Quick Strawberry Muffins recipe here.
________________________________
Can you believe tomorrow is the last day in our 28-Day journey?
Me. Neither.
If you’ve made it this far you’ve done good!
Tomorrow we’re going to celebrate.
Today, is the last installment of our ‘problem solving’ week. I’ve saved the most important for last.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN TODAY:
- How to Deal with External Pressure
- Finding the Balance with Restriction
- Overcoming Carb Cravings
- Overcoming Carb Creep
How to Deal with External Pressure
Often you’ll see in the media talk of how Low Carb is just another ‘fad’. Or you may have friends / family / colleagues questioning your choices.
First I think it’s great to question everything.
When I catch myself having doubts, I ask myself if I’m happy with what I’m eating and the results I’m getting.
Every time I’ve asked this the answer has been yes.
So it’s a no-brainer to keep on my merry Low Carb way knowing it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, as long as I’m happy this is the right approach for me.
Finding the Balance with Restriction
I’ve seen research showing that 95% of diets fail. The conclusion is that any type of restriction won’t work for the long term.
I agree, restriction can backfire. If someone tells me I can’t have a bowl of pasta, then I’m automatically going to want to eat pasta.
BUT when it’s just up to me, and I ask myself ‘is this bowl of pasta worth it?’ how will it make me feel?
I get a completely different response. I don’t want the pasta.
Make sure you tap into your internal motivation and recognize you are choosing to eat Low Carb because it makes you feel great rather than it being something you ‘should’ do.
Another thing I find helpful with the Low Carb restriction piece is to think that we all have something in our bodies that doesn’t work as well as it should.
For me, my insulin sensitivity isn’t great. So I the best solution for me is to eat Low Carb to keep my blood glucose under control.
For someone with excellent insulin sensitivity, eating Low Carb wouldn’t necessarily make a big difference.
Back to the idea that we’re all different and we need to experiment and find what works for us as individuals.
Overcoming Carb Cravings
There are 2 reasons cravings are a normal part of the process:
1. The Blood Glucose Roller Coaster.
You know the drill. The more carbs you eat, the higher your blood sugar spikes. The more insulin is released to store the sugar.
As the sugar is stored our blood sugar levels decrease rapidly causing a ‘crash’ which makes you feel hungry.
You eat more carbs and the whole cycle starts again.
2. Your Gut Bacteria.
As I mentioned yesterday, the other mechanism driving this is that when you eat lots of sugar / carbs it encourages sugar / carb loving bacteria in your gut to grow. Instead of the bacteria that thrive on veggies.
The carb-loving microbes then send messages to your brain to eat more sugar / carbs so they can get their fix.
So what can you do when cravings strike?
First, remember the less carbs you eat the easier it’s going to be.
Ask yourself our favourite questions:
- Is it worth it?
- How will it make me feel?
- Could I have it later?
- How much do I need?
Then use you will power to stick to that amount (if you do decide to go ahead).
And don’t forget to enjoy the indulgence!
Overcoming Carb Creep
Yesterday we covered Carb Creep and the solution of taking an honest inventory of your everyday food choices.
I’ve included it again today because we live in a society where it’s normal to eat a high carb diet.
Some nutritionists actually still encourage it.
It’s so easy to let a sandwich for lunch creep in here and there. Or having a bagel for breakfast. Or rice for dinner.
When it happens, it’s no big deal. Nothing to feel guilt or shame about. You are human!
Just reconnect with why you’re choosing Low Carb in the first place and go back to doing what works.
SUMMARY
Here’s what we’ve covered:
- It’s good to question everything. As long as you’re happy and getting results then you’re on the right path.
- Restriction can backfire. Make sure you tap into your internal motivation and recognize you are choosing to eat Low Carb because it makes you feel great rather than it being something you ‘should’ do.
- When carb cravings strike, ask yourself how it will make you feel.
- We live in a high carb world so it’s important to watch out for carb creep.
ACTIVITY
Prepare to celebrate! Think about something non-food related that you can do to celebrate. What will nurture you? What do you love to do?
See you tomorrow!
Cheers,
Jules x
ps. Don’t forget to comment below and share your celebration plans!
____________________________
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Low Carb Love 28-Day Program is where I share my personal journey of managing my blood sugar eating (mostly) Low Carb. I am not a doctor and this information is not intended as specific advice. Please discuss with your doctor or dietician before changing your food intake. Especially if you’re on medication or have any special medical concerns.
Leave a Reply