I have so much to share. In 3 weeks, I’m celebrating a big birthday. I’ll refrain from sharing the number because candidly I don’t feel my age. Google it if you must, but all that matters is that I’m alive and survived the NY Marathon this year. 2018 has been an epic year for me both personally and with work. I grew as a host entering the home shopping market and doubled my income through Mizzfit LLC. I’ve traveled the world, written about luxurious resorts and wellness spas, and made new friends with whom I plunged into the Caribbean Ocean. Let’s just say it’s been a good year.
While all these fantastic events have been playing out in my life, I started to notice some changes physically. I’ll admit to decades of being that fitness girl who eats whatever she wants. I’ve always exercised daily and trained hard to avoid having to diet or watch what I eat. This approach worked for me for a long time. But it’s not working anymore. My metabolism is changing. Give me a moment here while I accept my mortality, LOL.
Y’know, my life is good—I won’t deny that. I have nothing to complain about. But I’d really like for my feelings about my body and food intake to reflect the level of success I’ve now achieved. I can’t get by with putting 2-3 hours in at the gym anymore because I’m too busy with work to do that, and frankly, I don’t want to do that anymore. There was a time when I loved being a gym rat but now, I want to spend that valuable time investing in other areas of my life. This fall, I decided it was time to try an easy low carb lifestyle that would drastically improve my diet and snacking habits.
To make a long story short, I had lunch with Rob Lowe (spokesperson for ATKINS) and was sold. Just hearing about how well ATKINS fit into his busy lifestyle and was making a visible difference (the man is fire!) was so convincing and truly exciting to me. I was determined to give it a shot. But I had the NY Marathon before me, Thanksgiving and the holidays, so I was like, “Is this really gonna work for me?”
Guys, it works. I officially started living an ATKINS low carb lifestyle this December and so far, I’m KILLING IT! My goals are to:
- Flatten my belly so that you can better see the abs I have underneath.
- Reduce the mass of my thighs (Girl is thick in the thighs—that’s where the pasta goes)
- Eat less sugar and carbohydrates because if you only knew what goes on…
I realize it can be off-putting to read all of this coming from me: a lifelong fitness girl who’s never been overweight. BUT, you might not know everything about me! I have obesity on both sides of my family and I work very hard, as I mentioned, to keep the weight off. However, some tricks only work so long until you need to find a new one. And I refuse to let myself go entirely before that happens. You shouldn’t either.
Do you know about the “Hidden Sugar Effect” - when carbohydrates convert to sugar when digested? You don’t see the sugar, but your body does. Many foods we’re eating have way more sugar than our bodies know what to do with. ATKINS believes that your blood can handle about 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar at any given time. Anything beyond that is toxic. It’s very interesting and makes perfect sense to me.
WATCH THIS VIDEO! IT MIGHT CHANGE YOUR LIFE…
I honestly never want to eat a bagel again! And it explains why I always feel like crap after eating one. Last week at the airport, I slipped up and quenched my thirst with a large bottle of OJ. I was literally grabbing my stomach in pain for my whole flight! I knew that OJ was more sugar than I needed, and my body was struggling. This is why the ATKINS low carb lifestyle makes so much sense to me. It trains you to make better choices and understand the damage you’re working to undo. I’m still at the beginning but I can feel a difference already.
Fitness will ALWAYS be a huge part of my life, but I limit it to 1-1.5 hours of my day. I rarely skip a workout, and I do yoga at least twice a week! Incorporating ATKINS into my active lifestyle has been easier than I thought. I chose the ATKINS 40 low carb lifestyle because I have less than 40 pounds to lose and want a wide variety of food choices. If you’re trying to lose more than 40 lbs., ATKINS 20 is a better choice.
With ATKINS 40, I’m committed to eating only 40g net carbs (Total Carbohydrates - Fiber - Sugar Alcohols (if applicable)) a day (this is the amount of carbs that is safe for your blood sugar level). Aside from that, I eat 6-8 servings of veggies, 4 to 6-ounce servings of protein and 2 to 4 servings of added fats per day. I use the ATKINS app on my phone to help me identity the best foods and stay within the net carbs number. And it when it comes to snacking, I’m obsessed with the ATKINS Lemon Vanilla Protein Wafer Crisps and ATKINS Chocolate Mint Protein Wafer Crisps.
Another snack I like for my cravings is an ATKINS shake using the ATKINS Vanilla Protein Powder. I make these in the mornings too when I’m rushed. The reason why they’re so good for me as part of an ATKINS low carb lifestyle is that they have 15g of protein, 5g of fiber, 2g of net carbs, and 1g sugar.
I made this shake today for lunch using 1 cup chopped kale, ½ cup blueberries, ½ scoop of ATKINS Vanilla Protein Powder and 1/3 cup of almond milk. Total net carbs = 13.6g net carbs. It actually ranks a little high but now I know to just subtract this number from my 40g of net carbs for the day. It was all calculated on my ATKINS app tracker in literally minutes as I was putting the shake together. I even made some adjustments as I saw the numbers adding up.
There are endless ATKINS 40 recipes here (as well as on the app) and I usually modify them a bit based on what’s in my fridge.
Have you noticed I haven’t mentioned much about calories throughout this article? There’s a reason for it. Calories don’t matter if you’re eating food loaded with sugar. It’s almost a moot point. The way you can make a difference is by limiting your carbohydrates and forcing your body to burn more fat. Did you know that Americans eat 22 teaspoons of added sugar per day? It’s INSANE! I was most definitely a part of this statistic.
I know I’m going to lose some weight and live a low carb life as I continue down this path though. For me, a healthy weight for my height is 110 pounds* and it’s what I generally weigh when I’m at my best. So far, my favorite part of this nutritional journey with ATKINS has been learning how to balance the food groups. Becoming more disciplined in this part of my life (considering I work in the health/wellness industry) is rewarding. It feels good to take back the control from my slowing metabolism.
Want to eat a balance of healthy, moderate protein, healthy fats and high fiber carbohydrates with me? Take a look at ATKINS. I’ve never followed a specific lifestyle in my life aside from trying out juice cleanses and going both gluten-free and dairy-free once. But, living a low carb lifestyle, is Fun and putting meaning into my life. I used to just eat to eat. Now I eat mindfully with intention. And if there’s a day where I get a little off course, or I’m treated to a fabulously rich dinner at a fine restaurant in NYC, well then, I just wash my hands of that and get back on course the following day. You can’t fail. You just have to WANT to make sustainable changes that will help you live longer and leaner.
Are you with me?
This is a sponsored post. I have partnered with ATKINS to share my authentic experience using their products and meal plans. All stories and opinions expressed are my own.
*The average person can expect to lose 1-2 lbs. per week. Results may vary. Weight loss is influenced by exercise, food consumed and diet.