This revolutionary meal plan rebalances your nutrition so that you
increase your energy level, improve your appearance and gain a sense of
well-being. When you do Atkins, you have fewer limits on the amount of food
you eat; instead, the plan restricts the kinds of food allowed on your
plate. You can eat foods traditionally regarded as "rich":
shellfish, meat, eggs, cheese and more.
The Atkins Nutritional ApproachTM is
based on a four-phase eating plan that focuses on the consumption of
nutrient-dense, unprocessed foods.
Proper vitamin and mineral supplementation and regular exercise complete
your recipe for success. Your Atkins plan is customized just for you and
lets you select which foods to eat based on your progress toward weight loss
— and eventually weight maintenance. Food selections will differ to
varying degrees, depending upon the phase you are in and your individual
metabolism. Following this approach lays the groundwork for a lifetime of
better health.
Conditions
Men and women enjoy the Atkins program both to lose pounds and inches and
to maintain their weight loss. You already know that losing weight will help
you to look better and feel more confident. Weight loss is also a priority
for your health. The risks for contracting heart disease, cancer, diabetes
and several other chronic illnesses increase significantly if you're
overweight. In addition, excess pounds can make you feel tired, sluggish and
even less capable of performing the daily activities of life.
The good news is research has shown that following a weight loss plan and
losing just 10 percent of your body weight (if you weigh 180 pounds, that's
just 18 pounds), can improve your health and well-being in a number of ways,
including lowering your cholesterol and blood pressure. In turn, the
improvement in these numbers diminishes your risk for heart disease, the
number-one killer of American men and women.
The amount of carbohydrate in the diet governs both blood insulin level
and weight gain. By following an individualized controlled carbohydrate
nutritional approach that results in lower insulin production, people at
high risk for chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease,
hypertension, Type 2 diabetes and arthritis associated with obesity can
improve their health parameters.
The Atkins Nutritional ApproachTM works
by restricting the amount of carbohydrate you consume. The body first burns
carbohydrate for fuel; however, when you reduce your intake of carbohydrate,
your body burns primarily fat — and you lose weight without hunger or loss
of energy. When you do Atkins, you will find the threshold where you will
neither gain nor lose weight: your Atkins Carbohydrate EquilibriumTM
(ACE). This is the amount of carbohydrate you are able to consume to
maintain your target weight. On the Induction Phase (Phase I) of the Atkins
Nutritional ApproachTM, your meal plan is
limited to 20 grams of Net Carbs daily. Once you move beyond Induction and
deliberately slow your weight loss, you will incrementally increase your
intake of carbohydrate and eat a wider variety of nutrient-dense foods.
Your metabolic resistance influences your ACE, as do other genetic and
lifestyle factors, including your age, gender and level of activity. Since
you can positively influence your ACE by staying active, your Atkins program
provides fitness and exercise guidance.
