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

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

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

This early phase is intended to help the body switch from burning carbohydrates for energy, as it normally does, into burning stored fat (the state known as ketosis). Most dieters begin to see natural weight loss during this stage.

Ongoing Weight Loss: During the Ongoing Weight Loss period, dieters gradually increase their carbohydrate intake by adding 5 grams of carbohydrates into their diet every week. Dieters fine-tune their diet, continuing their weight loss to put themselves within 5-10 pounds of their goal weight, before moving into the Pre-maintenance period.

Pre-maintenance: Dieters use this phase to find out the maximum amount of carbohydrates they can ingest without experiencing weight gain. During this stage, dieters increase carb intake by 10 grams a week. Once dieters reach their target weight and can maintain it for one month, they move into the Lifetime Maintenance stage.

Lifetime Maintenance: For lasting results, the Atkins program is designed 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 plan to stay at their goal weight. Individuals can revert to previous stages if their weight starts to rise again.

Dieters who can commit to the Atkins diet are typically successful in losing weight; however, many people cannot follow through with the program and end up quitting early on in the initial induction stage. In general, most diets fail because dieters cannot stay on the plan.

Many people are unable to stay on diets because they experience strong food cravings, have problems with compulsive overeating, can't regulate their appetites, or simply are not motivated to lose weight. Overcoming these mental obstacles is the most challenging aspect of losing weight.

One reason why many people struggle to manage their eating is because they are emotional eaters. Such individuals eat in response to their emotions, 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 emotion that made them overeat initially, they will feel compelled to overeat once 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 bond in the unconscious mind between overeating and specific "trigger" behaviors.

For instance, if you tend to binge eat when you feel bored, hypnosis can disassociate boredom from eating in your unconscious mind. Hypnotherapy 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 going to eat, you will feel motivated to exercise.

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

Hypnosis can also be used to eliminate the emotional stressors 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 relationships and avoid having to endure emotional pain again. Through hypnosis, we can think more positively and focus on improving our health instead of becoming overwhelmed by our thoughts.

Not only is hypnosis a powerful motivational tool, it relieves tension, eliminates conditioned responses that cause overeating, and can be used to overcome the mental obstacles that prevent weight loss. Hypnotherapy for weight loss is extremely effective at helping people stick to a diet plan, such as the Atkins plan, and naturally lose weight.