Happy Monday! ๐
Itโs Day 22 of the Spring Low Carb Challenge, and every week we weigh in on Monday morning. If youโre participating in the challenge group, youโll find todayโs weigh-in thread here.
My current weight is 148.8 pounds, for a total of 5.8 pounds lost in the last 3 weeks. Itโs been slow, and itโs been challenging, but I feel GREAT! ๐
This is my lowest weight since going low carb just over 5 years ago, which is REALLY exciting. While I continue to maintain this weight loss and lose the last of the fat, my new (BIG) challenge is to tone up.
Iโve never been great or consistent with exercise, but my new leaner body definitely needs some work. ๐ ๐ Lately Iโve been getting in more exercise, but Iโm really going to have to PUSH myself harder. Much harder โ to get the results I really want.
Here is my Low Carb Food Diary for Day 21 of the โGet Lean For Summer!โ 90 Day Low Carb Challenge. Itโs not too late to join us if you havenโt already.
Day 21: Sundayโs Low Carb Meals
I had my usual/favorite low carb breakfast, because itโs SO easy โ and of course delicious. ๐ It was 1/2 cup pecans, 1/4 cup Daisy brand cottage cheese and 4 small diced strawberries. (5 net carbs and 85% healthy fats)
After breakfast, and a couple errands, Slim and I went for a nice brisk walk in the sunshine. We were both hot and tired when we came in, so I just grabbed an Atkins Peanut Butter Granola Bar for lunch.
I was famished by dinner, so I whipped up a quick โone skillet mealโ of sausage & fried eggs. (1.2 carbs)
I like my fried eggs cooked over-medium (dippy eggs! ๐ ) and I mix it all up togetherโฆ
I had a quick low carb snack before bed of cream cheese & rasberries, with some colby jack cheese on the side. It was 1oz cream cheese, 1/4 cup (frozen) raspberries & 1oz colby jack cheese for a total of 4 net carbs. Delicious!!
I love LOVE love raspberries and cream cheese together! ๐
Hereโs My MyFitnessPal Diary for Sunday:
Macronutrients: How & What I Track
How I Get Net Carbs in MyFitnessPal
Calories: 1556
Net Carbs: 19
Total Carbs: 28
Protein: 77 Grams
78% Fat, 17% Protein
Exercise: Brisk Walk
FitBit Steps: 6,941
Water: 48 ounces
Starting Weight: 154.6
Current Weight: 148.8 pounds
Weight Loss (so far): 5.8 pounds
Hereโs a (fuzzy) picture of Slim and I out on our walk yesterday. I couldnโt even wear those shorts last Fall, just a months ago! It still surprises me how my clothes fit (or donโt) and how lean my legs are when I see pictures of myself. Itโs such an odd feeling being this close to my goal, but a GOOD one of course. ๐
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Cardio is not going to cut it for the kind of body toning I want to do. The main work needs to happen in my waist, stomach, hips, upper thighs & arms. My thigh & calf muscles are toning up nicely from all our walks โ but the rest of me is going to require some weight & strength training. ๐
Itโs time to do some dailies on the Ab Carver Pro!
If you havenโt seen that video yet, feel free to have a good laugh. ๐ haha
How are things going on your end?
Did you weigh in today?
Leave a comment below, and letโs do this together. ๐
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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I have lost a total of 13.2 pounds since finding you on FB, a few days before the Challenge began. My husband and I have tried low carb before but always quit because we got bored with eating the same foods. You have shown me so much variety for meals with simple recipes, as well as what to eat out and where that we havenโt gotten the least bit bored. My husband is diabetic and he had a Dr. apptmt last week and his A1C was down almost a full point โ we were thrilled, as well as the doctor!! He gave our low carb diet a big nod of approval! I am not taking the Challenge because thyroid issues makes my weight fluctuate so badly and I donโt want to be discouraged by numbers on the scale (even thought right now those numbers are pretty awesome, that will change very soon). Thank you for all your posts and encouragement, they are truly appreciated!! Keep up the good work!
Thatโs awesome, Judy! Not just the weight loss, but the fast improvement in health. Iโm so glad I could help you find more variety and enjoyment with low carb! ๐ I feel like I tend to eat the same things over and over, but Iโm sort of โfood boredโ lately (lol). I was searching back through my own archives here looking for some fresh ideas this week. ๐
Hi Lynn, you are so inspiring to me :)) I love you and slims picture!! Where did you get that blue top your wearing in that pic? It looks so comfy!!
Hi Diana โ thank you!! ) Itโs purple actually and I got it on the sale rack at GAP. Itโs one of my favorites, super comfortable and flowy, but strappy so great for getting sun on my shoulders & arms. ๐
Wow!! You look great Lynn!! I weighed in this morning and I didnโt lose a pound. *Boo*
Thatโs ok though, Iโve lost 10 pounds since the start of this and my clothes are definitely feeling alot looser. My husband even commented on how itโs very obvious Iโve lost weight. ๐
So Iโm going to continue doing what Iโm doing and maybe next week Iโll see some more pounds gone. This week my goal is to cut out all the โsweet snackingโ. Shark week is over so my cravings for sweets is gone. Lol. Iโm gonna cut my bpc down from 16oz to 8oz to see if that makes a difference. So โฆonward to another successful week.
My meals yesterday:
B: bpc, 2 fried eggs, 2 sausage patties
L: bbq pork rinds (I wasnโt that hungry)
D: 2 Oscar Meyer smoked sausages, 1c steamed broccoli w/cheese
I drank 60oz water, my net carbs were 9 and my fat was 85%
10 pounds lost in 3 weeks is GREAT! ๐
Youโll find you see a brief โholdโ and even slight fluctuations during week 2 or 3. Itโs just your body adjusting to losing so much weight so fast in the beginning โ so thatโs totally normal. Just keep doing whatโs obviously working so well for you! ๐
Yeah I figured it was just from fluctuations which is why Iโm moving forward. Iโm confident, and inspired To do and be the best I can possibly be. Thank you for your support ๐
Time to get back to the grindstone. Last week was stressful. I went from 119 lbs down to 114 lbs in 5 days (lost the last 2 lbs in one day). How much stress must that put on the body??? Then, to make matters worse, I pigged out on healthy carbs all day Friday so I would have a ton of immediate energy stores for my matches on Saturday. I was up to 120 lbs Saturday morning!!!!! I of course was a ball of stress on Saturday, my matches started about 4 hours late! Then I had to fight 3 times. I won my first match!!! But then lost my last two ๐ I ended up getting 3rd place and while Iโm happy with my results, I know that I couldโve done better. Iโm not mad at myself, but at a couple points, i disappointed myself because I know that I couldโve done better and maybe that wouldโve been a game changer for me. I have another tournament on May 7, so Iโve got to put in some work! This is what keeps me going. Iโm up a bit on the scale today as my body still wants to cling to all those carbs. I allowed myself to enjoy real pizza and ice cream Saturday evening, but I was back on my normal LCD Sunday morning, so I know that if I stick to the plan, those extra pounds should be gone by the end of the week. Iโve decided that Iโm happy with my weight ๐ As long as I can stay below 120, Iโll be happy. I know that I have to do that by eating LCHF, but I donโt necessarily believe I need to be in ketosis anymore. I would like to focus on toning my muscles and building up more strength and endurance. Fortunately, my next tournament, I only have to be at 120 ๐ Piece of bacon!!!! haha
lol @ โpiece of bacon!โ ๐ ๐
Being happy with your weight is such an awesome feeling. Good for you!! Continuing to eat a healthy ketogenic diet while you get in amazing shape will be so great for your overall health and energy. Itโs nice to have the motivation of your tournaments too. I find something to look forward to and work toward really keeps me going. ๐ *cheers*
Ok i never used to weigh myself but once a month because it is too discouraging not to see the scale move when you are trying so hard to eat right and exercise but i thought i need accountability now and to assess my eating in relation to what the scales say.
Now it is harder for me to lose because i have already lost so much weight in the last two years
This week i had been sick with a cold and i know i ate too much. I stayed low carb but i had too many carbs most days to stay in ketosis
I need to buckle down this week. I actually gained 1.8 lbs but i tell myself i am still under 200 lbs which is a huge thing for me so i an not giving up
Onwards nowโฆโฆ
I measured every ingredient in my low carb cereal this AM like you do. Lyn. No more guessing and definitely no more late snacks.
I can do this.
I am thinking some of this is water weight. I had more sodium lately with my home made chicken broth i had this weekat, it is
My fingers are swollen today
In any event, i still know i ate too much this week
When i have a cold i always get hungry more even if it is healthy foods i have been eating, i know i just ate too much. ๐
I tend to retain water when Iโm sick, no matter how I eat. :p I hope youโre feeling better now?? My allergies are crazy lately!!
Measuring and weighing has been a real eye opener for me. I love my little kitchen scale. ๐
Hi Lyn
I have a question for you about your carb count for the SF creamer
Most days you write that you have 5-6 tbs of the creamer
I also use the Coffee mate brand of SF flavored creamers in my coffee
The container list the carbs as 2 per Tbs
You must drink more than i cup of coffee a day? Am i correct? I usually drink 2 cups
With the sf creamer.
So how could your carb count be correct at 5 carbs per 5tbs??? I am wondering because i am thinking if going to hwc for my coffee instead on most days. Those carbs really can creep up on me if i am not careful.
Great question! ๐ I drink large mugs of coffee, probably 2 1/2 โcupsโ so I would guess a 14 ounce mug of coffee โ and each large mug has 1 TBSP of the powdered creamy. So itโs VERY creamy & sweet. ๐ Something I would love to cut down on, but havenโt done yet.
Anyway, I drink a lot of coffee. ๐ I am pretty much always sipping on a big mug, from the time I get up all the way to my โbedtime coffeeโ late in the evening lol.
I look forward to my coffees every day. I can give up a lot of things but this is not one of them. ๐ it keeps me going. I love the rich flavor from the SF creamers but even though i am concerned over carb creeping with these i am not wanting to give it upโฆ.not all together at least. Itโs my guilty pleasure
But i am certain that this alone is not the cause of my stalls. It doesnโt really seem to be affecting your weight loss obviously. ๐
So why give it up? ๐ ๐
It will be the first thing I cut โ to lose faster, but also because it is FULL of crazy ingredients lol. But for now Iโm really enjoying it. ๐ Itโs nice to have some pleasures in life!
Hi Lyn
I had the idea to buy more of the Torani brand sugar free coffee syrups. Each one has 0 carbs
I thought of adding that to my coffee plus a. Little unsweetened coconut milk to make it creamy. The unsweetened coconut milk is only 2 carbs per a whole CUP. And the Coconut milk is nutritious
Or use a small amt. Of half abd half with my torani sf syrup in my coffee
I love the Irish cream flavored syrup
I thought of getting peppermint abd chocolate syrups to make a peppermint mocha. ๐
Btw they do carry a Hazelnut SF syrup as well.
I love my flavored coffees so muchโฆ..i am trying to find a way to keep it lower carb. I can probably still use the Carnation brand once in a while
My bottle of Coffeemate states it has 2 carbs per Tbs?
The SF delight brand has only 1 carb per Tbs. BUT like you said these creamers have all sorts if weird ingredients in them which i do not like either. ๐
I went black as far as coffee about two years ago. I always drank it without sugar, but I always added enough milk to make it light tan. I tried weaning it down but it didnโt work. So one day I just decided to go black and deal with it. For two to three days, I PINED for milk in it, but after that it was the new normal. I have no regrets. In fact, I picked up a coffee that wasnโt mine on accident two weeks ago and gagged because it had milk and sugar in it.
Another advantage to going black is getting to really taste the coffee. Itโs also made traveling way easier because Iโm not looking for real milk (I was never a cream person) to add to my coffee (or having to BUY it when Iโd hit up some place like McDonalds for coffee).
Itโs such an EASY way to cut something fattening from your diet and I will 99% guarantee you that you wonโt miss the cream one bit after two weeks. ๐
Akk! I could never get used to black coffeeโฆ..i love a varity of flvirs in my coffee and teas. I guess itโs the โGeminiโ in me. I use sugar free creamer or the SF syrups by Da Vinci or Torani aling with a splash of coconut milk. I can fit in the carbs in my daily countโ no problem. And it has never stalled me. For me, itโs my guilty pleasureโwhich really causes no guilt at all.
When i an out i can always get half and half with my coffee. This is one thing i an not prepared to give up. It is good that you can. I tried just doing black coffee and i hated it. ๐ thatโs just me. ๐
*variety of flavors* darn typos. Lol
Btw. torani SF syrups have 0 carbsโ-no guilt there. ๐ unsweetened almond milk is very low carb. Unsweetened coconut milk (my fave) has little more. Only 4gms per cup.
Yeah, I wasnโt looking to cut down on carbs as much as I was looking to find ways to cut back on anything that added to my weight and milk in my coffee was on the top of the list. I didnโt think I could do it, but now I canโt imagine not drinking it black. But I also drink way more coffee than most should โ about 1 to 2 pots a day. So weโre talking way more than a teaspoon or two of milk.
Itโs funny you mentioned it being the Gemini in you as Iโm also a Gemini. ๐
Hi RAEโฆ
I do not usually drink more than two twelve oz mugs of coffee a day. Well today i had threeโฆ.it was that kind of day
If i drink too much coffee i get jittery and have trouble sleeping.
I have a Keurig coffee maker because i would never finish a whole pot of coffee
I DO enjoy my flavored coffees though i have tried the sugar free syrups. I love the Irish Creme flavor or Peppermint mocha. I have been adding a little coconut milk in my coffee too
I see what you are saying though the carbs could creep up if you drink that much coffee.
Wowโฆ.lots of us Geminis here. ๐
Hi Rae! ๐ ๐ Gemini here as well, lol. Iโve been threatening to โgo blackโ for awhile now, and I agree that anything becomes the new norm after a short period.
Like you, I drink A LOT of coffee. More than a pot or two a day, lol. And yes itโs a hassle when I travelโฆ
Also, I personally avoid anything with artificial sugar (Aspartame, Sucralose, Splenda, Stevia and the like). Not because Iโm some kind of purist but because they make me break out. Iโve tried it multiple times over the last ten years โ it happens every time. As long as I stay away from those, my skin is fine. ๐
Thatโs a good problem to have โ well, except when you break out, lol. They can be hell on the system. Especially the sugar free candies, which are such a NICE indulgenceโฆ until they hit the tummy. ๐