I woke up feeling bloated today, and sure enough I was up by just over a pound: 153.2 pounds (up from 152).
That’s typical for Week Two – which is where I am after getting back on track from one BIG off plan meal about a week and a half ago (the day after Christmas).
Still, it was a downer this morning.
I’ve been eating very simple lately, and felt sure I’d keep seeing a loss – knowing full well it doesn’t always happen like that. 😛 I decided to look at a longer term view of my weight loss, and logged into MyFitnessPal to check out my graph over the last year.
I was surprised to see that I weighed 173.8 pounds this time last year! 😯 Geez. I assumed I was about the same weight, just with a lot of fluctuations. I think I was looking for a reason to throw in the towel for the day – but I found motivation instead. 🙂
The graph shows a lot of ups & downs, but the general trend is DOWN – which is GOOD. Not counting my bloat today, which could just be hormones or whatever, I’ve lost almost 22 pounds this year. Um, I’ve probably lost closer to 100 pounds if you count all the pounds I lost more than once. 😛 LOL…
Weight Loss Over The Last Year:
173.8 – 152 = 21.8 pounds lost
That does make me feel better. It wasn’t a perfect year, but it’s progress.
I remember now how I got back up to that high weight last year. In fact, I blogged about it here: How To Get Your Diet Back On Track.
The whole last year and a half or so has been such a roller coaster. If you’ve been reading along for awhile you may remember I lost Molly in March, my engagement ended abruptly and unexpectedly in August, and there were a million other little things. This time last year, I was deeply depressed.
The end of 2014 was hard. REAL hard. You see, before Ricky and I got engaged… we had to get back together. That happened at the end of last January, after another horrible roller coaster of a breakup that drug out for months.
It was almost 2 1/2 years of the greatest love, the most fun, and the most PAIN I’ve ever experienced in a single relationship. And my weight fluctuated right along with all of those ups and downs…
It’s all behind me now. Although if you look back up at the graph, you can clearly see how my weight started spiking around August – after the last breakup.
It’s been more than four months now and I still struggle with it, but I’ve been working on finding different ways to deal with it – other than comfort food. Exercise has been a positive addition since August, which is something positive to turn to that works off the overwhelming feelings.
I apologize for being chatty, but it actually helps me to talk this out a bit.
It sucks seeing my breakups (plural, ugh) on a graph. 😐 There it is, right in front of me. You know… there will always be holidays, funerals, hard times, celebrations, losses, etc. That’s life. No amount of food, and no certain type of food, is going to make them any better or any worse. But being healthy and strong, or being plump and weak, that does make a difference as you go through all the ups & downs of life.
Damn, I need a good run this morning…
Enough rambling. Here’s what I’ve been eating the last couple of days.
Sunday’s Low Carb Meals
Breakfast: 1/2 cup of Daisy Brand cottage cheese, 1/2 cup of crushed pecans, 3 diced strawberries and a chopped Atkins Bar (Peanut Butter Granola) – 11 net carbs.
For lunch I made sausage & over-medium fried eggs:
I accidentally slept through dinner Sunday night (a 6 hour nap, lol). That means I also slept through my workout. 😛 So I only had the two meals on Sunday, and here’s how that worked out in my MyFitnessPal food diary:
I had 24 ounces of water and 6 coffees.
Monday’s Low Carb Meals
I woke up around 10:30pm on Sunday night, which made for a VERY long Monday -lol. Sometime around midnight, or a little after, I scrambled up some leftover sausage with 3 eggs and colby jack cheese.
Around daylight, I had an Atkins Bar and then a 3 hour nap…
For lunch, or “Second Breakfast” maybe, I fried up some more sausage and eggs. This gets boring to look at I know (lol), but I tend to just keep eating whatever is on hand – and whatever is easiest to make. 🙂
For dinner I had my “low carb cereal”. This time it was just 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, 1/2 cup of pecans and 3 diced strawberries (6 net carbs).
This time of year I have to use frozen berries, and I find them easier to dice while they’re still slightly frozen. I let them thaw at room temperature for 10-15 minutes, then dice them up. Otherwise they’re too soft to dice up easily.
I stir it all together of course, to make it like “cereal”. 🙂 Yum!
I had 48 ounces of water yesterday, and 8 coffees.
Here’s my Monday MyFitnessPal Diary:
I haven’t been working out like I should the last few days. I’ve been exercising a lot more lately than I ever have before, so that’s a plus – but I’d like to get into a daily routine with it. That’s my goal. I would love to get in amazing shape this year, and I know that’s going to take some WORK.
How did your whole last year go? Does your graph have spikes in it too? 🙂 I like looking at the bigger picture and seeing that I’m at least moving in a good direction, making progress. Now that I have some of the craziness behind me (and my head out of my @$$ lol), I’d love to see just how much faster I could make things happen…
I am going to continue exercising and eating healthy on my usual schedule this week, but after my trip to Vegas next week I’m going to hit my fitness goal HARD. When I get home, I’m going to get LEAN & FIT. The thought of that makes me smile. 🙂
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
Lynda says
Could you tell me how to do net carbs with my fitness pal or do you have to pay for the updated one thank you lynda
Debbie Matheny says
I used Lynn Terry’s hack, listed below to track my net carbs. Works perfect. Just keep in mind that it only works on your desktop NOT your iphone app.http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/4448/myfitnesspal-hack/
Lynn Terry says
^ That’s the link to use. And it’s free – the hack, AND the free version of MyFitnessPal π
Patti says
I was thinking the same thing. My fitness pal doesn’t look like that at all & I can’t seem to find all the things that you show us…
Lynn Terry says
Find what things, Patti? Let me know π
Here’s the link to fix your MyFitnessPal for Net Carbs: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/4448/myfitnesspal-hack/
Patti says
Thanks! I got it & found everything! Thanks a bunch!!! You are awesome! You & your group are so very helpful! There is so much info out there but it’s all so confusing. You put it all out there and make it easy for us to follow! And I love your keep it simple rule!
Lynn Terry says
Thank you!! π
Debbie Matheny says
Thanks for sharing and opening up your heart as well as your meal plan. I know life events really can get in the way of this WOE. Not only parties, work, etc. but also exhaustion, both physically and emotionally.
I do have one question for you, which probably sounds trite. Do you not get bored with your food choices? I noticed you eat the same thing most days. i.e. sausage, eggs, your “cereal” with cottage cheese, strawberries, pecans? Just wondering. I do get bored with the same breakfast often and end up skipping all together. Just thinking out-loud here.
Lynn Terry says
Good question, Debbie! Yes, and lately I’ve been eating this same thing over and over – but I don’t always. π But yeah, I’m bored with it at the moment. I’ll be traveling next week so I’ll be eating out every day, which will be such a nice change!
I also don’t cook much, and eat alone, so I just tend to do something easy. So when I make sausage, I make extra and then have it again for the next meal. Or when I buy pecans and cottage cheese – I just buy a lot. π It’s mainly because eating so low carb I have hardly any appetite or cravings so I don’t really care that much about what I eat.
Judy Hirst says
Hi Lynn,
I really love and appreciate all the info you provide. I look forward to reading it everyday.
I’ve tried you lc breakfast cereal, but just can’t handle the cottage cheese. Do you think ricotta cheese or yogurt is a better replacement?
Thanks so much for your help.
Judy
Lynn Terry says
You could try that, Judy. π I know Kroger carries a low carb yogurt…
Judy says
Thanks, I’ll have to look for it
Patty Bracy says
Hello ladies,
I love this blog! Lynn thanks for always keeping it honest!
I love making a low carb ricotta pudding sometimes it’s yummy. If you like hot cereal but don’t have it because of the carbs the pudding is a nice treat.
I try to keep my low carb as simple as possible to Lynn. I’m on the road a lot as a hospice nurse so it’s easier for me to bring grab and go items. Do you think sugar free jello, crystal light and redi whip are ok on low carb. I hope so because they help me stay hydrated and feel like I’m having a treat.
Blessings,
Patty
Lynn Terry says
Hi Patty,
Just track it all, and as long as you are losing weight and feeling good – it’s fine. π With tracking, it will be easy to identify potential culprits, and do any testing if you ever need to tweak things a bit.
Patty Bracy says
Thank you! I am tracking and trying to stay at 20 net carbs. My calories generally run between 1200-1500. I know we don’t count calories typically though.
Britt says
Yum, that “cereal” sounds delicious! I plan to try it once I move out of Induction. (I’m just on my 2nd day!) π
Lynn Terry says
It’s quite good. π Not everyone likes cottage cheese, and I only like Daisy Brand, but it does make a good “cereal replacement”. π
Amanda says
Ok, what is WOE? Way Of Eating? I keep seeing this….
Lynn Terry says
Hi Amanda,
WOE means Way of Eating. There are more low carb terms & acronyms here: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/4257/low-carb-terms/ That should prove helpful. π *cheers*
Bonnie whitworth says
I have been on maintenance for a few years but when I read you Lynn you motivated me to lose that last 10 lbs. so last year at this time I was holiday weight (3-4 lbs heavier) weighing at 155-157. This year I am weighing 141, and actually the holiday weight is only 2 lbs. as I have gone down to 139. My new goal is 135 and then I will do as usual go into holding pattern. My journal helps me and our winter trip on our motor home helps. I exercise (walk) 2 times a day and it feels the need to eat off program. Happy New year and much success and blessings in 2016β€οΈ
Lynn Terry says
Congrats, Bonnie! And I’m so glad you found motivation here – 10 pounds can make such a difference. π Happy New Year to you as well, thank you!!
Karen says
I’ve just recently found your blog from your Instgram account and been following your journey. I think it is so incredible how you are willing to be transparent about the ups and downs of your life and your weight loss journey. I’m 51 and have been through 2 divorces and struggled with my weight and various diets my entire life. About 6 years ago, I basically gave up trying to lose the extra weight because I thought “what’s the point in working so hard to get it off when I always gain it back.” It slowly climbed back up to my current weight of 183 where I feel so yucky I finally decided I have to do something and started researching weight loss success stories and found Keto. After seeing the results that you and others have had when you’ve been consistent with this way of eating, I’m actually hopeful for the first time that not only can I lose the weight but I’ll keep eating this way and be able to finally keep it off. I love your attitude of keep it simple and just eat real, low carb food. Thank you for your blog and willingness to share and encourage others!!
Lynn Terry says
Thank you, Karen. π You can most definitely do this! I say if I can… ANYone can, lol. I have been eating low carb for almost 5 years now, and it’s the BEST thing I’ve ever done for myself!
Sure I get derailed now and then (who doesn’t, right?) but my health and my weight are better than they have EVER been. Not to mention I FEEL amazing! I used to be miserable with pain (inflammation, etc) and now I’m back to hiking and water skiing and traveling the world. π