The Atkins low carb diet has been around since the mid-1970's and really took off in popularity during the 1990's and 2000's. After all that time it has certainly proven its ability to help people lose weight and keep the weight off. The Atkins Low Carb Diet Difference What has made the Atkins diet program continue to be so popular over the years when other diet plans have come and gone? What is so different about the Atkins diet guidelines that have allowed followers to be so successful with their weight loss?

The difference is in the attitude that the Atkins low carb diet fosters. It is not just a temporary pattern of eating, nor is it a huge cutback in calories that cannot be maintained over time. Instead, the Atkins diet program is really a lifestyle, not just a diet program. It focuses on changing habits for long term effect, not just short term cutting calories and then a return to old eating patterns.

Making it Easy to do Atkins

Most people find it easy to follow the Atkins low carb diet for two reasons:

• The food is delicious - no bland or boring meals
• The food is easy to find - at the grocery store, at convenience stores, at
  restaurants, and more

The taste of food in the Atkins diet meal plans is really different from other diet plans. You do not have to deprive yourself of the foods and flavors that you really enjoy. In fact, you are practically required to eat the foods and flavors that you most enjoy. What a deal!

With other diet plans, it can be tough to find the food that you are supposed to eat each day. Some plans require you to buy their own food, which is okay if you have easy access to it and do not ever eat a meal out. With Atkins, though, you know which foods are okay and which ones are not, and you use that information to select what you eat no matter where you may be.

Atkins Diet Foods - Make it Yourself or Buy it Pre-Made

The Atkins low carb diet lets you have the best of both worlds when it comes to selecting food. You can make meals yourself by selecting from the huge list of allowed foods, or if you are in a hurry, you can choose pre-made meals from the Atkins group themselves.

Some of the most popular pre-made foods include:

• Breakfast bars
• Snack bars
• Meal replacement bars
• Liquid shakes
• Candy
• Ice cream

Pre-made foods are really convenient and easy when you are on the go and do not have time to eat a regular meal, or just to carry along in your purse or briefcase for those times when you need a little boost. Many people keep a box of snack bars in their office drawer or a few liquid shakes in the office refrigerator just to have on hand.

How does Atkins Compare to Other Low Carb Diet Plans?

When the Atkins low carb diet first came out in the 1970's it was unique; there was nothing comparable in widespread use. During the resurgence in the 1990's and 2000's, though, a whole host of imitators and similar versions began to appear.

Most of those other low carb diet plans were similar to the Atkins diet guidelines, but they lacked two important components for success:

• A proven nutritional approach
• Ongoing support and motivation to stay with a low carb lifestyle

The Atkins diet program is a proven nutritional approach. When you feed your body a diet high in carbohydrates that is what it burns mostly for fuel, leaving fats to build up and get stored away. Reducing the carbohydrate intake, though, forces the body's metabolism to "switch gears" so to speak, and start burning stored fats instead.

When you adopt an Atkins-based low carb lifestyle, you are not left alone to muddle through entirely by yourself. There are many Atkins books, articles and other publications available to encourage you and motivate you to truly change your lifestyle. There are carb counters, calendars, food journals, cookbooks, recipe collections and more - just about any kind of support or helpful tool you could possibly want.

The Atkins web site is also a tremendous source of information and support. There are free online classes, discussion groups, informational articles, and a free e-mail newsletter. All of these items are designed specifically to help you adopt and maintain a low carb lifestyle so that you can enjoy dramatic and lasting weight loss success.

Atkins Controversy

Of course, no diet plan is without at least some controversy along the way, and Atkins is no exception. Some people are very concerned about the high levels of fats allowed on the diet, especially during the induction and weight loss phases.

What most naysayers do not fully appreciate, though, is that as your body becomes accustomed to a low carbohydrate lifestyle you can gradually increase carbs. Over time, your diet gradually starts to include many more varieties of nutrients, offering you a good solid nutritional base to keep you active and healthy.

Another reason to appreciate the unique Atkins low carb diet is that it cuts down on harmful sugars and other sweets without leaving you with uncontrollable cravings that cause you to have episodes of binging on cookies, candy and other sweets. Atkins is a satisfying collection of foods, allowing you a taste of sweets now and then but generally keeping you satiated and satisfied thanks to the variety of other foods that are allowed.

Getting Started

Before starting any diet or nutritional regimen, you should consult with your doctor and have a thorough check up. He or she will then have a baseline of information about your health, making it easier to track your progress and really see how much your health improves over time.

I encourage you to work with your doctor and connect with others who are following a low carb lifestyle in order to gain the maximum benefit and effectiveness from the Atkins low carb diet.

About the Author

Kevin Urban is the editor at Atkins-Diet-Advisor.com, an easy-to-use resource on the Atkins Diet Plan. Let me show you where to find 1000s of Atkins diet recipes and how to design your Atkins diet menu plan.

Copyright 2006 Atkins-Diet-Advisor.com

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