Carbohydrate cravings are difficult to deal with, especially when you are trying to maintain a low carbohydrate way of life. However, carbohydrate cravings are not just a matter of will power. As Dr. Atkins points out in his book, carbohydrates produce a flood of insulin and a rise in blood sugar. There is indeed a physical trigger for carbohydrate cravings, and it is one of the reasons that it is so easy to develop a high-carbohydrate, low protein way of eating.

There are many signs of physical carbohydrate cravings. You will experience a compelling hunger for carbohydrate rich foods. Overtime, you will develop a growing need for starches, snack foods and sweets. Additionally, you may experience cravings and weight gain after using some of the carbohydrate act-a-likes such as sugar substitutes and alcohol.

High carbohydrate foods are everywhere, which makes the cravings even harder to overcome. Eating the high-sugar, refined starch foods will feed your cravings and create more, much like a drug habit. In fact, high levels of carbohydrates produce high levels of the brain chemical seratonin, which is the chemical found in Prozac and other anti-depressants. So eating high levels of carbohydrates is self-medicating. People with low levels of seratonin are prone to using carbohydrates like a drug.

Tension and stress can also lead to overeating carbohydrate-laden foods. When we are tense, the adrenal gland creates more cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that stimulates production of a brain chemical that causes carbohydrate cravings. It also stimulates insulin, which leads to blood sugar dips and more fat storage.

Considering all of these factors, it may seem impossible to live on a low-carbohydrate diet. However, following the Atkins plan is one of the best ways to break the cycle of carbohydrate addiction and take back your life and your health. The Atkins plan helps you take control of your cravings and rid yourself of years of damage caused by eating too many carbohydrates.

While on the Atkins diet, you may experience some carbohydrate cravings from time to time, especially during the initial phases of the diet. However, these will lessen as your body becomes more used to eating a protein-centered diet. In order to keep your cravings in check, eat small meals or snacks that contain protein every few hours. This will keep your blood sugars stable and avoid the crash you feel when you go hungry. Skipping meals will cause drops in blood sugar and leave you craving sweets.

Protein and fat, which are the focus of the Atkins plan, will give your body extended energy. Make sure you are getting enough levels of the essential fats. Sometimes an Omega 3 fish oil supplement will help stave off carbohydrate cravings.

Cravings for foods can sometimes be caused by dehydration. Its a good rule of thumb to drink a glass of water before reaching for any type of snack. Sometimes thirst can mask itself as hunger. When your body is properly hydrated, it will run more efficiently and you will see a decrease in cravings.
Recognize that there is a physical addiction to carbohydrates that will need to be broken. Dont worry if you feel overwhelmed with cravings for carbs after the first few days on the plan. This is normal. Your body is used to running on a diet full of sugar and carbohydrates. It will take some time to adjust to this new way of eating. Normally, these feelings dont last more than the two-week induction period. Stay committed to this new way of eating and you will see the benefits quickly.

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There are all kinds of diets out there; some are made solely for the purpose of losing weight, while others combine weight loss with other health benefits. The 3 Day Heart Diet is an example of the latter, at least on the surface. The truth is that there is quite a bit of confusion on this matter and we will try to clear it up.

An e-mail has been circulating for years which claims that the 3 Day Heart Diet was created by doctors at one prestigious medical facility or another. However, whenever these places are contacted for verification, they always say they were not the ones behind the diet. What that means is that whoever created the diet most likely had a reason for claiming it came from a reputable source.

It’s impossible to know the true motive behind this version of the 3 Day Heart Diet, but it’s quite possible to see that whoever created it did not understand heart health (or used that name for different reasons). For example, the original diet has you eating a full quarter-pound of meat at one meal, and no indication of the type of meat is given. Another meal suggests you eat two hot dogs! Let’s face it, even if you could lose weight on such a plan (as adherents to the Atkins Diet will avow); it is not ideal for keeping your heart healthy.

Now, if you want to lose weight, then just about any 3 day diet will do the trick. But if you want to lose weight and do your heart some good at the same time, then you need to eat foods that have been shown to help your heart.

Here is one day of a better 3 Day Heart Diet

Breakfast:
1/2 cup oatmeal topped with 1 tablespoon ground flax seed and 1/4 cup mixed berries
1/2 cup cantaloupe
6 ounces orange juice
1 cup of tea

Midmorning snack:
1 ounce mixed nuts

Lunch:
1 can tuna packed in spring water
Spinach and tomato salad drizzled with olive oil
1/2 cup papaya

Afternoon snack:
1/2 ounce dark chocolate (the darker the better)

Dinner:
3 to 4 ounces grilled salmon
1/4 cup beans over 1 cup brown rice
1 glass red wine
Substitute 1 cup of tea if you do not drink alcohol

Not only are these foods much healthier for you, but you can actually stick to an eating plan like this for life. You shouldn’t limit your diet to only these foods, but these are a good start. Enjoy a wide variety of foods for optimum health and sustainable weight loss.

If you happen upon the less healthy version of the 3 Day Heart Diet, then you can follow it, but be careful. It is very low in calories, and should not be done unless you talk to your doctor about it first. It should not be followed for any longer than three days. That being said, the modified heart diet mentioned above is a safer, more satisfying, and will help you lose weight and keep it off for good.

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How Much Weight Will Be Lost On The Atkins Diet

While it doesn’t get nearly as much attention as it once did, the Atkins Diet is still a popular choice for a lot of people hoping to lose weight. But one of the main questions people want answered before they start it is: how much weight will be lost on the Atkins Diet? That’s a good question, and it shows that the person asking has a good idea of how much weight they want to lose. So, let’s take a look at some things you should know.

One study included 120 adults that were obese. Over the course of a full year, the average amount of weight lost was about 26 pounds. They also compared the results to a diet that had previously been proven effective. On that diet, people lost an average of about 13 pounds, or about half the amount that people lost when following the Atkins plan. That’s a pretty good sign that the diet works.

That sounds great, but there is a catch. This particular study did not look at what that weight loss was comprised of. Generally speaking, losing weight happens as the result of a combination of three things: reducing fat, muscle or water. So, if the Atkins dieters lost mostly water weight, then they would gain it back very quickly. If they lost muscle, then that’s not very healthy, and their muscle to fat ratio could have been impacted negatively. On the other hand, if they lost fat, then that would be the ideal result. Unfortunately, they did not test this part of the weight loss.

So maybe it’s not so much a question how much weight will be lost on the Atkins Diet, but rather what kind of weight will be lost. Shedding pounds is not worth it if it means losing water weight or muscle mass. You need to be concerned with healthy weight loss.

Healthy weight loss means you have to get a wide range of nutrients from a wide range of foods. The Atkins Diet is a low-carb diet, but you can basically eat all the fat and protein you want. You need to ask yourself if this is a good idea? The jury is still out, but at least you can eat more and more carbs as you get further into the diet.

As with any other weight loss plan, be sure to talk to your personal doctor or another qualified professional before starting the Atkins Diet. They will be more up to date on the current research, and will have the right insights into whether or not it’s a good diet for you personally.

Assuming you want to try it, and your doctor gives his approval, how much weight will be lost on the Atkins Diet is mostly up to you. Because there is one thing for sure, you will not lose any weight at all if you do nothing. But, you just read this article, so that’s not going to happen. You’re motivated to lose weight, now it’s up to you to take action.

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Induction Diet – The Top Priority For The Atkins Weight Loss Plan

If you have ever heard of the induction diet and wondered what it was, then you’re in luck. The answer is simply that it’s the beginning of the Atkins Weight Loss Plan. This diet plan is famous for eliminating or reducing the intake of carbohydrates; at least that’s the popular myth. The Atkins Diet actually permits carbs, but they are kept to their absolute lowest during the induction phase. This is so the ketosis process can begin.

In fact, the induction diet can be thought of as the most vital phase of the program. If you want to try the Atkins Weight Loss Plan, then don’t skip this part as the rest of the diet hinges on this all-important phase.

The general theory of the Atkins Diet is that you can burn fat instead of muscle by replacing carbohydrates with protein. However, you should be warned that it’s a very strict regimen, and you need to follow it closely. This is even more true when going through the induction diet phase.

Most people find the induction process to be the most difficult aspect of the Atkins Weight Loss Plan. This is likely due to two reasons. One, you will have strong cravings for foods that are rich in carbohydrates, and the cravings will be at their strongest when you first start the plan. Two, you are limited to 12 grams of carbohydrates per day. That means the variety of foods you can eat is minimal. Even something like nuts–which most people think of as being high in fat and protein–are prohibited during this early stage of the diet.

Sure, there may be some foods that you can’t eat, and you may be craving carbs, but there is also some good news: you won’t be going hungry. That’s because you can eat as much of the allowed foods as you want. For example, eggs, shellfish, meat, poultry and fish are acceptable. And those can augmented with a small amount of vegetables, as long as you don’t exceed the 12 gram limit on carbohydrates. (That’s why it’s a good idea to have a form of reference that lists the carb content of any foods you want to eat.)

Avoiding pre-packaged foods will help you to keep your carb count under control. But you still need to double check before eating anything. Planning your meals carefully will also help give you more variety within the induction diet phase when doing Atkins. Yes, you may be looking forward to eating all of the bacon you want, but it can get boring after a few days, which will only increase the temptation to cheat.

Speaking of cheating on the induction diet (or any phase of the Atkins Weight Loss Plan): this is not the kind of diet you can cheat on and then resume it the next day. Atkins relies on changing the way your body works, and cheating will undo everything you’ve done so far.

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