My Banting Secrets |Part One|

Over the last few months I have had quite a few people ask my about my Banting journey and how I have managed to succeed at it. It's no secret that I'm so happy with this lifestyle change that I made back in January. I've even managed to convince a few friends to begin Banting with me, and it's been so rewarding to help them along. So I thought I'd compile a post on how to succeed at Banting. I've decided to split this post into 2 parts - a more general introduction to Banting and then tomorrow I will be sharing more of  my own personal secrets and tips regarding Banting.

I have been Banting religiously for 7 months now and I can honestly tell you that 1) it is not difficult to begin or maintain, 2) it's not gross, or disgusting and some people have remarked and 3) it is the best decision I have made for not only my health, but my confidence as well. I have lost a total of 17kgs in 7 months. My starting weight was 75kg and my current weight is 58kg. I am 1.64m tall. My jeans size has dropped from a 14 to an 8 and I've lost cm's all round. You can read more about my own personal journey over here.

Before we really begin, if I could give you any advice regarding Banting it would go as follows... Firstly, keep it simple. There's no need to confuse yourself with the science behind it or by worrying about carbs per gram etc, etc. There's also no need to blow your entire budget on making the confusing and expensive Banting recipes such as carb-free crackers, cakes etc. I've found that I've avoided failing at this by keeping it as simple as possible. Secondly, I would tell you to persevere. It can be both difficult and confusing in the beginning, but it is so worth it. If I can do it, anyone can! Push through the cravings and whatever other challenges you may face and you will see results soon - I'm talking soon as in the first week soon.

What is Banting?

Banting is not a diet - it is more an eating lifestyle. Very, very basically Banting means no sugars, carbs and unsaturated fat.

You may have heard that Banting is a low carb, high fat diet. The high fat intake is where you get your energy from. When eating carbs and junk such as breads, sweets, pastas etc, your body is given an immediate source of energy - any left over energy is stored as body fat.
Saturated fats (the good fats, the Banting kind of fats) give your body energy as well, but your body has to work a little harder to access this energy - hence the weight loss.

There is this misconception that eating saturated fat is bad for you and may cause diseases such as high blood pressure, obesity and even heart disease. This is not true at all. In fact, it's been proven that a high-carb diet is actually the cause of these diseases. There are millions of success stories and tales of how Banting has lowered cholesterol, blood pressure, cured diabetes etc, etc, etc.

What is the deal with the high fat intake?

Banting is all about the good, natural fats - butter, coconut oil, ghee and fatty cuts of meat. These healthy fats keep you full and give you energy. Due to the fact that your body is no longer getting it's energy from sugars and carbs, you need to have a high fat intake in order to keep your energy levels up. Your body will use this fat for energy. It will also begin to burn your stored body fat for energy, causing your weight loss.

Now I've heard some pretty ridiculous things regarding the high fat intake. Things such as "apparently you need to eat so much fat that you have to feel nauseous after each meal." This isn't true. But I get it, it's extremely confusing and difficult to wrap your head around it all. I have to be honest with you - I hate(d) fat. I've never eaten pork crackling or anything like that. If we were having chops, I'd cut my fat off and throw it away. Fatty Biltong? Gross, no thank you. So, how does someone who is so opposed to fat live a high fat lifestyle? It's really simple - because "high fat" doesn't mean so much fat that you physically cannot take anymore. It simply means getting enough saturated fats to avoid feeling tired or hungry. In the paragraphs that follow, I'll explain how I get my daily intake of fat.

What can you eat? What are you not allowed to eat?

With Banting, we have 3 lists - Green, Orange and Red. These lists state everything you can and cannot eat. If you are wanting to lose weight while Banting, you need to aim to keep your net carbs under 25g/100g a day. Stick with me, this is where it may get confusing...

Everything has carbs in it. Right from the humble potato to a lettuce leaf. It's the amount of carbs that is in 100g of whatever you're eating that is important.

These lists work like a traffic light - green means go, orange means proceed with caution and red means stop/no.

"Green List" and "Orange List" foods are foods that contain less that 25g of carbs per 100g. "Red List" foods are foods you should steer clear from as their carb content is higher than 25g/100g.

Banters that want to lose weight eat from the Green List. You are occasionally allowed to eat from the Orange List, however Orange List foods do contain a higher carb content than Green List foods. Once you have reached your goal weight, you're encouraged to incorporate more Orange List items in order to stop losing weight but avoid gaining.

You can find the three lists here.

Drinks wise, you're allowed teas, coffee, water and that's pretty much it. You're allowed some alcohol such as dry wines, whiskey and some ciders, but in moderation. 

How much are you allowed to eat?

Here's what I love about Banting - you don't need to count calories and you don't need to weigh/measure your food. Portion control is not necessary. If you eat off of the Green List, you can eat as much as you want and you will not exceed your carb intake. 

For example, pumpkin is on the Green List. So, if I was physically able to, I could eat a truck load of pumpkin and I would not exceed my allowed 25g of net carbs a day. You start gaining weight when you exceed that 25g of daily net carb allocation which will happen if you eat off of the Red List.

You're encouraged to eat when you're hungry and until you are full. Snacking is not necessary once you're into the swing of things and your body has become "fat adapted". After a couple of months I stopped having breakfast simply because I was too full. It's very important to listen to your body - you will know how much and what works for you.

How do I begin?

First things first, you need to educate yourself on Banting. This little post of mine is not enough. I would strongly recommend you buy this book. It explains everything far better than I am able to, it gives you the three lists and it has a handful of recipes. The Banting website - realmealrevolution.com - is also extremely helpful.

Stock up on coconut oil. That stuff is incredible. It is a great source of fat - especially for someone like me who is not keen on eating the fat on meat etc. It will also replace all your cooking oil and anything else you may have used to cook with in the past. 

You can also use butter to cook with. Personally I prefer coconut oil to cook with. It doesn't have a taste and it goes really far and lasts me longer than butter does. Being on a student budget, I also find that coconut oil turns out to be cheaper than butter.

Join Facebook groups. You need support. I found it very difficult to begin Banting when others did not support my decision or understand it. There is strength in numbers and the Facebook groups are really helpful in terms of getting tips and seeing inspiring transformations. I cannot stress enough how important it is to build up a little Banting community. I think I'm a part of about 5 different WhatsApp groups - friends and family members and even a few fellow bloggers and I are constantly chatting about what we're struggling with, sharing our progress, meal ideas, tips etc.

Clean out your fridge and grocery cupboards. The more non-Banting things you have in your home, the more temptation there is. If you're the only Banter in your family this can be difficult - you cannot force your eating habits onto other people, however they do need to be respectful of your decision to make a change. 

Lastly, just begin. You're never going to know if this is something you can succeed at (and trust me, this really IS something you can succeed at) if you simply don't start. My only regret regarding Banting is that I didn't start it sooner.

I could go on for hours and completely over load you with Banting information, but I think that this is enough for one day. Pop back here tomorrow for Part Two where I speak more about my personal experience and tips and tricks!