PART 2 – THE LOW CARBS PHASE
Once again Sarah Wilson “spoke” to me. She started talking about the paleolithic diet. Simply put, the paleo diet (also known as caveman diet) is based on what our caveman ancestors ate. This means food that were hunted and gathered such as game meat, fish, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Food that is raw, whole and unprocessed. The diet excludes eating any processed grains including rice. However, the paleo diet was too hardcore for me. Again, I took the bits that I liked. I stopped eating rice at dinnertime.
Did I lose weight? Yes, but not a significant lot.
Then I remembered an email that a friend forwarded to me a year ago. The main message of which was – “Eat your carbohydrates at breakfast. Eat vegetables, meat or fish for the rest of the day”. I thought, “That’s easy. Goodness me, it’s not rocket science at all. It made sense”.
DECIDE. COMMIT. SUCCEED.
But it’s hard. Boy, is it hard! I went gently. Slowly. I skipped the lunch carbs during the week when I am at work. I ate lunch as per usual on weekends. I did not deprive myself too much of glorious food in life. I still have ice cream, maybe 2-3 teaspoons, no more. I ate Red Rock deli chips when I craved them, just a handful. My weekend breakfasts of pancake with bacon and eggs remained, of course. But the quantity is heavily reduced and controlled.
Did I lose weight? Oh bloody yes!
I also bought a digital weighing scale. Watching the grams disappear was magical. It’s inspiring. An analog scale will not tell you if you lost 400g. Hence, you will miss the little steps. So, the very first step to weight loss is to buy a digital weighing scale.
I listened to the changes in my body. I paused and allowed myself to be amazed. Listening and watching your body change is not an airy fairy concept. It means looking at yourself in the mirror. It’s noticing how your thighs, calves and wrists are slimming. It’s revelling in seeing your cheekbones again.
The changes I made:
- No-sugar yogurt
- Eat cheese instead of chocolate
- Eat a full breakfast
- No carbs for lunch or dinner
- or low carbs for lunch and no carbs for dinner
A diet that is anchored on deprivation will not work. It is OK to eat sugar or carbs on occasions when the going gets tough. We are weak. Allow yourself to succumb to a bowl of ice cream, sometimes. Allow half a teaspoon of sugar in your cappuccino, sometimes. Then get straight back into the horse. That is the key. This is when mind sternness kicks in. It’s the ability to get back on track after getting lost on the trail. Accept that we get lost once in awhile. It’s the way we get back on track that matters. This is what I mean by going gently. Find your comfort zone.
If there’s any one thing I could share with you, it is this. Losing weight is not about a diet. It’s about making a decision. A very conscious decision. If you don’t decide, then it’s not going to happen. There are no miracles and get-thin-quick solutions. Losing weight and keeping it off is a lifestyle. A mindset. A habit. A total shift in thinking.
And you can apply this to anything in your life. Change something. Do something new. Like running. Or going to the gym. Or investing in shares or property. Or love. Yes, love is a habit, it does not sound romantic, but it’s true!
So, just to sum it all up because I think I talked too much:
- Get a digital weighing scale.
- Be sugar aware and minimize sugar intake.
- Carbs are your enemy. Find your comfortable carbs quantity and stick to it.
- Exercise, it is quite essential. But exercise alone will not lead to weight loss.
- Observe, listen and revel in the changes in your body.
- Go gently (aka allow occasional lapses).
- Celebrate!
Finally, whatever you do, do not bore your friends with your diet. Do not be a know it all. Simply be your diet. Oops, I really should not use that word anymore. Let’s call it clean eating. If your friends want to know about what you are doing, they will ask. Having said that, another good motivator is to find a friend to make this changes with you. Support and validation are essential. I must admit that compliments from the hubby spurred me on too. Surround yourself with like-minded friends and feed off each others’ successes.
Find Sarah Wilson’s books in this link. They make for a great gift! For the story of how she inspired me, click here.
NEXT STEPS. Toning the arms and the flabby tummy. That’s 2013’s goal. You know what? I’m quite excited to continue this journey. Let’s do it together!
Chiqui Pineda says
AMEN. To everything you said. Yes, even the handstand!
annabuquiz says
Amazing,,,you inspire me… Let’s see between 2013 and 2014… Today is the day…