Inaugural Low Carb Camper! - And Awesome Chicken Avocado Salad

Beautiful Heirloom Tomatoes for our salad

I am hosting my very first low carb camper.  Susanna joined me on Monday and we started off with an overview of the low carb lifestyle basics and it was refreshing for me to know that the information I was sharing was new and interesting.  It's so easy to settle into our patterns for eating, and it's with discipline that we have to overcome them to change to healthier eating patterns.

  After an overview, I asked her about the goals she wanted to achieve with a low-carb focus and then shared how I felt she could achieve it and how long it could possibly take.  There has to be some expectation setting and several pounds do not disappear overnight.  The now 44 lbs I have lost took over a year.   That's less than a pound a week.

This is a lifestyle, it's not a diet.  There are no cheat days, sure there are special occasions and that's up to the person.  I would use moderation then, especially if you want to lose weight.

Our low carb lunch was fun to make and beautiful.  Susanna had brought several avocados and we made a special Chicken Avocado salad.   Here's the breakdown for 1 serving:

1/2 cup cooked chicken, cut in cubes - I used leftover chicken breast from an earlier dinner - 0 carbs

Lovely and delicious Chicken Avocado Salad

1 heirloom tomatoes - beautiful small ones - 3 carbs
1/8 cup chopped nuts - we used hazelnuts - 3 carbs
3 tbsp mayonnaise - 0 carbs
1 tbsp dijon mustard - 0 carbs
1 small avocado half - 7 carbs
1/8 cup of shredded cheese - 1 carb (had cheddar in it, slight carbs)

Paired with a Spinach salad with sliced red onions and balsamic vinaigrette - 2 carbs

Total Carbs: 16 carbs

It looks awesome and it was fabulous.  I had mine cold.  Susanna melted her cheese over the chicken and then placed it in the avocado.

It was fantastic and special treat to make this.

Happy Carb Counting - we're off to Morro Bay and Montana De Oro today to visit the tide
pools.