I don’t know why I just realized that my pant size matches my shoe size, but it struck me as funny today. 🙂
I’ve been in a size 8 jeans for awhile now. I dipped down into sizes 6 and 4 last winter. Not intentionally mind you. At 44 years old I don’t care to be stick skinny!
It’s less about your weight on the scales and the size of your jeans though, but those are the things we usually go by. Right? 😉
Right now I’m tracking my overall body composition more closely, with the goal of burning off some more body fat and building some shapely lean muscle.
There’s a current photo of me below, that I took on Thursday after lunch. In my size 8 jeans. 🙂
Here’s what I’ve been eating this week…
Wednesday’s Low Carb Meals
For breakfast I had my favorite “low carb cereal” which is just a healthy combination of foods: pecans, cottage cheese, strawberries & blueberries.
I had a full workday and busy afternoon, so for lunch I grabbed a Know Foods Cinnamon Cookie. They make such a great meal replacement when you need to grab something quick & easy, because they’re HUGE. 🙂
For dinner I browsed through the freezer and found a bag of broccoli and a bag of cauliflower. I dumped them both out on a baking sheet, tossed them in olive oil & garlic powder, and put them in the oven at 400 degrees.
That makes for quick & easy roasted veggies! 🙂
I fried up some “Italian Herb” smoked sausage to go with it, and that made a delicious low carb dinner:
Wednesday’s MyFitnessPal Diary & Macros
22 net carbs, 1583 calories, 82% fat
Thursday’s Low Carb Meals
Thursday was Thanksgiving Day, so I woke up and enjoyed some quiet time – and had a big plate of cheesy eggs for breakfast. 🙂
I drove up to see my son (a little over 2 hours north), and took him & his lady out to lunch at Ruby Tuesday – which was open, and empty!
I ordered the grilled salmon from the “Fit & Trim” menu, with grilled zucchini and steamed green beans. I also asked for a side of their delicious Parmesan Cream Sauce to dip in. Fabulous meal!!
After lunch I took the kids back so they could finish preparing for their big dinner plans with friends that night… and I stopped by a park I went to as a child, to take a quick afternoon walk. 🙂
By the time I drove home (another 2+ hours), I was wiped out for the day and just decided to skip dinner. Not for any other reason except I was too tired to fuss with it. 😉
Thursday’s MyFitnessPal Diary & Macros
12 net carbs, 1427 calories, 70% fat
Friday’s Low Carb Meals
I woke up famished Friday morning of course, but had to work that morning, so I decided to check out some new bars. D’s Naturals (@nocow) sent me two of their bars to review – that haven’t even hit the shelves yet.
That was a nice note. The husband part made me giggle. 🙂
They sent me a whole gift box actually which was super nice – after reading my “not so nice” feedback about their bars on Facebook and Instagram.:)
Aaron LOVES them. They’re non-dairy and vegan with great ingredients. I thought they were chalky and dry and just not very good.
I tried both flavors of their newest nocow bars. The Peanut Butter Crunch bar was pretty good, and less chalky than their other bars I’ve tried. The Carrot Cake bar tasted funny, definitely not something I would eat again.
This is the Peanut Butter Crunch bar:
It was okay, but still not the best bar I’ve ever had – and I wouldn’t buy them to eat on purpose. Between Aaron and “D” (D Katz, of D’s Naturals) it’s been nice to test out a few different flavors!
For lunch I made 4 slices of bacon in the oven at 400 degrees (so easy!) and heated some of my leftover roasted veggies. Just for something quick & easy:
And for dinner I made low carb blueberry pancakes. 🙂
I used the last of Good Dee’s new Low Carb Pancake Mix and added diced up frozen blueberries. They came out perfect! Again. 🙂
Her mixes are practically impossible to screw up. And SO versatile and fun to work with! 🙂
You can see some of my recent low carb creations here including a snickerdoodle pie crust I made out of her cookie mix.:)
Friday’s MyFitnessPal Diary & Macros
20 net carbs, 1840 calories, 78% fat
Slim and I have been getting out for walks this week, with the weather being a little warmer here in Tennessee. He’s loving it! And we’re both enjoying the exercise. 🙂
If you’re in the U.S. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I really enjoyed lunch with my son and his girlfriend! It was great company full of good conversation, and always nice to see my son of course.;)
Both of my children are grown and out of the house now, and doing fabulous. I’m SO proud of them!! I do miss them living at home (terribly) but am also enjoying this second half of my life – and the new phase of being able to focus on myself.
I would give anything to go back in time and have done that sooner, and to set a better example of “healthy living” for them while they were still at home. But fortunately they picked that up on their own, and they’re off to a good healthy start as young adults!
Anyway, it’s gorgeous out again today (in the mid 60’s here!) so I’m off to get Slim out in the sunshine and take a walk down by the river – so we can get our steps in, and maybe even dip our paws in the water. 🙂
How are things going with you?
Leave a comment & let’s chat.;)
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
Discount Code: LOWCARBTRAVELER
Michelle Powell says
Feeling a bit frustrated. Youβre the same age as me and have had great success, so I feel like I canβt really blame my age. Need to get back to the low carb lifestyle. I feel so good on it. Can you offer suggestions for getting refocused? I know planning is key. Just need to do it better. Biggest problem is preparing dinner for four at the end of a long work day, especially a Wednesday or Thursday. But dinner is usually low carb and the entire family eats the same thing.
Lynn Terry says
Hi Michelle π
I stayed frustrated when I wasn’t staying on plan, so I totally get that. The thing that helped me the most was just getting and STAYING consistent. After a few weeks all of my cravings went away, and after a few months – nothing off plan even appealed to me anymore, at all!
I don’t do a lot of planning, actually. I do track as I go, and that 1) makes me more mindful of my choices, and 2) holds me accountable to my goals of 20 net carbs max & 70% fat minimum.
As for getting refocused, for me it was a matter of: Do I want to keep feeling frustrated and keep doing the “dieting roller coaster” (maddening), or do I want to DO THIS once and for all and just SEE what it feels like? π
Julie says
Hi Lynn… I just wanted to say, Again… Thank You for all that you have done and continue to do. I have followed you for a few years and lost 86 lbs the first time. Lost track of myself, feeling so sad, missing my husband (he passed in 2002 of Colon Cancer after fighting it for 2 1/2 years, we has just celebrated 25th Anniversary.) some of those lbs found me again in the last year. Went for a Dr appointment on Sept 19th, my A1c was 7.9!!! He stated me on very expensive medication for Type 2 Diebetes.I went home, cried the rest of the day, the next morning I woke up, re-read many of your past posts and was determined to start my life again. I have followed your posts daily, found new recipes, 3 ingredient plates per your suggestion, stocked up on foods that I needed and been following this WOE since. Went for my follow up visit last Monday! Lost 33 lbs and my A1c was down to 6.4!!! Body mass down!! He was very Pleased but wanted to make sure that I was doing this the healthy way so I explained all that I am doing at this point. I have a ways to go but feeling good and more determined than ever. I realize this is long but want you to know how Thankful I am to have come across your Blog those few years ago. Your group is so Helpful and so encouraging to so many!! Thank You many times over!!
Jesse says
Hi Julie – reading your comment was very helpful and touching. You have been through so much and one of the saddest things in life (losing your spouse)! Yet you found the courage and strength to carry on & get yourself healthy; I really admire you! My husband has been very sick lately and I started stress eating to comfort myself but I know this is very unhealthy and it will only makes things worse. My A1c was 6.0 but shot up to 7.4. Between reading your post and Lynn’s posts, I feel inspired to start Keto again. I feel so much better while doing Keto as my woe. Thank you for your inspirational message! π
Lynn Terry says
*hugs* to you both – illness and loss are two of the hardest things to deal with in this lifetime. I have been through my share of deep grief, and turned to food in many of those times.
If it had ever helped, it would be different. But I finally realized that I was only “feeding my misery” and making myself feel even worse. (That was a tough realization, actually.)
I tried something new a couple of years ago during another particularly dark phase: “FEEL the void, instead of FILL the void.” I allowed myself to just feel, process, and deal with what was going on.
Then I did “fill” that void, but with other things – things that actually helped. I started by going out for a walk every time it would hit me like a ton of bricks. I “pounded it out on the pavement” I would say.
That gave me time to think, allowed me to “sweat it out” and release some of the tension and anxiety – so it had both a positive mental/emotional AND physical effect. And it also releases good endorphins that help you through those tough emotional times.
Then I took up hiking and an appreciation for nature and the world around me, which really helped me get more grounded in gratitude – and gave me something to focus on that was external: the amazing planet we live on, my surroundings (vs internal feelings and emotions).
In this post: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/19536/challenge-yourself/ I talked about how your heart can’t lead your feet, and why.
That’s been a BIG part of my own journey. Unraveling the habits, and the reasons behind them, and deciding to make deliberate and intentional (positive) changes. (So I could ENJOY life.)
Jesse says
Hi Lynn – thank you for your wonderful posts! They really help to inspire and give ideas. Sometimes my brain just can’t figure out what to eat and then I’ll read one of your posts and my problem is solved. π I never thought about my pants size and shoe size matching, lol……that hasn’t happened since my 20’s! But it sounds like a great idea and I will look forward to that day! Btw, you look fantastic and so healthy in the photo! Thanks again!
Lynn Terry says
Thank you, Jesse! π
I’m really glad the food diaries are helpful. I get tired of the “what to eat” struggle, lol – I go through the same thing. π I think my Great Dane is SO lucky to just always have that same bowl of kibbles ready for him – and he’s so appreciative and happy with it! I often wish my meals were THAT simple, haha π
Laura says
Hi Lynn,
You look great!
I screwed up over the Thanksgiving weekend and ate a few things I shouldnβt have. Not a ton of stuff but enough to kick me out of keto. What do you suggest to get back in? Just start back on track today? Any tricks or tips for getting back into it?
Thanks
Laura
Lynn Terry says
Thank you Laura! π
The best thing to do is just go straight back to: 20 net carbs max, 70% fat minimum. That’s it – keep it simple, get back in ketosis, you’ll be on a roll again in a few days!
Don’t try to do some kind of trick or fasting or whatever. That’s too drastic, and you don’t want to feel “punished” but rather get a good variety of healthy low carb foods in your body and let the process of getting back in ketosis detox the junk out. It does that quite well! π
Samantha Santiago says
I too messed up this weekend bad. I’m so ashamed. I’ve done so well for a while now then a few weeks ago I ate some things I shouldn’t have and fell off the wagon a bit. I still tried to make good choices but for every 2 good choices I made I had one bad one. Its been rough. Then….. thanksgiving came and I completely messed up the whole weekend. We had 4 dinners at different family and friends houses and I didn’t hold back on bit. Here I am sitting at my desk at work feeling bloated and uncomfortable. This morning I was ready to step back into it full force. I stopped at Mcdonalds and got me 2 eggs and 2 sausage patties and I had a coffee I made from home. I am determined to get back into this full force and determined to make it through Christmas and New years on a better note. You are not alone, we are only human and we just need to learn from these slip ups and get back on and try again! YOU CAN DO THIS!!! Good luck!
Lynn Terry says
I’m so glad you got back on track, Samantha – because feeling ashamed and bloated and uncomfortable is the PITS. π Good for you!!
How are things going now, and how are you feeling?
The year-end challenge is just kicking off, which is perfect for powering through the holidays and starting the New Year on a MUCH better note. π Here are the details: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/19752/year-end-low-carb-challenge/
janice says
Thank you for ur encouragement! This is my 2nd day and im looking forward to reading ur blog and comments!
Lynn Terry says
Welcome Janice! π I’m so glad you joined us here. How’s it going so far??
Laura says
Thank you Lynn and Samantha. Iβm back in keto according to the urine test strips. Yay!
Lynn, I was wondering how long it took you to lose your weight and how much did you lose? I know everyone is different but I was wondering what is an appropriate amount to lose weekly/monthly. My weight loss has been rather slow. Any ideas how to step it up?? Iβm anxious to be the thin me again.
Thanks,
Laura
Lynn Terry says
Hi Laura π Great question!
The best thing to do is keep it super simple: no processed foods, shakes or bars. All real food: meat & greens + healthy fats. And very simple combinations, like 3-4 ingredients per plate max (vs complex recipes). That tends to work best!
As for me, I lose slow also. A pound a week is a GOOD rate for me, especially during my last 20 pounds – which are the most challenging.
There is no one-size-fits-all for how much you can or should lose in a week or a month, because weight loss is not linear. There are trends to it that go in cycles, such as your body adjusting, or your own hormone cycles (even men have those), etc.
The absolute best thing you can do is just relax into a healthy low carb lifestyle, keeping it as simple as you can, and making the healthiest choices you can. The weight will naturally come off as a result over time – it kind of has no choice. π
It’s when you start “dieting” or get and stay in that mindset, that the frustration sets in and it becomes a mental battle – which is NOT fun. π
Debbie says
You are such an inspiration! I on the other hand, feel like a total failure. I started out doing so well until we were traveling. I totally blew it and have probably gained 5 pounds. Itβs been stressful in the last week as well. MIL fell and broke hip and wrist do weβve been eating on the run. I just canβt get back into the groove. So disappointed in myself. Havenβt even been on FB to get motivated.
So glad things are going well for you. You deserve it! Thank you again for always being open, honest, and real with all of us.
PS, not trying to be a downer here with my life, just telling it like it is.
Lynn Terry says
You’re not a downer, Debbie – and truth be known, I’ve been struggling lately too. Lots of stress, dealing with things, etc. I get it, life can be tough sometimes… and too full! π
Don’t feel like a failure though. Just get right back on track. You can just go back to making low carb choices, no matter where you are. That’s what I do! We all HAVE to eat, so it’s just a matter of WHAT we eat – that’s all. Keep it that simple. π
You’ll find you’re less stressed when you do’t feel disappointed in yourself, or feel like a failure, but at least have that ONE point of strength – and that ONE thing under control in an otherwise chaotic phase. π
That’s what keeps ME on track!