The Atkins diet is a fast way to lose weight.
The Atkins diet is one of the most used diets to lose weight, with results preserved over time. The Atkins diet focuses on protein and fat-based nutrition with minimal carbohydrates.
About the Atkins diet
Cardiologist Robert C. Atkins created Atkins’s diet. The diet’s creator divided it into four stages so that people could have a better adaptation and positive results when following it. This diet aims to lose and maintain a desired body weight.
Additionally, following the Atkins diet is a lifelong, sustained, healthy approach that will help both lose weight and boost energy and improve specific health problems, such as high blood pressure.
According to studies conducted by various specialists, the Atkins diet proved to be safe for those who follow it, as long as they do not have severe kidney problems and follow the rules of the regimen.
Advantages of the Atkins diet
- Rapid weight loss
- Improves cardiovascular health
- Improved cognitive performance (concentration)
- Enhances the level of cholesterol in the blood
Disadvantages of the Atkins diet
- Headache
- Dizziness
- State of weakness
- Fatigue
- Constipation
Duration of the Atkins diet
Specialists recommend that the maximum period of the diet is 30 days.
In the whole regime, consuming at least 2 litres of water daily and 30 minutes of sports is mandatory.
It is carried out during 4 phases:
The Atkins diet allows you to enjoy different types and amounts of food throughout the weight loss. Induction, Thinning, Balancing and Maintenance.
Phase 1: Induction
In the first stage, you will get used to reducing carbohydrates since you can eat only 20 grams daily and only certain vegetables. Instead, you will focus on chicken or beef proteins, fish, eggs, vegetable oils, and butter.
Your menu, therefore, will consist mainly of meat, next to which you can add small portions of salad or vegetables (2-3 tablespoons), a little cottage cheese or sour cream. Oil or butter can be used for seasoning and cooking.
The induction stage lasts a maximum of 2 weeks; it is pretty tricky on your body. It is not allowed to eat cereals, pasta, bread, alcohol, coffee and sugar.
Phase 2: Steady thinning
In this phase, consume between 12-15 grams of carbohydrates. You can add nutrient-rich carbohydrates like berries, seeds, and nuts. The second stage lasts until you are about 4.5 kilograms or 10 kilograms of your desired weight.
If the number of kilograms you want to remove compared to stage 1 is higher, the second phase will take about 2-3 weeks.
You will increase the amount of carbohydrates by 5 grams. You can only increase the amount of lettuce that you associate with protein.
You can eat berries or apples 2-3 times a week; nuts and seeds are allowed (walnuts, macadamia, peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds).
Phase 3: Balance
Having reached the desired weight, it is time to start stabilizing the metabolism, and the body needs to get used to this weight. It is essential not to stop after phase 2 because you will gain weight again and suffer from sudden nutritional imbalances.
In the third phase, you will increase the amount of carbohydrates by approximately 10 grams each week. Almost every week, you will increase the amount of salad and vegetables by 1-2 tablespoons, and you can add fruits and whole grains to your diet.
Stay in the third stage until you reach the weight you want. Constantly monitor your weight because it must stagnate. You can finish this stage after three weeks when your weight has remained constant.
Phase 4: Maintenance
Step 4 is related to the third in prolonging the food intake recipe. You will continue to gradually increase the amount of carbohydrates, up to no more than 80 grams a day.
As in stage 3, this should be done as long as you maintain your weight, and if this happens at 70 or 80 grams, it means that this is the ideal amount for you.
You can also increase the number of fruits and seeds you can now consume daily but in moderation. The excellent news is that you can also eat two squares of dark chocolate two times a week, and throughout the diet, you should drink eight glasses of water daily.
Foods and drinks allowed on the Atkins diet
- Meat: beef, pork, veal, chicken, lean ham, bacon, bacon;
- Fish and seafood: salmon, trout, sardines, etc.
- Eggs: Organic
- Vegetables that have fewer carbohydrates: cabbage, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, salad, tomatoes, avocado, cauliflower, onions;
- Dairy products: milk, Greek yogurt, sour cream, cheese, butter,
- Nuts and seeds: almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.
- Healthy fats: extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, fish oil, avocado and avocado oil
- Fruits: apples, pears, oranges, blueberries, strawberries;
- Dark chocolate;
- Spices: sea salt, pepper, cinnamon, garlic, parsley;
- Water, coffee, tea;
Prohibited foods and drinks on the Atkins diet
During the Atkins diet, it is recommended to eliminate foods and ingredients with high carbohydrate content, as well as:
- Sugar: soft drinks, fruit juices, cakes, sweets, ice cream, etc.
- Cereals: wheat, rye, barley, rice
- Certain vegetable oils: soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil
- Incoming trans: usually found in processed foods with the word “hydrogenated” in the ingredient list
- BOH with a high cape hydrate content: carrots, beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc. (prohibited only in the induction phase).
- Fruits containing carbohydrates arrested (only in the induction phase), such as; oranges, apples, pears, bananas and grapes.
- Starch: sweet potatoes (Prohibited only in the induction phase).
- The list of proteins you can add and soy products, if you will, is not intended to replace a complete animal protein, which is why the Atkins diet is not ideal for vegetarians.
- You can drink plain water, a daily cup of coffee and unsweetened herbal tea. Green tea is also recommended.
Atkins menu example
Replace any sugar in the morning with a glass of lemon water, unsweetened tea or coffee, according to your preferences. Then, choose one of the menu variants offered by dietasynutricion.com for the Atkins diet proposed below.
The following menu examples are suitable for stage 1 induction.
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Boiled eggs and vegetables fried in coconut oil | Chicken salad with olive oil and walnuts | Beef steak and cooked vegetables |
| Tuesday | Bacon and hard-boiled eggs | Chicken and boiled vegetables | Tomato and cucumber salad |
| Wednesday | Omelette with vegetables fried in butter | Salad with chicken breast, avocado, and oil | Beef fillet with cooked vegetables |
| Thursday | Boiled eggs and vegetables fried in coconut oil | Beef fillet with cooked vegetables | Salmon with butter and tomato-cucumber salad |
| Friday | Bacon and omelette | Chicken salad with olive oil and walnuts | Boiled vegetables |
| Saturday | Omelette with different vegetables fried in butter | Salad with chicken breast, avocado, and oil | Pork chop with vegetables |
| Sunday | Bacon and hard-boiled eggs | Pork chop with vegetables | Grilled chicken wings with gravy sauce and vegetables |
Sports and Atkins diet
Specialists recommend doing 90 to 120 minutes of sports every other day; 30 beautiful movements daily is not enough, especially for an office worker.
So go for long walks on the weekends, walk from the office or get a cardio workout in the fitness room every other day, and make your sleep meaningful.
The researchers observed that people who sleep between 7-8 hours a night lose weight quickly and healthily during the night.
The immune system will quickly remove the tonics from the body. Therefore, you will always have a good mood and restful sleep.
Contraindications to the Atkins diet
Restricting carbohydrates in the diet can have different side effects from person to person, such as fatigue, nausea, and headaches. That is why the Atkins diet should be started only after consulting a doctor, especially if you take different diuretics or insulin treatments.
The Atkins diet is prohibited for people suffering from kidney disease, diabetes and liver disease, and pregnant or lactating women who should not follow this diet.
Even if you do not fall into these categories, we recommend visiting your doctor before starting the diet. The information presented is general, and the effects, results and risks depend on many factors.
Consult your doctor before starting a diet!
My name is Ellie Lauderdale, MD and I am USA based professional Nutritionist .
I am a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and board certified specialist in sports dietetics who is trained in integrative medicine. I have worked with hundreds of clients, from those suffering with chronic disease to professional and olympian athletes. My goal is to help optimize you from the inside so that you can feel, perform, and look your best on the outside.