How to Follow Dr. Atkins' Four-Part Program

I believe my diet is a lifetime nutritional philosophy focusing on the consumption of nutrient-dense, unprocessed foods and vita-nutrient supplementation. It has many levels, with four main parts: induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and maintenance. The following will give you an overview of each part.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

The 14-Day Induction Diet

1. Restrict carbohydrate intake to 20 grams per day.
2. Avoid eating fruit, bread, grains, starchy vegetables or dairy products other than cheese, cream or butter during this period.
3. Remember that intake of carbohydrates is usually 3 cups of salad vegetables or 2 cups of salad vegetables plus 1/3 cup of cooked vegetables whose composition is less than 10 percent carbohydrate.
4. Eat other permitted carbohydrates such as nuts, seeds and olives - as long as your total remains at 20 grams or below.
5. Choose vegetables such as asparagus, okra, eggplant, all salad vegetables, and broccoli - any nutritious, nonstarchy vegetable which is 10 percent carbohydrate or less. You will need to use a carbo counter to see the full realm of your choices.
6. At this first level, eat all meat, all fish, all fowl, all shellfish, all eggs. They are all permitted, except for luncheon meats containing nitrates or sugar and products that are not exclusively meat.
7. Eliminate diet cheese, cheese spreads, and whey cheese. All other cheese is permitted, unless you have an allergy to milk products.
8. Eliminate caffeine if you are addicted to it. Otherwise, you may have it in limited amounts.
9. Drink water, herbal tea (no barley, dates, figs or sugar), club soda, and decaffeinated coffee and tea. Read labels carefully if you are drinking diet soda, flavored bottled water and iced tea. Make sure there are no carbohydrates in your beverages.
10. Avoid margarine. It is considered a health hazard. Butter is permitted.
11. Use vegetable oils such as canola, walnut and soybean. Look for labels that say "cold-pressed." Avoid heating polyunsaturated oils; heating changes the chemical bonds, making these fats unhealthy.
12. Use mayonnaise, unless you are on a yeast restriction.
13. Avoid all "diet foods" unless they specifically state that they contain no carbohydrates.
14. Read all labels carefully. A label that says "sugarless" does not necessarily indicate that the food doesn't contain carbohydrates.
15. Check labels on chewing gum, over-the-counter medicines and other products you may not normally think of as food. Many contain sugar or other carbohydrates.
16. Use lipolysis testing strips to test your urine, to make sure that you are in ketosis - which means you are burning fat.
17. Take supplements and vita-nutrients according to the Atkins plan.

Ongoing Weight Loss

18. Figure out your critical carbohydrate level for losing (CCLL) when you enter the ongoing weight loss level (OWL). This number is, as defined by the Atkins diet, the most liberal level of carbohydrate consumption that corresponds to your own individual metabolic capacity to continue taking off excess pounds.
19. Increase your intake of carbohydrates to the level where you will still continue to lose weight.
20. Continue a close count of your carbohydrate intake. For an average person with an average metabolic resistance, that number is between 15 and 40 grams of carbohydrates per day.
21. Stick with low-carbohydrate vegetables, seeds and nuts.
22. Learn new recipes to keep the food interesting. Use the Atkins recipes and cookbooks, or similar ones for low-carbohydrate cooking.
23. Experiment with new vegetables. There are a huge number to choose from, both for cooking and eating in salads.
24. Eat berries. Fruits are still restricted because of their high sugar content, but berries are lower in carbohydrates, delicious and packed full of nutrients.
25. Expect weight loss to diminish as you liberalize the diet. You can speed up or slow down the diet, depending on your carbohydrate intake.
26. Continue taking vitamins and vita-nutrients as designated by the program.

Pre-Maintenance

27. Production of ketosis begins to vanish at this level. You can deviate a little, but don't lose track of the basic diet.
28. Increase your carbohydrate intake, as long as you are still able to lose those last few pounds.
29. Begin deviating very slowly. Start with one or two deviations a week, such as a baked potato or a serving of fruit.
30. Be careful about not blowing the complete diet. Deviate sensibly.

Maintenance

31. Figure out your critical carbohydrate level for maintenance (CCLM). This is the amount that you can eat and not begin to gain weight.
32. Fluctuations in weight are common, as long as they are very small. Once you go 5 or more pounds above your ideal weight, it's time to cut back again.
33. Remember that this diet will always restrict your carbohydrate level somewhat. A person with an average metabolism usually must stay between 40 and 60 grams of carbohydrates per day. Continuing with fresh nonstarchy vegetables, seeds, nuts and berries is the easiest way to eat more variety and still remain within your personal boundaries.
34. Cautiously reintroduce vegetables that contain more than 10 percent carbohydrates, as well as whole grains such as oats, barley and couscous.
35. Keep the sugar, white flour and processed foods out of your life, except for special occasions. Sugars supply empty carbohydrates devoid of nutrients.
36. Take care not to reactivate old addictions to sugar, starchy foods, bread and so on.
37. Continue taking vita-nutrients as prescribed in the diet.
38. Exercise. You should have been doing this all along, but if not, now is as good a time as any. It will help keep the weight off, reduce fatigue and keep you in better health.

Tips & Warnings

• This initial stage helps to efficiently switch your body from burning carbohydrates to burning fat as fuel. It also stabilizes your blood sugar and stops food cravings using abstinence rather than moderation. It also helps to break addictive eating habits to sugar, chocolate, caffeine, etc. There are no restrictions on the amount of fat or protein you can eat.
• Speak with your doctor before beginning this diet if you have any chronic health conditions. Certain medications may make it more difficult to lose weight, and certain illnesses may call for a restriction of protein.
• You must successfully complete the induction level before moving on to the ongoing weight loss, or OWL level. This is the main part of the weight loss program and is more lenient than the induction level.
• If you stop losing weight, or if it is very slow in coming off, you may need to adjust your program. Read the book for tips on what to do if you are very metabolically resistant. Also check out any medications you are taking. Some of them may make it more difficult to lose weight.
• You arrive at the pre-maintenance level when you only have 5 or 10 pounds left to lose. It is the interim period between weight loss and maintaining your new weight.
• Avoid losing track of your carbohydrates once you reach the maintenance level. This is the weight where you want to be - and more importantly, where you want to stay. The Atkins diet is a lifetime plan to keep you slim and healthy, with good eating habits.
• If you have any questions or concerns, contact a physician or other health care professional before engaging in any activity related to health and diet. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.