Happy Monday! ๐ Itโs Day 29 of the Spring Low Carb Challenge, and we weigh in every Monday morning.
If youโre participating in the low carb challenge Facebook group, youโll find todayโs weigh-in thread here.
My current weight is 148 pounds, for a total of 6.6 pounds lost in the last 4 weeks.
Itโs been SLOW, and itโs been challenging, but I feel GREAT! ๐
Iโm really focused on my workouts, and toning my body now that Iโve lost so much weight eating a healthy low carb diet. I got a good one in yesterday, and achieved a new level! Youโll see below. ๐ Iโm excited about the outdoor adventures this week will hold too, and how I can turn that into another amazing workout like the last one. ๐
Day 28: Sundayโs Low Carb Meals
Here is my Low Carb Food Diary for Day 28 of the โGet Lean For Summer!โ 90 Day Low Carb Challenge. Itโs not too late to join us if you havenโt already!
I kicked off the day with my favorite low carb breakfast. This time it was 3/4 cup pecans, 1/4 cup Daisy brand cottage cheese & 4 small diced (frozen) strawberries. This bowl was 6 net carbs and 88% healthy fats.
I love a brand new fresh tub of Daisy brand cottage cheese. ๐ People ask me all the time why I only eat Daisy brand. I say: compare it to any other label on the shelf! It only has 3 ingredients, all real food. It has the best flavor too. I use half a serving, which is 1/4 cup and only 2 carbs.
For lunch I did a little experiment in the kitchen (ie I cooked! haha). I cut up two Oscar Mayer Smokies (zero carbs) and put them on a baking sheet with frozen yellow squash slices and baked it all together.
I did put a little olive oil on the pan first so the squash didnโt stick. The smokes are high sodium and flavorful, so no seasoning needed. It turned out delicious!!
Hereโs the squash I used โ itโs Pictsweet Sliced Yellow Squash. Itโs great seared in olive oil on the stovetop too. Squash is a good low carb source for potassium, by the way โ along with avocado and mushrooms.
I was browsing around the kitchen and found my leftover cashews. These babies will BLOW your carb count ๐ and FAST. lol. They are 8 carbs per ounce, with multiple servings per โsnack bagโ โ so you have to be really careful with those. ๐
For dinner I grabbed a big fat Double Thickburger from Hardeeโs, low carb style of course. ๐ I ordered it plain with cheese & mayo, making it zero carbs.
I could only eat half of it, that was ambitious. ๐ lol. I thought Iโd finish the other half later in the evening, but just didnโt get hungry again โ so itโs still in the fridge. ๐
Hereโs My MyFitnessPal Diary for Sunday:
Macronutrients: How & What I Track
How I Get Net Carbs in MyFitnessPal
Net Carbs: 22
Total Carbs: 35
Protein: 54 Grams
80% Fat, 14% Protein
Exercise: Ab Carver Pro, 100 Reps!!!
FitBit Steps: 1,859
Water: 24 ounces
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I did NOT feel like working out. I was going to skip it. I (blah) forced myself to at least do my Ab Carver Pro โ and that was at 11:38pm, lol. My abs and arms were in it, but my heart wasnโt -lolโฆ until about the 40th roll. I was just going to do 60, 20 to the front and 20 to each side. But I got my motivation around roll #40โฆ and pushed myself to 100! WOW. Thatโs the farthest Iโve ever gone, lol โ and it felt AMAZING!
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It works way more than just your abs, by the way. I really feel it in my triceps โ which is the muscle on the bottom side of your upper arms, where the โbatwingsโ are. ๐ I also feel it in the fatty area between my boob & armpit. I donโt know what you call that spot. I call it โarmpit titsโ lol โ but Iโm sure it has a technical term. ๐
Anyway, I would LOVE to tone that fatty area, and my triceps/batwings too, so Iโm excited this little ab gadget targets ALL of those trouble spots at once!
How are things going on your end?
Did you weigh in today? I would love to hear your progress so farโฆ
I look forward to hearing from you!
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
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100 REPS?!? Iโm sore from 40! Love how it gets your triceps too. ๐
I love that too. ๐ And Yes! I really pushed myself lol, but Iโve been building up to it โ and surprisingly Iโm not sore this morningโฆ yet, lol โ so 100 is going to be my new minimum. ๐ ๐
Congrats Lynn.. Iโve done just okay.. I expected to do better but Iโve learned plenty about myself, my eating habits, new foods, as well as healthier ways of eating them. Iโve also learned my weak points and trigger points. In all with ups and down Iโve lost 9.. However Iโll take it. Iโm pleased that I joined..as well as found new online friends to share the journey. I reflected back on my journey and I logged more than 6 bad days!!! Hmmm not good. Iโm happy to continue forward Iโm more enlightened!!! So letโs go!! Great job on your progress Lynn! You continue to be an inspiration for me!!!! Thank you!!
Those are all GREAT things, Yolanda! Congrats on 9 pounds lost too, thatโs awesome. ๐ This is definitely a learning experience, so do that: learn from it and continue improving. Thatโs what I did, and what I continue to do. ๐
Well, i was scared to step on the scale (i always am) i was surprised to see that i have lost three pounds this week! That makes 5 pounds lost, since the start of this challenge. Last week i went up one pound, so i lost that pound plus 2 more.
I got serious with my eating this week and got myself Moving more. I walked a lot.
I think the excercising played the biggest part this week with my weight loss along with 0 cheats all week
Yesterday i had the low carb cereal and my coffee
I was busy so i skipped lunch
Dinner was a Turkey Burger from a restaurant here called Ozziesโฆ.a sports bar
I am so pround of myself because i immediately took the bun off and set it aside, and ate just the meat cheese, lettuce onion and dill pickle . the bun was one of those yummy restaurant grade gourmet buns โฆ.not your average bun. LOL. So. I could have ordered it bunless but i get weird looks when i do that. I already got drilled about what side i wantedโฆ..the choices were โ do you want skinny fries, steak fries, or onion rings? I said what other side can i get? She said any other side is an upgrade and is 1.50 extra. I said i do want any sides at all then.. She couldnโt seem to understand why i did not want any of thise sides. I mean it came with the meal. ๐
I did, however order a. Caesar salad with ranch dressing. Which i ended up taking home. The burger filled me up.
The only thing bad about the burger was that it had a little BBQ sauce on it but it made it more tasty.
Later that night i had a cup of low carb yogurt with almonds. I waited to late at night to eat but by bedtime i was so hungryโฆ.i shouldnโt have eaten at midnight but i did. ๐
I am very excited about my loss and motivated to keep going. Consistency DOES pay off.
Thank you Lyn for this challenge. It is really helping me. ๐
Youโre doing great, Gigi! I wouldnโt stress over eating at midnight. Low carb is not like traditional diets โ thereโs a science to the way it works โ so time of day isnโt really an issue since your body is burning fat for fuel in ketosis. I eat at all sorts of random times throughout the day with my crazy schedule. ๐
Congrats on your happy surprise on the scale this morning!! Mine was up almost half a pound yesterday and today, but thatโs just normal fluctuations. Iโm in it for the long haul!! *cheers*
Soโฆ.after 29 days Iโve lost 12 pounds total. I weighed myself last week and had lost the 2 pounds and was really hoping to see a little bit more lost this morning but that wasnโt the case lol. But, 12 pounds loss is a whole lot better than 12 pounds gained or 0 lost so Iโll take it. With that being said this week Iโm going to cut down on the cheese and cut out my snackingโฆ.even though I said that last week it didnโt work lol, but Iโm gonna try.
I do on the other hand have a โplanned cheat dayโ coming up this sarurday. My husband and I are going to an all day concert festival and there will definitely be some beer drinking involved. Lol. Since this is the first time weโve been out without all 3 kids in over a year and a half Iโm going to enjoy myself but stay on plan as far as eating goes. Saturday weโre taking the kids and family to our Busch Gardens theme park and although there are plenty of โcheatsโ available there I will not be indulging in them. We always bring our own lunch so cheating isnโt an option. With these two days I will get plenty of exercise so Iโm hoping if staying on track with eating and all the exercise my weight wonโt be affected too much from the beer drinking.
My meals yesterday were:
B: omelet w/ccolby jack and 1 slice of turkey bacon, iced sf coffee
L: ham and mozzarella rolled up with a dill pickle, pork rinds dipped in 1 tbl sour cream
D: 2 johnsonville cheddar sausages (2 net carbs each), small salad (romaime, feta, cucumber, ranch)
S: 2 LC peanut butter fudge (I made more and they were calling my name..lol)
My net carbs were 16, fat was 78% and I drank 60oz of water.
Your consistency is really paying off. ๐ Kudos!!
I drink Michelob Ultra, itโs 2.6 carbs per 12 ounce bottle. Keep in mind that alcohol hits you harder and faster than usual when youโre in ketosis โ so drink slower and drink less. ๐ Many of us learned that the hard way, lol. Also: donโt weigh for at least 3-4 days after. Alcohol metabolizes slower and takes longer than food, and creates what we call โthe alcohol stall.โ Donโt let that freak you out!
I am also planning my beers this Friday. Iโm going to see my favorite band perform (I go to LOTS of their concerts!) and plan to drink and dance all night long. ๐ And eat low carb of course! *cheers*
Thanks Lynn!!!! โบ I really appreciate the daily support I get from this challenge. It makes me feel reassured that what Iโm doing is worth it.
Unfortunately they donโt sell Mich Ultra where Iโll be, only bud light, coos light, corona, and a handful of dark beers. I usually just stick to a light one (bud or coors) which have way less carbs than the other choices. And I definitely am not planning on weighing โ in until Tuesday or Wednesday just to be on the safe side lol.
Iโve had that happen at a few concerts myself, and choose a light beer too. I log it anyway โ and then keep on track afterward and go on with it. ๐
WOW! Justine. WTG. 12 lbs is amazing! Idk. I would cut out the sf candy if i were you but if that is what it takes to keep you on track then go with it. I snack on almonds or seeds if i get hungryโฆno sf candy or bars. But that is just me. Whatever you are doing itโs working. Congrats!!!!!
Thanks so much Gigi!!! Iโm really excited for my loss so far and am really encouraged to stay on track to get to my goal. โบ
I am definitely planning on cutting out the sf candy for a while lol. Iโve been saying for 2 weeks Iโm going to do so and have yet to actually do it but Iโm serious about it now. Itโs just soooo good! So instead of the candy if I get a sweet tooth Iโm gonna go back to the sf jello I was eating and see if that helps me lose faster. Thanks for the encouragement and good luck.
Justine
Try a going a week without the candy or bars and maybe even the sf fudgeโฆ.fat bomb. See if that helps. Save the sf candy for a once a week treat maybe.
I am content now with a few rasberries or strawberries and almonds as a snack. The cream cheese with berries in delightful. The chicken broth helps with sweet cravings also. You are talking to a hard core sweets loving person here. I had to find an alternative to satisfy my sweet tooth besides sf candy or deserts. The berries do that for me now. I donโt want to be hooked on the SF sweets either. ๐
Lyn. Your meal of smokies and squash looks so delightful. Yummy. I need to try THAT!!!!
You have given me some great meal ideas. I love it!
I cannot do the Ab pro because of my bad knees. I cannot get down on the floor and excercise like that
I need help on my lower abs and those Dreaded โbat wingsโ i hate thatโฆi will not wear sleeveless tops. My lower abs are flabby too but i can hide that in my spanx girdle when i get dressed up but not the arms. ๐
The sausage & squash was such a great combo. ๐ Yum!
My stomach is looking much better just from weight loss alone, but still needs work. ๐ I would look up abdominal exercises and find some you CAN do. It feels so good!!
Here are some good arm exercises: http://blog.fabletics.com/2016/02/blog-6-quick-arm-exercises-to-tighten-and-tone/ I saved those to try too. My arms wave at people even when I donโt (lol)โฆ even as lean as Iโm getting, they are still flabby and flapping! Ugh.
Iโm working on that. ๐
Thank you for that! I have one of those shaker weights. I will try those arm exercises. Bat wings are so uncool. Lol. ๐
Btw which is your fave band?
I am a huge music fanโฆ.all different genres. ๐
At the moment my absolute favorite album is Group Love! Check out: Never Trust A Happy Song (album). You can preview some of it on Amazon, here: http://amzn.to/1VHvaLg
My all time favorite band is The Avett Brothers. I am off to see yet another live show this Friday. ๐ I go to A LOT of their concerts. They totally rock a live stage!
Thanks for the ideas. I am going to try and start tomorrow. Where do you get your energy from? I feel so blah
Hi Karen ๐
Eating a healthy ketogenic diet will give you more energy naturally. That plus the exercise lately is really helping me a lot!
Youโll be SO glad you started. ๐ Let me know if you have any questions.
Does the pharmacy still sell keto sticks/strips? I thought I read somewhere that they are no longer accurate. Terry, what is your take on this?
Hi Dayna,
Iโve never used the sticks or strips. The last thing I peed on was 20 years ago โ and it was positive. ๐ lol!!! Seriously, I think you can get them anywhere, Wal-Mart etc. I have no idea how accurate they are, since I donโt use them. I can TELL when Iโm in ketosis, or not. I think it depends on hydration levels, time of day, lots of other factors, but again Iโm not 100% sure since I havenโt used them myself.
I found my keto stix. At walgreens by the pharmacy dept.
I got frustrated with using them because sometimes it does not change color or is a very pale purple tinged results that indicates โslightโ ketosis. I am still losing even though the strips do not reflect my ketosis. I gave up on the strips. It does not tell the whole story of ketosis and weight loss imho.
From what I understand, itโs like pregnancy: you are or you arenโt (in ketosis) โ so any shade is fine. The different shades may just reflect levels of hydration.
Hi Lyn
Well, i am on my second coffee today. My hunger seems to be decreasing and have to make myself eatโฆ.guess i am in ketosis
I forgot to tell you that i need to go back to the health food store here that i visit every once in a while for referring me to your low carb challenge on facebook last year.
YOU ARE FAMOUS. ๐
I was asking him about some weight loss supplements like Garcinia Cambogia and carb blockers etc. I told him about my weight loss on low carb but that i needed to lose a lot more. He then showed me his before and after photo on his phone. He said he lost a lot on LCHF and wrote down the link to your fb challenge page for me.
That was the best thing ever. I really needed this to help me get motivated again.i did not actually try your challenge till this past March and did not follow it faithfully until April, when your new challenge started.
I rather not (for now) be on the fb page cause all those foodie recipes tempt me as i an trying to do the 3IMAX. which seems to be working for me. But i am following your blog and your Traveling low carb page. Thank you for all you do
You have no idea what a great inspiration you are to us.(me)
I love that you are honest with your ups and downs of your weight loss journey. I think we can all relate to the ups and downs of it, the frustrations,temptations, and victories:be they big or small.
Ok, sorry for being so chattyโ thatโs the Gemini in me too. ๐ ๐ i will stop overposting nowโฆโฆhaha. ๐
Oh wow, Gigi โ be sure to tell him I said THANK YOU. ๐ Very cool! And post anytime, I always enjoy your comments & conversation. ๐
Speaking of ups & downs, today has been a hard day. Blah. ๐ I need to get my head screwed back on straight today, lol. Iโm powering through food wise, have very little appetite anyway. *cheers*
I will tell him Thank Youโฆ.itโs embarrassing. I do not even know his name. He was a very nice fellow.
Iโve been feeling Blaโฆtoday too
I think itโs cause of the Mercury Retrograde that makes us want to slow down and reevaluate ourselves and to do some introspective thinking.
This retrograde affects us Geminis and Virgo signs most of all because our planets are ruled by Mercury
I am no expert in Astrology nor do i live my life by it but google โMercury Retrogradeโ it is interesting. There seems to be some truth in it. ๐
Ahhh, that explains everything. I donโt follow the stars, but I know mercury retrograde throws me for a loop EVERY time. ๐ Especially since I work in technology and communications, lol. But yes, I get all out of whack, haha. Thanks for bringing that up!
Hi Lynn, not doing too good weight wise although I am down a few inches. I ordered the food scale you recommended so that I can stay more on top of what I eat. I havenโt been logging in my meals and I think thatโs affecting my weight. I am exercising though. Walked an hour today! Thanks for this challenge.
Youโll love the scale, Maribeth. ๐ I love mine!! Start tracking your food so you can watch your macros. You may not be getting 70% healthy fats โ which always stalls my weight loss. Read this: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/7006/macronutrients/ That makes it super simple. ๐
I noticed from your meals report that you havenโt made your Low-Carb biscuits in quite a whileโฆ I made a batch this morning โฆJimmy Dean makes a pouch of โMeat Lovers โ crumbles (red foil pouch located near the smoked sausage section) it is a pre-cooked combo of sausage and bacon crumblesโฆ added a cup of those to the biscuit dough instead of the raw tube sausage suggested. Ordered my Ab roller and mat from Amazon yesterday!
I havenโt โ I should make those! Theyโre SO good. ๐ I really enjoy that mat I got, and of course my Ab Carver Pro. I love the mat because I like to work out barefoot โ even when Iโm doing T25 or Zumba. Youโll love both!! ๐
I had a 2 lb loss this week, which included gaining back a pound yesterday (for no reason) which I lost this morning. I started diligently following this plan on March 1st, although I have essentially done LC for the last 2 years โ just not always faithfully. Since March 1st Iโve lost 13 lbs โ yay! The impetus for finally getting serious is an upcoming appointment for annual physical in 2 weeks. My blood pressure has been running high the last few months and if I donโt bring it down, my doc will put me on BP meds, which I donโt want. It will come down naturally when I lose enough weight. Right now Iโm 165 (5โ3โณ). I need to be no more than 140 for my frame. But if I can get below 150 my BP will get back to normal โ always happens. As far as exercise, all Iโm doing is walking, but Iโm joining the gym at the senior center (Iโm 65) next week so that should help.
Wow Betsy โ congrats on your 13 pound loss in the last 4 or 5 weeks, thatโs great! ๐ Having a strong motivation really helps me stay on track. I donโt blame you for working hard to avoid the meds. I would do the same!!
Hi Lynn, Iโve been following your daily posts and am considering trying this but Iโm wondering if there is any flexibility with the carbs. Could I blow all 20 net carbs on popcorn for a treat as long as I donโt have any other carbs that day? Do you ever use your carb allowance at once and does it affect your losses or put you out of ketosis? Thank you!
Hi Andrea ๐
Gigi is correct (below). You really want to make the absolute most of each of your 20 net carbs โ in regards to nutritional value. Eating a healthy ketogenic diet is all about turning your body into a lean fat burning machine! ๐
Youโll find your cravings for things like popcorn (or anything else) go away after the first week anyway. A low carb diet is a natural appetite suppressant, and I discovered it also totally changes your taste buds.
Start with this list: http://www.atkins.com/how-it-works/atkins-20/phase-1/low-carb-foods Pick the foods you like and start with those, then read labels to start adding things in as you go.
Hi Andrea
I know you addressed this to Lyn but i would say Noโฆ..to popcorn. It is not on the list of allowed foods on the keto diet or LCHF woe.
You see all carbs are not created equally and have different effects on blood sugar.
I think itโs best if we spread our allowed carbs over the entire day.
Too many carbs all at once would take you out of ketosis.
I would say if you really want popcorn to consider that a one off snack for the day and if you stay on track the rest of the day it probably wonโt affect your weight loss but it might take you out of ketosis
bread ,pasta and rice etc all have carbs but they all cause a bigger rise in insulin where strawberries or lettuce would have a minimal if any, affect on insulin and blood sugar. Too much insulin in our bloodstream is what causes fat storage and that is why we gain weight
You can have 20 net carbs a day but it cannot just be any carbs; You have to stick with the allowed foods,like meat, eggs cheese,berries, nuts green leafy vegetables cucumbers, squash,cauliflower, broccoli and bacon to name a few. No sugar, flour,chips, pasta, rice, breadโฆ..no starches and no fruits except berries. No popcorn either. I am sure Lyn has a list of allowed foods, on the facebook Low Carb challenge page,in the files section for you to refer to.
I thought you might need immediate help on this question so that is why i an responding until Lyn is able to answer your question.
I hope this helped. ๐