How The Atkins Diet Works

2008-03-17 Word Count: 797 Category: Nutrition

The Atkins Diet is a very popular "low carb" weight reduction system, but it is often greatly misunderstood! Common, but slightly exaggerated depictions of the program portray dieters eating nothing but huge portions of meat and fat. Although the diet itself may not be quite this simple, many people have used it to lose weight and improve their health.

On this plan, dieters follow a very specific program based on limited carbohydrate intake. The nutritional aspects of the plan are emphasized over exercise and other factors, although exercise is recommended. There are 4 stages in the Atkins program:

Induction: For the duration of this two-week phase at the start of the diet program, dieters can only consume up to 20 grams of carbohydrates each day. Dieters can consume high protein foods such as meat and poultry, fats such as butter and oils, and other foods with little to no carbohydrates. Many foods with carbohydrates are not allowed at all during this phase, including alcoholic drinks.

This early phase is supposed to help the body go from burning carbohydrates for energy, as it usually does, into burning stored up fat (a process known as ketosis). Most dieters start to shed pounds during this phase.

Ongoing Weight Loss: During the Ongoing Weight Loss stage, dieters gradually increase their carbohydrate consumption by adding 5 grams of carbohydrates into their diet every week. Dieters adjust their diet, losing weight to put themselves within 5-10 pounds of their target weight, before transitioning into the Pre-maintenance period.

Pre-maintenance: Dieters use this phase to find out the maximum amount of carbohydrates they can ingest without experiencing weight gain. During this stage, dieters increase carb intake by 10 grams a week. Once dieters reach their target weight and can keep it stable for a month, they move into the Lifetime Maintenance phase.

Lifetime Maintenance: For lasting results, the Atkins program is designed to be maintained throughout the dieter's lifetime. Using the techniques that helped the dieter reach their target weight, the dieter maintains an eating and exercise plan to stay at their goal weight. Individuals can revert to previous stages if they ever start to regain weight.

Dieters who can stay on the Atkins diet are often successful in losing weight; unfortunately, many people cannot follow the program and end up quitting early on in the difficult induction phase. In general, most diet plans fail simply because dieters cannot stay committed to the plan.

Many people are unable to lose weight because they experience strong food cravings, have problems with compulsive overeating, can't control their appetites, or simply do not have the motivation to lose weight. Overcoming these mental obstacles is the most challenging aspect of losing weight.

One reason why many people cannot seem to control their eating is because they are emotional eaters. Such people eat in response to their emotions, such as when they are bored or upset. However, this eating style programs a "conditioned response" into the unconscious mind. This means that when individuals experience the same emotion that made them overeat initially, they will feel compelled to overeat once again.

Hypnotherapy works by helping our unconscious minds disassociate our eating habits from our emotions. To extinguish the conditioned response to overeat, a hypnosis weight loss program is used to break the bond developed in the unconscious mind between overeating and specific "trigger" situations.

For instance, if you tend to overeat when you feel bored, hypnosis can disassociate boredom from eating in your unconscious mind. Hypnotherapy techniques can then be used to replace the overeating response with another activity, such as exercising. That way, the next time you get bored, instead of having an urge to overeat, you will feel motivated to exercise.

Hypnosis is an excellent tool for stress relief as well, helping us cope with our stressful emotions and relieve tension without eating. As a relaxation tool, it calms the mind, helps you develop strategies to cope with stress, and boosts your self-confidence to promote natural weight loss.

Hypnosis can also be used to eliminate the emotional stresses that keep you from losing weight. Many overweight people hide behind their weight for emotional protection. For instance, after a painful end to a relationship, people might find themselves becoming overweight so they can avoid relationships and avoid experiencing emotional pain again. Through hypnosis, we can think more positively and focus on having better health instead of becoming overwhelmed by our anxieties.

Not only is hypnotherapy an ideal motivational tool, it relieves stress, extinguishes conditioned responses that trigger overeating, and can be used to overcome the mental obstacles that prevent weight loss. Hypnosis is exceptionally effective at helping people stay on a diet plan, such as the Atkins plan, and naturally lose weight.

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Alan B. Densky, CH has invested over 30 years specializing in weight loss. He offers several ways to lose weight, including weight loss CDs and video hypnotism to lose weight DVD. Visit his self hypnosis CDs website for Free hypnosis downloads, videos, and newsletters. www.neuro-vision.us/ www.neuro-vision.us/Products/NeuroVISIONAppetiteDvd.htm www.neuro-vision.us/Products/OrderAudioAppetiteControlHypnosisTapes.html