I’ve just finished reading a fantastically interesting article here as part of our investigation into the psychology of weight gain (which will be later documented via youtube. Subscribe to our channel here) which has a lot to explain for why motivation can plummet very early into a healthy eating “phase”. Now, if we tackle this using appropriate methods we should be on the right track to getting more consistent results from your diet as opposed to constant fluctuations commonly experienced.
The article explains something called the “Energy Model of Self-Control”. In a nutshell, discipline and commitment to anything takes energy, or at least the perception of impending energy consumption. They found that washing your mouth out with sugar water lead to an increase in commitment after performing difficult tasks. Now, anyone who’s started a diet cold turkey will know how will power can dip excessively, but by going from a higher calorie to a lower calorie diet, your blood sugar levels probably will too. And judging from the interesting findings regarding the energy model of self-control, this may lead to a reduction in discipline.
But we care too much about your teeth to go washing the out with sugar water. So what do we do. A convenient form of replenishing carbohydrates (i.e. sugar) is Carb Backloading (explained here). The theory is that by replenishing carbohydrates later in the day after a training session, the calories you consume replenish muscle stores rather than going to your waistline. This theory has a pretty solid foundation in nutrition btw, being advocated by many experts.
So by carb back loading after an afternoon-evening training session, you can boost your depleting discipline as well as reducing fat storage. However, if like me, you like to train in the morning, you may want to think about consuming your carbohydrates in the morning after you train and then picking a point later on in the day where you’ll consume a small carbohydrate reward (a small daily treat or boost if you like. As long as you don’t let it get out of control) after going for a short, quick walk. This will boost motivation as well as lessening the fat storage mechanism of insulin (released shortly after consuming carbohydrates)
Let us know what you think. Let us know how you get on
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Written by Elliott Reid, Osteopath and Personal Trainer at The Revitalize Health and Fitness Clinic, Gravesend. Follow Elliott on Twitter