If you have ever been on a low carb diet then you know that the first week off carbs is the hardest. There are physical symptoms of carb withdrawal such as headaches, irritability, or a lack of energy. For me it is an struggle emotionally to stay away from bread, pasta, flatbreads, Taco Bell that I have grown to like at just about every meal.

In the past these cravings have been the downfall of any diet I tried. However, when I was able to cut back on the carbs, I did lose weight. So this time I am going to go easy, if I can lose 1 pound a week I will be happy. So how do I plan to win the battle of the carbs? Like this:

Luxuriate in the right foods

If there is one thing I have learned over the last 40 years about diets is that you don’t have to give up all carbs to lose weight, nor should you. It is eating the right amount of carbs together with a healthier diet. For instance, I like pistachio nuts, they are very low in carbs and are actually good for you, so instead of having that cookie or candy bar, I have a few nuts.

I keep low-carb snacks near my work space, that way when I get the urge to munch, which I do, they are handy to grab. I am not raiding the refrigerator for those high carb snacks. I try and keep the portion sizes small and always prepare the snacks beforehand in plastic sandwich bags. The hard part for me is only eating a small portion at a time, not two or three bags of the little nuts.
Activity helps

When I am bored, I eat. Not because I am hungry but because I am bored. I am trying very hard to keep myself busy. Keeping my mind on something besides eating will help. I have several different blogs and for the first time they are all up to date. I scrapbook digitally as well as other crafting. I am starting to walk again when weather permits if not then I make use of that treadmill that I bought two years ago. Above all I keep away from the kitchen goodies.

Forms of recreation

For me it is not so much munching during a hockey or football game as it is just munching. I also have been eating a lot of fast food (not good if you want to lose weight). I like Taco Bell and not ashamed to admit it, but it looks like if I want to lose weight then my trips are going to have to be limited to once a week, instead of everyday. I have found, however, that if I go to their website first and look up the nutritional values of their foods I can get low carb food. So if you are a Taco Bell fan try it out. And no a Nacho Bellegrande is no longer on my menu.

I walk more than before. Not only is it good for me but good for my overweight dog. Being overweight seems to be running in the family right now.

Having someone to share your diet with.

It helps a great deal to have a “diet buddy”. Someone who understands what you are going through and gives encouragement. Someone who tells you to get away from the refrigerator and find something else to do.

Most of my friends are skinny and have no idea what I go through, so it is hard for them to relate, but they do try. I have an online buddy who is very supportive as is my family. And I have started going to an online site called “Everyday Health”. They have a calorie counter, where you put in what you are eating everyday and they calculate your calories, carbs, cholesterol and then tell you how much weight you will lose in any given amount of time. There are many sites like this on the Internet and they are a great help.