Hopefully you enjoyed a relaxing holiday with family and friends. I find that this is a good week to catch up and start thinking about my goals for the coming year. If weight loss is one of your goals this year, whether you’re new to Atkins or feel like you need a little jumpstart to lose the extra pounds you may have gained over the holidays, here are some tips to help you make this your best year yet.
Get real. Trying to change too many things at once may set you up for failure. For example, instead of resolving to lose 50 pounds, set a more realistic goal of 10 pounds. This simple change sets you up for success instead of likely failure. Once you lost that first 10 pounds, set a new goal to lose another 10 or 15 pounds.
Let Atkins help you. Sign up with Atkins, and you’ll get a free Quick-Start Kit, plus you’ll be able to customize your meal plan and have access to shopping lists and over 1,600 recipes, plus free tools such as our carb counter and mobile app. You can connect with other members and Atkins professionals on our Discussion Boards, as well as share your interests and goals, or even create your own group.
Be prepared. If you want to be successful with Atkins, it’s important to eliminate temptations. Your first step? Purge your kitchen of all the foods that may threaten to derail your progress. It’s time to say good-bye to all those holiday cookies, pies and candy that still may be lingering. But, if you have turkey or ham leftovers, don’t let those go to waste. Slice them up and freeze them for future meals and snacks. Then it’s time to hit the grocery and restock your pantry and refrigerator with Atkins-friendly foods. Stock your fridge with cheese, eggs, tofu, rotisserie chicken, sliced roast beef, hard salami and other cold cuts, salad fixings and cut-up vegetables for easy snacking. Make sure your freezer has frozen hamburger patties, lamb chops and/or pork chops, shrimp and chicken breasts or thighs in individual zip-top bags so that you can defrost them quickly. Pack your pantry with tuna or salmon in cans or vacuum bags, sardines, crabmeat and clams, Vienna sausages, marinated artichoke hearts, marinated roasted red peppers and olives.
Start moving. Exercise will help you with your weight-loss efforts, plus it helps you relieve stress and sleep better. Be sure to start slowly so you don’t injure yourself. You can begin to make exercise a part of your routine by walking a couple of miles five days a week. Once this becomes a pattern, and you start seeing results, add another activity (like weight training or yoga) or increase your distance or speed.
Find a weight-loss buddy. Having a friend, spouse or co-worker join you on Atkins will help you stay motivated and accountable. You can track your progress together, share low-carb recipes and exercise together. If you’ve signed up with Atkins, you’ll have access to our Groups and Discussion Boards, where you can interact with many like-minded people who are also doing Atkins.