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The Atkins Diet
is everywhere these
days. It is talked about
on the television,
advertised on the radio
and discussed by people
of all ages in all parts
of the world. This diet
is one of the biggest
and most exaggerated fad
diets on the market
today, and the estimated
number of people who
have tried it is in the
millions! One reason for
such popularity is the
large amount of
advertising paid for by
the program. It is known
in most parts of the
world, but the diet has
gained most of its fame
in the Western part of
the world.
If we cut the hype off
of this program, what it
basically boils down to
is elimination of most
carbohydrates from your
daily diet. However, in
the place of those
carbs, you can still eat
high fat foods such as
eggs, cheese, steak and
butter. A lot of other
diets don’t allow these
foods, so this can make
the Atkins Diet
seem like the best
choice. When considering
this diet you have to
look at everything that
it involves though. Even
though you can eat those
delicious foods like
cheese and steak, how
long can you really go
without carbohydrates?
Think about a steak
dinner without potatoes,
or a breakfast of eggs
and ham without hash
browns or toast. This is
not a nice thought to a
lot of people.
Why does the Atkins
Diet insist on this
carbohydrate rule? They
say that this process
will force your body to
use its stored fat (your
excess weight) for
energy in place of the
energy that the
eliminated carbs would
have given you. The no
carbohydrate rule is a
big one – don’t think
you can be successful on
this diet without
sticking to it. Don’t be
discouraged though, the
no-carbohydrate phase
only lasts for two
weeks.
Ongoing Weight Loss is
the name of the second
phase of the Atkins
Diet. Although this
phase allows you to
start eating
carbohydrates again, it
is a slow process that
starts at only five
extra grams per day.
There is no doubt about
it; the hardest part of
this diet will be the
severe cutback of those
much-craved carbs! When
you have reached the
limit of how many
carbohydrates you can
consume in a day, you
will not be able to
exceed this limit unless
you want to stop losing
one to three pounds per
week. The Ongoing Weight
Loss phase lasts as long
as the name describes.
It lasts until your goal
weight is almost within
reach.
The third and final
stage of the Atkins
Diet comes when you
have just five to ten
pounds left to lose. In
this phase, you are
finally allowed to
increase your
carbohydrate intake by
ten grams per day. Once
your goal weight has
been reached you cannot
go back to the normal
250 grams of carbs per
day. The Atkins Diet
states that you must
maintain only eating
ninety grams of
carbohydrates a day for
the rest of your life!
This is a huge
difference when compared
to what most people
consume normally, and
this should be carefully
considered when choosing
what diet is best for
you.
The side effects of the
Atkins Diet
should also be taken
into consideration
before embarking on the
program. These include
kidney infections,
dizziness and weakness,
constipation and heart
problems. As with some
pain medications,
sometimes the disease is
healthier for you than
the cure! Make sure to
talk to your doctor
before signing up for
this diet.
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