Carbo Update: How We're Doing On The Atkins Weight Loss Plan

We don't feel that we've been depriving ourselves. Except for maybe last night when we both had a craving for a 75-carb Angel Food smoothie from Smoothie King! But we opted for a 2-carb candy bar from Russell Stover's instead, which satisfied our sweet tooth quite nicely.

One thing that has really helped with our ability to stay on the plan is the fact that the food-world has recently created what is called sugar alcohol as a substitute for the everyday type of sugar that's a "no no" on the Atkins plan.

Sugar alcohol isn't really alcohol at all, but rather a form of sweetener that gives substance and flavor to all sorts of sweet treats -- at half the calories, and zero the carbs of real sugar. And they're 100% legal on the Atkins plan. Our favorites: Reese's peanut butter cups (1 net carb for 2 full-size peanut butter cups!), Hershey's almond chocolate bars (1 net carb per candy bar!), and Russell Stover's chocolate toffee bars (.25 net carbs per 2 heath bar-like toffee wafers!).

--->If you didn't already know, the way to determine the number of Net Carbohydrates (or "legal" carbs) in a product is to take the grams of Carbohydrates, minus the grams of Fiber, minus the grams of Sugar Alcohols.

The "Modified" Atkins Program
The other thing that keeps it "fun" for us (and easier to stick to) is that we're not real strict 24/7. To give you an idea of how "not strict" we are, here are our modified rules for the Atkins weight loss program:

• Ketchup, Salad Dressings & Sauces don't count (as long as the meal is Atkins-friendly otherwise).
• Each week, pick a "Cheat Day" and don't think about carbs at all. (Depending on our stress level -- and our plans for the day -- we sometimes choose to eat Atkins-friendly foods for most of the day, opting simply for a "Cheat Meal" instead of an entire "Cheat Day". (Sometimes hot buttered popcorn at the movies turns into an enjoyable "Cheat Meal"!)
• Chew all the gum and mints you want during the day -- even if they aren't SUGARLESS.
• Caffeine smaffeine!... Drink all the caffeinated tea and soda you want, as long as it's got an acceptable sweetener (other than sugar) in it. Decaffeinated tea and soda earn you bonus points, but are not required.
• Don't take all of the fun out of life by dissecting and over-analyzing everything you put in your mouth!

The Results So Far
While we surely would lose weight faster and easier if we followed the Atkins plan to a tee, we'd rather maintain our sanity than nit-pick every single thing we eat. And still, we've found that we feel better and look better after only 3 weeks on the "modified-Atkins plan"!

If you, too, choose to follow a "modified" low-carb diet, keep in mind the fact that it takes 2-3 days for your body to switch from burning carbohydrates (in the form of glucose) to burning fat. One "cheat" and you can lose the effects of 2-3 days of fat burning. Bummer...

We're both feeling a major difference already -- more energy & alertness throughout the day, and our clothes are fitting better thanks to the loss of a few inches. (Though my weight loss appears to have be most noticeable in my big toe!)

We don't own a scale, so can't comment on the actual pounds (which have never been important to me anyway). To me, it's more about how you feel than what the "number" is.

...watch for "before" and "after" pictures soon!!!