[loveLauren]

I just started Atkins the other day after my bf's co-worker lost weight with it. I'm a mixture of nervous and excited. It seems like I can stick with this, but I've tried so many things before so I'm trying not to get my hopes up. So, any advice? I do want to know if drinking diet soda is bad for me while on Atkins.

[Starlink]

Atkins is a wonderful example of the low carb lifestyle. One piece of advice I can offer is to sign up at one of the online diet and fitness journals (such as FitDay ... google it) to track your carb intake. Be sure to record everything you eat, as you'll be amazed at the hidden carbs in some foods. It's also useful if you're unsure about a food item - just enter it to find the nutritional values (carbs/calories/protein/fat/sugar grams), plus you'll have a record of all foods you've eaten and can use this info to determine what's causing any stalls you may encounter as you continue with the plan.

Try not to get discouraged if you lose quickly and then slow down. If the scale doesn't show progress at some point, rely on the way your clothing fits more loosely until the pounds start dropping again for motivation.

On the diet soda question ... personally, I drink one a day and it doesn't seem to have any adverse effect on my weight loss, but everyone is different. I drink 6 to 8 bottles of water daily (16.9 oz) and I'm finding the water is more satisfying than any other beverage. (Stock up on hand cream, as you'll find yourself washing your hands way more than average due to all the potty trips!)

More long time low-carbers here will undoubtedly be along with other tips and advice. I wish you much success on this plan, and hope you enjoy it as much as I have. Good luck!

[mytmom]

Good luck! I lost baby weight plus some and kept it off for years (including through another pregnancy) about 12 years ago. I did well at maintaining until about 18 months ago when my life hit some big snags and I gained a lot of weight. So, I'm working on it again, 12 years older (and 40 is not the new 30 when it comes to metabolism, LOL!) and hopefully I can have the same great results. I think one of the most important things is to read the book! I've read it probably 5-6 times, and I'm reading it again. It not only reminds me of the parts of the plan, but is good inspiration.

As far as the soda, everyone is different. I've never noticed that it effects me in a good or bad way, ame with caffeine, although I have very little and not on a regular basis, so maybe if I did I would notice.

Kelly