Reaching your final weight loss goal is exhilarating and a great accomplishment. At the fourth stage of the Atkins Diet plan, maintaining your new weight is vital for reaping the benefits of optimum health such as normal blood pressure, decreased risk of diabetes and a stronger heart. The Atkins plan continues to dictate the importance of keeping within your personal Critical Carbohydrate Level for Maintenance (CCLM).
Understanding the Atkins Diet: Phase Four
Although a wider range of food is available at this phase, the old habits of overeating are not an option. Understanding your food triggers and finding coping mechanisms other than food binges of starchy, sugary carbohydrate-rich foods is key to maintaining your weight. Also, it is essential that carbohydrates be selected with caution and that awareness of their accumulation in one's diet continues.
Exercise is highly recommended in the Atkins program. Being physically active will help you burn extra calories that add up to the return of unwanted pounds. Along with an exercise plan, meal plans need to be maintained and followed. Although the recipes below are Atkins-friendly, you will need to modify them to fit into your daily CCLM. Besides containing acceptable carbohydrate amounts, the recipes offer an appropriate amount of fat grams for good cardiovascular health. Since many Atkins followers can tolerate more vegetables at this point, the roasted vegetable recipe is an appreciated addition to many meal plans.
Two Phase Four Recipes
Mexican Strata
Ingredients
- 5 slices low-carbohydrate bread, cubed (about 3 ½ cups)
- 6 oz. ground turkey sausage
- 3 egg whites
- 1 whole egg
- 1 c. skim milk
- ½ c. reduced-fat sour cream
- 1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/3 c. salsa
Directions
- Spray a 9" pie dish with cooking spray.
- Spread bread cubes evenly in prepared dish and set aside.
- Brown the sausage in skillet on medium-high heat, breaking up pieces as needed.
- Place evenly on top of bread cubes.
- In medium size bowl, beat egg whites, whole egg, milk and sour cream.
- Stir in cheese.
- Pour egg mixture over sausage.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Uncover and bake in 325 degree oven for 35 minutes or until center is firm and edges are lightly browned.
- Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.
- Top each serving with salsa.
Servings and Nutrition Information
Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 16 g Carbohydrate, 245 Calories, 10 g Fat, 4 g Saturated Fat, 95 mg Cholesterol, 546 mg Sodium, 2 g Fiber, 20 g Protein
Herb Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1" cubes
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
- 1 medium parsnip, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- 1 tbs. olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. oregano
- 2 tsp. thyme
- 2 tsp. basil
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Place potatoes, carrots, parsnip and onion in 13" x 9" baking dish.
- Combine oil, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Pour over vegetables and toss well to evenly coat.
- Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until desired tenderness is reached.
- Uncover and stir vegetables well. Bake for another 10 minutes uncovered.
Servings and Nutrition Information
Makes 6 servings Per serving: 18 g Carbohydrate, 98 Calories, 2 g Fat, 0 g Saturated Fat, 0 mg Cholesterol, 110 mg Sodium, 4 g Fiber, 2 g Protein
Maintain Your Weight Loss Success
While you can begin introducing more carbohydrates into your diet once you reach your weight loss goals, it's important to make wise food choices. Preparing meals using recipes consistent with the principles of Phase Four of the Atkins Diet is a great way to take positive steps toward maintaining your ideal weight.
