No Carb Self-Experiment: 7 Days Without Carbohydrates

Iris has completely gone without carbohydrates for a week. You can read how she did in this low-carb experience report.

Girls, let’s talk about problem areas! As a mother of two in my early 30s, I’m plagued by the classics: a belly and love handles. I like to call them muffin tops, because they swell over the edge of my jeans like a muffin over its little mold. I don’t like it. They were hardly affected by my previous diets and workouts and simply clung to me. I finally want to change that now. That’s why I chose Gymondo’s six-pack program.

With the no-carb self-experiment, potatoes are strictly forbidden!
I started with the seven days no carbs-diet, combined with a small workout program. I did not worry too much about the workout. Seven days without carbohydrates, however, scared the crap out of me.

How does the no-carb diet work?

The no-carb diet is a particularly hard version of the low-carb diet. You go without carbohydrates almost completely, which usually provide you with energy in the short and medium-term. During my seven days of going without carbohydrates, the first part of the Gymondo six-pack program, my body was forced to use more fats and proteins as a replacement source of energy. This physical conversion is the basis of the ketogenic diet.x

My goal was clear with the no-carb self-experiment: to finally get rid of the annoying muffin top!

The food during my no-carb diet

Because of the lack of nutrients due to the strict absence of carbohydrates, it was important to balance this deficit with other energy sources, i.e. fats and proteins. So, meat, fish, avocados, various oils, and eggs were on my shopping list. Since most vegetables have a fairly high carbohydrate content, they were mostly eliminated here too. I was allowed to eat mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, lettuce, chard and bamboo shoots. Purslane is also allowed as a lettuce substitute, but I couldn’t find that stuff anywhere. Incidentally, here in the Gymondo magazine, you will find many delicious low-carb recipes for a healthy and athletic diet!

Since milk and dairy products are also carbohydrate suppliers, they also disappeared from my fridge. Only hard cheese and granular cream cheese are allowed from this category. Like an absolute girl, with a penchant for vegetarianism, I barely eat fish or meat – and certainly not red meat – I was afraid I would be quite hungry. However, I was lucky that asparagus season had just begun, so there were eggs, scrambled eggs and omelets with asparagus, bamboo shoots, spinach or mushrooms. A green salad with avocado was my favorite side dish with marinated chicken. You can make a delicious marinade with a little oil, mustard, and spices, which makes the meat very tender.

No-carb chicken marinade

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 pinch of rosemary (dried)
• 1 pinch of garlic powder
• a little coarse sea salt and black pepper

Now you mix everything together and put your chicken breast fillet in, marinate it and let it rest for a while – done!

The biggest temptations

Other people’s food is often the biggest temptation. When my children sat at the table and devoured their dinner, I was always on the verge of tasting a tiny bite just once. Even when we were on the go and I unpacked the Tupperware with fruit and small pretzels, my inner temptation was aroused. The grab reflex is incredibly powerful.

Self-control and willpower are required in these situations. I constantly reminded myself why I’m doing this and developed a decent ambition to get through the no-carb week. There are moments you cannot escape. You just have to be strong here, but you can easily avoid other situations. I did not see the inside of a restaurant during these seven days. I knew it would be almost impossible to find a carbohydrate-free meal – and watching others eat is definitely not fun! 

As a sweet breakfast eater, it took some effort in the morning to eat eggs again, but your hunger drives you to eat them. I still mourned my yoghurt with fruits and oatmeal. It was especially hard in the evening in front of the TV. My hands wanted to hold something; my head was screaming for something to nibble on. So on the second day, I grabbed my kids’ popsicle forms, filled them with unsweetened fruit tea and put them in the freezer. My brain and hands could be outsmarted with my tea popsicles!

Weak moments in my no-carb diet

There were weak moments. For the first few days, I had the feeling of being more tired than usual. I lacked a certain basic energy. Nevertheless, I was able to take care of my work and my everyday life with the children without any problems. Although I had to keep taking breaks while playing tag, everything else went great. On the fourth day, I had a really down day. I became dizzy at yoga, had a headache and just felt wobbly on my legs. That day, I actually had to turn things down a few gears and rest. By the fifth day, my body seemed to get used to the new energy production – I did not feel any physical disabilities and even went jogging once in the evening. 

No carbs? – My conclusion

For me, the sweat and perseverance paid off. On my stomach, a small six-pack is emerging. The abdominal and hip circumference visibly and measurably shrunk. My pants fit wonderfully relaxed after my no-carb self-experiment. No pressure marks, no muffin top. Although I do not want to eat any more eggs in the near future, I will stick with more conscious handling of carbohydrates, especially when it comes to white flour products. In the long run, a no-carb diet is not for me. Especially when playing sports, you realize that the necessary energy is simply missing – as if you are driving with the hand brake on. But a short no-carb interlude is definitely a good thing for boosting fat metabolism and thereby reducing body fat.

Get a six-pack with Gymondo

Gymondo’s six-pack program combines a tough fitness program with a simple and effective nutritional plan. In five weeks, you’ll remove the unloved belly fat and get your abs in top form.