If you guys have been following me for a while now, you know I have been trying to be healthier and changing my lifestyle. Last year I did the Single Mom 6-week Weightloss Plan and was really successful. After doing more research, I decided to continue my low carb lifestyle by implementing the New Atkins Diet into my daily routine. The new atkins diet is very similar to the keto diet with slight variations in protein and fat allotments. There is a misconception of the original Atkins diet allowing fats that cause heart disease. People had a hard time accepting that eating bacon was ok and eating tomatoes wasn’t. The new Atkins is quite different in what type of fats is allowed. I feel this eating lifestyle is something I can continuously do on a daily basis.
Here is the full list of foods you can eat on the diet>>>DOWNLOAD NEW ATKINS FOOD LIST
I honestly decided to start dieting and changing my eat habits to improve my self-confidence and get back my pre-baby body. Once I started losing, I started to feel healthier and so I decided to continue on my journey. Everyone has a different reason why they want to lose weight and I hate when people judge others on such reasons. At first, I honestly could care less about being healthy, I just wanted to look good in my skinny jeans. Now, with more information about food and the effect my diet is having on my physical health, my reasons for maintaining this lifestyle is more health related than appearance.
There are two approaches to the diet: Atkins 20 and Atkins 40. I chose Atkins 20 where you limit carbs to 20g/day.
New Atkins Diet First two weeks-Phase 1
- Total weight loss-7 lbs
- Diet-eggs, chicken, vegetables, seafood, tea, water
- Activity-Minimal
For the first two weeks, all I ate were eggs, roasted vegetables, curry chicken (I love anything curried), seafood and a ton of tea. Here is a list I created of what I ate. Hope it’s helpful for you guys. You can get the complete list on the Atkins website.
The first three days are by far the hardest when starting the New Atkins Diet. I felt like my brain was constantly thinking about food no matter how much I ate. I also felt very weak and easily fatigued. By day three, I was convinced there was no way I would be able to continue. I had to stare at an old high school picture of myself to keep me motivated. I also drank a ton of tea to keep my brain away from carbs.
After the first three days, the rest of the two week span was a lot more comfortable. My body went into ketosis and I started seeing purple on my keto sticks, which kept motivating me to keep carbs out of my body. Throughout the first two weeks, I never weighed or calculated carbs. I just made sure what I was eating was on the Atkins Induction List. I also made sure none of my food had loads of sauce which usually contain hidden carbs.
New Atkins Diet First three months-Phase 2
- Total weight loss-22 lbs
- Diet-same as first two weeks + berries + cheese + nuts
- Activity-30 minutes of this video 3 times per week.
I continued on semi-induction mode during the first three months of the diet. With a semi-induction approach, I still continued to eat what I did the first two weeks but started adding a handful of berries, splurged on the occasional vodka and tonic cocktail, added some nuts and seeds to my salad, low carb soups etc. With being in ketosis for three months, I could actually eat a cookie and still continue to burn ketones.
The New Atkins Diet does not say to stay in ketosis this long but I was losing weight, feeling healthy and eating well, so I decided to do it for three months.
Four months in
- Total weight loss-30 lbs
- Diet-same as first three months + more high fiber grains
- Activity-30 minutes of this video 3 times per week
It’s now been almost five months since I started the diet. I have lost a total of 30 lbs and I have never felt this good! I learned a lot about food, my willpower and what my body really needs to survive during this journey. We are all capable of doing way more than we think we can. I am hoping that I can continue to push myself to maintain this lifestyle.
Have you tried this diet? What are your thoughts?
Thanks for visiting,
* All suggestions and information given on this post is based on my personal experience. Please consult your doctor if you are thinking about starting a low carb diet.