A Kinder, Gentler Way

This week has been a hard one for me food-wise, so I wanted to share some of my struggles here. While I mostly like to post research and news articles, and some tried and trusted recipes, I think it's helpful once in a while to write about my personal journey.

I started off on Monday with massive carb cravings. I was packing up my lovely's lunch, and in the process toasting some heavenly smelling bakery bread and wrapping up cookies and leftover cinnamon buns dripping with icing. Now, I haven't been off plan at all, so I know the cravings weren't due to blood sugar craziness or anything I'd eaten. I was pretty surprised though. I've been swimming along quite nicely for the past couple of months, enjoying my food immensely and not feeling deprived or even like I'm on a diet. Then, out of the blue, I'm wanting chocolate chip cookies and buttery toast? What's going on?

I see these much more as mental cravings than anything physical. These were some of my favorite carby foods prior to discovering this way of eating, and I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't still love the taste of some of them. Funny thing is, mental cravings feel just as real as physical cravings.

I decided, first and foremost, to chill out and check in on myself. I learned this technique of listening to your body from The Four Day Win, and strongly recommend it to anyone on any kind of diet or attempting a lifestyle change. Was I being too rigid about my food choices? Should I have a day off-plan and then get right back to it? Why was I craving stuff I know is so bad for me?

I was pretty tempted to take that day off, but on balance I think doing that is very unhealthy. Part of the greatness of low carb is that you can fill up on delicious fats - but if you add in a dose of sugar the very next day, you're pretty much doing high fat, high carb: a recipe for poor health and a flabby belly.

So I made a deal with myself: don't go face down in the carbs, go to the gym and get some sort of sugar free treat food as a reward for working out.  I did go to the gym, and I did get some sugar free chocolate (which is a post for another day...) but I enjoyed it with some awesome hazelnut coffee.

I've also taken a new approach to the gym. Previously, I was very hard on myself about working out. If I went and ran on the elliptical, it wasn't good enough, because I should have warmed up on the treadmill. If I warmed up on the treadmill, and then did a full weight circuit - well that wasn't good enough either, because I was skimping on ab work. Does this sound like any fun to you? I sure wasn't enjoying it. I'd either go and be disappointed I didn't do enough, or I'd go and do a killer workout...and then not go back for a week because my muscles were aching and I couldn't face another hardcore gym session.

Lately, again, I've been relaxing and listening to what my body wants to do. I go to the gym and run for half an hour on the elliptical. That's it. I enjoy it, and still get an endorphin rush. And here's the kicker: I'm way more likely to go back the next day. The next day I might lift some weights, or maybe go swimming. If I've gone four days in a row, I take a bit of a rest day and do some yoga at home. This gentler approach has meant I've worked out more than ever for the past two weeks. I look forward to going, enjoy my exercise and don't feel guilty about it taking up huge chunks of the day - because now it doesn't.

I think taking this approach makes changes much easier to incorporate into your life. Gritting your teeth and surviving on the strictest diet while pushing yourself to your limits working out...well, as far as I know, that leads to one of two things: collapsing in a heap and stuffing yourself with junk, unable to bear the thought of another treadmill step, or adrenal burnout.

I'm going with the kinder, gentler path to weight loss and health. We're doing this to feel better, right? So why not feel better along the way?

Comments

[Tess Furden]

Have you tried Curves? In 3 days a week you can really tone up and it doesn't feel like a real workout.This was a very great benefit for a couch potatoe like me. I also walk every day. I have lost 140 lbs (the dog lost 35) and I credit Curves for keeping the loose skin to a minimum.It is an easy program to stay with which is really essential for most people.

[Cindy Brickley]

I totally agree with your assessment about mental cravings. I've tried to talk about this with other low-carbers and they mistake what I'm saying about still remembering exactly how delish a bear claw will taste and wanting that taste again, for having an actual sugar craving, so start giving me advice on sugar-free syrups mixed into whipped cream, etc. I'm not looking for a sugar substitute to ease my physical craving, I just simply want to eat things again that I remember loving back in my youth when I could eat without gaining and didn't care too much about the health aspects of carbs. So I appreciate your breaking down the difference between mental and physical cravings. And congrats on not taking that day-off anyway :)

[Dave]

One thing that has helped me is to set 30 day goals that are not too difficult. The idea being that if I make it through those 30 days and stick to my goal, then I have established a habit that I will likely keep.

[Christy]

Thanks for the "Light Bulb Moment!" I have been backsliding from a close to 90 pound loss. I am up 10 pounds and I now realize that its not because my body has adjusted to a low carb diet but because I went from the ocassional, once a month treat, to a twice a week treat. I turned my diet from low carb, high fat to moderate carb, high fat and this is why I am no longer seeing results. I'm going back to the basics and I'm sure my glucose meter will thank me. I started low carbing after being dx'd with Type II diabetes. I went to the nutrition classes and would try to eat the ADA diet and found my blood sugars to be close to 200. I quickly realized that if I cut out carbs I could manage my bood sugar easily. The pounds dropped quickly, my A1c went from 9.3 to 5.6 in 6 months (without medication), my good cholesterol went up while my bad went down, my blood pressure went down as well. I had tons of energy, worked out religiously, and haven't had so much as a cold in a year. Lately, I have been really worn out and have to push myself to work out, I have been binging on popcorn, and had more than the a few m&m's. It's time to reevaluate and recommit to the low carb lifestyle. It works!

[BillyHW]

In my experience, a half-assed workout is way better than not going to the gym at all.