How to Begin the Adkins Diet

People wishing to lose weight may select the Atkins diet plan. When you follow the Atkins diet, you accomplish weight loss by reducing carbohydrates and increasing proteins in your diet. This shift in the type of foods you consume enables your body to boost metabolism and start burning fat at an accelerated rate. As you begin the Atkins diet, follow the "induction" phase carefully to ensure the most weight loss possible. After you complete the initial two-week induction phase, you can then advance to the "ongoing weight loss" phase where you continue losing weight.

Instructions

• 1

  Visit the Atkins website and download a PDF list of the foods you can eat during the induction phase. Protein foods include salmon, sole, flounder, chicken, turkey, clams, shrimp, beef, lamb, pork, veal, venison, eggs, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, Swiss cheese, celery, cucumber, endive, lettuce, mushrooms, peppers, radishes, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, okra, onion, black olives, pumpkin, rhubarb, peas, spinach, tomato and zucchini. You can also consume butter, mayonnaise, olive oil and vegetable oils.

• 2

  Go grocery shopping with the list and purchase a variety of allowable foods to give yourself plentiful eating options during the two-week induction phase.

• 3

  Rid your refrigerator, freezer, cupboards and pantry of foods that are not on the food list. Give the foods away or throw them away -- just get rid of these foods so you do not feel tempted during the induction phase.

• 4

  Eat three standard meals or five small meals each day. Do not allow more than six hours between eating during the day.

• 5

  Consume between 4 and 6oz of protein foods at each meal. Add one serving of butter or oils to your foods to make them enjoyable.

• 6

  Divide up to 20g of carbohydrates in your meals over an entire day. Make between 12 and 15g of these carbohydrates "foundation vegetables". Foundation vegetables include alfalfa sprouts, celery, lettuces, cucumbers, mushrooms, peppers and radishes. The remaining carbohydrates can come from other vegetables listed on the approved food list.

• 7

  Enjoy up to 4oz of cheese from the food list and other small food indulgences, such as black or green olives, half of an avocado, sour cream or lemon juice -- but you must include the carbohydrates from these foods in your 20g daily limit.

• 8

  Use sucralose, stevia, saccharine or xylitol if you wish, but no more than three servings a day. Each serving counts as 1g of carbohydrates.

• 9

  Drink 64oz of water or herb tea each day to prevent dehydration.

• 10

  Move to stage two after you have achieved significant weight loss, when your carbohydrate cravings dissipate and when you desire more food choices. Stay in induction if you have not lost much weight or if you still have a significant amount of weight to lose.