Get Slim With Atkins Diet Plan

The Atkins’ diet has been a craze for a couple of decades. Here’s how you can gain from it.

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All of you who are reading this article right now have definitely been on a diet at some point or the other of your lives. The battle of the bulge is an ongoing problem and we are always on the lookout for various means to win this war.

Along with exercise, our diet and nutrition also plays an important role in reducing our weight. Hence, this obsession persists in all of us to undertake some form of dieting. But going on a diet is definitely not an easy thing. What to eat and what to stay away from is always a perennial problem.

One of my friends told me that she ate the normal menu which she cooked for the family, but her weight loss recipe is “portion control.” This is a really simple diet plan. In this plan, you cut down on the portion of food you consume. For example, if you usually have two pieces of toast for breakfast, you should eat only one piece. If you normally eat two cups of rice for lunch, cut it down to one cup. In this way, you are automatically reducing your calorie intake by half.

Another popular method of dieting is to stop all intake of fatty foods and sugar. In this diet, you cut down on your oil, butter and ghee intake which automatically reduces your fat deposits.

While I was leafing through a magazine, I read about one of our Hollywood celebrities following the Atkins’ diet. This immediately aroused my curiosity about the diet. Though I have heard about the diet many times, I had no inside knowledge about it. So, I immediately set to work on it and found out certain basic facts’ about the Atkins diet which I want to share with my readers.

The Atkins’ diet made its first appearance in 1972 and was invented by its namesake, Dr Atkins. According to him, this method enables us to lose weight by inducing a change in metabolism. Our body burns both fat and carbohydrates to provide energy. If we reduce the intake of carbohydrates significantly, our body starts burning only fat to provide energy. This method is called “lipolysis”, which in turn induces ketosis. In ketosis, our body burns fat as fuel. Atkins also felt that ketosis will affect insulin production which will result in less fat being formed. And, once your body enters ketosis, your cravings for carbohydrates will reduce significantly which, in turn, will reduce your body weight.

The major difference between Atkins’ diet and other types of diet is that, while most diets restrict calorie, intake, the Atkins’ plan encourages us to eat more. While most of the diets recommend low fat, high carbohydrate intake, Atkins’ does just the opposite. Instead of carbohydrate and sugar, this diet wants us to consume plenty of fat and protein.

The core principle of the Atkins’ diet is that, by limiting carbohydrates, our body is forced to burn its stored fat, rather than carbs for fuel.

The Atkins’ diet has a four carbohydrates stage plan induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance. With the help of these four stages, you can reduce as well as maintain your weight throughout your life.

Induction – phase 1: This phase lasts for two weeks, by the end of which you can obtain significant results. Another point is that, in this diet plan you can begin at any of the phase. But it is recommended to start with induction. As you cut back on your carbohydrates significantly in this phase, you will jump start your weight loss programme. In this phase, only 20 gm of carbohydrates are allowed and hence your weight loss is significant. As you drastically cut down on carbohydrates your body shifts into high gear and starts burning fat. This takes about 48 hours to occur and you may feel hungry and irritated for the first three-four days. But don’t worry, as soon as your fat starts getting converted to fuel, you will feel fit as a fiddle. Induction will strengthen your immune system and also improve our long-term health.

Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) phase 2: In this phase, the weight loss pace slows down as you add nutrient-rich carbohydrates to your diet. During this period, you will boost your body’s ability to burn fats as well as understand your body better. You will find the right amount of carbohydrates which you can consume and still lose weight. Your body will also prepare itself for permanent weight management. The amount of carbohydrates which you can eat is increased to 25 gm per day for the first week and increased in five gm instalment for the next few weeks. If your weight loss is significant, you can increase your carbohydrate intake. A person has to be on OWL till he or she is within three-five kg of their goal weight.

Pre-maintenance – (phase 3): Pre-maintenance is a practice run for lifetime maintenance. In this phase, you are fast approaching your target. As long as you continue to lose weight, you can increase your weekly allotment of carbohydrates by another 10 gm. You will be in this phase till you reach your goal and stay on it for one month. The ultimate goal here is to achieve a state of balance called Atkins’ Carbohydrate Equilibrium (ACE). The ACE is your individual level of carbohydrate intake wherein you neither gain nor lose weight.

Lifetime maintenance phase 4: In this phase, you have to focus on your individual ACE and strive to stay within two kg of your ideal weight for the rest of your life. By following a sensible eating plan, you gain energy, better health and confidence in yourself.

By following these four phases, you not only achieve your dream weight but are also able to maintain it throughout your life. You can learn more about this diet by reading the book, Dr Atkins’ New Diet Revolution. But, as with any other diet, this plan also has its pros and cons. The good point is that this diet recommends exercise as a vital part of the weight loss programme. Another point to be noted is that you cannot start on carbohydrates after you lose weight as this will result in your gaining back all that you have lost.

Medical experts advise that people who have gout, kidney problems, diabetes or are pregnant women should not follow this diet plan. As this diet is very stringent, do consult your doctor/dietician for proper advice.

Your dietician will provide you with a proper menu chart as to what should be eaten, in what quantities, etc, based on your eating habits and general lifestyle.

Happy dieting and hoping to see slimmer and fitter readers.

Affirmations For Weight Loss

Weight-loss affirmations tend to be particularly highly effective resources, which may assist you to realize your own ideal weight ambitions.Weight-loss affirmations could be fully extended to other arenas of one’s existence and assist you to achieve all other objectives you may have.Weight loss affirmations are positive statements, that incorporate whatever you plan to attain. Undoubtedly you have read about the Law of Attraction, made well-liked by means of the recognized series of self-help books and dvds.As per the Law of Attraction, you bring to yourself the items you think and feel the most about.If your own weight loss affirmations express a greatly improved, slimmer you, that is what you are going to generate. Your weight loss affirmation should be repeated aloud on an every day basis. Soon, they will direct you to accomplishing your weight loss goals.Your weight reduction affirmations really should be paired with positive visualization. You want to “see” and “feel” yourself at your perfect weight. You want to rejoice at the image of yourself which you are producing inside your thoughts.It truly is essential to comprehend that you have lived your life in a particular way…for a reason. And that your weight has -in some way- served you. Inside your weight loss affirmations and visualizations, you might focus on replacing the needs that your weight used to fulfill, with a healthier and extra positive life style.You may want to try and repeat your weight loss affirmations frequently at very first. You will notice that, as time goes by, your subconscious thoughts will supply less resistance to the affirmations, and they will begin turning into realities.Here are ten suggested weight reduction affirmation that you may like to attempt:- I am thinner each and every day.- I make healthy selections in my life.- I appreciate being healthy.- I lose weight effortlessly.- I’m losing weight now.- I enjoy wholesome foods.- I opt to workout routinely.- I have the energy to alter my life. – I consume only what I need.- My body is getting slimmer and healthier every day. Repeating your weight loss affirmations at instances where you might be tempted to overeat, will enable you to remain focused and on track. Bear in mind that your weight-loss affirmations should be in the present tense. They’re happening now!. You may want to attempt and develop your own weight-loss affirmations, which resonate with your own particular needs.Give this method a try!. Weight reduction affirmations will bring your weight-loss goals closer to you! The difference between success and failure on any weight loss plan may rely on how motivated you are. To find more Weight Loss Motivation click now.

Demystifying Myths about Low Carb Foods for Weight Loss

In this article, you will get to learn about all the truths concerning these myths to help you understand the plain facts.

It’s the best diet

There is no way that low carbs can be the ideal diet for every person. It’s a flay myth that confuses many people. If you take these foods and fail to do AB workouts or any other workout, you will get zero results. Low carb diets will definitely help you to lose that excess weight and keep your body healthy but not every person will derive benefits from the foods. People are different and what will work for one person is not assured to work for the other.

All carbs are dangerous

It is undeniable that carbs are dangerous to one’s health but not all. Those people who say that every carb is dangerous only perpetuate the myth that is outdated. You can have low carb foods for weight loss and they will work well without putting you in any danger. It is a matter of how you choose the carbs to eat. Those derived from natural sources like milk and meat are safe and especially if complemented by AB workouts. If you choose artificial carbs then you will have only yourself to blame for side effects experienced.

All carbs are sugar

That is a lie and one among the equals as far as carb myths is concerned. There are many carbs that are not sugary so intimating that they are all sugars is wrong and misguided. You cannot count simple sugars like galactose as dangerous. There is no way starch will be equated with sugars unless one has a sinister motive to advance. In any case, low carb foods for weight loss have very minimal sugars so nothing to cause you an alarm.

Gaining weight is impossible

If you relax on your weight loss plan thinking that you cannot get overweight under low carb foods, you will be in for a surprise. There has been a myth that any person using low carb foods cannot gain weight but it’s misleading. If you don’t take your AB workouts seriously, the low carb foods you take will be of no use at all. Exercising has to be part of your plan for low carb foods for weight loss to deliver desired results. Make sure you have played your role as far as losing weight with low carb foods is concerned.

Calories matter less

If you have heard that calories will not be a thing to concern you when losing weight with low carb foods, you need to think twice because that is a myth. For the low carb foods for weight loss you take in to deliver the preferred results, you must regulate amount of calories in your diet. That’s all you need to do and make sure you include AB workouts.