ATKINS NUTRITIONAL APPROACH

Induction is the first phase of Atkins but may be the most difficult and important to the entire process. The purpose of induction is to induce weight loss. It is designed to "get the ball rolling" or "kick-start" your weight loss. It is designed to change your body chemistry so that you switch from a carbohydrate burning metabolism to a fat burning metabolism. When you body switches to this, then you are in a state of ketosis and/or lipolysis. Ketosis is a biological process that results when sufficient glucose as a source of energy is not available from dietary carbohydrate and the body switches to primarily using fat. Fatty acids are released into the bloodstream, then converted to ketones, which are used by muscles, the brain and other organs. Excess ketones are excreted in urine. The induction phase lasts a minimum of 14 days but can be extended for weeks and a few months, if desired. The key to induction is to limit your daily intake of carbohydrates to 20 or less. Read the "Rules of Induction".

Ah, the pounds have come off during induction and now is the time to move into phase 2.  This is a nice transition because this is where you are allowed to add additional foods into your dietary plan.  These foods should be ones that you like but should not be a license to sneak back into your old habits. Remember that old habits die hard, so it will be tempting to sneak back into those old habits. Resist the temptation and you will continue to lose weight during this phase.  Read the rules of Ongoing Weight Loss.  Below are the key points of Ongoing Weight Loss or OWL.

1. Continue to burn fat and lose weight
2. Control cravings of your favorite foods
3. Learn your threshold level of carbohydrates
4. Eliminate the simple sugar and bad carbohydrates
5. Eat a broader range of good carbohydrates

This phase is the one that bridges the gap between losing weight and maintaining weight. You put the brakes on and at this point the weight loss should be 1 lb. a week or less. You should stay in this phase a minimum of 1 month, sometimes 2 to 3 months. This is where you learn more about yourself and what you can eat to maintain your desired weight once you ACHIEVE YOUR DESIRED WEIGHT. In this phase you are slowly working toward of the final phase of Lifetime Maintenance. Slowly increase your carbohydrate intake to the point where your weight loss is almost stopped. As discussed, this is a learning phase to determine what level of carbohydrate you can eat and still lose weight. The difference between Pre-Maintenance and Lifetime Maintenance is that Pre-Maintenance is a training and learning program while Lifetime Maintenance is a lifetime commitment to maintain a healthy eating low carb lifestyle. Read the key points of Pre-Maintenance.

Congratulations of achieving this important milestone. You reached the pinnacle of success. People are commenting how great you look and you couldn't be happier. Reality is just around the corner. The fact is, many people will ultimately gain all the weight back if they abandon their eating habits. This is what shines about the Atkins Nutritional Approach. The lessons learned earlier will carry you through this important phase and you too can maintain the weight loss.

The transition from Pre-Maintenance to Lifetime Maintenance is almost transparent. The weight loss has stopped and you have learned what your carb intake is before you will gain weight. You have slowly increased your selection of foods and increased your intake of good carbs along the way. The key to this phase is to know what your critical carbohydrate level is and stay within that range. Stay close to that number and your weight will not fluctuate more than 1-2 lbs.  Read the rules and key points of Lifetime Maintenance.

1. Provide you with a template for eating that will allow you to eat healthy and maintain your desired weight.
2. Allow you to eat healthy complex carbohydrates and eliminate simple sugars and bad carbohydrates.
3. Teach yourself how to lose weight correctly when circumstances change.