Atkins Low Carb Endulge Bars taste better than Advantage

The Atkins diet, officially called the Atkins Nutritional Approach, is a low-carbohydrate diet created by Robert Atkins from a research paper he read in the Journal of the American Medical Association published by Gordon Azar and Walter Lyons Bloom.

Atkins stated that he used the study to resolve his own overweight condition. He later popularized it in a series of books, starting with Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution in 1972. In his second book, Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, he modified or changed parts of the diet but did not alter the original concepts. .....

The four phases

There are four phases of the Atkins diet: induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance.

Induction

The Induction phase is the first, and most restrictive, phase of the Atkins Nutritional Approach. Two weeks are recommended for this phase. It is intended to cause the body to quickly enter a state of ketosis.

Carbohydrate intake is limited to no more or less than 20 net grams per day (grams of carbohydrates minus grams of fiber, sugar alcohols, or glycerin), 12 to 15 net grams of which must come in the form of salad greens and other fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, pumpkin, cauliflower, turnips, tomatoes, and asparagus, to name a few of the 54 allowed by Atkins (but not legumes, such as green beans, since they are too starchy for the induction phase).

The allowed foods include a liberal amount of all meats, poultry, fish, shellfish, fowl, and eggs; up to 4 ounces (113 g) of soft or semi-soft cheese such as cheddar cheese; salad vegetables; other low carbohydrate vegetables; and butter, olive oil and vegetable oils. Drinking eight glasses of water per day is a requirement during this phase.

Alcoholic beverages are not allowed during this phase. Caffeine is allowed in moderation so long as it does not cause cravings or low blood sugar. If a caffeine addiction is evident, it is best to not allow it until later phases of the diet. A daily multivitamin with minerals, except iron, is also recommended. A normal amount of food, on Induction, is around 20 grams of sugar (or net carb), at least 100 grams of fat.

The Induction Phase is usually when many see the most significant weight loss - reports of losses of 5 to 10 pounds per week are not uncommon when Induction is combined with daily exercise.

Many Atkins followers make use of Ketostix, small chemically reactive strips used by diabetics. These let the dieter monitor when they enter the ketosis, or fat burning, phase, but are not always accurate for non-diabetic users. Other indicators of ketosis include a metallic taste in the mouth, or bad breath.

Ongoing weight loss

The Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) phase of Atkins consists of an increase in carbohydrate intake, but remaining at levels where weight loss occurs. The target daily carbohydrate intake increases each week by 5 net grams per day.

A goal in OWL is to find the "Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing" and to learn in a controlled manner how food groups in increasing glycemic levels and foods within that group affect your craving control. The OWL phase lasts until weight is within 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of the target weight.

During the first week, one should add more of the induction acceptable vegetables to one's daily products. For example, 6-8 stalks of asparagus, salad, one cup of cauliflower or one half of avocado.

The next week, one should follow the carbohydrate ladder that Dr Atkins created for this phase and add fresh dairy. The ladder has 9 rungs and should be added in order given. One can skip a rung if one does not intend to include that food group in one's permanent way of eating, such as the alcohol rung.

The rungs are as follows:

* Induction acceptable vegetables in larger quantities
* Fresh cheese
* Nuts and seeds
* Berries
* Alcohol
* Legumes
* Other fruits
* Starchy vegetables
* Whole grains

Pre-maintenance

Daily net carbohydrates intake is increased again this time by 10 grams each week from the latter groupings, and the key goal in this phase is to find the "Critical Carbohydrate Level for Maintenance", this is the maximum number of carbohydrates you can eat each day without gaining weight. This may well be above the level of carbohydrates inducing ketosis on a testing stick. As a result, it is not necessary to maintain a positive ketosis test long term.

Lifetime maintenance

This phase is intended to carry on the habits acquired in the previous phases, and avoid the common end-of-diet mindset that can return people to their previous habits and previous weight. Whole, unprocessed food choices are emphasized, with the option to drop back to an earlier phase if you begin to gain weight.

[Read the entire article on Wikipedia]

The New Atkins for a New You: The Ultimate Diet for Shedding Weight and Feeling Great
Paperback

The New Atkins for a New You: The Ultimate Diet for Shedding Weight and Feeling Great : Nook eBook Edition


Think you know the Atkins Diet? Think Again. The New Atkins is...

Powerful:
Learn how to eat the wholesome foods that will turn your body into an amazing fat-burning machine.

Easy:
The updated and simplified program was created with you and your goals in mind.

Healthy:
Atkins is about eating delicious and healthy food -- a variety of protein, leafy greens and other vegetables, nuts, fruits, and whole grains.

When you follow the Atkins Diet, aka the Atkins Nutrition Approach, you actually count grams of Net Carbs, which represent the total carbohydrate content of the food minus the fiber content.

The Net Carbs number reflects the grams of carbohydrate that significantly impact your blood sugar level and therefore are the only carbs you need to count when you do Atkins. Foods that are low in Net Carbs such as nutrient-dense vegetables and fruits don't have a significant impact on blood sugar and therefore are less likely to interfere with weight loss.

You can calculate the approximate number of Net Carb grams yourself by looking at the information provided on a food label (grams of total carbohydrates minus grams of fiber). For foods that don't have a label, like fruits and vegetables, you can use the Atkins Carb Counter.

Atkins science allows us to calculate Net Carbs in our products more accurately. In the case of Atkins bars, shakes and other products, the glycemic (blood sugar) impact has been directly tested on volunteers, and the Net Carb count reflects the glycemic load test results. So you can rely on the accuracy of the stated Net Carb count.

From Atkins Web Site

Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution
Paperback

Also Available:
Dr. Atkins' New Carbohydrate Gram Counter


From Publishers Weekly
This small-format companion book to Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution offers people a pocketsize guide to any of the four phases of the Atkins plan. Organized into food categories such as "Poultry" and "Beverages," the book gives the amount of carbs, net carbs, fiber, protein, fat and calorie counts for each item.

Both generic and brand name foods are included. For example, there are nine listings for different types of roasted chicken and there are even more listings for frozen, skillet and potpies, including Banquet, Morton and Purdue. The dessert section has been expanded from earlier editions to include a range of ice cream and sorbet products, cakes and cookies, as well as snacks such as chips and peanuts.

I really enjoyed having this little Carbohydrate Gram Counter and am using still. You can bring it to the store and use it while planning weekly menus. It's enlightening and so helpful! Great to have on its own to carry along.

Atkins Day Break Bar


Apple Crisp is my favorite, but I like most of them and the fact that you get non-chocolate options is great! Take them in your purse or bag just like the candy bars to have after meals at restaurants when everyone is sharing some high-calorie dessert. Maybe they're at the coffee shop ordering coffees that are thousands of calories each?

Take them along to keep your blood glucose levels up. I'd bring them into a coffee shop in the morning with friends or on my own. If you're getting coffee, no problem if you eat this along with it.

Select from:
Apple Crisp
Chocolate Chip
Chocolate Hazelnut
Peanut Butter Fudge
Cranberry Almond
Cinnamon Bun
Chocolate Oatmeal

These bars have gotten smaller over the years as have so many products we've noticed.

Atkins Advantage Bar, Sweet & Salty Almond Crunch, 12 ea


Sweet & Salty Almond Crunch Bar

7g Protein
1g Sugar
200 Calories
Only 4g Net Carbs

This looks kind of like a Payday candy bar. Not something I've ever seen. Could be really good! There's something like this in the Endulge line that is good.

Atkins Endulge Bar


I like the chocolate coconut best. I've noticed a difference in the quality of the chocolate sometimes and I don't know if it's the store or where the product was processed or what. I always check the date and eat the oldest ones I have first. T

he coconut ones seem less likely to give me a headache from the chocolate but everyone is different and it depends on the day and other triggers. Sometimes you might be able to mix them with some almonds or other nuts for your own sort of Almond Joy experience?

Selection:
Chocolate Coconut, 12 ea
Peanut Caramel Cluster, 5 ea
Chocolate Coconut, 5 ea
Chocolate Caramel Mousse, 5 ea
Caramel Nut Chew, 5 ea

The Atkins Low-Carb Diet is one of the most misrepresented, misunderstood, misreported diets around. That's probably because so many people have so much to gain by steering you away from one diet or another.

What works for you? What is the healthiest and smartest way for you to lose weight and keep it off? The main thing is in your mind. Set a goal and keep working on it. There is no miracle. Keep the goal in mind.

The Truths and Myths of the Atkins Diet.

As stated elsewhere, you don't really have to buy anything to be on or complete this diet. Much of it can be molded to your health issues, your tastes as long as you stick to the most basic plan. It isn't easy. No change in lifestyle is.

Atkins Cookbook Search


Dr. Atkins' New Diet Cookbook


We have the Dr. Atkins' New Diet Cookbook and make some of the recipes for guests. They have no idea that they're low-carb and good for you!