Back to those packaged and processed low-carb foods. Technically, they are part of the low-carb program. They can be used in moderation as substitutes for your favorite carbohydrate heavy foods.

In a pinch, low-carb bread and baked goods can help you get over cravings and add variety to your Atkins diet plan. However, one look at the labels of these products shows how chemically processed these items can be.

It is recommended that you use these products sparingly. In some individuals, low-carb packaged items cause carbohydrate cravings. This can make staying on the diet even more difficult.

If you find that low-carb processed foods make you want to binge on carb-heavy foods, then its best that you stay away from these products.

These products may also have hidden carb counts that will increase your daily carbohydrate level without you realizing it.

If you are experiencing a stall in your weight loss on the Atkins plan, re-evaluate your commitment to unprocessed and unrefined foods.

If you’ve been eating too many low-carb processed foods, you may be consuming hidden carbs and eating more than necessary. Try eliminating these products and refocusing your diet on unprocessed and unrefined foods, like those seen on the Atkins diet pyramid.

When you go grocery shopping, spend time along the outer rim of the store where the fresh, unprocessed foods are. This will help you avoid the temptation of packaged foods that can lead your diet astray.

Remember, just because the food label says that it is low carb, does not mean it is no carb or good for you.

You may need to rely on packaged meats, vegetables and fruits from time to time. We lead busy lives and convenience foods are part of life.

But microwaves make cooking a healthy meal quick and easy, and what could be better than your own roasted chicken breast, without all the salt and other seasonings all over it, let alone breading!

It’s understandable that you may need to use some canned soup, bacon or canned vegetables in your daily life.

However, if you do need to resort to them, make sure you read the labels and go for the items with the least sodium, which can cause water retention and put the weight right back on you.

Also make an effort to concentrate your dietary efforts on a wide variety of fresh, unprocessed foods. Your health and weight loss efforts will be greatly rewarded. And your wallet as well!

(word count 773)

When you first start on the Atkins program, you may be tempted to take advantage of many of the low carbohydrate products on the market today.

There are a wide variety of packaged items that are specifically manufactured to be low-carb. These include low-carb snacks, low-carb baking products and low-carb substitutes (like pasta or bread).

While it may be enticing to fill your shopping cart with all of these goodies, it’s best for your diet and for your health to use them sparingly.

One of the key things to remember about the Atkins diet is its focus on raw, unprocessed foods. The center of diet, as shown by the Atkins diet food pyramid, is fresh vegetables and fresh meats.

Added into the mix are natural cheeses, a selection of fruits and, eventually, whole unprocessed grains. There aren’t any packaged meats, canned vegetables or instant anything.

There is a reason that the Atkins food pyramid shows these foods in their raw states. There are great health benefits in minimally processed foods.

Raw, whole foods retain more vitamins and nutrients than foods that have been through chemical and industrial processing. Manufactured foods are more likely to be tainted with chemical additives that can cause a whole host of problems.

Raw, fresh food ingredients provide the best basis for a healthy diet. Many dieters rely on foods that are technically allowed on the plan, but not good for health.

One example is bacon. Many people on the Atkins diet consume lots of bacon. In fact, many use it as a daily part of their protein foods.

However, bacon contains high amounts of sodium nitrite, an ingredient that is known to cause cancer. The more bacon they eat, the more they expose themselves to this chemical and many others.

The Atkins pyramid, and the Atkins diet books, recommends unprocessed, unrefined and non-manufactured foods for a reason.

If people follow these recommendations, they will lose weight and experience health transformations. By eating fresh and natural foods you’ll be providing your body with the nutrients that you need to have optimum health.

You owe it to your dieting success to stay within the acceptable foods list. One of the best ways to do this is to follow the Atkins menu plans that are printed within the New Diet Revolution book.

There are also Atkins cookbooks and cookbooks that are geared toward other low carb diets that are helpful in formulating meal plans, but that is the main one. You can also get a lot of online support at various websites, to help you stay on target.

It’s a helpful idea to use a cheat sheet of acceptable Atkins foods wherever you go. If you are out and about and hungry, the last thing you want to do is to try to think back in your memory to figure out what you can and cannot eat.

Carrying a list of acceptable foods with you will make finding a snack or meal while out on the run easy. You can’t always rely on “low carb” labels to tell you whether or not something is diet friendly.

Ever since low carb became the new diet craze, manufacturers have been jumping on the bandwagon to attract Atkins dieters. They label items low carb just to sell products, and don’t have your diet success in mind. Relying on foods from your own personal list is the best way to stay on the plan.

Another good resource for keeping track of the appropriate Atkins foods is an online diet program. There are several available. Some are free and some have a small monthly fee.

The programs require you to register, and then they provide you with personal weekly menu plans based on your needs and your carbohydrate gram level.

There are normally printable weekly shopping lists that make picking up your Atkins diet foods from the grocery store easy and quick. They usually have alternate suggestions as well, for example, for people who are vegetarian.

Atkins diet food is easy to find once you know what you are looking for. The books, food pyramid and online resources can help you make better food choices and stay on the diet for the long term.

You will be pleased with your results and watch the weight drop off in next to no time if you stick to the induction program. Most of it will be water weight to start with, but even 5 pounds is a victory in the battle against the bulge.  It will also be a good stepping stone to your next 5 pounds lost, and so on, til you reach your target weight.

Just keep in mind that many, many people will boomerang their weight right back on again, and sometimes even more, if they don’t stick to this diet.

As I said, carbs are so prevalent in everything we eat, that if you try to go back to eating ‘normally’, you will gain the weight back.  If you successfully lose weight on this diet rapidly, it means you ARE carb sensitive, and therefore not like other people.

Luckily, Atkins foods are not just for dieting, but for a healthy life on the go.

(word count 859)

The Atkins diet is a popular weight loss strategy that has been used successfully by millions over the past 40 years. There used to be some nutritional concerns in connection with it, but thanks to the wide range of Atkins diet foods available, you can eat great and lose weight at the same time.

Atkins diet foods are easy to find and available everywhere. There are many varieties to choose from, whether you pick prepackaged low-carb diet foods or make your own meals. No matter how you want to do the Atkins plan, there is a solution out there for you.

You’ll need to keep the Atkins food pyramid in mind when you make food choices. The Atkins pyramid looks much different than the USDA Food Guide Pyramid. The base of the pyramid consists of protein sources such as eggs, fish, beef, chicken and tofu. On a daily basis, your diet should consist primarily of these foods. The second tier has low glycemic vegetables like salad greens, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and spinach.

The third tier is made up of berries and avocado. Fruits should be used on an occasional basis after the initial stages of the Atkins diet. Vegetable and seed oils, cheese, dairy, nuts and legumes are used sparingly and in appropriate portions.

While the FDA pyramid has oils and fats at the top peak, the Atkins pyramid places whole grain foods in this spot. Whole grain foods should be used very occasionally and are not the mainstay of the Atkins diet.

When you start the Atkins plan, you’ll need to make sure you understand which foods are acceptable for your stage of the program. The Induction phase is the most restrictive, but it only lasts two weeks. You have to keep your carbs below 20 grams, which will be an eye-opening experience.

I never realized just how many carbs there were in my diet, indeed, in the entire American way of eating, until I had to start counting carbs!