Atkins Diet – A Beginner’s Guide

Every year, loads of people fill up with new vigor and hopeful gazes, all set to chase after their grand ambitions once again. Since being overweight is a major hurdle in maintaining good health (1), getting leaner and fitter remains a high priority on many folks’ lists.

Many diet plans have been in the spotlight for many years now. While many are supported by science and confer several health benefits, there is no “one-size-fits-all” way of eating. Finding the best diet for you is not that easy.

One of the most popular diet plans today is the Atkins Diet. Learn if it will suit you, along with some tips.

What is the Atkins Diet?

Known as the most famous low-carb weight loss diet in the world, this was first introduced in the early 1970s by Robert Atkins, a cardiologist.

The Atkins diet is known to be effective in inducing rapid weight loss without hunger. It has four stages: Induction, Balancing, Fine Tuning, and Maintenance.

To summarize the four phases:

• In Phase 1, your goal is to be able to eat ONLY 20 grams of carbohydrates. This should be done daily for 2 weeks. Fill yourself up with proteins, fats, and veggies, but make sure you watch for the carbs especially for vegetables.

• Phase 2 should be the stage where you slowly reintroduce a small amount of fruits to your diet, some nuts, and low-carbohydrate vegetables.

• For Phase 3, if you are about to reach your planned weight, add a little more carb. This is to help you manage your weight loss or weight gain and keep you within your target range.

• Phase 4 is all about fine-tuning or filtering all the carbs that you put inside your body. You see, not all carbs are bad for you. You just have to learn how to choose and find out what is good for you and then include them in your diet.

Several studies found out that the Atkins diet is at least as effective or sometimes even more effective than other diets (2, 3).

According to the famous A TO Z study, more than 300 overweight women who followed the Atkins diet lost more weight as compared to those who took the low-fat Ornish diet, the LEARN diet, and the Zone diet (2).

Other controlled studies have shown similar results, along with some improvements in heart disease risk factors (4, 5, 6).

With the drastic cutting of carbs during the early phase of this program, one may experience some side effects such as headache, dizziness, weakness, and fatigue. Also, nutritional deficiencies and insufficient fiber may also ensue, causing constipation, diarrhea, and nausea.

Atkins is not for everyone. It is recommended that you consult a doctor first before starting this diet, especially if you are taking diuretics, insulin, or other oral diabetes medications. People with severe kidney problems should not follow this diet. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should also be cautious.

How Does It Work?

The theory behind the Atkins diet is much like how the ketogenic diet works in that the body, realizing it doesn’t have glucose for energy, switches to fat stores as fuel. Dr. Atkins said there are crucial unrecognized factors in our eating habits which make us fat. Among those is our consumption of refined carbs, especially sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and flour.

When on the Atkins Diet, your metabolism switches from burning glucose as fuel to burning its own stored body fat – or basically the whole process of ketosis. When our glucose levels are low, our insulin levels are also low. It is when both glucose and insulin are low can ketosis only start (7).

Due to the low amount of carbs, the menu of someone doing the Atkins diet is high in fat and protein. Initial concerns surrounding the Atkins diet revolve on how its menu consists of high-fat recipes.

The designed recipes were found to be high in saturated fat and critics were concerned on how they might increase the risk of acquiring cardiovascular diseases. Fortunately, recent studies have shown that there is no direct correlation between saturated fat intake and cardiovascular diseases (8).

In this regard, the Atkins diet is also structured to make sure your calories come from quality sources. This way, the body is getting the right amount of energy it needs despite the low-carb staple.

What Can You Eat on the Atkins Diet?

Below is a food guide on what you can eat on an Atkins Diet.

Fish, Fowl, Meat, and Other Healthy Fat and Protein Sources

We’re talking about herring, salmon, sardines, tuna for fish; chicken, pheasant, quail, turkey for fowl; beef, lamb, pork, veal, venison for meat; crabmeat, clams, shrimp, lobster, squid for shellfish; omelets, boiled, other types of eggs. You are also welcome to indulge in butter, olive oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil, and other healthy fats.

Plant fats are universally recognized as healthy. Any diet won’t be complete without a bit of plant fat in the mix. Not to mention you don’t need to have a lot of plant fat in your diet to reap the benefits. For animal fats, you really want to get the most out of fish fat especially for its omega-3. Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid and studies show adequate amounts lead to improved overall health.

Beverages

Water is always good to drink. In fact, you can just drink water all the time. However, water can get pretty boring, so it’s good to have regular black coffee and pure tea on the side. Club soda is also fine as well as flavored seltzer – the “zero-calorie” kind.

Then there are also beverages with sweeteners. We usually insist on avoiding them, but you can also have some so long as they use zero-calorie sweeteners.

Vegetables & Fruits

When it comes to vegetables, you want to focus on eating the ones with the least carbs for the amount of nutrients they provide. Some examples are alfalfa, chicory, olives, lettuce, spinach, tomato, garlic, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, cabbage, yellow squash, and bok choy. To make things taste better, use salad dressings like red wine vinegar, lemon and lime juice, ranch, and Balsamic vinegar.

For fruits, you are welcome to eat mango, figs, cherries, raisins, guava, apples, dates, papaya, and even bananas so long as you are careful about the carb content per serving or bite.

Foods to Avoid

Foods to avoid or restrict, depending on the phase of the diet, include:

• Starchy vegetables, such as corn and potatoes
• Fruits with high sugar content, such as pineapple, mango, papaya, and banana
• Sweets, including cookies, candies, cakes, and soft drinks
• Refined or simple carbs, including white bread, pasta, and foods containing processed grains
• During induction, some foods, such as carrots, apples, and legumes, are not suitable. In time, however, a person can reintroduce them.

Tips to Start the Atkins Diet

1. Set goals

Setting achievable, healthy goals before you begin your diet is an important part of a successful Atkins program. Keeping your big-picture goals in mind while you lose weight will motivate you to stay on track and provide you with something to work toward. You can even write your goals down and keep them in a visible place in your home as a positive reminder.

2. Determine which Atkins Plan is right for you

Answer a few simple questions to customize your Atkins program to match your goals. If you decide Atkins 20 is the right plan for you, you will begin with Phase 1: Induction. The purpose of Induction is to kick start weight loss by shifting your body’s metabolism from primarily burning carbs to primarily burning fat. In this phase, your aim is to set your net carb intake to 20 grams per day, the average level at which people primarily burn fat.

If you determine that the Atkins 40 plan is the best fit for you, you will start out eating 40 grams of net carbs a day. With each of the Atkins programs, as you approach your weight loss goals, you will increase your daily net carb intake to maintain your momentum.

3. Familiarize yourself with approved foods

Each phase of Atkins has its own list of approved foods. So before you start your diet, make sure to read through Atkins list of approved foods for Phase 1 or approved foods for Atkins 40. By familiarizing yourself with these lists, you will be more likely to stay on track with your daily net carb goals without a second thought. You can also keep track of your daily net carbs with the Atkins Carb Counter.

4. Plan your meals with Atkins-approved recipes

Meal planning is a great way to save time throughout the week and ensure you are not exceeding your daily net carb goals. Check out over 1,600 recipes (organized by phase!) for meal ideas, then plan your grocery shopping accordingly. When you’re excited about the meals you’ll be cooking, it will be easier to stick to the approved foods without feeling like you’re missing out on anything.

5. Stay hydrated

Drink up! Staying properly hydrated is especially important to avoid dehydration or electrolyte imbalances that may accompany the initial loss of water weight during Phase 1. Aim to drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day, four of which can be replaced with coffee, tea, or beef, chicken, and vegetable broth.

6. Don’t avoid fats

Consuming fat might sound counterproductive to weight loss, but healthy fat consumption is a crucial part of losing weight on Atkins. Plus, consuming enough fat in your diet allows your body to better absorb vitamins that keep you healthy, and even heightens the flavor of foods so you’ll enjoy them more!

7. Snack frequently

Snacks aren’t just allowed on the Atkins diet, they’re encouraged! Eating two snacks a day in between breakfast, lunch, and dinner will help you stay full throughout the day and fight high-carb cravings. Keep Atkins bars on hand to satisfy hunger when it strikes.

8. Surround yourself with support and motivation

Whether you’re starting the Atkins Diet with friends, family, or posting in one of the Atkins community groups, it’s important to find ways to hold yourself accountable and stay motivated. Reaching your weight loss goals is easier when you surround yourself with people who support you and your low carb lifestyle!

Other Ways to Help Improve and Maintain the Atkins Diet

As with any weight loss diet, your body will initially try to resist losing too much fat, storing them for “emergency purposes”, as it sees this new diet as a threat. The body then shifts the fat to another area rather than releasing it as energy and it does this regardless of your effort to exercise and maintain a healthy diet. This is what we call homeostasis or the body’s attempt to maintain what you currently have regardless of whether it’s healthy or not.

To ensure homeostasis, you need to do regular full body workouts. Pair the Atkins diet with regular full body workouts to ensure you burn the fat no matter where your body stored it. A few sample workouts include barbell training, plyometrics, kettlebell training, and different types of cardio such as running, rowing, and rope skipping.

Take it easy. There’s a lot of good to be said when it comes to gradual changes and the Atkins diet is no exception to this rule. If you surprise your system with Atkins, or any other diet for that matter, it will then store fat as if it’s running out. This is why we recommend a slow, but steady transition before you go all out with the diet.

Also, a program can only be as successful as the person’s determination and discipline. The Atkins Diet is more than just what to eat and what not to eat but a personal challenge to you as an individual seeking not just a desired weight but more importantly, a lifetime goal.

Are There Any Risks?

The most significant risks associated with the Atkins diet would be present during the initial phase when the body is placed into a state of ketosis. Ketosis is known to cause a number of potential side-effects, but the majority of these side-effects tend to go away as the body transits into ketosis and starts to utilize ketones as an energy source.

In particular, the following side-effects have been associated with the Atkins diet:

• Fatigue may be experienced
• A reduction in general performance
• Bad breath is relatively common as well
• Headaches may develop
• Some people may become irritable
• Constipation can sometimes occur
• A general weak feeling
• Vomiting and nausea are possible

These side-effects are often referred to as “keto flu.” Since the Atkins diet only restricts carb intake to a level similar to the Ketogenic during the initial period, these side-effects will usually quickly resolve.

Is Atkins Diet Safe for Everyone?

The Atkins Diet is perfect for people who just love the idea of eating anything fried on a sunny day. Bacon, sausage, eggs. Fry them, bake, or even put them on a grill. It doesn’t matter; they’re all allowed.

Then we also have dairy in the form of cheese, butter and cream. You might first worry about how they’re high in saturated fat, but we all know saturated fats have little to do with heart disease. However, there are still a few things you have to be aware of when it comes to the Atkins Diet.

1. It Is A Restrictive Diet

The Atkins diet relies on select food sources that are mainly chosen for their lack of carbohydrates or low-calorie content. As such, the phases in this diet will enforce a sort of system on the person that at times may feel restrictive or depriving.

2. It May Cause Headaches

Going on a low-carb diet may cause you to initially have bouts of headaches. This is due to carb withdrawal which causes a drop in blood sugar. Fixing this involves increasing meal frequency.

3. It Is Not for Vegetarians

If you’re fond of vegetables or dependent on them for your nutritional needs, you will find this protein and fat-heavy diet to be more of a pain than a relief.

Other Health Benefits

Just like typical low-carb diets and the ketogenic diet, the Atkins Diet possesses health benefits backed by science.

1. It Promotes Satiation

The Atkins Diet promotes a lot of fat and protein, two nutrients known to fill you up fast and prevent you from becoming hungry for long periods of time. Some even mix the Atkins Diet with intermittent fasting, where some would eat only once or twice and fast for more than 16 hours.

2. It Slims the Stomach First

It’s no secret when you eat too much, the body stores excess glucose as fat. This fat is stored often in our abdomen as it is near the stomach. Since the diet practically removes carbs from the diet, the body will then not be able to store as much fat as it normally does plus it also gets to remove previously stored fat to burn it for energy.

3. It Reduces Risks for Cardiovascular Diseases

The problem with excess carbohydrates is it negatively affects the body’s chemistry when it becomes chronic. We’re talking about elevated levels of LDL, triglycerides, and blood glucose among others. These are all markers for increased risk of heart disease.

When you remove large portions of carbs from your diet, you are in effect reducing the chances of your body storing fat. When the body doesn’t store as much fat, your markers won’t be elevated and instead be managed better.

4. It Helps Prevent Hypertension

Hypertension or having high blood pressure is considered a symptom of obesity and cardiovascular disease. Remarkably, studies show a link between low-carb diets and low blood pressure.

5. It Improves Mental Health

Food has been linked to mental disorders for a few years now, with studies showing depressed patients often consumed high amounts of sugar and unhealthy processed fats on a regular basis. They’re also found to gravitate toward carb-heavy foods. Likewise, studies also show people on a low-carb diet have a more optimistic outlook on life as well as better cognitive function (9).

Key Takeaway

For the person who needs structure in their diet, limiting starchy, sugary carbs will help cut calories and allow for weight loss. Focusing on proteins and fats that are plant-based is also a healthy and smart thing to do.

For your long-term health, you have to move on from the initial Atkins 20 diet. It’s the later phases of the diet, especially the Atkins 40, that give you the variety of foods that are important for health. You have to exercise and keep portions small while you start eating nuts, seeds, beans, fruits, starchy vegetables, and whole grains again.

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