Can You Eat Bacon on the Atkins Diet? A Guide to Choosing the Right Kind

Atkins 20® Phase 1, also known as Induction, is designed to jumpstart your weight loss. An all-too-common misconception is that Phase 1 of Atkins is the whole program. In reality, it’s the key to kick starting your fat burning metabolism. As you go through the diet, you’ll learn how many grams of net carbs you can eat and still lose weight, control your hunger, and stay awake and full of energy. This is called your personal carb balance.

During Phase 1, your body will change how it uses nutrients. The first few weeks will be very important for your weight loss journey. See details below on Induction and how to get started with your low carb diet.

The length of the Induction phase depends on your weight loss goals. For some, Phase 1 may only last two weeks. You can safely stick to it for a lot longer, though, if you need to lose a lot of weight or just want to get rid of most of it quickly. This phase lasts until you’re 15 pounds away from your goal weight, so people who want to lose less may not need to go through Induction. Check out our personalization tool or the compare plans page to see if Phase 1 is right for you.

During the first few weeks of a low-carb diet, you should really try to lose weight. That’s why Atkins Phase 1 works: you drastically change what you eat before settling into a healthier way of life. During Phase 1, eating only the foods on the list will help your body switch from burning mostly carbs to burning mostly fat.

It’s important to cut your daily net carbs by a lot during Induction, to an average of 20 grams (no less than 18 and no more than 22). At this intake level, almost anyone begins to burn fat as their primary energy source. You want to get your body used to burning fat so that you can slowly add more carbs to your diet later on.

Register with Atkins today to get started on the most effective low carb diet. Our recipes, exclusive resources, and free tools will help you achieve your weight loss goals.

PHASE 1 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS & FACTS

If you have questions about starting the first phase of Atkins, you’re in the right place. Here are some facts and frequently asked questions about low-carb weight loss, such as how many snacks you can have each day and how drinking alcohol will affect your weight loss.

No. You can start in any of the first three phases. You can start Phase 2 at 25 to 30 grams of Net Carbs a day if you only need to lose a few pounds, up to about 15. Even if you are heavier, you can start here. However, it might take a little longer to lose weight without the boost you get in Phase 1. If you want to lose less than 40 pounds, you can also start Phase 3 at, say, 40 grams of Net Carbs a day.

No. You probably won’t follow them exactly every day unless you eat all of your meals at home, so the Atkins Carb Counter is helpful. Also, if you don’t pay attention to the serving size, you might be eating more carbs than the meal plan says. In any case, as you start to eat more, it’s important to know how to count carbs (actually, grams of Net Carbs). Counting provides a double check that improves your likelihood of success from the start.

Not necessarily. If you eat four or five small meals a day, you might not need snacks. But make sure you don’t skip meals for more than four to six hours. Instead, have a hot drink, perhaps a cup of broth.

No. Eating excessive protein will make you sluggish and interfere with weight loss. Overeat fat and you’ll create a calorie bomb and may slow down weight loss.

Most people are borderline dehydrated all the time. It’s good for your health to drink enough water because it flushes toxins out of your body, fights constipation and bad breath, keeps your joints moist, and more. Staying hydrated also assists with weight loss. Remember, some of your water requirement can be satisfied with coffee, tea, or other clear beverages, including broth.

Bacon is fine in moderation. After bacon, ham, or other pork products are cured, any sugar that is left over is burned off when they are cooked.

This is a very common question individuals ask when starting the first phase of Atkins 20. Cooking compacts vegetables such as spinach or cabbage significantly. Carb counts reflect the cooked amount. When you chop or grate a vegetable, it gets packed down more than when you slice it, which changes the carb count as well.

Yes, as long as you eat enough base vegetables and don’t go over your daily Net Carb limit. A dessert should contain no more than 3 grams of Net Carbs per serving. An Atkins Endulge bar or one of our dessert recipes is a good choice.

By eating the same amount of carbs every day, you can keep your blood sugar level more generally steady. But a difference of 3 or 4 grams of Net Carbs from one day to the next shouldn’t be a problem as long as you keep your average intake the same. If you do overindulge one day, simply return to your current level the next day.

Doing so will mean that you’re consistently returning to a primarily blood sugar metabolism for two days. It’s a fact during Phase 1 that it takes several days to reignite your fat-burning engine. It’s less likely that you’ll lose weight or keep it off if you stop and start, which is called “carb cycling.”

Atkins’ original guidelines said that everyone should stop drinking caffeine, but those guidelines have since been changed to say that people should avoid drinking too much caffeine and now include caffeine as desired and tolerated by each person.

LOW CARB DIET TIPS FOR ATKINS 20®, PHASE 1

Discover low carb diet tips specific to starting the first phase of Atkins 20. You can learn how to change your body the most by cutting down on the sugar you eat every day. Follow our tips below to help you on your Atkins journey. They will tell you what to eat, what not to eat, and how much to eat.

Atkins Diet – How to make perfect bacon every time

Can you eat meat on the Atkins diet?

There are limits to the amount of butter or fats that you should eat, but no strict guidelines for meats or other proteins. There are four phases to the standard Atkins diet, also called Atkins 20. Phase 1. This is when you help your body switch from burning carbs to fat. This process is called ketosis, and you should notice weight loss quickly.

What are the best low cost foods for an Atkins diet?

Foods that are included in Atkins diet are usually expensive. But, you can choose cheap cuts of meats such chicken, pork shoulder, pork butt, ham, ground beef, beef chuck roast, also tilapia, cod, mackerel and sardines, eggs, kale, spinach, broccoli, and full-fat dairy like butter, cheese, cream, full fat yogurt.

Is the Atkins diet good or bad?

There are no good or bad carbs, but instead simple carbs (white bread and cookies) and complex (whole grains, legumes. beans, fruits, and vegetables). The Atkins diet helps you understand the difference while encouraging you to eat more complex carbs, especially as you graduate toward phases that allow for greater carbohydrate intake.

Can you eat fats on the Atkins diet?

The flip-side to restricting carbs: Unlike many other diets that require you to count calories or curtail eating high-fat foods, under the Atkins diet you can eat fats, as well as protein, per the Cleveland Clinic.

What foods can you eat on the Atkins diet?

Fruits and grains are high in carbs, and a person on the Atkins diet restricts these, especially in the early stages. However, these foods are also good sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. To make up for the lack of nutrient-rich foods, the Atkins diet encourages people to use vitamin and mineral supplements.

Can I eat a snack bar on the Atkins diet?

If you like using food products on your diet plan, Atkins has plenty of snack bars and meal replacements to choose from available online and at your local grocery store. Plus, foods marketed as keto will fit well on the Atkins plan. The restrictive aspects of the Atkins diet can be a major pitfall for dieters.