Low Carb Livin’ Day #1

Well I’m officially on the wagon “hardcore” today!  Yay!  I started off this morning with a great class at the gym.  It’s an “all muscle” class, which I love.  We just do an hour+ of mega weight lifting.

However, out of all the classes I go to…..this one has the most intense, intimidating people by far!  First off, people congregate outside the door 15-20 minutes before the class even starts!  Then, when they finally open the doors and let us go in…..everyone floods in and frantically grabs benches, bars, mats, weights, etc. before they are all gone.  It is so chaotic!!  The class is always full (60+ people) with every bench, bar and square foot of floor used!

Sadly, a big chunk of the people who go are just not very nice.  For example, the first time I went to the class, I put my bench down and then went to go get my weights and things.  When I got back, some chick had moved my bench way off to the side claiming it was too close to hers!  What the??!  The teacher is super duper awesome and is constantly telling everyone to “be nice” and “make room.”  It’s insane.

Also (this may sound judgmental, but I’m trying to paint a picture) there are so many awesomely fit ladies who are dressed to the nines with hair and makeup all done up, who never crack a smile and stare in the mirror the entire time.  It’s sad.  In contrast, all of the other classes I go to have the nicest people.  People who smile, are friendly and encourage those around them.

There’s my little vent session.  You probably wonder why I keep going to this class huh?  Well, the answer is simple….it is KILLER!  Our teacher works every muscle in our bodies to the max!!!  It is definitely time well spent.  We did 110 pushups today.  Crazy.

Soooo, I just go to the class…do my thing….try to smile and be nice….and go home.  Check.

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Anyway, moving on.  I ate a great low carb diet today.  It was a little tough at times, but I feel extremely determined to succeed.  Kev and I did a low carb diet thingy back in October/November and it was great.  My body felt so so so good.

I don’t think it’s a great way to eat long term, but it really helped me so much.  It almost seemed to “reset” my system and made losing weight much easier.  I slept better, had almost no cravings and my body just felt a lot more calm as a whole.  It was hard, but after 4-5 days it wasn’t too bad.

So, with all that being said…..here I go again!  I’m going to be extremely strict for 2 weeks and then decide if I want to do it for one more week.  At that point, I’m going to keep my diet really “tight” and just add in a few select carbs (for probably 2-3 more weeks).  I know it will be hard and I’m expecting some serious withdrawal symptoms, but I think it’s just what I need right now.

Oh, and I’m loosely following a plan I read in a book called “Metabolism Miracle.”  It’s the same plan Kev and I used before.  It’s basically low carb, but you can have one “legal carb” thing (less than 5 net carbs) every 5 hours.  So, I either have 1 slice of low carb (Sara Lee Delightful) bread or 1 low carb tortilla (Mission Carb Balance) every 5 hours.  The rest of the time I just eat things like nuts, peanut butter, eggs, lean meat, cottage cheese, veggies, etc.

So….here’s what I ate today.

After I got back from the gym, I made a yummy chocolate mint protein shake.  1 C. Unsweetened Almond Milk, 1 scoop Chocolate Protein Powder, 1 T. Cocoa, 1 T. Ground Flax Seed, a couple handfuls baby spinach, a couple drops peppermint extract and ice!

For lunch I had a slice of low-carb toast topped with a little peanut butter, some Cocoa Roast Almonds (love them!) and a string cheese.

For dinner a made a big ‘ol salad that I loved!  Romaine, Spinach, bell peppers, celery, olives, turkey, hard-boiled eggs (mostly whites), feta cheese, cottage cheese and a little light Ranch Dressing.

I had another slice of low-carb toast with peanut butter on the side.

I chopped all the stuff for the salad and now I have quite a bit of leftovers so I can make another one tomorrow!  Yum!

I snacked on a few more nuts throughout the day and I’ll probably have another small late night snack before I go to bed.

Well, that was my day!  Woo hoo.
Wish me luck!

Salad; a Healthy Diet Staple

I thought I would write a post about SALAD, ‘cuz I love it!

YUM!

It’s such a healthy diet powerhouse!

It’s super healthy, low in calories, versatile, goes with anything, and is a great way to eat tons of veggies!

However, I don’t know about you, but when I make salads at home, they only last a day or two before they turn grody and wilted.

So, I came up with a “system” that helps to keep my salads yummy, fresh and plentiful!

It’s not rocket science, but I thought I’d share it with you nonetheless.

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K, so I LOVE to buy my salad greens at Costco….they are always crisp, fresh and cheap!  Yay.

I buy the big ‘ol pack of Romaine lettuce hearts…it’s like $3.50 or so for 6!

I also buy the big ‘ol box of baby spinach (perfect for protein shakes and omelets too!)

I usually chop up two or three Romaine hearts at a time and keep them in a big ziploc bag in the crisper drawer.

I love it because I can use the lettuce for sandwiches, tacos, or whip up a quick salad in a hurry.

AND, when I do make a salad, I chop the toppings up and keep them in separate containers.

That way, I can use the toppings on salad, sandwiches or just eat them by themselves.

Everything stays so much fresher this way and I get through it all before it dies!

YAY!

So, here are some pics….

My chopped Romaine Lettuce

My salad toppings: cucumbers, tomatoes, apples and sugar free candied pecans.

My compiled salad with a side of homemade pizza.

K, that’s just one example.

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Oh, and FYI, here’s how to make the candied nuts.

You can use any kind of nut you like and you can use real sugar if you prefer.

Whatever you want….

Sugar Free Candied Nuts

I used raw pecans from Costco and Splenda

In a pan on the stovetop, put in a 1/4 cup or so of Splenda.

Add the nuts (I used about a cup). Mix it up and cook over medium high heat.

The sweetener will eventually begin to melt (about 5-7 minutes) and will coat the nuts. Keep cooking until most of the sweetener is melted.

 Then you just lay it out on a plate to cool and you’re done!

So easy…and yummy!

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Here’s some of my favorite salads…

• The one above: candied nuts with a fruit (apple, strawberries or grapes) and whatever other veggies I have on hand.
• Greek Salad: tomatoes, black olives, cucumber and feta cheese.

This one has hard boiled eggs too!

• Chef Salad: hard boiled eggs, ham or turkey, and whatever veggies I have on hand.
• Taco Salad: taco meat, refried beans, tomatoes, salsa, lite sour cream, cottage cheese, a little shredded cheddar and whatever else.

• Tuna Salad: tuna mixed with lite mayo and pickles atop a bed of lettuce

Those are probably my favs, but I also love to make a “clean out the fridge” salad sometimes too!

Oh, and here’s a tip….if your lettuce is a little wilted, throw it in a bowl of ice water for about 10 minutes or so (I do this while I’m chopping toppings.)

Drain the ice water and your lettuce will be fresh, chilled and crisp!

YUM!

So, eat up!