When I try to teach people how to change their eating habits the main sticking point usually comes around one food group.
What do you reckon it is?
You guessed it!
CARBS
Oh we do love carbs in the UK.
Bread, biscuits, chocolate, pasta, potatoes, cake, all of it!
People genuinely believe that they can't live without it.
Did you know that it has been scientifically proven now that you can eat a bowl of soup without dipping bread in it 😉 ?
Carbs does get a bad name though which is sort of unfair.
Just like fats and proteins it is a food group that we need.
Cutting out carbs completely is not a good plan in the long term - controlling your carb intake however is key to a healthy body and losing weight.
Good carbs are good, bad carbs are very bad.
They lack nutrition, they stimulate our appetite and make us overeat. This in turn leads to excess calories and weight gain.
Quick run through, good carbs:
Rice (brown/basmati)
Potatoes (white/sweet)
Quinoa
Beans
Root vegetables (carrots, swede, parsnips)
Fruit (lower sugar ones like berries vs bananas and grapes)
Bad carbs:
Cake
Chocolate
Biscuits
Pasta
Bread
Crisps
Booze
If you eat sensible portions of the good and keep the bad stuff to a minimum then you can FINALLY get control of your weight.The problem with the bad carbs is the higher sugar content stimulates the brain and leaves us wanting more. As there is so little nutrients in them then we want more and more without our brain telling us they're full.
In 8 years in the industry I've heard on numerous times:'I just wanted a couple of crisps then had the whole bag''I was just going to have one biscuit the had them all'
I'm yet to hear:'I made two boiled eggs for breakfast but then got a taste for them and ate 12'
I live in hope though.
You see the eggs fill you up, the crisps don't.
The more processed/refined carbs we eat the more we crave them.
They key really is to not start eating them.Many people are all or nothing in their approach, if you try and dip in and out they end up eating too much.
Unfortunately there is no magic formula you just need to get the following right:
1. Healthy food shop with the right foods
2. Plan and prepare your meals so you don't get stuck and end up snacking/having a sandwich
3. Eat wholesome foods to fill you up and stop snacking
4. Make nicer meals on the weekend and enjoy them (even if they do have some of the bad carbs)
5. Do some exercise to allow you to have more carbs if you love them
Sorry to say but it's not too exciting it just takes a little planning and some willpower.
It's time to snap out of your habits.This year I've introduced my Habit coaching system into our Fitter Body Ladies plan to help clients change their wicked ways!
Every month we pick one habit at a time like 'controlling your carbs' and we spend two weeks focussing on it. We then take two weeks to keep up the good habits before introducing a new one.
Jamie Stedman
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