I took over 300 pictures yesterday! I promise not to share them ALL with you (lol), but Iโll give you a fun photo tour of my adventurous workout and low carb meals. ๐
I am sore ALL OVER today. Youโll see whyโฆ haha, whew!
I have more photos for you too. Even I am shocked looking at them. Itโs amazing how fast your body changes when you get SERIOUS and consistent with eating low carb and exercising!!
Five years, 50 pounds, lots of yo-yoโing. Why in the world it took me SO long to get here, well โ I could kick myself. Donโt do that, donโt be like me. Start today and really challenge yourself.
Wednesdayโs Low Carb Food & Fitness
I started my day off with a healthy low carb high fat breakfast. Itโs 1/2 cup pecans, 1/4 cup Daisy brand cottage cheese and 4 small diced strawberries. (5 net carbs and 85% healthy fats)
I got my work done early, charged up my Fitbit Charge HR, and prepared a big thermos of hot coffee โ ready for adventure! ๐
Thatโs my Contigo Travel Mug, and they are amazing! My coffee was STILL hot more than 5 hours later, after my hike -lol. Seriously cool!
On the way out of town I grabbed a Low Carb Thickburger from Hardeeโs. I got it plain with cheese, and the lettuce wrap, which is zero carbs.
What really shocked me about that picture, besides how THIN Iโm getting (!!!) is the lack of dimples (dimply cellulite) on my thighsโฆ
I used to be so embarrassed to sit down because of those darned thigh dimples! ๐ Just losing weight (eating low carb) took care of those. Exercising is helping tone up my leg muscles, but it was just eating low carb that made my cellulite disappear!
Hereโs a full body picture of me that I took yesterday morning.
We drove out to the middle of nowhere (the land of no cell signal lol) for an adventurous hike at a place hidden in the woods called Lost Creek Natural Area. Itโs not a state park, no guided tour, just pure NATURE to explore!
Before we hit the trail, I had to pee. Go figure -lol.
Here in Tennessee we call that โpop a squat.โ ๐ And while I was doing just that, carefully avoiding poison oak and spiders, I noticed a dark spot in the woods. I went over to check it out, and discovered a cool little opening in the rocks:
Once you got through that little crack in the rocks, it really opened up!
We decided to hike down in it and exploreโฆ
It was pitch black inside, a steep wet rocky decline, but we could hear water coming from deep inside so we felt our way around to check it out.
The sound of running water was coming from this crack in the rocks deep down in the cave. I squeezed in there, careful with my footing, with only a small flashlight, and went as far as I could. It dropped off a good 40 feet to nothing!
It was pitch black in there, and a little bit creepy.
Have you ever seen The Descent?! haha Yeah. ๐ ๐ฏ lolโฆ
Check out this short video I put on Instagram to get an idea what it was like. ๐
That first little hidden cave was quite a workout, but next came the hike down to the fallsโฆ hiking up the side of the falls (a serious climb!) and then a second VERY large cave to exploreโฆ plus hiking back out (uphill!), lol. Wowsa! ๐
It was hot, sweaty, and FUN! I was falling over in this picture, lol.
Nevermind the โarmpit titsโ ๐ My fatty arms / underarms etc is something I am seriously working on right now. ๐
Next we hiked up to the top, which was a serious workout! Mud, wet leaves, a steep slippery incline โ bugs and poison ivy and spiders and maybe even snakes too, lol.
This is where the sweat REALLY started. ๐ You had to pick your footing carefully as many of the rocks were loose, and watch close what you grabbed to pull yourself up โ so you donโt grab a snake, lol.
It was so worth itโฆ ๐ Wowโฆ
The pictures truly do not do it justice.
Next we hiked over to the main cave, which was much larger and had seen more human traffic than the first one. It was a HUGE rocky cave with a wild breeze blowing through it, and cool little crystal clear water drops clinging to the walls.
This kind of terrain is a serious workout. Navigating the steep inclines, the rocks, stepping over logs and such works so many different muscle groups!
We get to the main cave, and before we go inโฆ well, this is my face when Joe showed me what we had to hike UP to get back out. LOL. ๐ฏ Ack!
Hiking OUT proved to be the most ambitious part of the adventure, haha. ๐
Right inside the cave, the temperature dropped dramatically. We stopped to cool off on the big cold rocks and take a break for a second. And um, enjoy the view. ๐ haha
Like the first cave, this one was pitch black once you got past the opening โ and HUGE inside! This is the Lost Creek Cave in Tennessee.
We had to climb over huge rocks, navigating with only a very small flashlight and feeling our way along the cold rock wall. With huge cave crickets, no less โ lol.
This is where my thighs started to BURN with all the up, down & over. Wowsa!! ๐
And I still had the ambitious uphill climb (not hike, CLIMB) out of there, half of which took both hands and feet (and knees, lol).
Hot, sweaty, sticky, itchy, aching, happy andโฆ HUNGRY! ๐
Hiking & caving works up a serious appetite! ๐
I came home, showered off, and called in a Grilled Salmon Caesar Salad from Applebeeโs, and picked it up at their Carside-to-Go service.
ย
I had 1/2 cup of pecan halves as a snack later in the evening.
A very healthy day from start to finish! ๐
Hereโs my MyFitnessPal Food Diary for yesterday:
ย
It was an adventurous day, tons of FUN, and I am so incredibly sore โ lol. What a workout!! ๐ That feels GOOD! I canโt wait to go back to Lost Creek and explore the large cave more โ apparently thereโs a waterfall deep inside the cave somewhere. In the pitch dark, of course. Fun. ๐ I would also love to explore the first smaller cave more, with better lighting.
Iโm pleased I finished off the day with a healthy salad. I was exhausted and famished, and truth: tempted to eat some SERIOUS carbs, lol.
Every day, every choice, is a huge victory.
Iโm on a mission to become the happiest, healthiest version of myself. After five long years of struggling, yo-yoโing with success and failure, and overcoming self-sabotageโฆ I FINALLY feel like Iโm over the hump. The biggest one anyway.
Change is hard. Even the most positive change feels uncomfortable, and unsettling. Every single meal has to be a deliberate choice. I still brush off the urge to binge, repeatedly. Every day I wake up and figure out some way to work my body. Iโm trying to force myself to get comfortable in my new body.
But at least Iโm having fun doing it. 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
ย
ย
So how many steps did you get in with all that hiking?
4,425 steps ๐ Fitbit says I did โ17 floorsโ lol. Iโm surprised it wasnโt more steps, but every single step REALLY counted, haha. Wowsa!! ๐
Looks like a lot of fun~~ Glad you have a great day~~ I am in so much hopes I can get at least way there this summer it is a struggle at times but I feel so much better even at this small stage of my journey, You inspire a lot of us Lynn thank you for all you do for us. I just keep on keeping on struggle or not . ๐ rest those legs/body some today lol
Thank you, Sandi โ and YES, I will definitely be having a โrecovery dayโ today, haha. ๐ Really pushing myself HARD lately is paying off. I was entirely too lax with it on and off the last two years. Youโll amaze yourself at what you can achieve this summer, in a few short months!! ๐
Lynn, whos the cutie with you in the pictures?? ~~ and a couple of questions:
1. How old are you
2. how tall?
3. Starting weight?
You really look good, gives me hope <3
Hi Valerie,
I am 43 years old in June.
I am 5โ5โณ โ a bit under actually.
I was close to 200 pounds at my highest weight. You can see some before & after (er, during) pictures here: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/9378/my-weight-loss-journey/ ๐
I missed one! His name is Joe โ a local friend and adventure buddy I met through our fascination with Instagram. ๐
Hi Lyn
What a fun way to get in shape and enjoy nature and our lovely weather( u am no too far from you in Missouri)
I love the outdoors but i am afraid i couldnโt do the hiking thing anymore with my bum knees and all. ๐
I love your coffee mug especially the color. Purple is my fave color. I must get one of those as i an a serious coffee drinker ( not bpc though ๐ )
My birthday is in June too. I am Gemini
I bet you are too
We seem to. Be a lot alike. ๐
I am really trying this time too.
You are doing so great with your meals and excercise. It is motivating me too.
I made a low carb cheese cake yesterdayโthe no bake version that is on the unflavored gelatin box
It came out really good and i had a 1 oz slice with fresh rasberries. It was goodโ almost too good. I admit that i cut another half slice and ate it with 3 more rasberries
I had an epiphany at that momentโ-i still lack will power when it comes to deserts which has always been a probkem for me
Even with low carb deserts,if i an not very strict with my portions, then i an sabotizing myselfโฆ.i think i will Not be making any low carb treats for now until maybe i get into maintenance whenvi am at goal weight
I would love to try all the yummy recipes i see around but i do not trust myself with those delights for now
I think i will stick with clean eating and the three ingredient plan. It works for me right now
Thank you for sharing your adventures with us
I enjoyed it so much and look forward to your blog every day itโs a great read and very motivating.
Cheers!! ๐
Yes, I am a Gemini as well. ๐ Awesome! And you will LOVE the contigo travel mugs. They are truly amazing, how long they keep your coffee HOT. I was impressed. (:
I do find eating super simple (3IMAX) works super well for me. Even with โdessertโ I prefer JUST raspberries & cream cheese. Which is such a nice treat! But it changes your pallet when you cut out the artificially sweet things. Well, except for my coffee, which is non negotiable (for now), lol. ๐
Oopsโ-sorry for my typos. I am typing from my phone and forget to use my stylus so i hit the right keys
* i meantโฆ.i live in St. Louis, Missouri. ๐
It is great to find someone that loves hiking like you do and outdoor activities.
I have a sneaking feeling (my intuition) that he might be one of the reasons you are smiling more these days. ๐
And he is a cutey too. ๐
Ah, youโre not far at all! I have friends in that area too, so hopefully someday we can connect and share a great low carb meal and some laughs. ๐
And you would be correct, lol. Heโs tons of fun!!
That would be great to one day meet up for a low carb meal
In the past, going out to eat was my excuse to eat the wrong things and then ti have a decadent desert
I am surprised how good i am now. If itโs buffet style, i walk right past the desert bar
This is a huge change for me. Sugary deserts were my drug of choiceโฆ..grrrrrrr. No more. LCHF is my rehab therapy that cured me of my addiction to sweets. (at least put me in remission) but like an alcoholic, i have to take it one day at a time. Itโs getting easier now to resist sweets. ๐
I love going out to eat low carb, because I donโt have to cook ๐ (lol) and because there are so many beautiful low carb foods to choose from!
I do worse sitting around the house eating. Opposite everyone else, I guess. ๐ haha
But yes, like you โ itโs getting easier every day! ๐ *cheers*
That looks like so much funโฆ.a little scary lol, but fun. I canโt wait to get our and about this summer. There arenโt many places to just go climbing like that around here but we always try to do things that involve alot of walking and hills. We have busch gardens here and there are quite a bit of very steep hills that..to be honest make me want to puke after climbing them lol.
So my meals yesterday were almost identical to the day before so no excitement there lol.
B: bpc, scrambled eggs w/colby jack cheese
L: ham and cheese rolled up with a slice of pickle in the middle
D: leftover sliders (no bun), stuffed mushrooms
S: sf iced coffee
I drank a little under 60oz of water yesterday. My carbs were 18 and my fat was 76%.
P.s. I happened to weigh myself this morning and I lost another 2 pounds. Hopefully that stays the same for Mondays weigh-inโฆor maybe even a pound or two more โบ
Wow! You are doing great Justine! Your meals are very low carb. I am impressed with your zero. Snacking
I get hungry after dinner. I am working on cutting out my snack. ๐ the hot broth helps a lot or a small amount of almonds.
Bush Gardens? Are you in Missouri? Just wondering.
Justineโฆ..we have our version of Bush Gardens here in St. louis called Grants Farm which is owned by Busch also and it is often referred to as Busch Gardens too but i realised after writing my comment, that you must have been referring to their theme parks etc. ๐
We have Busch Stadium here and a lot of things but owned by them. ๐
Yeah I was referring to their theme parks. Theyโre so much fun, I try to take my kids as much as possible during the summer.
Thanks Gigi. Iโm really trying to do well this go round. Iโve been on LC on and for 10 years now and I NEVER stay on track. And I do snack I just really try to keep it to a minimum, which is hard with 3 young children in the house lol. My cupboards are full of yummy no-noโs. My cravings are the absolute worst at night. Lol.
I understand Justine. I remember how hard it was to stay on track when you have small kids. Now its hard when i go and watch my grandkids cause there are chips around tge house and other goodies
Good thing at home i only have to cook or not cook for just me. I do not keep any thing in the house to tempt me that i should not be eating
I donโt even like to keep atkins bars around or SF candy. Sweetsโฆ.even SF treats tempt me to binge eat. Like my SF cheesecake i made yesterday. I ate more than i should have
I have some left though and tonight i am only having a 1 ounce serving with 10 rasberries.. I have to exercise portion control. I think i can do it today. ๐
Night time is when i get hungry for a snack too. I am doing better though.
Keep going Justine. Do not give up this time. You can do this!
It was a bit scary, lol โ but way more FUN than fear. ๐ I canโt wait to go back!! Er, as soon as my thighs recover, haha.
Congrats on the loss โ that makes 12 pounds total, right?? Awesome!
Lol Iโm sure.
Thanks!! Yep thatโs 12 pounds, hopefully itโll stay that way come Mondays weigh-in โบ
Btw. You look great. Keep up the awesome work. ๐ it is definitely paying off. ๐
I was referring to your full body pic, Lynโฆ..wow! There is a big difference in you since last summer. You are almost a perfect size nowโฆ..well for me it would beโฆ.:) i would be thrilled when i get ti a size 10. ๐
I am in 14-16 bottoms. And a Size M-L in tops
But for me this is a big transformation because once i was a 26-28 bottoms and 4X in tops
But i still want to get where you are
I know now that it is possible if i keep being consistent! ๐
Thank you ๐ ๐ I am VERY happy at this โsizeโ (10โish) but definitely fluffy and jiggly โ aka Skinny Fat , yuck lol. So Iโm going to keep eating low carb and healthy with a serious focus on toning. Thatโs my main goal for the rest of the Spring!