Planning for Atkins Diet

When it comes to the Atkins diet, your success will lie in your planning. By making sure you have the right food at hand when you start your diet, you'll go a long way toward your ongoing weight loss. There are many suggestions for Atkins diet meals in the Atkins books, and there are many sources online for Atkins and low-carb recipes.

Planning your meals and snacks is an important part of your life if you follow this diet. That advice really applies to any diet. If you eat what you want, you come to. Your current weight and health problems are a direct result of leaving your eating habits uncontrolled for so long.

As with all diet plans, getting used to the Atkins way of eating will take some time and adjustment. The standard American diet relies heavily on carbohydrates and other restricted foods. Many people have grown up on carbohydrate heavy favorites such as spaghetti and meatballs, meat and potatoes, and pasta casseroles. It will take some effort and patience to get used to eating in a whole new way.

There are two different ways to adjust your diet. You can find replacements for your favorite foods with "mock" carbohydrates. For example, lasagna made with eggplant or zucchini instead of pasta is much more carbohydrate-friendly than the regular variety. Spaghetti pumpkin noodles are a good substitute for spaghetti noodles. There are also many low-carb or carbohydrate-free substitutes for bread, pasta and sugar products.

The second approach is to find out how to make new recipes that focus on meat and other low-carb foods. There is a wide variety of meats that are acceptable on the Atkins plan. If you're used to eating only ground beef or chicken every week, you'll be surprised at the variety of meats out there. Try including pork, lamb, and ham in your weekly routine. You can also experiment with wild birds such as Cornwall's chicken, quail and pheasant. If you have never been a fan of fish, try another variety. Some people who don't like trout think they love salmon or another fish. Don't forget shellfish such as mussels, clams and shrimp. These foods are all acceptable and can add variety to your diet.

Make sure you have some easy-to-prepare food on hand for snacks and quick meals. For example, thin slices of cucumber, radish and celery mixed with lemon mayonnaise make a great low-carb meal or salad. Fried peppers, mushrooms and garlic served on arugula with feta cheese is another good option.

Investigate and try out different low carb recipes so that you have a good basic knowledge of what to prepare for meals. The most important step you can take when losing weight is planning. Getting a good arsenal of easy to prepare meals will prevent you from driving through or to a restaurant and breaking your diet.

If you have good food to look forward to every day, you will be less likely to get bored with your diet. Even during the restrictive induction phase, there are many nutritional combinations you can use. At first glance, the vegetable and meat varieties may seem restrictive. But this is only compared to what you are used to eating. With a little planning and creativity you can find something interesting to eat every day.