My Low Carb Diary for Day 4 of the Summer Low Carb Mini-Challenge. Join in anytime! Iโll share my meals here every day to give you easy low carb food ideas.
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As youโve probably figured by now, I went back to the Coffee-Mate Sugar Free Hazelnut Powdered Creamer.
I tried to give it up for a healthy swap which resulted in bloating, weight gain, irritability and two VERY rough days. ๐
Your support in that decision was incredible, and very much appreciated! Youโre all so incredibly wonderful and supportive and awesome. ๐
And you were RIGHT. Iโve given up a lot of things over the years: vodka, donuts, bread, sugar, diet soda (with the occasional exception), dating sociopaths (that was a FUN detour, lol), my amazing children โ who have both flown the nest now, etc, etc, etc. The list is long!
It IS nice to have a โguilty pleasureโ โ something in your life you enjoy as much as I enjoy my beloved Coffee-Mate sugar free coffee creamer.
I do drink entirely too much coffee, though. Iโm not exactly sure when or how that happened. Iโve been thinking on that this week. I think it was when I cut out Diet Coke, or stopped โdrinking itโ rather. I do still have a sip here and there, I just donโt drink 2 or 3 20-ounce bottles a day anymoreโฆ
Anyway โ Iโm still working on the coffee thing. Stay tuned! ๐
Meanwhile my weight is finally moving back down. I weigh 142.6 pounds today.
I do weigh daily, which doesnโt bother me or stress me like it does some people. But I donโt just weigh, I do Full Body Composition so I can track my TRUE weight: body fat, water weight, visceral fat, muscle mass, bone density, etc. This is incredibly helpful in determining why the scales are moving up on you โ or down.
Day 4: Fridayโs Low Carb Meals
I had a healthy low carb breakfast with fresh blueberries from our recent berry-picking venture. ๐ Itโs 1/2 cup crushed pecans, 1/4 cup Daisy brand cottage cheese, 17.5 grams of raspberries and 17.5 grams of blueberries.:
It came to 6 net carbs and 85% healthy fats. Thatโs totally delicious. ๐
I had a meeting (I do business consulting) so I grabbed a quick snack next of turkey slices and mozzarella sticks. That took 3 minutes and 3 carbsโฆ
Then for a late lunch / early dinnerโฆ I FINALLY finished my leftovers. ๐
Fortunately it was an amazing meal (YUM!) but I must have made enough for 700 people because Iโve been eating this for a week, lol.
Itโs my low carb โoven stewโ and low carb bread bites. Both recipes are in this post and super easy to make. The stew is chicken, spinach, broccoli & cauliflower in an Alfredo broth โ so a very healthy mix of low carb veggies.
I was going to make sausage & eggs for dinner, but I ended up just grabbing some easy low carb snack foods instead: cucumbers, pecans & cheese:
Slim was looking for a bedtime snack too! LOL ๐
I had a second string cheese then a bit of raspberries & cream cheese for dessert too, which youโll see in my food diary belowโฆ
Hereโs My MyFitnessPal Diary for Friday:
Tracking Macronutrients (Simple Explanation of Macros)
How To Get Net Carbs in MyFitnessPal
Net Carbs: 27
Total Carbs: 42
Protein: 127 Grams
64% Fat, 29% Protein
Exercise: Ab Carver Pro (60 Reps)
PLUS: 10 Tricep Dips
FitBit Steps: 1,981
Water: 72 ounces
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Youโll notice in my MyFitnessPal Food Diary above that I went over my 20 net carbs/day limit by 7 carbs (27 net carbs total). That matches the amount of Coffee-Mate sugar free hazelnut powdered creamer I had: 7 TBSPs = 7 carbs, lol.
Iโm still looking at options, โhealthy swapsโ โ like this one:
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I have worked my way up to 100 reps on the Ab Carver, but I wimped out yesterday at just 60. I didnโt get many steps in either. It was a long work day and I was feeling wiped out from a long week, which included A LOT of great exercise.
Iโm trying to decide what Iโll work on today. Iโm thinking the Push-Up Bars since that was such a GREAT workout (I was sore for two full days! lol) and then also try mountain climbers with the Core Slider Discs. That sounds like a fun combo. ๐
How are things going on your end?
Itโs day 5 today โ 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! ๐
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
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Discount Code: LOWCARBTRAVELER
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Hi Lynn, I didnโt officially join this time because I didnโt do so well the last time :-{ But Iโm still always reading your blogs which I love. Iโm wondering why you gave up vodka? Did you find it stalled you? Just wondering.
Oh, no โ lolโฆ I gave it up a LONG time ago. Back when I used to drink vodka like I drink coffee now. ๐ haha
I didnโt do well the challenge before last. Itโs called a challenge for a reason. Itโs not easy, and some times / seasons / days are harder than others. Jump right back in anytime. ๐ Youโll feel GREAT!
On the topic of alcohol, I do have a drink now and then. I like Rum & Diet Coke, or Michelob Ultra beer. But it metabolizes MUCH slower than food, and first, so it creates whatโs often called โthe alcohol stallโ so you shouldnโt weigh yourself for 3-4 days after having a drink.
I would like to try the coconut cream. It certainly would be a healthier alternative to coffee creamers. My fear is that it may curdle like hwc. Ugh. :o. Weโll see
Coconut cream is not that sweet. Remember coconut is in the nut family. Coconut is not naturally that sweet. That is why they sweeten coconut ( shredded) to use in recipes
i would add Torani syrup if i used this for flavor and sweetness
the coconut cream would add more calories to my dietโฆ..fat calories
idk. I may order this product
Well i probably wonโt buy thisโฆโฆ.geez it is so expensive. I better stick to Carnation. Creamer. LOL
I was thinking the same thing, that it wouldnโt really be sweet at all, and that itโs still 1 carb for 2 TBSP. Iโm looking at other options still. Iโm going to see if I can just buy ONE can at Wal-Mart or Kroger to try it out. If I like it then I can buy it in bulk onlineโฆ
You can always make whipped cream with coconu cream and it is healthier than regular whipped cream. ๐
Is coconut cream a vegan product? My step-daughter will be visiting in a few weeks and she is vegan. I was thinking of trying that.
This: http://amzn.to/29MdTeh says it IS vegan, yes ๐ It would be great whipped into a fluffy cream with fresh berries!
I just use half and half and drink less cups of coffee. Creamy coffee is important and I use no sweetner or sugar.
Thanks for all the tips Lynn , I especially enjoy the breakfast of Daisy cottage cheese, pecans and strawberries.
Itโs delicious, isnโt it? ๐ I came up with that because I missed Special K Fruit & Yogurt cereal โ the sweet & crunchy combo. This was such a great (and easy!) replacement!
Hi Lynn: I appreciate your diary and comments re: low carb, as I am diabetic and it is sometimes a struggle to stick with low carb foods. As for the coffee, I am very sympathetic. I found I could decrease my intake very slowly by mixing half coffee and half decaf (actually started with 3/4 coffee and 1/4 decaf) and keeping whatever sweetener/creamer I liked. I realized I was using the caffeine/Splenda/cream for a โpick me upโ whenever my energy was low or when my blood sugar would get low, then my blood sugar would raise too high and then plummet and require another โpick upโ. It took a long time but I now just drink decaf with 1/2 and 1/2 and Stevia. Good luck to you and thanks so much for posting.
I actually do drink Decaf sometimes. I donโt think I would care if it was coffee or tea or decaf even. My diet coke got hot in the car the other day while I was in an appt, and I enjoyed that too. ๐ haha
I drink a lot of water too. Usually three 24 ounce bottles anyway, and more on days I hike or get outdoors. Itโs just that Iโm always drinking. Before I went low carb I used to drink 6-10 Pepsiโs a day. I switched to Diet Coke, then weaned that off and replaced it with water.
So I think the real issue is that I have a โdrinking problemโ lol.
I was laughing so hard when I read this. Lol. I think I have a โdrinking problemโ too. Like you I would drink multiple cans of Pepsi a day. If not Pepsi I would drink too much beer, or coffee or starbucks lol. I have a problem with liquids I think.
Ditto haha. The 6+ coffees I drink every dayโฆ are spread out throughout VERY long days. Iโm more of a sipper now than a drinker, but I do still always have a drink with me. ๐
Gina, that price is for a pack of twelve cans so maybe not as bad as first thought? Mind you, if you donโt like it, could prove very expensive!
Fortunately they have a store locator on their website, and they DO carry it in one of my local stores, so I can try just one can here first and see. ๐
Thanks. I did not realise thar the price was for more than i can. ๐ i may look up the store locator to find where i can buy just one can to try.
Hi Lynn,
I made several of your recipes and here are my resultsโฆ Peanut butter cookies- I like to use a small cookie(ice cream) scooper to keep proportions the same and didnโt press them down, I thought they would flatten like regular dough! Well, my first batch turned out to be hard peanut butter balls. On the second batch, I flattened them but forgot to set a timer and those got crunchier than I hoped for. They still have a okay taste and I did use a sugar free jellie on them to help with the dryness.lol ( I have a problem with throwing out food so, Iโll eat them). Now that I think of it, the way I made them would make a good dog treat!
Secondly, since I already had the peanut butter out, I made the pecan fudge bar! Yum. It really helps when I have that sugar craving.
I then made the biscuits. I love them! A bit salty for me, so I wonder if I should cut some of the Parmesan cheese?? Thoughts?
Problemsโฆ When baking I have a hard time just sampling, it tastes good and I want to eat the whole batch! Especially when Iโm cooking a new recipe, I seem to endulge more.
Pecans seem so expensive right now and I like that morning โcerealโ mix you have.
Started my cycle day 3 of challenge and am wanting more sweets than ever and feel hungrier than most days.
Successesโฆ I feel more energy and Iโm down 4 pounds! I generally add 5 the week when my cycle is here. Not this time. Iโve got to keep this up!
Thanks everyone for your posts. I enjoy reading and trying the different items suggested.
I had a laugh at your experience with the cookies, haha! ๐ I make them out into the size I want them to be. You do have to be careful not to overcook them. Scorched almonds smell AWFUL. Ask how I know ๐ lol.
Anyway, they shouldnโt be dry. Did you use cream cheese in yours?
I tend to cook/bake, then portion out, track & log, then PUT AWAY โ portioned out. ๐ Youโre doing GREAT though! Kudos for your success this week!! *cheers*
Tried your favorite breakfast for the first time โ Yum and filling! I never really liked cottage cheese, but love it prepared like this. My husband enjoyed it too! Iโm just having a tough time logging it in to MFP. Thanks for sharing all this low carb info โ it has really made a difference in my life!
Hi Lonnie ๐ I never really liked or ate cottage cheese before I came up with this combination either, but it just works!
What kind of trouble are you having with logging it into MyFitnessPal? Can you copy what I used in my own diary above? Obviously you want to check your own labels to make sure the entries are correct, thoughโฆ
I ended up scanning the packages with my phone. I got somewhat of the count much like yours. Not sure which food choice to use when looking for fresh foods, like strawberries. There are so many choices. I am getting more familiar with it, the more I use it. I just takes a lot of time, but so worth it as I just learned how many carbs are in red onionโฆ
That does help! And once the foods you eat or use regularly are in your diary, theyโll be in your list and easy to add โ so it gets easier as you use it. ๐
I use: https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search for foods without labels, like fresh produce or berries I pick myself.
Thank you! Great website โ i book marked it:)
Iโm down 4lbs since Tues., happy Iโm losing but was hoping for more, even though Iโm noticing everyone is losing at about the same rate. Iโm craving sweets too, I have a bad sweet tooth and usually snack on dark chocolate :D, only small pieces at a time but it was an every day habit. Iโve tried the chocolate made with stevia and itโs OK but just not the same as my dark real chocolate. Iโve found these cookies in the store where I shop (Publix), https://alyssascookies.com/collections/alyssas-healthy-cookies/products/healthy-oatmeal-cookies-8-pack serving size 2 cookies 6g carbs and I usually only have one. It helps my sweet tooth and gives me some fiber :). They less expensive in the store than they are online.
Iโm really missing my wine. Missing it today even more for some reason, guess maybe because itโs the weekend. I could have a rum & diet coke but donโt want the โalcohol stallโ so Iโm drinking water.
A four pound loss in a few short days is GREAT! It takes me 3-5 weeks to lose 4 pounds, lol. I average a pound a week โ and by average I mean it doesnโt happen every week. ๐
Giving things up is HARD. I failed at it. ๐ Iโm not giving up though. Change is tough. Youโre doing GREAT! Impressive actuallyโฆ Wanting the weight loss MORE than the drink or ___ (fill in our own blank!) is the key. ๐
Thank you Lynn that makes me feel good, you saying 4lbs is GREAT! :). And yes giving things up is hard, your sentence about wanting weight loss more than ______ is so true. Reminds me of what my sister said once, that sheโd rather feel hungry than fat!
Four lbs is great. Focus on the things you can have vs. The things you canโt have. I had to give up all sweets in the beginning and even the SF treats. I kept it simple. I lost about 9-10 lbs. a month in the beginning. Now i am losing maybe 1 lb. A week or more sometimes
the key to success is being consistent.
If you stick with this lchf woe for a while you will lose your cravings for a lot of rich foods
There are SF sweet alternatives that taste good
Russell Stover has some good SF candy but you have to eat it in moderation and count the carbs
good luck. You are doing great
Thank you Gina I keep waiting for that Iโm not hungry feeling LOL. Iโve looked at the sugar free candies but gosh theyโre high in carbs so I passed. Youโre right, being consistent and staying with it, that is the key.
The sugar free candies have sugar alcohols in them, which you can subtract too, so they are VERY low carb. But only eat one or two โ and only eat them at home alone. ๐ They can easily cause explosive tummy syndrome lol. But omgosh they are SOOO good!
I do not think these cookies are good to use for this lc woe. Whole grains ans dried fruits are not allowed. I read the ingredients and these are not keto friendly ingredients.
You might want to check out netrition for cookies are sweets made grain free and sugar free. ( no dried fruit either)
Even though the net carbs are low here. The types of carbs is more important. I count whole carbs and not net carbs in this case
i think these cookies will kick you out of ketosis
you might want to check out Lynโs link to keto snacks
all of their snacks are all natural and truly low carb.
I am just trying to help. I have been doing this for two and a half years
and i am a diligent label reader for ingredients. I will not buy anything without reading the ingredients
a lot of so called low carb foods are very deceptive and not truly low carb. I learned from experience.
I guess these cookies are ok for a liw calorie diet but not for a keto low carb diet.
Thanks Gigi I appreciate you telling me that, I didnโt know, I โassumedโ low carb was low carb. I read ingredients too and thought those were good. I used to do the Wheat Belly diet and there was no grains or fruit but didnโt think this diet was like that. I certainly donโt want to kick myself out of ketosis, Iโd have a glass of wine if I did! LOL.
You say Lynโs link to keto snacks, do you mean our Lynn Terry here? I donโt remember seeing a link to keto snacks. Iโll also check out netrition too.
Yes i meant Lyn Terry. You really have to read ingredients. It can be tricky. Good luck. There are a lot of great low carb foods o netrition and i want to try the keto snacks too. ๐
I think Gina is referring to the Keto Box goodies: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/ketobox
I agree on the cookies. A month ago I ate ONE cookie (a regular cookie) and while my macros/carbs for the day werenโt horribleโฆ it knocked me straight out of ketosis and stalled my weight loss.
I had the same problem with one TASTE of a MINI peppermint patty recently โ literally less than a bite. But it seems for me lately that any amount of โreal sugarโ throws me right out of ketosis and fat burning mode.
Just had the Hardeeโs LC Thick burger and it was delicious although I could only eat half. Next time Iโll get the single. Iโm so glad restaurants are offering more healthy meal but options! Jimmy Johnโs also offers an unwich (lettuce wrap) which is delicious.
Hardees has tasty low carb burgers. Have you tried the Chicken club sandwich minus the bun. It is my favorite!!!
Lynn, on the coconut cream, it tastes wonderful and has many uses, I have replaced whipped cream with whipped coconut cream. My husband loves it. I donโt use it in coffe, and I donโt use the powdered creamers, but I have been trying to find ways for creamy coffee without all the carbs. I am very close to enjoying black coffee now so Iโm happy about that. I donโt sweeten my coffee and have not for 25 years. Here are options I have tied that I likeโฆbulletproof made with mtc or coconut oil and butter (yum, creamy and delicious but if intermittent fasting it breaks the fast), unsweetened cashew milk is excellent and I find it creamier than coconut milk (Iโm using coconut milk, not cream right now because of a nut elimination), hwc but for the reasons you already mentioned when it cools down not so often. So those are the options I try and rotate through the, from another gal that loves lots of coffee, whitened.
Thank you, Janice! There are so many healthier options, and Iโm definitely interested in getting to a โreal foodโ HEALTHY coffee solution. Iโd like to go to black, or at least creamy but not sweet. ๐
I ordered the body composition measurement scale today. Canโt wait to start using it.
What scale does body composition?
Itโs this one: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/6603/body-fat-scale-and-body-composition/ I love mine! ๐ I weighed less this morning, after an increase earlier this week, and I was able to see where the weight was coming from (water weight, body fat, muscle mass, bone density, etc).
I got mine on Amazon if you want to read the reviews on it: http://amzn.to/2akCvMS
Well another successful day and a super proud moment for me with it being the start to the weekend. Lynn Iโm sure you can remember during the 90 day challenege how badly I struggled with staying on plan during the weekends. It gets so hard sometimes because of being out and about and the temptations that lurk behind every corner lolโฆ.STARBUCKS being the main culprit. But I knew we would be out and about so I planned accordingly. I packed a few LC snacks just in case (string cheese, pecans). So it made for an easy outing.
My meals yesterday were:
B: bpc
L: didnโt eat lunch due to a drs appointment
S: 2 string cheese, 1/4 pecans, about 12 almonds
D: 2 mcdonalds mcdouble w/o bread, ketchup, onion
S: coffee
My total net carbs were 11. Fat was 82%, protein 14%, carbs 3% and I drank 60oz of water.
Way to go, Justine! I do remember that. ๐ Ironically weekends are easier for me, and I tend to cook and eat more veggies on the weekends, lol.
Starbucks is a tough one. Thatโs when I carry my Coffee-Mate Sugar Free Hazelnut powdered creamer with me and just order a black blonde brew โ and NOTHING ELSE lol.
Your macros came out great! I missed dinner last night like you missed lunch yesterday lol. Sometimes life just gets busy! Howโs your weight loss going so far, or are you only weighing in weekly?
Oh I wish the weekends were easier. Lol. I think theyโre more difficult because 90% of the time Iโm home during the week with the kids so all my LC food are easily acessible. If Iโm out with the kids Iโm usually so preoccupied with getting all of their extras together that I forget to pack myself anything so then Iโm staving and settle for anything regardless of the carbs in it lol. No bueno!
See my starbucks weakness is frappucinos. Sooooo darn good. Venti java chip with 1 pump of peppermint and Iโm in heaven lol. And then Iโm definitely out of ketosis as well.
Thanks!! Iโm only weighing weekly right now because I will self-sabotage if I weigh daily and see zero results. Iโm curious to see what Iโve lost this week.
Justine
i remember the days when my kids were young. I always put them first but i sorely neglected myself and let myself go. I wish i had done this lchf woe long ago. I could have had more energy back then and could have been healthier so i could be a better parent to them. I cannot go back in time, but there is still time for you, Justine.
all you need is better planning. I have a small thermal bag that i pack with cheese sticks and almonds and a half frozen bottle of water to keep everything cold while i am out.
When i am on the run and out and about, i too get tempted to eat anything but now i get low carb sandwichesโฆ.without the bun. I had the chicken club from Hardees today. It was super yummy
next time you go out with your kids on the weekend, pack your thermal bag with bottles of water, nuts and cheese or whatever you think of to take that is lc to prevent temptation.
Maybe you could get your kids used to liking some low carb choices as well. Most kids do not even like bread. Mine didnโt. I remember getting them McDonalds hamburgers and they would only eat the meat and cheese and leave the bun. GUESS WHO ended up eating their leftoversโฆ..bread and allโฆ..ME. LOL. ๐
Youโre totally right Gina. I usually will bring along something to snack on just in case but there have been plenty of times where I do forget and will cave for something off plan. I do also eat burgers/sandwiches while out and take off the bun. And actually when Iโm not on LC I do the same because it just taste better. I agree that all momโs should make sure to take care of themselves so they can be better parents. My mom is a great example of this and she has been eating LC/keto for a few years and is so off and on that when she really sticks to it finally itโs incredibly hard for her to lose weight. So, this is why I have chosen to stay with the woe so I can become the absolute best me and mother I can be. โบ Thanks for the amazing tips.
Your Welcome. Sounds like you are already an amazing mom. ๐
Ps. Bring your powdered hazelnut creamer with you for your starbucks trips. You can order your coffee with hwc only too and add a little sf hazelnut creamer for flavor and sweetness.
I heard of a lot of people in my weight loss support group sabotaged their diet by having starbucks drinks. Most of the people gained weight from visiting starbucks often.
Iโm definitely going to now lol
I need some help with an issue I have coming up. My strictly vegan step-daughter will be visiting in 2 weeks, and I need to find a few meals I can prepare that we can all eat. In the past I have made pasta with grilled veggies or quinoa/Israeli Couscous with roasted butternut squash (those were pretty much my stand by meals), accompanied by salad. Well now Iโm not eating pasta or quinoa or couscous. I know I can do a spiralized zucchini as a base one night but thatโs all Iโve been able to come up with so far. I am desperate for some suggestions.
The Zoodles are a great start! You can use those in a hot dish OR a cold dish. They would make a great veggie salad with green olives, diced tomatoes, diced cucumbers, crumbled feta cheese, etc. ๐
You can still make the pasta, quinoa, & couscous for her and make your plate separate without those things.
Stuffed mushrooms are great. Instead of meat & cream cheese, stuff them with something else โ butternut squash & cream cheese maybe? Iโm assuming she eats cream cheese though โ Iโm not sure if vegans do. There are all kinds of delicious low carb vegetables to play with!
Lyn
Vegans do not eat any milk or cheese products or even eggs. A vegan is different from a vegetarian.
i know there are vegan cheeses made from soy or vegan meat like products.
Sadly, she doesnโt eat the vegan cheeses either ๐