My weight is finally dropping again. I went from 148.6 over the weekend, to 143.8 this morning.
I was floating around 135 pounds before I got sick, so Iโm headed back in that direction now. ๐
Iโll show you what I ate yesterday. I didnโt cook at all, lol โ just ate very easy low carb foods.
It was a LONG day, plus it was Monday! I got up at 3am and was up until 11pm, so I went over my net carbs goalโฆ but my macros were great.
And I woke up 3 pounds lighter this morning, so the water weight is dropping โ which is nice. I had a hard time getting back in (or staying in) ketosis while I was sick and on various meds.
Here are all of my low carb foods yesterday, including a treat last night!
Mondayโs Low Carb Meals
Did you know yesterday was Strawberry Day? ๐ ๐ I had my favorite healthy low carb breakfast: 1/2 cup pecans, 1/4 cup Daisy brand cottage cheese, 4 small strawberries & 17.5 grams of blueberries = 6 net carbs & 85% healthy fats.
I stir it all together and call it cereal!
For lunch I threw together a variety of healthy low carb snack foods:
30 grams of pecan halves, a pork/pineapple Roam Stick, a mozzarella string cheese, and the โJack, Almonds & Pumpkin Seedsโ snack pack. ๐ That came to 548 calories, 5 net carbs, 79% healthy fat โ so it was fun, easy, tasty & filling!
I really liked the โJack, Almonds & Pumpkin Seedsโ low carb snack pack. A LOT. Iโm going to order a variety of flavors for my hiking trips. Itโs the perfect healthy snack to keep on hand!
Have you tried any of the different flavors yet? I was just thinkingโฆ it would make an amazing salad topper! ๐ Theyโre on Netrition here, but only in one flavor.
You can get ALL THE FLAVORS on Amazon though!
For dinner I still had strawberries on my mind, and still didnโt feel like cooking (lol), so I just had my โlow carb cerealโ again โ minus the blueberries this time.
After dinner I decided to grab something sweet, and found these ChocoRite Sugar Free Milk Chocolate Pecan Clusters from one of my Keto Krates. YUM!
It was the BEST low carb candy Iโve ever eaten โ ever. Most sugar free pecan clusters are hard and way too chewy, but this one was creamyโฆ and perfectly delicious. ๐
I have to order more of those!
That, plus eating straight out of a pint of Halo Top low carb mint chip ice cream (and 8 coffees with creamer!) put me way over my usual โ20 net carbsโ for yesterday. But like I said, it was a super long day. And it was worth it. ๐
Hereโs my MyFitnessPal Food Diary for Monday:
Macronutrients: Simple Explanation Of Low Carb Macros
How To Get A Net Carbs Column in MyFitnessPal
Net Carbs: 34
Total Carbs: 60
Calories: 1985
Protein: 63 grams
80% Fat / 13% Protein
Water: 48 ounces
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I love that eating low carb doesnโt require a lot of planning or meal prep. I would totally fail if it did, lol. Yesterday was a super busy work day, so being able to grab easy low carb foods and just keep going was really helpful.
I love all the fun new foods I get to try out of my Keto Krate boxes โ like the snack pack and the pecan clusters. Not to mention all the other great stuff Iโve fallen in love with after getting to sample it that way! Theyโll be shipping a new box next week, so itโll be fun to see what we get in March. ๐
I did cook this morning, btw. I made eggsโฆ lol.
How are things going for you?
How are you doing with your low carb meals & macro tracking? Any questions or struggles? I would love to hear how your week is going and what youโre eating!
Leave a comment & letโs talk. ๐
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
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Discount Code: LOWCARBTRAVELER
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Hi Lynn,
Have been lurking/reading your blog for a while and am easing myself back into low-carb/hf. Very resistant as of yet to tracking cals/macros, but weโll seeโฆ.. KISSโright? ๐ Why were you up at 3am? choice? couldnโt sleep? Inquiring/nosy minds want to knowโฆ. ๐
lol Catherine โ because I fell asleep at 7pm the night before. ๐
I can have a quirky schedule sometimes. Especially since I work from home (or wherever I happen to be). Iโll often take an afternoon nap, so Iโm up early AND late most days. ๐
Thanks for the reply Lynn!
Hi Lynn!
Iโve been following a lo carb diet now for just over a month. Yesterday was my 1 month weigh in and I gained 3 pounds!! Needless to say I was very disappointed. Iโve been Journaling my food for years so changing it to focus on carb intake was easy. I always tried to stay within 1200 to 1500 calories before, with no success I might add. I keep my carbs below 20 grams and those are made up of mostly veggies. I rarely hit 15 grams! I drink between 95 to 127 ounces of water and green tea. I only use stevia. Max 4 packets a day. Maybe an additional 1 if I have a lo carb almond flour cookie. I do have hypothyroidism and have been taking medication for that since I was a teenager many moons ago..lol. Iโve lost weight many times in the past, including doing lo carb back in the early 2000โs. This time itโs not working. Now, like yourself, right in the beginning of my diet I came down with a cold and took medication for a cough along with tylenol for like 15 days. I stuck to my diet thoughโฆ. thatโs if I could eat at all. Iโm wondering what on earth am I doing wrong. I looked back at the calories and noticed on some days they were getting above my norm so I watch that to now. The only nuts I eat are in the almond flour cookies. Otherwise itโs meat meat meat and some veg. Could it be the 1 ounce of cheese I have every other day? Maybe the 1 tablespoon of heavy cream everyday? It all gets calculated in my journal and Iโm well below my carb grams. I also got keto sticks and use them at night. It shows Iโm in the moderate range which is a dark pink. I believe from my reading, Iโm in ketosis. Iโm lost. I read so many things about this lo carb diet that pretty soon I wonโt have anything to eatโฆlol!
Hi Maria ๐ Are you tracking on paper, or in MyFitnessPal? Iโm guessing you may be eating high protein instead of high fat. Also, thatโs A LOT of water. You get most of your water from the foods you eat โ like green veggies that are high in water content.
Anyway, being sick will stall you โ not just the meds, but my whole body โholdsโ until I recover. ๐ So thereโs that too.
Let me know what youโre using to track and weโll go from there. ๐
Thanks so much Lynn for replying back! Iโve been Journaling for years using my fitness pal. I see my carbs and net carbs too. I also been recently using Atkins journal as a double reassurance but that app stinks and isnโt user friendly or intuitive like the my fitness pal. My carbs are always below 20โฆeven as little as15 or lower. My protien intake is average. Iโm never really overly hungry. Maybe I need to add more fat. I must be honest, adding lots of fat makes me nervous like my heart will blow upโฆlol. I use olive, coconut, avocado and butter. Iโm thinking I might cut back on the water. Itโs a lot of work trying to get all those ounces down.
You want to do at least 70% fat. Anything less than that stalls me out totally. You also want to eat no more than 25% protein. Grams donโt matter, as some proteins are also healthy fats, so you have to go by ratios (percentages).
See: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/7006/macronutrients/ for a simple explanation & illustration.
Donโt be nervous about healthy fats. ๐ Your body, heart & brain actually run much better on healthy fats than on sugar & carbs!
I actually havenโt stepped on a scale, but my clothes are falling off, lol. Iโm actually traveling, so Iโm having a wee bit of a struggle with snacksโฆ ๐
I donโt really snack much between meals anymore โ but almonds, pecans, those are both easy & portable! You can usually find real cheese or string cheese in convenience stores โ or sometimes. In a pinch Iโll get the Peanut Butter Granola Atkins bars from CVS Pharmacy or Walgreens โ easy places to stop in almost anywhere.
Hey Lynn! Thanks so much for the advice. I usually plan my meals days ahead so I went into my fitness pal and focused my meal plan on percentages rather than grams. Boosting the fat up to 70%. I had the right percentages already in place but found I was paying so much attention on keeping my carb grams down that I wasnโt looking at the protien and fat percentages. Maybe this is just what I need to get things moving. I may have to literally eat a spoonful of coconut oil in order to get to 70% though!
Great ๐ Youโll find that makes a BIG difference. Thatโs what broke MY stall years ago when I first figured out macros.
I like pecans for a great way to increase fat, as they are very low carb and high fat. Iโll eat 30 grams as a snack, or add them to a caesar salad even. Avocado fried (browned) in butter is a great high fat (healthy!) side dish. Chicken thighs instead of breasts โ theyโre more tender AND cheaper.
Good Morning Lynn! Iโm so grateful to have found you! Itโs so nice to talk with someone that has had the experience on the lo carb lifestyle! Today is my reboot. High fat all the way babyโฆlol! Iโll keep you posted on how it goes. I sure do love reading your blog. Keep up the work girl!
Thank you, Maria โ Iโm so glad you joined us here. ๐ I look forward to hearing your results. Keep me posted!
Hi Lynn! I am very new to the low-carb way of life. I have struggled with my weight my whole lives and have always been a yo-yo dieter. I had kept my weight down and was pretty near my goal weight for a few years. Then all of a sudden I started eating wrong and gained 20 pounds over the last year! I have always counted calories and fat, so this is very hard for me to change!! I have been eating low-carb for about three weeks now. Iโm looking forward to the Tips that youโre giving though. Iโve lost about 8 pounds, so thatโs not too bad. Iโm trying to figure out how to get my fitness pal to show net carbs. I have been tracking with fitness pal that seems to help. I think Iโve been eating maybe too many carbs and also not enough fat. Iโm going to have to work on that and see if that makes a difference!
Hi Cheryl ๐ Welcome!
I use the free version of MyFitnessPal and a free plugin that works online in Firefox or Chrome (only โ not on mobile). This is how I have mine set up: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/4448/myfitnesspal-hack/
You want to do 20 net carbs max, and 70% fat minimum. Thereโs a science to the way it works, so eating healthy fats is VERY important when you limit your carbs so low. See: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/4606/lchf-diet-explained/ ๐
Hi Lynn, l was ready about you telling Maria that the way she was drinking water it was to much. Normally l drink between 150 to 220 oz of water. Should l drink less or what should l do?
Thank you!!!
Hi Cynthia ๐ Do you drink that much because you were told you should, or because youโre THAT thirsty? Being overly thirsty (unquenchable thirst) is actually an early sign of water intoxication. See: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/4884/how-much-water-should-i-drink/
You should drink when youโre thirsty. You actually get most of your water from foods that are high in water content (mostly veggies). Your urine should be pale yellow. Any darker and you need more water. Any lighter or clear, and you should drink less. Thatโs the best indicator. ๐
Lynn, when l went to see a nutricionist last year she told me that I have to drink a lot of water, then l was reading that l didnโt drink to much. Early in the morning l go to the gym 2 hours, normally l drink 4 bottles of water, then when l get home l drink water all day if l donโt go out, if l do go out l donโt drink water because l want to go to the bathroom. My urine is really clear, just the first one in the morning is a little yellow.
Thank you for the link!!! Your been really helpful
Every time I had the appointment to the dr, l ask her about the water and more things, and her answer was YOUR DOING VERY GOOD and thatโs it. So thatโs why I stop going and start studying the Keto program and here I am
Youโre welcome. ๐ As long as you donโt feel lightheaded or get headaches or leg crampsโฆ youโre probably fine!