Weight Loss The Atkins Diet

The Atkins diet is a modern weight loss phenomenon. Founded by Dr Robert Atkins, 1930-2003, it was first published as a diet book, “Dr Atkins Diet Revolution” in 1972. This was followed by a series of books on the subject. There were worries about the safety of the diet and although it dwindled in status, it became popular again in the 1990’s.

The popularity of Atkins as the ultimate fast weight loss system was helped by the rise of the celebrity fascination and the fact that many celebrities that had shown fast weight loss, attributed this to the Atkins diet. The diet became very popular, with some hotels and restaurants offering special menus for followers.

The Atkins weight loss system is based on the diet being restricted in its intake of carbohydrates. These are largely replaced by allowing more fat and meat based products into the diet and this has been one of the main areas where the diet has been criticized as this can affect the balance of food groups that are eaten.

Many health experts contend that it is not good for the body to have a restricted level of carbohydrates in the diet and that this is also not the best way to achieve weight loss. However those in favor of Atkins point to sudden and dramatic weight loss that, so long as you follow the principles, it is possible to maintain.

If you reduce your daily carbohydrates to less than 40 grams, (some Atkins texts suggest this should be no more than 20 grams), then you will be subject to a state known as ketosis. This means that instead of using sugar from carbohydrates as fuel, the body will instead to use fat.

Some dieticians believe that this is not a good way to diet and that some of the material that is used as energy, is normal tissue rather than fat. Some also think that at least part of the loss is water. Although it has to be said that there are also health professionals that do not have a problem with the Atkins weight loss system.

Part of the problem that some people have with this, as good way to weight loss is that Atkins advises that when the desired results are achieved, then the participant should remain eating a low carbohydrate diet, or they will return to their former weight. Although a gradual increase in the carbohydrates is allowable, it is still low.

One of the main criticisms that is leveled at the Atkins weight loss plan is that it does not contain any carbohydrates and so is unhealthy. This is inaccurate, although the level is low and this is mainly what the diet is based on. Another problem is that, as some fresh vegetables and most fresh fruits contain sugar, that this can restrict your intake of these and so is bad for the general health of the dieter.

The Atkins weight loss system undoubtedly works if adhered top strictly, as the amount of carbohydrates that are taken from the diet lowers the amount of calories that are eaten and you lose weight. But there are many other effective diets that are based on

restricting calories.

When starting any weight loss diet, especially one that is restricting certain food groups such as the Atkins, it is a good idea to see your doctor and get advice as to whether this is the right diet for you and whether it is the best alternative. There may be other weight loss systems that provide a better all round nutrition and yet still let you lose weight at a reasonable rate.

Weight Loss The Atkins Diet



Diet, Weight Loss, diet, weight loss, weight loss diet, weight loss tips



via fitnessway101 http://fitnessway101.com/weight-loss-the-atkins-diet/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=weight-loss-the-atkins-diet

Read More

The Three Most Important Keys To Understanding Effective Bodybuilding Nutrition

Let's break down and simplify this important aspect of bodybuilding. You basically need to understand three things about nutrition:

•  The main purpose for each of the three macro nutrients: Protein, carbohydrates, and fat
•  The “right” ratio, or the “correct” percentages, of protein, carbohydrates, and fat that your food should be divided into in order to meet your bodybuilding goals
•  The number of calories you should consume to meet your specific physique-enhancement goals

Good nutrition seems much easier when it is broken down and you look it at from that perspective, doesn't it? But what do the three macro nutrients do for our bodies? What ratio of our food should be allocated to protein, carbohydrates, and fat? How do I determine how many calories I should eat? I'll answer those questions—and a whole lot more.

Those questions about nutrition provide a wide range of answers that are not necessarily easy to find. But, with experimentation, patience, and persistence , you'll eventually figure out what's best to help you reach your personal goals. Unfortunately, there are no easier ways around this fact. There are no magic numbers, solutions, or formulas that I, nor anyone else, can give you to make the process effortless—no matter what you are told. These answers not only vary from person to person, they also can vary within the very same person during different periods of time.

Read More

The Top 10 Muscle Building Facts You Need to Know!

1. Building muscle has a lot to do with genetics.

If your parents are naturally thin or have a small body frame then most likely you will have the same traits. This doesn’t mean you have no chance of building a strong muscular body. It just means you are going to have to work hard.

2. Your metabolism has an effect on your size.

If you have difficulty gaining weight whether it’s fat or muscle, then you most likely have a fast metabolism. Your body is burning calories faster than you can consume them.

3. There is no universal weight training program that is going to get massive results for every individual person.

The best way to find a program that works for you is to find someone who had the same type of body as you before and start walking their walk. There are certainly standard exercises that will build muscle but there is more to building muscle than weight lifting.

4. More training doesn’t mean more muscle.

This is one of the most difficult concepts for many to grasp. The purpose of weight training is to stimulate muscle growth… that’s all. Once that has been done, your muscles need to repair and new muscle needs to be built which only happens when you are resting.

5. Isolation exercises aren’t going to get you big fast.

The best exercises to put on the most amount of overall size are multi-muscle exercises. These are exercises that require more than one muscle or muscle group to get the job done. These lifts put the most amount of stress on your body. This is the stress that will shock your nervous system into releasing the greatest amount of muscle building hormones.

6. Free weights build muscle quicker.

Free weights are preferred over machines because they make your body work harder. They require greater concentration and allow the stimulation of supporting muscles. Machines are good for beginners to help with form and basic control, but limit the effectiveness of the exercise.

7. No Pain, No Gain.

Lifting the same weights over and over isn’t going to get you big. In fact it will do the exact opposite.

To build muscle you need to go heavy. This stimulates Type IIB muscle fibers which cause the most amount of muscle gain. Lifting heavy is when your body fails after 4-8 reps.

8. Long training sessions are a NO-GO

The idea is to stimulate muscle, not hit it from every angle possible. This is only a concern for developed body builders looking to tone muscle. Long training sessions cause catabolic hormone levels to rise dramatically. Catabolic hormones are responsible for breaking down muscle tissue resulting in MUSCLE LOSS. Your weight training sessions should go for no longer than 60-75 minutes maximum.

9. You don’t need aerobic activity to lose fat.

The time spent running or swimming is muscle building and recovery time lost. Building muscle is the fastest way to lose fat. Aerobic activities will help you lose fat but not so if you are on a high calorie mass diet for building muscle.

10. 3 square meals a day isn’t going to help you build muscle.

Eating is an important part of muscle building. You need to eat more often and eat more protein. You should be eating roughly every 2.5 hours which is about 6 meals per day. Spreading your meals throughout the day will improve muscle assimilation, and make sure that your body always has the calories it needs for muscle building and repair.

Read More