If you’ve decided to kick off the year by starting the Atkins Diet, then congratulations – you are on your way to a slimmer and healthier lifestyle! Atkins is a fantastic way to improve your eating habits, lose weight and feel amazing. Before you dive in, read through these tips and learn how to start the Atkins Diet in a healthy way that will be most conducive to achieving your weight loss goals.
Tips for Starting the Atkins Diet:
1. Set goals. Before you learn how to start the Atkins Diet and lose weight, set goals to stay motivated along the way. Setting achievable, healthy goals will help you keep the bigger picture in mind while you lose weight and provide you with something to work toward.
2. Understand how the Atkins Diet works. Committing to a weight loss program means understanding both how the diet works as well as what you can expect from all of your hard work! The purpose of Phase 1 of the Atkins Diet (where you’ll start) is to shift your body from primarily burning carbs to primarily burning fat, which helps kick start weight loss. The ultimate goal is to drop your daily net carb intake to an average of 20 grams, the average level at which people primarily burn fat.
3. Surround yourself with motivation. Whether you’re learning how to start the Atkins Diet with a friend or posting in one of the Atkins community groups, it’s important to find ways to hold yourself accountable to your diet plan and stay motivated throughout the weight loss process. Losing weight is easier and much more fun when you’re doing it with other people who support your diet goals and can motivate you to keep going.
4. Familiarize yourself with what you can and cannot eat. Before you start dieting, make sure to read through this list of permitted foods for Phase 1 of the Atkins Diet. Once you familiarize yourself with what foods you’ll be eating, browse through our recipe database and choose recipes that sound satisfying to your stomach. When you’re excited about the delicious meals you’ll be cooking, it will be easier to stick to your diet plan and forget about the foods you shouldn’t be eating.
5. Stay hydrated. During Phase 1 of Atkins, you should aim to drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day (four of which can be replaced with coffee, tea, or beef, chicken or vegetable broth). Staying hydrated is especially important so that your body can avoid dehydration or electrolyte imbalances that may accompany the initial loss of water weight common at the beginning of Phase 1.
6. Don’t restrict fats. Consuming fat might sound counterproductive to weight loss, but healthy fat consumption is a crucial part of losing weight on Atkins. Plus, consuming enough fat in your diet allows your body to better absorb vitamins that keep you healthy, and even heightens the flavor of foods so you’ll enjoy them more!
7. Snack frequently. Snacks aren’t just tolerated on the Atkins diet; they’re encouraged! Eating two snacks a day in between breakfast, lunch and dinner will help you fight high-carb cravings and stay full throughout the day. When you’re satisfied and full of delicious low-carb snacks, there will be less temptation to stray from the plan. Keep Atkins bars, shakes or frozen entrees on hand to satisfy hunger when it strikes!
Congratulations on making the choice to start losing weight and achieving a healthier lifestyle. Good luck embarking on your weight loss journey, and be sure to come back for more helpful articles with tips and tricks to guide you along the way!
