Well guys, I haven’t been able to blog for a while, so I have a lot to share! I will do my best to keep it brief and not go on…and on…and on…and on!
On Sunday, we blessed baby Carson at church. It was such a special day and I’m happy to say I held it together pretty well and didn’t break down crying. Yay me.
After his blessing, we had lunch at our house with family and friends.
It was really nice. We had soup, breadsticks, salad, fruit, pasta salad, Jello, chips and a bunch of treats. The soup and breadsticks tasted so great and made the perfect fall lunch.
We took a million and one pictures of Carson throughout the day. He was passed around a lot and everyone wanted a chance to hold the “baby of honor,” lol.
This picture cracks me up. Check out the two “characters” in the back. Hee hee.
Here’s another one! The Three Musketeers…
And here’s a few more…
Some of the wonderful men who helped with Carson’s blessing…
Afterward, we all took a big nap and I snapped this sweet pic…
What a cutie pie. I never wanted to take his blessing “outfit” off because I didn’t want to admit the day was over. 🙁
It was a great day.
Sorry for the photo dump. 🙂
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Well folks, I’m excited to tell you guys about my new healthy challenge/endeavor I started this week!
As y’all VERY well know, I’ve been frustrated with my lack of weight loss lately. I’ve tried to be patient, but I realized that “being patient” was actually starting to be counterproductive for me.
Because I was “being patient,” I started to justify crappy food indulgences and missed workouts because after all, I’m a “new mom,” I’m “sleep deprived,” I’m “hormonal,” “I’m nursing”…..blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I essentially starting coming up with a lot of good excuses and developed a bit of a “victim mentality.”
It was not good!
So, last week I was talking with my sister, who BTW, happens to be very fit, a marathon runner and a personal trainer. Needless to say, I value her opinion. Anyway, she told me when she had her last baby (almost 6 years ago), she had 20 pounds to lose and was very frustrated.
Hmmmm, that sounds oddly familiar.
Anyway, she told me she went on a low-carb diet and lost all the weight pretty quickly.
I told her I’d thought about going on a strict diet, but have been hesitant since I’m a nursing mom. But, she told me (and I agree), that a lower carb diet IS a healthy diet! You essentially fill your body full of a whole bunch of real, nutrient dense food!
No duh! It was like a light bulb went off in my head. I’m a HUGE believer in low-carb diets (short-term), but I think I needed to hear the suggestion from someone else to realize that is EXACTLY what I need right now.
Over the years, I’ve had a lot of people ask my advice about weight loss and the FUNNY thing is that I always suggest a low-carb diet initially. I tell people if they’re not seeing results, have reached a plateau, have been eating crappy food for a long time, feel addicted to sugar/carbs, then they should eat a low-carb diet for a while.
I’m not a fan of low-carb diets as a lifestyle, but I KNOW they are very, very effective at cleansing the body, resetting the metabolism, controlling appetite and re-teaching the body (and mind!) HOW to eat and WHAT to eat.
Anyway, I could go on and on and on, but I’m just going to sum it all up by saying….I’ve started a low-carb diet this week! Woo hoo!
I started yesterday and I will keep going for three weeks, until November 3rd (yes, it will include Halloween!) At the end of the three weeks, I will evaluate things and see if I want to continue or add in a few healthy carbs.
I’ve set myself a “goal weight,” which is about 15 pounds lighter than I am right now. I am not going to take a “cheat day” until I hit that goal weight.
I’m feeling VERY stubborn and VERY motivated and WILL NOT stop until I get there! Oh, and here’s what my “diet” looks like…
I WILL eat: All vegetables (except potatoes), nuts, nut butters, seeds, lean meats, eggs, cottage cheese, plain Greek yogurt, a little cheese, avocados, tomatoes, and protein shakes.
I WILL NOT eat: grains, fruit, milk, sugar, pastries, junk food, fried foods, processed foods
Pretty straight forward.
So far I feel great! I know low-carb diets get REALLY hard around day 4-5 though, so I’m bracing myself. And, to those of you who think “Low-carb diets don’t work,” well I’m here to tell you THEY DO!
In fact, I dare say a low-carb diet may be one of the most efficient and effective ways to lose weight. Yes, they are freaking hard and royally suck, but they WORK!
Low-carb diets give the pancreas and liver a break, help reset the body and get the appetite under control. It also re-teaches the body how to process carbs. However, it’s vital to not just go back to your “old ways” when the low-carb diet is done. You have to make permanent lifestyle changes in order to see permanent changes in your body!
Yes, carbs are good for the body, as long as they’re the RIGHT carbs (whole grains, fruit, sweet potatoes, etc.) However, if you’ve been abusing carbs for too long **raises hand** then it can be very helpful to the body to take a break from them for a while until the body “chills out.”
I could go on and on and on (and I have!), so I will be quiet now.
Here are some of the things I’ve been eating the past couple days….
Different egg/veggie concoctions (the top pic is hard-boiled eggs and the bottom one is scrambled)…
I got a Cobb salad at Chick Fil-A while I was out running errands yesterday…
I got it with grilled chicken and it was SO good! I also enjoyed my lunch with this cutie…
For dinner last night, I made grilled chicken…
Zucchini, summer squash, carrots and onions in foil packets on the grill (I just sprayed them with a little olive oil and sprinkled them with seasoned salt and pepper)…
And big ol’ salads…
Everything tasted great!
I’ve also been snacking on protein pudding…
And things like veggies, string cheese and nuts…
Yay! Well, I need to end this because despite my best efforts, I’ve made this post WAY too long!
I will of course keep y’all updated on my progress! I hope you all have a great night!
Oh – I love the grilled veggies in foil!!
Great pictures from Carson’s blessing day – so sweet!!!
Those grilled veggies are SO yummy and so easy to make! I love them. 😉
I can’t decide if my favorite picture is the one of baby Carson with his next two older brothers or the one with those same two little cuties photo bombing behind the love seat!
Best of luck with the new low-carb diet, Mel!
Ha ha, I know those two pics cracked me up as well. Carson’s siblings LOVE him so much….almost too much, lol!
You can eat my eclairs 😉 PS: I have been wheat, dairy, gluten, sugar, soy, nut & fruit free for the past 12 years, so if you need any guidance, advice (other than your sister’s of course)… Don’t hesitate to reach out!! 😀 😀 I am excited for you – Low Carb rocks my socks!
I know!! Your eclairs look heavenly! Thanks so much for your support. I’m so amazed by how well you eat and the things you DON’T eat all the time! I really love how I feel on low-carb (after the first few days), but I really miss my fruit and grains too!
If weight loss is your goal low carb works! Like you said it shouldn’t be a lifestyle but it’s great for a boost in the right direction. You’ve got this Melanie!
Yes, I think low-carb is one of the best ways to drop pounds quickly and effectively, but I wouldn’t want to do it for too long!
Keep it up! You look fabulous.
I try to keep most grain-related carbs out of my diet all together, and I can really tell when I cheat – not in terms of weight, but my stomach rebels!
Your family is so precious. Congratulations on Carson’s blessing day.
Wow, grains are my favorite! I’m impressed you keep them out most of the time. 😉 I’m sure if you’re stomach doesn’t like them it makes you not want to eat them much anyway. Thanks for you sweet comments as well!
I can’t get enough of those baby photos! Sooooo cute!
Good luck with the low-carb diet! I think it’s great that you are so motivated to stick with it. It looks like your eats are really healthy and nutritious! I’m sure you will reach your goal weight in no time!
I’ve been taking SO MANY photos of the baby. He is growing up TOO fast! I’m sure hoping this low-carb thing will reset my body and help it to respond again! I’m happy I’m eating lots of real food anyway. 😉
Carson looks like he’s loving being the baby of the hour. He’s such a cutie-pie!
Great luck on the new diet. Although I’m sure you don’t need luck with your determination and drive.
Thanks so much! Yes, Carson’s blessing day was a fun day for all of us. 😉 I’m sure hoping this “diet” works for me and helps my body to get back to “normal!”
Looks like a fabulous day with family.
Hope the new diet helps you out.
It was a great day! So far I’m encouraged by this diet and am hoping I’ll get the results I’m looking for. 😉
You are so blessed; beautiful family and home and you look amazing. So happy for you! Low carb- I don’t feel great when I do it longer than a few days because I need the carbs as fuel, but I do feel my best when I do low/no grain.
Thanks so much! I feel so grateful for the people and blessings in my life. 😉 I really don’t love low carb, but I know it serves its purpose once in a while. The first few days are always TORTURE! I have gone on no grain diets too and have felt so great and gotten great results. I’m just doing the low carb this time because I think my metabolism and hormones are jacked and this will help. 😉
I have been eating a LOT of fruit lately, and think it’s time I chill out a bit. Actually I’ve just been eating a lot period! I think your approach to this is great and love the fact that you aren’t doing this “forever,” but just enough to reset your body. What a great idea!
Oh, thanks so much!! I would HATE to eat like this ALL the time. You gotta live a little, right? But, so far I feel really good and am happy that I’m finally doing something that will work to get me back to “normal!”
Melanie, you may enjoy Bob Harper’s RULES books. I learned so much from them both – about carbs and losing weight. The SKINNY RULES book will give you long term success. The JUMPSTART to SKINNY book – will help you lose initial weight quick, like for a special event. In a nutshell, you focus on having your carbs with your first two meals of the day. If you’re trying to drop some weight FAST – than – your carbs should be with your first meal only. When I say, CARBS, I mean… potatoes, white rice, pasta. (I skip those in general all together) But, I can have low sugar fruit, say apples, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries – any time of day! I love them! They have very little impact on my glycemic index. However, SKIP things like raisins, grapes and sometimes bananas. Lay off processed sugar garbage – all together. It’s no good for you! Sugar feeds cancer! It’s like a drug – and it takes a few days to detox from it – you’ll be craving it – but once you’re past the first few days, the cravings diminish. My largest meal is lunch (with my giant smoothie). I have protein and veggies with dinner (as I’m not planning to burn many calories after dinner). I’m generally “just a little” hungry ~ j.u.s.t. before falling asleep – but that’s a good thing. Bob Harper will get into more detail – about how it’s good to have that night time fast – it involves growth hormones, and so forth. READ the books. I believe you’ll have a better understanding – and relationship with carbs. It’s not a diet… it’s a way of living… just sayin’ 🙂 Breakfast… Stoneyfield Plain Greek Yogurt, add chocolate protein powder, a couple drops of stevia, ground flaxseed and chia seeds, and then some raspberries and raw almond slices. YUM! I use frozen raspberries – so I always have them. I like beans, but keep them with my meals earlier in the day. 😉
I have read his Skinny Rules book and I loved it! It was full of so much great information! I love carbs and don’t plan to cut them out forever. I just really enjoy low-carb as a short-term diet from time to time. It really helps to reset my body and get things back to “normal.” I would get so sick of eating this way forever. I will probably add fruit back in a couple weeks and then some healthy whole grains (brown rice, oats, quinoa) after that. Your breakfast sounds so yummy! It reminds me of my protein pudding, but I love that you add frozen raspberries. I gotta try that!
I tweak my diet from time to time, but tend to stick to the same outline. I’m not a yo-yo dieter any longer. I think more long term and focus on health, organic, grass-fed meats, wild caught fish, and minimal to no processed food or added sugar. Sugar is a drug, and so are some processed foods. I know, if I had some, it would set off triggers in me, to want more. I easier for me to stay in detox mode, eating clean. I’d have trouble having “just a little” or a cheat day – as the sugar, and cheat foods would send off all sorts “I got have it, gotta have more” signals to me.
I read on my trainers newsletter yesterday, the following, and found it true ~ to the core. He wrote, “Want to know what lean, fit people all have in common? They focus all of their meals and snacks around protein and fiber and avoid sugar and simple carbs. It’s really that simple.” — I do have low glycemic fruit. I very seldom have rice, white potatoes, or pasta. Good luck on your quest. I can tell your heart is set in it, though it’s a short term fix – and you’re missing out on the nutritional value in some fruits and/or berries (for the time being.) Best of luck, Jeanne.
Jeanne, I love that you’re able to eat clean ALL the time. It really is admirable. I do love to have treats/cheat meals once in while and I will never cut them out of my life completely. They make me happy and bring balance into my life. I just try to spread them out so they don’t overtake me. 😉 I love what your trainer’s newsletter said too. I agree with it 100%! I love carbs (sweet potatoes, real whole grains, fruit, etc.) so much and plan to get them back into my diet soon. However, I’m a big believer in short-term low carb diets when used as a catalyst in a longer term healthy plan. They work for me every time and the results have always proven to be long-term.