I’ve had several people ask me what exactly I’m doing to lose weight, so here is a detailed explanation. Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions.

Exercise-
I have not stepped in a gym since starting this diet on July 4th. I have, however, started walking a few times a week for 30 minutes each time with a buddy. Also, the school semester started two weeks ago, and anyone that has ever gone to college knows how much walking is involved there. I would add at least 30 more minutes of walking per day for the four days a week I am on campus. So, in short:

• No gym routine
• An average 30 minutes of walking per day

Diet-
I am following my own version of the Atkins diet. I eat mostly meats and cheese and usually have a salad if I have to eat out somewhere. Normally the Atkins diet isn’t concerned with the amount of fat that you eat, but I don’t think all that fat is very healthy, so I try to eat the lean meats- chicken, fish, and turkey- instead of the other meats, as often as I can. Eggs, lean steak, and lean hamburgers are also foods that I eat on a regular basis. I try to use just ketchup and mustard with my hamburgers as opposed to mayonnaise (which is allowed on Atkins), because of the amount of fat that’s in mayo.

My biggest problem on a diet like Atkins is that I can’t have any sweets!! So, I sought out some Atkins products that I can eat while still losing weight. My brother and I have found a low carb ice cream (4 carbs in 1/2 cup) and a low carb candy bar (2 carbs) that both taste like the real thing. They are so good that I actually feel like I’m cheating by eating them, but I still manage to lose weight!

Water. Water. Water. I drink close to a gallon of water a day. Occasionally I will have a crystal light if I want something sweet, but I never drink sodas, even though you are allowed to have diet sodas on Atkins. I have heard so many things about the ingredients in diet sodas and about how bad they are for you that I just stopped drinking them altogether. Actually, November will mark THREE years that I haven’t had a sip of any kind of soda. As for alcoholic drinks, a low carb beer or two (weighing in at 2.4 carbs per beer) comes in handy when having a social drink with friends. To sum it up:

• Atkins style diet, low carb
• Meats, cheese, eggs, anything with no/low carbs
• More lean meats than those with a high fat content
• Trade mayo in for ketchup/mustard
• Low carb alternatives for sweets (without sacrificing taste!)
• Drink almost a gallon of water a day, an occasional crystal light, and no sodas
• Drink low carb beer if I will be drinking alcoholic drinks

Support-
Currently, there are at least 7 members of my family (immediate, cousins, aunts, etc.) who are on the Atkins diet. If that’s not enough support, I don’t know what is! Also, weighing in once a week at a weight loss clinic helps keep me on track.

• 7 family members on Atkins
• Appointment w/weight loss clinic once a week

Other-

• Taking two to three appetite suppressants (Phendimetrazine) a day, 1 hour before meals
• Taking one multivitamin each night

~Shrinking Kim