Salad with Fried Egg - Low Carbing

I have been on a low carb diet for the last week and a half. There has been a lot of proteins (various meats and eggs), lots of vegies and fruits (lettuces, peppers, onions, raspberries, strawberries, etc) and virtually no carbohydrates. Yes, no bread, no potatoes, rice and pasta. There has been no cookies, cakes, ice cream and you can forget the stolen handfuls of chocolate chips (which I'm pretty known for around here).

I often have people asking why I would do it. Here are some various reasons:

My cravings have been overboard. It has been a non-stop gluttony of baked goods & other sugary-processed goodies that I just could not get enough of. Serious, serious addition and I was just feeling unhealthy, unhappy and out of control about it. What I like about low carb dieting is that it is a disciplined diet that is easier to stick to since there are basic rules to abide and in return, it completely, if not significantly, reduces the craving factor.

I want to reset my tastes and insulin sensitivity. Much like a fasting diet, suddenly, my tongue tastes the raspberry sweeter than before and I need less salt on my food. I'm hoping that my pancreas resets and that my cells help respond better to insulin levels. That in turn helps to not store all that fat into my cells.

Lets be honest, I want to lose some pounds. I have people telling me "you look fine, you don't need to lose weight!" and I don't want to sound like I'm one of those annoying "skinnier bitches" who complain about the last 10 pounds. Honestly, I just want to get back into my shorts that I wore last year. It's been a long winter and frankly, my behind has responded accordingly.

There are downsides such as having to meal plan but many diets and lifestyles require that. It is not as flexible and sometimes it can get boring, the seemingly same meals but it doesn't have to be so. You can step it up and be creative. It has inspired me to come up with different ideas since I can't just reach for a cookie or handful of goldfish crackers(!) when I want a snack. Other times, on days when it's so busy, I like that I can just have the same meal and not be stressed about what to make.

I will only be eating this regimented for a short time so it's really not that big of a sacrifice. I will incorporate back the "white carbs" (pasta, rice, etc) with time but in smaller portions and of course in whole grain versions. Yes, I'll have cake and ice cream too but less often and in smaller portions hopefully. Sometimes my diet and life needs a shake up, to restart me and recharge me. This way of eating offers that. Life gets boring without a few bumps in the road.

Why low carb versus a sensible, moderation diet with lots of vegies and fruits, just like the food pyramid suggests? That just doesn't always work for me. This diet challenges me but cuts my cravings and it is manageable in terms of my own personality and behaviors. No, it's not for everyone but you have to find what works for you. This one does it for me.