Low-Carb Is Hard?

Health

Apr 5

Written By Kay P

My adventure with low-carb eating started back in college with the Atkins diet. This low-carbohydrate plan focuses on reducing carbs and sugars to promote weight loss and improve overall health. It was my go-to for dropping pounds and feeling better.

The Cycle of Carbs and Sugar

As life went on, I fell into a cycle: feel great, lose weight, try to maintain by reintroducing healthy carbs, and then slide back into old habits involving sugar. It wasn’t until I hit close to 200 pounds that I knew I needed a serious change. That’s when I started keto.

From Keto to Low-Carb

Now, full disclosure, I am more a low-carb fan versus keto now because with keto if you aren’t completely perfect, if you’re eating all of the fat and mixing in fries and cupcakes here and there, it’s a recipe for heart disease. With low-carb healthy eating, I believe a deviation here and there isn’t the end of the world.

After some time on keto, I transitioned to a more sustainable low-carb diet. With keto, strict adherence is crucial, and any deviations can be counterproductive. I found that a balanced low-carb approach was more manageable and forgiving.

The Benefits I Experienced

Switching to low-carb eating brought several benefits:

Reduced Hunger: My constant hunger decreased significantly.
Natural Intermittent Fasting: I started intermittent fasting without even planning it.
Weight Loss: I lost 60 pounds without stepping foot in a gym.
Improved Health: I tackled insulin resistance and normalized my blood pressure.

For a comprehensive and easy approach to low-carb eating that helped me transform my health and lose weight, check out my guide: The Lazy Low Carb Guide.

Exercise and Diet: Finding the Balance

While exercise is important for overall health, my weight loss journey highlighted that diet plays a crucial role. Exercise alone didn't lead to significant fat loss for me; it was the low-carb lifestyle and intermittent fasting that made the difference.

Learn more about a form of exercise that helped me get the tightest, toned body of my life in this post: Pure Barre: Is It Worth It?

The Downside of High Carbohydrates and Sugars

Unhealthy carbohydrates and sugars can lead to various health issues:

Weight Gain
Heart Disease Risk
Type 2 Diabetes
Tooth Decay
Fatty Liver
Cognitive Decline
Mood Disorders

Making Healthier Choices

Reducing or eliminating sugar and unhealthy carbohydrates can transform your health. Some foods to watch out for include:

Sugary drinks
White bread
Pastries and sweets
Processed snacks

For more insights on cutting out sugar, check out my post on Dry January and how eliminating alcohol, a form of sugar, can benefit your health!

The Power of Small Changes

This journey has taught me the power of diet and how significant small changes can be. Going low-carb and cutting out sugar helped me take control of my weight and health in a broader sense. While I tend to talk a lot about time-restricted eating, cutting carbs and sugar made it all easier.

If you're ready to take control of your health and weight, and want to learn how I lost over 60 pounds, check out my weight loss guide.

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Kay P