How to Start the Atkins Diet Step-by-Step

I’m on a journey to be healthier, lose a little weight, and lean up. I am pretty good at working out at least three times a week but as I get older it’s hard to lose or even maintain my weight. Although I do want to shed some weight, what I really want to do is get some muscle definition. Just a little. I shared my frustration with my personal trainer a few months ago and he confirmed what I suspected. It was my diet holding me back. He explained how much my diet impacts whether I lean up, lose weight, and how I feel in general.

He recommended I reduce daily carbohydrate intake to 60 grams a day. Finally one day I took his advice. Last October I followed the Atkins diet for an entire month. I felt awesome and lost six pounds. My migraines, shakiness from low blood-sugar, and feeling bloated were gone. Actually, I didn’t realize how bloated I felt until I eliminated the carbs!

Before I started Atkins I did my research. I wanted to make sure that I did it right and that  it was a good plan for me and what I wanted to accomplish – healthy weight loss. I browsed through the book The New Atkins Made Easy: A Faster, Simpler Way to Shed Weight and Feel Great  while at the library with the kids one afternoon and was really surprised at how feasible the Atkins diet really was. I used this easy cookbook with Atkins friendly recipes to make sure I did it all right. I was also excited to see there were still so many great things you could cook on Atkins. I was excited to get started on the diet.

I have never been good at “diets” because I hate the feeling of being hungry. But this diet seemed different. There were plenty of foods that I could eat.  Also, I wasn’t counting calories, measuring portions, or mixing strange concoctions. Instead, here’s what I did to get started. The first three days were hard as my body adjusted to not having carbs to fuel itself. But after that initial hump, I felt awesome. And I still maintain a low carb diet five months later enjoying carbs occasionally. Want to try Atkins? Read how below!

Step-by-Step Guide to Starting the Atkins Diet

Atkins Phases

Atkins diet has four phases.  With each phase you reintroduce some foods back into your diet. You should do each phase at least two weeks.  Consider each phase or week a milestone and small victory towards a bigger plan. When you get started, sign up for free Atkins starter kit which includes food samples, coupons, and a pocket guide on foods, recipes, and phases.

Phase I

Phase I, which you should follow between two to four weeks, is the hardest. Get through phase I and you’ll be just fine. Actually, get through the first 3-5 days and you already won half the battle. Really. During phase I you should eliminate all foods containing carbohydrates including all fruits and some vegetables. No alcohol either. Don’t worry about the fruits as phase II reintroduces them. Phase I is where you’ll lose the most weight in the shortest amount of time.

Ketosis. In phase I your body is transitioning from using carbs to fuel itself to using fat. Yes, you’ll burn fat! This process is called ketosis. The body switches from being a carbohydrate-burning system into a fat-burning one. The fat becomes your body’s primary energy source instead of carbohydrates. This is why you’ll start to see the pounds shed quickly.

Cheese But No Other  Dairy in Phase I. You’re actually supposed to eat one to three ounces of cheese a day. (Yes, cheese is required! You don’t know how much I love cheese.) The cheese helps reduce cravings and helps you manage the ketosis process.  Not eating cheese will make you feel horrible so add some cheese to your breakfast or eat some cheese and shot glass full of almonds for a snack. Avoid all other dairy in phase I including yogurts. Butter is also okay but the idea is to keep it reasonable. Perhaps 1 tablespoon a day max if you must. Remember, you need the fat to fuel yourself so don’t skimp on good sources of fat.

Vegetables. Eat all veggies except for starchy veggies. No corn, potatoes, whether sweet or white, and no beans. Say yes to green veggies, carrots, zucchini, cauliflower, and so many other options. I found eating avocado and tomatoes to be a delicious treat while in phase I.

The Meats. Eat a variety of meats and protein sources, not just lean meats or seafood. The key to making this work long term is the variety of foods you can eat that is not offered in many other “diet” plans.  Sure, I ate chicken breast but I also ate chicken wings on the weekends or a burger minus the bun. Ribs.  Usually I reserved the high fat meats for the weekends or maybe midweek. On most days I varied from pork, ground turkey to chicken thighs and whatever else I found at the market. Salmon, shrimp, pork chops, etc. 

Sweeteners. Avoid honey, maple syrup, and other sweeteners. Honey has a lot of carbs which surprises many.

Phase 2

Say hello to most fruits in phase 2 and yogurt. The fruits have good carbs which will make you feel much better. Eat strawberries, full fat yogurts, and you can have add more nuts. Eat small portions of each per day so that you maintain 25-45 net carbs per day. That’s basically one serving of the new foods each day.

Phase 3

By Phase 3 you have probably noticed all the weight loss. But remember all that hard work you did. In this phase, whole grains are okay but you have to keep your portions small. Eat a sweet potato or some brown rice with dinner. Sushi rolls on occasion. One slice of whole wheat toast with breakfast. A slice of pizza if you want. But keep your carbs to 60 per day.  That becomes so easy once you’ve succeeded with the previous phases.

Atkins for life, Phase 4

When to start  phase 4 is really up to you. Usually when you have hit your ideal weight loss goal. The idea is that you have now adjusted your body to using carbs to fuel itself to now burning more fat. You can eat bread and pasta but at no time should breads and pastas be the majority of your food source or make its way to your plate daily. For me, that means having maybe one meal a day with carbs. Perhaps I’ll have whole wheat pancakes for breakfast with a side of turkey bacon. The rest of the day I’m eating veggies, nuts, yogurts, and proteins. Some days I skip wheat and gluten products all together. This helps me keep the weight off and feel great.

Are you considering Atkins or have you tried it? If so, share your tips or questions below!