Step Four: Cut it out!!! Sugar, that is.
Probably one of the hardest steps, this is also one of the most important. Obviously, it is impossible to remove all sugar from your diet unless you only eat meats and eggs. There are actually two parts to this step. First, no added sugars should be the goal. Second, keeping tracking of sugar grams will help you keep your intake reasonably low.
Two things lower sugar can help with are reducing insulin resistance and lowering blood sugar ups and downs. There are other factors I will talk about later, mostly to do with additional fiber, protein, and good fats.
I avoid too much fruit also, as fruit is high in sugar. But I don't cut it out of my diet, because it has a lot to offer, health-wise, as well as being delicious! Generally speaking, I keep my sugar under 60 grams per day. However, there are times when I find it getting out of hand, and then I cut out fruit for a few days.
Another factor that contributes to excessive sugar can be dairy in the diet. Milk, yogurt, ice cream (of course) and even sour cream contain sugars. There are numerous reasons to cut dairy out, but it is hard. I have cut all dairy out before, only to find it sneakily working its way back into my diet, until I am having it every day! Unfortunately, that is where I am currently.
The truth is, all of the rules I make here are arbitrary, but they have worked for me, for the most part. I am currently at 165 pounds, which is right around the top end of normal weight for my height. It also seems that I have made some progress (from 174 on November 19), despite the lure of holiday foods. A lot of my success is dependent on being active every day, which I will talk about in the next installment of the blog.
Step One: Record Your Food
Nine months ago, I thought there was little to no chance I could ever regain my health, or even lose all the extra weight I was carrying around.
But I gave it a shot. I decided to start making changes that I could stick to. And that has made all the difference. From 240 pounds to 174 pounds in about 8 months: And I feel great!
Step One: Recording my food. I started doing this during the month of March 2017. I use (and recommend) The Livestrong MyPlate app (which is also available on the Livestrong website), but there are many other apps out there for this purpose. Here are a selection:
USDA's SuperTracker
My Fitness Pal
YAZIO - Calorie Counter (ITunes and Google Play)
Lose It! - Calorie Counter (ITunes and Google Play)
GoMeals (ITunes and Google Play)
There are dozens of apps that can help with food tracking but some are better than others. You might need to experiment until you find one that works well for you.
Also, there is the old-fashioned way: write it down in a notebook or log. The only thing is, there is no automatic calculation of your calories, fat, carbs, protein, etc. That is why I prefer using a website or app.
Tracking is the first step. Get an idea of how much you are eating, how often, and what your balance of macro nutrients is: the fat-carb-protein ratios. The important thing is to get it all down. Each time you eat, take the time to record your meal. It can seem cumbersome at first, even overwhelming. But stick to it. One of the reasons why this helps is that you are less likely to eat mindlessly when you have to record everything you eat! Make it a habit by doing!
See you next time!
