I just returned from a long weekend in Abingdon, Virginia which is only about 4 1/2 hours from where I live in Middle TN. It made for a fun little road trip, and a really nice getaway!
It’s a quaint little town in the beautiful Blue Ridge Highlands of Virginia, best known for it’s history and arts. Walking through the Heartwood Artisan Center was one of the highlights of my trips, along with driving the back roads and seeing some of the natural beauty in the area.
And of course the FOOD, which is always a highlight on my travels. 😉
I grabbed “my usual” when I headed out, which is a Sausage Egg McMuffin from McDonald’s ordered with double meat, double egg – which I’ve discovered is cheaper than ordering two Sausage Egg McMuffins. I also ordered an Iced Coffee w/Sugar Free Vanilla, which I request with half the cream and half the sweetener.
I ditched the muffin of course, and had one egg & sausage for breakfast. Then ate the other egg & sausage a little further down the road. Once I arrived I was ready for a real meal, and chose Pop Ellis Soda Shoppe & Grill on Main Street – a local spot with history and character. There were tons of carbs on the menu, so I settled for a Cobb Salad with grilled chicken instead of fried and Blue Cheese dressing:
For breakfast the next morning I just grabbed some sausage and eggs from the hotel breakfast spread. It was okay, nothing to write home about for sure, but it did the trick – and I avoided the waffle maker and the muffins. 🙂
On the side in that picture is butter and sugar free jelly, which tastes really good together even if you do have to eat it off a spoon instead of bread!
Next I enjoyed the sunrise and the rest of the morning, then headed to the Zazzy’z Coffee House on Main Street to work for a bit. I had an iced coffee, then for lunch ordered their Classic Chicken Salad which is made with only chicken, mayo and celery:
I was tempted to have the Broccoli Cheese Soup as well, but they weren’t sure if it had rice in it that day or not. Apparently some days it does and some it doesn’t – so I just skipped it.
I was quite hungry by dinnertime, so a friend and I went to Cheddar’s Casual Cafe in the next town over. If you’ve never been to one, I highly recommend it – plenty of low carb options, huge portions and great prices! I had the steak & shrimp, with loaded broccoli and green beans:
The steak came on a bed of crispy fried onion strings, which I removed – but I confess I did eat a few of them. This was quite a plateful of food. I made a good effort, but there was no way I could finish it, LOL…
The next morning I grabbed sausage & eggs at the hotel again, walked through the Heartwood Artisan Center, then met up with some friends at Zazzy’Z’s for a coffee. I had a late lunch that day at an Italian restaurant – and ordered the crab stuffed flounder w/shrimp and roasted vegetables:
I took about half of that with me in a to-go box, but never did eat it – *I* was the one that was “stuffed” after that rich meal (lol), and didn’t get hungry again that evening.
On my way out the next morning I stopped at McDonald’s for sausage & eggs and wi-fi, and did a bit of work before I headed back:
I always think I can eat two sausage patties and two fried eggs, but I got full again and took the other half with me on the road – and ate it later for lunch along with a small bag of salted almonds I had with me.
I continued to drink water on the trip, and I finally broke my weight loss plateau on Saturday morning. While I didn’t have scales there, I could just *feel* it. And I was right – I DID come home from my road trip weighing less! I find that interesting given I was eating so much less, and super low carb, while at home the last couple of weeks. Obviously I eat bigger portions and more carbs when I travel – more carbs in the way of greens: salads, green sides, etc. Maybe it was just the water that did the trick, or maybe eating more is a good thing…
Note to self: drink more water, and take more trips. 😀
Tammy says
Hi Lynn,
Wow, everything looks really good. However, I could not go eggs every morning…not a big fan of eggs. lol
The meal from Cheddarβs Casual Cafe looks awesome!
Congrats on your break through with losing. And keep tipping the water bottles up! π Water is awesome for so many other things as well. So, look at it this way, you’re doing yourself many favors by drinking water!
I figured something else out by drinking lots of water. Up until this year, drinking pepsi and coffee gave me bladder infections. LOL Now, with the water, I’m experiencing a healthy bladder…plus I’m enjoying coffee. In fact, I made a post on my own blog about coffee. lol
I keep saying I’m going to start the low carb eating…no still have not done it!! I figure the beginning of the year would be an awesome time to start! π I’ve lost close to 30 pounds this year…however, I have Florida as my insentive in December. I know that’s very slow losing the weight, but I’ll be more inclined to keep it off.
Keep up with the posts, I love reading your blog. =) Thanks!
Lynn Terry says
Thank you Tammy! π I rarely eat eggs for breakfast when I’m home. I get tired of them too. It’s just such an easy option when I’m on the go, or traveling. I’m more likely to eat chicken salad for breakfast at my local coffee shop, or dinner leftovers if I’m at home.
Congrats on your weight loss, enjoy your trip, and let me know if you do decide to start eating low carb! π
Debbie says
Hi Lynn! I enjoy reading your blog and love the pictures and tips on low carb eating, but am wondering about how low carbing is affecting your cholesterol? I’m torn between low carb life style and one that includes more fruits and veggies. I want to lose weight, but I want to be healthy too. I would appreciate any comments. Thanks!
Lynn Terry says
Hi Debbie,
Most people experience lower cholesterol on the low carb diet. It’s all in the “food combining” or the science behind the combination of foods you eat. I actually eat tons of green vegetables and also eat berries. It’s a very well rounded healthy way of eating, done right.
Also, I was never a fruit eater before, so that wasn’t something I had to give up. It’s FULL of natural sugar, and you can get the same “good stuff” out of vegetables instead.
Sherie says
Lynn, this sounds like a great road trip although I’d have to add another 2 hours to it for me. The Cobb Salad and steak/shrimp/loaded broccoli meals both look so tasty! I’m wondering, do all McD’s have wi-fi now?
Debbie brought up a good question – which fruits and veggies ARE considered low carb and which ones should we ignore? I LOVE grapes along with breakfast, plus as snacks w/cheese throughout the day. But I bet grapes are not low-carb, huh? :p
Lynn Terry says
Grapes are not low carb, no – they have a lot of natural sugar. I eat berries though, and love strawberries and cream cheese as a snack!
I think most McDonald’s do have wi-fi. I know the one in my itty bitty town does, lol.
Here’s how & why the diet works:
http://www.atkins.com/Program/Overview/How-and-Why-Atkins-Work.aspx
And here’s a list of the Acceptable Foods for low carbers:
http://www.atkins.com/Program/Phase-1/What-You-Can-Eat-in-this-Phase.aspx
That’s Phase One of Atkins, but it’s pretty much what I stick to.
Tammy says
Hey Debbie,
I was wondering that same thing. In fact it just entered my mind early this morning.
Lynn Terry says
As I said, most people experience huge health benefits eating low carb – including lower cholesterol. See the link above, and #10 on this page: http://www.atkins.com/Program/Overview/How-and-Why-Atkins-Work.aspx You can also google it to read various personal experiences with cholesterol, diabetes, arthritis on the low carb diet. π
Tammy says
Hey Lynn,
Thanks for the congrats. π I will definitely let you know about when I start the low carb eating.
Also, thanks for all the info. I eat the Atkins snack and meal replacement bars sometimes. They are good.
Hope you have an awesome weekend! π
Tammy says
Lynn,
I forgot to metion, I have a great giveaway going on on my blog right now, if you’d like to check it out. π
Carol says
Hello,
Thank you for the wonderful posts and inspiration. This site – (Low Carbing Diet tips for busy people) has helped me so much. It was the kick in the pants I needed! π
I am 58 years old 5’3″ and as of Oct. 1/14 have lost a total of 30 pounds Low Carbing. Hurray!
On Nov/13 I decided to change the way I ate. I started exercise classes three times a week and reduced my food intake. By the end of January 2014 I managed to lose three whole pounds, it was VERY discouraging.
That week we were out visiting my in-laws who spoke about their weight loss goals and ‘Atkins’. As soon as I got home I decided to read up on Low Carbing and to give it a try. First week I was down 4 pounds! Just what I needed and as the weeks went by, the pounds continued to come off. This was working! Now after 8 months of Low Carbing, I am about 4 pounds short of my target weight. Yes I have stalled, but am determined to keep working at it. Walking my almost daily 10,000 steps, drinking lots of water. Watching my carb intake….. Thank you for posting this wonderful