I MESSED UP YESTERDAY & PAID THE PRICE :-(
Last week we talked about Habit 9 – Meet Your Carb Needs Tactfully. Yesterday, I did not meet my carb needs tactfully ;-( and I paid the price on the scale.
My mom saw and bought a new “health” item, it’s called, “Breyers delights.” I won’t lie it is a delight and the product when used responsibly is a real treasure! For a whole pint of Low fat ice cream it is only 270 calories, 67 grams of carbs, 20 grams of protein, 8 grams of fat. That is pretty amazing.
What is not amazing, is that yesterday I only had about 150 calories left and 20 grams of carbs left and I made a classic mistake. Instead of measuring out ½ of pint, I thought, “I will just eat half of it, that will be easy.” Guess what happened ;-)?
Yep…the whole thing went bye bye lol. As a result, the scale weight up and not down. Due to my mishap we are going to continue the carb conversation, because carbs seem to trip people up the most ;-)…including me. As a reminder, if your goal is weight loss, you need to be in a caloric deficit. If your goal is to lose fat and keep your muscle you need to exercise, ideally with weights and eat enough protein, fat, and carbohydrates while still being in a caloric deficit.
Out of the big three, protein, fat, and carbs. Carbs are the least satisfying. This means even if you eat 300 calories of carbs (like in a pint of Breyers delights), the chances of you wanting more are really high (I can testify to this lol, lucky for me there was no more to be had). Now, if you eat 300 calories of protein, the chance of you overeating is much lower because you will feel a lot fuller, same is true regarding 300 calories of fibrous veggies.
So the question becomes…When are simple or starchy carbs a good idea? When can I eat them?
In short, that depends on your appetite, results and activity level. If you are following the other habits, mainly eating 2-3 cups of veggies (fibrous carbs) and one fist of protein, chances are you really aren’t hungry nor do you need starchy carbs.
But…if you really just want them, them being simple or starchy carbs you need to so tactifully. Eat them right after you workout (best time) or (second) right before you workout. In addition to that I would also heavily suggest you choose low glycemic index food like sweet potatoes, quinoa, oatmeal, winter squash, beans, etc… You should avoid high glycemic index food (normally processed) like crackers, desserts, bagels, cold cereals, etc…you know the yummy sugary stuff ;-).
Now, if you aren’t losing weight or fat you need to cut back on the amount of calories you are consuming, the first place to cut from in most situations is the amount of carbs you are eating.
Why am I harping on this so much? Because excess carbs favors weight gain and metabolic disease. Two great reasons to eat only enough, especially if you want to lose weight. Also, as Georgie Fear points out, “MRI studies of the human brain show that a single high glycemic meal selectively stimulates brain regions associated with reward and craving for several hours after the meal.” Which means, if you eat starchy carbs, your brain wants more, which means more calories, which means you gain weight…probably fat ;-(.
So, when you add simple carbs to your meals practice Habit 9 – Meet Your Carb Needs Tactfully ;-).
Now go be awesome!
KELLEN LAKE – Earn your carbs ;-)!
PS – Or if all that seems like too much work, just order three meals for each day of the week from Just 4 You Meals, the macros and portions will be on point. All you have to do is warm up and eat, order by linking the link, closes at 9:00 PM on Wednesday, www.just-4-you-meals.com
PSS – Want to try a yummy beverage? Try the Chia Watermelon Fresca, see recipe below.
Chia Watermelon Fresca (Serves 1)
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups seedless watermelon cubes
- 3 tbsp. water
- 1 tbsp. chia seeds
- 1 slice lime, for garnish
- Sprig of mint, or strawberries, for garnish
- Ice
Directions:
- In a blender, puree watermelon and water until smooth.
- Stir in chia seeds and let them sit for about 5 minutes (to thicken up).
- Stir again, and let it thicken for as long as you’d like!
- Pour into a glass over ice and garnish with lime and sprig of mint or strawberries.
