How to Start Atkins Right

Learn how to set yourself up for success on this amazing diet.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• great attitude
• desire to lose tons of weight
• new shopping list

1. Figure out how much weight you want to lose. Be realistic, but also make it a little challenging. Some people can expect to lose up to 15 pounds within the first 2 weeks, like I did. I advise setting smaller goals every 3 months or when the goal is reached. Some people set an overall goal but that can be a little overwhelming, so start small. Remember, you can always go a readjust your goals. There are no rules here.

2. Read all of the information that you can. This diet is not for everyone. There is a ton of information out there. Try their website first, and from there Google it. I think that I was a little surprised to learn that there are many things that you can have on the diet and I would have never lost 75 pounds had I not researched this. This leads us to the next step.

3. Free yourself from any misconceptions or rumors that you have heard about the diet. You are allowed to have vegetables and lean cuts of meat. You do work yourself to the point where you can have good carbs. You can also control the kind of Atkins that you want to be on. If you would like to do a lower fat Atkins, you can do that.

4. Once you make the decision to join the diet, enlist the help of your family and friends. If you make the meals for your family, you may have to adjust their meals too, so they should get involved and be supportive.

5. Once you make the decision to start the diet, go right to their website and print a few copies of the approved food list. I know it seems like a waste of paper but believe me it is necessary. You should keep one where ever you may make food decisions. I have one on my refrigerator, in my car, in my purse, and in my desk at work. These are life-savers when I need to go shopping or when i go out to dinner. the one on the refrigerator offers a quick reference when preparing meals

6. PURGE YOUR PANTRY! I cannot explain how important it is to remove all bad influences from your home. Based on who you live with, you may not be able to remove all bad carbs, but remove as much as possible. If you cook for your family, replace those bad carbs with whole grain and healthier things. This is the single reason that I was able to stick with my diet. When I started I went straight to the cabinet and removed all pasta, rice, junk food, and with that went the temptation.

7. Figure out what good substitutes are for your vice. My vice was chocolate and sweets. I craved them after every meal. So when I went to the store I stocked up on Atkins bars. The are sweet, full of protein and I can have them. On their website there is also a substitution list. It tells you what to use if you crave something not on the list. Use it!

8. Create an initial shopping list. The great thing about this diet is that there are no specific meals, bars , or shakes that you need to by. But it does involve changing the way you view meals altogether. Instead of eating full meals consisting of a protein, a vegetable, and a carb in equal portions, you now have to think about protein being the main part of the meal. So stock up on things like chicken breast and other lean proteins, also stock up on snacks like shelf stable sardines and turkey pepperoni.Then each time you go shopping from that point, you will only need to buy fresh vegetables and occasionally buy those shelf stable items.

9. Track everything for the first for atleast the first two weeks. I know it seems like too much to worry about. If you are serious about losing weight and becoming healthier, then 10 minutes (2 minutes per meal) spent each day writing down what you ate is no big deal.I keep a small notebook in my purse so it's where I am. This helps you to keep track of the amount of good carbs that you are eating and it also helps to change eating from emotional thing to an actual thought out process. When you sit and think about what you are eating you are more likely to make wise choices. I also put a star next a particular meal that I tried and liked so I know what to eat again.

10. HAVE FUN! This is an opportunity to try new recipes and prepare things in ways that you might not have thought about before. Try your favorite dish , minus the carbs and guess what it? It could be your new favorite dish. Or , create a fun substitute recipe. Go into this with a positive attitude and you will be successful. Check out a website like Youtube, there are all kinds of videos from atkins folks who have been very successful. It really motivated me when I am down and reaching for carbs. After watching a person share their success story, I feel like I can do it too ,and I did. GOOD LUCK!

[destyneblue]

on 8/24/2009 great advise, thank you