Okay, you have now reduced your weight substantially, and have achieved your goal. Now, let's talk about low carb for life. How can you do this successfully? By keeping the principles you have learned and lived in the forefront of your mind, and by realizing that you can eat anything you want -- for a limited time in limited quantity.
What do I mean? Well, you still have to make good choices. You cannot go back to your old ways and expect the weight to stay off. But I am a firm believer that food is a great pleasure and is to be enjoyed. The keys will be moderation and timing.
First, we are going to go over what you can add back to your diet on a more regular basis and still maintain your weight. Then, we'll talk about the other things you can do to make sure you get to sample other foods, and still stay on track.
For this part of the plan, I'm going to start with broad categories of foods, and name some of the specific foods that you can eat. Remember, everything that was on one of our lists before is still acceptable. We are adding to the variety of your food intake at this time. Another key point is that anything on the lists below should be eaten sparingly.
Whole grains: Bran flakes, Bread (100% stone ground whole wheat, dark rye, pumpernickel, sourdough), Cheerios, Cream of Wheat, rice (brown and long grain wild), Rye Krisp.
Fruits: Apricots, grapes, kiwi, mango, melon (any type), papaya, pineapple.
Note: eat whole fruits, avoid drinking juices.
Vegetables: Any, except white potatoes. Sweet potatoes actually have a lower glycemic index, and these are acceptable on occasion.
Nuts: Cashews, soybeans.
Low carb products, such as Walker Diet Pancake Mix and Syrups, or low carb candy and cereals, can all be added in this phase for increased variety. Again, watch the portions, and don't overdo. For example, limit the pancakes to once weekly. Have low carb candy as a dessert 3 times per week, and go with fruit the other nights. Instead of nuts as a snack, you can try some low carb chips or pretzels. But use them sparingly.
So, armed with these new foods, how are you going to approach your daily food intake? You keep the same principles in mind. Your regular day will follow as such: breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner. And by taking the groups of food that you have been using for these meals, plugging in the extra foods that we've added, and watching your portions, you can create infinite possibilities.
Have you been keeping a food diary? You should be, but if you have skipped this part, now is the most important time to do so. You see, you will need to continue to monitor your weight twice weekly, and if you start to gain, go back to your diary to identify likely culprits. Maybe you are just very sensitive to carbs, and you need to cut out one or more servings per day. By adding back carbs slowly and monitoring your progress with your scale and your diary, you can identify how many carbohydrates you can take in and still maintain your weight.
What happens if you gain weight? Go back to the Rapid Reduction Phase until the weight is gone, then resume with the Continued Reduction or Maintenance Phases.
This brings me to another point: Eating whatever you want. I'll be the first to admit that there are two things I'd like to eat more of -- pizza and Krispy Kreme donuts. I just really like these things, and I also enjoy a beer now and then. So I do allow myself to have them, but under very specific conditions:
I decide when I'm going to indulge my carb cravings. I will look ahead at my schedule, and if I know that I'm going to be watching a football game or playing golf, and I want to enjoy a beer or two with that, I'll plan on it. I'll also account for some chips I might eat. But I known that before and after I splurge, I will need to be on my best behavior. I may even revert to Rapid Reduction strategies before and after to allow myself to enjoy these pleasures. I look at them as a real treat -- I look forward to it, savor it, and I'm satisfied. I make it a priority to get right back on track the next day.
And if someone brings Krispy Kremes into the office the day after I have enjoyed my pizza, I just don't eat them. I find the next time when I can look forward to a treat, and I'll wait until then. I always get right back on track. This is the key. You can't feel that if you've treated yourself, that you have slipped and all is lost. Far from it. You are rewarding yourself for a job well done. Now you have to build up some more points for yourself until you can treat yourself again. You also need to determine how often you can do this, and still maintain your weight.
The Maintenance Phase is characterized by learning what you can eat, while maintaining your weight. I will always encourage you to eat lower fat, lower carb foods. You should be eating plenty of fruits and vegetables at this time, but you use the more of the fruits and vegetables from the Continued Reduction lists and fewer of those on the Maintenance lists. You keep track of your weight, and if you start to gain, you cut back on the carbs. Not to sound like a broken record, but this is where the food diary comes in handy. It can help you spot problem areas and places where your carbohydrate or total food consumption is causing weight gain.
Dining Out
This may be one of the harder areas to control, because when we eat outside our home, it tends to be more of an occasion. One of the best things to do when you go to a restaurant is to ask the staff to leave the bread basket in the kitchen. Unless you are specifically planning on your meal to be one of the times that you treat yourself, skip it entirely. Don't let it even get to the table. Ask for some sliced vegetables instead, or ask the salad to be brought out early. This will really cut down on the carbs.
Next, substitute an extra order of vegetables for the starch. I'll often ask the server to give me a double order of vegetables, or ask for some steamed broccoli. Many restaurants will accommodate your needs.
For the salad, always ask for dressing on the side. Instead of putting it on top, dip your fork in the dressing, then spear the salad. You will use about ½ the amount of dressing. It's also good to try and pick a lower sugar dressing, or you can use oil and vinegar.
As far as fast food places go, that's a bit tougher. Recently there has been a trend toward offering salads, which makes it a bit simpler. Again, watch the dressing. I will usually order the grilled chicken patty (not the one that is breaded and fried), and use a dab of mayonnaise. I ask them to hold the bun, or just throw the bun out. The same goes for burgers -- no bun. But here, you also have to limit the ketchup, because it is loaded with sugar. These are your safest choices. I would also avoid the French fries; too much fat and carbs.
Of course, as I have mentioned, it is wise to do everything in moderation. So, if you are out and you are going to splurge, just factor that in to your overall plan. One night won't hurt, just get back on track right away.
