I mentioned yesterday I might have an off-plan meal this week. It’s a meal I’ve had on my mind for awhile, but I just can’t get the “want” for it, lol.
I will at some point though, and I’ll enjoy it. It’s just ribs by the way, with “real sauce” – nothing super crazy.
I tell you this for two reasons…
Because 1) I used to eat off plan about once a week, or 2-3 times a month maybe.
That’s why it took me SO long to finally lose the weight I wanted to lose. I held on to that extra 20’ish pounds for years, yo-yo’ing up and down. 😛 It feels SO good to have that weight OFF of my body, and to be OFF the “food roller coaster” too.
And 2) because I don’t look at my low carb lifestyle as “I’m never ever ever going to get to eat a cookie again for the rest of my life.” But rather with more balance. And also with mindful eating, with intentional choices.
This is a BIG switch from binging and “food guilt” which I’ve dealt with over and over in my life, and it’s a very positive change. If and when I want to eat something that is not low carb, I will make that decision and enjoy it. Period.
It is obviously not something to do often (like I used to), or without intention and enjoyment. And it is only something you should decide if (or when) you feel grounded in your choices, and your ability to go right back to healthy eating.
That took me a long time…
Getting over mindless eating, I mean. And also making intentional choices that I felt fine about, and not allowing it to throw me totally off track.
Anyway, it’s there – the option. I just haven’t worked up the “want to” quite yet.
36 straight days of eating a ketogenic low carb diet is working magic on me! My usual cravings have all but disappeared, which is nice. 🙂
But so is the option, and knowing I have it, even if I don’t take it.
Here is my Low Carb Food Diary for Day 36 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 36: Monday’s Low Carb Meals
I had my usual low carb breakfast of 1/2 cup pecans, 1/4 cup Daisy brand cottage cheese, and 4 small diced strawberries. (5 net carbs and 85% healthy fats)
For lunch I had leftovers from our low carb cookout the day before. I heated up a hamburger steak, topped it with avocado, and had two deviled eggs (made with just mayo, mustard & dill relish).
I had to run out for a few staples, so I picked up a Low Carb Grilled Chicken Club from Hardee’s while I was out. Those are on their menu, and they are 7 net carbs.
Here’s My MyFitnessPal Diary for Monday:
(yes, the coffee is a problem! 😛 lol)
Tracking Macronutrients (Simple Explanation of Macros)
How To Get Net Carbs in MyFitnessPal
Net Carbs: 21
Total Carbs: 32
Protein: 94 Grams
67% Fat, 27% Protein
Exercise: Ab Carver Pro (100 reps)
+ Short Walk (1.25 miles)
FitBit Steps: 5,025
Water: 32 ounces
I probably would NOT have exercised at all (again, for the 3rd day in a row) if Joe hadn’t invited me to walk the dogs together. I’m grateful to have a friend to get out with, and to inspire me to get moving on days I don’t really feel like it!
I was really tired, but the walk did me good. And the Great Dane and Chihuahua were super cute, lol. That little guy kept up like a champ! 🙂
I also did 100 reps on the Ab Carver Pro (40 to the front, 30 to each side).
Yes, in my PJ’s lol. And at 11:30pm, because the best time to work out is whenever you actually DO it. 😛
Another day without drowning in a gallon of ice cream I cannot escape from 🙂 (lol) and pushing myself to exercise. WIN!
Every day is still a challenge, and every day I have to wake up and decide: I want to be healthy, happy, leaner and stronger. Let’s do this!!
How is your week going so far?
As always, I look forward to hearing from you!
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
Hi Lynn,
First of all, I love your Avett Brothers shirt (and of course I love them)! 🙂
I read your posts every day and just wanted to congratulate you on your weight loss – you look great!
I also want to thank you for committing to sending out your daily updates. I like how you keep us informed and inspired but I especially appreciate how you keep it real.
Pretty much everything in this particular update really jives with my current outlook on this WOE (and life for that matter!). I completely relate to how it is a challenge every day and a choice that has to be made.
Reading your updates really help me to keep my head in the game but also remind me to live life and allow myself to go off plan once in a while, if I so choose, and not feel guilty about it as long as I get right back on track. This is a lesson I’m trying to instill in my teenage son who is also following a low-ish carb diet (per doctors orders) but beats himself up every time he gets off track.
The struggle is real but we get better every day and your posts are really helping us get thru it.
Anyway, thank you for all of your inspiration and keep up the great work!!!
Thank you Jen – I’m a HUGE fan. TAB is my all time favorite band. 🙂 I just went to a concert on Friday night with my son and his friend Isabelle: https://www.instagram.com/p/BFFhI1KICCV/?taken-by=lowcarbtraveler Fun!
The food guilt and “beating yourself up” is so bad. I have been through that over and over, and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s worse than any food I’ve ever eaten. 😛 This is why Mindful Eating is so powerful, and something to really practice.
Making deliberate choices means there are no consequences and there is no guilt. It’s the simplest shift, but it makes a HUGE difference in our mindset and our strength and health.
It took me a long time to get a handle on the mental side of this whole health & weight loss thing. Which is MUCH harder than the physical part – which is just plain easy, lol. That plus the weeks of staring at myself in the mirror in disbelief, freaking out, trying to get used to my “new body” and fighting the urge to binge my way back to a comfort zone (which was ANYthing but comfortable!)…
Battling the mind, lol – we could talk for days on that one. 😉 haha *cheers*
Wow! Great picture! Looking fabulous! You’re right we could talk for days about getting in the right mind set. I love the “deliberate choices” – I think I need to hang that on my fridge!
Thank you – I love that new dress. 🙂 🙂
Good morning to all!! And a Happy Belated Mothers Day to all the mama’s on here. I’ve been M.I.A. for a few days (1yr old dropped my phone and it busted into a million pieces so I had to wait for a new one to come in).
I mentioned last week that I had a “planned cheat day” coming up and ohhh boy did I have it lol. Actually it was only beer, but it was alot of beer. So I’m not weighing in until tomorrow and fingers crossed it didn’t hinder my weight loss too much. Other than the beer Friday night I stayed on plan. Even with a trip to our local theme park saturday I stayed on plan. Woohoo go me!! I did on the other hand get in some serious exercise this weekend. So with that my meals yesterday were:
B: bpc, 2 fried eggs, leftover grilled steak
L: turkey and cheese rollups, cucumber salad
D: LC pizza
S: small iced coffee
I drank 40oz of water, my net carbs were 16 and my fat was 81%
.
LC Pizza? How do you make yours? We sometimes make a pizza casserole which satisfies our craving.
I’m glad you enjoyed your night out! And glad to see you back. 🙂 I’d love to hear about the low carb pizza too. There are lots of recipes out there that look really good, but I haven’t tried any of them.
Jen & Lynn,
The LC pizza is delicious. I’ve tried different crusts and this one is my favorite.
You mix 2 cups of shredded mozzarella, 1 cup of shredded cheddar and 3 eggs together. Place a piece of Parchment paper on a baking sheet and spread the cheese mixture onto the pan as much as you can. It’s ok if it doesn’t cover every nook and cranny, it will spread out when baked. Bake in 450 for 10 minutes. Allow crust to cool for 5 mins or so and remove paper from pan (it is inlt allowed to reavh 450 drgrees before itll catch fire) then top with your desired toppings and place in broiler until you’re desired doneness. YUMMMY
YUM! Thank you 🙂 🙂
Hi Lynn, I’ve been following you since the start of this current challenge. I had been doing the lc woe two months prior and lost 10lbs. I REALLY want to lose another 5lbs but I have I have been mindless snacking in the evenings and can’t seem to stop. The good news is I am maintaining but the bad news is I’m not losing. Thankfully my meals are on track, but for whatever reason I’ve taken on the mindset that I a nibble here and there on this and that won’t hurt, but it obviously does as it’s hindered any further weight loss. Ugh!
Hi Sue 🙂 Are you tracking? I find tracking every single thing I eat helps keep me accountable, and also shows me how good/bad I’m doing. I track everything, even if it’s off plan AND I track what I’m going to eat BEFORE I eat it. Which sometimes makes me change my mind. 🙂 That helps a lot.
My advice, on top of tracking, is to change up your routine at night. Change what you do, where you sit, etc. Stir up the habits, which makes you have to think more. 🙂
I do track, EXCEPT for the nibble here and there, because how do you calculate that?! lol I do know though that the nibbles add up so I should go ahead and track it as one serving even if I’m only having a nibble. That would be a real eye opener!
I’ve been trying to keep busier at night as I think a lot of my mindless snacking lately has been out of boredom. I’ve had more time on my hands then I normally do.
That’s the thing – tracking it before you eat it, and having to do the math (1/17 of a serving, lol) will make you realize you do NOT want to eat it, haha. 🙂
What about a great book? Or a new game to play? Or start a new series on Netflix (unless you like to eat while watching tv). Or clean out a drawer every time you think you want a bite of something. 🙂
I like the cleaning out a drawer idea. Heck even a cupboard, shelf, closet…love that thought! Playing a game with my youngest would be a good idea too. And yes, you are correct, when I think what kind of work it is to calculate a bite of something that should be enough to say forget it. lol
Exactly 😉 lol *cheers*
Since last September, after losing a large amount of weight on low carb, i started to allow for an off m eal once a week. I chose healthy foods yet high carb. Then the off days beca n e more frequent. While i was not gaining, i surely was not losing. .
What i like about this woe is that it controls my cravings. If i start having more carbs it ignites those terrible food cravings. So it’s easier for me to stay low carb than on a low calorie diet alone
I decided to weigh myself again because i was sure that i should have lost something staying b on plan all week
I was happy to see i lost a half a pound
These scale fluctuations are crazy but i an not giving up. 🙂
You’re so right. The more I did that, the more I *wanted* to do it. This streak I’m on feels GREAT. 🙂 Congrats on the loss!! My scales are back down to my lowest weight today too (147.6) so I’m expecting my consistency this week will pay off in a NEW all time low. 🙂 *cheers*
My sister got me hip to the site and details last week.. I did great. Was down five pounds.. Went out for hookah Saturday night.. Had drinks.. Drinks turned into fried chicken and here it is Tuesday and I’m beating myself up as I eat sesame chicken and fried rice. Over the weekend I just told myself to start fresh the next day but it never works out that way. I think success scares me… I was doing so good and now it’s like I’ve sabotaged myself. I’m just trying to locate the motivation I found last week..
Hi Stephanie,
I think motivation and the mental bit is the hardest part – for all of us.
Look at this picture of me:
http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/77918_501721548608_3366743_o-e1381244774324.jpg
And then look at this one, taken on Friday:
https://www.facebook.com/lowcarbtraveler/photos/a.226693510692585.69791.226460087382594/1258787057483220/?type=3&theater
BIG difference. 🙂 I love the way I feel right now, and I am so excited about life and about getting in amazing shape – FINALLY. 🙂 🙂
It’s so worth it…
It feels much better than beating yourself up, or wanting and wishing. 🙂
Just jump right back in!!
Fixed that – the second link was wrong. 🙂
If Ribs are your cheat meal aren’t they low carb anyway…just order with no sauce or add your own low carb sugar free BBQ sauce! I thought you wanted something like mashed potatoes and gravy or a hot fudge sundae! Thanks for the daily inspiration.
Its hard to find a low carb BBQ sauce. I have not been able to find any—-anywhere!
. Do you know where i can find the low carb BBQ sauce at and what brand?
I did read that some people make their own low carb B B Q sauce.
I found mine at Super Wal-Mart but when all else fails try Amazon. The brand is : G Hughes Smokehouse Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce (Gluten Free) Hickory Flavor. For 2 Tablespoons is 2 carbs, 0 sugar, 0 fat and 10 calories. Tastes like regular BBQ sauce.
Wow! Thank you! I am going to see if the walmart here carries that!
Guys’ Award Winning Sugar Free BBQ Sauce: http://www.netrition.com/cgi/goto.cgi?pid=787-0001&aid=3558 is the top rated from what I hear.
That said, sugar free sauces don’t caramelize to the meat, for obvious reasons. And yes, I’m planning to have a starchy side with it. 🙂 But yes – still a reasonably low carb meal actually. But it will put me out of ketosis for sure…
When i was at my daughters house Sunday, her hubby noticed that i had lost more weight (i need to hear that) He has lost 20 lbs recently and works out at the gym on a regular basis. I also told him that he was really slimming down (he does not need to lose more) but he wants to build muscle now.
His response was ” i want what you are on” he said enthusiastically! I explained to him that i was on the b low carb woe. He said he didn’t think that would be a good thing for him because when you are doing weight training you need some carbs for energy .
Well i am not at my goal weight and i certainly am not thin but compared to what i used to look like, i have had a very noticable transformation
Why is it that i still have trouble seeing myself the way others do?
I mean i feel like i am the same person that i always was but now i have more energy and i can move around more easily
Why is it so hard to believe that i look different now
I have to keep looking in the mirror everyday so i do not forget how far I’ve come. It’s so easy to get discouraged with slow weight loss. The mental battle is the hardest part of this all. You have given us some great tips and advice for dealing with the mental part it all. 🙂
I have two male friends that are professional weight trainers, and both eat a ketogenic low carb high fat diet. 🙂
This explains why you do not NEED carbs for energy: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/4606/lchf-diet-explained/ you do need either carbs OR healthy fats, one or the other.
I totally understand what you mean, Gigi. I still see the same woman in the mirror. I have to actually look at photos to SEE the visual difference, and it’s a big difference. But even that feels odd…
This is something I’ve read a lot about on weight loss blogs across the web. People reach their goal weight and ask: “Who am I now?!” It’s hard, having to face everything you thought would be “fixed” when you reached that ONE goal you focused on exclusively…
I often wonder myself. I think I am going to keep pushing myself more, and harder. Get more active, try new things, stay in amazing shape, try new adventures for fitness. BE the new ME…
It’s starting to settle in, well enough for me to make plans like that, and that is feeling good. But I went through a really weird phase of freaking out every time I passed a mirror, lol.
You really DO look FAB!!!!! 🙂
Hi Lynn,
Can you help me wrap my brain around something? I see that you have 102 grams of fat and 94 grams of protein. I get that part. What I don’t understand is how your fat is 67% and your protein is 27%. There is only a difference of 8 grams.
I don’t understand this on my own MFP macros either. Today, I was at 104 protein, 102 fat (I know I need less protein than fat…working on it) and 21 carbs (11 net), but my macros percentages are 6% Carbs, 65% Fat, and 29% Protein. How can this be? My grams are only a couple off, but the percentages are soooo off.
Can you shed a light on why this is? Thank you in advance.
Hi Kate 🙂
That confuses a lot of people. The reason is because you cannot go by grams, only percentages – because many proteins are also healthy fats. 😉
See: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/7006/macronutrients/ for a simple explanation!
But yes, just go by percentages/ratios.