Food Choices

So the first month of my journey I decided to not focus on what I was eating.  I was going to cut out the obvious bad stuff - soda pop, fast food, sugar, etc.  However I still ate potato chips, and other various bad stuff like pancakes and syrup.  After really looking at my Food Journal, I've noticed that I have become very relaxed in my eating. At first it was pretty good, I was eating three meals a day and had a couple of snacks in-between.  Now I'm eating a lot more than I should be. I'm hungry a lot.  Or at least I think I'm hungry.  It's hard to tell.  I've trained my body over the years to just want food all the time.

I've been successful at getting a proper workout in my daily routine.  This almost seems pointless though if I'm going to continue to eat more than I get rid of through working out.  It's not pointless.  I've worked hard to get this habit going and I'm very proud of myself for being successful.  However, I think that if I focused more on my eating I would see the inches drop faster.  It seems if I continue to eat the way I am it will cancel out all of my hard work establishing the desire to workout.

So I've decided now is the time to focus on my eating and the foods I consume.  Some people may be up in arms but I've decided to do Atkins (again...right mom?).  It works for me.  It can be a difficult lifestyle but that's only if you let it be difficult.  Working out is difficult but I've managed to make it a daily routine and something that I look forward too.

Atkins can be a very healthy option.  My parents have been doing the Atkins lifestyle for many years and they are in the best shape of their lives.  If the lifestyle is done correctly it is very beneficial.  It is not a no-carb lifestyle, it is a low-carb lifestyle.  It isn't bad for you...if it's done CORRECTLY.  I cannot stress that enough.  So many people have pre-conceived notions of this lifestyle.  If they would just read the book then they would learn the benefits.  Seriously, if the options are instead of white pasta you have zucchini?  How is that not healthy?  You get all of your carbs through vegetables, nuts, etc.

Atkins is a process.  There are stages to it.

Stage 1 - Induction

• This process lasts 2 weeks.  It's the hardest phase of them all.
• You are allowed 20 net carbs a day
• Your daily carb intake will be from proteins, healthy fats, & vegetables

Stage 2 - OWL (or Ongoing Weight loss)

• This phase lets you start adding more types of food and more carbs back into your diet
• You will still lose weight but it will slow down a bit
• You get to up your carb intake to 25-45 grams a day (depending on if you start to gain weight back)
• Your daily carb intake will be from proteins, healthy fats, vegetables, nuts, & berries

Stage 3 - Pre-Maintenance

• You move to this phase when you are within 10 lbs. or your goal weight
• Basically you keep adding your daily carb intake, keep losing weight, and keep gaining control
• You get to up your carb intake to 50-70 grams a day
• Your daily carb intake will be from proteins, healthy fats, vegetables, nuts, berries, fruits, legumes, breads, and grains

Stage 4 - Lifetime Maintenance

• You're at your goal weight.  You know exactly how much and what kinds of foods you can eat to maintain your weight.
• You can up your carb intake to 75+ grams a day!
• Your daily carb intake will be from proteins, healthy fats, vegetables, nuts, berries, fruits, legumes, breads, and grains

The whole point of this lifestyle is to help you pinpoint what foods out there and how much of it causes you to gain weight.  Eventually some people are able to have pasta and potatoes, etc. it's all about finding out what causes you to gain.  It's a great lifestyle but it takes patience.  As with any change in eating or dieting if you will, there are plateau days.  I don't like to call it dieting because you can't just do Atkins, and once you get to your goal you can't go back to eating like you did before.  It's a lifestyle change.  You have to stick with it.

I highly suggest if you're interested to buy the book and read it.  However only read the 2002 version of the book!!! That book was actually written by Dr. Atkins himself (click here to go to Amazon to buy book if you want).  The other versions were written by the company and all they're about is selling product.  Any version after 2002 is not about the actual lifestyle.  There are things in those books that Dr. Atkins did not originally have.  Again the company is all about selling product.  For example, the company says you can have the Atkins Bars in all phases but the ingredients in those bars consist of different kinds of nuts.  You aren't allowed to have nuts until phase 2 of Atkins.  

I'm rambling now.  I need to go shopping.  I have to focus on the eating now.  I need to change my food choices into healthier options.  I feel Atkins is the way to go.  Wish me luck, and God give me the patience to stick to it this time!