Atkins Diet: What To Know Before You Start

How easy is it to follow, How much do you love sweet and starchy foods, Would you miss crusty French bread, Diets that severely limit entire food groups for months and years tend to have lower success rates than less-restrictive diets do. One study showed higher percentages of Atkins dieters dropping out at three, six, 12 and 24 months than others did on a low-fat diet, but the differences were not significant. Two other studies that included low-carb dieters concluded diet type wasn't connected to dropout rate. Convenience: At home, building variety into meals is a little harder than usual. Eating out takes more effort. Alcohol is limited. Company products and online resources may be helpful. In 2013, Atkins launched a frozen-food line, which the company says is the first low-carb frozen-food line on the market. Recipes: Atkins provides meal plans, recipes with ingredient lists and food carb counts, all in print-friendly format. There is at least a smattering of recipes across a range of cuisines from American to Middle Eastern to French to Asian.

Eating out: Restaurants and dinners with friends are doable if you've read Atkins' list of approved fast-food and cuisine-specific options before heading out (and if you're not bashful about asking lots of questions about meal preparation). Alcohol: If you like to kick back with a beer or a glass of wine, you might be a little cranky for the first couple of weeks, when alcohol is forbidden. You are allowed to work it back in during phase two, to perhaps one drink a day. But even carb-free spirits will slow down fat-burning, according to Atkins. 10 for 2 pounds). Extras: On its website, Atkins offers a free meal planner, carb counter, two-week meal plan, forums and interactive goal-setting tools. Fullness: Nutrition experts emphasize the importance of satiety, the satisfied feeling that you've had enough. Hunger shouldn't be a problem on this diet. Protein and fat generally take longer than carbs to digest; the hunger center in your brain won't be sending out "Feed me" messages two hours after a meal. Taste: What's not to like about juicy burgers topped with melting cheddar, Still, bun-less burgers and dips without chips could get old in the long haul.

Drink lots of water! 8 cups is the MINIMUM you should drink. If you are more active or heavier, you will also need to drink more water. Make sure you eat enough fat. I’m not saying, go out and eat as much fat as you want. But with a low carb diet you can eat more fat than you normally would. Just keep in mind that the CALORIES from fat can add up fast. And can stall your weight loss. Add a little salt to your food. Whenever I’ve started back on the induction phase (to break a plateau, I experience muscle cramps. By adding a little salt to your food you can avoid this. But don’t add too much! Too much salt can cause you to retain water. Train yourself to start to eat “full fat” foods. I noticed when I started, I instinctively would reach for low fat versions of food. Now I eat regular cheese and not the low carb version. Track your carb intake!

Whether you track on your phone with an app like Myfitnesspal, or just write it in a journal. Avoid alcohol while in phase 1. Yes, many people drink wine or vodka. But this can slow down your progress. A lot of people love the Atkins diet because you can lose weight without exercising. But if you want to see results fast (and who doesn’t) add at least 2 hours of exercise a week to your routine (30 mins 4 days a week). My trainer makes me do 2 days of weight training a week and I have joined a Pilates studio and try to go 2-3 days a week. I’ve also read that people who exercise while on a low carb diet KEEP the weight off! You don’t have to count calories, but I noticed that once I started to track my carbs AND calories, I started to see the weight come off faster. I was eating too much protein and fat.

I was eating too much period! Meal prep is a HUGE help while on phase 1 of the atkins diet plan. When I get home from work, I like to just reach into the fridge and pull out a meal I made over the weekend. I brought ones that easy to freeze, microwave, and dishwasher safe. I also choose 2 compartments since I generally just have a meat and vegetable. Mixing phase 2 foods while on induction: It gets tempting to make some of those great recipes you find on pintrest. But while in the induction phase its better to be strict and stick to the diet plan. This is especially true if you are a bit older and your metabolism has slowed down. When I was in my 20s and wanted to lose 10 lbs fast. A few weeks on Atkins, and I reached my goal. Now in my mid 40s, living an extremely sedentary life, its a lot harder.