Have you ever been the victim of a bully? How about when the triple-threat of Halloween candy, Thanksgiving pies and Christmas cookies attempt to bully their way into your low-carb meal plan?
Perhaps when you were a kid an older youngster pushed you around or prevented you from using the swings in the playground or grabbed your sandwich at lunch. If you’re lucky, that childhood experience or two has inflicted no lasting damage on your psyche. But this other bully—the metabolic bully right within your own body—can damage you on a daily basis by interfering with your ability (and resolve) to achieve a healthy weight. In the simplest terms, this metabolic bully rears its ugly head when you exceed your tolerance for carbohydrates. But when you begin to tap into your body’s fat stores (burning fat for energy instead of carbs), you foil the metabolic bully that normally blocks access to your fat stores.
This metabolic adaptation, known as the Atkins Edge, provides a steady source of energy, helping control your appetite and eliminating or reducing carb cravings. It helps you lose fat pounds without experiencing undue hunger, cravings, energy depletions or any sense of deprivation. When you burn fat for energy all day (and all night), your blood sugar remains on an even keel. So how do you win the battle against this metabolic bully when the most food-focused time of the year is right around the corner? You can start planning now just by choosing from the following two options.
1) Stick with your personal carb balance, which will allow you to maintain the weight you’ve already lost, even through the holiday season.
2) Stay right below your personal carb balance and continue to lose weight.
And not to worry; I understand that no one is perfect, especially if you’re face to face with a plateful of Grandma’s famous cookies or a pile of mashed potatoes dripping with butter and gravy. As long as you have taken the time to set a few goals for yourself well in advance, and you have outlined a general plan, even if you stray a little, you will still be set up to get back on track once the holidays are over. If you maintain your weight during the holidays, consider it a win. If you gain a few pounds, just hop back to Phase 1 for a couple of weeks to lose the few pounds you might have gained.
