Expert: Melissa Anderson - 4/23/2009

Question
Hello, I want to know if I'm allowed to eat no carbohydrates at all on the atkins diet? I read somewhere that you need a minimum of 20 carbohydrates a day but I don't remember reading that in the atkins diet revolution book.

Answer
Yes, it's perfectly fine to eat a zero carbohydrate diet. When you aren't eating carbs, your body will begin to break down fat into a carbohydrate substitute called ketones and your body will use ketones for energy. Your body can only make ketones when you're eating very little carbohydrate. Ketones are a powerful appetite suppressant and that effect is one of the reasons the Atkins diet works so well. When starting Atkins, you should eat a MAXIUMUM of 20 grams of carbohydrates daily. If you can do less, then that's even better.
Good luck!
Melissa