The Atkins high protein diet is basically not a new concept. It has been around for years and millions of people throughout the world have already tried it. It was developed by Dr. Robert Atkins and was introduced in 1972 to help severely obese people to lose weight.
The Atkins high protein diet was actually developed based on the notion that weight gain is obtained not by the protein and fats you intake, but by how your body processes carbohydrates. This diet emphasizes mainly the intake of foods that are rich in protein and fats, rather than an excess intake of carbohydrates, which can stimulate the level of blood sugar.
From that notion, the Atkins high protein diet is said to be ideal for weight loss. Many types of research have supported this claim and most of these supports are patterned from some weight-loss claims. Well, on the most basic, it is believed that a high protein diet like the Atkins will help burn a greater number of calories when the body converted protein to glucose. Experts coined this process as gluconeogenesis, and it was found out by certain studies that the amount of extra energy used for gluconeogenesis is insignificant to the body.
Many have also believed that in the Atkins high protein diet, the weight loss is faster than the other weight-loss diets. A rapid weight loss will be observed in the initial stages of the Atkins plan, but it is important to note that the weight loss notable during the initial stages of the Atkins high protein diet is mostly caused by the loss of body fluids, rather than fats. The downside here is that when fluids are lost in the body, the tendency is the muscle tissues will break down, and this is what will lead dieters to experience certain complications in their health.
Despite such fact, the Atkins high protein diet still continues to say that when people consume high protein and low carbohydrates, they will end up consuming fewer calories. This is said to be possible as the protein consumed in the body will tend to act like an appetite suppressant. It will control your hunger pangs until you can manage to go on with your life without the forbidden carbohydrates.
It is important to note that the Atkins high protein diet has phases to follow to obtain the desired weight. The first phase is known as Induction and will last for two weeks. In this stage, only 20 grams of carbohydrates are allowed in the diet, the rest should be protein and fats. This is highly considered for rapid weight loss, but after this initial two-week period you will begin adding up carbohydrates to your diet to about 5 grams per day. In the third phase of the Atkins high protein diet, 10 grams of carbs will be introduced, and that will be continued through the maintenance phase, so long as the weight loss is maintained.
