Try a 2-5-6 Carb Plan for Weight Loss

This is a plan I am using right now to get my carbohydrate intake back on track, shrink my stomach and eventually lose some winter weight gain from my waistline. Even though I did exercise most of the winter I also managed to eat more than I burned off and now need to get back in shape.

Here are some quick tips if you want to try this plan for yourself.

• 2-5-6 means that you eat 2 carbohydrate choices - 5 times a day - 6 days a week.

This will keep your daily carb total at 10 carb servings which are not extremely restrictive but with moderate activity should help get weight loss going. This plan is not going to be a magic answer for everyone but it is a low carb intake that should work for most women whose activity is light to moderate. If you need more for breakfast do 3 carb choices and then 1 for a snack instead of 2 choices.

• What is a carb choice?

Starches: 1 carb choice equals any of the following: ½ cup potatoes, corn, green peas, casserole, pasta salad, 1 thin crust slice of pizza, 1/3 cup cooked pasta or rice.

Sweets: Examples of 1 carb choice = 1 snack size candy bar, ½ cup ice cream, 2 Oreo size cookies, or a 2 inch by 2 inch brownie square unfrosted.

Milk includes only milk and yogurt.

Fruit: 1 cup melon, ½ cup canned fruit, 1 small to medium apple or orange, ½ banana, ½ cup juice.

Foods that are NOT carb foods are meats, vegetables and fats/oils. This includes fish, cheese, peanut butter and cottage cheese.

To figure carbs from packages look at the Serving Size and Total Carbohydrate amount. Every 15 grams = 1 carb serving.

For example 1 cup Cheerios has about 26 grams total carbohydrate. That counts as almost 2 choices. If you have 8 oz milk that is another 12 grams so 26 +12 = 38 or about 2.5 carb choices. (38 divided by 15)

• 7th day can be a free day if you want or you can give yourself an extra 3-4 carb choices that day. Try not to go over 15 choices total even if it is a free day.

• Sample Day

Breakfast: 2 whole grain toast with peanut butter, coffee black, and water

Snack: Small to medium piece of fruit or 1 cup berries or melon

Lunch: Salad greens with sunflower seeds, cheese, strawberry or mandarin orange slices, croutons and salad dressing.

Dinner: Lean meat, broccoli and 1 cup roasted potatoes

Snack: Tea and 1-2 carbs of chocolate

• Note how hungry you feel between meals. You should start to get hungry between meals and snacks and remember that feeling means it is working! Eating 5 times a day allows you to eat frequently enough to not get too hungry but the small amounts will help shrink your stomach so that you will get full sooner when you do eat.

• Don't forget the activity. Try to stay active with exercise, yard or house work or taking walks.