Considering A Low Carb Lifestyle? 4 Tips To Start Your Journey
Posted on: 11 July 2016
Low carbohydrate diets are a popular option for people who not only want to lose weight, but have a tendency to gain abdominal fat or are diabetic. Before you take the plunge, you should make sure you are going low carb safely and can sustain your new lifestyle.
Know Your Macros
Your macros are the amount or percentage of carbohydrates, protein, and fat you should eat each day based on your caloric intake. The best way to determine what your macros should be is to establish a goal for your calorie intake each day. You may want to start by eating 1400 to 1600 calories each day and adjust your calorie intake based on your activity and how your body responds. Since the recommended diet is high in carbs, up to 65% of your calories, you will need to find calculators that allow you to adjust your macros based on your own needs. Start by formulating a diet that is no more than 100g of carbs per day. Eating too few carbs per day will make you feel ill and is difficult to sustain indefinitely.
Find Safe Foods
Find or develop a list of foods that are relatively low in carbs that you enjoy eating. This will make it easier to go grocery shopping and to stock up on foods that fit within your new lifestyle. Many people who eat a low carb diet calculate "net carbs" which are grams of total carbs minus grams of fiber. When you are looking for foods, you should also consider packaged foods, such as bread, pasta, and rice, that are low enough in carbohydrates to fit into your dietary goals. You may need to experiment with whole grain varieties to find options that have a decent texture and taste. Since it is difficult to limit yourself to only meat and vegetables, finding a few packaged foods in your grocery store will add more versatility to your diet.
Establish Higher Carb Days
To prevent boredom and help you continue to burn fat with a low carb plan, you should select two back-to-back days out of the week where you eat higher carbs. For example, eating a low carb diet from Monday through Friday, but eating higher carbs on the weekend, may be a good schedule. If you have a special event where will be high carb foods, do not deprive yourself. Eat low carb on the days leading up to the event and just rearrange your dietary schedule to accommodate the event. Flexibility is the key to any successful dietary change.
Gain Inspiration
There are no shortage of blogs and videos from people who engage in different dietary lifestyles. Find several people to follow to help with inspiration, especially if you feel like eating low carb is redundant or you have additional dietary needs. Inspiration is especially useful when you are trying to find substitutes for your higher carb foods. You can learn ways to make your own bread or crackers that can prevent you from going over your carbohydrate budget while giving you a similar taste and texture.
Going low carb is not easy, especially if you are a self-proclaimed carb addict. By allowing yourself enough flexibility, you can continue to enjoy high carb foods sparingly while shedding pounds and reducing carb cravings.
For a diet nutrition blog, consider a blog such as Dirty Weights.
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