This week I actually took a break from pole dancing because I had company in from out-of-town.   Most of the time I practice my pole dancing alone and kick anyone in my house out for a while so I can do my thing for about an hour.

I was really enjoying myself and felt like a break was ok.  I also took a break from my diet in a small way so I could enjoy eating out more frequently.   I took deliberate steps as to avoid losing the fat loss result from last week that I have achieved so far.

In order to do that, I limited my intake of bread while eating out.  When I did eat carbs like lemon poppy seed waffles at MiMi’s café (my favorite splurge!), I was very careful to pair it with enough protein and fat to slow down any blood sugar spike the carbs would cause.  In the case of MiMi’s waffles, I ate two scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese.

Another tip is to eat your protein and fats FIRST.  The reason you do this is, again, to help avoid an overly high blood sugar spike from the carbs, but also to get what’s most important in first – the protein.  The goal is to hopefully fill up a bit on that which will naturally cause you to eat less of the “bad carbs” or “splurging carbs” in the rest of the meal.

One way to always be sure your body fat percentages are low is by becoming a master at controlling blood sugar spikes, also known as insulin spikes.  Insulin acts like a shuttle, triggering both fat cells and muscles cells to open up, receive, and store nutrients from the food you ate, hence inhibiting fat burning.

Now, carbs have got a bad rep over the last several years because they are the most immediately readily available form of energy or glucose in the bloodstream.  Your body will use that first to create energy.  If glucose levels rise far above what is needed to maintain life, instead of “throwing away” or burning off all excess energy, a portion is stored as body fat for later use.

The key isn’t to avoid carbs, but to prevent that the excess from being stored for later use.

Protein takes a longer period of time to breakdown in the body and gets used for fuel.  When this happens, you are not hungry because your body is still “chewing” on the protein so to speak.

The flip side of that coin is that carbs are quickly digested and quickly stored as fat for later use if you eat too many.

Ever notice that you are hungry a couple hours later after eating a meal high in carbs?  That’s why.  They digested and stored quickly and your body will need to refuel to get more energy sooner – hence kicking in your appetite to get more carbs.  If you resist eating, your body will pull from your stored body fat for fuel, but most people don’t and go on to eating the next meal.

This topic is a very long one to explain in depth, but to keep it simple and plain, here is what you need to know;

Eat your protein and fats first so you have a chance to start filling up on it, leaving less room for carbs.  This allows you to prevent your appetite from kicking back in too soon.

When you get around to eating your carbs, DON’T over eat.  When you feel full STOP!!  It’s ok to leave ¾ of the waffle on the plate.  It’s better wasted on the plate then stored on your thighs!!

If you are a die-hard about not wasting food, start splitting your meals with a friend or spouse.  Restaurants typically serve people way more “fuel” than they actually need to maintain life in general.

The other thing I did to ensure I wouldn’t pack on any extra pounds from my splurging is watching what types of alcohol I consumed.  Vodka with sugar-free mixers is best.   Drink light beer when you can and consume red organic wine or dryer champagne.

At the end of the week, I stepped on the scale and found it didn’t budge at all!  Yay Me!

I am happy that I had a chance to vacation from my more ridged healthy diet and relax my body from strenuous exercise.

We all need time to relax.  Stress alone can cause cortisol levels (a nasty belly fat storing hormone) to rise and again – cause you to store more body fat!  Taking time to enjoy life and relax in this way can be a friend, not an enemy.

The trick is to remember that this is a journey and lifestyle change, not a rigid diet.  If I believed I was on a rigid diet for this 8-week recovering series I am sharing with you now, then I would probably feel like a failure right now and like I ruined my progress.

I didn’t ruin anything; I lived a little, something we all need from time to time.

I enjoyed myself and now I am getting back to my normal healthy eating, enjoying more natural low carb desserts, and exercise habits this week as usual.