The New Atkins Diet

The diet is broken down into 4 distinct phases :

• Phase 1 – Induction/Startup (quickly burn a lot of excess fat)
• Phase 2 – Continuous weight loss (gradually burn remaining fat)
• Phase 3 – Pre-Maintenance (setting up good nutritional habits)
• Phase 4 – Maintenance (maintain good nutritional habits)

The phases are  less and less constraining . It is therefore normal that the first phase is more difficult than the second, which itself is more difficult than the third, etc. It is possible to follow the diet while being a vegetarian (which was not the case before).

First phase – Induction

PHASE 1: PRINCIPLE

The first phase is the strictest. The two main objectives are:

• Quick weight loss to start
• Trigger the body to use fat for energy, not carbohydrates

The new Atkins diet therefore recommends consuming, during the first phase,  only 20 grams of carbohydrates per day  (which is less restrictive than  the original 1972 version , which did not allow any carbohydrates at the start of the diet).

The first phase lasts at least 2 weeks, it is necessary to consume only the foods which are indicated in the official list (see paragraph below).

Other rules (quite numerous) are added, you can find them at this address on  the official page of the Atkins diet, for the first phase .

PHASE 1: FOODS AUTHORIZED DURING THIS PHASE

The list of authorized foods is quite long and complex. You can download it in PDF format by following the link below:

• Download of the foods authorized during phase 1  (PDF format, in English). The list is not available in French (including on the official website of the Atkins company)

PHASE 1: WHEN TO MOVE TO THE NEXT PHASE?

If you are only 9 kilograms away from your target weight, then you can move on to the second phase. It is also possible to move on to the second phase if you have already been following the first phase for several months, and you feel that you have come a good part of the way. The first phase does not in any way constitute a balanced and sustainable diet over time.

The method indicates that it is also possible to skip the second phase if you have managed to lose a lot of weight and are only 4.5 kilograms away from your target weight.

Second phase – Continuous weight loss

PHASE 2: PRINCIPLE

Less strict  than the first phase, this involves losing weight in a less aggressive and more gradual way. The power supply is then more flexible. The objective is :

• Gradually reduce carbohydrates in the diet, starting at 25 grams of carbohydrates per day.
• Diversify your diet
• Determine your ”  maximum level of carbohydrates  “, understand the maximum amount of carbohydrates above which you will gain weight and below which you will lose weight. The interest of the regime resides in the fact of finding this limit.

The second phase of the Atkins diet is therefore very close to the old method of 1972. The difference with the first phase lies in the fact that you will consume more carbohydrates, and that the list of foods that you can consume is wider (see below to download the list in PDF format).

To determine your carb level you will need to experiment by gradually reintroducing carbs and waiting about 1-2 weeks to see results. When you stop losing weight, you’ve reached your ”  maximum carbohydrate level  “. You need  to stay below this level  during the second phase to continue losing weight.

To learn more about the few other rules (fewer than in the first phase) that are added to the second phase, you can take a look at  the official page of the Atkins diet, for the second phase  before continuing to read This folder.

PHASE 2: FOODS AUTHORIZED DURING THIS PHASE

The list of authorized foods is quite long and complex. You can download it in PDF format by following the link below:

• Download of the foods authorized during phase 2  (PDF format, in English). The list is not available in French (including on the official website of the Atkins company)

PHASE 2: WHEN TO MOVE TO THE NEXT PHASE?

When you’re only 4.5 kilograms away from your target weight, then it’s time to move on to phase three.

Third phase – Pre-Maintenance

PHASE 3: PRINCIPLE

The objectives of this phase are:

• Lose the last kilograms (4.5 at the start of the phase)
• Continue to test your ”  maximum level of carbohydrates  ” which you normally determined in the second phase, and which you must now approach (without however reaching it, otherwise you will not lose your last kilograms).
• Test certain foods that were not allowed until now.

Once weight loss has been achieved, the “  maximum carbohydrate level  ” is considered the “  personal balanced carbohydrate level  ”. The objective of the stabilization phase is to continue trial and error in order to be sure of having found this limit.

To learn more about the other rules, consult  the official page of the Atkins diet, for the third phase  before continuing to read this file.

PHASE 3: FOODS AUTHORIZED DURING THIS PHASE

The list of authorized foods is quite long and complex. You can download it in PDF format by following the link below:

• Download of the foods authorized during phase 3  (PDF format, in English). The list is not available in French (including on the official website of the Atkins company)

PHASE 3: WHEN TO MOVE TO THE NEXT PHASE?

Once your target weight has been reached and has been maintained for a month, then you can move on to the final phase.

Fourth phase – Maintenance

STAGE 4: PRINCIPLE

The objective now is to maintain your target weight, always keeping in mind that it is your “  personal carbohydrate level  ” that will determine weight loss or gain. This is actually the concept of most ”  low-carb  ” diets. The Atkins method also plays on the fact that it produces several foods (cereal bars, etc.) which are very low in carbohydrates and which should help in the event of cracking, for example.

PHASE 4: FOODS AUTHORIZED DURING THIS PHASE

The same foods are allowed as during the third phase. This is one of the highly negative points of the diet  : it is restrictive and you are not free to eat the foods you want (although the list of foods authorized in the third phase is relatively long).

ADVANTAGES

The diet is part of a desire for long-term weight loss, which is a good point.

In addition to being part of a long-term desire, the new Atkins diet is part of a process to permanently modify eating habits.

DISADVANTAGES

According to the ANC (Recommended Nutritional Intakes), carbohydrates should represent between 50 to 55% of the daily theoretical energy intake (AET). The Atkins diet is well below this ANC, since carbohydrates represent on average less than 20% of AET. This is surely the biggest flaw of this diet.