Happy February! 💝 Keto Sweets & Treats
FREE Keto Valentine Hearts, Peanut Butter Cups, NEW Raspberry Chocolate Bars 😍 plus VERY low carb Hazelnut & Peppermint Truffles.…
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Monday Weigh-In 🌟
How Did Your Week Go? If you’re doing the Free 30-Day Keto Kickstart and the weekly weigh-ins with us, here…
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Monday Weigh-In & Mindful Eating
This “fast frittata” was delicious, and super easy to make! I call it a “skillet quiche” 🍳 or a scrambled…
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Join the FREE 2020 Keto Challenge Education & Motivation Series
Fun weekly mini challenges and daily help.
Real Life Keto (With Chocolate & Wine)
It’s been a tough week. Every time I sit down to write to you, I backspace, start over, delete, start…
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Keto Challenge Weigh-In & Goals
Happy Monday! ❄️ Did you sign up for the Free 30-Day Keto Kickstart Program and get a chance to check…
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Free 2021 Keto Kickstart Program
I’ve had a slow start to the new year. Things have been really hard for me lately 😕 and I…
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MAKING LOW CARB EASY FOR YOU
Yes, Send Me Low Carb Tips Please!
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Since we all LOVE Lolli’s so much, I thought I’d share some creative ways to ENJOY these delicious keto cookie clusters. 😍
This will give you some FUN ideas to mix things up a little. It makes a great low carb snack or “sweet fix” of course, but it goes a long way when you turn it into a DELICIOUS meal. π
You can use my coupon code: LOWCARBTRAVELER for a discount at https://lollisclusters.com
Almost ALL of these ideas can be used with other ingredients too, so scan over this list for some FUN ways to mix things up this week!
1. Keto Candy or Fat Bombs
The ideas here are absolutely endless, but for some creative inspiration see my Macadamia Crunch Peanut Butter Cups which were super easy to make – and absolutely AMAZING!
2. Straight out of the bag!
Stating the obvious here, but Lolli’s low carb cookie clusters are fabulous right out of the bag, of course. π
My favorite flavors are Peanut Butter Macadamia and Cinnamon Pecan Crunch – and the new Lemon Drop is getting RAVE reviews too! I still have to try that one. 🍋🥜
3. Low Carb Yogurt Parfait or Yogurt Topper
When I get sick of eggs, or want a quick meal without having to cook, a layered yogurt parfait really hits the spot. 😋
Most people top their low carb yogurt with the crumbled keto cookie clusters. I like it layered with a flavored nut butter or almond butter, yogurt, and blueberries or strawberries.
4. Keto Cereal
This is probably my FAVORITE or at least my go-to way to enjoy Lolli’s. It makes a delicious bowl of cereal!
The cookie clusters are soft, like fresh baked cookies straight out of the oven, but they don’t get soggy in milk – which makes them perfect for a keto friendly breakfast cereal.
I use unsweetened almond milk or macadamia milk, and sometimes half & half, and love to add blueberries – and sometimes raspberries or strawberries.
If you REALLY want to jazz it up, throw in a few sugar free white chocolate chips too. π
5. It’s Fun To Bake With!
I’ve seen some amazingly creative recipes with Lolli’s Cookie Clusters floating around the web! One I made myself were these delicious Apple Pie Cinnamon Crunch Keto Muffins 😍
Those are great for meal prep, and SO good warmed up with a pat of butter!
6. No-Bake Desserts & Breakfast Plates
I love pairing Lolli’s Cookie Clusters with other things to make a MEAL out of it.
Sometimes it’s a little sweet but still healthy, like a chocolate collagen bar chopped up with Peanut Butter Macadamia clusters both drizzled with macadamia nut butter.
View this post on Instagram
It’s really great with blueberries and cream cheese too, which tastes like cheesecake… without the baking or complicated recipes. π
The macadamia nut butter I use is from Fat Is Smart Fuel (FBOMB) and my discount code is LOWCARBTRAVELER there too. I love topping Lolli’s Clusters with their Macadamia Coconut butter, or the Macadamia Sea Salt nut butter. SO delicious!
7. Keto Cheesecake or Pie Crust
I haven’t personally tried this but I see TONS of photos around the web where people use Lolli’s Clusters as a cheesecake crust or pie crust. Some simply put it in a food processor and press it down firm, which looks like it works great, others add a little butter and press it down and bake it a little.
It would definitely make a delicious keto cheesecake crust!
I don’t do much cooking, so I’m happy to just have the cookie clusters with cream cheese and berries… and CALL it “no bake cheesecake.” 😁
I don’t snack or eat dessert (as in “a meal AFTER a meal”) so the plates above serve as an easy breakfast or even dinner on nights I don’t feel like cooking.
They’re amazingly delicious combos – whether I pair it with keto ice cream, low carb yogurt or cream cheese – and VERY satisfying.
Plus all GREAT ingredients! So it feels like a treat or a cheat, but it’s really just a delicious combination of healthy foods. And such a nice change from eggs or salads, or the usual meals. π
📲 https://lollisclusters.com
Discount Code: LOWCARBTRAVELER
What about you…
What are some creative ways YOU’ve enjoyed Lolli’s cookie clusters?
The more ideas the better!
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
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If youβre in our private Facebook group, hereβs the Week 7 Weigh In post to share your total pounds lost since you started, or your starting weight if you just joined.
If you arenβt on Facebook (or prefer not to post on Facebook), simply leave a comment on this post with your results so far instead.
I would love to hear how much weight you’ve lost in 2020 so far, and any other wonderful benefits you’ve experienced!
This is also where you can post ANY questions you have about keto weight loss or the low carb diet.
I’ve been eating a ketogenic low carb diet 9 years now myself, and I’m happy to help any way I can. π
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
p.s. I’d love to hear YOUR story, what holds you back, what helps you most, and what seems to always stump you up… leave a comment & let’s discuss it!
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Hey! How are things going with your weight loss goals this week?
If youβre in our private Facebook group, hereβs the Week 6 Weigh In post to share your total pounds lost since you started, or your starting weight if you just joined.
If you arenβt on Facebook (or prefer not to post on Facebook), simply leave a comment on this post with your results so far instead. This is also where you can post ANY questions you have.
Speaking of questions, I had four GREAT conversations about keto weight loss over the last week, and I’ll share those with you below…
KETO CONVERSATIONS
“I am staying within all of the rules. It seems to be going slow, but I’m not giving up.”
I love hearing that! Consistency is key in improving your metabolic health and creating a healthier lifestyle overall. And slow weight loss is actually BEST. π
I have always been a “slow loser” and find it really helps to stay focused on the long game: eating healthy, being healthy – and just let weight loss be a great result of staying focused on that.
When I was trying to rush it I would get frustrated and bail, then start back, and do that cycle over and over and over again – which never gave me great results with my health OR weight loss. :p lol
I’ve seen amazing results since I stopped dieting!
For the slow losers, like me 🙋♀️ this article on metabolism was very interesting – but mostly in terms of how FAST weight loss can negatively affect your metabolism long term. So there’s that working for you (us)! 😉
“I’m not losing much weight but my clothes are fitting better!”
That’s great! There is so much going on with your body in the beginning, and throughout your weight loss journey. Even in a single day your total weight can fluctuateΒ as much as 5 pounds throughout the day.
That’s the reason you only want to weigh yourself first thing in the morning right after you pee. Any other time of day is not an accurate weight.
There are many changes to your body composition as well, and in your body in general. As one example, the thermic effect of a healthy ketogenic low carb diet can cause you to burn more calories, even in a resting state.
Going by the way your clothes fit and the way you FEEL is smart. π The weight will come off in it’s own time (frustrating sometimes I know) as long as you continue to eat and be healthy.
Just relax into a healthy lifestyle and trust the process!
*
“I gained 1.6 pounds. I think I’ve done good, but may be eating too many calories, which I thought didn’t matter. I am trying to do 40 grams or less to start. I do have issues retaining water also. π Dang it, I want this to work! I am not ready for weight watchers, or nutrisystem, etc. That may be my issue, portion control, even with low carb.”
My advice would be to try 20 net carbs max for two weeks. That will help with both water retention AND appetite. Lowering your carbs more will ensure you get into ketosis, which is a fat-burning state and natural appetite suppressant.
You also want to make sure you’re getting plenty of healthy fats. If you track macros, shoot for 70% fat minimum. Otherwise just choose foods naturally high in fat: eggs, dairy, salmon, ground beef, ribeye steak, pecans, avocado, almond butter, etc.Β
As for portions, lowering your carbs will put you in ketosis if you’re not already, which is a natural appetiteΒ suppressant as I mentioned above. But also…
Pay close attention to your hunger signals. You want to eat when you’re hungry, don’t eat when you’re not hungry (never force it), and stop eating when you’re satisfied (vs FULL). I find listening to my body and being mindful of that helps a lot!
You’ll naturally start making smaller plates or portions as you get a feel for what you’re really going to eat and be satisfied with.
Prior to going low carb, I used to eat until I was FULL – or more often than not: stuffed. I don’t even like that full feeling anymore. I find it quite uncomfortable!
Another thing that I find helpful is to log my food choices BEFORE ordering a meal or dishing out my plate. If I decide to have seconds or get more of something, knowing I have to log it gives me pause for thought to decide if I’m REALLY still hungry – or “just eating.” π
*
I have lost over 40 pounds throughout the years (2016). It seems that since the past spring I cannot lose weight and I have actually gained 10-15 pounds. I was wondering if you have dealt with this or know someone that has been doing keto but then started gaining weight and can not lose it.
What I would do is first: start tracking your meals & macros super close if you aren’t already, just so you can see exactly what’s going on and where you might make tweaks.
Think back to when you were easily losing weight. Is there anything you’ve added or changed that might be the culprit? Some products that SEEM keto friendly (shakes, bars, sweets, etc) may affect everyone differently, so the only way to know is through elimination tests on yourself.
For weight loss you want to do 20 net carbs max and 70% fat minimum every day consistently. I keep it THAT simple. If you’re already doing that with no results, switch to 20 TOTAL carbs instead of net carbs for 3 weeks.
I also find it helps to eat very simple meals, whole foods and few ingredients. That works like a charm for everyone that has tried it for two full weeks! I call it the 3IMAX method: https://www.travelinglowcarb.com/6064/3-ingredients-rule/
*
There are more helpful links & motivational posts in the Celebrating or Struggling? post if you’re looking for some GETTING STARTED info or a boost to help you RESTART. π
Donβt forget to weigh in here or by leaving a comment on this post.
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
p.s. What do YOU struggle with most? I was reading a great thread on binge eating and emotional / stress eating, and it reminded me several of you asked me to discuss more about how I overcame that myself – so stay tuned for that. π
I’d love to hear YOUR story, what holds you back, what helps you most, and what seems to always stump you up… leave a comment & let’s discuss it!
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Hey! How did your weekend go? I look forward to hearing your results so far in our 2020 Keto Challenge. I can’t wait to hear your update this week: the good, the bad, the frustrations or questions or struggles… let’s talk!
Are you Celebrating or Struggling?
I included a motivational graphic below that says: BE STRONGER THAN YOUR STRONGEST EXCUSE. I know that can be hard to do sometimes…
The voices in our head win over, old habits are hard to break, it’s easy to just go through the motions instead of FIGHTING for what you want… I get it.
I’m here for you though, and YOU ARE NOT ALONE, whatever you’re dealing with or going through. I’d love to start a series that helps you make SERIOUS lasting positive change in your life, so let me know what you find MOST challenging about reaching your weight loss goals and we’ll start there. π
If youβre in our private Facebook group, here’s the Week 5 Weigh In post to share your total pounds lost since you started (or your starting weight if youβre just joining us).
If you arenβt on Facebook (or prefer not to post on Facebook), simply leave a comment on this post with your results so far instead.
Yes, you can join in anytime! – so feel free to jump right in, and even invite your friends to do this WITH you. All of the “getting started” links are below – which are great for a REstart & fresh dose motivation too.
Most people share their “total pounds lost” since starting, but you can also share inches lost if you’re tracking body measurements.
I always LOVE to hear your non-scale victories (NSV’s) as well! ⭐️
2020 is YOUR year to reach your goals, and feel AMAZING! 💥
If you’re just joining us, just getting started at keto, catching up, or need to refresh on some points to get a better handle on things, here are the pages you’ll want to read:
2020 Keto Challenge Details – Start Here
Keto Challenge: Week One 👍👎 Check In!
Simple 5-Day Keto Restart ❤ Mini-Challenge
Keto Challenge: Why 90 Days? 📅 Hereβs How It Changed MY Lifeβ¦
If you need low carb food ideas, I used this Low Carb Food List when I first started. Itβs from the Atkins Phase One (now called Atkins20) program, and is a great list of keto-friendly low carb foods that will give you tons of ideas to work with.
I have keto food lists & low carb grocery ideas in this post:
Keto Challenge Q&A β What You Need To Know
And there’s some GREAT information & motivation here:
Get a Head Start on your 2020 Weight Loss Goals!
I look forward to hearing how your week went! 👀
Every WIN you share motivates or inspires someone else, and every question you ask helps someone else that wanted to know the same thing. π
Don’t forget to weigh in here or by leaving a comment on this post.
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
p.s. Have questions? Leave a comment! I’m happy to help any way I can. ♥
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If you’re planning to visit or stay at Opryland Hotel and want to stay on track with your keto diet while you’re there, here’s everything you need to know. π
Quick list of helpful tips while staying at Opryland Hotel:
👣 There is A LOT of walking involved. Wear comfortable shoes, and plan for plenty of time to/from different areas of the hotel. Here is a map of Opryland Hotel (you’ll need it!)
💦 You can get free water or refill your water bottle in the gym.
🔸 The hotel rooms do have a small refrigerator, but no microwave.
☕️ The coffee pots in the hotel rooms are single serve coffee makers, and it’s weak (terrible) coffee. π If you’re going to make coffee in your room, use half a paper cup of water per coffee, and simply call up to have more coffee packets sent to your room.
🥗 The “Delta Island” area has a food court / market. Your best options there are a bunless burger at Stax, or snacks/boxed salads at the Market.
🥩 Old Hickory Steakhouse is expensive and dark, and the food is NOT that great. If you choose to eat there, the ribeye steak is the best entree on the menu. The scallops were sandy, and the salmon had no real flavor, but the ribeye was great.
👩🍳 Cascades Cafe is your BEST option for delicious low carb breakfast, lunch and dinner meals that are keto friendly. Their menu will please everyone, the chef will happily accommodate special requests (gluten free, etc), and it’s well lit and surrounded by the beautiful Cascades area.
🍣 Good to know! Wasabi uses the same kitchen, and you can order from the Cascades menu there.
🥜 If you’re staying at Opryland Hotel for a conference or event, definitely pack your own keto snacks, or go to an off-site store to get some low carb snacks to have in your room and/or keep with you. Event days can be long, the property is huge and things are spread out, and the restaurants can fill up quickly and have long waits during your short breaks. π
Below is a photo tour of delicious low carb, keto friendly meals I had during a recent stay at Opryland Hotel.
This should prove helpful in case you ever find yourself there – or another type of resort/hotel where you need to make quick meal decisions.
Your host for this tour: @LowCarbTraveler Find me on Instagram and Facebook and say hi! 🙋♀️ I’ve been eating a ketogenic low carb diet for 9 years and am a fun, creative keto restaurant guide. π
I knew the meals at Opryland Hotel would be expensive, and the conference I was there for had 12 hour days with long walks and long lines on short breaks, so I did bring some of my favorite keto snacks to get me through the long days.
I’m SO glad I did too. One of my favorite low carb meal replacements are the Perfect Keto Bars. You can Get 15% Off at Perfect Keto using that link, or using discount code LOWCARBTRAVELER at checkout.
Day 1: Dinner at Wasabi / Cascades in Opryland Hotel
This one cost me almost 40 bucks after tax & tip, but it was worth EVERY PENNY.
I got there in the late afternoon but had to get checked in, cleaned up, go to event registration etc – so it was late and I was famished by the time I had dinner.
I ordered the salmon (grilled plain, please) with steamed grean beans and it came topped with arugula tossed in olive oil & lime. FABULOUS meal!
I had my favorite keto collagen bars in my room, so I had one of those for breakfast before I headed to the conference the next morning.
Opryland Hotel is HUGE, and our event alone had over 4,000 attendees. I didn’t manage to get lunch during the break. The lines were long and there was just no way to make it happen in time – or I didn’t manage to at least.
I waited in one line too long and then they had to turn us away, or said they’d be at capacity well past our start back time.
Fortunately I had Macadamia Nut Butter packets in my bag, which I keep on me ALWAYS for cases like this on the go. π
These are from FBOMB and my discount code is LOWCARBTRAVELER. I heard they just came out with bars too, btw! I can’t wait to try those.
I also didn’t get back to the conference room in time to easily find a seat so I just pulled up a piece of carpet in the back of the room and ate my nut butter. 🤷♀️
Keto Breakfast at Cascades Cafe in Opryland Hotel
I ordered 3 eggs (cracked eggs please, no milk) scrambled with cheddar cheese, bacon and strawberries & blueberries.
Tip: If you order scrambled eggs or omelets, ask for cracked eggs – otherwise they use bagged liquid eggs. I also requested “no milk, eggs only please.”
You can also order meals to go at Cascades Cafe, which may be helpful if you’re there for work and short on time.
That night we had a catered event at the conference I was attending. It was a working dinner, and the buffet was… Rice Bowls. 🤦♀️
I managed to find some good stuff I could eat though: shredded chicken, roasted mushrooms (plucked out of the sweet potato tray), almonds, feta cheese and guacamole.
Old Hickory Steakhouse inside Opryland Hotel
This is a fancy steakhouse, reservations only.
It’s one of those places where they serve “shared sides” (mostly carbs I wouldn’t eat) so I just ordered the scallops off the appetizer menu.
I got three. 🤔🤣
They were cooked/served in some fancy (sugary) cranberry sauce so I requested mine cooked in butter only. They were okay, very sandy but okay.
(truth: not recommended)
I didn’t eat my berries from breakfast (I got full on the bacon & eggs), so I put those in the refrigerator in my room and had them for lunch the next day.
I had lunch in my room and I paired them with a Cinnamon Roll Perfect Keto Collagen Bar. 😍 Delicious combo!!
For dinner, I took myself out. π
Back across the hotel to the Cascades Cafe!
I ordered the cheeseburger (no bun please) with steamed green beans instead of fries, some of that delicious arugula on the side – and a creamy mustard sauce.
(It’s just mustard and heavy cream – I asked).
That was a fabulous meal. π
The Cascades Cafe quickly became my favorite place for hot meals during my stay at Opryland Hotel. It was consistently great!
They also have a breakfast buffet that EVERYONE will enjoy.
I got an omelet cooked to order (two cracked eggs, no milk, cheddar & spinach), and got bacon and sausage off the buffet – plus strawberries, blackberries and blueberries.
The berries were SO fresh and SO flavorful, and…
The omelet was DELICIOUS!
And yes, I ate ALL THREE PLATES OF FOOD. 😅
Except about half the berries, and my server was kind enough to bring me a cup to take those to go. I hated to see them thrown out, and I knew I’d eat them.
I hope these tips and this quick photo tour proved helpful, and gave you ideas for easily staying on track at Opryland Hotel or similar resort style hotels.
I live in Middle TN and have always enjoyed the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center on personal trips, but it can definitely be more challenging when you’re there for a conference or event – and working.
My advice: pack snacks, plan meal breaks during NON peak hours to avoid lines and long waits, and definitely eat at the Cascades Cafe for the best whole food options and most delicious meals on the property. π
And most of all… enjoy your stay!
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
p.s. I love my collagen keto bars. Those are my GO TO for a quick, convenient keto meal replacement as you saw. They’re made with great ingredients and they keep me satisfied better than other bars. Plus they’re delicious with berries. 😋
The new Birthday Cake bar (below) and the Cinnamon Roll flavor are both softer and creamier. Those are two of my favorites. Almond Butter Brownie and Lemon Poppyseed are the other two I love, so those are my top 4 picks with their bars.
I use their unflavored collagen powder daily too, so 15% off is a GREAT deal. They also have very high quality MCT Oil at one of the lowest costs per serving. It’s a great value.
For more great keto on the go options & ideas, be sure to connect with me on your favorite social channel and sign up by email for updates. π *cheers*
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Happy Monday! Can you believe we’re already 4 weeks into the 2020 Keto Challenge?! Time flies!
If you’re in our private Facebook group, click here for the Week 4 Weigh In to post your total pounds lost since you started – or your starting weight if you’re just joining us.
If you arenβt on Facebook (or prefer not to post on Facebook), simply leave a comment on this post with your results so far instead.
I look forward to hearing your updates this week!
I have LOTS of updates for you as well. I’m finally back home from my trip, which didn’t go so great unfortunately. I’m still processing that and I’m sure there will be valuable lessons for me to learn out of it all… which I’ll be sure to share with you, along with the meals I ate (and didn’t eat) on the trip. π
As for MY weigh in, I’m 138.4 pounds today. That’s 2.2 pounds lost over the last four weeks – which is really good for me. I came home from my trip weighing less, but feeling very bloated and achy and puffy. So I’m letting all that settle and eating very simple while I recover. Last night I devoured a 10 ounce ribeye for dinner with a little roasted broccoli. π
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
p.s. For whatever reason, this Buy 2 Get 1 Free Sale at Perfect Keto is STILL working – or it was as of 30 minutes ago. I have no idea when they’ll catch that and expire the code, but at the moment it’s still working!
The sale is on this page: http://perfectketo.com/B2G1/lynn
It works out to save almost $40 on 3 canisters of collagen, or 3 boxes of keto bars. Or you can mix & match too. Either way it’s a GREAT deal!
Go to: http://perfectketo.com/B2G1/lynn and see if it’s still working. I’m sure they’re going to pull it ANY minute… if they haven’t already. π
Apologies if you miss it – I had no idea it would still be working this morning, and if it STILL is when you see this… I thought you’d want to know!
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Welcome to my blog
I love making the low carb diet EASY for people with a busy lifestyle (like me!) with my KISS / Keep It Simple method. π
