How to Switch From Atkins to Weight Watchers

The battle to manage your weight through dieting trends, including Atkins and Weight Watchers, requires careful planning, as your body reacts to dramatic changes in your food intake through weight fluctuation. The Atkins diet, designed by Dr. Robert C. Atkins, focuses on low-carbohydrate and high-fat consumption, while the Weight Watchers plan follows a high-fiber, low-fat diet that regulates calorie consumption. When transitioning between these two extremes you may temporarily feel sluggish as your body acclimates to the new diet. As with any diet, you should talk to your doctor to determine the safety prior to adhering to the new diet guidelines.

Instructions

• 1

  Slowly integrate more complex carbohydrates into your meals. Whereas the Atkins diet limits your daily intake of carbohydrates, complex carbohydrates found in whole-grain breads and vegetables are the focus of Weight Watchers due to the amount of fiber in complex carbohydrates. Fiber-rich foods provide satiety and decrease the need to continuously snack throughout the day.

• 2

  Choose low-fat meats. Lean meats are low in saturated fat and total fat, which prevents weight gain while providing protein and other healthy nutrients. Lean meats include beef and pork tenderloin, skinless chicken and fish.

• 3

  Join the Weight Watchers group. Online or face-to-face meetings provide encouragement and helpful advice from others who are also striving to lose or maintain their weight. The online program provides recipes and food choices that allows you to stay within the allocated points that are used to control weight. Known as PointsPlus, the online program includes a food journal to track your progress and, according to the official Weight Watchers site, it is accessible from any computer or mobile device that supports web browsing .

• 4

  Stay within your points. Food is categorized by points, which makes it easier to choose healthy food options rather than blindly make food decisions.