As with any weight loss or health plan, you have to cooperate with a low carbohydrate diet or you won’t achieve lasting results. Cooperation is the idea of eating healthy foods and exercising. One without the other equals limited results. I found I get the most from this plan by making it the lifestyle I choose to live. It’s not enough to choose the right foods for one meal and then throw it all away for the next several meals. Following the Atkins Diet Food List helps me to stay on track and focused.

Knowing what you can eat and what you shouldn’t eat is very important. The creator of this eating plan believes that overweight people eat too many foods that are high in carbohydrates. Therefore, when the carbs are reduced, the body is able to lay off excess weight because it’s burning its own storage of fat for fuel. Rather than burning off what I am currently eating, I follow the Atkins Diet Food List and burn off what I wish had never been stored in the first place.

The first thing anyone should notice about the food list is the restrictions. Most importantly, no refined sugar, milk, white rice, or white flour. You can and should eat: meat, eggs, cheese, and more “rich” foods. Your appetite will reduce as your eating habits change. Red meat, all kinds of fish, fowl, and cheese (not reduced fat cheese, spreads, or whey cheeses) are encouraged. This means you can eat your heart out in small portions. Cooking with butter is okay, using mayo in your tuna is acceptable, and even olive oil on your salad is fine. The Atkins Diet Food List is extensive, but you do have to know what you are eating. Read the rest of this entry »