Wednesday, August 10, 2011

How to lose weight fast and eat healthy

For about four decades, the Atkins low carb diet has stood for an effective program to reduce their weight rapidly and healthily. It is based on the principle that the consumption of too many carbohydrates results in getting overweight. The simple reason behind that is that the human body uses carbs and fats to secure the supply of energy but carbs come first. If the body cannot burn all the carbohydrates, it stores them in the form of fat that results in weight gain. Excessive weight usually causes sleepiness, fatigue, poor memory, inability to concentrate, etc. So, in order to avoid or prevent such problems, you should limit the carb intake to less than 40 grams of carbohydrates per day.

Low Carb Foods

* The list of the most popular low carb vegetables includes: asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cabbage, celery, cucumber, kale, lettuce, onions, pepper, parsley, pumpkin, spinach, tomatoes, and turnip.

* Fruits that are best for the Atkins diet include: apples, bananas, berries, grapefruits, lemons, kiwis, melons, oranges, pears, pineapples, plums, and tangerines.

* Your diet may also include dairy products (butter, cheese and cream), meat (pork, beef, and lamb), poultry (chicken, turkey, etc.), fishes (salmon, sardines, trout, anchovies, etc.) and eggs.

Keep in mind that some of these foods are rich in fats, cholesterol and calories.

* Some herbs, spices, and oils have no carbohydrates. You may consume pepper, oregano, thyme, dill, sage and turmeric aw well as olive oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, corn oil and canola.

* Water, tea and coffee are totally free of carbohydrates.

Remember that you have to exclude all kinds of soft drinks, beer, wine, vodka, etc. when you are on a diet. Some of these drinks contain no carbohydrates but are high in calories. And one more fact: all alcoholic drinks provoke a healthy appetite.

How to Carry out the Atkins Diet Program

The program of the Atkins diet is based on four phases. During the first phase, your carb intake is limited to 20 grams per day, so consuming more salads and other non-starchy vegetables is recommended. During the next phase, you have to add some carbohydrates in the form of fibre-rich foods and increase the carb intake to 25 grams a day the first week. Increase to 30 grams per day during the second week and keep on in the same fashion until you stop losing weight. Then, reduce your daily carb intake with 5 grams so that you start loosing weight again.

The important transition from weight loss to maintaining healthy weight is made during the third phase. You should increase the carb intake in 10-gram increments each week until the moment when the daily weight loss becomes minimal. The final fourth phase builds the foundation for a lifetime of good health. Now, you can choose between various foods while at the same time, you control the carb intake to ensure that you keep your new weight and say healthy.