Five Ways to Survive a Crisis with a Low Carb Eating Plan

In times of high stress, if you find yourself in the cupboards emotionally eating, please know that you are not alone! 

When Auckland was hit by flooding, my emotional eating increased. Dinner one night was dark chocolate and peanut butter. The next night was a slight improvement…. Sugar free jelly and yoghurt with a big dollop of cream on the top.

The shock and sadness of seeing what was happening all over Auckland sent a message to my brain that went something like this: “it’s just so terrible…I'd better eat something to feel better…..”

It's certainly not the first time I've experienced this pattern. In the past, grief from losing my best friend led to emotional eating and I gained 15kg in just one year.   Luckily I have developed better coping strategies and have a well-practiced  "emotional crisis low carb  plan".  It has been put to good use several times over the past three years!

Emotional eating is going to happen from time to time but when you do it in a low carb way, the damage is minimal.  Here are five key elements of my low carb crisis plan:

1. Have an emergency low carb snack box stocked up and ready to go.  This is critical for those ‘stuff it’ moments when we need something fast.  My emergency box has Well Naturally sugar free chocolate, dark chocolate and salt and vinegar protein chips

2. A foundation food plan.  When the shizzle hits the fan, I go back to my ‘home base’ of eating:  Three low carb meals, one snack if needed.  Portion controlled with an optimal balance of protein, healthy fats and low carb substitutes.

3. Get as much sleep as possible:  When you are tired, it messes with your body's ability to regulate hunger.  Going to bed as early as possible is the best thing to do for appetite control the next day.

4. Protein with every meal:  This is key to keeping blood sugar balanced and energy levels stable.

5. Instead of picking up a fork, pick up a pen:  A journal is the most important tool for any emotional eater!  When you get your feelings and thoughts out on paper,  you are less likely to eat over them.

Being human means embracing imperfection, and that extends to our eating as well. A perfect eating plan is unattainable, and striving for perfection can lead to frustration and failure. 

The key is to have a crisis plan ready to go and aim for progress, not perfection. By simply being "good enough", we can still see positive results in our health and weight loss journey.