The Atkins Diet is a very popular "low-carbohydrate" weight loss system, but it is often greatly misunderstood! Common, but slightly exaggerated depictions of the plan portray dieters eating nothing but vast quantities of meat and fat. Although the diet itself may not be quite this simple, many people following the plan have successfully lost weight and improved their health. 

On this plan, dieters follow a very specific program based on restricted carbohydrate intake. The nutritional aspects of the plan are emphasized over exercise and other factors, although getting physical activity is recommended. There are 4 stages in the Atkins program:

Induction: During this two-week phase at the start of the diet program, dieters can only have up to 20 grams of carbohydrates each day. Dieters can consume high protein foods such as meat and fish, fats such as oils and butter, and other foods with little to no carbohydrates. Many foods containing carbohydrates are not permitted at all, including alcoholic beverages. 

This initial phase is supposed to help the body go from burning carbohydrates for energy, as it normally does, into burning stored up fat (a process known as ketosis). Most dieters begin to see natural weight loss during this phase.

Ongoing Weight Loss: During this phase, dieters gradually increase their carbohydrate intake by adding 5 grams of carbohydrates into their diet each week. Dieters adjust their diet, losing weight to put themselves within 5-10 pounds of their goal weight, before transitioning into the Pre-maintenance phase.

Pre-maintenance: Dieters use the Pre-maintenance phase to find out the maximum amount of carbohydrates they can ingest without gaining weight. During this stage, dieters add 10 grams of carbohydrates to their diet each week. Once dieters reach their target weight and can maintain it for a month, they move into the Lifetime Maintenance phase.

Lifetime Maintenance: For lasting results, the Atkins program is supposed to be maintained throughout the dieter's life. Using the strategies that helped the dieter reach their goal weight, the dieter develops an eating and exercise plan to stay at their target weight. Individuals can revert to previous stages if their weight begins to rise again. 

Dieters who can stay on the Atkins diet are usually successful in losing weight; unfortunately, many people cannot keep following the program and end up quitting early on in the initial induction phase. In general, most diet plans fail simply because dieters cannot stay committed to the plan. 

Many people are unable to lose weight because they experience strong food cravings, have problems with compulsive overeating, cannot regulate their appetites, or simply do not feel motivated to lose weight. Overcoming these mental obstacles is the hardest part of losing weight. 

One reason why many people struggle to control their eating is because they are emotional eaters. Such people eat in response to their feelings, such as when they are sad or angry. However, this eating style 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 again and again. 

Hypnosis works by helping our unconscious minds disassociate our emotions from our eating habits. To eliminate the conditioned response to overeat, a hypnosis weight loss program is used to break the association in the unconscious mind between overeating and specific "trigger" behaviors. 

For instance, if you tend to overeat when you get bored, hypnosis can disassociate boredom from eating in your unconscious mind. Hypnosis techniques can then be used to replace the compulsion to overeat with another activity, such as exercising. That way, the next time you experience boredom, instead of overeating, you will feel motivated to exercise, resulting in natural weight loss. 

Hypnosis is an effective tool for stress relief as well, helping us cope with our stressful feelings and relieve tension without eating. As a relaxation tool, it calms the mind, helps you develop strategies to manage stress, and boosts your self-confidence to promote natural weight loss. 

Hypnotherapy can also be used to eliminate the emotional anxieties that keep you from losing weight. Many overweight people hide behind their weight for emotional protection. For instance, after ending a relationship, people often find themselves becoming overweight so they can avoid new relationships and avoid experiencing emotional pain again. Through hypnosis, we can turn our negative thoughts into positive ones and focus on improving our health instead of becoming overwhelmed by our thoughts. 

Not only is hypnotherapy a powerful motivation tool, it relieves stress, eliminates conditioned responses that trigger overeating, and can be used to overcome many mental obstacles that prevent weight loss. Hypnotherapy for weight loss is really effective at helping people stay on a diet plan, such as the Atkins weight loss diet, and lose weight.

Alan B. Densky, CH is certified by the NGH. Visit hypnotherapy MP3 downloads website for Free hypnosis videos, newsletters, and downloads. He offers several ways to lose weight, including hypnosis to lose weight DVDs and weight loss hypnosis MP3s.

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