I hate the word diet. I hate everything about it. It feels restrictive, it feels frustrating and I just don’t like the idea of being so rigid. Truth be told, my weight was never a struggle for me until I had a baby. And yes, I know how blessed I am to be able to say that. As many of you know, after you have a baby your body changes and I have been struggling to lose the last bit.
One diet I have been hearing about nonstop, from friends, the news, and even the IG world has been the Keto diet. Keto, short for ketogenic, is a high fat, adequate protein, and very low carb diet that forces the body to burn fats as opposed to carbs.
I gave it a try for 3 days and I felt HORRIBLE. Like, I wanted to sleep all the time, totally ravenous and a little bit nauseous. Not only did I not feel good, it’s really not sustainable at all (it’s HARD!). Needless to say, it’s not gunna happen over here.
What I did learn from Keto though is, there is a difference between carbohydrates and net carbs and that paying more attention to how many net carbs I’m consuming can help overall with weight loss and feeling good. So that’s where I’m living now. In a low-carb, balanced, but healthy lifestyle.
Here are 5 things that are helping me with the transition!
Head to the App Store
There are a ton of calorie/carb tracker apps for your phone and it blows my mind that more people don’t use them. It forces you to really look at what you’re eating and could be the deciding factor in whether that 9pm snack is worth it or not. I use the Lose it app and it has blown my mind to find what foods have more carbs than you’d expect.
Buddy System
Just like with anything else, doing it with a friend or partner is a huge motivator. Having someone to keep you accountable and even vent to about frustrations makes the whole process less of a hurdle. Plus, you can have someone to go out to eat with or cook with when you’re feeling isolated with your new way of life.
Plan Plan Plan
Turn those Sunday scaries into positive planning for the week! Whether it’s coming up with recipes, grocery shopping, or researching menus if you have a night out planned, DO IT. The more planned out you are the harder it will be to get off track.
Snack Attack Stacked
If you’re like me, both mid-morning and in the afternoon, I am always looking into the pantry. I can’t help but reach for some of Elia’s crackers, or grab a handful of chips. Living a low-carb lifestyle, that is a no go! So just like I started planning my meals, I started planning my snacks.
Lately, I’ve been keeping a packages of Dorothy’s Cheese in the fridge at all times. Not only does it have virtually zero net carbs, but it’s delicious and has the most incredible story behind it. You can read about it here. When that snacking urge strikes I cut my self a wedge of the cheese and I’m immediately satisfied. It’s light enough that I don’t feel like I have a gut full of cheese but heavy enough that my hunger is curbed.
Plus, it’s delicious!!
Mistakes Don’t Break
I think the most difficult part of trying to change your eating habits is beating yourself up when you make a slip-up. I either feel insanely guilty and like a failure, or I say screw it and end up binge eating.
None of those options are helpful or necessary when it comes to a living a healthy lifestyle. You need to learn to forgive yourself, realize that you need to indulge every once in a while and pick back up the next meal!
Love always,
Erica
