Step 2 False Start

The start of Step 2 had its challenges. The first few days were rough due to the fact that adding some more carbs can create a bloated feeling. Then a couple of days later, my period began! So it’s taking me quite a while to get back to a thin feeling; not there yet.

Adding carbs in Step 2 does not mean a free for all on carbs. There is a very specific timing issue and only certain carbs are added, they’re referred to as ‘low impact’ carbs. Whole grain bread, brown rice, whole grain pasta, milk, many fruits and crackers are some of the foods that are added back into the diet. There is a method to the timing and type of carbs. Basically, our bodies follow a 5 hour cycle in which our liver will feed us between 45 and 65 grams of carbs, if we haven’t eaten any! We are trying to avoid this self feeding. On Step 2 you should have 11-20 grams every 5 hours. (and another 11-20 grams in between meals that are further than 5 hours apart, this is where I mostly had problems).

Diane says that we should learn Step 2 as if it were our jobs and I’ve taken that to heart, I really thought I was doing well. I was able to email her my first few days food log and found one thing that I needed to change, but for the most part I was doing well. Step 2 is quite a turn around from Step 1, so it takes a little concentration to understand. Questions, emails and the Metabolism Miracle forum helps a lot also.

All that being said, in reality I have not done well at all. I haven’t been vigilant about ALWAYS having enough carbs if my meals are far apart. My problem usually wasn’t with what I was eating, but when I was eating it. You can miss OCCASSIONALLY, but I see that I just had too many small miscalculations.

I haven’t stepped on the scale in almost 3 weeks, but I can tell because I’m feeling ‘pressure’ in my waistbands again. I’ve also noticed that I’m tired in the mornings again after a good nights sleep. I’ve had some days of just feeling so blah, and pissed off over everything. When I was on Step 1 I didn’t have all of that as much as I used to.

I sent Diane my food log again, because I felt that I was actually gaining. She had many comments and recommended I go back to Step 1 for a refresher. (I emailed her on the 5th, she responded on the 5th, but it went into my SPAM and I didn’t see it until today, the 10th) Actually I had decided to go back to Step 1 this morning after I did step on the scale!

Now going back to Step 1 is not because I’ve failed. It’s actually what she recommends whenever you veer off course for whatever reason. Some people have planned ‘splurges’ if you will (Diane actually does this over the holidays), some people have other reasons. You can go back whenever you want, just to ‘clean things up’ again. So she recommends going back to Step 1 for 2 weeks when you need to.