The Atkins low carb diet, by nature, works by restricting carbohydrates. Because the body breaks down carbs much slower than other fuels, the Atkins low carb diet plan uses other methods of fuel that aren’t in the form of carbs – so you can lose weight quickly and painlessly. In simple terms, the Atkins low carb diet plan changes your body from one that uses carbohydrates as a main source of fuel to one that uses fats for fuel. Therefore, the body’s natural storage of fat becomes the body’s main energy source. On the Atkins low carb diet plan, the body uses sugars as fuel. But, to turn sugars into fuel your body must use the naturally occurring hormone insulin. Insulin allows our cells to turn carbs into glucose (energy) by controlling the amount of sugar in our blood. Insulin causes the sugar we don’t use as fuel to be stored as fat and it also keeps the body from burning stored fat. Because the insulin adds stored fats to our bodies, we’re in a perpetual argument with our hormones when we’re losing weight. On the other hand, the Atkins low carb diet plan allows your body to release less insulin. According to Atkins, when your insulin levels are normal, you body begins to burn the stored fat as its fuel instead of looking for new fuels. The resulting effect not only burns body fat, but it also leads to less hunger and fewer cravings. In short, the diet controls insulin levels by controlling the amount of carbs you intake.

The Atkins low carb diet plan consists of four phases of eating. The foods you eat depend on what phase you’re in and your own metabolism. The phases include:

1. Introduction: This is the most restrictive phase, where you can only eat 20 grams of carbs daily. These carbs can only come in the form of non-starchy vegetables.

2. Ongoing Weight Loss: Phase two allows you to increase your carbs to 25 grams daily, and each week thereafter you can increase the number of carbs by five grams. You continue to add five grams of carbs to your diet until you no longer lose weight, then you subtract five grams of carbs to allow you to maintain your weight.

3. Pre-Maintenance – This phase allows you to transition from weight loss to maintenance. You can add 10 grams of carbs weekly as long as you continue to keep the weight off.

4. Lifetime Maintenance: This phase allows you to select from a variety of foods while still maintaining a healthy amount of carbs. It’s the least restrictive of all phases.

As you can see, the Atkins low carb diet plan is a rigid plan that many people use to great success. By limiting the amount of carbohydrates you intake in your system, you’re allowing your body to use the stored fats in your body as energy. This, therefore, promotes a healthy weight loss and if you maintain the diet through all four stages, you’ll be healthy for years to come!

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