Atkins 40 | Low Carb Lower Number on the Scale

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Losing weight is so hard for so many, but Atkins 40 helps make the process a little easier! We followed the Atkins meal plan for 7 days and discovered that low carb does mean a lower number on the scale. Here’s everything you need to know about the Atkins Phase 1 meal plan including an Atkins Phase 1 food list pdf! Affiliate links included.

Printable Atkins Phase 1 Meal Plan PDF Included!

(Disclaimer: we’re not doctors or nutritionists; just writers searching for the balance our bodies need. Talk to your MD before following any diet plan.)

We’re all about being honest with our product reviews. If we find a flaw or a problem with something we won’t hesitate to share that information.

So here’s our honest review of the Atkins meal plan for 7 days as part of the Atkins 40 plan.

It was GREAT.

Except for that pesky Day 1.

Day 1 was HARD y’all. Like stupid come-on-get-some-willpower hard.

We had cravings and we wanted to eat all the sweet (ie, carb-loaded crappy food) things in the house.

The Atkins 40 plan doesn’t want you to do that.

It makes sense, really, even though it was hard to convince our taste buds of this plan initially!

How Does Atkins 40 Work?

Atkins encourages you to up your protein intake, take in adequate healthy fats, and lower your carbohydrates in order to “flip” your metabolic switch and burn more fat.

You’ll start the Atkins 40 program by following the Atkins Phase 1 meal plan.

You’ll eat 40 grams of net carbs, 4 to 6-ounce servings of protein, and 2 to 4 servings of fat per day.

What’s the Difference Between Atkins 40 and Keto?

Atkins 40 is not the Ketogenic Diet (Keto for short) but there are some similarities.

The biggest connection between the two is counting net carbs and restricting your carbs to under a specific amount.

Keto diets tend to be more restrictive in this aspect and ask users to restrict to under 20 net carbs a day; under 10 is even better in Keto terms.

There’s a whole science to this and we have tips for starting the keto diet for beginners here, but for now, let’s focus on Atkins 40 which is asking you to keep under 40 grams of net carbs a day.

How Do You Count Net Carbs On Atkins 40?

A net carb is a cool way to count the total carbohydrate content of the food. You find your net carb count by subtracting the fiber and sugar alcohols in your food.

It’s pretty basic math, but there are apps out there that help with the calculations.

After subtracting fiber & sugar alcohols, you are left with the net carbs which are the grams of carbohydrate that most impact your blood sugar. Atkins 40 encourages you to eat these net carbs over three meals and two snacks in a day.

Atkins offers a fantastic collection of pre-packaged foods to help you out.

We tried bars and shakes that were on the Atkins Phase 1 meal plan and give them both thumbs up.

We couldn’t tell we were eating “diet” food at all.

What Do You Eat on Atkins 40?

From the Atkins website you will eat on Atkins 40:

Another significant difference between Atkins 40 and Keto is the dairy aspect.

You can eat dairy on both, but you will more likely restrict your dairy intake due to stricter net carb counts on Keto.

For example: when we eat Keto, we eat cheese but skip the milk.

Almond milk is ok (fewer carbs there!).

Our Atkins 40 Review and Experience

We started the Atkins Phase 1 meal plan on Saturday and were eager to hit the ground running.

Like we said, Day 1 was hard. WE struggled.

We wanted candy (candy = tons of sugar = carbs!) since Halloween had just passed.

The habit of grabbing a piece or two (or three) as we walked by the stash on the counter was coming back to haunt us.

So that had to stop because Atkins 40 was not having it.

Out of sight, out of mind. All the candy went into the guest room closet.

Top shelf.

We can’t reach it easily and as Martha says, that’s a good thing.

After the temptation was handled, we were able to focus more on the goals of the program.

We followed 4 of 5 days of the Atkins phase 1 food list pdf perfectly without deviation.

This is the plan that we followed for 5 days.

We picked my favorite 5 days and stuck with them.

Atkins phase 1 food list pdf

Almost all these foods were found in the fridge.

The problem before we tried Atkins 40?

We weren’t eating those good foods on the Atkins meal plan!

Weight loss FAIL.

The truth of it is, we need a written plan: thank you, Atkins phase 1 food list pdf.

Plans work for us. They just do. 

We’re better when our focus is going from A to B to C.

We know the goal is for it all to become second nature, but we find higher success when we keep up with a written plan.

Running and Atkins 40

And as far as running and not having enough carbs on board? Not a problem for us.

We ran 12 miles on this plan and felt good.

Pre-run we ate oatmeal, strawberries, and bacon.

Mid-run we ate a Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bar.

No bonking allowed.

Image courtesy of Atkins.

The myth that you can’t have carbs is flat-out wrong.

You get to eat plenty of them.

They are just the right carbs.

Our biggest challenge was being prepared with fruits and vegetables on hand.

We had to go back to our prepping days and make sure we had enough to get us through.

You know what happened? We actually ran out!

Apparently, if you put a bowl of cut-up fruit in the fridge, the kids will eat it.

Who knew?

Atkins 40 Conclusion

We’re giving Atkins a big thumbs up this week.

We felt better, we had more energy, we knew we were doing something good for our body AND we were able to stick to it without too much struggle.

End result: lost 3.5 pounds in 5 days.

Considering the last time we actually lost weight was over 2 months ago, this is a major confidence booster.

Atkins Recipes

Baked Eggs in Avocados | Recipe for Atkins 40 Followers

3 Easy Steps To The Perfect Hard Boiled Egg

The Best Whole 30 and Keto Cauliflower Puree 

Atkins Reviews

Atkins Meal Kit Review

Atkins Update: Frozen Meals

Atkins: Greek Yogurt Bar Review

Atkins Breakfast Sandwich Review

What appeals to you most about following an Atkins diet?

Printable Atkins Phase 1 Food List PDF

Don’t forget to download your Printable Atkins Phase 1 Food List pdf here!

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