Hey, hey, hey! I’m happy to say I’m still goin’ strong with my low-carb diet. I really love it, although I’m getting a little sick of eating so many of the same things. I’m eating a TON of veggies, eggs, nuts, chicken, salads, protein pudding, protein shakes and a little cheese.
Here are some of the positive things I’ve been experiencing on this diet:
- I don’t really have a lot of cravings, which is nice. Carbs and junk food always sound good (I’m sure they always will!), but I don’t crave them and it’s not too hard to stay away from them.
- I sleep like a baby. Seriously, it’s like a deep, restorative sleep. I love it. Whenever I clean up my diet, I always sleep better!
- I’ve lost 3-4 real, legit pounds. Right before I started this diet, I bloated up and gained a couple pounds for some reason. I felt so so chubby. Soooo, if you count those “superficial bloated pounds”, then I’ve lost 6-7 pounds total. Woo hoo.
- It feels SO GOOD to eat real, nutrient dense food. I’m so happy to be disciplined and not controlled by all of the yummy food temptations lurking around everywhere!
- My clothes are fitting ever so slightly better. I have TWO pairs of jeans that I can “fit” into. However, I’m very much poured into them and have a beautiful “muffin top,” but they do ZIP UP and technically fit.
Here are some of the negative things I’ve been experiencing on this diet:
- I am SO DANG tired and have a major brain fog. I know this is a typical symptom of a low-carb diet though. My body is used to using sugar/carbs for energy and it’s in the transition of using fat for energy instead. Yay. I’ve heard that the fatigue/brain fog can last for 2-3 weeks though. We’ll see.
- I am seriously so sick of veggies, but I will continue to eat them! I like to think of them as “medicine” and just eat them anyway….kind of like it’s my duty. Ha.
- Exercise is very HARD and very DAUNTING lately because of my lack of energy. I still try to fit some sort of exercise in most days, but I’m cutting myself a little slack too.
Well, that pretty much sums it up! I’m still feeling very determined and WILL NOT quit.
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We went on a quick trip to Idaho Falls, Idaho over the weekend and had such a GREAT time! We went up Friday night for our nephew’s wedding and decided to make a “fun family trip” out of it as well.
I was so worried about sticking to such a strict diet while traveling, but we did great! Thank heavens Kev is doing it with me! I packed a bunch of healthy things into a cooler and it worked out perfectly. I also made myself some protein pudding just as we were heading out the door and ate it while we were driving.
I packed “homemade chocolate,” peanut butter, nuts, jerky, chicken, hard boiled eggs, string cheese, olives, and veggies with guacamole and ranch dressing. Everything tasted so good and I was so happy to have our little “healthy stash.”
Oh, and I’m still working on the “homemade chocolate” recipe. When I get it right, I will share it. It’s basically a mixture of coconut oil, cocoa, protein powder and stevia. It’s great.
I have a million pictures to share with you from our trip, so here goes nothin’!
We stayed in the Hampton Inn and I LOVED it! It was just perfect for us. It was so clean, spacious and comfortable. We also loved the indoor pool and yummy breakfast in the morning. BTW, the hotel in no way sponsored this post; I’m just sharing my own thoughts and opinions. 🙂
We got two adjoining rooms and it was awesome.
On Friday night, we took the fam to Panda Express for dinner. I ordered the two-entree plate with mixed veggies, String Bean Chicken and Kung Pao Chicken.
This was definitely one of the better choices on the menu, but afterward I looked up the nutrition stats and was surprised to see it had 42 carbs! What the??! It was high in sodium too, but I figured that would be the case. I wasn’t too worried about it though because we were on vacation and it was still a pretty decent choice.
The next morning, we enjoyed breakfast at the hotel. They of course had plenty of sugary, carby options!
My son’s waffle looked so dang good. I was happy they had some ham and little omelets available. It wasn’t super healthy, but it fit the bill.
After breakfast, we took the kids swimming in the hotel pool. They had a ball!
My oldest son looks like he’s missing an arm in that bottom pic. Weird.
Carson and I enjoyed sitting on the sidelines and watching everyone play.
After swimming, we went on a beautiful walk on the Idaho Falls Greenbelt. I would LOVE to go running there. It was gorgeous! There were so many fun things to see along the way. The kids loved it.
I saw this beautiful area of green grass and I told the kids they “had to” run and play on it for a bit. I want them to live up their childhood, lol!
It was a beautiful walk and everyone had a great time!
Afterward, we went to lunch at Chick Fil-A. Kev and I both ordered the Cobb Salad with Grilled Chicken. It’s so good!
After lunch, we decided to go bowling! Kev and I didn’t bowl (to save time and $$!), but we loved watching the kids bowl.
After bowling, we stopped by a fun novelty ice cream/candy store and the kids loved it! We let them each pick one thing.
We then made the 3+ hour drive home. It was such a wonderful weekend and we had so much fun together!
Overall, I was happy with how I ate and I was very grateful for the fresh food I brought from home. I didn’t drink nearly enough water while we were traveling though. It’s so much harder to stick to my “water goals” while traveling!
Well, this post is MEGA long so I will end it. I also need to head to bed! I hope you all have a wonderful night!
Perhaps my LC Diet is the reason for the weird ideas that come to mind all the time, LOL!!!
And Idaho Falls – oh man, I haven’t been there in AGES!!!! I miss home! (Jackson Hole)
Oh, I love Jackson! What a fun place to call home. 😉
Hey! That trip looks like it was SO fun! Haha, way to spot the green grass and make your kids have fun–you’re a good mom!
That’s weird you have brain fog. I specialize in helping my clients get into fat burning within 7 days…but they’ve never once had brain fog. Keep me updated about that, I’m curious to see if it will go away at the right time!
I hear you with the veggies! I have to have a break from them once in awhile haha. I loved your honest lists, those were great!
We had such a fun trip! Yes, the brain fog is weird and I only experience it when I first go on a low-carb diet. It usually lasts about a week or two and then I normalize. I’ve heard it’s very common. I have been SO SICK of the veggies, but I love how good I feel!
Congrats on the low-carb diet going so well! I hope you get your energy back soon. I’m at the point where even some of my maternity pants don’t fit anymore. It is so sad! I’m so jealous of you fitting into your jeans! 🙂
Your family photos are too precious! You guys look like you had a ton of fun!
Oh Britt, I FEEL for you during the end of pregnancy! It is so so hard! I had several pairs of pants that didn’t fit me or were WAY tight on me. It was so depressing. I’m so happy to have the scale going DOWN again. You will be there soon!
Sounds like a super fun getaway!!!
I’m so impressed with how disciplined you are with your eating even while on a quick trip!!!
We had such a fun trip! It was tough to eat well while on vacation, but somehow I made it through. I was so happy Kevin was doing it with me! 🙂
Glad you are sleeping great, sorry about some of the weird side effects.
Thanks so much! Thankfully, the weird side effects have gone away and I’m so happy!
Focus on the positive! You’re doing such a great job with this.
Thanks so much Jill! It’s tough, but it feels so good to be disciplined and to see some progress!
Isn’t it wonderful to stay in a hotel where you don’t have to cook, clean, or make beds? Your weekend trip looked fabulous!
You are such an inspiration to everyone, sticking to your low-carb diet! I’m happy for you that you’re seeing real results!
Deborah, you are always such a sweetie and I SO appreciate your kindness and support! You always make my day! We did have a wonderful trip too!
Looks like you had a blast! Congrats on the weight loss! I avoid the bad carbs too, the sugary processed ones, but the good carbs like veggies, sweet potatoes, red potatoes and grains are all so very good for us and are practically fat-free! I lost all my baby weight eating GOOD carbs! They are full of fiber and digest so well, which is why it works so well. Bad carbs and food too high in protein never digests well and makes it hard to lose weight. I was so happy when I figured all that out and love and enjoy my food now, lol!
That one picture at the hot tub with your daughter and hubby is so cute…they have the exact same pose!!
Thanks so much! I agree with you about ALL of the good carbs you mentioned and I intend to get them back into my diet very soon! I just find that short-term low carb diets do wonders to reset my system, give my liver and pancreas a break and get my hormones back to somewhat normal. I will be readjusting the diet in the next couple weeks. I would HATE to eat this way forever. Blah.
I’m proud and impressed by you sticking to the diet!! I would die….
This trip sounds so fun.
Thanks so much Britt! Yes, this diet is getting very old! You know how much I love cupcakes and treats. Gah! We did have a wonderful time on our trip. I love getting away for a little bit.
I’m a Diabetic, so I have to count every carb that enters my mouth. Most days, I have 15-30 grams per meal and 45 if we’re going out to dinner. Sucks, but it does get easier!
Oh, I’m so sorry to hear you have diabetes. 🙁 It sounds like you are very disciplined with you carb counting though. I’m so happy to hear it gets easier too!
You are doing a great job on eating healthy. A getaway with your family is always fun, I love going to hotels with mine and we always have a blast. Your children look like they had a great time in the pool, I think that’s the best part for any child ha!.
Thanks so much! We did have a wonderful trip and the kids always LOVE swimming! I was grateful the pool wasn’t too deep and it was indoor. 😉
Looks like a fun trip! YES, if I don’t pack my healthy stuff in advance, it’s SO difficult to stay on track while traveling! Love everything you brought, nice variety!
Thanks so much! I know I completely fall apart when we’re on vacation too….unless I plan ahead!