Pros and cons of the high protein diet

A few weeks ago I started a 2 week high protein diet with my husband. We ended up pursing it for 3 weeks. After a week of break from this intense food plan, here are the pros and cons:

PROS:

Very fast improvement of my shape:

My legs started getting smaller, my abs toned up, all my body looks a lot leaner than 3 weeks ago. Actually 2 week in, I decided to continue for one more week because of the improvements I saw in the mirror. 

No more bloating:

I often suffer of bloating, I usually count the day of the week where I don’t have an inflated tummy. During the high protein diet, I had a flat stomach most days. I didn’t eat beans, or high fiber breads, I didn’t have a lot of fruits (one fruit per day), and of course I didn’t have any fried foods and drank alcohol once per week. So, yea, byebye bloating!

Easier control of meals:

The problem when you are on a diet is that you know you can’t eat sweets and fatty foods, and that works for you most of the time. Except when you are invited for dinner, things get complicated and it’s easy to eat more than you should have. With the high proteins diet, things were easier, I would eat vegetables and lean meats and that was it.

CONS:

Low energy level:

By the second day, working out required pulling all the will power in me. And as the days went by, it got harder and harder. As my body got smaller, the sugar, i.e. energy source in my body disappeared. It also affected my daily activities, I would be tired very early on during the day.

Bad mood:

When you cut down on carbs, you produce less serotonin (feel good chemical). As a result, you become more nervous, more irritable, and a lot crankier. I think this was one of the hardest parts of the diet, I was always on the edge, and it was difficult keeping my cool. 

Bad sleep:

I should mention that my diet was high protein and low calories, so at the end of the day, despite all the proteins that were supposed to fill me, I was still hungry. And didn’t sleep well most day.

End result:

Today I am re initiating the high protein diet for 2 weeks, however I will be more lenient regarding carbs intake on days of heavy workouts. I am traveling in 3 weeks, this is why I am extending it: I usually like to enjoy my food guiltless while on vacation.

crash diet 101

I just started a 2-week high protein, low carbs, low calorie diet, and from previous personal and professional experience, I know that it will not be an easy journey.

Today I will share with you my tips to cruise thru a though diet:

Tip#1: it has to have a deadline

If you are following a very strict diet, acknowledge that you cannot stick to it for long. Set a deadline, and when you reach it change your diet to something that is milder and more long term. Knowing that it will be over in 2 weeks will help you go thru the hunger and cravings. Also, staying on a very hard diet for too long will decrease your metabolism, so there are absolutely no benefits to it.

Tip#2: you need a way out

I will not lie to you, keep me off my cheat meal for 2 weeks and I will crack. Cheat meals don’t mean blowing out all the diet, it means hope. For some of you, you will not be allowed to get out of line for some time, but usually you will need to cheat. Why do I think that a cheat meal is important? It will help you avoid daily “small cheats”, and will give you hope when you are really having a bad diet day.

Tip#3: if it didn’t work, try something else

Sometimes it is just not the right time for a crash diet. Sometimes, it is just not adapted to your life. If you fail to maintain a strict diet, don’t give up, you can and will lose weight, but just not this way. You can turn to a more balanced plan with as much exercising as you can. In all cases, don’t give up, this one was just not for you.

Tip#4: find a diet buddy

In my case, my husband is my crash diet buddy. And I must say, it feels good to have someone who is following the same rules as me. This way, at dinner time, we motivate each other, and it brings some comfort to know that you are not alone on this one. We don’t have the same objectives out of it, but at least we motivate each other, instead of tempting one another.

drinking mistakes: booz and your waistline

Mistake#1: you don’t count your drinks

It is important to count your drinks first to know when to stop, second to know how much is too much for you, third to know if you drank all your calories at once. Alcohol contains as much calories as fat, therefore the more drinks the more calories, and less chance of maintaining a healthy weight.

Mistake#2: you don’t hydrate

As a rule of thumb, for every drink have a glass of water or sparkling water in return. This way, you will slow down the pace by having a glass of water in between drinks (so instead of 4 whiskey let’s say, you would have 2 and 2 glasses of water). Also, alcohol dehydrates your body, therefore it is good thinking to drink water to counteract its effect.

Mistake#3: you eat nuts

Nuts served along alcohol are usually salted, therefore they will as well dehydrate you. Furthermore, nuts are high in calories, and when drinking you don’t usually count how many pieces you are having. You might end up eating along your drink around 500 calories of nuts without even knowing it!

Mistake#4: you think a strawberry margarita is the same as a straight drink

Not all drinks are created equal. Generally speaking, anything that is a cocktail, is higher in calories. It either contains fruit juice, sugar syrup or any additions that will increase its caloric charge. Try to stick to straight drinks such as whiskey, vodka or gin alone or with sparkling water, or wine. And of course, all of them in moderation