I admit, I was a carboholic.  A crappy carb lover to be exact.  I used to love eating pancakes, french toast, and cookies on a daily basis.  It’s way too easy to get hooked on the sweet stuff, because you feel so good while you’re eating it, but then you pay for it big time just 20 minutes later.  You start to feel sluggish, groggy, and your mental focus is the equivalent of a three year old.  

Photo Credit: Dr Awkward

The problem is the types of carbs we love are also the carbs that lack nutritional value, and cause your body to look like Fat Bastard from Austin Powers.  

"I'm dead sexee!" - Nope, not so much.

Why?  Because, there’s hardly any protein or fiber to keep you satisfied so you keep eating, and eating, and eating until your stomach and your brain have had enough finally causing you to feel full.  By this time you’ve done so much damage that it would take you weeks of high intensity exercise and supportive nutrition just to combat all the non-nutritious calories you just consumed.

Don’t believe me? Then you need to check out this video series of my friend Craig Ballantyne and his colleagues for an eye-opening “Diet Vs. Exercise” demo.

In a previous post, Beach Body Nightmares, I provided a fat-blasting nutrition plan which provides an easy way to ween yourself off the crappy carbs.  Here’s a 4-week summary,

• Week 1: Replace all white carbs with 100% whole grain carbs and all refined sugars with natural sugars, such as “sugar in the raw”, or agave nectar.
• Week 2: Replace all starches and sugars with fruits and veggies
• Week 3: Replace all fruits with lots of green veggies
• Week 4 and on: Incorporate the 10% rule.  10% of your weekly total meals should be “cheat meals” so plan them wisely to accomodate for any social gatherings.

What happens after four weeks?  I recommend creating supportive meals by fulfilling these categories in this order,

1. Lean protein
2. Veggies
3. Fruit or small serving of whole grain starchy carb

Example: Grilled chicken or salmon, side salad, brown rice or quinoa, small apple

Since incorporating the 10% rule several years ago it’s been extremely easy to avoid crappy carbs on a regular basis.  I’ll plan my cheat meals accordingly, and sometimes won’t even finish my cheat meals, because my body and my mind is saying “Really! It’s not worth it in the long run!”  

If vitality, health, and having a flat stomach is important to you, then your mind won’t crave soda, cookies, cakes, and fries (aka cancer sticks ala Craig Ballantyne).

Simply incorporate the tips above, take that first small step, and you’ll soon be on your way to not only a healthier body, but a leaner one as well.

Did you find this post helpful?  Leave me a comment below.

- Rommel