Blah 😛 lol, I’m really not in the mood. I had a roller coaster of highs and lows this weekend that I’m still recovering from. *sigh*
Fortunately I don’t “eat by feelings” anymore, or I would have taken a pizza and a pint to bed with me last night.;)
I turned things around last year with two simple shifts…
One: FEEL the void, instead of FILL the void. And feel it I did. Second: I found other things to ENJOY in life other than food, which are actually a lot more fun & fulfilling.
Plus other ways to “cure boredom” like getting out for a walk or a hike, going to concerts, singing & dancing (like nobody’s watching! mostly when I’m sure they aren’t, lol), or simple strength building exercises at home.
Unfortunately I haven’t been doing those things very much at all lately, and I’ve been working a lot more than usual too. Work has been great though, providing some nice “highs” at least. I’m on a good creative streak, which feels awesome.
I did hike once last week and once this week, just not with my usual enthusiasm. I feel like I’ve lost my adventurous SPARK! this summer, and my fitness motivation is just kinda tanked too.
I know what to do. I need to just get up and dance, whether I feel like it or not. I need to do 20 Tricep Dips while the coffee is brewing every morning. I need to hike it out until I FIND my FUN side again. I say that because I know it works.
Feel like it or not to start with, you always feel like a million bucks once you DO it – am I right? 😉 The only way to get in the habit… is to GET in the habit.
Anyway, I’ll share my low carb food diaries with you for the last two days, along with my MyFitnessPal logs so you can see how I tracked them. And I’ll share a couple of pictures with you from yesterday’s hike…
Here’s a preview of what to expect today:
Saturday’s Low Carb Meals
My Saturday was a weird day, because I was totally off schedule. I went to bed early Friday and woke up at 11pm, so this day ran through just after 5pm Saturday when I slept until 11pm again. 🙄
My delicious “midnight snack” was Lily’s Sugar Free Chocolate with a TBSP of peanut butter and a serving (30 grams) of raw pecan halves:
Around daybreak I had my favorite LCHF breakfast of pecans, strawberries & Daisy Brand cottage cheese – which I stir all together and call “cereal.” 🙂
For lunch I finished off some chicken strips that were in the freezer. There was 4 ounces left in the bag, so I fried them in butter and just called it lunch. 😉
My dinner: a LCHF cookie sandwich with Ginger Turmeric Fatsnax Cookies and kosher cream cheese. 🙂 Plus 1/2 cup of pecan halves (60 grams).
My macros were great, but I went over my usual “20 net carbs per day” since it was a weird schedule and a long day – and four full meals instead of just three…
Here’s my MyFitnessPal Food Diary for Saturday:
You can see that I had 6 large mugs of coffee Saturday too, each with a TBSP of Coffee-Mate Sugar Free Hazelnut Powdered Creamer.
Sunday’s Low Carb Meals
It was close to lunchtime before I ate on Sunday, just because I was busy that morning. I had 3 sausage patties and 3 fried eggs from McDonald’s before I headed out on my hike:
I packed up plenty of low carb foods for the hike, first because I was packing for two – but also in case we made a longer day of it since the sun doesn’t go down until after 8pm this time of year:
I just ate once, and only snacked on a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but it came to almost 800 calories as you can see in my MFP diary below.
It’s smart to pack compact, calorie-dense foods when you’re hiking or camping. 😉
Here’s my MyFitnessPal Food Diary for Sunday:
Net Carbs: 13
Total Carbs: 48
Calories: 1566
Protein: 80 grams
81% Fat / 16% Protein
Exercise: Hiking Denny Cove
Fitbit Steps: 11,658
Water: 80 ounces
The hike was only maybe four miles tops, but it was a technical trail with plenty of rocks to navigate and a bit of climbing, so it was a great workout for the day.
There’s a smaller waterfall on the way to Denny Falls that I decided to climb, which was a lot of fun. 🙂 It was extremely slick with sketchy footing and rushing water, so it required full body “navigation.” I thought the challenge would do me good, and it did. There for a moment I felt my spark again.;)
The rest of the hike was just sweat and trails and deep thinking.
I found myself sitting on the rock facing Denny Falls trying to remember why it is that I love waterfalls so much.
I watched the water pour over the top in what seemed like a constant repeating pattern, reminding myself that it was changing by the micro-second: that every single drop was new, falling for the first and last time. I tried to find the magic and the beauty in it, but just couldn’t.
I have mixed feelings about the photos above. I’m proud of myself for getting more active. I’m disgusted that I’ve let my arms and waist get flabby again. I look and FEEL great for 44 years old. I could have been so much farther along by now.
Your self-image is a weird thing because feelings are fickle. You can be really proud of yourself and really disgusted with yourself all in the same hour. 😛
You can’t get lost in your negative thoughts though. I always say to myself, “If you’re not happy with it, DO something about it!” -and that goes for anything in your life.
I’m ready to DO something. Like I said earlier… I’m going to FORCE it until I start FEELING it, knowing that ACTION is exactly what it’ll take for my motivation to return. 😉
How are things going with you?
Sorry for the “summer blues” post, but I feel like there may be someone out there that’s feeling it too. Or struggling with the highs and lows of life and maybe missing their JOY -too.
Talking about it helps. Knowing you’re not alone, and there are others (like me) going through it too – that helps too.
But truly… taking action is the thing that will help most.
I aim to get my JOY back, find my motivation at the end of 80 ab reps, sweat out the negativity, and fall in love with nature all over again! 🙂 Let’s do this, shall we?
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
Discount Code: LOWCARBTRAVELER
Vicki Pickens says
Cute outfit! Fabletics?
Lynn Terry says
Ha! Thanks, Vicki π Those are Fabletics yoga shorts yes – I use them for “swim shorts” though. π I had on a tank & skirt over that – and the bikini top is from American Eagle. π During the summer months I like to hike swim-ready!
Stephanie Thomason says
What you said about feeling proud if yourself and disgusted with yourself in the same hour….I can totally relate. Yesterday morning while getting dressed I saw myself in the mirror and thought, “wow, I’m looking better..maybe even pretty good”. By the end of the day I was thinking how lumpy my thighs looked. So I started running (again) this morning.
Lynn Terry says
Good for you, Stephanie! My thighs are very lumpy too, especially my upper thighs – back and inner. I’m motivated to TARGET those areas and transform them into thighs I can LOVE. π Here’s to amazing thighs! lol *cheers*
Jen |Practical, By Default says
I enjoyed the photos you took. I understand the searching and not seeing it. The “ugh” of how that feels. How quickly the high and low can follow, especially when it comes to self and online world. Forcing it sounds like a plan. So does dancing π Hang in there! OH and now I am hungry.
Lynn Terry says
Thank you, Jen π Dancing, YES – that made me smile! I miss dancing in my office (home office, thankfully -lol) and singing out loud, and playing tag with my great dane around the house. Those things *always* lift my spirits (and my heart rate!) so it’s time for me to get back to the things that make me SMILE.
It’s SO easy to get in a slump, but it’s also very easy to break out of one. I found before that feeling GREAT is totally addictive, and it doesn’t take much to get the ball rolling and build momentum…
So I’m off for one of my crazy, adventurous solo hikes today! π *cheers*
Melissa says
Oh this post hit hard. So many thoughts, not sure where to start or how to put it all in words to not be some jumbly mess. Unfortunately, I’m at a low right now. I don’t know why, I’ve fallen off the path. The past 2 1/2 weeks have been horrible eating. I feel like a swollen pig & a mushy tummy. I have good intentions & thoughts, start my day off but then derail.
Oh & exercise. I’ve fallen in a hole here too. I was getting 15-18K steps a day, doing weighted workouts, following the Tone It up girls. And it’s all definitely showing.
I want success. I want this weight off, I want to feel good, I want energy but right now I don’t know how to reach for it.
Sorry to be a debby downer.
BTW your new treats/meals look awesome. I feel like I gain when I look at them.
I have enjoyed your & Aaron’s cooking experiments. Seems he’s a pretty good cook. That’s nice to have.
Also I think you look fabulous.
Lynn Terry says
Thank you, Melissa π We’re both pretty handy around the kitchen, but also eat and cook very simple. We’re all about convenience and simplicity, but tend to throw together some pretty tasty meals!
My advice: journal it out – how you feel right now (all the negatives, all the wishes & wants), and also journal how great you felt before and how great you know it’ll feel to get back to focusing on your health & happiness.
It doesn’t matter why you stopped or where you are now. No guilt allowed. Just start RIGHT NOW and make a FIRM decision to get HAPPY again. The health & weight loss will follow suit. π
Like me, you’re just going to have to kick start it – the motivation & momentum will kick right in if you do. I think of it like push starting a car. When I was young I had this terrible car I always had to park on a hill, lol. But once I gave it a push (not so easy when you’re barely 100 pounds!) it would run just fine – until I had to turn it off again, lol.
That’s me right now. I need to just put in the effort to give myself a push-start… and I know I’ll be good to go. You will too. π
Cynthia Grubb says
I too have had the summer blues. I’m 61 days out from a total knee replacement and my eating is off also. Grocery shopping is not on my list of physical activities good for me. It’s all physical therapy ice and pain then repeat. Your emails have helped I just ordered my first Keto crate Sunday and I’m taking note of all your reviews of products and I am ordering some things this week. I was making some things from recipes off of Pinterest but I’m no longer able to stand that long, so prepared items will help. Thank you for your steadfastness. Cindy Grubb
Lynn Terry says
Hi Cindy! Total knee replacement surgery sounds tough. π I know when I had my unexpected hysterectomy (and very long, miserable recovery that did not go well) I went through many of the same challenges.
I discovered a local grocery store that offered delivery, and a few other delivery options. That was very helpful. Ordering things for convenience is smart too! And you’ll LOVE the Keto Krate. π That’s such a fun thing, and a great way to mix things up & enjoy new foods too!
Just keep it simple for now. I can get by pretty good with no cooking at all, other than the eggs I make – which are quick. In a pinch I’ll eat 1/2 cup of pecan halves – or add cheese & olives to that and call it a meal. Easy!
Julie Crowell says
Yep, that’s right, keep pushing. Like my momma says, “Fake it ’til you make it!”
Lynn Terry says
lol Julie – yes! And fortunately that works. I’ve had to force myself through a workout before, but then walk away from it feeling AMAZING! π
Barbara says
I have been energized by joining this site. I was always active and fit until I hit a rough patch a few years ago. I was getting my doctorate and creating a new school at the same time that I was an assistant principal at a large middle school. No sleep, working day and night, eating poorly, and not having time to work out or run my usual 3 mile run for 3 years. I gained an enormous amount of weight (70 pounds) and have not been able to get it off. Then my husband passed away very suddenly and unexpectedly. I was sure my life would end at this point.
Nine years have passed since his death and I finally said to myself– if you hate yourself for gaining this weight– do something about it– something you said in today’s post. So, I started the low carb eating on July 5th and as of today, July 10th I have lost almost 8 pounds. I am leaving on vacation for two weeks with my children and their families and I am concerned about that. Any suggestions?
Barbara
Lynn Terry says
That’s a lot to go through, Barbara. I just want to reach through this screen and HUG you. I’m so glad you have your children and their families. Hopefully they provide lots of love & hugs. π
The vacation with them sounds like a great time! Don’t be concerned, it’s actually fun to eat low carb on the go and on vacation – because there are so many new low carb food varieties to discover!
Here are a few photo tours of meals on my own trips to help you out:
http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/11526/healthy-low-carb-vacation/
http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/7751/a-great-low-carb-trip/
http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/17316/low-carb-business-travel/
http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/17064/low-carb-road-trip-meals/
http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/6191/low-carb-at-the-donut-hole/
http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/4511/low-carb-road-trip/
Donald Fuller Sr says
Is your ‘Joy” disappearing along with the increase of your ‘marketing’ efforts? I have found that I do not enjoy getting shuffled to ‘marketing partners with ’20 minute” marketing pitches.
Don Fuller, (what is left of me, down 85 lbs in last 12 months. A few more to go, then I will need some serious maintenance plans, how do you NOT keto diet? )
Lynn Terry says
Congrats on your 85 pound loss in the last year! That’s AWESOME, Don π As for “how do you NOT keto” – I stay on, and plan to stay on a ketogenic low carb diet as a lifestyle. It keeps me pain free and inflammation free. I suffered with chronic pain prior to going low carb, so this lifestyle has me active and *enjoying* life again!
You can try going to a more paleo style of eating, increasing your healthy carbs through root vegetables and fruits. You’ll just need to test to see where your “happy zone” is that you maintain your weight AND feel great.
You lost me on the “marketing partners with 20 minute pitches” – example? Actually my work has been FUN lately, and very rewarding. π Rewarding because I’ve been working with some cool people, and am on a creative streak with fun projects.
What has me bummed lately is more personal. Mainly personal attacks, comments out of left field, things that make me question myself or affect my self image, reminders of hard times and lost friendships, etc. Tough stuff, but I’m working through it. The one positive that’s coming out of it (so far) is that it’s making me more firm on who I am, how I am, what I do, and more importantly: WHY I do it. There’s nothing wrong with a little self reflection now and then π – it’s just not usually FUN. at all. π
Debbie says
Lynn,
This post hit me in the face! If I didn’t know better I’d think you were talking about me. It’s been a rough month or so. I know what I need to do, but just can’t get the motivation.
Thank you for always being honest and real with us. We are truly all in this together.
Debbie
Lynn Terry says
I’m sorry to hear that, Debbie. I do truly love our community here though. It’s so great to have a space to discuss these things. π
I’m kick-starting my motivation again, and pushing myself / challenging myself to get back to the active FUN lifestyle I was enjoying so much before. π I think I’m ready for some fresh new low carb meals to try too.
Motivation is a funny thing. It does NOT come on it’s own. You really do have to get that ball rolling yourself… so let’s do this! π
Heather Masson says
I hear what you are saying Lynn. I have been doing a lot of self reflection lately too. I am coming up on my 2 year anniversary at a LCHF way of eating (thanks to you). I have lost 155 pounds and am feeling really good.
Problem is I have gotten lazy over the past several months. I am trying hard to jump back in and lose the last 15 pounds that I want to lose however, lately I seem to be doing more “putting our fires” than moving forward. We have had some sickness hit my family (myself included) and so instead of having my normal energy and motivation, I feel like I am just trying to make it through the day.
Hopefully everyone is finally on the mend and we can get back to enjoying summer and moving forward.
Thank you for sharing, it does really help us to know we aren’t alone in our occasional “blues” and “struggles”.
Lynn Terry says
Self reflection can be a GOOD thing. Don’t you agree? π
CONGRATS on losing over 150 pounds. That’s amazing!! WOW π π Kudos for taking control of your health & goals like that!
I get the life & work distractions, those seem to come in phases and suck the energy out of you. I’ve been going through one of those phases myself, and I have noticed stress always makes my weight loss come to a dead hold.
I’m refusing to be hard on myself or have any regrets, and just “focus forward” and get back to my happy place. π Here’s to an amazing summer! *cheers*
Amanda Garner says
Lynn-I love your site. I stumbled across it yesterday and stayed up way too late last night looking at past blog posts. I travel around 70% for my job and struggle sometimes making good Low carb choices. You have given me a lot of options and how to get creative on the road. Thank you for sharing your MyFitness Pal logs, I use that also and I can’t tell you how much it helps. I’ve been on a Keto diet for about 2 months now, lost 17 pounds, waist is down 4 inches and down at least 1 dress size. I have quite a way to go before my final goal, but now I am excited about some new options that I learned about on you site. I also look forward to your Instagram posts, those help also. Thank you for what you do and thanks for the inspiration.
Lynn Terry says
Thank you, Amanda! π I’m SO glad you find the posts & updates helpful, and that it’s given you some new ideas to help you ENJOY eating low carb on the go.
I actually LOVE eating out and while traveling… because it’s like a game: finding fresh new FUN low carb foods & combinations to enjoy. π
I get excited every time I head out for that reason alone: “what will I discover on this trip?” -lol. Making a game of it, instead of a challenge, really does help.
For example, I discovered that IHOP (of all places! go figure, lol) has the freshest eggs, avocado & strawberries EVER… so it’s a great place to stop any time of day for a big beautiful FILLING low carb breakfast meal – even for dinner. π
Katie says
Love this post! It’s great to see both sides of a person–you make it seem so easy, so it’s great to know you’re human just like the rest of us. And I loved your advice about just doing something when you see something that needs to change.
Lynn Terry says
Thank you, Katie π You may have missed some of my earlier posts – last year and the year before I think? – where I struggled and failed and cried, lol. Ugh! It’s TOUGH making a HUGE lifestyle change. π But wow… it’s the best thing I have ever done for myself.
But yes, this is real life – for all of us. Stuff happens, sometimes things are tough, those are the phases that show us what we’re made of… or teach us what we’d rather be made of. π
Here’s to positive change, and always improving! *cheers*
Leticia Factor says
Thank you for sharing.
Lynn Terry says
Thank you Leticia, I hope you enjoyed this post – and others here at TLC. π Thank YOU for taking the time to leave a comment! *cheers*
Kathy says
You are such an inspiration for me personally Lynn. Thank you for sharing the tough stuff too. You are so amazing and I hope you never forget how much support and encouragement you give to not just me, but so many people. Love you Girl! You are my hero.
@buttercup.low_carb Kathy
Lynn Terry says
*hugs* Kathy π Your note made my day!! I can’t wait to be back in Orlando again for the next event… where we can hopefully spend another FUN afternoon together!! *cheers*