Atkins Diet
Our Reviewer Says ...
“If you love meat, you’ll enjoy the diet, as long as you can stay interested in it.”
At a Glance
By Myatt Murphy
Eat meat, lose weight? That's the basic principle behind the Atkins Diet. On it, you won't be counting calories: Instead, the focus is on consuming fewer grams of carbohydrates. By restricting carbs, the body not only ends up with fewer leftover calories after each meal (calories which are typically converted into stored body fat), but it also has no choice but to burn additional stored body fat for energy.
During the 14-day induction phase, Atkins followers are instructed to eat either three large meals or four to five smaller meals throughout the day. Although the plan calls for plenty of protein and fats, it only allows for 20 grams of carbohydrates each day (15 grams must come from low-carb vegetables). The second Ongoing Weight Loss or OWL phase allows an added five grams of carbs every week as long as you keep losing 1 to 3 pounds a week. This phase continues until you're within 5 to 10 pounds of your ideal weight. The third Pre-Maintenance phase lets you add ten grams of carbs each week until you're losing about a pound a week. This phase continues until you reach your target weight. The fourth Lifetime Maintenance phase instructs dieters to continue eating the final amount of carbohydrates they reached in phase three. If they find themselves five pounds above their target weight, dieters are told to return to the induction phase.
Checklist
- Cost: Average.
- Meals Provided: None. However, they do offer a variety of recipes. They also have their own line of supplements, nutritional bars, snacks and shakes.
- Diet Duration: Phase One is two weeks. Phase Two lasts until you reach 5 to 10 pounds of your target weight. Phase Three lasts until you reach your target weight. Phase Four is meant to be a lifetime commitment.
- Fitness Requirements: Although it doesn't give a specific exercise plan, the diet does encourage exercising regularly.
- Time Commitment: Minimal. Counting carbs is no more demanding than counting calories.
- Eating Out: Depends on where you go. You may have to ask your waiter a few questions to be absolutely certain about the carb content of your foods. But some restaurants offer specific low-carb items.
- Alcohol: It's forbidden during Phase One, but is allowed during the later phases.
- Vegetarian-Friendly: Not at all. Because the diet is built around eating plenty of protein, meat in some form is almost always on the menu.
- Strict/Flexible Eating Plan: Very strict at the start, although it allows for more freedom as the plan goes along.
