Just give up carbohydrates?

We often hear ‘just give up carbohydrates’

And in terms of creating a calorie deficit (which can lead to weight loss)

This is actually one strategy which CAN work…

You are cutting out ¼ of your plate after (leaving protein, fat, and fibre on your plate)

So the chances are?

You will eat fewer calories.

The problem comes however.

From what we are told by others…

‘Carbs make you fat’

‘You will overeat carbs’

I could go on.

This is not all true..

In fact, here is the Satiety Index below which is from a research paper that looked at how different foods keep us full up for longer..

You will see that good old boiled potatoes, fish, popcorn, porridge, steak and oranges seemed to perform well…

Which contain a range of nutrients, from carbs, protein, fats and fibre.

The key here?

They are generally wholefoods

And difficult to overeat.

Something we need to consider here

Is food variety.

For example, the more choices you have (for example, when you eat out at a buffet)

The more you are likely to eat.

Don’t know about you

But I like to try a bit of everything..

Or at least I did

I am now conscious of this and try my best to walk around first and then choose what I am going to have…

To at least save the embarrassment for Mrs Fruci as I balance a pile of food on my plate walking back to the table,

With one slip up costing me my whole meal

And making a mess on the floor..

Put simply..

There are only so many boiled potatoes I can eat…

Throw mayonnaise on top (fat)?

And I can eat a few more.

Take home?

Focussing on wholefoods, say 80% of the time?

Prioritising protein (not just for fullness but health too, more on that tomorrow)

And fibre of course

Will probably help you stick to it..

Whilst allowing yourself permission to have what you want 20% of the time…

Knowing that you have not failed

As it is part of the plan…

And fits your lifestyle.

And this is key

Because often what we see in people who do not get results is that

They give up when they don’t see results straight away

Or keep stopping and beating themselves up when they are not ‘perfect’

With a key takehome here:

What if – all of this time – you did not have to be perfect?

Matt