So, you are trying to live the low carb lifestyle. Everything was great for the first few days, but now it's getting tougher to stick with the program. It is always a challenge to change habits, and for many people eating habits are the toughest to change. It doesn't matter if you are following Atkins, another popular program, or if you have adapted different programs to come up with your own eating plan; there will be challenging moments.

Just think of low carb eating as breaking an addiction. In essence, that is exactly what you are doing. Once your body has gone through the "withdrawal" period, low carb eating will be much easier. This process usually takes at least a week or two, so don't give up too soon. Use these tips to help you hang in there:

Avoid temptations by keeping low carb options handy

A low carb eating plan can be difficult, particularly for people with fast-paced lives, if they do not plan in advance. Cooking extra amounts of appropriate food at mealtimes and freezing extra portions for a quick meal later can be a big help.

It is also a good idea to keep high protein low carb snacks around the house and in your gym bag or car. Meal replacement shakes with as little as one to two net carbs are also handy alternatives. If you have these other options available, it will be easier to put down the cookie, or back away from the French fries, when you are too busy to cook.

Hide the scale

Stay away from your scale, especially when you first begin a low carb plan. The numbers will fool you, first because you will lose a lot of water in the beginning. After that, it may appear as if you aren't losing any weight at all. That's because low carb eating does not work the same way as a typical diet does.

In fact, you will probably notice a loss of inches -either through using a tape measure or simply in the way your clothing fits- before you will notice a significant difference in weight loss recorded on the scale. Because this is true, you may actually hinder your weight loss by weighing yourself too frequently. When the pounds don't seem to be coming off, it is very easy to get discouraged and fall back into old eating habits. Just hide the scale for the first few weeks, and stay strong.

Replace typical snacks

Most carb addicts are just as addicted to the texture of foods as they are to the taste and the "high" (i.e. rise in blood sugar). A perfect example is crunchy foods. Who doesn't love a good crunchy snack? This is one of the biggest complaints of people beginning a high protein low carb eating plan: no crunch! One option is pork rinds, instead of the usual potato chips and cheese curls. Most brands of plain pork rinds have zero carbs per serving and about 8-9 grams of protein.

Low carb eating does take more planning and effort that some plans, but it is worth the extra effort. Use these tips and come up with other creative solutions to help make the necessary changes as painless as possible. Low carb eating does work... but only if you stick with it.