Breaking The Chains Of Sugar Addiction: Part II
We're back for Part II of our "Breaking The Chains Of Sugar Addiction Series."
Without further adieu, let's dive right into some of the "how-to's," starting at the very beginning.
When it comes to pulling the sugars out, you always have two options:
1) Rip The Bandaid Off
2) Peel The Bandaid Off Slowly and Gradually
PROS AND CONS OF OPTION #1: The "Rip The Bandaid Off Method." This is where you go cold turkey and push through it. You generally feel pretty $#!++y. You get headaches, you're in a terrible mood, your body gets achy, you feel weak...it's almost like having the flu. It's definitely not fun, but I promise you there is solace in knowing that after about 2 weeks you’ll be feeling like a million bucks.
But if the “Rip The Bandaid Off” method of going cold turkey doesn’t exactly work for you, you might consider Option #2: Peel The Bandaid Off Slowly and Gradually; aka a gradual taper.
PROS AND CONS OF OPTION #2: You don't feel like you got run over by a truck. However, it takes you a little bit longer to reach your goal. PLEASE NOTE: There’s an important coaching cue and strategy involved with this method for you to be successful in the short and long term.
The Coaching Cue has to do with how you construct your Nutrition Program, and that Coaching Cue is “Add Before You Subtract.”
"Add Before You Subtract" means, before you start removing things from your diet, ADD IN NUTRIENTS (your greens, low-glycemic fruits, protein, EFA's etc.) AND WATER.
This Positions You To Win, because it staves off cravings caused by legit SUBOPTIMAL CALORIC INTAKE AND GROSS UNDERNOURISHMENT.
Say what?
As I said in the beginning, when most people move themselves onto a clean palate of Nutrition, the caloric cutback and restriction are extreme.
The body only knows how you've trained it to respond with how often you eat, and what you've trained it to rely on as its fuel source. So when you're not eating frequently enough, or not taking in enough quality calories to nourish and support your body’s energy demands, it lashes out with ferocious cravings. It's Nature's Design to keep you alive.
"Add Before You Subtract" directs you/your Client to add in the NOURISHMENT of quality protein sources, greens, and water before pulling out the sugars and undergoing mass calorie restriction.
Track with me for a second-here's how it plays out:
First, your calorie intake stays roughly the same, and consequently, you don't get those unbearable cravings because of what are essentially starvation tactics.
Second, your body begins to change CHEMICALLY. As unsexy as it may sound, nutrition is simply chemistry in action. Food-as great as it tastes-is made of molecules whose job is to supply you with energy and the nutrients you require to stay alive and vital through all decades of life.
When you ADD NOURISHMENT into your body, it starts doing what it's supposed to do.
You start producing more “feel good hormones,” your blood sugar levels begin to stabilize, your moods aren't extreme and you reprogram your brain chemicals to operate using a new nutritional platter, AND YOU ACTUALLY FEEL BETTER.
This produces a predictable outcome: Eventually, your body LEGIT craves those healthy nutrients over sugars and processed foods and you naturally eat/drink less of them (But remember, it takes time) in favor of the nutritious options.
From a superficial level, one might ask, "How long does that take? Doesn't it longer to do it that way?
And the answer is, Yes, it does take longer. How long? It takes as long as it takes.
But here's the honest truth: It's unequivocally more sustainable over the long term, than jumping "on and off the proverbial dieting wagon, which is especially useful with Clients who are FLAT OUT SICK AND TIRED OF THE CYCLE OF YO-YO DIETING.
Most people can hit a high target, but MAINTAINING IT is a completely different animal. The recourse of rebound is a real thing, and in my experience, people who have crashed and burned time after time from going to extremes want something that is achievable AND sustainable. Simple Coaching Cues followed by Simple Practices provide the stability and predictability of the results.
Lastly, and perhaps more importantly, there's an element to Coaching which has to do with the psyche. For this, we will continue in the third and final post of our "Breaking The Chains Of Sugar Addiction" Series.
