Friday, January 30, 2009

Creative Low Carbing Blog

Need some recipe ideas and inspiration?
I have another blog where I post my recipe ideas and little tips. I need to up date my website with a link to it. In the mean time here is the link. http://creativelowcarbing.blogspot.com/
I am trying to post photos of some of my favorite low carb recipes. This one is for a easy breakfast bake all the info will be at the other blog. Hope you will book mark both of my blogs and check in from time to time.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

105 Days On / 64 Off /1 day back

Well I was doing really well for 105 days and I let myself get talked into taking a low carb vacation for the holidays. So I am now faced with getting back on track. I have noticed my body has a limited tolerance for high carb eating. I have now hit that point my stomach hurts, my lower back hurts, I am having trouble staying mentally focused, my clothes are on the tight side. All signs that it is time to get back on track.
Today is day one. I had a cup of coffee and regretted that, I had scrambled eggs with chopped chicken for breakfast, for lunch I had tuna with mayo and a cup of plain yogurt. (I would not normally have yogurt as part of my low carb plan but given the current up set stomach I decided a bit of acidopholis might be helpful.)
My current plan for about a week is to pretty much stick to protein. Why I do that is because when you are first starting your decision making ability is challenge because of the sugar still in your system. I find if I keep it really simple I get past the first days of feeling lousy and the sugar cravings. I also must get off the coffee which means a few days of headaches. So I will be drinking lots of water.
So my first week rules are pretty simple drink lots of water, if I am hungry eat protein. Keep it very simple. After that I will add in lots of fresh vegis and will keep my carbs at 20.

While taking a low carb vacation is not a real great idea - I am glad that I am at least familiar with the drill and know very well what I have to do. I am glad I got back to wanting to turn things around after only 64 days. In previous years it has taken me much longer.

In hind site I realize I might have been able to navigate the holidays had money not been so tight. Probably a lame excuse. There were low carb treat options that would have gotten me through and kept me quite happy baking and happy in the various holiday gatherings.
It all started as just taking off Thanksgiving day - I should have known better. Then there was a Christmas party and a pot luck and a family gathering and before you know it January has come and almost gone. Cheating leads to more cheating. So here we go again, this is not a new years resolution thing for me, it is just simply a way of life that works best for me. I feel so much better when I am eating fresh and eating low carb. I also still have weight to loose but that is more of a bonus rather than a goal the goal is feeling good.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

I've learned I have to make this a way of life.

Sadly I look at my last post when I when I weighed 177. It is now September and I have been back on track for about 20 days so far. I allowed my weight to get as high as 205 again. Rather than beat my self up I have returned to the low carb way of eating and have already seen some of the pounds fall away. I am currently hanging out at www.stellastyle.com It may not be quite as quick as what I was doing before. However I have come to realize that this simply has to become a way of life. There is no going back to the old way of eating. I have proved it yet again. I go off low carb and I gain. I stay low carb and I loose. To loose faster I have to cut calories too.

Anyway I am currently at 197 having re lost 8 lbs. I am feeling great and glad to be back on track. I have been posting regularly on my blog at the Stellstyle.com site. I will see if I can copy some of those post over here.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Mock French Toast Omlett

Today I made a wonderful omlett.
I used 3 eggs
2 packets of Splenda
1 t of Cinnamon
1 t of Vanilla

Cook like you would and omlett.
Plate and spread 1 oz of cream cheese in the middle.
Top with Walden Farms no calorie no carb Pancake Syrup.

It reminded me a lot of french toast - of course with out the toast.
I should start taking photos.

March 08 Photo -177lbs


So here is a lovely current photo - taken by me in the mirror March 6th 2008. I also took my measurements. I've lost a total of 10 inches so far probably more I just did not get my starting measurements on Feb 25. I took them on March 1st after I had lost 5lbs. Oh well....

I'm feeling great - lots of energy - I'm doing well at sticking to my plan on 20 or less carbs. I have been recording daily in my note book what I have eaten and I am watching both carbs and calories.
(Measurements listed below for March 1st and March 5th)


March 1st

Weight 180
Bust 40
Stomach 39
Hip 44
Thigh 24.5
Calf 16.25
Upper Arm 14

March 5th

Weight 176
Bust 38
Stomach 37
Hips 42
Thigh 23
Calf 15.25
Upper Arm 13

Monday, March 3, 2008

Cooking for my family

I have a husband and two boys ages 7 and 10.
How I deal with my food plan and my familys food plan.
Since I eat mainy real, fresh foods my family eats those things too. I do add for them side dishes with carbs. I do try to avoid buying or making things that are particulary tempting to me. There is usually a fruit bowl, they like to have oatmeal for breakfast, and like to make Ramen noodles. They eat yougurt and seem to get plenty of sugar from birthday parties at church or Awanas. I have my kind of snacks when they are having their kind of snacks. I don't like to feel left out so I have come up with substitutes that work for me and keep me from wishing I could have the snacks they have.
I have been low carbing for many years - so they have gotten used to the things I eat and cook an like a lot of it.

Day 8 - 9 lbs lost

Hi it is day # 8 and I am happy to say the pound a day trend contiunces. I'm down to 176 it is not new territory yet as it is the weight I re-gained. So I am really gald to see it going away so swifly.

As of yeasterday I actually started recording in a note book my carbs and calories for every thing I ate. Much as I'd love to use fitday, its not in my kitchen. I know for me recording and keeping track has to be super simple. I cleaned out a drawer next to the frig. In it I have a note book, a pen, a calculator, and a book that lists foods and their nutrition facts. I also have my little scale and measuring cups and spoons.

Cat Fish Breakfast Bake:
I have really been enjoying cat fish. I bought a box of frozen cat fish at Wallmart and measure 4-6 oz of the frozen fish into a pan sprayed with pam. I add a 1/4 cup of spinich and 1/4 cup of Okra. I like better if it has some liquid. I have been adding a 1/4 cup of white wine. Most of it steams off in cooking so I don't think it adds much in the way of carbs or calories. I suppose water would also work or vegitable broth.

Today for breakfast I had the above but after it was mostly cooked I put it in a small baking dish and topped it with 2 scrambled eggs. I broiled it for a few minutes and then let it bake at 350 for about 15 min. It turned out quite yummy.

I generally start my day with tea with cream and 1 splend. Today I subed out the cream for Hood Calorie Count down milk and cut half the calories.
I usually have some sort of egg bake. I spray my small skillet, put in the goodies like the meat and vegis and saute' them while I mix up 2-3 eggs. I could cut this calories here more by using 1 whole egg to 2 egg white. Which I will do if I hit a stall. For now I'm using whole eggs. I pour the eggs into the pan let it cook just the bottom and then pop the whole pan under the broiler for a couple of min. The whole thing puffs up and browns and is a wonderful filling way to start the day.

For lunch I usually have thin sliced lunch meet and cheese rolled up together.
Some times I wrap it all in a lettuce leaf.

I try to have about 2 cups of salad greens along with what ever protein I have for dinner. I use either the wish bone spritzer or the Walden Farms dressings. I have to order the Waldens Farm dressing, barbque sauce and jelly on line at netrition.com

For snacks I have Dannon lite and fit carb and sugar controll yougurt.
or I make an Evil Protein Cookie. (Recipe can be found at www.eatinglow.com
There are many other great recipes and a nice support forum.)
I might have a meat and cheese roll up or a whey protien shake.

I drink herbal tea, crystal light, water, diet soda sweetened with Splenda when I have any. Diet Rite would be my favorite however I am finding more more sodas that are sweetened with Splenda.

It works because my carbs are kept lower than 20. Under 20 you just are not all that hungry and the cravings stop. You can then lower your calories and not feel like you are depriving yourself. I'm not a doctor and am not telling anyone they should adopt my plan. Its basicly the old Atkins with out all the gee wiz low carb products.
They are nice for maintence but I find that my weight loss stalls out on the bars and shakes, and low carb pasta, bread .... I try as a rule to stick to real foods and very much like the George Stella cook books as a result.

Yeasterday I had so much energy I had trouble falling asleep. During the day I went on a bike ride, cleaned the garrage, orgainized my room and other chores.

This morning before work I organized the laundry room. I have noticed a signifigant increse in my energy in the last 2 days.

So there you have it - If you are following my journey. I hope you find some encourgagement and some tips to help you on your own journey.
I did find the tape measure and did take my measurements - I will try to list them when I have a change to report in measurements.