Ugh. Day 3 on a new low carb challenge is the pits! ๐ Thatโs when the Keto Flu always hits me. Screaming headache, leg cramps, irritability, etc. NOT fun!
On top of that, my abs AND arms were sore from my killer workout on the Ab Carver Pro, lol. Double Whammy!
I love that feeling though, because it means itโs working. ๐
I have lost 3.6 pounds in the first 3 days of this challenge. Yay!
Yesterday was an odd day though, given I had the keto flu. I intentionally knocked myself out of ketosis before this challenge started on Monday (I had ONE off-plan meal Saturday night) because I like to kick off a new challenge on the same track with everyone else. (Youโre welcome! lol)
I was miserable all day yesterday. I got up at 5am, worked a full day, and totally crashed by 5pm. ๐ I slept a solid six hours, which is my norm, which meant I woke up at 11pm last night ready for coffee. ๐ lol.
Oh well! Fortunately I work from home so I can do that. ๐ The great thing though, is that I woke up weighing less! Iโm down to 151 pounds today.
How to track meals when youโre off schedule? I have this rule that โitโs not tomorrow until Iโve slept.โ Since I woke up at 11pm (after a full sleep) I decided it was officially โtomorrowโ (today) for me, so I started a new food log. I didnโt actually eat until after midnight anyway. That makes sense, right?!
I guess some people go by the 24 hour clock, some people go by their own clock (day), depending on your work schedule and such. Whatever works!
Challenge Details | Day One | Day Two
Day 3: Wednesdayโs Low Carb Meals
I woke up early (before sunrise) and did NOT feel like eating. Thatโs when you know ketosis is setting in, as itโs a natural appetite suppressant. I had coffee and got some work done, then finally grabbed breakfast when I went out for errands.
I stopped by McDonaldโs on my way to my Reflexology appointment. I have no idea what she does to my feet exactly, but I love it. ๐ Anyway, I ordered a double Sausage Egg McMuffin at McDonaldโs (and just ditched the muffin).
I ate one sausage and one egg before my appointment, and had the other half an hour or so later โ when I got home from my errands. While I was out I stopped by the grocery store for a few quick low carb staples:
That chicken broth is for my Keto Flu. ๐
Itโs my favorite (Campbellโs canned chicken broth), and itโs PERFECT for replacing the electrolytes and sodium lost during the diuretic process of going back into ketosis. Highly recommended if youโre feeling rough too. ๐
Since I finally had my favorite healthy low carb foods in the house after that trip to the store, I had my โlow carb cerealโ for the next meal โ which ended up being my last meal of the day.
Itโs 3/4 cup pecans, 1/4 cup Daisy brand cottage cheese, and 4 small (frozen/diced) strawberries. 6 net carbs and 88% healthy fats. Itโs all โreal foodโ and very filling!
Iโve gotten spoiled on frozen strawberries during the โoff seasonโ. I always got fresh berries before, but I find them SO easy to dice up while still slightly frozen โ plus I like the icy crunch in my โcereal.โ ๐ And they never go bad before I can use them all! I just wish my local store carried frozen raspberriesโฆ Mmm!
My complete MyFitnessPal Diary for Wednesday:
Hereโs how & what I track, and how I get Net Carbs in MyFitnessPal.
Calories: 1244
Net Carbs: 12
Total Carbs: 22
Protein: 50 Grams
Macro Ratios: 84% Fat, 13% Protein
Exercise: None ๐
FitBit Steps: 1,715 ๐
Water: 40 ounces
Starting Weight: 154.6
Current Weight: 151 pounds
Weight Loss (so far): 3.6 pounds
Thatโs a current picture of me, taken Tuesday night. I love that American Eagle dress (especially the blue color), but it was WAY too short for me -lol. Fortunately I had a pair of matching AE leggings. Not a figure-flattering outfit, but definitely comfortable. ๐
The lack of exercise yesterday was sad. ๐ lol. I felt like H*LL though, and slept all evening too.
Thatโs okay. I probably needed a day of muscle recovery after that killer ab workout the day before. Today I am going to do my Focus T25 Fast Track workout. I love the โfat girls can do it tooโ review on Amazon, lol. That workout is only 25 minutes, so itโs easy to fit in โ but it definitely kicks my butt!! ๐
I just had my usual โlow carb cerealโ (same as above) to kick off my Thursday, and for lunch (which will happen before daylight, lol) Iโm going to have my leftovers from OโCharleyโs. It was cedar plank salmon, baby green beans & loaded broccoli.
I was only able to eat about half that for dinner Tuesday night. They give you HUGE amounts of food at restaurants! ๐
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It will be interesting to see how todayโs food diary plays out, given I started at midnight (lol). I expect my carbs & calories to be much higher as I get back on my usual schedule, but I aim to still try to get as close to my daily macro goals as I can.
I was really excited to wake up at 151 pounds this morning! Iโm SO close to being back under 150. ๐ I have no idea what my goal weight is, by the way. My current goal is to lose fat, and gain muscle mass โ meaning: get in AMAZING shape.
Itโll be interesting to see how that plays out in numbers on the scale. Iโm using a full body composition scale to track muscle gain, fat loss, bone density, etc. It gives you a much better overview of your progress if youโre also working out, with the goal to tone & gain muscle.
How did you do on Day Three?
Leave a comment below, and letโs do this together!!
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
p.s. You can subscribe by email below to get my Daily Food Diaries throughout the Low Carb Challenge sent straight to your inbox. That way youโll never miss great (easy!) low carb meal ideas. ๐
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Lynne,
I notice you donโt count what you fry your eggs in? Butter? Just wondering since that would add fat to your totals?
Hi Deb,
Those eggs came from McDonaldโs. ๐ I fry my eggs in the same pan I cook sausage in, so I donโt add anything to them (butter, etc). My fat is high enough at 84% of my total calories. ๐
I think itโs counted in the โfried eggsโ entry anyway, because two eggs is only 10 grams of fat, and that one says 14.
Hi I think you look awesome in that blue dress with those leggings they look great together and those shoes nice. Anyway it is also my day 3 and I havenโt lost a single pound I feel a little sad but Iโm going to keep going. Iโve been suffering from a very serious sinus cold for the last two and a half weeks. And I think that being sick somehow strangely has encouraged me to get on the keto train . So here I am still eating soup and frying hamburger and throwing it in the soup along with some eggs and cayenne pepper garlic onion powder not too much cuz I know it adds to the carbs and ginger powder and salt and pepper is quite good oh and I think I had some broccoli and theyโre awesome. Iโm enjoying your blog itโs interesting I also have a wheel just a cheap one I think I found it at the dollar store the dollar store but the second hand store like the Salvation Army. Anyway itโs a little black thing one wheel with two spokes coming out the sides with handles and it works great and yes I have a good tip Terry would be to hook your feet underneath your couch so you can still go down far however having something in front of you is a very good idea thereโs a guy that I subscribe to on YouTube his name is Adrian Bryant and he has a website called now loss.com he is an advocate of short quick workouts kind of a lot of cardio which I donโt particularly like but he does have ones that arenโt cardio that are weight lifting and maneuvering in such a way that build your muscle and strength in the muscle to create a smaller shapely muscle. I hope all this came out good because Iโm using the text and talk instead of typing โฆit is just too much. Well thank you once again. Have a great day T.
Thank you, Tammy. ๐ The fact that youโre sick is probably stalling your weight loss. I went through that recently too. I wrote about it here: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/9912/mysterious-weight-gain/ and other potential reasons youโre not losing, or seeing fluctuations on the scale.
Iโm all for the core strengthening & toning exercises!
I am so excited! I weighed this morning and I am down 3.2 lbs since starting the challenge on Monday. Thanks for the motivation and kick in the behind Lynn!
Awesome results!!!! Keep it up!!!
Way to go, Kathy!! ๐ Iโm so glad you joined in!!
For those that missed it, Kathy and I met recently (in person!) and enjoyed a FUN low carb lunch together: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/10098/low-carb-conversation/ ๐
Yesterday went well for me. No off plan meals or snacking yay! I kept my meals pretty simple and logged all of my food in the morning. I had a total of 7 net carbs for the day and of course the headaches have started but Iโm pushing through.
B: 2 fried eggs, 2 pieces of bacon, BPC
L: original pork rinds, Celery sticks w/ranch (I was at the drs w/the little one so I brought some food from home)
D: leftover chicken cordon bleu, 2 baby dill pickles
S: homemade iced coffee (coffee,HWC, 1 splenda, SF davinci caramel syrup)
80 Oz of water
Nice job, Justine! I love that you share your meals too. It gives me ideas to try. ๐ I *love* iced coffee!!
Thanks Lynn! I love seeing your meals so I figured Iโd share mine as well. Plus Iโm a visual learner so pictures always help. Lol.
And yes I love iced coffee too!! Actually Starbucks is my bff and she gets a little pricey sometimes so I learned to make them at home. Butโฆ.a starbucks sf cinnamon dolce iced coffee with Hwc is still treat I like to enjoy here and there
Lost 3.6 since Monday
Awesome, Brenda! ๐ Letโs keep this train rolling!! *cheers*
Iโm starting over todayโฆ Wednesday night is date night, and I was going to push to stay home and cook something healthy, but our cousins and my husband wanted to try out a new restaurant, so thatโs what we didโฆ I try to allow myself a couple indulgences on date night, so even though my main course was fine (burger w/ no bun), I had to eat those really yummy french fries โ I know theyโre high in carbs, but still no grains โ which is my biggest rule I try to follow even when Iโm cheating. Then they just had to order this amazing Butterscotch Bourbon Puddingโฆ OMG!!! So I had two spoons only and it was absolutely delicious. But Iโm starting back up with a bulletproof fast. Bulletproof coffee all day until this afternoon โ then I will stick to a VLC diet for the day. I am training in jiu-jitsu tonight as well, so it should be a good recovery from my cheat meal last night. I have a splitting headache this morningโฆ.. lol
Also, I tried to respond to your last comment on yesterdayโs thread. I do my best to find the lowest sugar marinara I can, but the lowest is $10 for a jar and thats more than Iโm willing to spend. Either way, I calculate the total into my food for the day, and I try to use less than the prescribed serving size. As far as everything else, I use the barcode scanner in MFP to log my food ๐
Iโm going to limit my dairy a lot โ only cream in my coffee for a few days, skipping the cheeses for a bit.
They HWC (heavy cream) always logs as zero carb, and most labels say zero carb because itโs less than 1 carb per serving. Is yours logging in as zero? Itโs actually 7 carbs per cup, or 1 carb for 2 tablespoons.
Yes, itโs logging as 2 carbs for 1/4 cup. But Iโll make sure to keep an eye on it. The label reads <1 carb per serving, which is 1 TBS.
There are 16 tablespoons in a cup. That makes 1/4 cup 4 tablespoons, so that is accurate! ๐
Most people log HWC as zero carbs, but youโre doing it correctly. ๐
Not a good start for this challenge. I had appointment with Pain clinic yesterday so that always throws me off. I am getting my back taken care of so I can move around again. No more couch potato for me (potatoes arenโt on the plan โ lol)
Two bad days and I gained back 4 lbs. Today was 210, from 206. So I plan today to be super low carbs.
Just jump right back in, Kathy. ๐ I gain super fast too. I wish I could lose weight as fast as I gain, lol.
By the way, eating 20 net carbs max and at least 70% of your calories in healthy fats, helps A LOT with pain. I was in chronic pain before I went low carb. Now Iโm back on a water ski and adventurous hikes!! See: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/9378/my-weight-loss-journey/ ๐
Still on my maintenance program. To I have no idea how to do it other than hold the weight. 135-134 etc. I am now on the San Diego bay enjoying the beach living and still walking everyday but down to about 4+ miles a day from 7+ miles a day having some left knee issues. Looks like a little water on the knee and does not do to well on stairs. But I still walk!
Hi Bonnie โ Lucky you! I live in Ramona in the SD Country Estates! SD weather is so conducive to healthy living!!!
Are you wanting to lose more weight, Bonnie โ or just maintain?
think I might want to stop at 130. Thought I would see what still comes off. Think it will stop when I am where I should be. I like you naturally lose slow. But it is hard for me to stay all that strict since I have been traveling since Dec 21st. We are snow birds. So we will be home in May (Portland Oregon). Contrary to you I love to exercise weights and walking. Bands and treadmill at home as it helps with arthritis pain. So I guess yes. I want a safety cushion at 130. And then stabilize it like I did when I was 150. (I did that for a year until I went no sugar no flour no bread etc. ). And then another 15 lbs. if I didnโt like wine. It would come off easier. But I am Italian ha ha!
stayed the same since Monday!
Hi Jill,
Some people donโt see the scales move for up to a week. If youโre tracking close, and staying within the macro limits, just keep at it and see how it goes over the next week. ๐
Thank you for posting. Very inspirationa .
Thank you, Terry. ๐ I really enjoy having such a FUN community to eat with and lose weight with!! *cheers*
Iโm not weighing until Monday morning or else Iโll get discouraged if I havenโt lost or if Iโve gained. The last couple of days have been difficult to follow strict LCHF because of my stomach/bowel issues. Bananas have tasted the best and are so high in carbs. Iโm not eating much but what feels good in my belly is NOT LCHF friendly. One day at a time.
It does help to know Iโm accountable to this group though. As soon as I feel better I can get back on.
Why are you feeling bad, Elizabeth โ are you sick?
And yes, donโt weigh, especially while eating fruit/carbs. ๐ Still track everything you eat though. It helps to get in the habit of tracking, for Mindful Eating. It will also help you see culprits โ what may be causing your tummy issues, stalling your weight loss, etc.
Thank you for this forum and support system. So many people like to try and talk you out of low-carbing it. I am down 3 lbs since starting on the challenge and full-on headache, but I will take it. Not fitting into my clothes also give me a headache ;). I lost 25 lbs doing low carb last summer and fall and ate pretty much what ever I wanted from December -March. Mysteriously, I only gained back about 5 lbs? Who knew. Anyway, back on it to lose the rest of the wait 25-30. Other than the headache, feeling much better and much more in control.
Welcome back, and KUDOS for taking control of your health! ๐ I know all too well how UNsupportive some people can be about the low carb diet. See this post: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/4943/when-people-dont-support-your-low-carb-diet/ ๐
Total keto flu today. Mother nature rushed in yesterday so I slept awful last night. Then a 2.5mile run today. I could barely keep my eyes open by 1pm. 2 hour nap and feel a little better. Glad to have this happen because I know itโs working! Looking forward to weigh after this week. ๐
That is always a good sign, yes. ๐ Kudos on the run! Especially when feeling rough. You should feel tons better, and have much less appetite, now that youโre over the hump. ๐
This is really good stuff, electrolytes can really fix many issues related to how you feel on a keto diet. I liberally salt all my foods, I drink warm broth from bouillon cubes. Have you ever used any of the quick packaged products on Amazon etc when in a bind?
I wouldnโt say I ever find myself โin a bindโ but lately I have been enjoying keto broth: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/ketobroth and also the keto shakes: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/ketoshake as far as packaged ready-to-go meal replacements and good sources of collagen, coconut oil, and all the good stuff โ without any junk. ๐
Hi Lynn!
Iโm currently on Day 3 Keto Iโm pretty sure I lost a few pounds, but I donโt feel any lighter or any different yet. Iโm starting to think Iโm consuming to my caolories per day. Is it ok to skip dinner? How many avocados should I eat in a day?
Looking forward to chatting! Xo
Hi Felicia,
I donโt skip meals, and you should never go hungry on a ketogenic low carb diet. ๐ Itโs a natural appetite suppressant and also a natural diuretic. So youโll find youโre less hungry โ but you should still eat when youโre hungry, never deprive yourself.
It takes me at least three days to get into ketosis, some people say it takes longer for them, but after that is when youโll see and feel results.
As for how many avocados you should eat in a day, I might eat maybe half of one โ but not every day. You really just want to keep it simple and enjoy foods you like with plenty of variety to your low carb foods/meals.
Just watch: 20 net carbs max, 70% fat minimum โ keep it THAT simple. You donโt need to watch calories when youโre first starting out because itโs not a calorie deficit diet, but rather a diet based in the science of food combining.
Which is why the macros are important. ๐ See: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/7006/macronutrients/ for a simple explanation & illustration on that.