The Atkins Diet is a very popular “low carbohydrate” weight reduction system, but it is often greatly misunderstood! Popular, yet slightly exaggerated depictions of the plan portray dieters wolfing down nothing but vast amounts of meat and fat. Although the program is not quite that simple, many dieters have used it to successfully lose weight and improve their health.
On this plan, dieters follow a very specific regimen based on restricted carbohydrate intake. Emphasis is placed on the nutritional aspects of the diet over exercise and other factors, although getting physical activity is also important to weight loss. There are four stages in the Atkins diet:
Induction: During this two-week stage at the start of the diet program, dieters can only consume up to 20 grams of carbs per day. Dieters can ingest high protein foods such as meat and eggs, fats such as oils and butter, and other foods with little to no carbs. Many foods containing carbs are not permitted at all during this stage, including alcoholic beverages.
This early phase is supposed to help the body go from burning carbs for energy, as it normally does, into burning stored up fat (the state called ketosis). Most dieters start to lose weight during this stage.
Ongoing Weight Loss: During this stage, dieters gradually increase their carbohydrate intake by adding 5 grams of carbs into their diet every week. Dieters adjust their diet, losing weight to put themselves within 5-10 pounds of their target weight, before transitioning into the Pre-maintenance period.
Pre-maintenance: Dieters use the Pre-maintenance phase to find out the maximum amount of carbs they can consume without gaining weight. During this stage, dieters increase carbohydrate intake by 10 grams a week. Once dieters reach their target weight and can maintain it for one month, they move into the Lifetime Maintenance stage.
Lifetime Maintenance: For lasting results, the Atkins program is designed to be maintained throughout the dieter’s lifetime. Using the techniques that helped the dieter reach their target weight, the dieter develops an eating and exercise program to stay at their goal weight. Individuals can revert to previous stages if their weight begins to rise again.
Dieters who can stay on the Atkins diet are typically successful in losing weight; unfortunately, many people cannot keep up with the program and end up quitting early on in the induction stage. In general, most diet plans fail simply because dieters cannot stay on the plan.
Many people struggle with dieting because they experience strong food cravings, have problems with compulsive overeating, can’t regulate their appetites, or simply don’t feel the motivation to lose weight. Overcoming these mental obstacles is the most challenging aspect of losing weight.
One reason why many people cannot seem to manage their eating is because they are emotional eaters. Such individuals eat in response to their feelings, such as when they are bored or upset. However, this habit programs a “conditioned response” into the unconscious mind. This means that when individuals experience the same feelings that made them overeat initially, they will feel compelled to overeat once again.
Hypnotherapy works by helping our unconscious minds disassociate our emotions from our eating habits. To extinguish the conditioned response to overeat, a hypnotherapy weight loss program is used to break the link in the unconscious mind between overeating and specific “trigger” behaviors.
For instance, if you tend to binge eat when you get bored, hypnosis can disassociate boredom from eating in your unconscious mind. Hypnotherapy techniques can then be used to replace the compulsion to overeat with another activity, such as exercising. This way, the next time you become bored, instead of overeating, you will feel motivated to exercise.
Hypnosis is a powerful tool for stress relief as well, helping us deal with our stressful emotions and relieve tension without eating. As a relaxation tool, it calms the mind, helps you develop strategies to cope with stress, and boosts your self-confidence to motivate you to lose weight.
Self hypnosis can also be used to eliminate the emotional stressors that keep you from losing weight. Many overweight people hide behind their weight for emotional protection. For instance, after a painful end to a relationship, people often find themselves becoming overweight so they can avoid new relationships and avoid having to endure emotional pain again. Through hypnosis, we can think more positively and focus on having better health instead of becoming overwhelmed by our emotions.
Not only is hypnosis an ideal motivational tool, it relieves stress, eliminates the conditioned responses that trigger overeating, and can be used to overcome the mental obstacles that prevent weight loss. Hypnotherapy for weight loss is extremely effective at helping people stay on a diet plan, such as the Atkins program, and naturally lose weight.
Alan B. Densky, CH has spent over 30 years specializing in weight loss. He offers several ways to lose weight, including dieting CD and hypnosis for weight loss DVD. Visit his self improvement CD website for Free hypnosis videos, newsletters, and downloads.