Gratitudes of My Low Carb Lifestyle

Aug 2014 - 45 lb loss

Feb 2013 before low carb

GRATITUDES

I have been reading a lot of gratitudes lately of my friends.  I've been asked to participate in gratitude chain letter like activities.  I never was one for chain letters, so it's always hard for me to get to started.   Gratitudes though are a reminder to us all to be grateful and humble for whatever aspect of our life has turned out better than it likely could have. 

I have had the great fortune of finding a way to control my weight in the last year and half.   In a country where most people are actually overweight and obese.  Of those over age 20; 69% of the population according to the Center for Disease Control fall in the overweight and obese category.

I'd like to personally congratulate the 31% who aren't, including myself for making it, because I am sure at one point or another, many were on the other side of this equation.  Guess what, I'm not good at math so I'll stop there with the data.   Short story...a lot of people should be trying to do whatever they can to not be overweight and obese.  I know there are many reasons, medically and emotionally for weight gain and loss.  I know there are many different ways to take it off and keep it off.   This is just my personal success and I'm trying to help all those out there who haven't yet decided which route they want to go to see my example through this blog.

So, my gratitudes of a low carb lifestyle are:

1. I'm grateful, I made changes to my lifestyle and didn't go on a diet.

2. I love being in control of what I eat, when I eat and how I eat.

3. I'm very happy that my ankles no longer swell at night!

4. It's amazing to me that I have broken my sweet tooth.  I can't even walk into a traditional grocery store without being overwhelmed by the smell of processed sugars, needless to say walking by a candy store prompts immediate nausea. - Quadruple Gratitude!

5. I am extremely happy that I didn't invest a lot in diet trends and pre-packaged foods, or supplements though I did try one and it failed miserably...oh marketing.

6. I'm proud of myself for not doing anything extreme.  I never fasted, or only drank things or just did a soup.  I did it with real food, over real time and I kept to realistic exercise which for me is hiking (very grateful for Pine Mountain)

, walking, the occasional aqua - aerobics class.  I am a believer of +10,000 steps a day.

7. I'm doubly grateful to see and know I can keep up this lifestyle and enjoy food, enjoy making food for others and sharing and helping others who want to make a lifestyle change too.

8. I am grateful for the looks on my friends and families faces when they see me after a long time.  For the comments of my children, that they too are still in wonder at how and where did my shape go?

9. I'm still excited by the day the doctor updated my health file from overweight to normal.  I still remember the nurses question:  "Is this right, was this the right weight?"  "Were you trying to lose weight?"  YES!  "Well, Congratulations, it doesn't happen very often."

10. I'm grateful for YOU, that you read this.  That maybe it will help you or help you, help others.

Happy Carb Counting!

Cold Water, Hot Water, Lemon Water or Drinking Enough Water in Winter

Having some hot tea on a cold day!

It's cold outside and the last thing I want to do on some of these cold mornings is hike.  Quite frankly, the last thing I want to do is....anything.  Sometimes when it's super cold, all I want to do is sleep.  My nickname from my cousin is ClaireBear.  It actually has a lot of different reasons why she gave me that nickname, but it does play true in winter, I certainly want to act like one and sleep winter away.

Another thing that I do in winter is drink WAY too much coffee.  Between my husband and I, we drink at least 10 cups a day.   I'm sure I'm good for 5 of those if not more.  Too much of anything is not good.  I have no reason to drink so much coffee.  Other than to get myself to WAKE UP!

Good thing I have kids who have to go to school and low carb clients who expect me to be at the hiking trail and who expect me to get this blog out!!!

So today I've set my sights on water and trying to get that water up like it is in summer.  In summer, I drink a ton of water.  I'm constantly refilling my bottle.   Now, I notice I fill my bottle maybe once a day, not 4 times.  When I needed to lose those few pounds I'd gained over the holidays, it was slow going.   I still haven't lost all of them and though I'm at my goal weight, I wouldn't mind being back down to my lowest low.  So here are some of the times I'll try to get in that precious liquid;

1.  I've read that the asian cultures do a hot water cleanse in the morning and the evening.  The first thing they drink in the morning is hot water and the last thing they drink is hot water.    (2 cups)

2.  I have at least two cups of coffee by 9:30 a.m. before my hiking - (2 cups)

3.  Stop to drink 2 times on the hike (I haven't emptied my bottle yet in these cold months... (1 cup)

4. I noticed I haven't drank with lunch for awhile.  I'm now making lemon water or if I don't have lemons, weak lemonade out of Country Time Lemonade, I halve the suggested serving size and then double the water for an 8 carb drink and I drink it warm...(2 cups)

5. When I have to drive my daughter to dance I take my own water bottle and walk around town while she's in class. (1 cup)

6. Dinner, again, I'm not drinking....so I am now doing speciality tea, either peppermint or acai berry.  I try to have at least 2 cups.  (2 cups)

So that brings me to 11 cups.

I have just looked up how much water one should drink to help promote weight loss a day, paired with a healthy diet and exercise, of course.....13 cups.   Check it out yourself, they have some good tips at SFGate.

So, I'm still short...I have to add in 2 cups in there somewhere.   I guess it's going to have to be in the afternoon because I DO NOT like to get up in the middle of the night...remember, I'm part bear.

Happy Carb Counting!

Diets and New Year's Resolutions

The Magic Kingdom

Welcome to 2015!  What diet are you going to start?  How much did you gain over the holidays?  More than you wanted or desired?

I was on a trip of a lifetime for myself and my family.  A special trip I had planned for three years.  We went on the Disney holiday cruise to the Caribbean followed by 10 days in Disney World.   All in all, we were gone for 18 days.   18 days of eating out, being catered to on the ship and having all kinds of sweet things available almost 24/7.

I also had a theme for our trip while we were in Disney World.  I focused on visiting all the highly recommended themed dining experiences.   Guess what the highlight of our experience is, what we talk about the most....the ship and the food.   Very little about the rides or the shows.  We loved Epcot!  My son wants to eat in every single restaurant in every country.    We'll need to go back for an entire month in order to do that.

Awesome cod on lettuces with peppers and shrimp

 What I was most impressed with was that Disney does a great job of lower carb and calorie offering options.  There was a healthier option at the sit down dinners on the cruise, they labeled gluten free and no sugar added items.  I pretty much ate whatever I wanted, enjoying their specialty bread, one slice only, not several.  I ate dessert every night and enjoyed my wine, port and champagne, I even had two beers.  Every once in awhile I had an ice cream cone.  I didn't count one single carb.

I was full beyond comfort on several occasions.  There wasn't a scale for me to check on everyday so by the time we got off the cruise, I was hyper sensitive to make sure I walked a lot and I brought my steps up to at least 12 or 13K steps a day, one day I made it to 22K.

We arrived home and I weighed in yesterday.  I was up only 1.5 pounds.  Well within my acceptable weight range. When I think back on what I did well it was the walking and choosing the no sugar added desserts. I kept with lower carb sides, salads, mixed vegetables.  Steering clear of pasta, potatoes and rice and any type of starchy carb for breakfast.  No Mickey Mouse waffle for me.

Favorite breakfast - lox on cucumber!

I actually think, I could have lost weight on the trip if I actually had to.  If I had skipped the desserts and held off a bit on the port, beer and champagne.  When in Disney World, I exercised the split plate at many restaurants and took my tupperware everywhere.  We loved our trip and we loved our food.

I know that one of the main new year's resolutions for many of us is to start a diet.  I was pleasantly surprised to see on US News & World Report cited the two diets I recommend in the top 3.  Mayo Clinic Diet and the TLC diet.  TLC just beating out Mayo Clinic.   TLC doesn't talk about carbs as much as the Mayo Clinic does but if you check their suggested meal plans their carb counts are in the 50s.   TLC is a great way to look at low carb if you have any heart and cholesterol issues and a wonderful maintenance plan.   Mayo Clinic diet is a good choice if adult on set of diabetes is an issue. Here are some quick links to both:

TLC

Mayo Clinic

One of the characteristics both of these diets mention is that they are ways of life...that to ultimately achieve your goals long term and get out of the danger of health issues, one must make a lifestyle change.   May your New Year's resolution be a lifestyle change and not just to go on a diet.

Happy New Year and Happy Carb Counting!