I just got back from another nice walk with my great dane. The weather has been unseasonably warm (and beautiful!) here in Tennessee this week, so we’re trying to take advantage of it before it passes.
Poor Slim is getting old, so it wipes him out lol – but he’s still excited to get out. 🙂
I’m hoping the walks and sunshine will make me feel better. I don’t know what it is, the time change maybe (?) but I’ve been feeling lethargic (just “blah”) and hardly have an appetite. I’m eating plenty, it’s just that nothing sounds good lately. A combination of work stress, things on my mind, etc probably – but I’m determined to stick to my exercise goals. anyway. 😛
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If you’re participating in the Fall Low Carb Challenge, it’s time for the 12-Week Weigh-In!
You can leave a comment here if you’re not on Facebook, otherwise the Week 12 Weigh-In Thread is inside our private Facebook Group.
You can join the challenge anytime, so join in now to get a head start on the next challenge! 😉
We’ll have our final weigh-in on Monday December 4th. I’m thinking it would be ideal to kick off the next “official challenge” the last week of the year or on January 1st, but stay tuned – I’ll probably host an unofficial year-end challenge.;)
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In my last food diary, I shared all of my low carb meals for Wednesday, Thursday & Friday of last week. Here is what I’ve eaten since then, plus my MyFitnesspal diaries so you can see how I logged my meals…
Saturday’s Low Carb Meals
I had two good meals and a small snack on Saturday, but I only finished half my dinner. Nothing sounded good that morning, but I finally made a big “low carb snack plate” of healthy foods.
I had cream cheese, raw pecan halves, a tbsp of peanut butter and 4 small strawberries:
I snacked on that throughout the morning, then just had a handful of raw pecan halves (weighed out at exactly one serving of 30 grams, of course!) that afternoon.
Aaron and I met up for dinner at the Las Fajitas Mexican restaurant that evening and enjoyed a beautiful spread of low carb foods!
We both got the grilled chicken salad which was huge, and topped with raw broccoli and mushrooms plus grilled chicken and cheeses.
We also got the avocado salad appetizer. I can’t remember the name of it now (casero?) but it’s more like a chunky guacamole.
We just asked for it without chips, and ordered cheese dip – and we added the avocado salad and salsa and cheese dip to our chicken salads. 🙂
That was a fabulous meal! I could only eat about half of mine, so I brought the other half home with me to enjoy later.
Saturday’s MyFitnessPal Diary & Macros
16 net carbs, 1486 calories, 82% fat
Sunday’s Low Carb Meals
I woke up with the same problem on Sunday: Nothing sounded good. I took my leftover salad from dinner the night before and baked it all together and ate it hot – yes, for breakfast. 🙂
I snacked on pecan halves in the afternoon again, then Aaron and I went out for a late lunch / early dinner at Smooth Rapids – a nice little kayaking joint with a deck overlooking the river.
They have mostly burgers and sandwiches there, and no low carb sides on the menu, but we found out the last time that if you ask for a side salad – they’ll make you one. And it’s GREAT – with spring greens, not just iceberg lettuce. 🙂
We both ordered the HUGE smoked wings (no sauce) and a side salad, which made for a really nice lunch in the sunshine.
I did eat all of my salad and 11 of my 12 wings.:)
Aaron came over after and baked up another one of those awesome low carb KZ cheesecakes. It’s a recipe I got in the September Keto Krate box, along with the sugar free KZ Nougat Creme.
It turned out just as good as the first one! And we drizzled White Chocolate ChocZero Dipping Cups over the top. YUM! 🙂
Here’s a picture of the low carb cheesecake recipe.
Sunday’s MyFitnessPal Diary & Macros
20 net carbs, 2838 calories, 78% fat
Monday’s Low Carb Meals
On Monday morning I made a big plate of cheesy eggs for breakfast, with 4 sliced strawberries. It’s 4 eggs scrambled in real butter with colby jack cheese – which made almost two meals for me.
For lunch I decided to finish off the cheesecake, this time with a TBSP of melted peanut butter drizzled over the top. 🙂
Aaron came over and brought Roast Chicken Bites Salads from Bojangles’ for dinner. Always a favorite for quick take-out or fast food, because their salads are super fresh!
I only ate the chicken off my salad though, and saved the rest (which I’m eating now).
Monday’s MyFitnessPal Diary & Macros
21 net carbs, 1547 calories, 76% fat
I’ve been pacing Slim on the walks to every other day or so, because he tends to need more time to recover in between walks these days. Poor guy!
He really loves getting out though. 🙂
I’m anxious to go on some hikes and have been needing a decent day pack, so I picked this one up on Amazon the other day:
I wanted something lightweight and definitely inexpensive, because I tend to “play hard” out in the woods. 🙂
That way I don’t have to worry about tearing up something expensive. It’s easily replaceable.;) It should serve well as a carry-on for my travels too!
I went with Fuchsia because I tend to wear brighter colors while hiking this time of year. Because you know, here in Tennessee there’s deer hunting season and turkey hunting season and… I definitely want to stand out when I’m playing in the woods. 😛
Getting out for walks again is helping me get my “hiking legs” back in shape. I was planning to get out for a nice hike tomorrow on the South Cumberland Plateau but work may prevent me from going out to play until the weekend. Boo!;) We’ll see what I can work out…
I have lots of recipes and things I want to try out, new low carb foods to review even that look GREAT, but I’m STILL trying to finish this salad from last night. 😛
Is it just me, or are you feeling more tired lately too? I feel slightly jetlagged ever since the time change and then the weird weather shifts…
How are things going with you?
Leave a comment & let’s chat.;)
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
p.s. Don’t forget to weigh-in this week!
Discount Code: LOWCARBTRAVELER
Lynn, those walks must be a lot of fun for both of you judging by the photos, and what a fantastic exercise!
I keep going with low carb, although my weight loss is slow. I have lost only 4kg since September (about 8 pounds), which is not a lot. I know I have ‘sinned’ on the way, but I am not quitting. It feels good to be in charge of my meals and weight, especially in the run up to Christmas when there are so many yummy foods in shops, and I know how many people complain that they have put on weight in January, going on starvation diet etc. I just want to keep plodding along with what I am doing now, no excesses, so no guilty conscience later. π
What I’ve noticed is that losing even 2 pounds makes such a difference to how I feel – and look, which is a really rewarding feeling. And I have tried on a pair of jeans I used to love but which didn’t fit me anymore. I can wear them now, since they fit at last!
Although slowly, I am making progress. Thank you for the daily inspiration you provide!
A couple of pounds DOES make a big difference, and fitting into a pair of jeans you love… is much better than any number on the scale. π WIN!
I rather like being mindful of my health and eating habits, rather than feeling “off the rails” between binges and dieting – which is frustrating and stressful. π There’s a certain calm and control to it that helps me get through everything else in life… so much easier!
That’s the feeling I am getting too. It feels good! π
Iβm looking for fast things I can throw together that donβt go bad quick in the fridge or receives with normal ingredients I have around the house. Low carb of course. I find if I have to hunt for things is when I lose interest. Any ideas?
Laurie
Hi Laurie,
That’s usually the kind of foods I keep around or make, the stuff here in my food diary. I keep pecans on hand, and other nuts sometimes. Also cheese, cream cheese, butter and eggs – always. And frozen berries and vegetables, as they don’t go bad on me and I can cook up the amount I want – like my easy roasted veggies last week, from freezer to oven!
I really enjoy reading your food diaries and seeing pictures of your hikes. I recently started a MyFitnessPal account and was wondering how do you determine how much food you’re eating at restaurants? Is it because you have been weighing your food so long you can eyeball it and determine how many grams/ounces etc it is?
I really need to start measuring my food more often when I’m at home cooking but I always forget until I eaten majority of it. And we eat out a lot so that makes measuring even harder…
Hi Temeka π
I do measure/weigh things out when I’m making food at home, so that helps. When eating out I look up the nutrition facts online, most publish them on their website. Otherwise I do “eyeball it” when I have to and just log it the best I can.
This little Ozeri kitchen scale was a great investment: http://amzn.to/2j2CTFl It’s inexpensive, small, accurate, and really helped me a lot!
Struggling to get back on track. This weather and a string of family deaths has me barely getting though the day. Nothing appeals and I have made some not great choices. Nothing horrible but not watching portions, going over a few carbs here and there. Three months as a new non-smoker has added to the challenge so I have really enjoyed reading about your adventures lately. TY
Dottie
Hi Dottie,
I totally understand when life gets overwhelming – or sometimes UNDERwhelming – or just plain stressful. I do find that eating healthy makes me feel better, being in ketosis specifically (improves my mood and energy).
It also gives me ONE point of control or a way of feeling grounded in at least one thing (myself, my health) when everything else seems chaotic, or just spinning out of control.
I find that tracking my meals and focusing on my health, walking (even when I don’t feel like going, lol) all makes me more mindful – not just of what I eat and of taking care of myself, but in general. Which tends to improve other parts of my life as a result.
I’d reach through and give you a big *HUG* if I could. π I know how life can be sometimes. Power through, this phase will pass, like they all do, and doing something for YOU right now will make this one easier… and the next one better. π
Lynn, thanks for your food ideas. I started your 90 day challenge and lost about 10 pounds and felt great, only to go off the rails during Thanksgiving and basically the week before too. Long enough to gain back almost all the weight. So Iβm glad to see you are going to start another 90 day challenge that I can stay plugged into. I need to do 90 days straight on the WOE. My weakness is being on for most of the week and then off for a day or two. This is not working, I need to stay on for 90 days. Your meals are inspiring to me. Especially when you get creative when you eat out. This helps me a lot. That is another weak area for me, but you prove you can stay on this WOE even when eating out a lot. Thank you for sharing your life with us.
Hi Linda,
I totally get it. I used to do the same thing – which is why it took me SO long to finally get to my goal weight (on the scales).
Being consistent for 90 full days is what finally did the trick for me! After that point nothing off plan even appealed anymore, my cravings and desire to binge eat totally went away, and I started seeing and feeling GREAT results.
We have to give our bodies a chance to get into ketosis, stay in ketosis, and adjust to a ketogenic lifestyle I think – which is why I run such a long challenge. Although in the grand scheme of things, it’s just 3 short months. π
Stay tuned – I’ll be hosting an unofficial year-end challenge starting this week, and we’ll kick off another group challenge in a few weeks.
Let’s do this together!! π Just stick it out right here with me at least. You’ll be SO glad you did!
The current weather here in northeast Alabama is the best for hiking but unfortunately I’m stuck behind a desk five days a week. Boo… However, it could be worse so I want complain, too much. I’m not participating in your current challenge but plan to be fully invested to the next one. Previously, I lost 30 # with this WOE and felt better than I had in years; but then I jumped off the wagon and went to the dark side..lol. So now it’s back in the saddle and on to a fitter, happier me. There’s an adventure calling my name and I want to feel as good as possible so I can really enjoy myself!!! Thank you for being so open and sharing!!!!!
I get it, Tina – work has had me at my desk way more than I care for lately. π I’m having to sneak in hikes where I can and work odd hours to make that happen. I do work from home which helps, but I also have deadlines and obligations. π
I love that you have “an adventure calling your name!” That’s something to look forward to, and a GREAT incentive to feel your BEST. π
Start back with me now! The next BIG (official) challenge will start with the New Year, but I’m hosting an unofficial year-end challenge, and of course stay on track consistent right here – so let’s do this, and finish the year STRONG! π
This is the first time since being diagnosed with Lukemia and going Γ a daily medication to control the production of my white blood cells that I have been able to lose weight
when I first went on the medication I gained 25 pounds within the first year which is very typical for patience on this medication and try as I might for a long time and I could not get the weight back off
I started this WOE in beginning of August and I’m officially down 22 pounds today I couldn’t be happier to get back to my normal weight
and I feel so much better I do not have acid reflux anymore And they do not have the fatigue that I was struggling with
So grateful to have learned about this site
Thank you for your guidance
That is SO wonderful, Sherry – kudos for taking control of your health and finding a way to FEEL better, instead of just “accepting the norm” with those side effects like most people would. π
Congratulations on your weight loss success, but I’m sure the way you FEEL is 100x better than any number on the scale right now, yes? π