Low-carb diets get a bad rep! Why? Because they inevitably FAIL! Why is this?
Let’s be honest carbs, especially the processed ones, are delicious. They’re in your face everywhere and the minute you go off, it turns into a horrible over-restrictive “diet.” By default, we are setup for failure.
You see we live in a broken food system –where wrong seems right and right seems wrong. Real food seems to have disappeared out of most people’s fridge and replaced with food-like products. Food manufacturers label their foods as “healthy” because it may have some fortified ingredients, is low-fat, or have some magic superfood in it. In reality, these foods are generally highly processed carbohydrates. And carbohydrates at their base are sugars. Over time, a high intake of highly processed carbohydrates can lead to conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver, and weight gain.
But how much is too much? This may look different for everybody. Some people can handle a daily 150g carbohydrate load while others may have so much metabolic damage, they’ll need to stick to 75g most their life. I know I’m throwing out some numbers .. I apologize.. it’s my dietitian brain. This may be the difference of 1/4 vs. 1/3 of the plate of carbs at meal times.
How do we make it work in today’s world. Here are 3 tips to turn a low-carb diet into a flexible low-carb lifestyle!
1. Make low-carb a routine
First off, it’s not a diet.. it’s your life. Look at the low-carb diet as a way of life –Something you do because you just welp, do. For example: Getting up in the morning, going pee or going to work. The more routine you make it, the more you’ll want to do it.
Doing it just when you’ve been “bad” is not going to cut it. Don’t treat low-carb like a punishment or this short-term thing you’re going to try.
A simple way to make this happen is committing to a low-carb breakfast and clean low-sugar drinks on a daily basis. This is a great start. In fact, many conditions will improve just by doing this.
2. Check-in with how you physically feel
Yes, processed carbs are lurking everywhere. They’re fillers.. they’re sauces on top of something. They’re soft. They’re sweet.
But they’ll also spike and drop your blood sugars like nobody’s business. Leaving you groggy, grumpy, and pudgy. I like to call it the carb “one night stand”.. great for the moment but doesn’t really fulfill you when it comes to how you really feel.
Always check-in with how you feel!
As much as I love cereal, it makes me feel like crap! Let’s see why.. let’s compare it to a lower carb, higher protein and fat breakfast combo like eggs & avocado.
Cereal- hungry again in 1 hour, bloated spacey, tired
Eggs & avo- satisfies for 4 hours, lighter, clear, more energy
Guaranteed you’re going to feel wayyyy better eating the eggs & avo. Don’t take my word for it, ask my clients. The first thing we work with is usually breakfast and this small swap can make a dramatic difference in your day!
3. Stop comparing and start embracing
This may be the result of FOMO (fear of missing out). You may experience this when you’re out and about with friends, sitting at dinner with the family, or just watching a burger commercial at home.
Stop comparing to what “you could have had”… treating low-carb like the red-headed step child or the new kid no one wants to play with.
STOP COMPARING… and start embracing.
Low-carb is low-carb
High-carb is high-carb
Embrace those carb swaps:
- Spaghetti squash vs pasta
- Lettuce wraps vs tortillas or bread
- Cucumbers vs chips
And when you want a bowl of pasta or bread or a dessert.. eat it.. enjoy it.. and move the f* on.
“Eat it.. enjoy it.. and move the F* on!”
-Jina George, RD CDCES
Need some help sticking to a nutrition program that actually works with your lifestyle? Perhaps having a coach by your side will help. Let’s chat! Book a call!
