Well, I have successfully completed day 2 of my little low-carb diet!
Yay!
It hasn’t been easy, but it really hasn’t been too hard either (I know, my opinion may change in a few weeks!)
Over the weekend, I wrote out my diet “plan” for the upcoming week. I basically chose 2 breakfasts and 2 lunches to switch between and then chose a dinner for each night. I also wrote down several snack options.
It’s really helped me to have a “plan.” That way, I’m not stuck wondering what to eat, especially when I’m starving!
I also made sure my cupboards, pantry, and fridge were stocked!
I’m really liking the “rules” of this diet. You can have one “low-carb” item every 5 hours. The low-carb item has to have 5 or less Net Carbs (Total Carbohydrates minus fiber grams=Net Carbs). I’ve basically been switching between a low-carb tortilla or a low-carb slice of bread.
I really like these tortillas. They are HUGE and very filling (high fiber, high protein). They don’t taste awesome, but they’re not bad. I buy these in bulk at Costco or in smaller packs at Walmart.
These tortillas are freaking awesome. They aren’t as big as the La Tortilla Factory ones, but they taste really really good. They are very expensive though! $4.50 for this pack of 10!! Yikes! I bought these at Walmart…I’m hoping to find them cheaper somewhere else.
Oh, FYI both of these tortillas equal out to be 6 Net Carbs a piece. The author of the book recommends ripping off part of it to make it 5 or less. I doubt 6 Net Carbs would make much of a difference, but I’m following her advice anyway. Quite anal, I know.
You can buy this bread anywhere. It’s great. Each slice is 5 Net Carbs
There are also a few “free” foods that you can eat as much as you like (some of them contain small amounts of carbs too). Some of the free foods are meat, eggs (more egg whites than yolks), cheese (low-fat preferred), peanut butter (all natural preferred), lite Cottage Cheese, Veggies, etc.
So, in case you’re interested, here is what I’ve been eating the past couple days…
Breakfast Option #1:
Breakfast Burrito on a low-carb tortilla…yum!
1 whole egg, 3 egg whites, green pepper, onion, green beans and salsa…all on a ripped tortilla!
Breakfast Option #2:
Scrambled Eggs w/ low-carb Ketchup and a slice of low-carb bread topped with Natural Peanut Butter (sprinkled w/ a little Truvia).
I’m really liking this Heinz low-carb ketchup. It is only 1 carb and tastes great! I didn’t use too much, so I wasn’t too concerned about the extra carb (serving size is 1 T. and I think I used a tsp.)
I’ve had the same lunch both days…
Tuna fish with pickles and a little lite Mayo/Miracle Whip and mustard wrapped up in a low-carb tortilla.
Yummy!
FYI, the other lunch options I planned for are deli meat/cheese/veggie wrap or egg salad wrap. I just made a bunch of tuna fish, so I ate it both days. Simplify. 😉
Dinner Day One: Taco Salad!
I love this one because ALL of my kids LOVE tacos and it’s so easy for Kev and I to make it into a taco salad or have it on a low-carb tortilla.
Spinach, Ice Berg Lettuce, Taco Meat, a little cheddar cheese, tomatoes, salsa, lite sour cream and lite cottage cheese.
I did have one little snag with this meal. As I was getting ready to prepare this, I looked at my Taco Seasoning and realized it had 4 carbs per serving! I really didn’t want to “splurge” on TACO SEASONING of all things! So, I hopped on the internet and found a recipe to make my own (sugar-free) taco seasoning. It only took me 5 minutes or so and I quadrupled the recipe so I will have it ready for next time!
Here’s the recipe in case any of you are interested:
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Mix everything up and store in an airtight container.
BTW, I didn’t have any red pepper flakes, so I omitted them. It tasted great!
I’m sure you all know how to make taco meat, but just in case….
Brown 1 lb. of hamburger, drain. Add 3 T of Taco Seasoning and mix in. Add 3/4 C. water and simmer for 5-10 minutes until water is gone. Voila! There you go!
Dinner Day Two:
Omelets with Turkey Bacon and a side of low-carb toast topped with Smart Balance spread.
This was a great easy meal. I made waffles, eggs and turkey bacon for the kids (which they were very happy about!) and Kev and I had omelets! Yum!
1 whole egg, 3 egg whites, green pepper, onion, olives, ham and cheese topped with homemade salsa! Yummm!
Here are some of the snacks I’ve been eating…
Celery with Natural Peanut Butter and Almond Butter
Protein Shakes….usually pre or post workouts….yum!
I had the Chocolate Peanut Butter (minus the banana) and the Almond Joy Shake! So so so yummy!
This is a staple snack…nuts and string cheese! I buy the big ‘ol bags of nuts from Costco. I buy Almonds and Pecans and they have nothing added….just nuts!
There are also a few other snacks that I haven’t taken pictures off….deviled eggs, cheese crisps, lite cottage cheese mixed with a little Truvia and cinnamon and small spoonfuls of peanut butter.
Well, that is all folks!
Oh, I went to my favorite Boot Camp class last night! LOVED it!
I also went on a 5 mile run today and it wasn’t too good.
First off, I was pushing the double jogger with both kids and it felt like it was 500 pounds!
My legs also felt like they were each 500 pounds! Weird???
ALSO, I am stressing because my IT band has been buggin’ for about a month and it’s not getting better!
Auughhh!
I’m supposed to be running a half marathon in less then a month too!
Stress!
It started hurting near the end of our big relay race, but it wasn’t too bad.
Then, I ran that little 5k and it killed after that.
I don’t think know I didn’t warm up adequately for that and I just took off running and ran really fast (for me!)
So, since then I can only run about 2-2 1/2 miles and then it starts hurting.
I’ve been trying to chill and I really haven’t run on it all that much. I was hoping it would get better
So, today I was so sad when it started hurting again. I decided to just keep running on it (because I need to!) It’s been killing me all night now.
Dang….
I hope it gets better soon! I’m planning to run on Thursday morning. We’ll see how it goes!
Well, that is all! Happy low-carbing! 😉
Adding yoga to my exercise routine has absolutely saved my IT band while running. All the stretching and strength really makes a difference. I suggest YOGA (I do p90x) 100%.
Good luck with the low carb and running. It is super hard.
That’s a great idea! I think my sister has the P90X Yoga. I should try that! It’s buggin’ me though because I’m under the gun right now and need to train for my 1/2! It’s stressing me out. I am a little concerned about running and eating low-carb. I’ve read a few things to try. I’m hoping it works out for me!? We’ll see!
Your legs felt like lead most likely from less carbs than normal. It should equal out and not be as bad as your body gets used to it. I’m excited you’re doing this so that I can try it too!!
I wondered if that had anything to do with it!!?? I’m hoping it gets better soon. So far, I’m lovin’ this diet. Kev and I have both already seen results! I’ll keep you posted!