for a significant A.N. Other? Whatever your motivation you need to identify it and shift it from an external motivation such as an important event to an internal one such as wanting to feel more in control of your eating habits, have more energy and feel better about yourself All of which translates into a strategy that you can incorporate and build on to achieve your long-term weight and body fat goals. Think about this: what we weigh in seven years will not be determined by what we do for the next seven minutes, seven hours or the next seven days but how well we eat for the next seven years. Following an action plan that you can keep to will be crucial – Carb Curfew will show you how to do this. Seeing results is a huge motivation and with a little effort that motivation can be your driving force.
Your Friends
Early on in your efforts you need to establish who are going to be saboteurs and supporters of your aims. Within your circle of friends and family there will be individuals who will encourage you and help you with your efforts. It is also likely there will be individuals who either intentionally or unintentionally try to hinder you – this may be because your effort and seeing you look and feel better makes them feel less comfortable or they are just genuinely unaware of their intentions. Identifying who are your diet friends and foes will help you apply the Carb Curfew strategies more effectively and successfully.
Personalizing the Diet
As you work through the book you will be able build up your own personal plan, using the nutritional strategies to help you realize your goals. It is important to understand that there is no one diet that works for everyone; instead Carb Curfew contains strategies that can accommodate many different lifestyles. As you read through think about the best method of fitting the strategies into your life, for instance which lunches are most appropriate if you work in an office, how you can reach your water intake goal while running after the kids all day, or how you can use the Carb Curfew concept to continue enjoying your busy social life.
A Final Word
So, remember, Carb Curfew is about losing weight whilst still living the life you wish to live. Yes, it does require a little bit of effort but you don’t have to make any big sacrifices or radical changes to your lifestyle to get the results you want – all you need to do is apply the four strategies outlined on pages 3–4 and you will achieve your weight and fat-loss goals not just for now, but for the future too.
Take Action
We all know we have to steer clear of a diet that contains too much fat and we feel proud of ourselves if we have said no to chocolate or ice-cream. So why are we still struggling with our weight and body fat? These days one of the most common reasons for our weight-loss frustrations is that we have come to rely on low-fat starches and we are lulled into a false sense of low-fat security, thinking we can eat more of these foods. A high consumption of starch however can provide more calories than we need. If we are unable to burn off these calories they become stored as fat, all of which leads to the scales and belt notches not moving in the direction we want.
So the first part of the Carb Curfew strategy is to operate a Carb Curfew. In this chapter you’ll learn all about the role of starch and its impact on the body and how to:
Carb Curfew Essentials
The two keys to making carbohydrates work for you are:
1. Operate the Carb Curfew to decrease total calorie intake.
2. Consume five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
What is the Carb Curfew?
As we discussed in chapter two starch, processed sugars and fruit and vegetables are all carbohydrates. The starch foods are potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and cereals, all of which provide a good source of fuel for the body to use during the day.
The Carb Curfew means you can eat starch at breakfast, lunch and in your mid-afternoon snack but you are not allowed to eat it after 5 p.m. The evening meal now comprises of protein, fruit and vegetables, low-fat dairy products and essential fats. It is a strategy that allows you to get the right balance of calories and nutrients at the right time in the day. At first this may seem a little difficult to apply but you will soon feel the huge benefits in your energy levels and you’ll certainly appreciate the change in your body shape as you become less bloated.
The Carb Curfew however is not just about saying no to starches after 5 p.m. – it is about getting the right balance of your overall intake of starches and nutrients throughout the day. For example you may be consuming too many calories from starch foods which are contributing to your body fat, so once you reduce the amount of starch you eat you will lose weight and body fat. Also, you will be more in control of your energy levels as you will be eating the right amount of starch at the right time for optimum energy. We will talk more about this later in the chapter.
Are You a Carb Comfort-Eater?
Answer the following questions to find out if you are prone to overeating on comfort starches such as bread, pasta, rice and potatoes.
