First in the Ring : Atkins Induction

Today the diet-trials began. I woke up this morning in my usual state : cold, grumpy and more than a bit hungry. Normally, I'd drown my morning woes in whole grain cereal with milk and a giant cup of coffee. Any conversation I'd engage in would consist largely of grunts. But not this morning. Atkins Induction allows neither cereal nor milk, and only a limited amount of coffee. (jury is still out about the grunting) To make matters worse, this means I have to cook breakfast.

Ten minutes later, I've fried up a three-egg, spinach and feta scramble which proceeds to get cold as I wash my fry-pan. It looked pitifully small on my plate. (pictured above) Humph. So far, this diet thing is turning out to be just as irritating as I'd imagined.

After eating, I'm less grumpy, although the food feels awfully leaden in my stomach. I sit down to count out how many carbohydrates I've consumed thus far. According to Atkins and my food labels, I've consumed a 1.75 grams of carbohydrate and no fiber. My normal cereal and milk would have me at approximately 35 grams of carbohydrate and 3.5 grams of dietary fiber.

Most traditional diets recommend the individual obtain approximately 45% to 60% of their calories from the carbohydrates in their diet. The majority of these carbohydrates are broken down in the body into glucose, which travels through the bloodstream to provide fuel for almost all of the important functions in the body. For a person who consumes 1,800 Calories (kcal) each day, this breaks down to approximately 225 grams of carbohydrates each day. Atkins Induction pushes an ultra-low carbohydrate approach which demands the individual consume less than 20 grams of carbohydrate in a day.

This ultra-low carbohydrate consumption pushes the body into a state known as ketosis, in which the liver converts the fat in the diet into fatty acids and ketone bodies. The ketone bodies serve to replace glucose as the main fuel source in the body. This, in turn, reduces the insulin production, as insulin's main function is to carry glucose to various locations in the body.

Theoretically, the ketogenic nature of Atkins Induction reduces body mass by reducing blood glucose and insulin production, which they purport to be the main cause of obesity. The body has to work harder to make the fats and proteins pushed by Atkins into fuel, and thus, despite consuming higher numbers of calories, the individual loses weight.*

In order to continue to obtain all of the necessary vitamins and minerals to be healthy, most all of the carbohydrates allowed in Atkins induction are non-fibrous vegetables. Due to their low calorie and high micronutrient profiles, these vegetables make the ideal low-carb, high-nutrient source of carbohydrates. It is recommended that of the 20 grams of carbs allowed, 12-15 of them come from such vegetables.

As for the rest of what I'm allowed to eat on Atkins Induction, it is pretty simple. The list consists mostly of meats, fish, seafood, hard cheeses, oils and fats, spices, broths, the foundation vegetables, and lots of water. I'm not allowed any fruit, grains, milk or desserts (except sugar free gelatin) and I have to track the carbohydrates of any food I consume. Its going to be a strange few weeks, but we'll see how it goes. I doubt I will ever stop being grumpy at breakfast, but maybe ketosis can change me.

* Once again, I'd like to state that it is not my goal to lose weight on these diets. I will certainly record it if I do, but I am more interested in what it is like to live on these diets, and how doing so changes my view of how I eat.


For a complete list of allowed foods, click here.

For guidelines about Atkins Induction, click here.


Sources :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atkins_diet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketogenic_diet