Surviving the Transition...

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To A Low Carb Lifestyle

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You’ve made the important decision to improve your health and happiness by starting a low carbohydrate lifestyle. Millions of people just like you have increased the length and quality of their lives by taking the same step. The next step, actually making the change, may have an astoundingly wonderful effect on your mind and body… if you can survive the transition.

While millions of people experience great success with low carb food plans, millions more fail to complete the challenging transition from their high carb lifestyles. Many of them share horror stories from their brief experiences whenever the topic comes up. Don’t be discouraged. In the world of low carb eating, what separates the horror stories from the fairy tales is often preparation.

Your success relies greatly on anticipating and preparing for the challenges that lie ahead in the next few weeks. Don’t be caught off-guard. For your health and happiness, fight through these initial struggles and reclaim control of your life.

Stock the Kitchen

Many diets recommend you run to the pantry and throw out all tempting treats. In a perfect world, this would be a fine suggestion. Unfortunately, many of us live with people who won’t be sharing our life-changing experience. Your success should not be contingent upon access to the wrong food, but the right food.

Always keep your house filled with plenty of the foods your plan allows you. Many people find they are not most tempted by what their family is eating, but by the lack of food options they have provided themselves. Make sure you have lots of legal snack food in addition to meals. If you often find yourself eating away from home, pack snacks and meals. Never assume there will be a low carb option available when you arrive somewhere… there usually isn’t.

Find Fast Foods

Low carb cuisine may be the most delicious ‘diet food’ you’ve ever experienced. However, many meals require more preparation that you might expect. Stuffed chicken breasts with mushroom sauce sounds delicious, but it’s just not practical when you’re hungry RIGHT NOW. There are many low carb snacks and recipes that require little preparation or can be prepared in advance.

Fast and fantastic recipes for low carb diets can be found in books, magazines and online. A quick internet search will direct you to many dishes that are designed for those eating on-the-go. Arm yourself with recipes and snack ideas before you find yourself in a tricky and tempting position.

Eat and Eat and Eat

Many low carb food plans do not recommend you count calories. If yours is one, this rule is for you. Eat! When we feel that unfamiliar pain in our stomachs (hunger), we just want to feed. If your food plan says you can, you should. Being hungry will not speed up the weight-loss process and can actually slow it down.

Eat BEFORE you are hungry

This is an extremely useful tool. Avoid temptation by eating before hunger sets in. When our stomachs growl, we get tempted. Our minds revert back to foods of habit. Beat the system by shutting down hunger before it starts! Don’t dream of skipping breakfast. Eat your lunch and dinner early. Snack!

Just Say No

It’s a strange and mysterious phenomenon too many people experience on low carb food plans. You’re two or three days into your new lifestyle and you’re starting to feel a whole lot better. You’ve made up your mind that this way of eating is right for you. The fridge is full and your will is strong. And then someone catches wind of your ‘diet’ and derailing your success becomes their top priority.

For whatever reason, some people won’t be satisfied until they have convinced you to try “just a bite” of something you know you shouldn’t have. If you resist their temptation, you will likely be forced to listen to a long list of reasons why your plans won’t work. You’ll probably hear a horror story or two before it’s over. Don’t let peer-pressure derail your fast train to results. There’s no such thing as “just a bite” in your low carb lifestyle.

Network

People will be working against you. Why not connect with folks who will work with you? Friends who share your lifestyle will be a great source of support, inspiration, and information. Low carb companions can lend you their experience and knowledge. They can even give you some tasty recipes.

If you are unable to find low carb support groups locally, turn to the internet. Millions of people turn to online communities for low carb pals. There are countless free forums and chat-rooms where folks just like you come together by the thousands. Make some new friends or just ask a few questions. Connections to low carb success stories can help you stay focused on your goals no matter what life throws your way.

Avoid Low Carb Junk

It’s in every grocery and health-food store. It’s advertised all over the internet. Low carb junkfood is a multi-million dollar industry that can suck you in and rob you of your goals. Don’t be fooled. A candy bar is a candy bar and ice-cream is ice-cream no matter what you call it.

Most of these products proudly display net-carbohydrate listings that are misleading. Net carbohydrates usually don’t include sugar alcohols. Sugar Alcohols are not sugar or alcohol and they are not completely absorbed by your body, but they still pose a threat to your success.

Read the label.

Sugar alcohols, though not included in the net carbohydrates, are generally listed. The American Dietetic Association recommends counting half of the sugar alcohol carbs listed as part of your daily intake. So if your low carb snack bar boasts 3 grams of net carbs on the front, but lists 24 grams of sugar alcohol on the back, you should ask yourself if that snack is worth 15 total grams of carbohydrates.

Get a Hobby

Most people see a vast improvement in energy within the first week of low carb eating. After years of feeling tired and sluggish, they are filled with a new sense of enthusiasm. But for what? If you don’t have a hobby or special interest, now is the time to acquire one.

Being energized is great. Being energized without direction can be dangerous. Sitting around, wishing you had something to do is uncomfortable and many people revert to old eating habits for comfort. Finding an enjoyable pastime can be fulfilling. Not only will you channel your new energy into something positive, but you’ll also have a new use for all the time you used to spend obsessing about food.

[Diane White]

I have been on low-carb since 1998 and I love it. My cholesterol, blood pressure etc have always been great. I have been at what people would say goal or ideal weight since then...but it is about health too. Truth be told, when I start eating sugar and white flour I can't stop until I feel sick to my stomach. Better to abstain than to feel sick to my stomach and then angry at myself for a physical allergy to white sugar and flour when I should have left them be to start. I am no saint but have been able to maintain a good life-style plan. I use a support group. Also, I love low-carb whole wheat wraps and salads with meat-eggs-cheese. Lovely. Diane White

[Gerry Davies MD]

There are so many reasons why the low carb diet is beneficial to health and maintaining normal weight. The high glycemic carbs are the bad ones and the complex carbs from whole grains, fruits and veggies are good ones because they are digested slowly and don't increase your blood sugar, they also have lots of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber that counteract inflammation in the blood. The one great thing to do for your health is replace high glycemic carbs with high fiber carbs and that's what we have done on the menu at Lonjevity. If anyone wishes to learn more come and see how this can be done and enjoy how much better tasting it can be too.