My Low Carb Diary for Day 3 of the Summer Low Carb Mini-Challenge. Join in anytime! I’ll share my meals here every day to give you easy low carb food ideas.
Yesterday was exactly what I needed to get out of my funk:
Friends, fun, nature, great exercise, a steady summer rain, fun low carb foods, lots of smiles, great conversation – and my favorite coffee creamer, lol. 🙂
Joe’s friends came up from Georgia so we all hung out together, hiked Greeter Falls, swam in the rain and then enjoyed a fun night of grazing a beautiful spread of low carb finger foods…
Joe put together an amazing spread inspired by all my favorite foods. 🙂
Entertaining doesn’t have to be a chore, and a big dinner doesn’t always have to mean cooking all day. This was fun AND easy, and great for a varied crowd.
There were two men that eat anything that looks good (lol), me eating low carb, Kim eating gluten & dairy free, four kids ranging from two to teen – and everyone just enjoyed putting together their own plate of favorites.
There was also a half gallon of ice cream in the freezer which some enjoyed after dinner… and I happily did NOT. 🙂
Here’s a quick photo tour of my low carb day…
Day 3: Thursday’s Low Carb Meals
For breakfast I had my usual healthy “low carb cereal” of 1/2 cup pecans, 1/4 cup Daisy Brand cottage cheese, 4 small diced strawberries and 1/8 cup (17.5 grams) of blueberries. That came to 6 net carbs and 85% healthy fats.
I worked the first half of the day, before we all got together around 12:30. I was planning to have a big bowl of my leftover Oven Stew for lunch before we headed out, but everyone decided to grab burgers from Hardee’s on the way up to the mountain.
I ordered a Low Carb Frisco Burger (meaning: a lettuce wrap instead of a bun). They forgot the tomato but added lots of extra lettuce, and I was plenty happy with this as a quick low carb lunch on the way!
The hike was fun with a bigger group, and great exercise! 🙂
I took two 24 ounce bottles of water and a mozzarella stick – all of which I finished by the time we got out of the woods.
There were 8 of us total, 4 adults and 4 kids, and we all hung out at my house for the rest of the evening. Joe put together a beautiful spread of low carb finger foods for our dinner – which was inspired by all of my favorites. 🙂
I put together a much smaller spread like this the first time Joe and I hung out back in April, and we’ve made a habit of putting together quick easy meals like this often.
It’s FUN! It makes for a nice social meal without a lot of fuss.
There was pepperjack cheese, colby jack cheese, cheese sticks, cream cheese, green olives, raspberries, blueberries, cucumber slices, pecans & almonds, summer sausage, roasted turkey, pepperoni, and little smokies – which I fried up in just a DAB of Guy’s Sugar Free BBQ Sauce. It was all fabulously delicious!! 🙂
This is my plate (which is a little blurry, apologies lol). I added blueberries, only ate about half the nuts, and didn’t finish everything on my plate – so I logged it in my food diary the best I could.
I wasn’t so worried about accurate logging or exact carb counts, just enjoying the evening with friends. But it worked out pretty well in my macros for the day…
Here’s My MyFitnessPal Diary for Thursday:
Tracking Macronutrients
(Simple Explanation of Macros)
How To Get Net Carbs in MyFitnessPal
Calories: 1676
Net Carbs: 24
Total Carbs: 37
Protein: 71 Grams
78% Fat, 17% Protein
Exercise: Hiking Greeter Falls
FitBit Steps: 7,928
Water: 88 ounces
You can see in my MyFitnessPal Food Diary above that I had 6 coffees yesterday, all with my favorite sugar free creamer. 🙂
I couldn’t hack the switch. I’ll continue working on that, and we’ll talk more about it as we go through this challenge.
The hike was a great workout with inclines, declines, stairs and rock-hopping! That’s so much more fun than anything you can find at a gym…
I’m pleased that I’ve exercised for the last three days in a row, and that I’m having no problem sticking to low carb foods – despite the french fries in the car yesterday, and the ice cream in my freezer last night (lol).
Every moment and every meal is a choice. I find it helps when I’m full on low carb foods, and when I incorporate delicious (healthy!) low carb treats like berries & cream cheese – which satisfy my craving for something sweet & creamy.
A Healthy Social Life
I love that Joe respects and supports my low carb lifestyle and my fitness goals. That’s a BIG plus! But regardless of how you eat or how the people around you eat, it doesn’t have to be about “a diet” or your “weight loss” when you socialize.
All of the foods were delicious to everyone in the group of 8 people. I think the kids enjoyed this style of dinner the most. 🙂 If you don’t say anything about “your diet”… it’s really just good food!
It’s fun to get out and DO things too, so consider ways you can incorporate exercise into your social life. A morning or evening walk with a neighbor or close friend, going out on a fun hike, walking your dogs, etc – it’s a great way to spend quality time together AND get your exercise. Joe’s friends (Jeff & Kim) took up bike riding together as a couple, which I thought was really cool. 🙂
How are things going on your end?
It’s day 4 today – are you getting some exercise this week? What kind of low carb foods are YOU enjoying? Any challenges or struggles??
I look forward to hearing from you! 🙂
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
Discount Code: LOWCARBTRAVELER
Sounds like a fun day Lynn! I love your finger food dinner! I could do that every day, but the husband would not be amused! LOL!
I got 4 days of exercise in this week. Was going to go to boot camp this morning, but woke with a case of the “I don’t wanna’s” π Oh well……a day off won’t kill me I suppose.
Eating has been ok this week, but not perfect. I’m not expecting a loss for the week, but we’ll see on Tuesday morning…..or is Monday the day we’re supposed to have our official weigh in?
I’ll be navigating our Grandson’s birthday party foods tomorrow. I’m not foreseeing any problem as cake holds no special appeal for me. I’m hoping for a burger on the grill and some cheese……good enough for me!
Have a great weekend and thanks for the motivation!
That grilled burger sounds awesome! I’m planning to make a burger this weekend myself. π
We will weigh in on the next two Tuesday mornings, then the final weigh in is on Monday August 1st for this mini-challenge.
Have FUN at the party! I like to keep the focus on the people, the conversation, the kids, helping out where I can – it’s SO much more fun than making the food the focus (my previous life, lol). I find I’m enjoying life so much more now that I’m focusing on everything BUT the food. π
This is so much fun keeping up with everything and reading everyone’s comments! I can really tell when I stay at or below 20 carbs. On an average day before this challenge I had about 30
carbs per day which is why I am losing so slow but I’m okay with that. My appetite all but disappears when I go super low carb. 10 lbs to go!!!
An easy recipe is to put a chuck roast (the fat in this type of roast adds tons of flavor) in the crock pot along with beef broth, a pkg of frozen chopped onions and seasonings, and let it cook until the roast is almost falling apart. Very easy and great flavor! I just shredded some in a bowl and topped with a slice of Swiss cheese. So rich and filling. I also made creamed spinach which is just a pkg of frozen spinach cooked down in chicken broth with garlic powder. Then just add cream cheese and Parmesan cheese. My family even loved this!
Cooking is my hobby, seriously, but it’s like I’m having to learn to cook all over again….low carb. A challenge but so worth it.
Hope everyone has a great day!
Marti, your roast sounds great and easy. I love easy! I will try this, thanks.
this sounds really good!
I agree – YUM! π Thank you for the recipe!!
YAY for good coffee!!
I have a question…………I’ve been doing really good since Tuesday when I started….but I haven’t lost anything….I feel good….but nothing….I’ve been walking everyday…..
How do I know when my body gets the keto…whatever?
Hi Susan,
It’s different for everyone. I usually get into ketosis on Day 3 or Day 4 but some people seem to take longer. Here’s more information on it: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/4689/ketosis-symptoms-and-low-carb-flu/ π
Hi Lynn, what a great day you had yesterday and such inspiration for me. Yesterday was a hungry day for me. I started with 1 coffee with hwc,vanilla sf syrup, and Splenda (I am glad you told me hwc curdles when it gets cold. It had me and my husband puzzled lol. Mine curdled and his didn’t lol) oh, and he can’t switch either. He is back on him coffeemate sf French vanilla. Ok, then I had 1 piece of low carb cinnamon bread fron Netrition, and 3 pieces of bacon on it and dukes mayo. Absolutely starving 1 hour later, fried some squash, ate the whole squash. Went to Walmart, starving again, and bought some groceries and Atkins Sweet and Salty trail mix ( delish) and ate a pack of that in the car. Baked some chicken wings when I got home and ate 5 pieces of wings. ( 2 1/2 wings) I was finally full. Yea! Have a great day!
I have those “hungry days” sometimes, Julie – usually right before my weight drops. π That said, if you continue having them try to eat less of the Atkins or low carb bread and such. Some of those things can cause cravings and hunger in different people. Your food yesterday sounds delicious though! π
I found that making sure i have a protein source with every meal curbs my appetite
the low carb cereal is very satisfying because of the protein fat and fiber in this meal.
I see your breakfast was low protein
protein and healthy fats really curb your appetite
Before i started low carb i would just eat toast or a pastry in the morning. Then i was hungry an hour later
now i have eggs, yogurt cottage cheese or nuts for my morning meal. It really made the difference in my weight loss
it is hard to stick to a diet when you are constantly hungry
the great thing about going low carb …20 net carbs a day and being in ketosis…..it cures the never ending hunger pains. It’s great. This is the only way i ever was able to lose tons of weight but i had to be consistent in this day after day…..it works. 150lbs down in 21/2 years.
Hi Lynn, I just wanted to thank you for all the insight, tips, and yummy Recipies! I’m 42 and I’ve struggled losing the same 40/50 lbs for several years now going on/off low carb. I’d lose 10 and feel great but then fall off the wagon. I’m 6 weeks into LCHF and I’m doing great this time and I copy alot of your meals! I like that they are simple and it makes it easy for me to stay on track. The weight is coming off slow (-12lbs) but I’m consistently going slowly the right direction. The stalls are tough and frustrating but I’ve not cheated once — thanks to reading your comments on stalls!! I’m staying consistent. I’m starting some excercise this week, walking 2x a day and I got the ab carver! Excited to try it. For the first time, I have hope that I’m going to really reach my goals and get healthy this time!
Hi Jenn! Congrats on your 12 pounds lost in 6 weeks, that’s actually GREAT. π You only want to lose a pound or two a week. Some people lose more in the first week or so, but it tapers off and averages out to a healthy weight loss rate anyway.
Simple makes it easy for ME to stay on track too! π
I understand the stalls. Just power through those. It’s your body’s way of catching up and processing – that’s all! I just finished 60 reps on my Ab Carver (wimpy today, lol). I love mine!! I hope you enjoy it too. I’ve worked up to 100 reps most days… and now I’m trying to roll out further and hold it longer.
HOPE is the best thing ever! That made my day. π *cheers*
Looks like a great spread! I had such a wonderful day yesterday. Got up early and got dinner ready, Stuffed Peppers Low Carb Style. Went on a great hike w/ a friend and came back to throw dinner in the oven and spend a nice SOBER night w/ my nephew and his mom. I don’t trust my scale because it bounces around sometimes it seems, but I expected a quick weight loss from dropping the alcohol..which I almost slipped on last night but I didn’t and I’m so glad. Again, don’t totally trust my scale but it says I’m down 3 + lbs since we started the challenge. I’ve been under my normal calories everyday because I’m not drinking vodka! I want to keep this up because I feel better and I want to keep feeling better everyday! Thank you again so much for this challenge. Throwing in the “get rid of one thing” really really helped this lush π
I have missed my alcohol too!! I like an adult beverage or 2 or 3 at night!! but I haven’t had any since Monday, and I miss it………only when I think about it!!! π if my scales don’t start moving…..I might have to have 1!! π
I miss it too…especially since my bf annoys the crap outta me when I’m sober and he’s not! LOL
Kudos, Amy! On the quick loss AND on sticking to your positive change. π Way to go! You are both stronger than me, lol – I had a total meltdown over my coffee swap hahahaha. That made ME want a vodka. π
I’ve been on this WOE since March and haven’t had alcohol since then. In the beginning it was very difficult – I was the one who had several glasses of red wine every night! Now, 26 pounds down later, I still miss it but only in social settings, or when I get really stressed, but not keeping any wine in the house has helped. When I reach my goal weight (another 10-15 pounds), I hope to go back to having in occasionally, like when we go out, but not having it by myself at home (my husband doesn’t drink).
Yay for coffeemate. π
I enjoyed reading about your fun day and beautiful and yummy low carb spread
did you offer crackers or bread for the others? I think that would be the only addition needed for non low carb folks. But really not necessary.
it is si great that Joe supports you in your LC life style
he’s a keeper. π π
He really is a great guy. π He’s lost more than 10 pounds since we met in late April as well. It’s fun to get out and get sweaty & dirty with someone that’s willing to push the limits and get in a good workout on “dates” lol.
I suppose I could have offered bread or crackers. I honestly didn’t think of it, and nobody seemed to miss it. Those aren’t foods I ever have in the house anyway. Since the mother is gluten free, I think the whole family is used to meals without those kinds of foods…
I guess i thought of crackers,chips or bread because since i have been eating at the hotel buffet so often now, i can usually always find low carb foods there but there is always bread, chips or crackers or even pretzels which i just ignore.
I used to be afraid to eat out and to eat from buffets but now i know just what to choose. You taught me how to eat low carb when eating out. I can always find low carb choices. It’s great. π
What a fun day! And a great example of how to take the stress out of planning dishes for everyone to enjoy with different food lifestyles. Everyone just fix your favorite plates, bring it together and eat from what you like. Thanks again for sharing! And making everything so simplistic!
Update on myself – I’m doing well! I’m concentrating on drinking more water and getting in more exercise π
Happy Friday everyone!
I’m glad to hear it’s going well for you too, Kellie. π I’ve been drinking more water lately as well. And thank you, it WAS a fun day! I haven’t met many local people since i moved here so it was SO nice to have a houseful of company again!! I’ve missed that since the kids left home. We used to always have a FULL house. π
It IS easy to serve a crowd, no matter the food preferences. There was even ice cream for anyone that wanted it, which I noticed only a few people ate. After all that filling food on the table, of course lol.
I was too full to even care it was in the freezer myself, and that’s one of my biggest food weaknesses. π
its going going good. My main concern is next Friday I will going to my Moms for a few days then to youth camp as a counselor. I do not know if there is a place to keep refrigerated items and i I’m trying to think of things to bring with me to help. We will have all meals there but I really do not think it will be low carbs.. Guess I will try my best.
I wonder what they would do if one of the counselors was diabetic or had Celiac disease? I suppose in that case they would make sure there were accommodations… hopefully you WILL have a refrigerator and it will all go easy! π
Has anyone ever experienced a flare up of gout caused by eating so much more fat? It hit me today and so I looked up what could be triggers and it listed red meats, cauliflower, spinach, butter, full fat cheese – all stuff I am eating more now . . .
Karen, I have an inflamed, swollen pinky toe this week. Started running for first time so may have hurt it that way. To be sure, I went to the doctor this morning. X-rays showed no fractures. Doc took blood to check my uric acid level. Surely hope it isn’t gout.
Hi Karen,
When you say “a flare up” do you mean you’ve been diagnosed with gout in the past? I am guessing so. It’s caused by several factors over a long period, such as too much alcohol, being overweight, etc, etc.
Have you seen your doctor about it? I’m not qualified to give medical advice, of course. π I did read that you should avoid fasting and low calorie diets, as that can increase the amount of uric acid your body produces (resulting in flare-ups).
Also to limit alcohol.
Chicken thighs are great. Pecans are a good healthy fat. Avocado too. This list says water and coffee are ideal: http://www.arthritis.org/about-arthritis/types/gout/articles/low-purine-diet.php I would do some research and make a list of foods you can have, that are low carb and not known to cause flare-ups. And of course talk to your doctor if you haven’t already. π
If you have gout then you need to check with your physician before starting this woe
Red meat could def. Be a culprit
i do not have gout but Rheumatoid Arthritis. When i eat red meats my RA flares up or processed meats like sausages and deli meats or hot dogs
i eat more cottage cheese and yogurt for my protein along with nuts and turkey meat or chicken or fish
i actually have less pain on the lc woe.
Check with your doctor to be safe
I feel better too (inflammatory arthritis here) eating super low carb. Carbs promote inflammation in the body, and Gout is also a form of arthritis. Since going low carb I have hardly any pain now!
Could it be that you were eating off plan before (carbs) and just now started back on low carb with this challenge – so the flare up could be from something you were eating prior to the kickoff?
I agree with Gina. π
This looks so yummy and so much like fun!!! I could eat like this everyday. Lol. My kids would love that there are lots of meats and cheeses lol. But anyway, I’m really proud of your progress and look forward to seeing every post you make. It feels good to be on this journey with you βΊ *cheers to you*
My day was good yesterday. My cyst has exploded lol…so I’m not in pain anymore. I had a good walk in wednesday with my babies which was hard due to pain but I did it anyway. I got another walk in yesterday. I feel super motivated right now and hope I can keep it up.
My meals yesterday were :
B: bpc
L: leftover taco meat, sour cream, cheese, taco sauce all mixed up and I used pork rinds as a chip…yummy
D: breaded pork chops (almond meal, Parmesan, seasonings) and cucumber salad (cucumber, feta, cesar), diet dr pepper
S: sf iced coffee
My net carbs were 11. Fat was 80%, protein 15%, carbs 3%
You are doing great Justine. It amazes me how low your net carbs always are. I love your meals. π
Thanks so much Gina!! I really try hard to choose foods with the lowest carbs possible. And I mean hard lol. I enjoy posting my meals even if they’re totally boring because it gives me accountability and hopefully allows others some new ideas for meals. βΊ
I get lots of ideas from you! I love LOVE the stuffed mushrooms – and now love sausage & cream cheese on or in anything, lol.
Here’s that recipe for anyone that missed it during the last challenge: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/11107/low-carb-stuffed-mushrooms-recipe/
Lol thanks Lynn! I’m happy we can learn new ideas from eachother. βΊ
Oh boy those mushrooms lol. The filling in general is ridiculous. My husband and I can eat it by itself…no mushrooms needed lol.
I agree – you really do great. It inspires me! I’m so glad you’re able to exercise again (ouch!!) and that you’re feeling so motivated. π π That’s the BEST feeling. Like you, I love having this awesome community to do this WITH. It makes it so much easier than doing it alone! *cheers*
thank you Lynn. That means alot coming from you because you are absolutely inspiring to me. It is beyond nice to have not only you but a group of wonderful people to talk to especially when I’m snacking on pork rinds and boiled eggs all day lol. Only you guys get it. Lol.
On a side note. I thought you’d get a kick out of this. I am switching from bpc to hazelnut coffeemate for a little while. The bpc has had my stomach upset the past few times I’ve drank it. Hwc only in my coffee makes me want to gag so….I’m gonna see what happens if I switch to coffeemate. I don’t drink enough coffee for the carbs to really add up so I’m not worried about that. I’ll keep you posted lol
Welcome to our happy little SF hazelnut powdered creamer club. Haha. Lol
i sometimes add SF Carnation chocolate to mine too. It is yummy too. π
I am going to order some Torani sugar free syrup. I love the Irish cream. I am going to also try the almond coconut milk that someone posted about…….only i gm Carbs per 8 oz
then it has i gm of fiber per 8 oz. So it is almost carb free. π
We will see how that works
i still need something to whiten my coffee…..even with toeani sf syrup
Meanwhile i just bought two more SF powder creamers as a back up. π
Oh man. That carnation chocolate sounds yummy Gina! I’m still trying to find my perfect coffee combo lol. I’m enjoying trying new options though along the way.
LOL!! It’s delicious. π It’s one of my favorite “low carb products” of all time. What a GREAT find. My only real problem is that I drink entirely too much coffee – which is something to work on. π Anyway, ENJOY!!
It is pretty darn delicious lol. Luckily I usually only drink 2 regular cups a day so it’s a nice change without all the extra carbs