Keto and Low Carb Success

Episode #78 - Cravings and UrgesI promised you my PEEPS story, and here it is. Indulge me if you have already heard it because it sets the stage to explain the difference between urges and cravings.Let me start by introducing myself. "Hello, I am Miriam Hatoum, and I am probably the most food suggestible person you will ever meet." So here's my story. Was it a food craving or an urge?This episode is a deep dive into cravings, urges, and triggers and what to do about them whether they are physical or emotional. It also explores what to do about them, hhow to pull them apart, circumvent them, or  just learn to sit with them and put in a pause.You will always have cravings, urges, and triggers. What you can change is your reaction to them!Get all my free guidesTake a look at this great courseJoin me on FacebookFollow me on InstagramCheck out PinterestAnd don't forget my book!

Episode 76: Discover the Satisfaction FactorIn this episode learn that it's not just lists of food, calories or macros. Feeling full and content with what you eat has a lot to do with the satisfaction factor in what you are eating.  To sum it up: “The Japanese have the wisdom to promote pleasure as one of their goals of healthy living. In our fury to be thin and healthy, we often overlook one of the most basic gifts of existence – the pleasure and satisfaction that can be found in the eating experience. When you eat what you really want, in an environment that is inviting and conducive, the pleasure you derive will be a powerful force in helping you feel satisfied and content. By providing this experience for yourself, you will find that it takes much less food to decide if you’ve had enough.” Learn what you can do to increase the satisfaction factor of your food!Get all my free guidesTake a look at this great courseJoin me on FacebookFollow me on InstagramCheck out PinterestAnd don't forget my book!

Episode #74: Discover Your FullnessI think for a lot of us, it’s not the hunger end of the scale that stymies us, it’s the fullness end. There are so many reasons why this happens, especially if you are eating in response to external cues, and you might be saying to yourself:·       It’s time to eat·       I always clean my plate.·       I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.·       I always snack or graze.·       I eat for the distraction because I’m angry, bored, lonely or upset.·       I eat because the food looks so good.·       I eat because the food smells and tastes so good.·       I eat because it’s a special occasion.·       I eat because it’s a gift.·       I eat because I don’t want to waste food.·       I never eat because I am actually hungry.Can you think of more? Do any of them have to do with hunger? How will you know you are full if you are not eating because you are hungry? This episode will help you unravel finding your fullness cues.Get all my free guidesTake a look at this great courseJoin me on FacebookFollow me on InstagramCheck out PinterestAnd don't forget my book!

Episode 73 - The Food PoliceWhat you eat is not a moral issueLet’s start with what I teach till the cows come home, and that is, food is not to be seen in moralistic terms such sinful, bad, dangerous or wicked. It’s just food ya’ll. And you are not bad for eating past full or eating a food as you see as bad.By working on the principle of  ""Challenge the Food Police" I could finally understand how my perception of the external food police might sometimes be nothing more than my own thoughts being a projection where I THINK people are thinking things. Of course, the external food police can also be very real – as in the case of my aunt telling me to lose weight or my husband would look elsewhere, or someone remarking at a party that Granny Keto shouldn’t be eating cake. This episode will go along way toward learning to challenge the food police in your own head, and how to handle the food police on the outside!Get all my free guidesTake a look at this great courseJoin me on FacebookFollow me on InstagramCheck out PinterestAnd don't forget my book!

Episode 72: Making Peace with FoodMaking peace with food is a critical component of Intuitive Eating. Except for medical reasons and self-imposed ethical and religious reasons, it means that no food is off limits. That scares a lot of us because we often experience a loss of control when we eat foods that we have been depriving ourselves. From years of dieting, we have fallen into “Last Supper” eating, “Forbidden Fruit” eating, and “I blew it” eating.This episode goes into all these behaviors which so often side track us from our intentions. I also share with you my own reflections about fears I have that are holding me back from finding my own peace. I was reminded that these are fears and not necessarily truths. It was also helpful to remember that this was only an exercise in awareness and not in passing judgment.For this week's actionable coaching advice, I guide you through a food habituation exercise that is sure to help you get used to eating foods that you have  Forbidden Fruit Study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7142814/      Get all my free guidesTake a look at this great courseJoin me on FacebookFollow me on InstagramCheck out PinterestAnd don't forget my book!

Episode 71 - Eat Already!The concept of self-nourishment is so important in helping you to identify your hunger and in using your hunger scale.  There are times when  NOT listening to your body for hunger cues might be your best course of action.  This might seem like it goes against the protocol of listening to your body, but in situations where your hunger cues are off-line, it is really a type of self-care in the form of nourishment.It  might be when you are not feeling well but still need nourishment, or when you are in a very stressful situation and still need nourishment. It might be in more benign situations like at parties, holiday meals or when eating out. I also talk about, what I call, "pre-emptive" eating when you know you will not have time for a meal but if you entirely skip eating when you have the chance you will be in a world of trouble at the other end.  I also address food pushers and how nothing is ever really an all-or-nothing situation.Your actionable coaching advice this week guides you to do non-judgmental reflections on why you may overeat or eat when you are not hungry.Get all my free guidesTake a look at this great courseJoin me on FacebookFollow me on InstagramCheck out PinterestAnd don't forget my book!

Episode #: 70.    Hunger Games – A Dive Into Awareness and Self-CareA very interesting case is made for the fact that when the rules in your head conflict with the direct experience of your body, trust in your body is eroded, and confusion about whether or not you are hungry arises.  When you ignore hunger signals or try to trick them by eating air foods such as rice cakes or drinking water, you numb yourself to them and often eat for reasons other than true biological hunger. This is a lot of where binges come from. The way Tribole and Resch put it is that when you don’t eat and ignore hunger signals, or don’t eat enough by dieting or fasting, the result is akin to holding your breath under water until you are desperate for air. Instead of just breathing normally and quietly, you are gasping loudly for air, and you can’t seem to get enough for your body to quiet down.In my course and book, and many of my blogs and podcast episodes, I teach about learning your biological hunger cues and also how head hunger and heart hunger can fool you into thinking you are biologically hungry. Get all my free guidesTake a look at this great courseJoin me on FacebookFollow me on InstagramCheck out PinterestAnd don't forget my book!

Episode #: 69.    Letting Go of the Diet FantasyThis episode starts with the exercise of taking an inventory of how dieting has interfered with my life.  If I wasn’t already convinced of the need to let go of dieting, the further exercises - the different costs of dieting and exploring how has dieting affected my mind and mood - cemented that thought. Part 2 of these workbook exercises, comparing “Fantasy Thoughts” with my history brought about interesting introspection and reflection. The answer to one of the questions just took my breath away - make sure to listen to find out which one.The  episode goes on to explore the tools of dieting and the hidden forms of dieting - all very interesting. Personally, I have a belief system revolving around both of these and I didn't even realize how strong  and deep-rooted this belief system is - no wonder I am having a heck of a time letting go!I am going to share with you, right in the show notes, what this week's actionable coaching advice is, because it is that important: This week write down a few of the dieting tools that you can’t let go of. Is it measuring your food? Is it being strict with a “no” list? Is it ordering only diet foods when you go to a restaurant? Is it preemptive eating so you won’t eat so much in a social situation? I am sure you can come up with many of your own. Pick one or two and work on letting them go this week.Make sure you tune in next week to continue our Intuitive Eating journey.Get all my free guidesTake a look at this great courseJoin me on FacebookFollow me on InstagramCheck out PinterestAnd don't forget my book!

Episode #: 68.    Reject the Diet MentalityThe first exercise  I did this week was to look at what I typically do and what I say to myself when I am struggling with eating. I wrote that I tend to get deeply involved with whatever new diet or eating style I am trying out. I buy all the books, look up all the recipes, buy all the paraphernalia like the journals and card decks. I’m on its website constantly and join all the Facebook groups. I plan, I track, I cook, I shop, I do it all. Then of course, that rebel in me shows itself or I find that it just doesn’t fit my lifestyle. I start bargaining and hedging and trying to make it fit. I always tended to see that it was my fault that it didn’t work but in my old age, I am seeing that some of these diets and plans might have meant well, but had a piece of the puzzle missing.In this week's episode hear about this exercise and others, based in  self-compassion and forgiveness. There is nothing to be gained from hating yourself and your decisions about what you eat. Once you let go of dieting mentality and the long lists of food you can or cannot eat, there is no sense of straying and therefore no sense of shame and guilt. I teach you and my clients about letting go of negative self-talk, so the first section of this lesson, entitled “Self-Compassion Exercises” was something I enjoyed working on. Listen to this episode to see how you can get started on letting go of the diet mentality and work with this week's Actionable Coaching Advice to see how your own dieting history plays out with letting go of diet mentality.Get all my free guidesTake a look at this great courseJoin me on FacebookFollow me on InstagramCheck out PinterestAnd don't forget my book!

Episode #67: Knowing Isn't Doing - the Best Lesson So Far!In this episode I explore the work that we need to do before we even get started with Intuitive Eating and that is to learn that knowing isn't doing. Resch and Tribole, authors of Intuitive Eating,  say that, "Learning how to become an Intuitive Eater is a lot like learning how to write with your nondominant hand – it takes practice. Intellectual knowledge is not enough.”  Boy are they right! The exercise they give in the workbook underscores the fact that Intuitive Eating is a journey and a process - it's not a one and done diet.Tune in to see my own experience with this!  Another dance lesson turned into a plate lesson! Get all my free guidesTake a look at this great courseJoin me on FacebookFollow me on InstagramCheck out PinterestAnd don't forget my book!

Episode #66: My Personal Journey with Intuitive EatingIn this week's episode I begin my own personal journey with Intuitive Eating. I reminisce about how I tried Intuitive Eating in the past but was missing most of the important concepts. I took "don't call foods good or bad" or "eat what you want" or "ditch the diet mentality" totally out of concept and only heard "eat all the things". Now all these years later I understand about concepts like honoring hunger and fullness and gentle nutrition, which will make this journey a successful one, albeit bumpy, I'm sure.Join me for this journey, as I explore what it takes - and what it means - to eat intuitively. Please make sure to download the booklet on the hunger scale (resource link below). Once you are on my mailing list you will get a valuable lesson with sides and video that I created for a presentation by other health professionals. It is my gift to you in hopes that you will join me on this journey.Get all my free guidesTake a look at this great courseJoin me on FacebookFollow me on InstagramCheck out PinterestAnd don't forget my book!

Episode #65 - Your Mindset MattersFirst and foremost, this episode starts with a tribute to my sister, who made all my work as Granny Keto possible. I owe her that, as well as a thank you for being a wonderful sister. This episode goes on to explain that is not your relationship with food that determines if you can stick to a diet program, lose weight or accomplish any of your non-food goals. It is your relationship with yourself that determines any and all success that you have. Even if you don’t see it or don’t believe it now, you are capable of success. You are smart. You are worthwhile. I explain how an eating program is constructed like a jigsaw puzzle, and  what you need to do is shuffle the pieces around and see how they fit. You can't dump the pieces on a table and pound them until they are flattened. You have to take your time and examine each piece. You might even find a piece  from another puzzle that was thrown in the box by mistake! You are not broken, my friend... you just haven't put the pieces together.Get all my free guidesTake a look at this great courseJoin me on FacebookFollow me on InstagramCheck out PinterestAnd don't forget my book!

Episode #: 64.    Finding Your Balance with KaizenYou’re Listening to the Keto and Low Carb Success, Episode #64, Finding Your Balance with Kaizen. When I was a professional dance teacher I learned about about making small changes for huge results. This has carried over well to the teaching and coaching that I do now. Use Kaisen to help achieve manageable goals  Learn about Goal ladderingWe making the mistake of thinking a goal is the endpoint and don't see it as a step in the overal process. We also make the mistake of not having patience.The cost of making these mistakes is that we think less of ourselves rather than look at the situation from another angle and we give up too easily.Calling out a new way of doing things  1.      If you are afraid of giving up something, don’t!  2.     Focus on the one habit, not on the big picture. 3.     Don’t see yourself on diet. See yourself adjusting your nutrition.Your Actionable Coaching Advice this week is to see how you can ladder your steps in a way that actually makes your goals get you to a final destination. SEE TRANSCRIPT.Coming up next week I will be exploring mindset. Get all my free guidesTake a look at this great courseJoin me on FacebookFollow me on InstagramCheck out PinterestAnd don't forget my book!

Episode #: 63 Grocery Shopping and Cooking for Low Carb You’re Listening to the Keto and Low Carb Success podcast, Episode # 63, Grocery Shopping and Cooking for Low Carb.As I said last week, and I hope you took heed, there is nothing that you cannot have while eating a low carb diet, and there is never an issue of deprivation. You are in the driver’s seat as you plan your meals and decide how to use your carbohydrate allowance. You are not denying yourself any foods, but you are making decisions based on what foods and what quantities make you feel best.For this episode I am going to pull from Episode #14, Cooking for the Family, which aired September 1st, 2022, and Episode #15, Grocery Shopping, which aired September 8th, 2022. Review of Foods to Limit There is no need to eat so separately from your family. What mistakes are we making and why?What are the costs of making these mistakes? Calling out a new way for planning your meals Ideas for family mealsAll about grocery shoppingThis week's Actionable Coaching AdviceNext week's episode: Fnding your balance with Kaizen Get all my free guidesTake a look at this great courseJoin me on FacebookFollow me on InstagramCheck out PinterestAnd don't forget my book!

Episode #:62 Foods for Low Carb Eating You’re Listening to the Keto and Low Carb Success podcast, Episode # 62, Foods for Low Carb Eating.There is nothing that you cannot have while eating a low carb diet, and there is never an issue of deprivation. You are in the driver’s seat as you plan your meals and decide how to use your carbohydrate allowance. You are not denying yourself any foods, but you are making decisions based on what foods and what quantities make you feel best. But, there are some foods you should be aware of that you might want to limit. This episode goes into detail with some of them.1. Bread and grains2. Legumes.    (And Phytic Acid and Lectins)3. Fruit and Fruit Juices4. Starchy vegetables5. Yogurt, milk and other dairy products6. Honey or sugar in any form7. Gluten-free products and FrankenfoodsThis week’s Actionable Coaching Advice Using the Keto and Low Carb Planner (FREE RESOURCE, below) to find your own compatible foods.Next Episode Coming up: Shopping and Cooking for Low CarbGet all my free guidesTake a look at this great courseJoin me on FacebookFollow me on InstagramCheck out PinterestAnd don't forget my book!

Episode #61: Why Do Low Carb Diets Work?In this episode. you will see the many reasons a low carb diet has scientifically been shown to work. You will also see a few myths that you may come upon in your travels.Your coaching advice this week is to build awareness during three days of eating. It is easier than you think to switch to a low carb lifestyle. This awareness is the first step.3:25.     Why do low carb diets work?5:00.      Insulin levels are lowered7:06.     Water weight is released8:01.     Higher protein is consumed8:57.      There is a metabolic advantage to Low Carb10:08.    Less variation and lower "food reward" results in lower consumption12:22.    Three common myths about low carb eating17:41.    This week's ACTIONABLE COACHING ADVICE19:57.     Next week's episodeGet all my free guidesTake a look at this great courseJoin me on FacebookFollow me on InstagramCheck out PinterestAnd don't forget my book!

Episode #60: Keto and Low Carb Baked Goods and TreatsFirst piece of advice: NEVER RUN BACK TO WHAT BROKE YOU.In this episode I explore "Concept Cravings". If you are eating a lot of these food substitutions you only learn how to substitute, not how to sit with your urges and cravings or to explore foods that might be more filling and go a long way to have you feel better and improve your health. I talk about the dreaded binge but then when keto and low carb sweets and baked goods might be a good idea. Your actionable coaching advice this week will show you how there is no deprivation in eating this way, you just have to make decisions based on how foods make you feel - physically and emotionally.3:25.      On to today's episode4:50.      Use keto baked goods with caution7:49.      The dreaded binge10:50.   When keto baked goods and sweets ARE a good idea14:04.    Feeling your best15:20.    The learning curve16:15.    Other slippery slope foods17:40.    This week's ACTIONABLE COACHING ADVICE19:43.    Next week's episodeGet all my free guidesTake a look at this great courseJoin me on FacebookFollow me on InstagramCheck out PinterestAnd don't forget my book!

Episode #59: The Scale is a Lying Liar Who LiesI am taking that directly from one of my favorite people, Jimmy Moore. I think it is perfect! I always say, “Keto is a shape-shifting diet.” When you get done listening to this episode go to the transcript to check out a photo I will have there. I don’t have the individual photos dated, but I do recall that this was several months into my Keto journey and my weight loss had been stalled. The pictures were taken about two months apart with very little to show for it on the scale.(I AM SORRY - IT TURNS OUT THAT I CANNOT ADD PICTURES TO THESE SHOWNOTES. CLICK ON THIS BLOG TO SEE IT.)But before I get into the liar who lies, I will  talk about NSVs and other "phenomena" such as the fabled WHOOSH, water weight, and developing patience.4:40.     What is a NSV? It stands for Non-Scale Victories6:11.     How could I go down in size but not in weight?9:00.      The Whoosh Effect and Water Weight11:40.    Your body's priority is restoring itself to health13:19.    Be patient20:13.    This weeks' ACTIONABLE COACHING ADVICE22:37.    Episode 60 coming up next week.Water WeightWhoosh EffectGretchen RubinGet all my free guidesTake a look at this great courseJoin me on FacebookFollow me on InstagramCheck out PinterestAnd don't forget my book!

Episode #58: Counting Carbs!I want to talk today about being flexible with Keto, but I thought I would be jumping the gun because I haven’t done an episode yet on counting carbohydrates, and that is so important before you can begin to be flexible with them! So, this episode is all about counting carbs. I talk a little bit about how you can be flexible later in the episode.Before we even start, I want to make sure you understand what a carbohydrate is. After getting that, I will talk about three ways to count carbs. I am sure you have heard of Total and Net, but I introduce you to a THIRD way to count carbs: My own Granny Keto Hybrid System that my clients have been wildly successful with. My YouTube link is included below so that you can see for yourself, after listening to the podcast.3:54.     What is a carbohydrate?6:04.     Think of the system as a lock and key7:40.     Choosing how to count your carbohydrates8:29.     The net carb myth10:18.   Which is right for you: Total Carbs or Net Carbs?12:07.   Being flexible about the carbs helps sustain a Keto lifestyle13:28.   Hybrid Counting14:38.   Yogurt16:30.    Bacon17:31.    Salami and Ham18:24.    Legal definition of zero carbs19:08.    Sugar alcohols20:53.    How to make this all work for your eating plan23:05.    This week's actionable coaching advice25:25.    Next week's episode: The Lying Scale that LiesYou Tube video on Counting CarbsGet all my free guidesTake a look at this great courseJoin me on FacebookFollow me on InstagramCheck out PinterestAnd don't forget my book!

Episode #57: When a Chip is Just a Chip:There is so much dogma in the various camps about the right way or wrong way to do Keto, that it is enough to make a person’s head spin — even for someone who has followed Keto for quite some time.  I call this DOGMANTICS.  This episode will help you sort through all the different viewpoints on how to do Keto and Low Carb so that you can find something that is comfortable for yourself.  The episode also takes you along with me for my trip to Italy where I discovered that sometimes a chip is just a chip, and sometimes a gelato is just a gelato.4:19.        Dogmantics8:13.        A Paradigm Shift within a paradigm shift11:59.     When a chip is just a chip16:10.     Boxes and Boundaries16:58.    Pandora's Box20:50.    What kind of boxes should you use?20:24.    Fuzzy Boundaries26:36.    What this has meant to me28:44.     This week's Actionable Coaching Advice32:15.     Coming up next weekGet all my free guidesTake a look at this great courseJoin me on FacebookFollow me on InstagramCheck out PinterestAnd don't forget my book!