Beauty & Health Suggestions

In spite of the popularity of the Atkins Diet, it is often greatly misunderstood! Common, but slightly exaggerated depictions of the diet portray dieters eating nothing but huge portions of meat and fat. Although the diet is not quite this simple, many people have used it to lose weight and improve their health.

On this plan, dieters follow a highly specific regimen based on restricted carbohydrate intake. The nutritional aspects of the diet are emphasized over exercise and other factors, although getting physical activity is also a key to weight loss. There are 4 phases to the Atkins plan:

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

This initial phase is supposed to help the body switch from burning carbs for energy, as it normally does, into burning fat stored in the body (the state called ketosis). Most dieters begin to shed pounds during this phase.

Ongoing Weight Loss: During the Ongoing Weight Loss 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 goal weight, before moving into the Pre-maintenance stage.

Pre-maintenance: Dieters use this stage to find out the maximum amount of carbs they can ingest without gaining weight. During this stage, dieters increase carb intake by 10 grams a week. Once dieters reach their target weight and can keep it stable 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 lifetime. Using the techniques that helped the dieter reach their goal weight, the dieter maintains an eating and exercise program to stay at their target weight. Individuals can revert to previous stages if they ever begin to regain weight.

Dieters who can stay on the Atkins diet are often successful in losing weight; however, many people are unable to follow the program and end up quitting early on in the difficult induction phase. In general, most diets fail because dieters cannot stay on the plan.

Many people struggle with dieting because they experience strong food cravings, have problems with compulsive overeating, cannot control their appetites, or simply lack 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 people eat in response to their feelings, such as when they are bored or upset. 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.

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

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

Hypnosis is an effective stress relieving tool as well, helping us cope 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.

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 might find themselves becoming overweight so they can avoid relationships and avoid having to endure emotional pain again. Through hypnosis, we can turn our negative thoughts into positive ones and focus on having better health instead of becoming overwhelmed by our anxieties.

Not only is hypnotherapy an ideal motivational tool, it relieves tension, extinguishes the conditioned responses that trigger overeating, and can help you overcome the mental obstacles that prevent weight loss. Hypnotherapy techniques are exceptionally effective at helping people stay on a diet plan, such as the Atkins diet, and lose weight.