Meals & Macros: Random Recap
Ack! I haven’t done the best job in tracking my meals lately, but here are some of my favorites from the past few weeks. 🙂
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Ack! I haven’t done the best job in tracking my meals lately, but here are some of my favorites from the past few weeks. 🙂
Going low carb can be a difficult and confusing transition. There are so many different diet plans, websites, and facebook groups out there, some sharing conflicting information. I know when I started, there was definitely a learning curve and I spent a lot of time researching, trying new things, and learning as much as I could. In this past year, I have found that there are a few places I tend to spend the most time and find the most beneficial information for me. Whether you are new to low carb or a seasoned low carb eater, these are all some great places to find tips, recipes, or just a little support.
As a kid, I loved to eat butter. Well, what we always referred to as butter, but it was actually margarine. My mother has often spoken of how I would steal the bowl of Country Crock, then hide under the bed and eat it with my fingers. Tasty, right?
As an adult, I still love the taste of creamy, delicious butter—the real stuff—not so much that I’d want to eat a big spoonful, but I cook with it as much as possible. (This morning, I had some on my keto pancakes.) When I read that low carb and keto dieters were actually putting butter in their coffee, I was instantly repulsed. The flavor combination seemed odd and it just sounded really oily to me! I refused to even try it.
Of course, I often run out of the house the house in the mornings without eating breakfast, which I’ve found to be a detriment to my weight loss. I try to keep boiled eggs on hand, as well as breakfast meats that can be heated in the microwave. It should really only take a few minutes for me to throw something together, but it seems I’m always in a rush. Sometimes I forget to boil eggs. Sometimes the thought of sausage before 7 am makes me want to gag. Sometimes I just don’t feel hungry, but then am ravenous by 10 am.
Bulletproof coffee seemed like it might be a wonderful solution to my problems, if I could get over my aversion to butter in my favorite morning drink.
This week marked the start of the 90 Day Low Carb Challenge, sponsored by Lynn at Traveling Low Carb. The rules of the challenge are pretty simple. Participants are encouraged to track their food and log it into a journal. The main goal is to stay under 20 net carbs each day, throwing the body into ketosis and prompting weight loss. Even though I’ve been following the low carb/high fat way of eating for nearly six months, I thought this would be a great way to recommit to my goals.
In January, I decided to change my life. After years of being overweight and unhappy with myself, I knew I needed to take action. I’m still fat, but I feel better and am slowly making progress.
I’ve tried lots of diets in the past—from calorie counting to Weight Watchers—and had moderate levels of success. The problem was that after a certain amount of time, I’d revert back to old habits. After seeing the success of others, I decided to try a low-carb, gluten-free way of life. As a carb-loading, potato-loving, bread-adoring lady, this change was difficult!
The first few weeks felt like torture. I was tired and cranky. My energy hit an all-time low. All I wanted to do was nap and lounge around. My body ached like I had the flu. I wasn’t sure I could handle it, and the urge to give in to my cravings felt overwhelming. There were many times when I thought about eating a doughnut, a yeast roll, or a piece of pie. I wanted to throw in the towel and give up!