Too Many Carbs!

I am going to pay for this meal tomorrow! 

My brother in law works as a chef at Brick Oven here in Provo, Utah.  Delicious food - very high carb, though.  Pizza, pasta, and bread.  My body loves carbs - so much so that releasing them is a challenge. 

I wouldn't have gone there at all except Brick Oven really is delish, and my parents are in town visiting me and my sister Denise - and Cody gets a discount. 

So tomorrow, it's high protein and apples.  And salad. 

Perhaps the trick is not to scarf down everything in sight, but to remember that it's one meal and not a sign of poor willpower.  Eating is a very social activity, and it would have been impolite at best for me to squawk about the food choices for this one meal.  Now that the meal is over, I'm back on my eating plan.

Surprise!

Yesterday was just generally stressful.  My day started at 6am, with a client appointment at 8am.  (I am NOT a morning person.)  I had an apple at the office, a Diet Coke, lots of water, and then spent the evening with Krista since the man I'm breaking up with was coming to my house to get the scooter he "gave" me - and I didn't want to see him.

I ended up having Wendy's for dinner instead of the dinner I had planned (grilled steak Parmesan with broccoli and a salad).  Ick.  Fast food is quickly losing its appeal.  Then I had a couple of glasses of water before bedtime, while I was reading to the kids.

I was down nearly 2 pounds over yesterday, though - and I'd braced myself for a gain. 

Losing weight is always a multi pronged approach.  I had a great workout this morning at EXL Fitness. And I followed that up with a delicious breakfast burrito - 2 eggs, cheddar cheese, and salsa wrapped in a flour tortilla.  Yum!  I'm drinking a ton of water at the office again today, and saving my Diet Coke for a treat or for the caffeine - too much sweet isn't good for you, even without calories.

And I'm looking forward to dinner with my kids tonight!  Family dinner will do wonders for me and for the kids.

A Little Preparation....

I've realized that part of the reason I'm backsliding like mad is that I'm not preparing my food for the day in advance.  I'm not taking lunch to the office, so then I munch on....foods I'm not supposed to eat.....instead of apple slices with cinnamon or cucumber with Tabasco sauce.  Little Debbie Snack Cakes and Hostess Donuts just don't do much for weight loss.

So I'm going to start planning in advance.  We have a fridge at work, and I keep it well stocked with Diet Coke and bottled water.  I have Crystal Light packets.  Now I need to bring lunch and/or a snack. Bringing apples and my apple slicer will do wonders.

I'm also using the low-carb Menu Mailer from Saving Dinner.  (I really should become an affiliate for this site - I absolutely cannot say enough good things about it.  But I don't earn any money from Leanne, so you know this really comes from my heart!)  I love love love not having to think about dinner - except for once a week, when I get my shopping list and look over the menus.  After that - no thinking required!  I love it!

When you plan things ahead, you are really making a commitment to yourself that you'll improve your diet.  It's easier to avoid the drive-thru when you've already got the makings for dinner at home, your lunch with you, and fruit for a snack.

Low Carb Diets - Are They Too Hard?

I've seen a few Tweets about this very idea lately - and I've been thinking a lot about it.  Following the HCG protocol is very low carb.  And here's what I've found.

Going low carb isn't hard at all. 

I really thought it would be.  I love bread, and rice, and pasta, and all that yummy stuff.  I also love sugar in all its glory.  But when it came time to low-carb it - I was able to easily drop all that.  And now carbs tend to make me ill. 

It's really not that hard to push away the bread basket at the table.  Even at a restaurant.  It's not a challenge to tell the waiter that you just want the meats and veggies, thanks.  They understand that.

It can be a challenge to wean yourself from french fries and sandwiches - but it's about learning new eating patterns anyway, isn't it?

One way to do it is to use Saving Dinner's Menu Mailer.  I love this concept.  You get your menus for the week in a PDF download, which includes Low Carb, Heart Healthy, and Regular.  (Regular is still freaking healthy, and they are all delicious.)  Just following the menus can help you re-learn how to eat. 

So far, I've lost released over 30 pounds.

And if I can do it, you can do it. 

What's for Dinner?

Just to show you can eat "real food" on this diet - I'm having kabobs for dinner, made with chicken breast meat, orange sections, and bell peppers.  Yum!  (Thanks to Saving Dinner's low carb Menu Mailer).  I've lost weight every day using her menus - the only problems I've had have been (as usual) eating stuff I'm really not supposed to, like Pop Tarts and Swiss Cake Rolls, LOL. 

Saving Dinner

I'm  preparing to take better care of myself and my family by signing up for Saving Dinner.  After all, I still have to take care of younger children (who are NOT on a diet!) and some of her dishes turn out to be HCG friendly.  I want to eat good foods when I'm between rounds.

I used Saving Dinner for a couple of years back in '07 and '08, and then I kind of fell off the wagon.  They actually email you your shopping list and menus for the week.  Then all you have to do is follow instructions.  No thinking required.  It brought my grocery bill way down, kept me from filling my cart with "convenience" foods, and fooled my dad into thinking I was a great cook and homemaker.  (Seriously - she taught me to cook.

So I'm up for another round of her menus. I highly recommend them. 

And my accountability for today - weight 162.0, down 3 pounds from yesterday.  Goal 125.0.