The Atkins Nutritional Approach is known by many names such as the Atkins Diet, is one of the most popular diets on the market today. This diet is a low carbohydrates diet and it was introduced to the world by a doctor named Robert Atkins. Atkins introduced the approach to weight loss and healthy life in the 1990’s and he based it on a diet that he read about in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Dr. Atkins used the diet that he read about to lose weight himself during medical school and then in 1998 he released his book based on the diet entitled, Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution. Atkins would follow with another book that updated some of his ideas, but the basics remained the same.

Atkins Diet Information

The t is often credited with the low carb craze that has seized the world over the last decade. Because of this craze and the popularity of the books, the Atkins franchise was an instant success. While there was instant success, the company would actually file bankruptcy in 2005, two years after Dr. Atkins death, but would later come back in 2006, where they are still well known for the books and even food related products.

There are four phases of the Atkins Diet. These phases are called induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance, and lifetime maintenance. The first phase is the most restrictive and the hardest time for most followers because the body is meant to enter a state of ketosis, and this happens because the body is restricted to 20 grams of carbohydrates per day, which means that the body has to start feeding on its fat supplies for energy.

The ongoing weight loss phase allows for an increase in carbohydrates, but not so much that the body will not continue to burn fat. The carb intake increases by five net grams each week and the phase lasts as long as it takes the person to be within 10 pounds of their target weight. During this time more vegetables will be introduced to the diet as well as dairy products, such as low fat milk.

The pre-maintenance phase allows for an increase in carbs again by 10 net carbs a week from the ladder groupings provided in the diet. The idea here is to eat the maximum number of carbs a week possible without gaining weight. You may not even need to be in a state of ketosis for this to occur, but many will continue to lose weight.

The lifetime maintenance phase is meant to help dieters continue to follow the habits that they have formed throughout life. There is an emphasis on whole and unprocessed foods, and the idea is to go back a phase or two if you start to gain weight again. The Atkins Diet is often very effective because there is not an “end” per say, instead it is the beginning of a new lifestyle.