss is likely to be more gradual, and regular exercise is encouraged. More carbs, fruit and veg are introduced to your diet with the aim of working out what your ideal carb intake is to maintain a healthy weight for life. Phase one is designed to help you lose up to 15lb in two weeks, reducing to 2lb to 3lb during phase two.

How does the Atkins Diet work?

You go through four “phases,” starting with very few carbs and eating progressively more until you get to your desired weight. Keeping carbs at bay isn’t as simple as saying No to sugar and baked potatoes. You’ll keep acceptable foods lists handy and polish your arithmetic skills. In phase 1, for example, you’re allowed 20 grams a day of “net carbs” (pull out the food list), 12 to 15 of them from “foundation vegetables” (pull out another list) high in fiber. But as for fat, you don’t even have to trim it off your steak.

Rapid weight loss can be motivating but it is unsustainable. The Atkins diet isn’t nutritionally balanced. By limiting fruit and veg it contradicts all the advice on healthy eating that we have tried so hard to pass on to people. The meal choices are limited so there’s a risk many people will get bored quickly and drop out or take a ‘pick and mix’ approach.

How does the Atkins Diets Work? Why does the Atkins Diet Work? Science and Consumers agree that living a low carb lifestyle is an excellent way to lose weight and generate extra energy: