There are a ton of factors which contribute to the success of your diet. The most important factor is finding the right diet. For me, the Atkins Diet worked best. Minus 45 pounds later I wanted to share some great tips to surviving the Atkins Diet.

I was fascinated the first time I turned on my television and saw a man eating bacon and eggs who said he was on a diet. What kind of diet was this? This was the Atkins Diet. The science behind the Atkins Diet is simple. Without carbohydrates, your body will learn to burn your fat as fuel. This appealed greatly to me who loved to eat steak, eggs, bacon, and ribs and needed to lose weight. I was sold!

It was not easy and after a rocky start I got into a groove. I learned to make the diet work for me. I turned an uncomfortable situation into a way of life. How did I do that? Here are a few shortcuts to get you through the first several weeks of the Atkins Diet.

The hardest part about the diet is getting used to life without bread. It is not a big deal to pick up a hot dog or a hamburger for the first time without bread, enjoy it, and revel in your diet. A week or two later is a different story. Substitute lettuce for bread and you will be surprised at how little you miss the bread. Wrap your hot dogs and hamburgers in lettuce. Enjoy low-fat deli meats wrapped in lettuce. Lettuce is your friend and you can eat as much of it as you want. In addition to having something to wrap your meat around, it will also fill you up fast.

Cook your meals for the week ahead of time. If you are like me and you have a crazy work schedule, you don’t have time to come home and make a great tasting low carb meal. On Sundays I always make my dinners for the week through Thursday or Friday. This allowed me to go wild and create some great tasting dishes that I normally would not have had the time to make during the week. It is very easy to slip up when you come home hungry. In three minutes you could have a lean cuisine or hot pocket full of carbs. In three minutes you can also have a wonderful chicken or meat dish prepared earlier in the week that tastes better and won’t break your diet.

In addition to cooking ahead of time, plan your meals ahead of time. Sit down once or twice a week and write out everything you are going to eat and when. If you get into the habit of following your own menu, you have less of a chance to cheat. I also found it rewarding to see my accomplishments in black and white. No bread, no carbs, no more weight!

Cheat! Yes you heard me, cheat. I wouldn’t recommend this until you have successfully completed the first two weeks of the Atkins Diet. Once you have completed the diet for two weeks, pick a day and cheat. When I say cheat, I don’t mean go nuts. I mean have carbs in your meals. Eat pizza, grab a doughnut, or make some pasta for dinner. You are only hurting yourself if you go overboard, so keep it all in moderation. It is great motivation for a tough week. In addition to rewarding yourself for your hard work, you are also shocking your body. If your body gets used to the Atkins Diet, you will plateau fast. Shake things up, shock your body, and grab a slice of pie. One slice!

Endulge! No that isn’t a misspelling, I meant to say “endulge.” Atkins products produces a great selection of Endulge candy. My favorite is the peanut butter cups. They taste exactly like peanut butter cups. Since regular Cool Whip or whipped cream is allowed, you can even dip them in whipped cream if you like. I wouldn’t recommend eating them more than once a day, but they really help get you past some boring meals. I love them and they never hampered my weight loss at all.

Finally, get creative with your recipes. There are thousands of great tasting Atkins Diet recipes online and in books. There is no reason you can’t create a dry rub for those ribs on the grill that will taste better than ribs drowning in sauce. I am not a good cook, but I learned how to create some great rubs with Atkins friendly spices. I found some recipes that made me feel as if I was eating in a five-star restaurant. There is no reason you have to eat plain fish or plain chicken on the Atkins Diet. Do research online, take some books out from your local library, test some recipes out, create your own, and eat like a king or queen without the guilt of hundreds of carbs.

So there you go! It is not as bad as you think it will be. Remember, this isn’t a quick fix. To be successful on the Atkins Diet, the diet needs to be a way of life. Learn to eat low carb and high protein everyday and you will keep the weight off and be healthier than ever. Remember last but certainly not least to consult your physician before you begin any kind of diet program.

Good luck!

Author Bio: Eric Gargiulo has lost 45 pounds on the Atkins Diet and has maintained his weight loss for several years. Visit Eric’s website CamelClutchBlog.com for blogs on sports & health.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: diet, fitness, atkins, health, weight loss