The Atkins diet is a low-carbohydrate diet commonly recommended for weight loss.
Proponents of this diet claim that weight can be lost by avoiding foods high in carbohydrates and consuming as many foods containing protein and fats as possible.
Over the past 12 years, more than two dozen studies have shown that low-carb diets that do not require calorie counting are effective for weight loss and can lead to various health improvements.
Robert Atkins
In 1972, physician Robert Atkins wrote his best-selling book on the diet of the same name. Since then, the Atkins diet has gained popularity all over the world, leading to the writing of even more books on the subject.
The diet was initially considered unhealthy and criticized by many health authorities, mainly because of its high saturated fat content. However, new research shows that such fats are harmless.
Over the years, the diet has been scrutinized and studies have shown that it leads to greater weight loss, improved blood sugar, «good» high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides and other health markers than low-fat diets.
Even though the diet involves eating a lot of fats, on average they do not raise LDL cholesterol to «bad» levels, although this can happen in some people.
The main reason low-carb diets are so effective for weight loss is that reducing carbohydrates and increasing protein intake leads to a lower appetite, causing you to eat fewer calories without even thinking about it.
The Atkins diet is a four-step process
The Atkins diet includes four different stages:
Stage One (Introduction)
Up to 20 grams of carbohydrates per day for 2 weeks. Eat high-fat, high-protein foods and low-carb vegetables such as leafy greens. This stage triggers weight loss.
Stage Two (Balancing)
Slowly add more nuts, low-carb vegetables and small amounts of fruit to your diet.
Stage Three (Stabilization)
Comes when you get very close to your desired weight. Gradually add more carbs to your diet until your weight loss begins to slow down .
Stage Four (Maintenance)
Here you can eat as many healthy carbs as your body can handle without gaining weight back.
However, these steps are a bit complicated and may not be necessary at all. All that is required is to lose weight and keep it at a certain point by sticking to the meal plan outlined below.
Some people choose to skip the first step completely and include plenty of fruits and vegetables in their diet from the start. This approach can also be very effective.
Others, on the contrary, prefer to linger on the «Introduction» stage indefinitely. This method is also known as the very low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet (keto).
Foods to avoid
When adhering to the Atkins diet, the following foods should be eliminated from your diet:
- Sugar: sugary carbonated drinks, fruit juices, cakes, candy, ice cream, etc.
- Cereals: Wheat, beer, rye, barley and rice.
- Vegetable oils: Soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil, and some others.
- Trans fats: Usually found in processed foods with the word «hydrogenated» in the ingredient list.
- Products labeled «dietary» and «nonfat»: usually have very high sugar content.
- Fruits and vegetables high in carbohydrates: carrots, turnips, bananas, apples, oranges, pears, grapes, etc. (Only in the «Introduction» phase).
- Starches: potatoes (including sweet potatoes) (Introductory phase only).
- Legumes: lentils, beans, chickpeas, etc. (Only in the Introduction phase).
What to eat
You should base your diet on the following foods:
- Meat: beef, pork, lamb, chicken, bacon and others.
- Fatty fish and seafood: salmon, trout, sardines, etc.
- Eggs: the healthiest are omega-3 enriched or homemade eggs.
- Low-carb vegetables: cabbage, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, etc.
- High-fat dairy products: butter, cheese, cream, yogurt.
- Nuts and seeds: almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc.
- Healthy fats: extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocados and avocado oil.
It’s simple: as long as you stick to this list of foods in your diet, you lose weight.
What you should drink
Here’s what you can drink while sticking to the Atkins diet:
- Water: as always, the best drink.
- Coffee: many studies show that coffee is high in antioxidants and quite beneficial.
- Green tea: also a very healthy drink.
Alcohol can also be consumed, but only in small quantities. You should choose dry wines without added sugar and avoid drinks high in carbohydrates, such as beer.
You can eat
There is also a list of tasty foods that can be eaten while sticking to the Atkins diet. This includes foods such as bacon, heavy cream, cheese and dark chocolate.
Many of these are generally considered obesity-inducing foods because of their high fat and calorie content.
However, by being on a low-carbohydrate diet, your body increases its use of fat as an energy source and suppresses appetite, reducing the risk of overeating and weight gain.
After the «Introduction» stage is over, you can put healthy carbs back into your diet
Despite what you may have heard, the Atkins diet is quite flexible.
Only the first stage requires you to reduce your intake of carbohydrate sources.
After this stage, you can gradually add healthier carbohydrates such as high-carb vegetables, fruits, berries, potatoes, legumes and grains such as oats and rice.
However, there is a chance that you may have to stick to moderately low carbohydrates your whole life, even if you reach your weight loss goals.
If you start eating the same foods again and in the same amounts as before, the weight will return. Basically, this applies to any weight loss diet.
What about vegetarians?
You can use the Atkins diet as a vegetarian (and even vegan) diet, but it is more complicated.
You can use soy-based foods for protein and eat lots of nuts and seeds. Olive oil and coconut oil are great vegetable fats.
Lacto-ovo-vegetarians can also eat eggs, cheese, butter, and other high-fat dairy products.
Sample Atkins Menu for a Week
The menu is suitable for the first stage of the diet, more high carbohydrate vegetables and fruits should be added as you move on to the next stages.
Monday
Breakfast: eggs and vegetables fried in coconut oil.
Lunch: chicken salad with olive oil and some nuts.
Dinner: steak and vegetables.
Tuesday
Breakfast: bacon and eggs.
Lunch: leftover chicken and vegetables from yesterday.
Dinner: bunless cheeseburger with vegetables and butter.
Wednesday
Breakfast: scrambled eggs and vegetables fried in butter.
Lunch: Shrimp salad with olive oil.
Dinner: ground beef sauteed with vegetables.
Thursday
Breakfast: Eggs and vegetables fried in coconut oil.
Lunch: Ground beef and vegetables yesterday.
Dinner: Salmon with butter and vegetables.
Friday
Breakfast: bacon and eggs.
Lunch: Chicken salad with olive oil and a handful of nuts.
Dinner: meatballs with vegetables.
Saturday
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with vegetables, fried in butter.
Lunch: Leftover meatballs.
Dinner: pork chops with vegetables.
Sunday
Breakfast: Bacon and eggs.
Lunch: Leftover pork chops.
Dinner: Grilled chicken wings, with salsa and vegetables.
Make sure the vegetables in your daily diet are not monotonous.
Low-carb snacks
Most people report that their appetite decreases during the Atkins diet.
They tend to feel more than satisfied with three meals a day (and sometimes two meals is enough for them).
However, if you feel hungry between meals, here are some quick and healthy snacks:
- Leftovers.
- A fried egg (you can have two).
- A piece of cheese.
- A piece of meat.
- A few nuts.
- Some Greek yogurt.
- Berries.
- Carrots (careful in the first step).
- Fruit (after the «Introduction»).
How to follow the Atkins diet if you eat out
It’s actually very easy to follow the Atkins diet by eating at cafes or restaurants
- Ask for extra vegetables instead of bread, potatoes or rice.
- Order meals based on fatty meat or fish.
- use extra sauce, olive oil, or any other oil as a dressing for your meal.
A simple shopping list for the Atkins diet
When you come to the store, you should move around its perimeter: this is most often how you can find all the products you need. It is not necessary to choose exclusively organic products, it is worth sticking to options acceptable to your budget
- Meat: beef, chicken, lamb, pork, bacon.
- Fatty fish: salmon, trout, etc.
- Shrimp and shellfish.
- Eggs.
- Dairy products: Greek yoghurt, heavy cream, butter, cheese.
- Vegetables: spinach, cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, onions, etc.
- Berries: blueberries, strawberries, etc.
- Nuts: almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.
- Seeds: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.
- Fruits: apples, pears, oranges.
- Coconut oil.
- Olives.
- Extra virgin olive oil.
- Dark chocolate.
- Avocado.
- Condiments: sea salt, pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, garlic, parsley, etc.
It is highly recommended to clear your cupboards of all unhealthy foods and ingredients, such as ice cream, carbonated drinks, breakfast cereals, breads, juices and baking ingredients such as sugar and wheat flour.
To summarize
If you are serious about the Atkins diet, consider buying or borrowing one of Atkins’ books from someone you know and just get to work as soon as possible. You can use this article, too, because it is quite a detailed guide to the diet.
After all, the Atkins diet is a healthy and effective way to lose weight that will not disappoint you.