Weight Loss Program

The Atkins' diet is a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet, which has been attributed to the weight loss success of thousands. The Atkins' diet is based on the belief, that by increasing protein and decreasing carbohydrates, the body is forced to burn stored fat. Dr. Robert Atkins, founder of the Atkins Diet, devised a diet that allows people to eat such food as fried eggs, bacon, steak and other high-fat foods as long as they drastically reduced the amount of carbohydrates they consumed. Short-term studies indicate that following the Atkins diet allows people to reduce their weight without raising their cholesterol levels or incurring other heart related problems (J. Gage, 2003).

The Atkins' diet is a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet, which has been attributed to the weight loss success of thousands. It accomplishes this through the diet plans that it suggest to its members. Listed below is an example of a calculation (See Appendix A for the actual diet menu) of calories that a person would intake from an Atkins Diet plan based the 14 day initial diet regime. The figures below are base on a meal consumed in one day, breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Proteins Fiber Vitamin A Vitamin C Vitamin D Vitamin E Iron Calcium

69.18g 1.93g 1693.71IU 5mg 2.11mcg 212.62mg 7.6mg 284.21g

Based on males ages 31 - 50 the RDA recommended intake are as follows:

Proteins Fiber Vitamin A Vitamin C Vitamin D Vitamin E Iron Calcium

56g 38g 900mcg 90mg 5mg 15mg 45mg 2.5g

One of the basic principals of Atkins is controlling your carbohydrate intake. You must also eat unprocessed grains and other foods, and limit sugar or junk food consumption. In addition you must exercise regularly. It is just as important to take multivitamins and drink at least eight glasses of water per day. (2)

The Atkins diet's ongoing weight-loss phase (45 grams of carbs a day) averaged $14.27 a day, ranging from $11.04 to $15.97. The Atkins diet consists of four distinct phases: induction, ongoing weight loss (OWL), pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance. (3) The first phase of this diet is the most difficult. During this phase everyone must eliminate almost all carbohydrates from your diet. Many people quit the diet during this phase. The majority of the people don't have the necessary support from friends and family to help them over this stage. Additionally many people don't have access to enjoyable recipes without carbohydrates.

To help keep off the weight there have been many foods created especially for the Atkins diet. Many people find the bars, shakes, and other products make the transition to the Atkins lifestyle easier, but they are not required.

For years we have been told that eating a low-fat diet and following an exercise plan is the key to losing weight and staying healthy. This approach to healthy weight loss can be a slow process but reduces the presumed risks associated with other diets, such as Atkins. Is it possible to eat high-fat foods daily and not cause damage to you heart? High fat foods have been proven to cause health problems such as high blood pressure, colon cancer, and higher cholesterol as well as many other diseases.

A study conducted at the Durham VA Medical Center in North Carolina "showed that on average, mildly obese people lost about 21 pounds in four months on the diet and had positive changes in heart risk factors, such as reduced cholesterol and increased HDL or good cholesterol" (healthcenter.com). This study included 41 people who followed a program which reduced carbohydrate intake, took vitamin supplements, fish oil and required 20 minutes of exercise at least three times per week. Over a period of four months these participants lost approximately 21 pounds and showed a drop in cholesterol levels. This study also showed no concern for dangerous effects on the liver or kidneys (healthcenter.com).

People who start using Atkins diet tend to lose a lot of weight quickly. Once people learn the skills to maintain this diet, people tend to keep the weight off. But the problem is no one can ever go off this diet. It's a lifetime commitment and if you do choose