Yesterday I saw a VERY scary number on the scales. To be expected after my carb-fest thinly disguised as a racing/fitness strategy.
Yes, folks, I am an idiot. I am like an alcoholic who thinks they can handle one drink. Honestly, I now know (AGAIN) that I might like eating brown rice, rice crackers and bananas but they don't fill me up. For the past week, I haven't been able to stop eating ... not able to stop!
This scared me, I felt totally out of control, and very frightened that I was quickly heading for the 70's and not towards the 50's.
Drastic times call for drastic measures.
NO MORE REFINED CARBS for this little chicky. If I can't run as far or as fast without them, then so be it. I can still run, burn calories, boast my metabolism at a slower pace without spending the remainder of the day feeling empty and uncontrollably hungry.
It has only been two days. But the shovelling shit into my mouth behaviour appears to have abated.
Now this is not NO carb folks - in fact this morning I had a protein shake with MILK (Shape = yum) as my post workout meal. Yesterday I ate an apple before my yoga class (which is hard work the way I do it).
So I am aiming to keep my carbs (dairy or fruit/carby veges) as pre or post workout nutrition. No grains, bread, pasta, rice crackers anymore.
I have also not had a Diet Coke for 2 days. I miss it a hell of a lot, but I am trying to resume the water habit which has been severely neglected for a long while now.
In my head I want to be a person who can eat a "balanced" diet of carbs, protein and fat but it just doesn't work for me. Sadly, I keep having the prove this to myself again and again.
I did feel more energised eating those carbs, but it is not surprising. I was bouncing off the walls. After all, calories are energy and sugar hits the bloodstream pretty quickly. Instant energy followed by hunger for more food for ... more energy. Obviously I was ingesting more energy than I actually needed because fat was arriving at a scary rate.
Thankfully, due to all the peeing I did yesterday and the correlation between carbs and water, I was back to my normal (fat) weight this morning. If I have the choice between maintenance on low-carb and gaining weight on the aforementioned "balanced" diet, I have to choose the low-carb.
Now I don't know how many carbs are optimum for me, but I know 20g is not enough and over 100g is too much. I'm not a great fan of counting things so I'd rather just stick to my "carbs only if you've earned them" philosophy. It is self limiting because I work out first thing in the morning and am never very hungry at breakfast time.
It also gives me a "cheat" card to play when I am craving a carb hit. I can have one treat the days I do my long run (Sat or Sun) and then immediately resume low carb eating for the rest of the day.
If I can stick to this plan, I might get rid of this winter blub. My goal is to lose 6 kilos by 1 December, just in time for summer. I hope I can stick to it. This year has been pretty disastrous so far in weight loss terms. But I'll never give up - I might fail again and again but I will never give up!
It's important to remember that carbs are not the enemy. Your brain relies on them to fuel itself, your body needs them. I'm a carb eater as well, if I eat the wrong ones I literally am thrown off the track for the rest of the day (I have also noticed the diet soda plays into that too.)
ReplyDeleteDon't make the carbs an only if you have earned it kind of thing. Make it part of the meal with protein, non-refined is best. I would try tracking on a couple days just to see about where you feel your best. I found when I was training for long endurance runs I needed about 60% carb (20% protein and fat each.) When I was cutting, I need about 40% carb (30 pro, 20 fat), and maintaining I'm best around 50% carb.
Once you know what works best for you, you won't have to track as much and you'll feel better overall.
hey Katie!
ReplyDeleteyou will find the balance between carbs,protein and fat that fits within your lifestyle, it just takes time. Good on you for kicking the diet coke and upping the water,you will definatly feel better for doing that.
take care and have a good day!
nic
Does kicking the diet sodas really make a difference?
ReplyDeleteI'll give it a go this week- found you from Kitty's place- and naturally we are all on the same journey- I admire your honesty, and identify with every single struggle you listed here. I lost 40 pounds over the course of a year by cutting out all refined carbs...but I've got at least 20 (more like 35) to go- and am pretty much in a holding pattern.
It's so frustrating.
My best to you! :)
i hear you miss, i too struggle with the carbs thing, like most women i am sure, but i can tell you one thing, it is definately ok to have a low carb and high protein diet. shannan recommends it highly and i am attempting it now. i havent been 100% good at it, but i will get there. its just about planning, as much as we hate the word, if you plan your meals and make sure theres plenty of no carb or low carb foods around, never the rice crackers etc.. just dont buy them i mean... then you will be one step of the way.
ReplyDeleteby the way in 6kgs you will be non existant! you are so tiny already! x
You will get there Katie.... you've done it before, you can do it again!!!!
ReplyDeleteLove Sue xxxxx
I love your resolve mate... getting the balances right for you... keep at it and it will all sort itself out I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteKatie go by your appetite to help you figure out what and how much you can have and use fat and fibre to help slow it down.
ReplyDeleteAlso keep in mind the running could be part of it too.
You will figure it out!!!