Low Carb Diet Plan Essentials

Low Carb Diet Plan is one of the simplest weight loss plans to follow, but some common misunderstandings can occur to someone newly on Atkins diet or Low Carbs diet. These misconceptions can make a great discrepancy in the weight loss per week of the dieter following a low carb diet plan. This article is for those dieters following Atkins that have suddenly not been losing weight anymore, or have even begun to gain weight. Check for the following mistakes to make sure you’re still on track with Atkins diet and your weight loss plan is right for you.

In order to be a successful dieter, you must have patience. Weight loss takes time, and this can be a potential downfall to those dieters who expect to lose a massive amount of weight in a short period of time. This belief can be attributed to all of those scam diet plans, which guarantee “x” amount of weight loss in a very short period of time.

If you lose a larger amount of weight your first week of dieting, and then slow down on your per week amount of weight loss, this is precisely normal. Many people call this your “water-weight”, attributing it to the fact that you may not have as much water in you because you may have been exercising more suddenly. The first week, called the Induction phase, is designed to break you of your carbohydrate addiction and cleanse your body of sugar. The amount of carbs in this first stage is not meant to sustain you throughout the rest of your diet. You need more! Reintroducing more carbs each week will slow weight loss, but it is necessary to the Atkins diet plan.

Additionally, all people do not have the same reaction to the Atkins diet. We are all built differently, and naturally, do not experience the same sort of results exactly the same. Some people lose weight in streaks and short amounts of time, while some lose weight over a steady basis. Some people have said to have experienced a “pleateau” – a time when they don’t lose any weight for several weeks, and then in a matter of days, they’ve lost five pounds!

Things to avoid while dieting include caffeine and aspartame (an artificial sweetener). These two can have negative impacts on your blood sugar levels. These two are found in coffee, as well as diet and regular sodas. Aspartame is also found in sugar-free gelatin. Both of these chemicals can cause temptations for sugar and will take your body out of the “fat-burning” mode that the Atkins plan automatically puts your body into.

Another thing to watch for is your daily intake of cheese. While cheese is an essential part to the Atkins diet, it does contain some carbohydrates. In order for you to make sure cheese is not your problem, only eat about 4 oz a day. Sure, it’s fine to have more on special occasions, but it should definitely not be used as your main source of protein. Other sources of protein that do not have carbohydrates include meat, eggs, and tofu.

Vegetables have to be continually stressed while you remain on the Atkins plan. Preferably, all of your carbs should be coming from the Atkins approved vegetables. Vegetables are great because they help you feel less hungry without ruining the stability of your blood sugar. Additionally, they give you fiber and nutrients that are great for losing weight and your general health. After the first stage, you should still be having 3-4 cups of salad per day, as well as 1 cup of cooked vegetables. Again, make sure the vegetables you ingest are on the acceptable foods list. If you’ve not been eating vegetables and your weight loss has stopped, this is probably it. Not eating vegetables can shut down your metabolism, and the side effects of that are less energy and stalled weight loss.

It is imperative that you eat regularly while on the Atkins plan. If you are going more than five hours without eating at least a snack of protein and fats, then you are not going to be helping yourself lose weight. Doing this causes two things – first, your blood sugar will drop, which will cause cravings for sugars and carbs. Secondly, not eating slows your metabolism drastically. If your metabolism is low, you won’t lose weight because your body believes you are actually starving and tries to conserve as much energy (fat) as possible for as long as possible.

Lastly, water intake is crucial to the Atkins dieter. Water is essential to every human, not just the ones that are on diets. Water can be used to curb cravings, and can make you feel more full. Dehydration can often be disguised as hunger, so drinking enough water will help keep you from experiencing cravings. Additionally, water is vital to avoiding constipation, which can happen to many on the Atkins diet. It is suggested to drink (8) eight ounce glasses of water per day.

Many people get frustrated with Atkins when they do not realize what they are doing wrong. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can definitely get back on track to dieting success with Atkins.