In the Summer of 2011, I started the Atkins diet. At the very end of the Summer, I decided it was time for me to quit the diet. Looking back now, I cannot help but wonder. Was the Atkins diet worth doing? Or, was it a waste of time and effort? There are many ways to assess the value of a particular diet. I think the most common way to determine if a diet was “worth it” would be if the diet helped a person to lose weight. Or, one could say that a diet was “worth it” if the … Continue reading →

After being on the Atkins diet for a few months, I decided it was time for me to quit. I put a lot of thought into this decision, and concluded that it was best that I get off this diet. My reasons for quitting the Atkins diet might be different from everyone else’s reasons. Despite what is commonly believed, I don’t think that people are supposed to stay “on a diet” forever. There are some exceptions to this rule, however. If a doctor prescribes a certain type of diet for a person, based on that person’s health, then it might … Continue reading →

After being on the Atkins diet for most of the Summer, I am at the point where I am seriously considering quitting it. One cannot stay on a diet forever. The problem is that I have heard that people tend to gain their weight right back after quitting the Atkins diet. Why does that happen? Dieting is not easy. It requires people to dramatically change their eating habits. Most people resist change, even if they know that it will benefit them. Dieting forces people to think about each and every food that they are considering eating, which can be quite … Continue reading →

There are some medications that can cause problems with weight loss. Some drugs cause weight gain, and then store in your fat cells. When you lose weight, you burn fat. This can release that old drug right back into your bloodstream again. When I started the Atkins diet, it was primarily because I wanted to lose weight. There was a point in my life when I was quite thin. All that changed when I started using a birth control called depo provera. A study shows that women who use depo provera are twice as likely to become obese as a … Continue reading →

One of the best parts about being on a diet is when you actually see signs that it is working! After several weeks on the Atkins diet, I managed to lose a noticeable amount of weight. Should I buy new clothing now, or wait until I get down to my “goal weight”? When I started the Atkins diet, back in June, I weighed 180 pounds. It is now nearly the end of August, and I weigh 169 pounds. This is a total of eleven pounds of weight loss! While I am pretty excited to be more than ten pounds lighter … Continue reading →

People go on a diet primarily because they want to lose some weight. Not everyone will take the time to find out if the diet they have selected is actually safe to try. What about the Atkins diet? Is is safe for most people to use? Or, is it just another fad diet? There are plenty of diets to choose from. Every year, in January, you will find displays of diet books in every book store you walk into. This is because a lot of people decide that their New Year’s Resolution will be that they are finally going to … Continue reading →

In my experience, it is much easier to stay on the Atkins diet when you are at home, than it is to find Atkins approved food from a restaurant. While I am fortunate enough to work from home, I realize that most people are going to be eating at work or at school. Here are some easy to eat low carb snacks. Most of the snack foods that I have enjoyed while doing the Atkins diet require the use of a refrigerator. If you are at work, this might not be a problem. Break rooms tend to include a refrigerator. … Continue reading →

After spending the four weeks in the Induction Phase of the Atkins diet, I decided it was time to move on. Phase Two is called OWL, which stands for “Ongoing Weight Loss”. I’ve heard that people who are in this phase will see their weight loss slow down. How would OWL work for me? The first Phase of the Atkins diet is called “Induction”. It must last for two weeks, minimum. You can, however, choose to extend the Induction phase for a longer period of time if you want to. Eventually, though, you will reach a point where you must … Continue reading →

When I first decided to try the Atkins diet, I planned ahead. I knew that dieting is easier when you have a good support system that is backing you up. Luckily, I had two friends who were also doing the Atkins diet at the time that I started. Although this support structure worked well at first, it seems to have disappeared as time has gone on. Most people have at least a little bit if difficulty when they are making major changes in their lives. When you start the Atkins diet, you go from your accustomed, comfortable, way of eating … Continue reading →