I’ve been living the low carb Atkins lifestyle for years, and I’m here to tell you that if you have patience with the process and the outcome, you can truly succeed. But I’ve also discovered some of the low-carb diet fails it’s easy to encounter along the way, with some proven fixes. Here are some reasons on why your low carb diet may not be working:
Low Carb Diet Fail #1: Relying Too Much on the Scale If the numbers aren’t moving, it’s no reason to ditch your low-carb diet. Your weight can easily fluctuate by 5 pounds or more over the course of a day depending on hormonal changes, how much water you are drinking, as well as your sodium intake and any prescribed medications you’re taking.
The Fix: Don’t just focus on that number on the scale; take your measurements and see how your clothes are fitting. Do you have more energy? Are you sleeping better? All these factors are proof that your low-carb lifestyle is working.
Low Carb Diet Fail #2: Fear of Success. You’re very close to your goal weight. You’ve been working hard, diligently sticking to your low carb lifestyle. The weight is coming off, you’ve been loving the way you feel. But now you’re wondering what happens next? You might start adding a few more carbs into your life, without having a firm understanding of your personal carb balance. Or maybe you’re not used to living with the new, slim you that is starting to emerge before you. Or perhaps you have naysayers in your life that don’t support your low carb lifestyle or the changes you have made.
The Fix: Don’t let any of this derail your progress. The finish line is in sight; you have the tools and you can do it! Stick with Atkins, take another look at the goals you have set, and be proud of what you have accomplished so far. If your weight is something you always hid behind before, your weight loss may be attracting attention, which may feel uncomfortable. But the extra weight may impact your health and your quality of life. If you continue to derail your weight loss efforts because those extra pounds always gave you sense of security, you might want to consider counseling to explore the reasons behind this.
Low Carb Diet Fail #3: Going for the Short-Term Fix. The countdown is on. You’re a month or less out from the big event, whether it’s a class reunion, vacation or wedding. You solution? Swap out your fast food and other unhealthy eating habits for a low carb diet. You ditch all carbs and apply a precision-like approach for the time being without thinking about long-term goals or lifestyle changes. Sure, you may lose the weight in time for your big debut. But if you don’t learn how to turn these habits into lifestyle of low carb living, you’re guaranteed to gain the weight back.
The Fix: The only way to truly succeed on Atkins is to follow it as it as the plan is laid out, and to commit to making lasting lifestyle changes, versus viewing Atkins as a low carb crash diet. Ditch the processed and packaged food, and learn how good it feels to eat a healthy diet of poultry, meat, fish, vegetables, healthy fats, nuts, seeds, berries, vegetables and even legumes and whole grains.
Low Carb Diet Fail #4: Cutting Back Too Much. Maybe you’re on Atkins 20®, and you start losing weight quickly at first, which is great. So you think that “more must be better”: if you cut even more carbs, you’ll lose even more weight. The thought of adding different carbs (and possibly slowing your weight loss down) sounds terrifying. You keep cutting carbs, and eventually your weight loss stalls. You convince yourself that Atkins isn’t working, you give up, the pounds pile back on, and you’re back to square one.
The Fix: The only way to truly succeed on Atkins is to follow it as it as the plan is laid out, and to commit to making lasting low carb lifestyle changes.
