Today, I wanted to share with you a little piece of advice, that although simple, can make an incredible change to your body almost overnight.
And this has to do with diet.
Although the Atkins diet has come and gone for the most part (thank heavens!) it did leave us with one tid-bit of information that is truly valuable.
And that is, GET RID OF STARCH!
What I mean by starch is potato, pasta, flour products of any kind, rice, etc (and yes, even peas and corn count!). On top of this, refined carbs like sugar and high-fructose corn syrup and even fruit juice are all ticking time bombs; waiting to make you explode into jean sizes you'll be embarrassed to admit you wear.
Now, most people assume that many of these foods are healthy choices. I mean, you would think that a baked potato is great compared to a plate of french fries.
Let me put it like this: Starches are a form of highly condensed energy. Energy that you just simply ARE NOT BURNING. If you have job that requires to you be physical all day long (like a farmer, carpenter, laborer etc.) then you can get away with it, but then again, if you have one of these professions, chances are your weight isn't too much of a problem.
The reality is, our lives are VERY sedentary. Even if you're 'busy' (who isn't) you probably aren't all that physically active. And while you do need some carbs to fuel your brain and keep you going throughout the day; the carbs you are getting from fruits and veggies are plenty to accomplish this task.
Quite simply, if you are eating carbs, and you have an inactive lifestyle, those carbs are not being used as energy, and WILL end up as body fat, period.
You need to make a shift from having meat, potatoes, and veggies for dinner, to having a salad, meat, and some cooked veggies.
Resist it as much as you want, but my clients who have the best success are all following this type of plan. This is what my wife and I have been doing for years now, and I can tell you the results were visible nearly overnight.
If you MUST have carbs, eat them only in the morning, and in sensible amounts. After that, focus on fresh fruits and veggies, and protein for the rest of your meals, and you will be amazed at the changes in your body.
Put this in to practice now folks. Don't wait any longer. The sooner you do this, the sooner you will get great results.
RD
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I have a related question.
ReplyDeleteIs it okay to have starches from time to time as a treat or is it better to keep them out of your diet completely in order to ward off cravings?
How would this be different for someone in 'active weight loss mode' and someone who is at a comfortable weight?
Thanks for all your sensible advice,
K
Not until you have eliminated them from your diet for at least 30 days, in essence re-charging your will-power and not making the subsequent cravings unbearable.
ReplyDeleteWould you be better off without them? Yes
Do you have to keep them out forever, no. But you should almost always consume them at lunch or before, and ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS keep the portions small.
The more leeway you give yourself with this, the worse your results will be.
Hey, Rylan:
ReplyDeleteI know you and I have talked a bit about this, but I was wondering if you'd consider posting your typical day's diet? I'm sure we'd all love to see what a day in the life of the expert looks like. ;)
Thanks.
Vicki
That's a great idea Vicki, I will be sure to do that real soon.
ReplyDeleteMorning,
ReplyDeleteRylan I was just wondering what you have cut out of your diet completely?
I am currently on the elimination diet and have had great results so far but I am really missing bread and potatoes.
Well, when I originally went through the elimination process, everything. No sugar, no starch of any kind. I was getting my carbs entirely from fruits and vegitables.
ReplyDeleteAt first, I thought I was going to shoot someone or myself, but after a couple weeks, the cravings subsiding significantly, pointing to the fact that they were largely 'chemical based' cravings, and not actually hunger.
When I began reintroducing foods I noticed that the heavier starches like potatoes made me feel pretty ill.
Currently, the only starches I consume are non-flour sprouted grain bread that contains 5g of fiber or more per slice, large flake slow cooking oats, and very occasionally wild rice.
I couldn't tell you the last time I actually ate a potato, pasta, or regular bread.
When I consume starches, they are only in the morning.
Because I spend a lot of time at my desk working on articles, projects, and programs for clients, I just don't need many carbs.
Most people don't.
I can honestly say that I don't miss them at all now. I only eat what I need, and I get by just fine. I don't crave them, and best of all, even when I can only squeeze in a 20min workout on some days, I am still losing body fat.
I love to eat Quinoa. It makes me feel like I'm eating rice, but it's great protein.
ReplyDeleteVicki
Yes, Quinoa is fantastic. It doesn't count as a starch. In fact, it is one of the only grains in existence to contain complete protein, something that is usually only found in meat and eggs.
ReplyDelete