EXTREME ATKINS! Lose 14 lbs. in 14 days!
Read on to learn how one TV mom got super-fast weight-loss results--even by Atkins' standards!

February 1, 2005 / Woman's World*
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Though One Tree Hill's Moira Kelly is nonchalant about how quickly she lost 27 pounds she gained while pregnant with her son, Eamon, now one, her friends, well...not so much. "they said, 'Are those your same pants?'" laughs the mom of two (she and husband Stephen also have Ella, three), "And they hated me!" How'd she do it? by following her husbands lead. "He lost 60 pounds on Atkins last year, and his energy was through the roof," she says. "More than anything, I needed energy." A life-long overachiever, Moira was back in size 2s in a mere two weeks--fast even by Atkins' standards. After pressing her for her secrets, we asked a team of experts to help us explain what she did so right--and how you can steal her best tricks!


Atkins at a glance
Created by the late Robert C. Atkins, M.D., the Atkins diet works by stabilizing blood sugar, which reduces cravings and levels of fat storage hormones. The diet also keeps carbohydrate intake so low that the body must burn stored fat for functions normally fueled by carbs. The "induction" phase of Atkins is the most intense--and the most slimming. Which is why many dieters--including Moira--use it to speed them all the way to their goal weights. The basic rules:

· Enjoy unlimited amounts of protein and fat.
As much as you need to feel comfortably full and satisfied.

BONUS! New veggie guidelines!

· Limit yourself to 20 grams of carbs.
New Atkins guidelines recommend four cups (up from three) of nonstarchy vegetables.

For complete details go to www.atkins.com.


Steal Moira's tricks to lose at top speed
Numerous studies--including a recent one at Duke University Medical Center--have found Atkins dieters get results about two times faster than those on traditional plans. And Moira's strategies can help make the plan even more potent, says Duke's Eric Westman, M.D. Her best tricks:

The Atkins-energy connection!
"After about four days it was like a burst of energy. It was as if I'd had pots of coffee," says Moira. The explanation? Atkins triggers your body to turn fat into energy. In fact, pros say most Atkins dieters experience a big surge in energy after three or four days on the plan.

1. Drink a lot of water.
"I just have a bottle of water with me wherever I go now," says Moira. "It can be hard to drink eight glasses a day, but if you can just fill a bottle up and take it with you, you can do it."
· How it helps you lose: New research proves drinking lots of water raises metabolism and reduces hunger pangs.

2. Skip snacks.
"I'm not a big snacker, which is good," says Moira, who was raised eating three square meals a day, with no nibbles in between.
· How it helps you lose: Though it's been suggested that eating mini-meals throughout the day can help you lose weight, new findings reveal more meals--mini or otherwise--invariably lead to greater calorie consumption.

3. Stick to aerobics.
Besides running around after her kids, Moira snuck away for regular rollerblading sessions to help her slim down.
· How it helps you lose: According to a recent Chinese study, only aerobics--which burns more calories than other forms of exercise--triggers significant weight loss in the short term. In fact, test subjects doing aerobics lost 3 1/2 times more weight in 12 weeks than those doing toning moves!

4. Obey your hunger.
"You feed your body what it needs to get through the day," says Moira. No more, no less.
· How it helps you lose: Many Atkins dieters mistankenly think they can eat unlimited amounts of zero-carb foods. That's just not true, says Dr. Westman. One of the primary reasons Atkins works is by turning off hunger hormones so that you need much less food. But if you continue to eat larger portions of food out of habit, you'll take in too many calories to allow for top-speed fat loss.

5. Forget variety.
"After the first few days of eating chicken and cheese, you kind of get bored with it," Moira says.
· How it helps you lose: Studies show that "the fewer food choices we have, the less likely we are to overeat," says University of Illinois' Brian Wansink, Ph.D. So, instead of stocking your kitchen with every low-carb food under the sun, experts suggest sticking with limited number of favorites.

6. Use one meal replacement bar a day.
Moira had a meal replacement bar for breakfast every day. "I love the chocolate peanut butter Atkins bars," she smiles. "I still eat them even now that the weight is off."
· How it helps you lose: Numerous studies have shown that by strictly controlling calories, meal replacements speed weight loss by up to 200%. And a brand new study found that meal replacement bars stave off hunger for two hours longer than shakes do!


TIP!
Considering using a gym machine to help you get slim? If you exercise at the same intensity on every one, you'll burn the most calories on a treadmill, according to Auburn University research. Runners-up: stair-climbing machines, followed by elliptical trainers and then stationary bikes.

**OTHWEB.net NOTE: The rest of the article is a diet plan of recipes, and says nothing more about Moira.


*transcribed by: Nelly