Atkins diet for weight loss: Here’s what you need to know about it

The proponents of the Atkins diet claim that you can lose weight by limiting carbohydrates and eating foods high in fats and proteins. Is it worth trying? Read on to find out.

There are many diets which claim to help rapid weight loss. Atkins, vegan, Paleo, dukan, and zone are some of the most popular weight loss diets. While some focus on reducing your appetite, others restrict calories, carbs, or fat. With so many options and claims they make; it can be hard to know which ones are worth trying. Remember no one diet is best for everyone. What works for you may not work for someone else. Today we are going to talk about Atkins diet, a well-known low-carb weight loss diet. Read to know how this diet trend works and whether you can follow it or not.

Some facts about the Atkins diet

The Atkins diet mainly focuses on eating the right balance of carbohydrates, protein and fats for optimal weight loss and health. The proponents of this diet claim that you can lose weight by limiting carbohydrates and eating foods high in fats and proteins.

Dr. Robert C. Atkins originally promoted this diet and wrote a book about it in 1972. Initially, the Atkins diet was demonized by the mainstream health authorities as unhealthy. This is mostly due to its high saturated fat content. However, many new studies have shown that saturated fat is harmless. Some have proved that low-carb diets are effective for weight loss and can lead to various health improvements.

Apart from promoting weight loss, researchers say Atkins diet leads to greater improvements in blood sugar, "good" HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and other health markers.

Experts explain that reduction in carbs and increased protein intake reduces appetite. This in turn makes you eat fewer calories.

Things you need to do to follow Atkins Diet

The Atkins diet comprises 4 different phases.

• Phase 1 (induction): Your carb intake should be under 20 grams per day for 2 weeks. You can eat high-fat, high-protein foods, low-carb vegetables. This kick-starts the weight loss.
• Phase 2 (balancing): Here you can slowly include more nuts, low-carb vegetables and small amounts of fruit to your diet.
• Phase 3 (fine-tuning): At this stage, you may be very close to your goal weight. You may add more carbs until weight loss slows down.
• Phase 4 (maintenance): Here you can eat as many healthy carbs as your body can tolerate without regaining weight.

When you are on the Atkins diet, you should avoid foods like sugar, drains, vegetable oils, high-carb vegetables and fruits, etc. However, the Atkins diet is quite flexible. It is only during the induction phase, that you need to minimize your intake of carb sources. After this phase is over, you can slowly add back healthier carbs.