Your New Year’s Resolutions may be in full swing, or it might be time for a little extra motivation. If you stick with these 10 tips for living a low carb lifestyle, you’re well on your way to success in 2019:
- Make low carb swaps. With frigid winter temps almost everywhere, all you may want to do is hide under a cozy blanket and indulge in wintry and warming comfort food. You can avoid going on carb overload by revisiting my low carb slow cooker and one-pot meal tips and recipes, and passing on pasta- or rice-based casseroles and going with creamy and comforting low carb soups such as Creamy Pumpkin Curry Soup, Butternut Squash Soup or Creamy Mushroom Soup.
- Avoid Hidden Sugars. One of the most important things you can do for your health and weight loss is to avoid sugar. But Hidden Sugars lurk in seemingly innocuous places like a bagel, which may have up to 8 grams of sugar. An Atkins bar has just 1.5 teaspoons of sugar, and if you’re craving something deliciously crunchy, rich in protein and low in sugar, try Atkins Protein Wafer Crisps.
- Drink your water. Hydration is key, especially if you’re trying to drop a few pounds. In the early stages of Atkins, water and sodium are flushed from your body, so it’s important to drink plenty of fluids, which include water, broth, tea, unsweetened sparkling water, etc.
- Plan for food-centric events. You made it through the holidays, but one of the biggest sporting events of the year is coming up this weekend. Wherever you’re watching the big game, I have plenty of game-day tips and recipes to help you stick to your low carb lifestyle.
- Eat breakfast. Studies show that people who eat breakfast are more successful at losing and maintaining weight. Start your day with this Almond Butter Smoothie Bowl.
- Get moving. While Atkins can help you lose weight without exercising, moving just a little bit more has quite a few health benefits, including maintaining your weight, managing stress, improving your sleep, increasing your energy, boosting your mood, building muscle and decreasing your risk of metabolic syndrome, heart disease and diabetes.
- Count your carbs. If you’ve started to experience a little “carb creep” (i.e. cravings and weight gain), the Atkins App will keep you honest, since it helps you track your progress and count your carbs.
- Revamp your goals. Did you start out strong in January, and only to find your motivation starting to waver? Take a look at the goals you set out to accomplish. Maybe it’s time to revamp them by setting S.M.A.R.T. goals. Perhaps it wasn’t realistic to expect yourself to hit the gym five days a week when you haven’t worked out in months or lose 20 pounds in one month.
- Write it all down. A food journal could be the secret to weight loss, and it’s a great place to jot down your goals and progress as well.
- Challenge yourself. Starting this Friday, February 1st, we’ll launch our Atkins 28 Day Choose Wisely™ Challenge! Every day in February, you’ll be asked to participate in and record various challenges. These challenges will help you learn to make better choices to transform your life and improve your health. At the end of the month we’ll choose one grand prize winner and three runners up to receive an amazing set of prizes. Click here to learn more and join the challenge.