- Atkins’ Summer Low Carb Weight Loss Plan
- Research Shows a Low Carb Diet is Effective for Weight Loss
- How to Lose Weight on Atkins’ Low Carb Diet
- Atkins Low Carb and Keto Shopping List for Weight Loss
- Low Carb Meal Plans for Weight Loss
- 6 Tips to Jumpstart Atkins’ Low Carb Plan for Weight Loss
- A Food Journal is the Secret to Weight Loss
Low Carb Diet + Weight Training = Powerful Combo for Weight Loss
How to Start a Weight Training and Cardio Exercise Program for Weight Loss
- Low Carb Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition
- More Low Carb Diet Options for Weight Loss
Atkins’ Summer Low Carb Weight Loss Plan
Why a low carb diet is a winning weight loss plan
With the first day of summer just around the corner, you might be motivated to lose a few pounds, and Atkins’ low carb diet may be the perfect weight loss plan.
Research Shows a Low Carb Diet is Effective for Weight Loss
While weight loss is not a “one size fits all” approach, there is compelling research that shows that a low carb diet can help you lose weight, while providing a variety of other powerful health benefits as well.
In the review article, “Very Low Carbohydrate Weight Loss Diets Revisited”, authors Jeff Volek, Ph.D., and Eric Westman, MD, summarize, based on an extensive review of scientific and anecdotal data on very low carb diets, that:
- Most studies have found that people lose more weight on very low carbohydrate diets than standard diets.
- Weight loss on a very low carb diet goes beyond the loss of water weight, and may be attributed to:
- Appetite suppression
- Increasing metabolic rate
- Very low carb diets may stimulate muscle growth while reducing fat storage.
- Very low carb diets also have favorable effects on risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
While a low-fat diet was considered the secret to weight loss for decades, research continues to show that low carb diets work just as well, if not better, than low fat diets. In a study involving 307 participants published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, 153 people were randomly assigned to a low carb diet, and the other 154 to a low-fat diet. The low carb group kept its carbohydrate intake to 20 grams per day for the first 12 weeks, and then gradually increased its intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy foods until the people reached their goal weight. There were no calorie or fat restrictions. The low-fat group consumed 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day and were asked to keep it at 30 percent of their diet. While both groups lost weight, the study authors concluded that, “The low-carbohydrate diet was more effective for weight loss and cardiovascular risk factor reduction than the low-fat diet. Restricting carbohydrate may be an option for persons seeking to lose weight and reduce cardiovascular risk factors.”
A low carb diet also may also be more effective than a low-fat diet at improving Metabolic Syndrome, which is a variety of symptoms that put you at more risk for heart disease and diabetes, including high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, low HDL (good) cholesterol, high fasting blood sugar and inflammation. In a randomized, controlled trial published in the journal Lipids, 40 people with high triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol and were divided into two groups. One group was put on a standard “low-fat” diet and one group was put on a “low carb” diet. Both groups consumed the same number of calories. The only thing difference was the proportion of calories from fat, protein and carbs. On average, weight loss was twice as much in the low carb group compared to the low-fat group. The low carb group saw a significant reduction in fasting blood sugar and fasting insulin. They had a huge reduction in triglycerides compared to the low-fat group (51% vs. 19%). Whereas 12 of the 20 low-carb dieters showed a greater than 10% increase in HDL (“good”) cholesterol, only two of the 20 low-fat dieters achieved this improvement. “A diet restricted in carbohydrate can provide a more comprehensive improvement in the clinical risk factors associated with Metabolic Syndrome than a low-fat diet at reduced calorie intake”, concluded the researchers.
And low carb diets continue to gain momentum when major health organizations, like the American Diabetes Association and the Mayo Clinic, are recommending a low carb diet as an effective weight- and health-management option for patients.
How to Lose Weight on Atkins’ Low Carb Diet
With compelling research and over 100 studies supporting the efficacy of a low carb diet for weight loss and your health, you can’t go wrong. What is even better is that Atkins’ low carb diet can be personalized for your individual goals, level of carb intake you want to consume and types of food you’d like to eat.
First, pick the Atkins low carb weight loss plan that works best for you:
Atkins 20TM: For the fast results of the original keto diet for weight loss, you start at 20 grams of Net Carbs a day. This is your best choice if you have over 40 pounds to lose, have a waist circumference of over 35 inches (women) or 40 inches (men).
Atkins 40TM: If you’d like a more flexible version of keto, start at 40 grams of Net Carbs a day. This is your best choice if you have less than 40 pounds to lose and would like a wider variety of food choices.
Atkins 100™: You start at 100 grams of Net Carbs a day. This is your best choice if you would like to maintain your current weight while enjoying the benefits of a low carb lifestyle and eating a wider variety of food.
Once you’ve chosen your low carb diet plan, you can focus on what you’re going to eat: High-fiber and nutrient-rich vegetables, low glycemic fruits, high-quality protein such as poultry, fish, seafood, red meat, tofu and eggs, full-fat dairy and healthy fats. What do you have to limit when a low carb diet? Sugar, some starchy foods and processed grains.
Next, you can get started shopping for low carb food, planning low carb meals and beginning your low carb weight loss journey:
Atkins Low Carb and Keto Shopping List for Weight Loss
Low Carb Meal Plans for Weight Loss
6 Tips to Jumpstart Atkins’ Low Carb Plan for Weight Loss
A Food Journal is the Secret to Weight Loss
Low Carb Diet + Weight Training = Powerful Combo for Weight Loss
According to Jeff Volek, Ph.D., one of the authors of New Atkins for a New You and an exercise and nutrition research expert, the combination of a low carb diet and weight training stimulates muscle growth and results in greater fat loss. Volek’s research found that multiple subjects lost 15 to 20 pounds on a low carb diet while gaining 5 to 10 pounds of lean muscle mass with resistance training. This is a powerful reason to add exercise to your low carb weight loss program:
How to Start a Weight Training and Cardio Exercise Program for Weight Loss
Low Carb Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition
According to Jeff Volek, Ph.D., one of the authors of New Atkins for a New You and an exercise and nutrition research expert,the combination of a low carb diet and weight training stimulates muscle growth and results in greater fat loss. Volek’s research found that multiple subjects lost 15 to 20 pounds on a low carb diet while gaining 5 to 10 pounds of lean muscle mass with resistance training. This is a powerful reason to add exercise to your low carb weight loss program:
How to Start a Weight Training and Cardio Exercise Program for Weight Loss
Low Carb Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition
Protein is the secret to fueling your workouts and post-workout recovery:
“Based on several research studies that have investigated timing of nutrients with regards to workouts, we recommend that you eat high-quality protein before and after your workout. It doesn’t take a lot of protein to get an effect on protein synthesis, so we’re not providing an excess amount of protein. Ten to 20 grams seems to be the optimal amount,” Volek says.
Here are some pre- and post-workout protein options: Hard-boiled eggs, string cheese, cottage cheese and berries and Atkins shakes and bars.
Shakes and bars are also convenient options for your low carb weight loss plan if you don’t have time to eat a whole-food meal or snack, as studies have shown that people who use shakes and bars as part of a whole-foods-based low carb diet were able to stick to their low carb weight loss plan and had better weight loss results than people who didn’t use bars and shakes.
More Low Carb Diet Options for Weight Loss
You can adapt your low carb diet plan for weight loss to a variety of eating styles. Here’s how:
Low Carb Diet for Vegetarians and Vegans
7 Tips for Starting a Keto Diet
