Fighting the Carb Monster.. and losing so far!

Posted on by
Reply

This past week has not been a good week for me eating wise. After doing so well last week with watching what I ate while losing 6lbs, and then giving in to off planned carbs and grains during the weekend, I seem to be on and off my plan this week since then. And I say this after finishing a high carb lunch full of pasta and guilt. I didn’t even want the pasta, I was just hungry! And I gotta tell ya, it’s a friendly reminder on why I’m trying to ditch carbs.. I feel like I should take a nap already.

Luckily, I already know what can fix this and it happens every time I watch what I eat. It’s not that I can’t eat what’s low carb, it’s just that I don’t have low carb meals prepared before hand. I’m a person that likes convenience as much as a I like to cook, but when I’m hungry I’ll grab whatever is around. So far this week, I don’t have a lot of friendly low carb meals or snacks to rely on. So tomorrow, after we take our dogs to get shots, I plan on cooking a few days worth of my favorite low carb meals, and search out some other low carb friendly meals. One of my favorite low carbs meals is mock crispy chicken, and I can eat that every day.

To clarify my plan, I really don’t follow any specific low carb program. But I do find that I feel my best when I eat under 20 grams of carbs a day, no grains, and I try to watch my calories though I’m not strict on it. I typically eat a lot of eggs, and I work on incorporating coconut oil and flax oil during the day for their health benefits. Although I do find more comfort hanging around the Atkins folks since ironically most of the food I eat is surrounded around their induction foods.

I really don’t like to say that tomorrow is another day, but it truly is. I find that I can get in the habit of saying that in the past on a daily basis.. I just need to refocus my energy. I know what I need to do, and it’s not that I’m eating because I’m craving carbs, but more in terms of lack in planning my meals. I know things take time, and this is just a new learning experience for me.

Low Carbing to Lose Weight and Gain Health

Posted on by
2

I have been doing very well on watching my carbs over the last week and a half. The only common dilemma I have is when I am in social situations, and it’s not that I want the food that is being served, it’s just that I find it rude to turn down someone’s cooking. I really need to change my mentality on that, and learn I don’t have to always eat what people offer.

The reason why I chose to eat low carb again is because I have found that is the only thing that makes me feel “right.” It makes me feel energized, healthy and just a general feeling of well being. People always assume that cutting out food groups completely is wrong, or somehow unhealthy. I’m sorry, but I just can’t fathom someone telling me that what I’m eating is unhealthy as they drink a large Coke and eating french fries that were no doubt smothered in hydrogenated oils. Since when was Sugar a food group? After researching on my own about the benefits of watching carbs over calories, and reducing my bodies release of insulin, I have come to my own conclusion that this is the healthiest route.

Years ago during the low carb craze in 2002-2003, I lost 30lbs in about 6 weeks. Of course, I was only turning 18 years old so my metabolism was high. I transitioned back to a higher carb diet to lose some extra weight, but then switched back to a moderate carb diet after realizing that carbs made me hungry and sluggish. I remember around that time that I’d eat one doughnut with only 8 grams of sugar in it, and I’d end up taking a 2 hour nap!

Do I watch my calories? Kind of, but not strictly. I do only to make sure that I am eating enough right now because I tend to eat TOO LITTLE while I low carb and I know that’s not good for me or my body. My biggest goal is to improve on eating fruits and vegetables at some point. I’ve always been an extremely picky eater, and so is my boyfriend. I keep telling my boyfriend that he needs to watch his sugar since his dad has diabetes, and I pointed out to him that just two of his Pepsi’s he would drink had at least 80 grams of sugar in it. Luckily, he liked the new Pepsi Next and I was able to convert him to drink that instead. I’m still working on lowering his sugar, and having him eat healthier too. My biggest point to wanting to eat more fruits and vegetables is just to receive some of the nutrients I know that I may lack in. I’m not a big eater on greens, so I know the potential is there that I’m Vitamin K deficient. I might try blending them into a smoothie every day, but right now I want to focus on losing weight and slowly introducing new ways of adding in my nutrients. I firmly believe that nutrition is key to reducing diseases such as cancer, as well as a low carb lifestyle. I only wish that organic foods were cheaper, as well as grass fed meat and eggs.

Right now, my goal is to reach my goal weight of 120lbs. I weighed in yesterday at 186.6lbs, but my main focus is on what I eat and put into my body rather than focusing on the scale.