How to Complete Phase Four: Maintenance on the Atkins Diet

In the Atkins diet, Phase 4 is the final stage and is called Maintenance. This stage does not end, but rather provides the guidelines for eating for the rest of your life. In the Atkins Diet, you'll start with strict restrictions on carbohydrates then work towards upping the amount and type of carbohydrates you can eat in each of the next two stages. Once you reach your desired weight, you enter the Maintenance stage.

Instructions

1

Monitor your weight. In Phase 4 of the Atkins Diet, you should no longer be losing weight, but rather holding steady. It is possible to see fluctuations by a few pounds, but it should be no more than five pounds in either direction.

2

Eat foods recommended in the Atkins diet, including low carbohydrate foods. You may consume up to 90 grams of carbohydrates a day in this stage of the Atkins diet. Typically, people will consume between 40 and 60 grams per day.

3

Deviate from the Atkins diet for no more than two meals per week. A deviation can be another food not included in the diet, but in smaller quantities and with limited occurrences.

4

Notice any increases in your weight. If you gain more than five pounds while in the Maintenance or Phase 4 stage of the Atkins diet, you should go back to the Induction stage for two weeks, to drop the weight. Then, work back up to the Maintenance stage of the diet, by slowly increasing your carbohydrate intake.

5

Continue to eat a healthy diet of whole, unprocessed foods. Being on Maintenance does not mean you can't eat foods you enjoy, but it does require that you stay within the boundaries of the Atkins diet as much as possible. Avoid the common mistakes that dieters make after reaching their goal such as going back to eating poorly.