How I do Atkins

One of the many things I love about Atkins is that it can be done many ways. There is no one way to do it and lose weight and gain health. It can be tailored to likes, dislikes, lifestyle and availability.

I am more of a clean eater. I normally keep to whole foods with a few exceptions. I count whole carbs and not net carbs, because that is what works better for me, and I also keep my calories high. It is how I lose the best and easiest. I do keep bars and shakes for running out and about and road trips and they work great too, but in everyday life I like to keep it clean.

I eat three times a day and my afternoon coffee. That is all I need to stay satisfied because my calories and fat are high. It is not as  if I am hungry at 3 o’clock I feel like I can’t eat, but as a rule I am not hungry during between meals.

Breakfast today was egg beaters omelet with cheese and coffee, Lunch will be Tuna salad on lettuce with cheese and my vinaigrette, diet coke. Dinner will most likely be roasted chicken with skin on and a heaping side of my creamed spinach.

I average about 2200 calories a day.

I hope that if you are starting Atkins you will get the books and read them. ALL of them, because in each book there is a plan that is a little different than the other books and you will be able to find one that will work for you.

I originally started Atkins in 93 and did it with the Atkins Diet Revolution. After the births of my children and gaining up to 270-something, I started with the first diet revolution and progressed to the NEW Diet Revolution. Where it goes to 20 net carbs with 12-15 nc being veggies. That is what helped me lose 96lbs in about 18 months. Along the way I tweaked and worked the plan to change things up and learn what worked best. I always keep a journal that is written along with FatSecret. For me that is the best and easiest way to track food. It has the biggest library of items and makes it easy to track weight and food imo.

The point of this post is don’t feel like you have to do Atkins like everyone else to succeed.. Learn the plan and do it your way. Learn to listen to your body and don’t be afraid of the journey. It does work. You can do this!!!

Happy Breakfast!!!

What are you eating today??

 

This morning I am starting with left over chicken and green beans in a skillet all fried up with butter. If you don’t know this about me.. I am not an EGG girl.. I don’t like them. I try over the years to eat them and it does not go well. 😉

So for me breakfast is a big meal of veggies and some kind of protein. Yesterday it was a pork chop with green beans.

 

Think outside of the box. Give your self a great start! Eat and eat well my friends!

 

Stop trying to be perfect…

In the end that is what will drive you crazy.

 

If  you are just starting, take it easy. Learn the plan and while you are drop all the flour and sugar and fries.. Read up, Learn about the plan. Stock up with good food.  NEW ATKINS FOR  A NEW YOU, the newest Atkins book makes it so easy for you to learn the plan. To make it something you can live on each day. The options are limitless within the rules of the plan.

I love the forum. But there you are getting information that is skewed by someone else’s experience even mine. I love the Atkins books. I really feel that if you want true success in something you need to be educated in it as much as possible. Learning only about
Induction is only going to make you an induction expert.. 😉

LEARN THE WHOLE PLAN!!! Learn how it works. Read more than one book. Then start the plan by stocking up and getting rid of trigger foods eat well and learn to enjoy eating. Don’t diet on Atkins eat!!!!!!

Good meat, Good fats, good veggies..

Butter, oil, bacon, all things you can add to make things flavorful and make your food taste good!!

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise… Not the monster you have to fight anymore…

I don’t love exercise.. Never did. Once is a while I have a great walk or feel the urge to do something sports related.. But as a rule.. NAHHHHH.

 

One of the things I love about Atkins is that you don’t have to work out you lose. You don’t have to earn the right to eat… You can eat well and lose weight and then find some activity you like later.. If you ever do. I know, I know, exercise is good for you .. so they say.. But I am still glad that I don’t have to work off my meatballs and gravy.. My mashed cauliflower with butter, my cheesecake!!

 

Learn the plan. Live the plan, Then focus on exercise if you want.  Be kind to yourself. Find the grace that you have for others and then pour it over yourself.

We have all be so hard on ourselves over the years. Eating nothing only to lose an ounce and feel defeated..

Don’t do that anymore. Focus on eating right. ENJOY that eating. Don’t diet on Atkins. Eat well and lose well. Then see where you are.

 

I know you can do this. I know it!!

 

Well Well Well.. Is it really that time?

For the past months, I have been having horrible symptoms. Some seemed heart related and with the family history, I was tested and cleared. Then I had symptoms that resembled a small TIA, Tingling on one side of my body, headache.. fatigue and scatter brained..

Yet all my tests came back good.

It started to make me feel like I was crazy. I had physical symptoms and people are telling me I am fine.

Cold chills, hot face to heat flashes, aching, headaches, fatigue, anxiety, the list goes on. So I went on line and searched.. Know what..

 

All are signs of menopause. ( do you hear the hallelujah chorus?? I DO!!).. It makes complete sense..

 

What I found when searching is that eating An Atkins lifestyle is really most beneficial to manage it along with some other things. I am going to start adjusting it here and there to see if I can get some relief along with getting back to regular exercise and consulting with Colette to find out the best foods and maybe some that would not be so good..

 

What I have learned in this Journey is that EVERYTHING is affected by what we eat. Atkins gave me a new lease on life. I truly believe it will get me through this next stage in the journey!

 

 

 

2011 is here…

I know most people make resolutions each year.. usually it is the same one every year.. To lose weight.

One of the best things about Atkins is that that is not my resolution anymore.

Atkins is not a diet, It is a lifestyle.

It is something that grows and stretches with you.

It does not take a lot of money to do Atkins. The site, The book ( NEW ATKINS FOR A NEW YOU) and food.

 

Atkins makes this so easy for you. All you have to do is take that step. Trust the process and have a little faith in you. You will not believe how you will gain control over something in your life that has been something you could never control before.

 

Just do it, It may be the last time you ever have weight loss on your list of Resolutions.

 

YOU ARE WORTH IT!

 

 

One of my Favorite tools… FATSECRET!!

If you have not come across this treasure for Tracking.. Go there NOW!!

http://www.fatsecret.com will help you track everything you need to on Atkins.

When you start choose Atkins as your plan, And then set your preferences to track fiber and NET CARBS! .

You can move entire meals over and even days worth of food if you are a creature of habit. You can fill your cookbook with recipes and then you can click, Add to food diary and there it is!

Check it out! Best tracker out there!!

My podcast with Jimmy Moore

http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes/

It will air on September 2 2010 according to Jimmy.

I was so thrilled when he asked me if I wanted to do this. It was really an honor but more than that, I really wanted to get my story our to all the mom’s who had their precious babies only to be left with a body in ruins. Out of shape, unrecognizable and often very sick.

I hope that by sharing my story, I will be able to help someone else see the hope in Atkins. That it does not just change your waist line. It changes your life!

Enjoying all the fresh produce..

I planted a garden this year. It is cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and fresh basil. I can not tell you how amazing it is to walk out there and pick fresh vegetables and eat them. The flavor is amazing. They are not always as pretty as the grocery store but the taste is soooooo much better.

For years I have done tomatoes in pots and that worked fine but now, I just feel like I am in heaven.

If you can not plant your own garden, Find a local produce mart. You will not believe the difference in price a quality!

The summer is almost over!!

Where did it go ? Seems like not too long ago I was fishing out shorts for my boys and now I am buying school supplies and clothes!

This summer has been one of the best I have ever had. Being almost 100 lbsw lighter than 2 years ago, I can tell you that it feels like a whole new life now. I fell light and free. I don’t worry about going to the shore or not having to wear a coat to hide..

This summer has been full of freedom and living. I have enjoyed myself and stayed on my Atkins plan and even tested some new foods for me. What I found is that after 2 years, I am finally free of the obsession with food. I can have a taste of this or that and not have that driving crazy feeling to eat it all. I love how I eat , all the veggies, the meats and good fats. My favorite thing this summer has been braised cucumbers or cucumber and tomato salad with cheese.

I hope that wherever you are on your Atkins journey, that you are feeling great and enjoying the best food life has to offer. I hope that you are meeting your goals and learning all you can. There is no substitute for a well lived life.

Living Atkins Everyday,

Traci