I don’t have any studio progress to share with you immediately, so I assumed I’d get you caught up on how my month of February went with my New Yr’s decision (i.e., no sugar for a yr) and my well being targets. Right here’s the quick model. I efficiently made it by month two with no sugar, and I misplaced one other 4.8 kilos for a complete of 16.5 kilos.
Now right here’s the longer model for individuals who need extra particulars. ? The “no sugar” New Yr’s decision has change into very straightforward. I’m actually not even tempted to eat sugary treats anymore. I’m going out to eat with my mother and brother each Sunday after church, and on Sunday every week in the past, my brother ordered a strawberry shortcake. Most of final yr, we’d order that and all three of us would share it. The restaurant the place we go (Longhorn Steakhouse) has THE BEST strawberry shortcake I’ve ever had. However every week in the past when he ordered it, and he and my mother shared it, I wasn’t even tempted by it, and I didn’t really feel disadvantaged within the least.
So I’ve had no sugar for 2 months! And for me, that’s a reasonably enormous deal. (For the small print on what I imply by “no sugar”, I defined that right here.) I’m nonetheless satisfied that what has helped me probably the most is specializing in consuming extra protein (most People, particularly girls, aren’t consuming sufficient protein as we become old), and maintaining a healthy diet fat (animal fat, olive oil, avocado oil, however NO SEED OILS!!!) These two issues hold me satiated in order that I’m not all the time fascinated by meals and craving sweets.
In different well being information, I learn a guide that I extremely suggest for everybody to learn. It’s referred to as The Salt Repair: What The Specialists Obtained Mistaken, And How Consuming Extra Would possibly Save Your Life (affiliate hyperlink). The thesis of the guide is that the majority of us aren’t getting sufficient salt in our diets. I do know that sounds stunning contemplating that we’ve all been conditioned to be afraid of an excessive amount of salt. There are three issues that we’ve been conditioned over the past three or so a long time to imagine are going to kill us — saturated fat, ldl cholesterol, and salt — when in actuality, these three issues have been blamed for the harm that sugar, processed carbs, and seed oils are doing to our our bodies. The guide is fascinating, however let me share with you ways I even got here to learn it.
On the finish of January, I began seeing advertisements on Instagram and Fb for an electrolyte drink referred to as LMNT. It was a no-sugar-added electrolyte drink, and I’m all the time in search of an excellent, low- or no-sugar electrolyte drink for Matt. So I ordered a number of bins to check out the flavors. When it got here, Matt and I each began ingesting it. It’s, arms down, THE BEST electrolyte drink I’ve ever tasted in my life. Most electrolyte drinks attempt to cowl up the salty style by including a lot candy taste, which implies you’re both getting approach an excessive amount of sugar (like with Gatorade or Liquid IV), or it’s crammed with sugar alternate options which have that overpowering pretend sweetener style (like Dr. Berg’s electrolyte drink). Bleh on all of these.
So the LMNT was a bit totally different. They don’t attempt to cowl up the salty taste. They simply add a touch of fruit taste and a little bit of stevia, however nothing overpowering. So the primary sip I took was a bit stunning, so my preliminary response was, “Ugh, I don’t suppose I like this!” However then after a second, I used to be like, “Wait. That’s truly actually good!” It simply wasn’t what I used to be anticipating. I used to be anticipating that pretend, overpowering candy taste, in order that first salty sip was stunning to me. However after I readjusted my expectations, I spotted how a lot I liked it. And now, it’s my favourite drink. I find it irresistible greater than my treasured unsweet tea, and anybody who is aware of how a lot tea I drink is aware of how stunning it’s that I may love one thing greater than unsweet iced tea.
Again to my story. We obtained our first LMNT on the finish of January, and I began ingesting one (okay, possibly two) a day. First, I observed that I wasn’t getting hungry as typically. That made sense to me as a result of I keep in mind being in keto Fb teams the place folks have been typically doing intermittent and long-term fasting, and when folks would complain about being too hungry to proceed, the recommendation was all the time to place some salt below your tongue as a result of salt retains starvation and cravings in examine. In order that made sense to me. The extra salt I used to be ingesting, the much less starvation I skilled, and the less cravings I had, so I wasn’t frequently desirous to rummage by the fridge to seek out snacks all through the day. In truth, the considered meals was not consuming my thoughts. After lunch, I wouldn’t even give meals one other thought on most days (with Wednesdays being the exception).
However right here’s what actually shocked me. On one Wednesday — the day of the week after I exit out to eat with my mother and brother for lunch, after which my church group has our Wednesday night time gatherings that begin with dinner collectively — I ate horribly all day. I didn’t have sugar, however I ate each carbohydrate in sight, together with a number of items of garlic bread (proper up till bedtime!!), some rooster spaghetti, potato salad, white bread. I imply, I used to be uncontrolled. Now usually on days like that, my weight might be up about two or three kilos the subsequent morning, particularly if I’m consuming proper up till bedtime, which I used to be on that day. So the subsequent morning, I stepped on the dimensions anticipating simply that, however my weight hadn’t modified in any respect from the morning earlier than (i.e., the morning earlier than my carb fest).
That has NEVER HAPPENED in my complete grownup life. I used to be completely astounded, and questioned what the heck was happening. Had I all of the sudden change into a kind of fortunate individuals who may eat no matter I needed to, and by no means achieve one other pound? After which it dawned on me. Might or not it’s the salt?! That was the one factor I had not too long ago modified.
And that’s after I remembered listening to concerning the guide The Salt Repair.
I questioned if, maybe, the reply to my query was in that guide, so I instantly purchased the audio model and listened that day as I labored. And positive sufficient! He answered my query, and gave me a lot useful, superb, and enlightening data that I’ve change into an evangelist for this guide and for salt (particularly the superb tasting LMNT) for the final month. Proper within the very introduction of the guide, he talks about how salt might help you get management of your weight. Eat salt, drop extra pounds. That’s the very title of a bit of the introduction to the guide.
I’ve to confess that with this new data, and with a wholesome inventory of LMNT in my kitchen, I used to be not as disciplined with my consuming as I ought to have been through the month of February. In truth, if I’m being utterly trustworthy with myself, it’s superb that I even managed to lose any weight in any respect within the month of February. Up to now, that kind of undisciplined method of approaching meals would have resulted in me gaining weight. So the truth that I misplaced any weight in any respect throughout February is sort of superb to me.
So in March, I’m going to do some experimenting. I’m going to stay with the LMNT and mix that with a far more disciplined method to wholesome consuming, and I’m going to be far more dedicated to my day by day train. I didn’t do nicely on that, both, through the month of February. I began off very sturdy, however as soon as I noticed the coyote in our again yard, my dedication to day by day strolling and willpower to stay to an train routine took a success. So I’m excited to see how this month goes. No sugar, approach fewer processed carbohydrates, extra salt, extra disciplined wholesome consuming, and a dedication to day by day train. I’ll report again on the finish of the month to let y’all know the way it goes.
Within the meantime, learn that guide, y’all! And get your self some LMNT. My absolute favourite is the chocolate or chocolate caramel. These are my day by day deal with. It’s like a yummy dessert. I boil water and pour it into my BIG scorching chocolate mug, and add one packet of both chocolate or chocolate caramel LMNT. Then I add just a few drops of liquid stevia (that is the one I exploit — affiliate hyperlink), after which 4 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream. It’s sooo good!! I prefer it greater than espresso or scorching chocolate. In fact, for those who’re not a low carb individual, and like one thing extra low calorie, you’ll be able to substitute the heavy whipping cream on your selection of creamer — no matter you’d use in your espresso. My favourite of the fruit flavors is citrus, and my second favourite is orange. I drink each of these ice chilly, and they’re so refreshing and superb. So learn the guide, get your self some LMNT, and I’ll report again in a month. ?
Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I transform and enhance the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do nearly all of the work on the home on my own. You possibly can study extra about me right here.
