Anyways, today starts me back to my regular grind and that includes going back to my regular eating habits. I've been on a pretty strict diet since September, and I allowed myself a good two and a half weeks of unhealthy eating over Christmas and new years. I didn't plan on it being that long. I actually started to go back right after Christmas and I just realized what a lost cause it was after all of the plans we've had and functions we've had to attend. So....I haven't weighed myself to see what kind of damage I've done, but I'm not too worried about it, I've got the whole next year to catch back up. I'm glad I got to live it up for Christmas....but am equally as glad to get back to being myself and feeling good again.
My eating plan is based off of a lot of research I've done over the past years. I used to be an avid follower of the South Beach Diet and I lost a lot of weight doing it years ago before I had my daughters, and I've come to find that a low carbohydrate option is definitely what my body needs. My dad and my grandfather both have type 2 diabetes and I have hypoglycemic tendencies, which I know is a precursor to diabetes.....so I'm not playing around anymore. I swore off sugar and refined carbohydrates in September, and aside from my little hiatus in December and three days off for Thanksgiving (over which I had the stomach flu....ugh!) I have completely stuck to it. I'm not calling it a diet, it's just my normal way of eating :) I think it really helps mentally to do that.
Typically I start with vegetables.....a LOT of them, and then I add in a low fat protein, like chicken or turkey or fish (sometimes ham....I hate red meat, but I'm sure lean red meat is ok too for others) and then I add in good fats....plenty of them. I have found that the good fats really help you to feel good when eating this way. Your body actually needs the fat to lose fat. Coconut oil is one of my favorites. It is SO good for you too! Here's an article that tells you a lot about the benefits of coconut oil. It's so funny, I actually use this on my skin too. I was making myself some eggs this morning and I got some on my hands, and I thought, "hey, my face is a little dry" so I just rubbed in on my face. It felt so strange, but since I've started using it, my skin has never been better. I really like the articles posted by Dr. Mercola about health and nutrition and a lot of what I do is mostly along the same lines. He does get a bit extreme for me sometimes (ick...raw eggs for example) so, of course, everything in moderation. So far, I've been losing weight at a steady pace. I lost the first 20 pounds pretty quickly and the second 20 pounds came off very slowly, but steadily. Like 1 to 2 pounds a week, and it fluctuated. I feel great and am not hungry at all.
Here's an example of the stuff I eat every day....and beware I'm one of those people who like to eat the same thing day after day. I'm boring and I know it.
Breakfast: 2 or 3 eggs cooked in coconut oil
Lunch: a big (BIG) salad. Usually with whatever veggies I have chopped up. I like celery and green pepper and green onions and a whole tomato in it. I usually do half spinach and half iceberg lettuce. I add an avocado if I have one (I try to keep them stocked, but they spoil fast, so it's hard. Buying them at different stages of ripeness helps) I'll put a little bit of cheese in there, usually cheddar or feta. And I love the Salad Creations sea salt/cracked pepper almond slivers. I also add a small amount of protein, whatever I have. Chicken, tuna, lunch meat. A lot of times I'll cook up a whole big batch of chicken in the crock pot and have it for my salads for a few days. I don't always have all of this stuff at once, but those are the things I buy usually for my salads. I make a quick dressing out of balsamic or apple cider vinegar, olive oil (which is great for you as well) and seasonings. I really like the Cavenders Greek Seasoning. I'm kind of addicted to it....and I add garlic and black pepper and fish sauce and a little Parmesan cheese. Sounds like a crazy dressing, but it's super yum! I don't measure, I just start adding it to a bowl and then whisk!
Dinner: I usually try to eat a variation of what everyone else is having, but over broccoli. For example, if we are having tacos for dinner, I would take the taco meat, some cheese and a little sour cream and salsa and put it over a big bowl of steamed broccoli. It's delicious. Just as good as a regular taco. You can do the same thing with spaghetti too. Although, I only do that if I make my own sauce. The store bought kind has a ton of sugar in it. I buy the huge bags of birds eye broccoli and I go through about 1.5 of those a week. If the family is having something I can't modify, then I'll just take some broccoli, throw some meat in it, shredded chicken or something, shred a little cheese on top, add some spices and drizzle with coconut oil. It's really delicious. I used to try to switch up the veggies more, but honestly, the broccoli works the best. It has a lot of fiber and really fills you up. You feel like you've eaten a big meal. It's also super convenient since it's frozen.
If I'm hungry during the day, I'll snack on celery sticks or a bite of cheese, or a couple of nuts. The cheese probably isn't the best for you, but it's my one concession. It doesn't hurt with a low carb diet, but the fat in the cheese isn't the "good" kind, so it's not the best for you.....It's just my favorite food, so I'm not giving it up! ha! I do have intentions to add back in fruit and a few super healthy whole grains, like quinoa and some beans after I lose all of the weight I want.....but for now I"m sticking with this plan. It works really well for me.
Anybody else out there eat this way? Any issues/benefits you'd care to share?
I wish I had a good before and after picture of myself. I have one before picture that I posted here, but the after picture is just of my face. I will try to take one after a few weeks of being back on the wagon, and I'll do another post. The great thing about blogging, is that it keeps you accountable!
I'll be back with a project tomorrow!
Have a great day!
Anna
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