84175

18.

5' 10"

81169

18.

86178

19.

5' 11"

83173

18.

87182

19.

6' 0"

85176

19.

89186

20.

6' 1"

91190

20.

6' 2"

93194

21.

6' 3"

95199

21.

6' 4"

98204

22.

THE RULE OF SEVENS.

Who has time to weigh food or convert grams to ounces or vice versa? Not to worry. Now that you know about how many ounces of protein you should be aiming for each day, simply follow the Rule of Sevens. Each ounce of cooked chicken, meat, tofu, other protein food, nuts or hard cheese, cup of dairy, or large egg is equivalent to about 7 grams of protein. Consume 10 to 25 of these 1-ounce units daily, depending upon your height and choice within the ranges above, and you'll be satisfying your needs. These visual comparisons should help estimate the number of ounces in portions: FOOD.

VISUAL.

1 ounce meat, poultry, tofu, etc.

Small matchbox/remote car key 3 ounces meat, poultry, tofu, etc.

Deck of cards/cell phone 8 ounces meat, poultry, tofu, etc.

Slim paperback book 3 ounces fish Check book/iPod 1 ounce hard cheese Four dice

Spread your protein consumption out over the day, eating at least 4 to 6 ounces at each meal, including breakfast; tall men may need 8 ounces. Unless your initial portions are larger, there's usually no need to reduce your protein consumption as you move through the phases. On the other hand, if you're finding it difficult to lose weight and doing everything else by the book, you may want to decrease your protein portions if you're at the high end of our suggested intake range to see if that may be the holdup.

One way to judge if you're getting enough protein is simple: take the satiety test. After you've consumed what you consider an adequate amount of protein (which naturally comes with a modest dose of natural fat), ask yourself if you're satisfied. If you are, fine. If not, have a bit more. If you're still hungry, try adding some olive oil, cream, or one of our delicious salad dressings or sauces. You need to pay closer attention to your protein intake only if you think you might be eating too little or too much.

Don't waste time calculating the amount of protein you should be eating during weight loss as a percentage of your total macronutrient intake. Instead, as shown in the table above, base your optimal protein intake upon your height and gender. The midpoint of the range expressed in grams is provided in ounces, a.s.suming that an ounce equals 7 grams of protein, but you can choose to have more or less within the range. Just pick your gram level and divide by 7 to get your daily goal in ounces.

THE MORE VARIETY, THE BETTER.

When most people think of protein, particularly in the context of the Atkins Diet, they envision beef and other meat, poultry, fish, sh.e.l.lfish, eggs, and dairy products. Animal products are all good sources of protein, but they're hardly the only ones. Nor are they the only ones you can eat on Atkins. In much of the world, people rely in large part on plant sources such as nuts and seeds, legumes, and whole grains for protein. Even vegetables contain small amounts. Animal protein is considered a complete, or whole, protein, meaning it contains all nine essential essential amino acids (those your body cannot make on its own). Many (but not all) plant sources have reduced levels of one or more of the nine essential amino acids, so they're considered incomplete proteins. It can be challenging to satisfy most or all of your protein needs from plant sources when you're on Atkins, but it's perfectly possible, as we'll discuss in amino acids (those your body cannot make on its own). Many (but not all) plant sources have reduced levels of one or more of the nine essential amino acids, so they're considered incomplete proteins. It can be challenging to satisfy most or all of your protein needs from plant sources when you're on Atkins, but it's perfectly possible, as we'll discuss in chapter 6 chapter 6.

We can't stress strongly enough that the best diet for you is one composed of foods you love. When it comes to protein, you may be content to eat beef, chicken, dairy, and eggs and ignore most other protein sources. But if variety is the spice of your your life, make an effort to have fish and sh.e.l.lfish two or three times a week, as well as sampling pork, lamb, and perhaps veal. You may also enjoy goat, turkey, duck, or even pheasant; real adventurers might branch out into venison, ostrich, rabbit, bison, or elk. life, make an effort to have fish and sh.e.l.lfish two or three times a week, as well as sampling pork, lamb, and perhaps veal. You may also enjoy goat, turkey, duck, or even pheasant; real adventurers might branch out into venison, ostrich, rabbit, bison, or elk.

The more varied your overall diet, the more likely you are to obtain the full range of vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients your body needs for optimal health. And the more varied your sources of protein, the more apt you are to consume a balance of amino acids and the essential fats you'll learn about in the next chapter. The point is, you can do whatever works for you in terms of taste and cost, as long as you take a food's carb content into consideration. Protein sources with relatively more fat tend to be more satiating, so you may feel full sooner after eating duck, for example, than a chicken breast. Because they're lower in fat (except for tofu and nut b.u.t.ters), plant proteins also tend to be less satiating, another reason to add healthy fats in cooking and to be keenly aware of the carb content of vegetable protein sources.

Our position has always been that when you control carb consumption, there's no need to avoid fatty cuts of meat or trim the fat. However, if you prefer, feel free to use leaner cuts. Just be sure to serve them with a crumbling of blue cheese or compound b.u.t.ter or a salad dressing or some olive oil on vegetables in the same meal. Again, it's your choice.

ATKINS IS NOT A HIGH-PROTEIN DIET.

Let us set your mind to rest about concerns that Atkins is overly high in protein and can therefore cause certain health problems. With a typical intake of 13 to 22 ounces of protein foods daily, Atkins can hardly be considered a high-protein diet. Instead, we regard it as an optimal optimal protein diet. In any case, most of the concerns about eating too much protein are unfounded, in that they're based on limited or flawed research. For example, the misconception that a high protein intake can damage kidneys probably arose from the fact that individuals who protein diet. In any case, most of the concerns about eating too much protein are unfounded, in that they're based on limited or flawed research. For example, the misconception that a high protein intake can damage kidneys probably arose from the fact that individuals who already have advanced kidney disease already have advanced kidney disease cannot clear away the waste from even a moderate protein intake. There's absolutely no evidence that any healthy person has experienced kidney damage from eating the amount of protein consumed on Atkins. Far more dangerous is failure to drink enough water, as dehydration is a much greater stressor on the kidneys. cannot clear away the waste from even a moderate protein intake. There's absolutely no evidence that any healthy person has experienced kidney damage from eating the amount of protein consumed on Atkins. Far more dangerous is failure to drink enough water, as dehydration is a much greater stressor on the kidneys.

A high-protein diet has been shown to increase calcium excretion in the urine, prompting concern about a negative effect on bone health. However, recent research indicates that this loss of calcium is offset by increased absorption of calcium and the net effect is increased bone ma.s.s.6 Concerns about an increased risk of developing osteoporosis in healthy individuals are likewise unfounded. Concerns about an increased risk of developing osteoporosis in healthy individuals are likewise unfounded.7 REVIEW POINTS.

- Protein requirements should be based on your height, taking into consideration your activity level and other personal factors.- Your protein needs will best be met by including protein in each meal.- Eating a bit more than the RDA for protein helps preserve muscle ma.s.s, especially during weight loss.- The satiating quality of protein helps keep you from overeating.- Our recommended protein-intake range has been linked to a reduction in obesity and improvement in many other health problems.- You'll be eating plenty of protein, but Atkins is not a high-protein diet.

In the next chapter, you'll learn about the crucial role that dietary fat plays in weight control and and good health. But first let's visit with Loralyn Hamilton, who dispatched her excess pounds fourteen years ago-for good. good health. But first let's visit with Loralyn Hamilton, who dispatched her excess pounds fourteen years ago-for good.

SUCCESS STORY 4.

DOING WHAT COMES NATURALLY.

For fourteen years and counting, Loralyn Hamilton has followed Atkins to keep her weight under control and boost her energy. As she's come to know how her body works and to trust her instincts, living a low-carb lifestyle has become second nature.

VITAL STATISTICS.

Current phase: Lifetime MaintenanceDaily Net Carb intake: 80100 gramsAge: 35Height: 5 feet, 6 inchesBefore weight: 165 poundsCurrent weight: 130 poundsWeight lost: 35 pounds What motivated you to try Atkins?

The first time I did Atkins was when I was a freshman in college. I needed to be careful about what I ate ever since I was 14, but it wasn't until I was 19 that I put on 30 pounds. Also, I wasn't feeling well. I was so tired that I couldn't easily walk from one cla.s.s to another, and mentally, it was very difficult. Judging from my midmorning and midafternoon sugar crashes, my doctor said that I was borderline hypoglycemic. He told me to cut back on the sugar and eat more protein. After reading about the Atkins Diet, I decided to try it. I lost 35 pounds, had a lot more energy, and the sugar crashes stopped.

Did you experience any major hurdles?

Plateaus, of course, and getting those last 5 pounds off was difficult. As a college student, it was difficult to find food that I could eat. Every time I went somewhere and ordered a cheeseburger without a bun, everyone thought I was crazy. Of course, now it is the norm.