I’m a little behind this week. 🙂 Between a head cold and keto flu, I am running in slow motion, lol. It’s great to be back in ketosis though!!
We kicked off a new 2017 Low Carb Challenge on January 1st, but you can join in anytime if you’re starting late.
You’ll find the Week One Weigh In for the Facebook group at that link, or you can weigh in here by leaving a comment below.
My MyFitnessPal Food Diaries for Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday:
Breakfast: An omelet with ham, spinach & yellow onion.
Lunch: Raspberries, Cream Cheese, Salted Almonds & Mozzarella String Cheese.
Dinner: Hamburger Steak (dipped in mayo) with Roasted Veggies.
My friend Caroline roasted broccoli & cauliflower in the oven with olive oil and garlic cloves, topped with parmesan cheese and green onions. That was delicious!
Breakfast: 1/2 cup pecans, 1/4 cup Daisy Brand cottage cheese & 4 small diced strawberries.
Lunch: Omelet with Sausage, Asparagus, Garlic Cloves & Cheddar Jack Cheese.
For dinner I had another bowl of “cereal” (same as above). 🙂
Breakfast: Leftover omelets… again! 🙂
For lunch I found 2 slices of leftover pizza in the refrigerator from Sunday’s football game… so I heated those up and just ate the toppings off of the two slices. 🙂
For dinner I got take-out from Prater’s BBQ: a full rack of ribs with no sauce, and side salad for both sides. Delicious!! I have plenty of leftover ribs for dinner tonight.;)
Macronutrients: Simple Explanation Of Low Carb Macros
How To Get A Net Carbs Column in MyFitnessPal
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 you’re eating!
Leave a comment & let’s talk. 🙂
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
Discount Code: LOWCARBTRAVELER
I’ve been on this for 2 weeks now. Slipped up on the weekend, friends over too much wine. But right back on Sunday. I’ve been working out 3-4 times a week, I’ve gained 4 lbs. I really want to do this, but am terrified to gain more weight. I’m at my heaviest ever.
I’m going on vacation next week, so I’m going to eat as low carb as possible, but it is a vacation and there will be alcohol involved. I’ll opt for vodka soda when socializing. I’ve been looking forward to this vacation for a long time. I thought I’d start the diet before we left so I could lose a few lbs to fit into my shorts, but now realize it’s not a short term fix.
I don’t know whether to continue when I get back or try low carb, moderate fat like South Beach.
Also, I’m 60. I’m worried about my heart and clogging my arteries with all this high fat.
Please advise.
Hi Vicki,
How are you tracking? And did you lose any weight in the first two weeks – prior to the wine on the weekend?
Atkins has a lot of research in their science library about heart health. A diet high in healthy fats (vs high in carbs) is actually better for your heart, cholesterol levels, etc. Here is one example: https://www.atkins.com/how-it-works/library/articles/atkins-heart-health-fact-2-you-can-lose-more-weight-on-low-carb-than-low-fat-and-meanwhile-cut-your-risk-of-heart-disease
I normally only get on the scale once a week. I was so disheartened last night that I was going to give up. Felt really wierd all day, spaced out etc. Guess that was Keto flu? Woke up this morning and I’ve finally lost weight! Yahoo. Let the journey begin. I was seriously going to pack it in today. Thank goodness I waited.
Thanks for your help!
Yes, keto flu π And it makes me VERY moody / irritable – so that explains that too.;) Congrats on the weight loss! The more research you do, and the more tweaking you do, the more you’ll realize how HEALTHY this way of eating really IS. π
Hi Lynn
Since Dec 31, I have lost 1.8 lbs. My loss seems slow compared to some but I am happy with loss period. My goal this year is to find my exercise, you know the one you love doing so much. It becomes a part of you and who you are. That is my #1 goal. Thanks for your support.
SherrySmith
I love that goal, Sherry. π That’s what I found this year… with hiking. It made such a difference in my life, in so many ways!!
Congrats on your weight loss! I lose slow myself, but I have made amazing progress over the long term… and you will too. π
We’ve ve been doing keto faithfully since the Jan 1, and I have lost 5.8 lbs. My husband has lost 8.6 lbs. My best friend has lost 10.4 lbs. We’re gonna keto on!!
That’s awesome Connie! Congrats to you all!! π π
Hello everybody, I have been living low carb for 277 days now. And I have stuck to all my nacros. My health has improved tremendously and I have lost nearly 40 lbs. However for the last 90 days I have not lost one pound. I went from a size 22 down to a size 16. which is great. However I am far from my goal still. I have logged everything everyday on my fitness pal. Eventhough there was frustration in not loosing anymore.
Has somebody an idea on what I can do? Being on a plateau for this long is soul destroying. I am walking everyday…. I really am at my whits ends. And for a few weeks now I have been hungry. It seems I am never getting enough food. HELP!!!
Hi Michaela – Congrats on your 40 pound loss and shrinking so many sizes!!
Since you are tracking, what is your usual Fat ratio? Are you getting at least 70% of your total calories in healthy fats, consistently? If not, increasing to 70-80% fat should make all the difference. π
If you are at 70% fat minimum already, try cutting: cheese, cream cheese, nuts, any dairy, any processed meats or foods – including bars & shakes. Go super simple, real food, 3-4 ingredients per plate max. Try that for two weeks and see if it helps. It’s been a great stall breaker for most of us!
See: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/6064/3-ingredients-rule/
Also try cutting out sugar substitutes π
Wow you sound just like me! I started in August 2015 and lost 20lbs in 5 months. Then my body just said no more! My lowest weight was 197.6lb (so sad I know this). After that it would go up 5lbs and then down close to lowest weight and then rebound up. This was all with no cheating. So it’s been about a year now with no weight loss and still chugging away at 20carbs or less. This past week I dropped the carbs to 15 and no weight loss, so I am stumped. This next week I am lowering my calories, if that doesn’t work, I am going to the dr. Something has to be wrong. I exercised 4-5 times a week by brisk walking 2miles daily. I also eliminated fake sugars, nuts, and limited cheese so I just don’t know. It’s one thing to be cheating, it’s another to do everything right…..very frustrating:(
Hi Elizabeth! How strange. I am also interested in what your doctor has to say. I’m curious too what your fat/protein ratios are most days. Are you doing at least 70% fat or higher?
Have you tried the 3IMAX method to break a stall: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/6064/3-ingredients-rule/ ?
Hi Lynn, as you saw I have been logging my meals for about 16 months. My weekly average for the past few weeks have been 74%+fats/5carbs/21%protein. Before that the macros have fluctuated because I have tried to get the scales moving. I read some ladies in the challenge had to cut calories and lower fats to break a stall. So I tried that. The past couple weeks I have upped my fats to try that. Nothing. This next week, I am cutting out cheese completely and hopefully that works. Also I am going to try adding some weight training in. This weight is basically the lowest I have been since 1996, so maybe my body thinks this is the lowest I should go! I read about your body being resistant to going below a baseline weight so maybe it’s why I am struggling. I love the way I feel and love what I eat so I am not changing it. Just trying to figure out some ways to lose maybe 20lbs:)
Hi Lynn, I know you have heard it all by now. Do some people have to eliminate all dairy and nuts to lose maybe? I cut out nuts for awhile(saddest days ever) but I just limited dairy to: butter, 2-4T cream a day for my coffee(depends on if I have 1-2cups), and tried to have less than 4oz cheese a day, so that didn’t work. I don’t really eat cheese all by itself except for maybe a string cheese occasionally. But I know handfuls of shredded cheese add up during the day. Would you recommend cutting out dairy and nuts entirely? It makes for very boring meals:( My poor coffee will miss it
Try doing your tests for two full weeks at a time, as it takes a little more time for your body to adjust and respond.
I would increase fat to 80% for now. Avocado is great, salted & fried in real butter! – YUM. Great side dish or salad topper!
Butter and what little cream you use is fine. Try lowering cheese to one ounce a day for now. Go super simple with your meals – as few ingredients as possible. I even do “mono meals” quite a bit when I really want to lose. π
I had a LONG stall and really hard time getting below 150’ish and hovered there for what seemed like forever, so I get it. It definitely felt like a resistance thing.
Weight training / body sculpting will change the size and shape of your body FAST, and of course continuing to eat healthy and getting that exercise are both just GOOD for you – so you can’t go wrong there. π
Thank you so much for the reply. I will stick more to the 80 than to the 70% in macros and stick to real food and definitely cut sugar subs. You are wonderful!!! Your replies warmed my heart. It is great not to be alone in this and on this journey. God bless
I’m glad that helped, Michaela π Please keep me posted! I’ve been long stretches with no loss too, so I know how that feels. Sometimes you just need to tweak a little.;)
I’ve also found sometimes during those “stalls” (on the scales) that my body shape and measurements DO change, which is odd – but good. π
Dear Elisabwth, thanks for sharing. As you, I have done everything right, so it is frustrating. However, we will not give up. Please let me know, what your doctor says. Here in Germany I am struggling with doctors as they still think I am crazy for eating the way I do. Eventhough they can see that all my blood results are great, better than ever. It is no joy speaking to them…at least not here.
We won’t give up though… Oh no!!!
Good for you for sticking with what you KNOW is best, and taking control of your own health. π
I find eating out a big challenge with LC – any tips? I still want to maintain a social life’s but not screw up my weight loss !
Hi Christie π I eat out A LOT and stay low carb. What do you find most challenging about it? Tell me some of your favorite or most frequent restaurants, or what you struggle with – I can help. π
Hi Lynn,
I think my biggest issue is having something that has higher carbs than I should be eating or being tempted by ordering alcoholic drinks. And I guess not knowing how many carbs are in saladas etc at restaurants. I can handle the fast food places it’s more eating out at the Keg steakhouse or milestones etc. ( Canadian places) . I know I can order steak with no potatoes etc but I guess I’m trying to think of other options. Or ways to stay honest while dining out. Perhaps it’s my willpower I need to work on.,
I look up the menu & nutrition facts before I go, if I know where I’m going – which is usually the case. I go ahead and make my decisions ahead of time. That really helps!
Rum & diet coke is zero carbs, for beer I like Michelob Ultra (2.6 carbs per 12oz bottle). Or for wine: White Zinfandel (1 carb per ounce) – because reds give me a migraine.
If a restaurant serves broccoli, I order it “loaded – like a baked potato”. That’s delicious! π
I’m in Canada quite a bit. π I had a low carb meetup at Milestones, and this is what we all ordered there: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/5733/toronto-low-carb-meetup/