The Atkins Diet: Surviving the First Two Days

The Atkins Diet has been wildly popular for a good many years now, due primarily to the fact that it works. While participants are allowed to eat virtually any protein in large quantities, doing so is often a dramatic adjustment from the typical American diet that includes lots of starch, white flour and sugar. Below are some tips to help with those first critical 48 hours of adjustment, during which the body must get used to a radical new style of eating.

Buy some Atkins or other low-carbohydrate snack/meal replacement bars!

These bars are very expensive (over $8.00 per box at Kroger supermarkets!) but are worth every penny. Each box contains five bars that are dense with protein, low in sugar and most importantly, low in net carbohydrates. The bars are a bit peculiar in taste, but resemble other health and energy bars in taste and texture. They are made primarily of soy nuggets and have a rich texture that is satisfying in the same way as a cookie or piece of bread might be. If someone new to Atkins consumes the 2 allowed bars each day, that person will feel more satisfied and will be less likely to regress to eating carbs in the midst of a craving.

Take yourself out to dinner!

Nothing is nicer than having someone else do the cooking and cleaning up! There are plenty of restaurant choices that can be enjoyed during the first phase of Atkins. Places like Applebees, Ruby Tuesday and TGIFridays, as well as your local steak and seafood restaurant, offer large steaks or other portions of meat alongside delicious, fat-filled Caesar salads and cheddar cheese coated broccoli. Somehow, self-denial seems to be less pronounced when you are able to enjoy such delicious, low-carb alternatives to pasta, breading and other no-no's.

Drink lots!

Buy a liter and a half-sized bottle of water and drink the whole thing at least once a day. Staying hydrated is an excellent aid in staying full and resisting carb cravings. Also, drinking lots of water can enhance weight loss and help you look thinner from Day One by reducing bloating. In addition to your water, enjoy diet soft drinks and even a no-carb cocktail in order to have a little treat and reduce feelings of deprivation (Officially, Atkins does not recommend consuming alcohol during the first two weeks, but most Atkins participants this author has encountered found that staying under 20 grams of carbohydrates per day was more important than any specific foods or drinks consumed).