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The Atkins Diet was a cultural phenomenon in recent times, causing even bigwigs like Pepsi and Coke to change their formulas, inciting controversy, and inundating bestseller lists. But what exactly is the Atkins Diet?

Atkins Simplified

The Atkins Diet consists of eating fewer carbs, which supposedly forces your body to burn fat instead of the carbs that you would normally take in. Atkins pushes the banning of refined carbs (such as white flour and sugars) from your diet, and replaces the nutrition with other food groups.


The Atkins Diet has four phases:

Induction- Allows only 20 grams of net carbohydrates, and operates of a small list off allowable foods such as lean proteins and leafy greens.

Ongoing Weight Loss- Allows an increase of 5 more grams of carbs, and expands the list of allowed foods.

Pre Maintenance- Comes when you have only 10 more pounds to lose, allows 10 more grams of carbs, and requires that you find your own individual �ACE�- your Atkins Carb Equilibrium. Further expands the list of acceptable foods.

Maintenance- After your weight loss goal is met, you continue to stay at your �ACE� carb amount, and avoid �bad foods� indefinitely.

Buyer Beware

The Atkins Diet has been flooded with controversy, even from its beginnings back in the 1960�s. Dieticians and researchers alike have bemoaned its limitations on foods considered healthy, and its allowance of excessive meats and proteins. Forbes Magazine announced it as one of the most expensive diets around, and many participants have reported ill side effects, especially in the strict Induction phase.

Recommendation

As with all fad diets, dieters should be especially careful. The restrictive Induction phase, coupled with the lifelong avoidance of certain foods, designatea this as a very difficult diet to follow.

Instead, those wishing to permanently lose weight should consider a low-calorie, increased exercise lifestyle, and should seek appropriate support from nutritionists and personal trainers.

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