The Atkins Method

The Atkins method, according to it's supporters, improves overall health and gives you greater energy as a result of the program.  The more conservative health professionals maintain that the Atkins diet could lead to heart damage. 

The Atkins diet relies heavily on proteins and fats, along with carbohydrates that are rich in nutrients. The idea is to strictly reduce the amount of non-nutritious carbohydrates you consume. The theory behind this is that, when carbohydrates are restricted, you end up burning fat rather than glucose. In addition, it has been shown that, all things being equal, you will lose more fat with Atkins than with other types of weight loss plans.

During the initial stage of Atkins, your body moves from burning carbohydrates to burning fats. You should also be able to kick the sugar habit during this stage. The second stage will see your weight loss accelerate. You can begin eating larger portions of vegetables during meals. In the third stage, known as pre-maintenance, you will continue to add more foods to the mix. The last stage involves lifetime maintenance. During this phase, you can continue to fight food addictions, maintain your goal weight, and decrease the chance that you will suffer from diabetes.

However, it can be difficult to stick with the Atkins plan. This is because the temptation to eat carbohydrates and sweets is so great. Friends and relatives can become diet saboteurs, preventing you from achieving the results you're looking for. In this case, the best defense is a good offense. This means telling your significant others in advance that you're determined to complete the Atkins program. Ask them to support you and not to give you or offer you food that is harmful to your diet.

 Some medical experts say that the Atkins approach is not appropriate for people who already suffer from kidney or liver trouble. Also, because Atkins reduces the amount of fruits and vegetables an individual consumes, the diet can leave people at greater risk for such problems as cancer and heart disease. As a result, you should probably check with your family physician before resorting to the Atkins plan, or any other low-carb, high-protein diet.

It seems that the Atkins plan has received a high success rate report. Unfortunately, there are those medical issues that need to be addressed. Consulting a physician before beginning the Atkins diet will be very helpful in determining whether you can go ahead with the diet.