Dieting After Atkins: Rules for Successful Weight Control

The Atkins diet is dead. It died along with bankruptcy of the Atkins company, which followed the death of Dr. Atkins. nnHas America’s romance with low carb and high protein ended?nnNot really. nnBut there is ample proof that low-carb high protein diets can be damaging to one’s health. nnAnd if there is to be life after Atkins, what can we eat? nnDr. Abby Aronowitz, Ph.D. and author of the new book Your Final Diet offers up seven new, sometimes surprising, rules for dieting in modern times:nn1) Eat whatever you want,n2) Try responding to signals of hunger and fullness appropriately.n3) Figure out a weekly caloric limit based on daily figures suggested by the USDA and stick to it.n4) Begin replacing foods containing artificial ingredients with all natural alternatives.n5) Cope well with emotional issues. If you don’t know how, get into therapy.n6) Incorporate “naughty” foods into meals.n7) Satisfy compulsive eating by sticking to one food; preferably a low calorie, crunchy carbohydrate. nnDr. Abby says these rules can help people to find their ideal weight and stay there forever. nn“Permission is finally granted to eat whatever is craved, since this diet offers flexibility, control and satisfaction. There is no need to go off the diet since whatever is desired is allowed!” nnDr. Abby’s recipe for dieting success in the post Atkins world creates truly individualized plans. She believes that you can achieve a compromise between eating with abandon and effectively managing preferred foods. nnSome people experienced constipation on Atkins due to the lack of fiber.nn“You need more fiber and nutrition from carbohydrates, and your body may take time to adjust to digesting these.” nnHer three key steps are as follows:nn1. Write down everything you eat in a week. nn2. Figure out how many calories were in a satisfying portion of each; not the “recommended serving size,” but a portion designed for human consumption. nn3. Make a menu for the week based on USDA calorie recommendations.nnDr. Abby says that most adults can have between 11,200 and 17,500 calories per week, based on 1,600 per day for fairly sedentary women to 2,500 per day for fairly active men. nnIncorporating “forbidden foods” into meals assures conscious, accurate calorie counts and might prevent inappropriate binge eating later.nnHere’s a log of someone’s first day’s food using this plan. nnBreakfast: nnVan’s all natural whole grain waffle with a scoop and a half of regular, all natural ice cream ( 325 calories). nnLunch nnA cup of chicken vegetable soup with a bunch of Garden of Eatin’ sesame blue chips and Newman’s Own salsa (450 calories). nnDinner nnLocal seafood, farm fresh corn on the cob, a magnificent salad and dinner roll all of which weighed in at 450 calories. A desert medley of mango, peach and nectarines flavored with hazelnut liqueur and cinnamon, layered with real chocolate pudding and topped with authentic whipped cream was 250 calories. nnA couple of glasses of wine (200 calories) brought the day’s total to 1675; smack inside the target zone for successful weight management for an average woman!nnWhat was the breakdown? nnProtein came from seafood, chicken soup and dairy, fiber and complex carbohydrates came from the soup, salad, corn, fruit and waffle, and calcium was in the pudding, ice cream and whipped cream. Fats were all natural, and there were no potentially damaging artificial chemicals whatsoever, such as partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup and other polysyllabic engineering feats. Sugar was always mixed with protein and fat, which prevents blood sugar from spiking. Fiber, volume and protein kept appetite at bay. nnIf you find that on a particularly stressful day you need to binge, here’s a great coping strategy. nnChoose a crunchy low calorie carbohydrate snack like Pirate’s Booty, which floods the brain with serotonin and calms people down without doing much damage. nnYou might become so full after polishing off the entire bag that you decide to skip a meal. This is fine, and naturally compensates for the calories. If not, don’t worry about it. There is no need for beating yourself up since calories are minor, and will barely make a dent in the week’s total.nnIn modern times, you need to learn how to cope with work demands, lifestyle, and foods that are available.nnDr. Abby says, “You can do it, without obsessing about fat and body image. You just need to learn the rules.”n