Some of you may be wondering how my low carb week has gone so far and what the type of menus have been like for this first week of the "Priming Phase" of my new plan.
I have to say even though low carb seems like a difficult thing to do (and you are restricted in a sense), I have not whatsoever been experiencing that craving "crash" that I would always get from the refined carbs. I always have that "full" feeling with rare and minor hunger pangs. I am the type of person who always craves/craved something sweet after supper and if I indulged in "one" cookie, it never would seem like enough and I could literally spend the rest of the evening wanting another one or I'd give in and have more and then that would cause a whole sugar-guilt phenomenon. You know exactly what I am talking about, don't you. "Everything in moderation" is so easily said and some days you can be on your game no problem, but if you're like me, some other days you want to smack "moderation" in the nose because your body is signalling to you over and over again that you want another cookie.
I'm only on day 4 and already this week so far has taught me that it most definitely
IS the result of regular consumption of those kinds of carbs - not necessarily the cookie and cake kind, but too many "carby" foods in general. On WW the amount of carbs I was consuming was never a factor per se in my food choices necessarily, at least not beyond the Canada's Food Guide which promotes a certain amount of of each food group. Yes we all know that this is the guide that you are supposed to follow - but in my mind and likely many of you - I would focus mostly on getting in the healthy fats, all the fruits & vegetables, proteins and water and of course sticking to my daily points target. This is a healthy way to live, there's no doubt about that.
The grains were never a thought because that was a given. Even being completely OP, my typical day would obide by the guidelines, I would try to ensure that my meals were balanced, but on reflection I think there was too much intake of carbs as a main source of my calories. I was eating whole grains and whole wheat pastas, oatmeal etc., and I will continue to eat them, but not so freely and more strategically. The con side of this, that I can see so far, appears to be less flexibility, but I'm not convinced of that just yet. And let's face it, weight loss and good nutrition takes work and there's no way around that. I'll see how I feel as time goes on. At least in the 4 days so far, I've proven to myself why I'd crave those foods. Many people agree that cravings are caused by consumption and I now believe this to be true. I am pretty surprised that I'm already feeling this way after only 4 days.
Here's what I've eaten this week so far:
Day 1 - Sunday (should have been better)Breakfast (late): spinach, mushroom, provolone omlet (1 egg with 4 egg whites), EVOO
Snack: handful of mixed nuts
Lunch: BBQ'd hotdog and beef jerky
Snack: (I more or less was late with lunch and it was running into supper, so it was more snacking - this won't happen anymore)
Supper: On the BBQ
- grilled salmon, grilled asparagus (tossed in EVOO), zucchini boats (with low call Italian dressing and chedder cheese on top), all served on top of a herb salad mix
Day 2 - MondayBreakfast: African Bobotie (extra lean ground beef omlet with lemon, curry, yogurt etc.) - not likely to be repeated
Snack: 2 slices of lean cooked ham, mixed nuts
Lunch: pork & veggie stirfry (pork tenderloin, red peppers, broccoli, peanuts, EVOO, ginger, soy sauce)
Snack: Chocolate peanut butter protein smoothie
Supper: Chicken souvlaki (grilled chicken skewers with a yogurt-garlic-onion-chive sauce served over tons of herb salad greens)
Day 3 - TuesdayBreakfast: Feta cheese & leek omlet, coffee w light cream & sugar free torani syrup
Snack: grilled boneless skinless chicken breast, celery, natural peanut butter
Lunch: turkey breast, bacon, chedder melt on low carb tortilla w greens, tomato, smidge light mayo
(my tortilla may or maynot have been low carb - not sure if I screwed that one up)Snack: beef jerky, mixed nuts
Supper: File of sole with black olives, feta on bed of mixed greens, grilled red pepper, asparagus, zucchini
Day 4 - WednesdayBreakfast: Mushroom, spinach, chedder omlet, coffee w light cream & sugar free torani syrup
Snack: grilled chicken breast, celery & PB2
Lunch: smoked salmon on bed of bean sprouts drizzled w EVOO & yogurt dill sauce
Snack: Vanilla mint protein shake
Supper: (leftover) File of sole with black olives, feta on bed of mixed greens, grilled red pepper, asparagus, zucchini
Day 5 - Thursday (plan)Breakfast: Spinach scrambled eggs w shrimp
Snack: grilled chicken breast, celery, PB2
Lunch: hard boiled egg, grilled chicken strips on bed of greens
Snack: lean ham and mixed nuts
Supper: haddock with citrus & chili rub
I have to say even though low carb seems like a difficult thing to do (and you are restricted in a sense), I have not whatsoever been experiencing that craving "crash" that I would always get from the refined carbs. I always have that "full" feeling with rare and minor hunger pangs. I am the type of person who always craves/craved something sweet after supper and if I indulged in "one" cookie, it never would seem like enough and I could literally spend the rest of the evening wanting another one or I'd give in and have more and then that would cause a whole sugar-guilt phenomenon. You know exactly what I am talking about, don't you. "Everything in moderation" is so easily said and some days you can be on your game no problem, but if you're like me, some other days you want to smack "moderation" in the nose because your body is signalling to you over and over again that you want another cookie.
I'm only on day 4 and already this week so far has taught me that it most definitely IS the result of regular consumption of those kinds of carbs - not necessarily the cookie and cake kind, but too many "carby" foods in general. On WW the amount of carbs I was consuming was never a factor per se in my food choices necessarily, at least not beyond the Canada's Food Guide which promotes a certain amount of of each food group. Yes we all know that this is the guide that you are supposed to follow - but in my mind and likely many of you - I would focus mostly on getting in the healthy fats, all the fruits & vegetables, proteins and water and of course sticking to my daily points target. This is a healthy way to live, there's no doubt about that.
The grains were never a thought because that was a given. Even being completely OP, my typical day would obide by the guidelines, I would try to ensure that my meals were balanced, but on reflection I think there was too much intake of carbs as a main source of my calories. I was eating whole grains and whole wheat pastas, oatmeal etc., and I will continue to eat them, but not so freely and more strategically. The con side of this, that I can see so far, appears to be less flexibility, but I'm not convinced of that just yet. And let's face it, weight loss and good nutrition takes work and there's no way around that. I'll see how I feel as time goes on. At least in the 4 days so far, I've proven to myself why I'd crave those foods. Many people agree that cravings are caused by consumption and I now believe this to be true. I am pretty surprised that I'm already feeling this way after only 4 days.
Here's what I've eaten this week so far:
Day 1 - Sunday (should have been better)
Breakfast (late): spinach, mushroom, provolone omlet (1 egg with 4 egg whites), EVOO
Snack: handful of mixed nuts
Lunch: BBQ'd hotdog and beef jerky
Snack: (I more or less was late with lunch and it was running into supper, so it was more snacking - this won't happen anymore)
Supper: On the BBQ - grilled salmon, grilled asparagus (tossed in EVOO), zucchini boats (with low call Italian dressing and chedder cheese on top), all served on top of a herb salad mix
Day 2 - Monday
Breakfast: African Bobotie (extra lean ground beef omlet with lemon, curry, yogurt etc.) - not likely to be repeated
Snack: 2 slices of lean cooked ham, mixed nuts
Lunch: pork & veggie stirfry (pork tenderloin, red peppers, broccoli, peanuts, EVOO, ginger, soy sauce)
Snack: Chocolate peanut butter protein smoothie
Supper: Chicken souvlaki (grilled chicken skewers with a yogurt-garlic-onion-chive sauce served over tons of herb salad greens)
Day 3 - Tuesday
Breakfast: Feta cheese & leek omlet, coffee w light cream & sugar free torani syrup
Snack: grilled boneless skinless chicken breast, celery, natural peanut butter
Lunch: turkey breast, bacon, chedder melt on low carb tortilla w greens, tomato, smidge light mayo (my tortilla may or maynot have been low carb - not sure if I screwed that one up)
Snack: beef jerky, mixed nuts
Supper: File of sole with black olives, feta on bed of mixed greens, grilled red pepper, asparagus, zucchini
Day 4 - Wednesday
Breakfast: Mushroom, spinach, chedder omlet, coffee w light cream & sugar free torani syrup
Snack: grilled chicken breast, celery & PB2
Lunch: smoked salmon on bed of bean sprouts drizzled w EVOO & yogurt dill sauce
Snack: Vanilla mint protein shake
Supper: (leftover) File of sole with black olives, feta on bed of mixed greens, grilled red pepper, asparagus, zucchini
Day 5 - Thursday (plan)
Breakfast: Spinach scrambled eggs w shrimp
Snack: grilled chicken breast, celery, PB2
Lunch: hard boiled egg, grilled chicken strips on bed of greens
Snack: lean ham and mixed nuts
Supper: haddock with citrus & chili rub