Hey all!
I’m putting this in a public place so people can keep me accountable. I’ve decided to finally stick to a formal diet (created by me – so I better like it) so that I can get on the weight loss train. I wanted to share it with you so you could help me and perhaps so you can use it too!
First, I know I’m going to need to be informed, so I read an article on getting started. (from about.com)
1. Become Informed
Read about various low-carb diets, or zero in on one. Ideally, read one of the books and become familiar with the principles. Above all, don’t fall for the common myths about eating low carb1 – such as that there are no vegetables or fruit, that it can’t be healthy, that it has to be boring, etc. Like other ways of eating, low-carb eating can be healthy or not, balanced or not, and there is certainly no reason for it to be boring. Rest assured that science is on the side of cutting carbs – perhaps not for everyone, but for many of us.
2. Start Making Easy Changes
While you are learning about low-carb eating, you can start to make some changes towards reducing unhealthy carbs in your diet. Choose one or two things to change at a time. You may be surprised that some results can be achieved with less effort than you thought.
3. Decide on an Approach
There is no one low-carb diet. The popular plans9 span a range of carb levels and food choices, though essentially all of them cut out most sugars and starches. Again, the best thing to do is to read one of the books – go to your library and browse, and zero in on something that looks doable to you. Essentially all of the popular books can be purchased used online for very little money.
Alternatively, if you just know you’re not the kind to read a book and follow someone else’s idea of a diet, the “No White Diet” works for many people. Basically, you just stop eating food with sugars10, white flour (pasta, bread, cake, donuts, etc), white rice, and potatoes (some include milk). This effectively cuts back on the carbohydrate in your diet, especially the high glycemic11 types. Just realize that there are also white foods, such as tofu, cauliflower, and onions, that are low in carbs and good for you!
Another option is use my Low-Carb Food Pyramid12as a guide. Many people have written to me to report that following these simple guidelines allowed them to be successful.
4. Get Familiar with What You Can Eat
It’s easy to fall into thinking a lot about what you can’t eat, but much more productive to focus on what you can eat19. At first, it’s probably best to keep it simple – for example, you can just eat the same dinner as before, substituting vegetables for the starch.
5. Plan Your First Week
Nothing stops a new eating plan faster than getting to the fourth day and realizing you have no idea what to snack on, or fix for dinner. Planning a full week of menus and snacks gives you a buffer period when you don’t have to worry about it.
6. Get Support
Inevitably, things you didn’t think of will come up. The first two weeks of a diet change can be difficult. The temptation when trying something new is to chuck it overboard at the first obstacle. To be successful, you must accept that unexpected “speedbumps” will happen, and make a commitment ahead of time to work through them. This is the time to get advice from others who are ahead of you on the road.
Then I took a look around to figure out what to avoid the first week. (also from about.com)
Any time we decide to make a major change in something as basic as what we eat, we can expect a bumpy ride. It’s good to be well-prepared by following suggestions such as these1.
If you decide to follow a diet which has a very low-carb phase, you may have other challenges as well. It’s important to know about some of the possible pitfalls ahead of time. That way, you will know what to do if you encounter these difficulties and you will understand the importance of giving your body some time to adjust to the diet. Getting through the first week on a low-carb diet is absolutely the hardest part. Your body is used to using carbohydrate for energy, and it must convert over to using mostly fat — hopefully the fat you are currently wearing!
The First Three Days — Carb Withdrawal
Although I’m not fond of the “food as addiction” analogy, there is something about excessive carbohydrate that does have some characteristics in common with addictions. Those components are carb cravings2when we have too much carb in our diets, and a period of discomfort (the reason is unclear) when we cut back. Usually this discomfort takes the form of simply missing high carb foods and thinking about them a lot. Here are some tips for the first three days:
1. Eat lots of fiber and lots of fat. Fat and fiber together produce a high degree of satiety3. I highly recommend foods made with flax seeds, as they are high in both fiber and healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Salads with protein (tuna, chicken, etc.) and lots of dressing are another good bet. These foods are acceptable on any low-carb diet, including South Beach, Atkins, and Protein Power.
2. Don’t go hungry!This isn’t like diets you may have been on before where you can expect to go for long periods being hungry. Some people find it’s helpful, especially for the first two weeks, to plan not to go more than 3 hours between meals or snacks.
3. Plan delicious things to eat.Nothing will make you feel more deprived than going on an austerity program when you are trying to make a big change in your eating habits. Investigate the yummiest foods your plan allows.
4. Be good to yourself.You are making a big change and deserve all the pats on the back you can get. Don’t stress yourself out in other ways at this time. Take a bubble bath, take a walk in the woods, cuddle up by the fire with a trashy novel — whatever makes you feel good.
5. Get Support. Find people who are on your side. There are lots of experienced people in out Low Carb Forum11waiting to answer questions, give support, and share experiences.
6. Drink lots of water.
Days 3 to 5 — Watch out for ‘Carb Crash”’
There is a phenomenon that happens to some people after a few days on a very low-carb diet. I call it carb crash. The theory is that it happens when your body’s glucose reserves (stored in the liver as glycogen12) are used up, but your body is not yet used to running on fat and protein. People tend to have symptoms such as feeling shaky or jittery, feeling irritable, feeling fatigued, or just not feeling “right.” Although it would go away in a few days, Dr. Atkins didn’t feel people should just put up with this, and neither do I, especially when the cure is so easy — simply add some high-quality carbs to your diet.
So if you feel shaky, fatigued, or otherwise unusually bad, try eating a serving of low-carb fruit13. If this makes the feeling go away, you know you are in carb crash. I suggest you modify your plan for the next few days to include a bit more carbohydrate, and monitor your reactions closely. (Don’tstart to “carbo-load,” which will be self-defeating in the long run.)
Tip:Mary Vernon, M.D.14 says that people often lose a lot of salt with the fluid the first few days, and feels that some of the symptoms are due to this. She recommends a cup of bouillon several times per day for a few days. Also, make sure you are getting enough potassium15during this period.
Days 5 to 14 – Reward Time!
By the end of the first week of your new eating plan, you should start to reap the rewards of low-carb eating. This is the stage where many people begin to experience increased energy, better mental concentration, less compulsive eating, and few or no carb cravings. Some experience it as a “fog lifting” that they didn’t even know was there. Of course, everyone’s experience is variable, and it takes longer with some than others. But if you are someone who is sensitive to carbs, you will probably experience a lot of benefits16 of this way of eating, and it usually begins around the end of the first week. Congratulate yourself for taking the first steps of a positive change!
After that, I wanted to define the kind of diet I’m looking for. (about.com #3)
Question: What is a “flexitarian”?
Wondering what the word “flexitarian” or semi-vegetarian means? Are you curious about a flexitarian diet? Maybe you already are a flexitarian and don’t even know it! Here’s an easy and simple definition of a flexitarian.
Answer: What is a flexitarian? You don’t have to be vegetarian to love vegetarian food1! “Flexitarian” is a term recently coined to describe those who eat a mostly vegetarian2 diet, but occasionally eat meat. Many people who call themselves “flexitarian” or “semi-vegetarian” have given up red meat for health reasons3while others, for environmental reasons, only eat free-range or organic animals and animal products.
So, some vegetarians eat meat?
No. Vegetarians do not eat meat. A flexitarian or a semi-vegetarian is not a vegetarian. Many vegetarians strongly resent the use of this term, because headlines such as “Meat-eating vegetarian”4confuse and dilute the definition of a true vegetarian diet. Most vegetarians are not big fans of the flexitarian diet, as well, it’s not vegetarian, yet somehow causes plenty of confusion! Many vegetarians have been told that “some vegetarians eat meat…” as they are being served a plate of chicken, having requested a vegetarian meal. This is a problem, because vegetarians, again, do not eat meat.
What, exactly, does flexitarian mean?
So, what is a flexitarian diet? “Flexitarian” is used to describe a diet or a person who eats a “mostly” vegetarian diet, occasionally including meat. But what exactly does this mean? Does it mean once a week? Once a day?It’s really up to you, as there is no standard agreement or definition, though perhaps someday there will be.
The word “flexitarian” has been around for a while, but hit the mainstream with the publication of the book, The Flexitarian Diet5 in 2008. CNN6, MSNBC and Newsweek7have all covered the flexitarian trend. But in true 21st century fashion, the real signifier that flexitarians are here to stay, is that they have their own Facebook group.
Is a flexitarian/semi-vegetarian the same as a pescatarian?
Flexitarianism differs from pescatarianism8, which is a diet that includes the animal flesh of fish only, along with vegetarian foods. So, while a pescatarian will only eat fish, but as much fish as they’d like, a flexitarian may eat any type of meat, but only on an occasional basis. This means that a pescatarian who occasionally eats fish may be a flexitarian, but a flexitarian is not necessarily a pescatarian, as they may be eating chicken, pork, beef, frogs legs or chocolate covered ants.
So what’s the big deal?
Opponents say there’s no such thing as “mostly” vegetarian, just as there’s no such thing as being “mostly” pregnant. By simple definition of terms, you cannot be a meat-eating vegetarian; just like you cannot create a 4-sided triangle, no matter how hard you might try. Period.
Problematically, all of the arguments in favor of adopting a flexitarian diet (health, environment, reduction of resource consumption) are really arguments in favor of adopting a fully vegetarian diet.
The bottom line is this:
Flexitarianism has been popping up more and more in the media, so no longer can vegetarians just wish the word would go away. However, as PETA spokesman Bruce Friedrich says, “If people influenced by health consequently cut back on fish and meat consumption that helps animals. If two people cut their meat in half it helps as much as one person going completely vegetarian.” In other words, as a flexitarian, one is still taking a huge positive step forward for health, the environment9and the animals.
And that’s a great thing.
Finally, I wanted to know why I was feeling lousy, and I found some answers.
Question: I felt lousy on a previous low carb diet. Does that mean they aren’t for me?
Answer: Not necessarily. There some common but easily fixable sources of negative reactions to low carb diets:
1.“Carb Crash”. This is my term for the fatigue and irritability that can happen in the early days of a very low carb diet – usually around days 3-5, while the body is adjusting to its new source of fuel. Happily, there is an easy cure. As Atkins says, “…although their bodies would almost certainly adjust during the second week, there isn’t any good reason for feeling washed out and sickly for even one day”.* The answer is to eat a few more carbs. Atkins recommends more vegetables and nuts, but in my opinion it’s safe (and faster) to get a bit more of a carb hit with something like half an apple or some berries. Just don’t sabotage yourself by going for a donut. The idea is to ease your body through the transition comfortably.
2. You may not have been paying enough attention to the composition of the diet – making sure you were getting enough fiber and a good mix of recommended nutrients.
3. You may have been on a one of the very low carb diets, when your particular body may be suited to a less drastic cut in carbs.
4. The first 1-3 days can bring on a fierce desire for carbohydrate foods. It is important to understand that this will pass. The most important thing is not to go hungry. I find that eating foods with a lot of fiber and healthy fats is helpful.
Hope this helps you too!
TAFN
- Dannie
