A is for Adkins

Diets from A-Z

A is for ADKINS!

During the month of May, I plan  to give you the low down on at least 26 different ways that we have designed to loose weight. In doing research, I found hundreds of diets so I want to learn more and share everything I can find! Some of these may be faith based, some physician inspired, and some are true CRASH diets.

Click HERE for the complete list of diets from A-Z that I will be going through. I will continue to link in so that you have a complete guide at month's end!

A is for Adkins

The Adkins diet is a diet that many people will SWEAR BY! It all started in 1963 when Dr. Robert C. Atkins began to Scientifically study the effects of carbohydrates on weight gain. Dr. Adkins theory is that our food pyramid should be flipped almost upside down! He promotes the majority of your diet coming from meats and proteins, followed by vegetables, then fruits, oils and nuts, and the minority of our daily intake should come from starches. The diet boasts that you can loose up to 15 pounds in 2 weeks.

In the height of Adkins popularity, many  "followers" used the Adkins ideology to lose weight by ordering "bacon cheeseburgers with no buns" with a nice side of mayo! Is it following the diet?....yes....is that healthy...no! Somehow I don't think this is what Dr. Adkins meant BUT it was working for many Americans so the trend raged on.  The diet is broken into phases with phase 1 being little to no carboydrates at all. You also have to almost COMPLETELY avoid sugar since sugar has a high carbohydrate count.  As you move through the phases, you will add in some complete carbs and eventually end with a "lifestyle" instead of a "diet" designed to keep the weight off!

Tips for surviving Adkins:

• Check all seasonings for added sugar. It can sneak up on you!

• Keep veggies on the "allowed" list available for snacking  (you will be starving for the first few days then your hunger seems to regulate to the plan)

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Try using "ketone" test strips to measure results. When the body is in the fat burning state — where it has no carbohydrates to burn and is breaking down your body's fat for energy, the body releases long fatty acids (the stuff you ave been storing around your mid section and thighs) for the body to use. At the end of the burning process, there will be some fragments that are not completely burned that will spill into your urine.

Being in "ketosis" simply means that you're burning your stored fat and using it as your body's source of energy--meaning you loose weight! 

The test sticks will keep you aware of your progress of "ketosis". The pad on the tester will turn dark when your body is burning stored fats.  It helps you know if you have overdone your carbs for the day. If you have....start exercising ASAP and you can still save the day!

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Allowed Foods:

• Almost all meats
• Eggs (a low-carb dieters best friend)
• Most cheeses (check labels for carb counts)
• Oils and Fats 
• Nuts
• Spices
• Vegetables - 12 to 15 carbs a day should come from veggies. The Adkins site suggests eating salad veggies like arugula, romaine, and spinach in their raw form. 

Beverages:

• unsweetened tea
• water
• coffee and diet soda should be limited 
• flavored waters (check for zero carbs)
• Limit caffeinated beverages to 2 or less a day. Caffeinated beverages can cause sweet cravings
• Sweeten with artificial sweeteners if needed BUT they do have some carbs - about 1 per pack- and are also said to cause cravings.
• Unsweetened/Unflavored Soy or Almond Milk
• Cream (Heavy or light)

No No's:

• Breads
• Rice
• Pastas
• Sodas
• Sweeteners
• Fruits ( not in their entirety but they do have natural sugars so avoid most except for berries)
• Sweet Veggies (corn, peas, onions, and green beans have higher counts so be very careful)
• Juices (sugary)
• Yogurt 
• Beans...Heavy in carbs! black beans, pinto beans,  etc.

The people at Adkins have now made it much easier to follow the plan. They now provide sack bars, meal replaements, shakes, and online support. Some of the supplements are not until the second phase of the program but they are certainly nice to have! In the "early days" however, you were required to go by the book and advice (which is why so many people got it wrong!)

I personally do this diet but in a modified  "healthier" way. I am vegetarian so meat is out of the question. I found after becoming a vegetarian that  eating cookies, chips, and breads all day (while vegetarian) was not so god for my waist line...I was gaining weight! I was able to knock off 20 pounds with my version of the diet, so I am a fan. Not a fan of how some people follow the diet BUT it CAN BE DONE IN A HEALTHY WAY!

I hope that this helped some of you to better understand the diet! If you have any success or "heck no" stories, I would love to hear them! Link them in the comments so we an share!