Exploring The 4 Phases Of The Atkins Diet

The Atkins Diet Plan has been in existence since the early 1970s. The primary goal of the diet is to change the metabolism of your body causing it to burn excess fat instead of carbohydrates. Foods that are high in carbohydrates include sugar, rice, and bread. Your body is designed to burn carbohydrates first. However, when you deprive your body of the carbohydrates, another source of energy will be sought and this will more likely be excess fat. That is why the Atkins Diet Plan is also referred to as the low carbohydrate diet.

The Atkins Diet has four phases. Phase one is the induction stage. This stage is where you need your body to enter a state referred to as Ketosis. This is when your liver uses up its glucose storage and proceeds to burn fat to produce energy. In the long run, lack of carbohydrates will lead to substances called ketone bodies being produced. This causes the body to enter a state of Ketosis. This stage lasts for about two weeks and is the most challenging. The carbohydrates limit is 20 grams per day. It is recommended that you drink about 8 glasses of water. It is during this stage that most people see rapid weight loss.

Phase two of the Atkins Diet is Ongoing Weight Loss also referred to as OWL. Here the carbohydrate intake is increased by 5 grams every week.

The third phase is referred to as the Pre-Maintenance stage. The carbohydrate intake is increased further to 10 more grams per week. The main purpose of this phase is to determine the critical carbohydrate level for maintenance of the person on the diet plan. The maintenance level is the approximate number of carbohydrates a person can consume every day without gaining weight.

The final phase is Lifetime Maintenance. It involves incorporating all that you have learned in prior phases and using it to attain your desired weight. Having lost the weight that you wanted to lose, maintaining your new weight is crucial for the rest of your life as well as for health benefits. The Atkins Diet Plan does not recommend that you consume processed foods or junk foods. If you regain your lost weight, you can go back to the earlier phases and work your way to the top again.

This diet plan is quite popular due to the fact that it is not a diet that you have to limited your foods. If you are willing to change the foods you eat you are likely to have success.
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