We have all heard about the Atkins Diet. The plan basically calls for you to reduce your intake of carbohydrates. What this means is your intake is basically protein. The workings of the plan is - your body first burns carbohydrates, when it can not find any then it burns fat using stored fat to provide the protein energy.

In the Atkins Diet you have to be sure to drink a lot of water because your kidneys have a difficult time flushing all the burned fat out of your system. It uses a lot of water in this process. So if you do not drink water you can become dehydrated.

So what happens is that when you eliminate carbohydrates in your system your body looks to protein to burn to provide energy. And in the process use lots of fat. This causes you to lose weight and lose it fast.

I have seen many people that have tried the Atkins Diet and lose weight fast. But they also have to be careful not to completely eliminate carbohydrates. So it calls for balancing your diet as you proceed. The Atkins Diet plan actually has a menu suggestions and if you follow the plan it will work for you. After all the basic plan to lose weight is burn more calories then you take in. Can you imagine what this would do with just a little exercise?

The biggest problem, as with any diet plan, is that of discipline. Most people have a problem making a long term lifestyle change. The urge for sweets and breads soon drives people back to their old eating habits and when they go back to eating carbohydrates they gain the weight back.

Unfortunately, I have seen many people very excited about the weight they lost with the Atkins Diet. They look trim and healthy and you can tell they feel good about themselves. But soon you see them start gaining weight again. They could not resist the urge for sweets and breads and other foods rich in carbohydrates. So if you do not have that strong will to stick with this program what do you do?

Well there are other programs out there that are not as drastic as the Atkins Diet and where you lose weight at a slower pace. Many of this programs have different plans. Some require you measure calories, but to do this you have to look at portions and eat less, and only eat certain kinds of foods. But let's face it they too require a change in lifestyle.

It is difficult with all those hunger urgings to stay on the Atkins Diet or any other diet. We love to eat and have been condition, and in some cases addicted to certain foods. Maybe the best solution is some of the diet supplements that reduce those cravings. But here to you have to be careful because of all the scams out there in the diet supplement arena.