Atkins diet is one of the most popular diet in the last 3 to 4 decades sales of which outclassed not only the other weight loss diets but also declined the sales of heavy carb-regular diets like rice and pasta. It is estimated that in 2003 and 2004 one in eleven adults were on Atkins diet.

Basic Ideology

Dr. Robert Atkin (1930-2003) a medical graduate himself gathered ideology after reading about a diet in a medical journal in the 1960’s. He firstly experimented on himself to reduce his own weight then he made his ideology public which became a hot stuff. Basic ideology on which he planned his diet was • Excessive use of refined carbohydrates is main cause of obesity • Saturated fats are overrated as the cause of obesity These two things are the foundation stones of the Atkins Nutritional Approach.

Mechanism of Weight loss

Dr. Atkin argued that that in order to lose weight there should be burning of fat in the body or lipolysis. This can be only achieved if the body is fueled with fuel other than carbohydrates. He also argued that high carb-diet causes excessive insulin blood levels which results in the more food consumption and eating disorders.

Phases of Atkin Diet Approach

The following four are the phases of Atkins. • Induction • On going weight loss • Pre- maintenance • Life time maintenance These phases help to vary diet of a person on Atkins according to a particular phase and benefit from maximum result in terms of weight loss.

Atkins Nutritional Approach

Dr.Atkin worked an approach to weight loss by a selective type of weight loss diet. It was not a diet but infect it was a complete nutritional strategy or approach. He worked on it studied experimented on himself first and then on thousands of obese patients and then marketed this approach as a brand named Atkins diet.

Ketosis

Ketosis is success parameter of this approach if a body achieves a particular level of fat burning in the normal low carbohydrate blood glucose levels atmosphere. Ketosis is normal formation of ketones with low insulin blood levels due to fat burning under normal circumstances but not ketoacidosis which infect is a diseased condition of body during diabetes and alcohol intake.

Four phases of Atkins Nutritional Approach

Induction

According to the Atkins Nutritional Approach this is the most restrictive phase. In this phase the daily carbohydrate intake is limited to 20 grams daily. Fat and protein use on other hand is encouraged with a tinch of fiber which helps in weight loss as a appetite suppressing agent. This phase continues for two weeks or loss of 4-5 kg of weight. Other indicator of this phase is ketosis.

On going weight loss

This phase of this nutritional approach is very important as you find your “Critical Carbohydrate Level of Losing”. “Critical Carbohydrate Level “means that the carbohydrate level for your body at which weight loss will continue in a planned manner. The On Going Weight loss phase lasts until the weight loss is in 4.5-6 kg range of target weight. The ascending approach is usually adapted to find Critical Carbohydrate Level by increasing carbohydrates from lower limit on daily basis. But despite all this increase in the carbohydrates a weight loss zone presence is ensured.

Pre-maintenance

This phase is most important phase of Atkins Nutritional Approach as it helps to maintain weight loss on permanent basis initially. In this phase you find your “Critical Carbohydrate Level for Maintenance” which is very important from weight loss point of view and health point of view. In this phase you find your maximum permissible carbohydrate level which is usually well above the ketosis level of your body. So ketosis is not a permanent feature of Atkins Nutritional Approach.

Lifetime maintenance

This phase of Atkins Nutritional Approach is infact a phase of habit modification. In this phase balanced dietary habits are adapted in order to bag the continuity of previous phases success. Overall the choice of unprocessed food is made as habit and avoidance of accessory carbohydrates is practiced as reflex.

Conclusion

Atkins Basic Package is the most popular and most marketed weight loss diet. Its popularity gained peak in the years 2003 and 2004.The most selling years of this brand converted diet are also the years 2003 and 2004. Even the popularity of this diet compelled soft drink manufacturers to launch “low-carb” drinks in the market. It is highly recommended for people achieving weight loss by diet modification.