Carbohydrates. Most women love them and are probably addicted to them.
Cutting carbs from your diet is a fast way to failure.
Let me rephrase that, cutting ALL carbs from your diet is a recipe for disaster.
Ensuring that you have the RIGHT carbs in your diet at the RIGHT time is what you need to do to successfully lose weight and keep it off.
Carbohydrates come in many forms: grains, fruits, veggies, potatoes, rice, breads, pasta, cakes, cookies, pastries, candy….
As you can clearly see, some carbs are better choices than others. They’re necessary for optimal health and energy.
Honestly, I never felt so lethargic and plain ‘dumb’ as I did when I tried a no/low carb diet. Ug. It was horrible. I was depressed and stupid. Carbs are necessary for brain function and when they’re in low supply, your body ‘make do’ with other energy sources.
I have clients and friends that have tried the no/low carb diet and along with feeling horrible, they usually gain all the weight they lost back on and more…
Definitely not a long term solution.
Having said this, moderating carb intake is something that I do on a daily basis. Knowing what and when to eat are imperative for weight loss, weight maintenance and appetite control.
The best time for carb intake is directly after your workout. Your body is primed and ready to use carbohydrates rather than store them at this time. The other time that carb intake is best is first thing in the morning when insulin resistance is low.
For the rest of your meals, carb intake should be moderate. You should always eat carbs with protein to help avoid insulin spikes. When insulin spikes, it causes your body to store fat more readily and you crave more carbs: a lose/lose situation.
I try to eat 5-6 meals a day. This works for me. I know I have some info on intermittent fasting on my blog. I believe there are as many ways to successful nutritional eating as there are people. For some, IF works with their appetites and lifestyle. For me, eating small frequent meals and snacks works best.
Most people do pretty well with meal planning, that is, it’s easier to get ideas on eating protein and carbs at meals, but snacks tend to be a bit of an issue. With that in mind, I thought I’d give you some of my favorite snack ideas…
- Hummus and red peppers
- Jerky and cantaloupe
- Cheddar cheese and apple or pear
- Cottage cheese and peaches
- Turkey or ham slices and pickles
- Pistachios and nectarine
- Hard boiled egg and grapes
- Peanut butter on celery sticks
- Greek yogurt and berries
- Cottage cheese, whey protein and flax oil
I try to eat a little before I get too hungry and stop eating before I’m full. I know this sounds a little backwards. I have another blog post about listening to your body’s cues here.
If you need more direction with your workouts and nutrition, my plan has you covered. You can check it out here.