Challenge Two: Kicking Bad Carbohydrates!

We started kicking sugar in challenge one by cutting out soda ... the hardest of the sugary treats to kick. The easy sugars to cut, at least for me, were desserts and candy. I didn't even have to think about those things and I really only miss them from time to time. The other easy thing to do is to read the labels on everything! You have put yourself on a Carb "Budget" for the day and you have to spend that budget wisely. Things like sauces and dressings can be high in sugary carbs, so READ THE LABEL, there are similar alternatives available which often have 75% less carbs in it. BEWARE OF SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE!

It is important to note that you are entitled to cheat days and I'll talk about cheating in a later entry. But until I post it, my short answer is to limit cheating, at least in the beginning of your journey, to one meal a week. Mmmmm .... pizza. :)

KICKING BAD CARBOHYDRATES!

But this entry, I am focusing on the complete carbohydrate picture. 

Carbohydrates are made up of three things: Sugars, Fibers, and Starch. Sugar and fiber are listed individually on the label, so when you subtract them from the Total Carbohydrates, that will give you the starch content.  If the label says that it has 10g of "Total Carbohydrates", 2g of "Fiber", and 2g of "Sugar" ... then that means that there are 6g of starches. 

Fiber is different: Sugars and starches are what raise your blood sugar ... not fiber. For us PCOSers, the short answer is that we are concerned with are sugars and starches. When you first begin your journey, it's best to leave it that simple.What you'll want to do is subtract fiber from total carbs to get the true damage to your daily Carb Budget. So for the example listed above, the true damage is 8g (10g Total - 2g Fiber). 

The carbohydrate discussion is very complicated and if you are just beginning your journey, try and stay within your budget and live by one rule .... if it's white, it ain't right. Also, just like weight watchers, fruits and vegetables do not contribute to your daily Carb Budget. These are naturally occurring foods made directly from God himself. As such, these foods do not affect your blood sugar the way that prepared and processed foods can. However, it is important to note .... if you want fruit .... eat the whole fruit, once it is squozen into juice, you can't have it. 

Fruit Juice is BAD!: Growing up I was always told that juice was good for you. WRONG! A whole piece of fruit contains fibers and natural sugars, which together make it a great snack for us PCOSers. But when you juice a piece of fruit, you are removing all of the pulp aka:fiber and leaving all of the sugar behind. Ask any diabetic out there .. juice is a no no. 

If it's white it ain't right: White starches indicate that it has a high GI (Glycemic Index) rating. A food's GI rating is the best indicator for whether it is going to affect your blood sugar. Listed below are some High GI (usually simple carbs) and Low GI (usually complex carbs) examples. NEVER eat the things from the top and eat the things on the bottom in moderation. 

HIGH GI CARBS:

1. White Bread

2. Enriched white flour

3. White rice

4. Regular white flour pasta

5. Potatoes

6. Sugar!!!

7. High Fructose Corn Syrup

8. Instant oat meal

9. Potato Chips

LOW GI CARBS:

1. Whole GRAIN bread (not whole wheat)

2. Alternative flours such as oat flour and brown rice flour

3. Stone rolled oats (not the instant kind)

4. Corn (MODERATION PLEASE)

5. Quinoa (a grain often made into pasta)

6. Brown rice (milled into flour, prepared like rice, and also made into pasta)

7. Agave Nectar (It's a natural alternative to sugar... organic please)

8. Honey (A natural alternative to sugar ... organic please)

If you are eating carbs from the bottom list, they still go against your daily Carb Budget ... but you have a little more leeway because it works like this:

When you eat a high GI foods, your body tries to convert it to energy and when it can't it is stored as fat. When you eat a low GI foods, your body processes it more slowly cutting out the need for insulin to process it. 

The bottom line is: YOU GET ENERGY FROM LOW GLYCEMIC INDEX (GI) CARBS!!!

I am still learning more and more about what foods are good to eat, but I have noticed a HUGE difference in my energy levels by making some simple switches in what I eat. 

STOP EATING FOODS THAT GIVE YOU NOTHING BUT BELLY FAT! WHY WOULD YOU EAT IT IF IT GIVES YOU NOTHING IN RETURN??? If you can answer that question, you can begin to heal. If you answered the way I did, that it made me feel happy to eat it ... you can heal that emotional bond with food. But simply knowing what those foods were doing to me gave me strength against those emotional attachments to food. 

The first couple of weeks on my diet, I ate nothing by grilled chicken and vegetables. I lost a lot of weight, but that kind of diet isn't sustainable, especially as social as I am. I am now at a level where I am not losing 5-6lbs a week, I'm losing more like 1-2lbs or less a week, but my diet is more easily accomplished and satisfying. And we all want to enjoy or food. :D