Most diets are calorie-reduction diets. They help you lose weight, but some of
the weight is from fat and some of it is from lean muscle tissue. While you may
look smaller on the scale, your metabolism is actually slowing down. The more
muscle you lose the slower your metabolism will be. This makes losing weight
more difficult and gaining weight back even simpler.
The Atkins diet, on
the other hand, is carbohydrate restrictive. It creates a state of ketosis in
your body that burns only fat, and not muscle. The primary source of your energy
for your body will be fat in the form of ketones. Your liver will convert fat
into ketones and it cannot be converted back. It will be excreted
naturally.
Ketones are actual a normally and efficient source of fuel for
the human body. They are created in the liver from the fatty acids that result
from the breakdown of body fat. These only appear when there is an absence of
glucose and sugar. In the Atkins diet, you reduce the amount of glucose and
sugar that is in the bloodstream. As a result, your body produces ketones for
fuel. When your body is creating ketones it is called ketosis.
There is a
common misconception that following a ketogenic diet like Atkins is dangerous.
The truth is that being in ketosis is a completely naturally state. The human
body creates ketones to use as fuel in the absence of glucose.
In the
Atkins diet book, Dr. Atkins suggests using ketone-testing strips to determine
your state of ketosis during dieting. These small plastic strips are held in the
urine stream and contain a special chemically treated absorptive pad. This pad
will change color if ketones are present in the urine. With the presence of
ketones, the strip will change varying shades of pink to purple. There is a
color scale on the label of the bottle that will help you determine your ketone
levels.
Ketone strips are available in any pharmacy and can be found
among the diabetic supplies. In some stores, they are kept behind the counter so
you may have to ask for them. You won鈥檛 need a prescription to buy them though.
Once you open a package of ketosis strips they have a shelf life of 6 months. It
may be helpful to mark the opening date on the box.
Ketone strips will
let you know if you are progressing correctly on the Atkins diet. If you are
following the Induction plan to the letter and aren鈥檛 seeing purple, don鈥檛
worry. Some people never show trace amounts of ketones or they may show just
above the minimum line. As long as you are losing weight and inches then you are
successfully using ketones. Also, if you鈥檝e just exercised a few hours before
using the strips, you may not see purple.
Some dieters may mistakenly
believe that a dark purple result on the testing strips means that they are
losing weight faster. Actually, the darkest purple color is a sign of
dehydration. It means that your urine is too concentrated and you need to drink
water.
Ketones come from fat in the bloodstream, whether it is fat that
you eat or fat that you burn. So if you eat a meal heavy in fat and then
immediately use a testing strip, then you鈥檒l sees a dark purple result. Use the
strips as a guide, but don鈥檛 get hung up on the color.
Reaching a state
of ketosis is the key to success on the Atkins diet and it as simple as
eliminating carbohydrates from the diet. Make sure to follow the eating plan
correctly and use the ketone testing strips as needed.
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