Diets -- The Atkins Diet

The Atkins Diet has four phases, induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance, the following meals are designed for each phase.

Blue Cheese and Bacon Soup - Induction

Serves 6

3 tablespoons butter
2 leeks, use only the white part, halved lengthwise, washed and then chopped
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 ½ cups cauliflower, broken into small bits
2 cans of reduced sodium chicken broth (14 ½ oz each) ½ cup of water
5 oz crumbled blue cheese
6 strips bacon, cooked and chopped

Melt the butter in a large pan over a medium heat, add leeks, mushrooms and cauliflower, cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time

Add broth and water, bring to the boil and cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Until the vegetables are very soft.

Puree the soup in a blender with the blue cheese. Re-heat if necessary then add the bacon.

Baihian Halibut – Ongoing Weight Loss

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 halibut steak halves, about 1 inch thick
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 large cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1 jalapeno pepper, or Serrano chili, seeded and finely chopped
½ cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 medium tomato, diced

On a large plate, whisk together 1 tablespoon of olive oil and all the lime juice, coat the fish with the mixture

Heat remain oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, add onion and pepper and cook until soft, about 6 minutes.

Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of salt on the fish and place fish in the pan. Pour coconut milk over the fish and add the tomato.

Reduce the heat and simmer for about 9 minutes, turning the fish after 5 minutes.

Add the remaining salt, baste the fish a few times with the sauce and serve straight from the pan.

Spiced Meat Rolls – pre-maintenance

½ pound ground beef
½ pound ground pork
½ pound ground veal
2 tablespoons club soda
½ medium sized onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt

Mix together meat, onion, garlic, paprika, salt, pepper and club soda in a large bowl and work together well.

With moistened hands make 2 heaped tablespoons and form a roll, repeat until all the mixture is used, giving between 10 and 15 rolls.

Over a medium heat, heat the oil in a large frying pan until the oil is very hot.

Cook the rolls in batches of 3 or 4 until they are browned and thoroughly cooked, this should take about 15 minutes.

Sprinkle with salt prior to serving.

Prosciutto Parcels stuffed with goat cheese – lifetime maintenance

8 thin slices prosciutto di Parma
4 oz goat cheese, cut into 8 slices
2 tablespoons drained and chopped sun dried tomatoes in oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon pesto sauce
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
4 cups mixed salad greens

Pre-heat oven to 300F

Lay a slice of prosciutto on a work surface. Place a slice of goat's cheese on top of the prosciutto, about an inch from one end. Place ¾ teaspoon sun dried tomatoes on top of the cheese and fold prosciutto around the cheese, to make a parcel.

Arrange parcels on a baking tray, seam side down, cover with foil and bake for 5 minutes.

Whisk together oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and pesto in a bowl to make dressing.

Put one cup of greens on each plate, 2 parcels per serving and drizzle with dressing.

The Atkins Diet

Dr Atkins is probably the most controversial person in the weight loss industry, having written the seminal Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution. Basically the Atkins diet is a very low carbohydrate diet that encourages eating lots of protein.

The Atkins Diet has four basic phases, the aim of each is to see dramatic weight loss and then to maintain the weight loss while leading a healthy active lifestyle.

Phase 1 – Induction

The Induction Phase lasts for a minimum of 14 days, during which period the aim is to kick-start the metabolism into a phase called lipolysis and then the more advanced stage of ketosis, in which your body will burn fat reserves rather than carbohydrates. This phase is the strictest phase of the program with a range of rules that must be followed to the letter. Among them being eating 3 regular size meals each day, only eat foods on the “Acceptable Foods” list, and eat absolutely no fruit, bread, pasta, starchy vegetables or certain dairy products.

Phase 2 – Ongoing Weight Loss

Phase 2 of the Atkins diet is a liberalization of phase 1 that differs from induction in 3 ways. Firstly, you will eat more carbohydrates as you re-introduce “good” carbs back into your diet slowly so that you can discover how much carbohydrate you can eat without piling the pounds back on. Secondly the Ongoing Weight Loss period allows you more choice in your diet and finally, counting carbohydrates in your food becomes you sole responsibility. It is during this phase that you will work out your “Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing” by adding 5 grams of carbohydrate per day each week to your diet. Continue to increase the amount of carbs you eat each day and eventually your weight loss will grind to a halt, this is your CCLL.

Phase 3 – Pre-maintenance

The third phase of the Atkins Diet is marked by slowing down your weight loss. Once you get to within 10lbs of your target weight you need to slow down your weight loss so that it is barely noticeable, this is in order to give you time to make your new eating regimen a permanent feature of your life so that you don't simply lose weight, but you remain at you target weight. By adding further carbohydrates back into your diet you should slow weight loss to just a pound a week. This phase should last for a minimum of one month ideally it should last 2 or 3 months. In the Pre-maintenance phase you should increase the amount of carbohydrates you consume each day by 10 grams. It is during this phase that you should establish your “Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium” which is the amount of carbohydrates you can eat without losing or gaining weight.

Phase 4 – Lifetime Maintenance

So you have reached your target weight, now is the time to maintain that weight loss and enjoy the rest of your life with your new body and eating habits. You will be able to return to some of your favourite foods, with the exception sugar, if your metabolism can handle it without gaining weight. By knowing your ACE you will be able to maintain the weight loss you have worked so hard to achieve. Weighing yourself every week is a valuable approach to ensuring that your weight doesn't start creeping up again, beyond the natural fluctuations of the body of about 3lbs. By the time you reach your ideal weight you will no longer be in lipolysis and thus it is important to adhere to your ACE in order to maintain your target weight.

The Atkins Diet requires a lot of will-power and adherence to strict rules in order to achieve your target weight. It also requires you to get used to reading the labels of any food you buy, so you can keep a track of the amount of carbohydrates you are eating each day.

There are many Atkins-friendly products available in stores as well as a number of Atkins cook books for preparing food at home.

This lady in her early 30s was diagnosed as diabetic with a blood sugar level of over 200, as a result she decided to implement the Atkins Diet. As a result of which she lost over 100lbs and can now enjoy quality time playing with her children. Also, her doctor now recommends his diabetic patients to follow the Atkins Diet.
Using food as a comfort for many, but not many go on to weigh nearly 300lbs. This is exactly what happened to this lady, struggling with depression, low self-esteem and going through a divorce, the pounds just piled on. After being recommended the Atkins Diet by her doctor, this lady has shed over 130lbs and is now enjoying life with her new husband and planning having a family.
This man, in his late 20s had always been heavy, at one point tipping the scales at over 250lb. As a result of this, he suffered from a poor self image and had very little energy. After being recommended to try the Atkins Diet by his parents, who pointed out the abundance of meat in the program, he lost close to 100lbs and today has energy to spare!