While weโre gearing up for this new mini-challenge to start on Tuesday, I kept thinking these last few days that Iโd love to have an off plan food or two before we kick-off.
I think thatโs normal. First, because we can justify anything we want in our minds, lol. And second, because the rare indulgence now & then doesnโt affect your health & weight loss nearly as much as your usual everyday lifestyle.
If your everyday lifestyle is one of indulgence, thatโs a different story. Even indulging once or twice a week kept me from seeing any real success before. I could never get and stay in ketosis long enough to make a real difference.
Anyway, I decided I could go 20 more days. ๐ Itโs just 3 weeks! I find that easy because Iโve been eating on plan (healthy & low carb) for over 100 days straight now.
Being that consistent for that long takes away any real cravings, which is a plus! Actually that kicked in way sooner, within the first few weeks of the last challenge.
While those thoughts were dancing through my mind, I woke up yesterday to a 2 pound loss on the scale. Then another half pound loss this morning!
I was staring down at my lowest recorded weight since going low carb more than 5 years agoโฆ 141.8 pounds.
That number freaks me out. Iโm now below what I thought was my โgoal weight.โ None of my clothes fit me anymore. But Iโm not as โskinnyโ at this weight as I expected to be.
I realized at least part of the reason why: Iโve shrunk 2 1/2 inches in height since the last time I weighed 142 pounds! That happened sometime in my 30โs for some weird reason. It stumped my chiropractor too, lol.
Iโm also older now (43 instead of 29) and not in the same physical shape โ meaning, 141-142 pounds looks way different when itโs more fat than muscle tone. ๐
Thatโs my MAIN goal this year, by the way: โgetting in amazing shapeโ (fit/tone) so itโs time for me to REALLY step up my game! I canโt wait to see what that FEELS like. ๐
Note: That was after my scales NOT moving ALL last week. It really pays to wait out the stalls & holds and weird fluctuations, and just see it through!
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Here are a few EASY low carb meal ideas for you, then after that youโll find some tips & helpful information to prepare you for the Summer Low Carb Mini-Challenge that starts tomorrowโฆ
This is what I ate over the weekend, basically just three different meals โ plus I made up some low carb bread so Iโll give you the recipe for that. Itโs so easy to make!
Letโs start with this beautiful BBQ Kentucky Legend Center Cut Pork Chop I made on Saturday. ๐ They are pre-cooked so it only takes about 8 minutes to heat/brown it on both sides. I made Pictsweet Italian Pole Green Beans to go with it.
I used the Guyโs Sugar Free BBQ Sauce that I got in my Keto Krate on this pork chop, and it was amazingly delicious!
I wasnโt sure how a sugar free bbq sauce would โcookโ โ meaning, would it stick to the meat?? But it did! ๐
I fell in love with the BBQ sauce, lol. It was SO good, so next Iโm going to make BBQ Cheeseburgers with it. Iโll probably mix an egg and a handful of spinach into the hamburger meat, then fry it in the BBQ sauce so that it crisps / caramelizes to the outside, and top it with a favorite cheese. (Why the spinach? Because I love to โsneak spinachโ into anything I can! lolโฆ)
Spinach makes your hair grow faster and look healthier. ๐
Speaking of spinach, another EASY rich & delicious low carb meal I made and ate this weekend was chock FULL of spinach! I called it โoven stewโ and you can find the recipe here: Easy Healthy Low Carb Oven Stew Recipe
I made up a huge pan of that so I would have plenty of food on hand through the weekend. And I still have about 1/3 of it left ๐ lol. That makes low carbing so easy!
Another meal youโll notice I eat a lot (as in: DAILY) is what I call โLow Carb Cerealโ โ basically just pecans, cottage cheese & berries.
I only use Daisy Brand cottage cheese (if you compare the label to any other brand on the shelf, youโll see why!) and I only use 1/4 cup in my bowl, which is half a serving. The nuts & berries really take over the texture & flavor. ๐
My usual mix is: 1/2 cup pecans, 1/4 cup cottage cheese & 4 small diced strawberries. Sometimes I had 1/8 cup (17.5 grams) of blueberries too, so itโs 5 or 6 net carbs and 85% healthy fats.
Pecans are the lowest carb highest fat nut on the list, so eating this daily helps me get healthy fats in for the day โ easily. ๐ Pecans donโt stall my weight loss at all, unlike some other nuts. Iโm losing weight consistently eating this almost dailyโฆ
Easy Low Carb Bread Recipe
I got this super simple recipe from my mother more than five years ago, and itโs remained a favorite and a staple in my low carb lifestyle.
Everyone loves it! Especially the variations like Low Carb Sausage Biscuits or these beautiful low carb biscuits made with leftovers. ๐
The low carb bread is SO easy to make. The recipe is very versatile and forgiving so feel free to use a different kind of cheese, make garlic cheese sticks, etc.
I used 1/2 cup of Bobโs Red Mill Almond Meal/Flour but I usually use a whole cup. Plus 2 eggs, 2 tbsp melted butter & a 6 ounce bag of finely shredded parmesan. (Using half the almond meal still worked and lowered the carb count A LOT.)
I melt the butter, stir up the eggs, and mix it all together with my hands or a spoon. Patty it out on parchment paper whatever size and shape you prefer. Bake at 350 and flip to lightly brown both sides. Iโm not sure how long it takes to cook them. It depends on the size you make anyway. Just keep an eye on them!
The carb count depends on the size & number and exact ingredients you use. I count the bag of Shredded Parmesan as 6 carbs, and some people donโt โ or you may use a different cheese or brand. Use the MyFitnessPal Recipe Calculator to get accurate carb count & macros for your batch.
I made some up last night to eat with the rest of my โoven stewโ. ๐
I made them really small, and got 16 pieces out of the batch, so those came out to only half a carb each, or 1 carb for two. ๐
LOL, messy! And yes, my clothes are falling off of me at this point. ๐ Thatโs a good problem to have though! I hope my easy low carb meal ideas help YOU have the same problem. ๐
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Preparing For The Summer Mini-Challenge
1. Weigh yourself first thing in the morning. This is the only true weigh, as your weight fluctuates 5 pounds or more throughout a single day.
2. Set up MyFitnessPal and record your weight there, and also log all of your meals.
This is how I have MyFitnessPal Set Up To Track Net Carbs.
That only works online, not on mobile/tablet.
Sometimes youโll lose more inches than pounds, and itโs another great way to track your progress!
4. Iโll post a weigh-in thread in our Low Carb Challenge Group, and send you the link in the morning. Keep an eye out for that if youโre participating in the Facebook Group. ๐
5. Read the Low Carb Mini-Challenge Details
6. I highly recommend you take a โbefore photoโ today. Even with a short challenge, you should be able to SEE a difference in yourselfโฆ and youโll regret not having pictures to compare! Sometimes the scales may not show much loss, but comparison photos tell a different story. ๐
Have you decided what ONE thing youโre going to give up for the next 20 days, and which exercises youโll do? Are you prepared with groceries or meal ideas for the kickoff this week? On Tuesday morning Iโll give you the weigh in thread link, and Iโll also give you some easy home workout ideas for the challenge tooโฆ
For some ideas, read this Healthy Low Carb Swaps post.
Iโll be making a โhealthy swapโ myself, exercising DAILY, and sharing my low carb meals and food diaries with you right here throughout the challenge. Stay tuned for the โDay Oneโ post tomorrow, and letโs DO THIS. ๐
Let me know if you have any questions!
I always look forward to hearing your thoughts & commentsโฆ
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
p.s. This was a long post but I hope you picked up some useful tips, easy low carb food ideasโฆ and a little motivation! So many new people have joined us for the Summer Mini Challenge so I wanted to share some helpful tips & ideas with you as we kick this challenge off! ๐ *cheers*
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Discount Code: LOWCARBTRAVELER
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thank you so much for all your post and tips . you site has helped me so much Lynn. You look great by the way !!!
Omg good job
Iโm with you! This is my first time โjoiningโ a challengeโฆIโm not involved with Facebook, so I definitely like the fact you still encourage people to participate ๐ Iโve done low carb off and on for several yearsโฆI just started again about 4 months ago.
I truly appreciate your truthfulness in all your struggles & victoriesโฆIโm determined to get this 50lbs off ๐
Thank you!! ๐
Great job! What scale do you use? I need to get a new one soon:) Thank you!
Hi Loni โ this Eatsmart Scale is what I use: http://amzn.to/29vAXNY It comes with a FREE body tape measure, itโs inexpensive, itโs pretty ๐ , itโs accurate, and the batteries last FOREVER โ and I weigh daily! lol
Itโs the one I have and I love it.
Can u use coconut flour instead of almond flour?
Hi Jennifer,
Coconut Flour requires more liquid from what I understand. Youโd need to Google โsubstituting coconut flour for almond mealโ to figure that one out. Iโve never used it.
Ok, first things first โฆ.. YOU LOOK AMAZING!!!! :).
Iโm going to give this a shot, I didnโt do the 90 day challenge because honestly I just wasnโt ready to give up my 2 glasses of wine at night :(, I donโt know if Iโm ready now but I really want to see if that is stalling my losing like I used to when doing LCHF. Also I really like Greek Yogurt and buy full fat Fage Total, 1/2 cup is 4.5g carbs, is there any reason why I shouldnโt be using the yogurt instead of the Daisy cottage cheese, which I also like btw.
Also Iโm sure youโve been so successful because of all the hiking and exercising youโre doing, along with of course youโve been great on eating right. Iโm 72yrs and Iโm not hiking! LOL.
Anyway, just checking in, I read along every day but havenโt been participating because Iโve been so discouraged by not losing even when Iโm really trying.
Thanks SO much for all of your help, tips and recipes. Iโm going to give the LC biscuits another try, I did make them awhile ago but they turned into bricks LOL.
Thanks again,
Roye
Hi Roye,
Youโll see in tomorrowโs food diary that I make up the batter for the low carb bread, then cook only what Iโm going to eat. The batter keeps well in the fridge. I even patty them all out (so I know how many pieces/servings for my recipe) and put them on parchment paper layers in the fridge (sealed of course). The only other trick is to NOT overcook them. ๐
If you MUST have your wine โ no judgements here! โ switch a low carb wine and have ONE glass instead of two. Just sip it slower. ๐ I drink White Zinfandel which is 1 carb per ounce and I limit it to a 4 ounce glass when I have it.
Or switch to rum & diet coke, again just sipping. Itโs zero carb. ๐
The hiking etc IS helping me tone up, but I am losing weight because I am staying so consistent at eating super low carb / high fat. I am only exercising to build muscle, not to lose weight. I tried this in the past (exercising consistently) while NOT eating low carbโฆ and gained weight, lol.
The Daisy Brand cottage cheese is 4 carbs per 1/2 cup, so about the same. I only use half a serving โ so 1/4 cup. Mixing it with other things, like pecans which are very high fat, makes a bigger bowl of food. ๐ You might try that, half a serving!
Ah Ha! I didnโt know you didnโt cook the whole recipe (batter) of the LC biscuits, I will try that, thank you. And thanks too for the suggestion of maybe one glass of wine, I try that but then always have โjust one more glassโ LOL. I drink cabernet, itโs 3g carbs for a 5 oz serving. I do like rum & diet coke but itโs not the alcohol I like itโs the wine :). Iโm going to just have one and see how that goes.
I was doing your โbreakfast cerealโ every morning for a long time, then switched to yogurt and liked that better.
Thanks for all of your help.
I am so going to try this bread bite recipe in the next few days. I wonder if it will work right with monterey jack cheese as i have an overabundance at the moment lol. One question though.. what did you use to scoop out the dough/batter to get consistency in size? It looks like an ice cream scoop would be too large.
lol I used my fingers/hands. ๐ I just pattied them out in the palm of my hand. And yes, ANY cheese will work! The recipe is very versatile and forgiving, which is what I love about it so much. ๐
Roye
i love my greek yogurt i use the light and fit brand which is 9 carbs per container it does not have sugar but some fructose which can cause stalls
ALL greek yogurt is fat free even Fage. I add almonds to my greek yogurt for my macros or fat calories
i also tried the Dannon triple zero greek yogurt which is sweetened only with stevia. It shows a little bit higher carb,count but ot has fiber added. (INULINโฆ.which is a prebiotic fiber) so when you deduct the fiber it is 9 net carbs per full container.
i may cut down or give up my yogurt for this challenge to see if that is what is stalling my weight loss.
There is a lower carb yogurt called Carb masters. 4 carbs per servingโฆโฆbut i am not crazy about the flavor and consistency. It is regular yogurt not greek yogurt which is smoother and creamier. It also has more artificial ingredients and preservatives that my greek yogurt does not have
Fage yogurt contains sugar i think and that will stall your weight loss.
All yogurt has carbs because it is made from milkโฆ.even the plain unsweetened variety.
Hi Gina, thanks for your reply, as I mentioned above there is a full fat yogurt that I like, itโs the Fage Total and is 100% calories from fat, 5.5 grams of fat per 1/2 cup. I really like it. I get mine at Fresh Market, you canโt find it most places, they only have the 2% of 0%. It does have sugar but so does the Daisy Cottage Cheese.
Good Luck to both of us :).
Hi Lynn,
I really enjoy your posts/recipes AND pictures! They are all so helpful!
I wasnโt ready for the 90 day challenge last time, but I started early on this 3 week challenge, so Iโm good to go. I have been eating your breakfast daily now, and I didnโt think Iโd like it, but I lOVe it! Itโs got that crunch that I missed from cereal.
Silly question for you: How do you get your My fitness pal to look the way it is, when you do screenshots for us? I canโt seem to attach a picture, but itโs below the What are Macronutrients? Post from 7/2015. Iโd love for mine to look like that on Mobile & Desktop.
Thank you for continuing to help us lose weight, and thank you for your โrealโ experiences. I LOVE that you are not so much of a cooker, too. ๐
I missed โcerealโ too โ thatโs why I came up with that breakfast combo. ๐
The desktop version of MyFitnessPal is the only one that will calculate Net Carbs, and you have to set up this hack (itโs free): http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/4448/myfitnesspal-hack/ It doesnโt work on the mobile app or tablets though.
HI Lynn, Starting the challenge today, but yesterday, I ate the Wendys Summer Berry Salad and mercy! When I added it to mfp is was 41 carbs! Yes, I had the dressing and everything except the apple chips. And here I thought I was doing so good, lol live and learn! Glad that was yesterday too! I plan to give up my Michelob ultra for the next 20 days. I donโt drink it all the time, but when I do , I notice it does stall my weight loss. I will see if that makes a difference. Good luck with your coffee, I feel for you. I now limit myself to 2 cups a day and I switched to hwc and French vanilla sf syrup, from sf coffeemate powder. Seems to be pretty good so far. Thanks for all your suggestions and help! Good luck toning!
Hi Julie,
One thing I always do is look things up before I decide what to order, or before I eat it. Your salads for example: https://www.wendys.com/en-us/salads You can usually find the nutrition facts online or even on your mobile. ๐ I find that helps me make good decisions about what to eat, and tracking it first helps me make more mindful choices (vs mindless eating, which is easy to do lol).
I like Mich Ultra too, itโs my preference for a beer. ๐ They are 2.6 carbs per 12 ounce bottle. But outside of the carbs, the real issue is that alcohol metabolizes SO much slower than food โ and first โ so it creates whatโs known as โthe alcohol stall.โ
Any idea how the stew would freeze? I was thinking about freezing some individual servings to have for quick meals when I fail to plan.
Hi Kristen ๐ It should freeze very well. I would use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead though, because they always stay so tender. My chicken breast did too, but freezing & reheating I wouldnโt take the chance. Plus chicken thighs are cheaper and taste better. ๐