Clearing up the carb confusion...

In case you missed it, here's the banana bread recipe I posted to the BodEvolve group on Facebook. 

How much to eat
1-2 servings per day on workout days- a serving is one cupped handful.  If you aren't working out at all right now, then add your carb servings in 2-3 days per week.  Later, we will get into how to tweak your carb intake to be appropriate for you, because everyone's needs are different.

Carb Sources
Breads and pastas (100% whole grain only)   
Grains- wheat, oats, rice, barley, rye, quinoa, grits, buckwheat, etc (100% whole grain only)
Potatoes, sweet potatoes and yams
Corn
Plantains
Legumes, beans and lentils (I forgot to mention beans earlier!)

What does NOT count as carb sources
Veggies and Fruit

Yes, all fruits and veggies do have carbs, but not as many as grains and starches, so we aren't counting them!  Bananas are frequently categorized with starches, and I did mention bananas in the video explaining this week's carb goal, but I'm changing that!  Sorry, I know that doesn't help with the confusion.  I don't think they are high enough in carbs to ban them from your fruit servings.  So continue to have them as one of your 2 allowed fruit servings each day, if you'd like!

What about refined/ processed carbs?  
Your goal is to eliminate all refined carbs completely for now!  This includes white bread, pasta, chips, cookies, white sugar, etc.  

I can't make it through this program without some treats!  Can I have any kind of treats?
Yes!  You CAN make your own treats out of real, unrefined food ingredients, and eat them in moderation!  This would be like the paleo banana bread recipe I posted to the Facebook group.  It doesn't contain any refined ingredients, like white flour, white sugar (or any other kind of refined sugar) so it's allowed!  You can make anything you want, as long as it doesn't contain processed or refined ingredients.  As far as sweeteners go, this means that honey and maple syrup are safe.  Paleo recipes are always a good choice, because they are grain free, and contain only natural sweeteners.  But remember that these items, paleo or not, are TREATS.  Just because they're made of real food doesn't mean it's ok to eat them in unlimited quantities.  These are "extras"!  You still need to get in all of your protein, fruit/veggie and carb servings, so any real food treats are "extra" items.  And keep in mind that the more "extras" you have, the slower any weight loss progress will be.  

Week 5- Carbs!

It's time for a progress check!  You need to submit your current weight, waist and hip measurements, and progress pics.  Click the button below to head to the form!

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This week is all about carbs!  Your goal is to add in one serving of carbs to 1 or 2 meals on workout days.  On non-workout days, you won't add any!  You only get to eat the carbs you earn, and you earn them by training for them.  For all the juicy details, watch the video!  I tried several times, and just couldn't figure out how to put it into words on the screen, so I decided to tell you about it instead...

Uploaded by Shannon Dahlum on 2016-09-30.

What counts as carbs?

Whole Grains & Starches

Whole Grains- brown rice, whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, oats, barley, rye, corn
-->optional: leave out the grains if you prefer to use a Paleo approach and get all your carbs from starches

Starches- potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, bananas, plantains

Avoid all refined carbs

White bread, white pasta, white rice, chips, baked goods made with white flour, etc, do NOT count toward your carb servings!  If you buy packaged goods, look for "whole grain" in the ingredients list.  "Enriched wheat flour" is refined, wheat flour, and that won't count!     

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Summary for week 5

1- meal planning and prep
2- eat slowly and stop at 80% full
3- 1-2 servings of protein per meal
4- 1-3 servings of fruit and/ or veggies per meal
5- 1 serving of carbs at 1-2 meals on workout days
6- continue your food journal