I feel different this morning. I stood and looked at myself in the mirror for several long minutes. I turned to the side, then back to the front. I had a brief moment of panic at how lean I looked and felt, but then… it felt GOOD too.
I was 20 pounds heavier last summer. And the summer before. A bit more than 20 pounds actually. This will be my leanest summer in years – in as long as I can remember.
Something else has changed about me too: my attitude, and my resolve. We’re 17 days into the current low carb challenge now… and I have zero desire to indulge, in any way. In fact, the only strong desire I feel at all is to work out hard. I crave to work my muscles, instead of having just a bite of this, or indulging in a favorite meal.
Actually, my appetite is – well, it’s kind of gone. I’ve been eating less, wanting less, and focused more on other things. That’s a HUGE mind shift for me, and a strange one. It does FEEL strange, but it also feels GOOD.
I wish I knew what caused all of this change so I could share it with you. Heck, so I could share it with myself when I’m NOT feeling this way! (lol) The only thing I can figure is that 17 days is doing it’s work. Saying NO to temptations over and over “stuck.” Old habits are giving up on me. Whatever the case, I LIKE how I feel lately. 🙂
My weight (on the scales) hasn’t changed. I can’t find my body tape measure, so I have to hunt that down. I look and feel different, but it’s not showing in numbers just yet. It will though…
Here is my Low Carb Food Diary for Day 16 of the “Get Lean For Summer!” 90 Day Low Carb Challenge. It’s not too late to join us if you haven’t already. 🙂
Day 16: Tuesday’s Low Carb Meals
I enjoyed my favorite low carb breakfast. It’s 1/2 cup pecans (30 grams, 2 servings), 1/4 cup Daisy brand cottage cheese, and 4 small frozen/diced strawberries. I stir it all together and call it cereal. 🙂 (5 net carbs and 85% healthy fats)
There was just a bite left of my cheesy ham & eggs from the day before, so I finished that off for a quick snack – so I could do the dishes, lol.
Later in the afternoon I had a quick low carb lunch of turkey roll-ups.
They had Oscar Meyer turkey (3 oz), Borden Natural colby jack cheese (1.5 slices), 2 sliced dill pickles and 2 Laughing Cow creamy swiss wedges. I microwaved them for just 20 seconds. Perfect! 🙂 (4 carbs)
I had a friend over last night and he said “do you need anything on my way?” Heh, “Raspberries!” 🙂 I mentioned yesterday I’ve been craving them lol. I was kidding, but he showed up with a whole bag of beautiful plump raspberries! 🙂 🙂
I wasn’t really prepared for company with no groceries lately and all, but I put out a nice “keto spread” on the back deck and we grazed and noshed on: blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, cream cheese, almonds and pecans – with a hot creamy coffee and lots of good conversation. 🙂 Fun!
I just enjoyed raspberries & cream cheese myself (my favorite!!), which is why that cream cheese plate is almost empty – lol. Delicious!
I had a nice steamy cup of chicken broth before I went to bed, which is such a great way to wind down – and ward off a little nighttime hunger. 😉
It was a good day – with beautiful food, great company and a hard workout…
Here’s My MyFitnessPal Diary for Tuesday:
Calories: 1241
Net Carbs: 25
Total Carbs: 36
Protein: 55 Grams
Macro Ratios: 73% Fat, 18% Protein
Exercise: Housework/Yardwork
FitBit Steps: 8,889
Water: 40 ounces
Starting Weight: 154.6
Current Weight: 150.4 pounds
Weight Loss (so far): 4.2 pounds
Macronutrients: How & What I Track
How I Get Net Carbs in MyFitnessPal
I got in a serious workout yesterday. I cleaned my basement floor and back steps, which was a good couple of hours of hot sweaty work 🙂 It felt GOOD. I have a huge basement, lol. I swept and scrub brushed that baby HARD. It felt so great to sweat, and just when I would normally call it quits… I pushed myself even harder.
It was nice to accomplish such a big task AND get a good workout. 🙂
About that “brief moment of panic” this morning…
Change is hard. Seeing myself LOOK so different is a bit unsettling. This is me, 20 pounds lighter than I was last Spring, or the Spring before.
As I was sipping my first cup of coffee I looked back at pictures from the last two summers. I was wearing shorts then that fall off of me now. I was wearing a bathing suit that I can’t even fill in now. I know because I put it on the other day to sit in the sun for awhile, and was shocked that I wasn’t “voluptuous” in it anymore. 😛
Usually this “panic” over changing (being so close to my goal) would entice me to binge, to stay “comfortable” and to fight change. That’s human nature. As I stood in the mirror this morning I felt that resistance, but then I also felt… acceptance. “This is the new me,” I said to myself in the mirror. No turning back.
It’s not just my body that’s changing, but my wardrobe too. I’ve had to buy new bras, new shorts, new jeans. It feels like A LOT is changing. I don’t normally do very well with change, but this time… I’m embracing it. And actively looking for a good seamstress to take in some of my favorite dresses and skirts. 🙂
I’m more motivated than I’ve ever been before in my life. If I could give you anything under the sun, that is what I would share with you.
There’s something powerful about these challenges, and specifically about sticking to CHANGE consistently day after day, day 15 and day 16 and day 17… until it STICKS. The transformation, the mind shift, it’s a really cool thing. 🙂
How is your week going so far??
Leave a comment below, and let’s do this together!!
I’m off to see what kinds of delicious healthy foods I can get into today, and what kind of FUN exercise I can do. 🙂 I’ll get a picture for you today too. I want to show you this “change” I see and feel. I think you’ll see it too…
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 you’ll never miss great (easy!) low carb meal ideas. 😉
Congratulations on accepting the new you!! Change is a bit unsettling for everyone it seems. We work so hard to get to the goal and then it seems when we start getting close we sabotoge ourselves or at least I do.
Please share pictures of last spring vs this spring if you don’t mind.
Thank you, Michelle – and I agree. I’m bad to tank my progress when I get too close to goal. 😛 I think that’s totally normal. This time I feel COMMITTED to seeing it through though!
I’ll work on getting some new pics and showing a comparison. I have some recent before & after pictures here too: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/9378/my-weight-loss-journey/
Go you!!! I’m happy to see that all your hard work and dedication is paying off. I know from my own experiences that sometimes the increased confidence and that “I just feel really good” can sometimes mean more than pounds…even if the scale doesn’t move. Congrats for that and hopefully you’ll continue to feel better and better 🙂
So, I finally tried the “cereal”. Lol and ummm, I think I’m good. Lol. I’ve never had cottage cheese before but after stirring everything together I could not get over the texture of the cheese. Lol. Oh well, I tried and maybe next time I’ll just do strawberries and pecans. It was very filling though, I didn’t even eat lunch because I was so full. My meals yesterday were:
B: bpc, LC cereal (1/4 c cottage cheese, 1/5c pecans, 3 strawberries)
L: I was too full from breakfast to eat lunch
D: 2 servings low carb pizza (I made the crust from mozzarella, cheddar and eggs…it’s yummy. I added a very small amount of pizza sauce and also added pepperoni. It was about 1.3 net carbs per slice. The total pizza had 8 slices)
S: 2 pieces of Russell stover sugar free pecan delights
Here’s the recipe for the pizza crust if anyone’s interested.
http://terrastips.blogspot.com/2011/10/low-carb-pizza-crust.html?m=1
My net carbs were 13, fat was 83% and I drank 80oz of water.
Thanks for sharing the recipe
No problem Yolanda! I tried this recipe because my husband was on LC with me and is a huge pizza fan. After looking at all the weird cauliflower crusts and cream cheese crust recipes I found this and tried it. Obviously it doesn’t taste like pizza crust but it definitely has a crust like texture and tasted amazing with my toppings.
I do not mix everything together when i make Lyn’s cereal. 🙂 i arrange it very besutifully on my plate. And mix it as i eat it
I did not like the way it looked more so, when i mixed it all together but it still tastes great
I eat it all the time now. Yesterday i found a. 2Lb bag of frozen strawberries on sale. I will be good for a while. 😀
Also the ‘Daisey’ brand of cottage cheese best also. I tried another brand and it was not very good. 🙂
Gigi,
I did use the daisy brand cottage cheese and although the taste wasn’t bad I just could not get over the texture of it. Lol that’s ok though, my husband is on LC with me and he loves the cereal so at least it won’t go to waste.
I love the cereal. I look forward to it. That is why i stocked up on frozen organic strawberries and cottage cheese. I am glad your hubby likes it. 🙂
We all have to find what we like to eat best on this woe. 🙂
I agree, Justine – FEELING good is worth so much more than any number on the scale!! 🙂
Sorry you didn’t enjoy the cereal, lol. I know cottage cheese isn’t for everyone. Some people try it with low carb yogurt, ricotta cheese – or it would probably be good with a splash of unsweetened coconut milk, or a Vanilla Atkins Shake even!
I stay at 200 for the same reason!! I have been between 195 and 205 for years and would love to be about 160. Every time I get to 195 it’s like I start panicking and eat wrong foods or way too much! Why do I do this to myself?! At one time I weighed 291 so at least I don’t hang out up there anymore! Any advice for me?
I totally get it, Rhonda – same situation here, lol. And I say the same thing: at least I’m not 20, 30, 50 pounds heavier!!
My best advice, based on what I’m going through now myself, is to stick out the challenge. Every time I say no, pass on a temptation, I feel STRONGER. I feel like I’m finally getting past my mental hangups and self sabotage. FINALLY.
I’m also VERY focused on the goal – I keep imagining myself lean and strong – and I have that image so clear in my mind that it has me totally one track minded. 🙂
Besides one day, last Sunday, I have been religiously sticking to this WOE and loving every day that I succeed at my goals. I wanted to treat my mom to something special for her birthday so I took her to a cooking class at the Carr Valley Cheese store in our city. We had a wonderful time and I barely even “cheated” but I had to just let it go and enjoy the time with my mom and try not to overthink what I was doing. But it hurt me. It is 4 days later and it’s still bothering me that I slipped, even if it felt like it was for good reason. I haven’t been losing any weight and it’s very discouraging, but I FEEL BETTER. Everyday I feel better. I don’t feel bloated, I don’t feel huge, I don’t feel hopeless…I just have a feeling this is going to take me a lot longer than I want it to. I wanted to look better for the summer but I also need to start exercising if I really want to start feeling my best. I’m trying to drink as much water as I can and cut out the diet soda crap…I plan every day’s meals in the morning on my food tracker and I have not cheated at all besides my wonderful mommy event on Sunday. I did an egg fast about a month ago and it got me down to 160…I’m stuck at 164/166 area right now and it’s bothering me since I got that low…but Egg fasting was restricting myself way too much…that’s no way to eat!
Thank you for your daily diaries….they encourage me so much. Just keep swimming in the right direction is what I tell myself. And like you, and my BF who is also low carbing, say….at least I’m not gaining….right!?
Can’t wait to see the pic of the new you! 🙂
I understand how you feel, Amy. I get overwhelmed too, or start thinking there’s no way I’ll reach my goal in time – yada yada yada. Our thoughts can really keep us in a spin!
I just keep reminding myself of two things: 1) I am NOT gaining weight. And 2) No matter how long this takes me, I AM going to reach my goal of being lean and strong – and it’s going to feel SO good!!
The only other option is to have another plump summer of being disappointed in myself. At least now I feel GOOD about the direction I’m going, and that’s worth a lot! 🙂
On a side note….I’ve been battling what feels like dieting depression. I think it’s coming from trying so hard and not losing…any advice on getting through that 🙁
This is a great question, Amy. I think we’ve all been there. I have to remind myself how much WORSE I feel about myself when I’m eating junk and gaining weight. The discouragement, self disgust, it’s a vicious cycle that does NOT make me happier – at all.
Get out more when the weather is nice. Do some active lifestyle type exercise instead of workouts or gym. I find that makes me smile, to have FUN (vs just work out).
Ignore the scales – I’m having to right now, lol – and just eat healthy. I’m in this phase right now with very slow results and days on end with NO results, and I just keep waking up and saying “eat for your health today.” Less dieting mindset, more “eat healthy, have fun, be happy” talk. 🙂
Congratulations!!! I need some advice. I have been doing LCD, for 3 weeks now, staying under 20 carbs and right at 1200 calories, I weigh everything, I do not use artificial sweeteners but at a bare bare minimum and very very very little dairy. I drink about 6-8 oz of water a day and most of my carbs come from veggies. My healthy fat intake is good.
I do try and work out 5 days a week, but all I can do right now walking on a treadmill due to a neck injury, I am trying to advance to the elliptical but I have only been able to go 7 min as of yesterday and I just started Monday at 5 min, so I am pushing another min or two everyday. I do squats and lunges everyday.
Went to Dr and had blood work done, thryroid came back good, cholesterol is very high and I am early pre menopause. I am two weeks away from being 45, weigh 141 most being in my stomach, 5ft 1in, two years ago I weighed 115. I am trying to get down to 120.
Now after that bio, I can not seem to lose one pound, instead I gain, I don’t get it! What am I doing wrong? Getting so frustrated.
What kind of veggies are you eating and how much?
How about salad dressings and Mayo? Check the labels for hidden sugar or carbs
I struggled to find a sugar free salad dressing. It’s best to make your own so you know whats in it.
Are you in ketosis? If you are then it means your body is using your fat for energy
If you are not doing it, then you probably need to document everything you eat in a day
You might need less calories to lose than others at a higher weight
Remember protein like meats can be converted to glucose also if you eat too much especially red meat
You may need to reduce your fats or protein intake. IDK
Don’t give up. If you stay very low carb….you will lose. You have to be consistent. It is a struggle for me too
I weigh more than you but it is harder to lose, the less you weigh…..you need less calories to lose. This is my opinion only…..consult your doctor. 🙂
All the green leafy veggies, celery, spinach, broccoli. I eat eggs in the morning with all natural bacon. My salad dressing is olive oil and vinegar, Dukes Mayo.
I am in Ketosis, have been for couple weeks now.
I am not going to give up for sure, just don’t understand why I am not losing and I am doing everything right.
Thank you for the advice and good luck to you.
I read that dairy can help you lose weight
I eat low carb yogurt every day
Cottage cheese is low in carbs and very low glycemic. It is a slow carb and converts to glucagon which we burn as energy and not as fat
I have lost 147 lbs in w with years and eat dairy every day but little meat. I really do not like meat that much anymore.
I drink coffee and coffee speads up our metabolism and i drink green tea. 🙂
Hi Danna,
First – are you only weighing yourself first thing in the morning, right after you pee? Any other time of day (even an hour later) is not a true weight.
Also, how are you tracking? Are you able to see your fat/protein ratios?
Your bloodwork will improve dramatically with a little time. I ate off plan some in December and also had a lot of stress, and the bloodwork then vs 90 days later (of eating ketogenic) was a BIG difference. 🙂 I got an A+ on everything down the list after a full workout – kidneys, thyroid, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, etc.
Don’t push yourself too hard with the exercise with your injury. Exercise is mainly for toning and heart health anyway. Just focus on eating super healthy, and tracking closely to tweak your macros.
I stumbled on to something very interesting while looking for b a sugar free whipped cream recipe on line. The lady that posted the recipe went on to tell about her weight n loss on her web site
She followed Susanne Sommer’s weight loss plan that is low carb similar to what we are doing but she stressed the importance of the proper food combinations for weight loss based on what she learned in France. After all most French people stay slim.
It said only eat fats with protein and green veggies
Never eat fat with any carbs….even slow carbs because if there is fat in our bloodstreams and then we eat carbs,it will all turn to fat on us.
Never eat sugar white flour white rice,pasta white bread….ever
It said also if we do want to ever have a day to eat carbs then we should eat slow carbs like whole grain breads or pasta but aten absolutely no fat with our carbs. Only veggies should be eaten. With carbs
Fruit should always be eaten by itself
Well i do not plan on going back on carbs again anyway but i thought it would be helpful. To know that if we ever want to indulge in a one off carb meal then make sure you do not eat any fats with it…..that is a combination for Fat storage
This goes along with the LCHF woe but i wonder if people on the High fat woe are eating too many carbs in one day. That would lead to weight gain and not weight loss
I just thought i’d share this and the importance of being diligent on keeping very low carb if eating HF……
We really have to read labels….there is hidden sugar in everything these days
I cannot say that i will never again eat a carb meal again but if i do i will not put butter on my bread for that meal and it will be a low fat carb meal.
🙂 Believe it or not Susanne struggled with her weight too over the years and lost weight and kept it off using food combinations. She wrote a couple of booksweight loss (woe) books(Sommersize)
Now i am not advocating this diet or woe but her woe is basically low carb also.
I thought it was very interesting though
Food Combining is GREAT stuff, very interesting science! 🙂 I mentioned it briefly (without getting too geeky, lol) in this post: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/6064/3-ingredients-rule/
I’m dealing with my own changes today. I have already accepted the fact that my chest won’t ever be as full (naturally), and I’m OK with that. Today I am wearing jeans I only bought a month ago and they are falling off! It’s a little annoying, but it’s a sign that my body has already changed so much in a short amount of time. The scale was up yesterday (ugh) and then down again today. I’m unfortunately, now experiencing a lot of heartburn, so I picked up some Zantac and am hoping it works and that it doesn’t throw me off. I’ve been maintaining ketosis for a while, and at times very deep ketosis, which I’ve read that causes some people to struggle with heartburn. The only other time I’ve had heartburn is when I was pregnant and if I work out after eating spicy food. I woke up this morning with hb. Cravings these days are bad, but I know it’s just because I’m being sooooo very strict to meet my weigh-in goal for the tournament. I have already promised myself that once I make weight, I will allow a few indulgences. Nothing too horrible, and I will focus on quality, but my carbs will be higher than normal. I’ll still avoid grains – except possibly some pizza might be allowed (hey, I’ve worked hard and I have to go fight on Saturday…but I’ll be back on track for continuing to lose the final pounds next week. If I stick to the plan, I know that by summer, I’ll be looking better than I have in my whole adult life. I think I may already….
I had a smile at your chest comment, Jennifer. I had to buy all new bras recently. 😛 My new shorts (size 10) are super loose already too!
As for heartburn, try going super simple with your food combinations. It will help you discover the culprit. For example, acidic foods (like tomatoes or certain fruits) eaten with a protein negatively affect digestion of that protein. See: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/6064/3-ingredients-rule/
Try “mono meals” – or at most, 3 ingredients max per plate or meal.
I have really enjoyed my journey on the Challenge so far and I have lost 5 of my needed 15 pounds. I started a few days late but am still very happy with my progress. I like the tips for ordering out because, even though I try really hard to cook my own food each meal, the family doesn’t follow low carb and I get tired of cooking sometimes. Eating out used to be such a challenge but now I have lots of ideas for low carbing it!
Some things I like to stick to:
– Have pork rinds on hand for those crunchy munchies – they aren’t very healthy but are 0 carb if you get the plain ones.
– Limit ordering cheesy fast food if you are a stickler about your carbs, and check every brand at the market before you buy cheese. Some brands and types do have carbs.
– I honestly cannot eat cottage cheese, it is just so gross to me, so I have cream cheese with strawberries or raspberries and pecans for a sweet snack. I keep a jar of Smuckers sugar free strawberry preserves on hand when I want something real sweet. I love it stirred into cream cheese with the crunchy pecans.
– Earth Balance makes a Coconut and Peanut spread that is great for making Lynn’s cookies, or for a small but filling snack on a spoon.
– Sunbutter is a good sub for peanut butter if you want something a little different. Almond butter, too, but I find it usually too expensive.
So not to drone on, but I am really enjoying everyone’s input and recipe ideas – keep them coming – can’t wait to try the pizza crust!
Great tips, Hope! 🙂 I agree on the cheeses, and love cream cheese with berries too!
I see that you have been having 450 calories and 8 carbohydrates in the pecan halves. That is a lot of carbs and calories for one Food. I lost 72 pounds on low carb in 2001 and have kept it off since then by eating mostly low carb and going back on induction if I cheat and notice the pounds creeping up again. I ate pecans too, but never half a cup. I Would mix half that much in my cottage cheese and cut the calories down to 225 and the carbs down to 4. My husband and I went back on low carb on April 15th and as of yesterday I have lost 5 lbs. This is the 6th day of our diet, This is not a criticism, but just a suggestion. You are doing a good job!
Thank you, Aloma! I count net carbs instead of total carbs, and usually lose very well – eating the pecans daily, even. My body is just halting on me at this “set weight” lol.
Still, I may try going “meat & greens only” for a few days or a week soon just to see if I can get my body out of “routine” given I’m eating a lot of the same things over and over. The good news is… I’m not gaining, and I *look* leaner. 🙂
Thanks Lynn! Your stories are always enlightening.
I also find since I’ve been paying more attention to the Macros eating has been less complicated as you stated!!!
I’m glad to hear that, Yolanda. 🙂 I like keeping it simple. The simpler your foods and plates, the easier it is to track… and stay on track. 🙂
I am having a hard time with the marcos – the fat and the healthy fat and all that. Luckily I am a person that pretty much eats the same things all the time. Here is a typical day:
Breakfast – 2 eggs either boiled or scrambled (1 carb) and 3 pieces of bacon (0 carb) plus 1 – 2 tablespoons of Hazelnut sugar free creamer. (1 to 2 carbs)
Lunch – 1 cup raw Spinach (0 Carbs) 1/2 tomato (3 carbs) 1 tablespoon of all natural guac (0 carbs) and sometimes mayo but very little, and meat usually pork, chicken or a hamburger (0 carbs)
Dinner – usually just meat – again pork, chicken or hamburger (o carbs). Sometimes a small helping of veggies – mainly zucchini, mushrooms or green beans
(** my carb counts are from MFP)
Is this pretty healthy and in line with what the macros should be? Is this to much protein? Good healthy fats? And last how often is too often to eat red meat? It is my favorite!
Any advice is appreciated!
Hi Laura,
The spinach and avocado (guac) DO have carbs. As well as the veggies at dinner. Look at your labels, or for fresh produce, I use this link to search: https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search
I also have a list of low carb vegetables with carb counts, in alphabetical order here: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/4964/low-carb-vegetables/
How are you tracking? If you aren’t using MyFitnessPal or another tracker that shows you fat/protein ratios, that will be VERY eye opening. 🙂
I have been doing some food prep lately. ii t really helps to have something you can grab when hunger overcomes you. I cut up a cucumber in half slices.purple onion diced, 2 roma tomatoes also chopped in small pieces. I put it all together in a container and squeased some lime juice and 2 Tbs of Bolten farms Ranch and Avacado dressingat only 1 carb per 2 Tbs. I put the lid on the container abd shook it all up. I also added fresh ground pepper and light salt to it. It is yummy and very low calorie and carb. I keep it in the fridge if i get hungry. I can also add a little guac to it and feta cheese to make a meal out of it or add the cucumber mixture to my chopped lettuce ( i prep that too) as a salad
It is good to have healthy choices ready when hunger strikes so I (we) are not tempted to eat the wrong thing.
I do much better on this woe if i include a salad every day. I do love my salads. 🙂
I agree, it helps me a lot to have foods ready to eat too. I need to get back to that! 😉
Lynn – I have a question about your raspberries and cream cheese. Do you melt or soften the cream cheese first to mix with the fruit? You never mention it so I’m curious. You’ve given me so many great ideas since I’ve been following you. I’m glad you’ve gotten to your goal and am anxious to see your pictures.
Hi Betsy 🙂
I don’t. I just get a little raspberry and a little dab of cream cheese on a spoon and eat it. And keep doing that. 🙂 Each little spoonful tastes like creamy, sweet cheesecake!
I have a ways to get to my goal yet. Maybe approx 10 pounds (or a little less) on the scales, but A LOT of toning. So it will be interesting to see how the numbers come out on the scale as I continue to lose fat but also gain muscle. 🙂