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Overview
Atkins for Life
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With more than 6 million copies in print, Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution is unquestionably one of the best-selling diet books of all time. The latest installment in a long line of tomes is Atkins for Life: The Complete Controlled Carb Program for Permanent Weight Loss and Good Health. Packed with recipes and menus, this book is geared toward folks who want to follow a lifelong, controlled carbohydrate plan to keep their weight stable. Numerous companion publications have been produced, including Atkins Diabetes Revolution: The Groundbreaking Approach to Preventing and Controlling Type 2 Diabetes, the last major book planned by Dr. Robert Atkins before his death.
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basic principles
how the diet works
what you can eat
Fewer carbohydrates, more protein. Restricting carbs turns on the body's fat-burning equipment, putting it into what the late Robert Atkins referred to as benign dietary ketosis (BDK). Simply put, this metabolic pathway, according to Atkins, is the one that breaks down stored body fat. When diets are high in carbs, the body burns them as fuel. But when carbs are restricted, the body must burn fat. Another key: lots of protein and fat. Atkins says these foods are satiating, and dieters are unlikely to binge on chicken, shrimp, or bacon.
There are four phases. Proteins and fats are eaten liberally in every phase, but carbs are restricted to different degrees. In the first two weeks (the Induction phase) dieters are limited to 20 grams of carbohydrate per day, or roughly the amount in 3 cups of salad vegetables. After that, carbs are gradually added back in 5-gram increments until weight loss stops. Atkins calls this point the Critical Carbohydrate for Losing Level. Dieters will all have different thresholds, but about 35 to 40 grams of carbs per day seems to result in a continued 1-pound-per-week weight loss for the average person. As you approach your goal weight, you pass into the pre-maintenance and maintenance phases, in which carb levels, although still limited, are adjusted to suit your needs and preferences.
Some news reports charge that Atkins has changed its position on protein, suggesting that dieters downsize on saturated fat and red meat. But the Atkins folks insist the plan hasn't changed at all. It's basically an eat-until-you're-full regimen of pure proteins (meat, fish, eggs, cheese) and pure fats (olive oil, mayonnaise, butter, cream, sour cream). The key is controlling carbs, particularly in the initial two-week phase. Eventually, small amounts of carbohydrate-rich foods are added back into the diet. By the maintenance phase, you'll be back to eating veggies and fruit again—though in controlled amounts.
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