HomeInformationContactSite IndexPartners

The Atkins diet was not designed to be a fast weight loss plan. The Atkins diet was designed to enable sustained weight loss while permanently changing your lifestyle for better overall health. This weight loss plan works by cutting processed and refined carbohydrates and processed foods that the human body was not designed to metabolize without consequences. Along with changing your regular eating habits, Atkins promotes taking vitamin supplements and regular exercise to complement the nutrition program in order to achieve weight loss.
Atkins Diet Nutritional Principles
Atkins Diet Phase 1: Induction
Atkins Diet Phase 2: Ongoing Weight Loss
Atkins Diet Phase 3: Premaintenance
Atkins Diet Phase 4: Lifetime Maintenance
An Atkins Diet Weight Loss Challenge: Eating Out
Medical Conditions Eased by the Atkins Diet

Atkins Diet Phase 3: Premaintenance

Atkins diet pre-maintenance begins when you are 5 to 10 pounds away from your target weight and lasts for two to three months, during which you'll experience slow weight loss until you reach your target. You must increase your daily carb intake by 10 grams per week until you're experiencing weight loss of less than 1 pound per week. Using the same concept that helped you find your Atkins diet Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing (CCLL), now you will determine your Atkins diet Critical Carbohydrate Level for Maintaining (CCLM).

The purpose of slowing down the weight loss even further is to ensure life-long success in weight loss and maintaining your goal weight. During this Atkins diet phase, you must pay careful attention to how different foods affect your weight loss and determine a diet that will work for you indefinitely. Not only do you want to experience weight loss and reach your target weight, but just as much you want to maintain it. Otherwise the weight loss was all for nothing! In this Atkins diet phase, you may vary the amount of carbs you eat daily, once you have determined your Atkins diet CCLM. If you only eat 40 grams one day, you can eat 60 the next day, as long as your weekly intake remains balanced (to guarantee continued weight loss).

Below is an Atkins diet Carbohydrate Ladder for Phase 3. The portions listed contain approximately 10 grams of net carbohydrates. Again, the food groups are arranged in the order in which you should add them to your diet. Your Atkins diet CCLM may not allow you to move up the ladder and include all of the foods listed (the higher the ladder you go, the more risk you take to jeopardize your weight loss).

Starchy Vegetables*

3/4 cup carrots

1/2 cup acorn squash

1/4 cup yams (or sweet potatoes)

2/3 cup peas, shelled

1/4 cup plantain

1 cup beets

1/3 cup parsnips

1/4 cup white potatoes

Legumes*

1/3 cup lentils

1/3 cup kidney beans

1/3 cup black beans

1/4 cup navy beans

1/3 cup lima beans

1/3 cup great northern beans

1/3 cup chickpeas

1/4 cup fava beans

1/3 cup pinto beans

Fruit

1/2 apple

11 cherries

1 peach

12 grapes

1 1/4 cup strawberries

1/2 grapefruit

3/4 cup cantaloupe

1 kiwi

1 cup watermelon

1/2 cup fruit cocktail, canned in water

1 plum

1/2 small banana

1 cup guava

1/3 cup mango

Grains

1/4 cup rice (long-grain, brown*)

1/2 cup plain old-fashioned oatmeal*

1/3 cup corn kernels*

1/3 cup whole-wheat cereal* (Wheatena)

1/4 cup barley*

1/4 cup semolina pasta*

*All figures are for cooked vegetables, starches and legumes.

Weight Loss Ebook © 2004 All Rights Reserved
The material within the Weight Loss ebook website is for informational purposes only
and not intended as medical treatment. Visit Atkins.com for more information.