Succeeding with the Atkins Low Carbohydrate Diet

There are now many versions of a low carbohydrate diet on the market today. All of them depend on a way to use the body’s own physiological mechanisms to burn the excess weight off. All of them, just like the majority of other diets as well, also recommend that the dieter begin an exercise program according to his own level of health and age. One of the secrets of the Atkins low carbohydrate diet is that the weight you lose is mostly directly from your fat and not from the muscle fibers. This is one of the reasons that many dieters on the Atkins low carbohydrate diet are able to quickly increase the level of their exercise.

Eating the Correct Foods

The Atkins low carbohydrate diet uses your own metabolism to burn away your fat. It does this by using the predominant intake of proteins and fats to begin a process knows as ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic process that begins when the body begins to convert its own stored fat into energy. This process is triggered by the very low intake of carbohydrates on the Atkins low carbohydrate diet.

The key to getting this process started is the induction period on the Atkins low carbohydrate diet, where it is recommended that almost no carbohydrates be eaten. During this period, the level of blood glucose drops and the body looks inward for its direct energy. The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly the body metabolizes the food you feed it to sugar and energy, and consequently, it measures the level of glucose in your blood. Proteins and fats have a relatively low glycemic index. Complex carbohydrates such as whole grains do as well. Simple carbohydrates such as bread and certain fruits are relatively quickly converted to sugar and have a high glycemic index. The key to losing weight on the Atkins low carbohydrate diet is maintaining a blood sugar level that is constant and low. If the blood sugar level increases above what the body needs, then it stores that energy as fat. If the level is below what it needs, it burns the fat off.

Exercise is Key

Once you have been on the Atkins low carbohydrate diet for a few weeks, you will find that your energy level begins to increase. As you are now eating foods with a high level of protein in them, your body is now directly converting sugars to energy. This is the time to relearn how to exercise. Take advantage of the good feeling you have on the Atkins low carbohydrate diet and get out there and walk, run or bike. This will cause your body to burn more energy and you will lose weight even faster. It is quite amazing to see that once you have trained your body not to store fat, and you continue to eat the right foods, the combination of the Atkins low carbohydrate diet and exercise will get you fit in no time at all.