It’s All About Balance
I had a friend approach me recently with the question: What Diet should I go on, Paleo or Keto?
I already knew the answer I was going to give her but I was intrigued to hear her reasoning for zoning in on these two diets. I asked her what she was trying to achieve? Her response: I need to lose between 15-20 pounds. I’m sure no one reading has ever been in this EXACT scenario before, right?
She went on to ask which diet will work best to achieve this: Paleo or Keto?
After a little investigation, turn’s out she didn’t really know the details between the two. But why those two? Simple, she saw some Instagram posts highlighting the two and the rest was history. As I’m writing this, the latest article that popped up on my twitter was “5 weight loss secrets to help you lose 10 lbs in 2 weeks” and I’m shaking my head. I’ll tell you what I told her:
- You need to eat food that you can touch in the food stores, no boxes, bags or cans …..Real food.
- Plants need to dominate your meals with organic meats as a side
- Move! – EVEN IF IT’S JUST WALKING
- Sleep – 7+ hours each night
- Forget the type of diet and worry about making small lifestyle changes that are sustainable. Positive things will follow.
I can tell you from experience that a diet that specifically list out foods you can/cannot eat and a daily schedule for consumption are just not sustainable in the long run. The Majority of American are either moderately or heavily addicted to sugar, just look at the diabetes numbers. Years and years of added sugar and processed foods are beginning to catch up with us. Too the point where change at the individual level is extremely difficultly. Those sugary snack have taken some permanent real estate in you brain, Tony the Tiger and his band or sugary buds had us all at “THEY’ERRRR GREATTTT” many years ago. We’ve gotten to the point where we eat just to eat, no hunger present, our brains are programed to reward sugar consumption , we crave it… but you have the ability to reprogram it (see this deep dive into the different types on hunger).
As you move towards the “touch your food” way of life you’ll still need to get your sweets fix (in order to not be miserable). Swap that candy bar for an apple and peanut butter, that pasta for spaghetti squash, that desert with a nice freshly blended smoothie. Before you know it that nagging voice in you head will be pleading for an apple instead of captain crunch. Guilt be gone, go to town on those apples. Add some moderate exercise to the mix and all of a sudden you multiply the affects of your clean eating. Lastly, sleep is key! It rejuvenates you body in so many ways and can truly make or break your day. Get on a schedule and stick to it….even on the weekends. I’ve lived the weekend warrior life and I can tell you with affirmation that IT SUCKS trying to go to bed on Sunday night at a reasonable time and your body just giving you the stiff arm. Why? because you spent Friday and Saturday totally flipping you sleep schedule upside down. Go out and live a little, but remember in order to get things done, especially reach health goals – consistency is key. Don’t wait for you health to catch up with you, we all take for granted the millions of reactions that are constantly underway in our bodies at every moment of everyday. Be in the right position when your body needs to put on the gloves and swing.
