 So you’ve decided to reduce the carbohydrate in your diet. Now what?
It’s time to think ahead a bit so you can have your best chance of
success. Here are five steps to give you a strong start.
1. Become Informed
Read about various low carb diets, or zero in on one. Ideally, read one
of the books and become familiar with the principles. Above all, don’t
fall for the common myths about eating low carb – such as that there
are no vegetables or fruit, that it can’t be healthy, that it has
to be boring, etc. Like other ways of eating, low carb eating can be healthy
or not, balanced or not, and there is certainly no reason for it to be boring.
Rest assured that science is on the side of cutting carbs – perhaps
not for everyone, but for many of us.
2. Decide on an Approach
There is no one low carb diet. The popular plans span a range of carb levels
and food choices, though essentially all of them cut out most sugars and
starches. Again, the best thing to do is to read one of the books –
go to your library and browse, and zero in on something that looks doable
to you. Essentially all of the popular books can be purchased used online
for very little money.
Alternatively, if you just know you’re not the kind to read a book
and follow someone else’s idea of a diet, the “No White Diet"
works for many people. Basically, you just stop eating food with sugars,
white flour (pasta, bread, cake, donuts, etc), white rice, and potatoes
(some include milk). This effectively cuts back on the carbohydrate in your
diet, especially the high glycemic types. Just realize that there are also
white foods, such as tofu, cauliflower, and onions, that are low in carbs
and good for you! And it will be up to you to make sure you’re eating
a balanced diet, though this site can help.
3. Get Familiar with What You Can Eat
It’s easy to fall into thinking a lot about what you can’t eat,
but much more productive to focus on what you can eat. At first, it's probably
best to keep it simple - for example, you can just eat the same dinner as
before, substituting vegetables for the starch.
”What You can Eat” Resources:
4. Plan Your First Week
Nothing stops a new eating plan faster than getting to the fourth day
and realizing you have no idea what to snack on, or fix for dinner. Planning
a full week of menus and snacks gives you a buffer period when you don’t
have to worry about it.
5. Get Support
Inevitably, things you didn’t think of will come up. The first two
weeks of a diet change can be difficult. The temptation when trying something
new is to chuck it overboard at the first obstacle. To be successful,
you must accept that unexpected “speed bumps” will happen,
and make a commitment ahead of time to work through them. This is the
time to get advice from others who are ahead of you on the road.
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