I don’t have a lot of time today, so I’m gonna make this quick (that would be a first!!) Ha.
Anyway, I’m loving this low-carb diet thing SO MUCH, but it is freaking hard! I’m on day #5 and my body is slowly starting to adjust and chill out. Days #3 and #4 were so so hard, but I told myself to NOT give up because I know it gets a LOT easier eventually.
Seriously though, we went to Costco on Wednesday night and I wanted to eat the ALL of the (Costco sized!) bags of Halloween candy. The bread, muffins and fruit all looked so dang good too! Heck, the Cheerios even called my name. It was tough. However, this morning I’m starting to not feel so ravenous. It’s still not easy, but I’m encouraged that it’s getting easier.
On Day #3 I did have one small “issue” and it was pretty lame. Oh, and it happened right after we got home from Costco. Hee hee.
First off, I have to mention one thing that’s hard about low-carb is that I haven’t felt “satisfied.” My body may not be hungry (I’m eating plenty of food!), but I always feel like I want to eat “something.” I think it’s more of a craving instead of hunger. With that being said, I ending up snitching a few chocolate chips. They looked so good and they only have 9 carbs per tablespoon. Soooo, I justified it by saying I could have 6-7 chocolate chips….then I went back for 3-4 more! But, that was it. No big deal.
BUT, right after the chocolate chip incident, I was cleaning out my fridge and saw a container of Cool Whip (yes, it’s full of terrible ingredients that will kill you) leftover from Carson’s blessing. Anyway, it was almost gone so I thought I’d throw it away to clear out some space in the fridge! BUT, it looked so good to me (yes, I’m desperate!) so I looked at the carb count and it only had 2 carbs per 2 tablespoons SOOOO I grabbed a spoon and ate a spoonful!
Then, I promptly left the kitchen. Geesh.
I’m happy to say I think that was my LOW and things have gotten better since then. It’s still hard, but I’m not craving everything in sight. In my experience, if you can get through the first week of a low-carb diet it almost becomes easy. BUT, that first week is NO JOKE. Man. One thing that’s helped me is to tell myself, if I give up then I’m essentially accepting my body/weight/fitness level the way it is. I ask myself “Am I OK with that!?!” Of course the answer is “Heck NO!”
Soooo, I keep plugging along.
Some of you may think I’m “obsessed,” “fanatical,” “crazy nutzo lady,” but I know this is what it takes. Food cravings and food addictions are very REAL and very STRONG, so you have to FIGHT back HARD.
I like to think of myself as “committed” and “dedicated.” Oh, and if you’re just trying to “lose a little weight” or become an average size/average looking person, then you really don’t have to be this “crazy.” You can just watch portions/calories and exercise a few times a week and you’ll eventually get there. Buuuuuuttttt, THIS is the type of body I’m striving for….
Yes, you gotta have a little bit of “crazy nutzo lady” in ya to get there! Oh, and this chick is an Athleta model and I really think they are inspiring. They look so healthy, athletic and fit…..not sickeningly stick thin.
Oh, and I WILL get to this goal eventually and I WILL get there doing it the RIGHT, healthy way with proper diet, sleep and exercise. Oh, and I know that overall health is a lot more than just a rockin’ bod like this chick has. I love to be healthy and live a healthy lifestyle because it makes me FEEL good, gives me so much more energy, confidence and it just feels good to be disciplined and in charge of my life.
Make sense?
Okay, that’s the end of my rambling today. 😉
Sooooo, I thought I would share a pretty picture…
I drove my son to High School the other day and the sunrise was gorgeous! BTW, Kev usually drops my son off at school on his way to work, but KEV crashed his car (fender bender), so it’s been in the shop and we’ve been a one car family. Yes, it sucks. Oh, and these pics were taken after I had already taken Kev to the train station.
Crazy life.
BUT, I love the beautiful world we live in. This sunrise made me want to go running!!! But, as long as I have a baby who is waking me up in the night, I will NOT be a morning runner. Ha. Oh, and just so ya know, my son took these pics as I was driving, NOT ME!
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I’ve still been having some sort of eggs for breakfast every morning. I’ve had to get a little creative….
Scrambled eggs with green onions topped with cheese and avocados and some grape tomatoes on the side.
I cooked up some BACON yesterday and crumbled it on my eggs. It was a nice change and tasted indulgent.
I made this interesting concoction this morning. I made some scrambled eggs with green onions and peppers and then topped it with cheese, romaine, cucumber, tomatoes and salsa. Totally weird, but it worked. I also had my warm lemon water on the side. I usually have it separately, first thing in the morning, but today I didn’t!
I had some leftover chicken/veggies for lunch the other day…
I cut up some celery and put peanut butter on some and some Frank’s Buffalo sauce on the others….
This was really good! Oh, and Optimus Prime wanted to be in the picture as well. I was inspired by his strength. Hee hee.
I made some Chile Verde (pork roast) for dinner the other night and made myself a little salad with it. It hit the spot…
Kev and I grabbed some In-N-Out burgers the other night. We got them “protein style” (wrapped in lettuce) and “animal style” (meat cooked in mustard + grilled onions and special sauce.)
Oh, and I looked up the stats for these burgers and they have 11 carbs, which is higher than I want right now. I’m thinkin’ most of the carbs came from the “special sauce” though. I think next time I’ll get it with no sauce and just mustard.
I’ve been LOVING my protein pudding every day! I look forward to it! Yesterday I added chia seeds and crushed almonds to it. Yuuuuum!
I’ve still been exercising pretty regularly. I ran 3 miles on the treadmill yesterday and 2.5 on Monday. I also did this workout on Wednesday and it killed me! The last time I did that workout I was 8 months pregnant and it was WAY harder for me this time. Lame.
But I got ‘er done AND I’m taking a break today. My body is SORE and we have a crazy day today so I’m taking a “rest day.” Although, somehow the word “rest day” doesn’t accurately describe ANY day in a Mother’s life. Ha.
Well, I gotta run! Did I keep it brief?!??!….not really. Dang. Have a great weekend!!!
I definitely would not beat yourself up over those little things! In the long run it probably will all balance out!
Also, I’ve seen that model in Athleta and elsewhere and she is so beautiful! I wish I could look like her!
I know, I’m trying to look at this as a lifestyle and not just a “quick fix,” so I hope my small “issues” won’t really matter. 😉 I love all of the Athleta models. They are amazing!
Not sure if I read it but did u lose any weight yet?
Also, can u share with us what you do for dinners with the whole family? I’m trying to cut back on carbs again but my biggest challenge is that my husband and kids want them! Do you have any ideas?
So far I’ve lost 3-4 “real” pounds. I lost a few more pounds of water weight, but I’m not counting that. 😉 I know how hard it can be to fix dinners for a family and try to eat healthier yourself! It’s tough. I think I’ll write a whole post about healthy dinners for the whole family because I’m sure a lot of other people wonder the same thing. We make grilled chicken a lot (everyone loves that) and I will make veggies and salad to go with it, but I will also cut up some fruit and bread so the kids won’t complain too much. We make tacos a lot and I’ll make myself a taco salad. I make “breakfast for dinner” a lot and will make myself an omelet and turkey bacon (the kids have turkey bacon too.) I also make soups and always make bread (for the kids) to go with it. Sometimes I’ll make something easy like Grilled Cheese Sandwiches or quesadillas for the kids and I’ll have leftovers, a salad or a protein shake instead. I also make spaghetti/pasta sometimes and I will use veggies or quinoa in place of the pasta. That’s all the ideas I can think of for now, but I will plan to write a post about it in more detail!!
The hardest part about dieting is the craving. Also when you “can’t eat something” that’s when you want it the most. I Love the fact that you indulge yourself by eating some cookies and other stuff because Is ok to eat them but not too much. I am starting to eat healthier and watching my carbs too!
I know cravings can be so tough and so strong!! Thankfully, my cravings have subsided a bit so it makes it a little easier. I will always CRAVE cookies though and plan to have them again and again and again!
You are so inspiring! I am doing this diet with you right now. I am so tired of not seeing the scale move. I have around 15 pounds I want to loose. How long can we go low carb? The first two days I felt great, but this is day 3 and I feel so tired. I am determined to at least go two weeks and see what the scale says. I am sleeping much better at night so I thought I would feel better. I am not sleepy so much as weak, is that normal?
I hope you’re still going strong Caroline! I know low carb can be SO HARD! If you can make it through the first week, it gets much easier though. I am sleeping so much better too, but I have been SO TIRED! It’s tough. I’m almost 10 days in and I still feel tired! I heard the “tired slump” can last up to three weeks though! You could do a low-carb diet indefinitely (some people have to eat that way because of dietary restrictions), but I’m probably going to do it 3-4 weeks and then will add a little fruit in after that and then some healthy whole grains. The key is to add the carbs back in slowly and to not eat too many at once. It’s important to keep the blood sugar stable.
Oh – I want to look like that model. However, I don’t have the discipline to give up carbs (or wine!).
LOL, I can completely relate Kim! I love carbs so much and could never give them up entirely!
I guess protein is your best friend right now. Lol. Your breakfast eggs look super healthy, filling and delicious. Keep it up. I do the same thing with wraps when I want to omit bread for a day or two. I buy romaine lettuce (that are shaped perfectly for wraps) and will fill them with chicken breast slices, tuna, light cheese and avocado or lean beef strips.
Oooo, your wraps sound heavenly! I’m going to try that out. YUM! I’m getting pretty sick of all the protein, but I’m trying to get creative.
Love the breakfasts you fix. Did you read Born to Run? He had some interesting insights on veggies for breakfast and the impact that had on his workouts.
Keep it up, it’s inspiring to read about your trials. I had to laugh about the Cool Whip thing. That’s exactly the only circumstance in which Cool Whip would have made it into my house, and exactly what would have happened to it in a weak moment!
I’ve heard of Born to Run, but haven’t read it. I want to though! It was crazy how much that Cool Whip called my name, lol! I’m glad it’s out of the house now. Thanks so much for your sweet comment!
First comment I’ve left and I’ve been reading for a year! 🙂 and Low carb is awesome!! ALLLLL the veggies! 🙂 I would like to ask… Have you heard of the Whole 9 life, Whole 30, or the book- “It Starts with Food” ? I think you should def check that out!!! At least Google it haha It kind of follows your take on things 🙂 and it’s so informative and it’s just real food. Love your blog and keep on keepin on!!
Thanks so much for your comment and encouragement Brandi!!! I’ve been loving low carb and all the veggies, lol. I have heard of Whole 30, but I hadn’t heard of The Whole 9 life. I’ve wanted to try Whole 30 for quite a while, but I’ve been too chicken. I know my diet right now is pretty similar, except I’m not having fruit and I AM having some cheese and plain Greek yogurt. So far, so good. 😉
Just add drinking 3 liters of water a day and you will make it through the low carb diet a little easier. Great job…it takes about 2-3 weeks to see legit results so do not get discouraged. Take a drink of water rather then sugar…get rid of all the temptations! It sounds like you need to get rid of the chocolate chips for a while. 😉 You can do it.
Thanks so much for your tips Kelly! I’ve been trying to down the water and it’s been helping. I know weight loss takes a long time and it’s so easy to get discouraged, so I SO APPRECIATE your reminder. I miss you my sweet friend. 😉
Oh my goodness. I have cravings all the time. I cannot imagine. Way to be strong.
Cravings are the worst and SO strong! Thankfully, this diet is helping to curb appetite/cravings or I would be going crazy!
Beautiful sunrise photos! Your son is a much better photographer than I am.
It’s strange for this Florida girl to hear of taking kids to school when it’s dark outside. Sunrise for me is by 6 am. Mornings seem easier for me when it’s cheery and bright outside.
Congratulations on your success! All your readers are rooting for you!
You are so lucky to live in such a beautiful, sunny place! We’re just about to end Daylight Savings here, so the sun will come out a little bit earlier. Yay. I agree, it’s so much easier to get out of bed when it’s not DARK outside!
You’ve got this! Keep it up. Is it crazy that I’ve been wondering how it’s going for you 🙂
Thanks so much for your encouragement Jill! So far, so good!
Great post, Melanie. Love the breakfasts. Curious: why do you use fat-free yogurt in your protein pudding? Wouldn’t it be better to use full fat yogurt? Might help with those cravings. 🙂
Thanks so much! I just prefer the taste/texture of fat free yogurt as long as there are no weird additives in it. Fage 0% is so good in my protein pudding!