Atkins Diet Practice

This app trains you on the rules of Atkins Diet. Those rules are written in the bestselling book THE NEW ATKINS FOR A NEW YOU by Dr. Eric C. Westman, Dr. Stephen D. Phinney, and Dr. Jeff S. Volek. Together, they cover the multitudinous research demonstrating the many health benefits of carbohydrate restriction. This is the best-of-breed of the low carbohydrate diet books to come out in the past decade. And this app will train you on all the rules.

Here is what WebMD says about Atkins Diet:

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What You Can Eat and What You Can't

The first part of the plan, called the induction phase, has these rules:

No more than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day, mostly from certain vegetables
Protein and fat from poultry, fish, eggs, red meat, butter, and vegetable oils
No pasta, bread, grains, fruit, starchy vegetables, or dairy other than butter, cheese, and cream
No nuts, seeds, or legumes like beans
No caffeine
No alcohol

Next comes the "ongoing weight loss" stage, when you slowly add more vegetables, and you can include seeds, nuts, legumes, berries and other fruit, wine and other low-carb alcohol, and whole grains.

After that, to help keep the weight off, you may be able to eat more carbs and add more foods to your diet, depending on your body's needs.

Newer versions of the diet, including New Atkins for a New You and the Atkins web site, emphasize making good food choices, such as healthy fats.

Level of Effort: Medium

You don't have to go to meetings or buy special foods. But you're probably going to have to make some big changes in your menus.

You may notice that your breath has a distinct smell, due to the ketones your body makes. Some call that smell bad; Atkins said the smell is "not an offensive one." You may also have headaches and feel irritable.

Limitations: Cutting out food groups, especially whole grains and dairy, really limits what you can eat. It also means your diet may be low in certain nutrients including fiber, calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

Cooking and shopping: You will need to count carbs and factor that into whatever you're cooking at home or ordering in a restaurant. You should read food labels and use the carbohydrate counter in the book.

The first phase of the diet may be challenging, since the list of foods you’re allowed to have is very limited. You may have to skip many of your favorite foods and treats.

You’ll also need to keep a close eye on your weight. Changes in your weight affect how many carbs you can have in your daily diet.

Packaged foods/meals: A variety of Atkins-branded products are available, but none are required.

In-person meetings? No.

Exercise: The Atkins plan recommends at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week.