Nothing to do with actual cardboard, the cardboard diet is more than a food regime. It promotes highly nutritional food habits and a holistic lifestyle. This lifestyle changed women’s lives everywhere, mine included.
The cardboard diet kept me accountable for my health. I endeavored to make the necessary habit changes and reached my goals.
Today, I’ll share information on the types, and benefits. I will also share my personal experiences and tips.
What Is The Cardboard Diet?
The Cardboard Diet encourages eating low calorie but high-nutrition foods, typically low in spices but high in protein. Developed by “Lauren from Texas”, the name comes from the unused cardboard box of clothes that don’t fit our current bodies.
I own many clothes that I couldn’t wear in the past, but the cardboard diet changed that.
This is not a strict regime, but a sustainable and long-term life choice. Lean protein, vegetables, daily exercise, and enough hydration all make up a cardboard diet.
Beyond that, it’s a community of women who motivate each other to do better for themselves. By sharing successes, setbacks, and weekly progress, I accomplished my goals under the guidance of the cardboard diet.
Benefits Of The Cardboard Diet
This diet benefited me in numerous ways. Here’s how it can benefit you:
- Recovery after illness
Cardboard diet food heals the gut. I tried these recipes when I was incredibly sick. They worked wonderfully. I will mention specific food items that adhere to the cardboard diet later.
- Health issues
When I fall sick, I prefer recipes that follow the cardboard diet. Cardboard diet foods are typically low in spice, but offer great nutritional value. When you’re sick, I advise you to avoid spicy foods. It can worsen the condition.
- Weight Loss
The cardboard diet is an all-around way of eating and working out. Cutting down sugar intake, eating oil-free foods, and exercising more. Resulting in a calorie deficit, this diet accelerated my weight loss journey. It’s not about looking good, but a path to a healthy life.
- Healthy Lifestyle
Besides weight loss, the cardboard diet helps you be healthy in all aspects of your life. Except for a few guidelines, I follow a holistic approach.
Don’t Forget To Read: Agoge Diet
Cardboard Diet Foods
These are food items I’ve used in my cardboard diet.
(i) Boiled Vegetables
Boiled vegetables are one of the best sources for rich nutrients and vitamins. They’re low in calories and benefit your body in countless ways.
Vegetables lower blood sugar, blood pressure, and improve your vision. They even prevent cancer. Only 10% of Americans eat enough vegetables in their diet.
(ii) Sweet potatoes
High in fiber, sweet potatoes are incredible for your stomach health, vision, and immunity system.
They’re high in beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A. For example, I love adding sweet potatoes to my vegetables.
(iii) Oatmeal
Oatmeals are rich in antioxidants and fiber. As a gluten-free grain, it’s great for people suffering from Celiac disease (Celiac disease requires people to avoid gluten).
Oatmeal is extremely versatile. I like cooking them in various flavours and recipes.
(iv) Plain Chicken Breast
A source of lean protein, cooking chicken breast with minimal spices helps me stay healthy but full. Protein plays a crucial role in your energy levels.
I incorporate lean protein into my diet as much as possible.
More Than a Diet
This diet goes beyond food habits. I learned accountability. Although it began from an old box of clothes, it evolved into a lifestyle for me.
I exercise regularly. Going for walks, going to the gym, even yoga is a good workout. The cardboard diet also encouraged me to take my hydration seriously.
The cardboard diet is a community. Women from all over the world partake in it and share their progress. This taught me discipline.
Try Also: WOE Diet
Components of The Cardboard Diet Lifestyle
These are the key factors that many women share during their journey with the cardboard diet. I followed several of these steps. They helped immensely.
Food tracking
Food is fuel. By tracking everything I ate in a day, I stayed aware of what I’m putting into my body.
Food tracking doesn’t have to be scary. Tracking one meal a day is better than nothing. Approximately, 26% of young people in the U.S. track their eating habits.
I track the time I ate, the basic food items, and the calorie intake of each meal. By doing this, I’m motivated to improve each day.
Food tracking puts into perspective what truly matters in food: the nutritional value and the energy we get from it.
Weigh ins
While it’s an optional step, I highly recommend it. Listen to your body and don’t overexert yourself.
By checking my weight every week, I kept track of my progress.
I could spot if I was slacking or if I’m losing too much weight. Many women including myself choose this step to face their fears and live a better life.
Success Story
Women on the internet also share their weekly positive achievements of doing the Cardboard Diet. This can be anything. I note down the small wins in my journey.
Examples are saying no to a second cake slice or going for a walk. Writing my success stories every week is a form of gratitude journaling. Daily gratitude work increases overall well-being by 10%.
Splurges
Like success stories, it’s important to note the negatives as well. I journal all aspects of the week where I was lacking. It’s important to understand that splurging is normal.
However, by keeping track of the times I lost sight of my goals, I identified possible things I could change.
For example, every week, I splurged on desserts. To combat this, I incorporated healthy alternatives to desserts into my daily meals. Tracking my splurges turned out to be a positive thing.
Read More On : BBBE Diet
Cardboard Diet’s Effect On People’s Lives
Women all over the Internet say that the cardboard diet has made them stronger and smarter.
Stephany from Florida blogged her entire journey with Lauren from Texas and the cardboard diet.
From holding her accountable to giving her realistic goals, the cardboard diet journey brought incredible results for her.
Chelle, the owner of the blog The Daily Chelle, used the cardboard diet to reach her goal weight. It’s sustainable, healthy, and it didn’t make her obsess over her health.
A Different Type Of Cardboard Diet
The cardboard diet by Lauren from Texas is not the only one to exist. While this one involves no real cardboard, some people use it as part of their diet.
People consume small bits of cardboard throughout the day to satisfy their hunger cravings while staying under their calorie limits.
It is easily broken down by your stomach acids.
However, there isn’t immediate harm in following this. There are far better alternatives to achieving the same goal. I recommend eating popcorn, berries, and smoothies to stay full.
Final Thoughts
So that’s it. The cardboard diet changed my life and body for the better.
By following all the information I’ve given above, I believe that you can make these changes too. Let’s strive for health and happiness.
