Set Points and Makeovers

Sorry about the radio silence. The last couple of weeks have been mildly frustrating. I've been bouncing back and forth between 205 and 205 for two weeks now. The funny thing is when I lost weight for the first time 3 years ago I spent 6 weeks stuck at 205. I know that my body has set points when I lose weight, places I plateau for awhile. But I didn't think it would be the exact same point, I wonder if it will hold true for the next one? It will be interesting to see if I get stuck at 195 like I did last time, won't it?

Anywho, this last week we celebrated my husband's and my son's birthdays. We went out to lunch at a Brazilian Steak House (you know, the place where they bring around the meat on the swords. Combine that with the amazing salad bar and it makes a great low-carb place to eat out.) Afterward we were waling around the outdoor mall in downtown Salt Lake when I saw this little store called Betty Paige. Their window display had these adorable 1950's style dressed and skirts. My husband encouraged me to try some on so I went in and basically got one of everything that was in my size. The styles were all Marilyn Monroe-esque. Cinched at the waist and curvy through the bust and hips. In the dressing room trying on that first dress I had a revelation.

I've hated shopping my whole life. Clothes never seem to fit me like they do other people. Pants are tight in the hips and gap hugely at the waist. Dresses strain across my bust and hips and bag around my stomach. I'll get to the point where I have one outfit left in my closet before I go out and go shopping. Part of me has always attributed this to my being over-weight, that's natural right?

But then I stood in the dressing room and pulled on a dress that was specifically designed for a woman with an hourglass figure. And it fit like the proverbial glove. Curvy through the hips and bust and narrow at the waist. I stared at myself in the mirror and felt like I was bathed in the light of a blinding epiphany. Yes I was still overweight, but here was a dress that was designed to look good on a woman with my body shape. And it did!

Then I tried on 6 more outfits, each one that fit great and looked great on me! And I started to see how other women could love shopping. So then I spent way too much on that very first dress (thanks honey) and then died my mousy brown hair black to match. If my weight loss has stalled this week, at least I'm having fun!

Weigh-In Apr 2

Sorry about the hiatus guys. I had one gnarly case of strep throat that lasted for 10 days. (That's right, I said gnarly.) While I was sick I didn't follow my low-carb rules. Heck while I was sick I didn't even follow my personal hygiene rules. I mostly laid on the couch and moaned...a lot. And when I was hungry I ate whatever sounded good to me. So you can understand that I was a little apprehensive when I stepped back onto the scale this week. Then let out a huge sigh of relief when it said 207. Only 2 lbs up, I will totally take it. Thank you weight loss fairies for not blowing me up 8 lbs in addition to a horrible week of mucous and moaning.

So onward to better and less germy things! Please-oh-please. Kicked off my eating again yesterday and also started the weight lifting again. Instead of moving on to the next month I went back to week one and added heavier weights.

I've been reading a lot lately about goals and I usually tend to have vague, pie-in-the-sky goals. I want to be better about setting concrete goals that I can see and my husband can graph (he's mad about graphs, engineer you know). So I'm setting a new short term goal. I'm leaving for Arizona in exactly a month. In Arizona May is swimsuit season, unlike Utah which will still be yo-yoing back and forth between gorgeous days and blizzards. So I'm making a goal to be 195 when I leave for Az. That's 12 lbs or 3 lbs a week, which I know is on the high side. But here goes nothing.

All right, lurkers, I know you're out there. What's your short term goal? It doesn't have to be weight related, just throw it out there...in print for the world to see. Then go drink some water.

Ugh

Sorry guys, I am so sick right now. I'll be back when I can drag myself out of bed again.

Whoosh

Today I am watching 6 kids under the age of 8, answering phones for 9 hours for the company I work for, and making a homemade cupcake cake for the cub scout cake auction tomorrow. Yeah, I'm a little busy. But I wanted to drop in a show you guys a menu for a typical low carb day for me. You might be a little overwhelmed when going low carb for the first time wondering what you will possibly eat. The most common questions I get asked if, "Yeah, but what do you eat?!" (By the way an apology to my vegetarian friends for asking this same questions in that same puzzled voice).

So here's what I ate yesterday (keep in mind I'm in an early phase of my low carb eating so there's still a few foods I'm not allowed to eat):

Breakfast:
3 egg omelet with onion, peppers, garlic, mushroom, and cheddar cheese

Snack:
Low carb yogurt and sliced strawberries with whipped cream

Lunch:
Grilled Tilapia with lemon and butter, roasted asparagus and mashed caulifower

Snack:
Pistachios and a string cheese

Dinner:
Chicken Fajita salad (grilled chicken, onions, and peppers over a green salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and ranch dressing)

Dessert:
Sugar-free Jello with whipped cream, or an Atkins bar (the caramel nut chew one tastes just like a snickers)

I know I owe you guys a picture (do you know how hard it is to take a picture of yourself?) so I'll have the hubby take one tomorrow and get it up on Monday.

And for you ladies who are pumping iron with me:

Day 17

Forward Step Lunges
Deadlifts
Towel Squats
Uni Heel Raises
Torso Twists

Day 18

Combo Bicep Curls
Bent Over Kickbacks
Seated Flyes
Kneeling One Arm Rows
Single Arm Front Lifts
Abs

Day 19

Forward Lunges
Side Leg Lifts
Plie Squats
Uni Heel Raises
Reverse Leg Lifts

Day 20

Crunches
Forward Curls*
Standing Kickbacks*
Side Raises*
Lateral Drops*
Push Ups
Standing Bent Over Rows

Weigh-In Mar 19

Another Monday comes around again. Seems like the weeks are going by really fast and at the same time (with 4 weeks left until we move) extremely slowly! But onward we go. This morning I was 205. Yay! 20 lbs lost to date.

Funny thing with me, when I'm doing well I tend to get discouraged and sabotage my weight loss. Isn't that weird? I think I get upset about how much further I have to go instead of being excited about what I've done. Does anyone else get this way? I'm trying to be positive though (and not celebrate my weight loss with jelly beans).

I need to post a progress pic but my photographer is at a sleepover with grandma today. I'll try to get it up tomorrow or by Wednesday at the latest. And for those of you who are getting more buff by the day, here's the next 2 days of the routine:

Day 15

Reverse Lunges
Standing Leg Curls
Plie Squats
Bi Heel Raises

Day 16

Seated Bicep Curls
1 Arm Extensions
Seated Forward Presses
Standing Bent Over Rows
Upright Rows

Ham Cups

I've discovered one of the best, simplest, yummiest low-carb recipes ever! And the best part is it only has 2 ingredients. Seriously people when I say simple I mean 15 minutes from fridge to plate. To be truthful I wasn't the one who actually found it, my 8 year old did. (That's right, so simple an 8 year old can make it!) She was given an assignment to cook and serve a meal for the family. So she went through her Kids Can Cook recipe book looking for something low-carb her mommy and daddy could eat. She chose Ham Cups so we made them and they were so yummy we've made them 4 or 5 times since.

These are great if you're:
1. In a hurry
2. Have kids (they're super fun to eat finger food)
3. On a diet
4. On a budget
5. Not in the mood to cook (ding ding ding)

Here's how it goes. Get out a muffin pan and spray it. Take a piece of deli ham and push it into each cup so it makes a cute little ham cup. Then take an egg and crack it into the ham cup. I find the easiest way to do this (especially for kids) is to crack it into a measuring cup and pour it into the ham cup. Now pop it into a 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes (depending on if you like your yolks runny or solid, I like them somewhere in between). Take them out and let them cool for a minute and then pop them onto a plate. Voila! All done. No really, that's it. Sometimes if I want to get fancy I put a little slice of cheese under the egg before I bake it.

Something magical happens to that egg while it is baking. I love the flavor of eggs but I HATE the texture. It seems to be that eggs are alternately slimy or rubbery. But these eggs are melt-in-your mouth smooth and delicious. The best part? Depending on what ham you use these have 0 carbs. Woo-Hoo!

And for you ladies who are pumping iron with me, here are the next 2 days of the routine.

Day 12

Forward curls
Bent Over Kickbacks
Bench Presses
Standing Bent Over Rows
Military Presses
Traditional Crunches

Day 13

Reverse Leg Lifts
Torso Twists
Traditional Crunches
Towel Squats *
Side Leg Lifts *
Forward Lunges *
Deadlifts
Plie Squats

Days 10 & 11

How's it going? Anyone trying the routine? Is someone out there sore today, I mean besides me?

Day 10
Biceps - Combo curls
Triceps - Standing Kickbacks
Chest - Chest flys
Back - Kneeling 1 Arm Rows
Shoulders - single arm forward lifts
Abs - Pelvic Tilts

Day 11
Legs- Walking Lunges
Back legs - Deadlifts
Legs/Butt - Towel Squats
Calves - Heel raises
Abs - Torso Twists

Weigh-In Mar 12

206.5 this morning. Not quite the 205 I was hoping for but still down 2 lbs from last week. Once I hit 205 that will be 20 lbs lost and I'll post another progress picture.

I missed my Friday post. We're buying a house right now and suddenly there's not enough time in the day.But I'm back now with days 8 & 9 of the weight lifting routine.

Day 8
Biceps - Seated 1 arm curls
Triceps - Bent Over Kickbacks
Chest- Seated Forward Press
Back - Standing, Bent-Over Rows
Shoulders - Upright rows
Abs- Crunches

Day 9
Legs - reverse lunges
Back Legs- Standing leg curls
Legs/Butt - towel squats
Calves - Heel raises
Abs - reverse leg lifts

Days 5 & 6

Sorry for posting this late. Here are days 5 and 6 of the weight lifting routine.

Day 5
Biceps - Supinated Curls - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Triceps - 1 Arm Extensions - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Chest - Chest flies - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Back - Kneeling 1 arm rows - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Shoulders - Reverse Flies - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Abs - Traditional Crunches

Day 6
Abs - Reverse leg lifts
Obligues - Torso Twists
Legs/Butt - Towel Squats
Waist - Lateral Drops
Legs/Butt - Forward Lunges
Legs/Butt - Deadlifts
Inner Thigh - Plie Squats

Why Women Should Lift Weights

Step back Jazzercise and take a seat Zumba! Women everywhere are realizing the amazing benefits of weight lifting. The best part? No expensive gym membership required. All you need is a cheap pair of hand weights you can purchase at Wal-Mart. If you're new to lifting, or new to exercising, start with a set of 3 lb weights and a set of 5 lb weights. If you are already exercising you might want to go with 5's and 8's.

Here's some of the benefits of weight lifting.

1) Increase Your Metabolic Rate - Strength training increases your metabolic rate by increasing the calories you burn on a daily basis. The more calories you burn, the more chance you have to drop body fat. With more muscle you burn more calories even when you're doing nothing at all!

2) Increase your bone density, your lean muscle mass, your balance, and your ability to heal.

3) Reduce your risk for coronary disease and diabetes.

4) My favorite? You need to lose less weight! You will lose more inches and need to lose less weight to get into those skinny jeans!

Worried about bulking up?
DON'T!!! It is testosterone that helps men to bulk up and women simply do not have enough of this hormone to bulk up like they do. Trust me, I have PCOS (Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) and one of the symptoms is excess testosterone production. If I don't bulk up while lifting a woman with normal hormone levels won't come close. You'll just build nice lean muscle.

So whose ready for days 3 & 4 of the routine? I am feeling the burn for sure today!

Day 3
Biceps - Hammer Curls - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Triceps - 2 arm overhead extensions - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Chest - Chest flies - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Back - Standing Bent Over Rows - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Shoulders - Military Press - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Abs - Torso Twists

Day 4
Legs/Butt - Squats - 1 set 20-30 reps
Back Legs - Standing Leg Curls - 3 sets 12-15 reps
Inner Thighs - Plie Squats - 3 sets 12-15 reps
Calves - Heel raises - 3 sets 20-25 reps
Abs - Pelvic Tilts

Google the individual moves but feel free to let me know if you can't find info on any of the moves. Just start! Every great change starts with one decision, one moment. This could be yours! So go buy some weights and drink some water. Then come back Friday for a new low-carb recipe.

Weigh-In Mar 5

All right amigos, we are back on track now! Scale was at 208.5 this morning. Three pounds down this week, so I've now lost all the weight I gained on my anniversary and even a little more! I'm getting really excited now because a huge milestone for me is starting to peak it's head up over the horizon. When I hit 205 that will be my first twenty pounds lost, and 203 will be 10% lost. Once I hit 205 I'll post another progress picture. And of course the big 199 isn't too, too far away, right?

For those of you who've been reading for awhile know that in January and February I was pretty consistent with going to the gym in the evenings. But now my husband is getting ready for a big plant shut-down and also studying for a professional engineering exam. Which in other words means that I'm basically a single mom for the duration. So I've been struggling with getting to the gym. So today I'm starting a weight lifting routine I can do at home, it only takes about 10-15 minutes, and all I need is hand weights. Maybe some of you would like to do it with me? This is a 6 day a week program (I'll be taking Sunday off).

Day 1
Biceps - Forward Curls - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Triceps - Backward raises - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Chest - Bench Press - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Back - Kneeling 1 arm rows - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Shoulders - Side raises - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Abs - traditional crunches

Day 2
Legs, front - Forward lunges - 1 set of 20-30 reps
Legs, back - Deadlifts - 3 sets of 15-20 reps
Legs/Butt - Towels squats - 3 sets of 15-20 reps
Calves - Heel raises - 3 sets of 20-25 reps
Abs - Reverse Leg lifts

I do each exercise once (12-15 reps) and then move on to the next one, and do that three times. So you do each exercise for 12-15 reps, three times. You want to choose a weight that you can finish all the reps in good form but one that provides a challenge. Too heavy and you can strain your muscles and too light you won't get an effective exercise. We could be here forever if I tried to explain each weight lifting move so feel free to google the individual moves if you're unsure of how to do them. In weight lifting proper form is key, and you also want to keep control of the movement in both directions.

Feel free to post if you have a question about the routine. I'll be back Wednesday with days 3 & 4. Drink lost of water this week!

Dr Seuss and Roasted Vegetables

Happy Birthday to Dr. Seuss! My kids are at our table happily coloring their Dr Seuss activity books. Who doesn't love Dr. Seuss? The man was a genius! I'd rather read his books over and over to my kids then any others. As I was compiling my kids packets I came across this quote by Dr Seuss:

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You!"

What a beautiful sentiment! How much easier would our lives be if we focused more on being "you"? If we stopped trying to be like the mom next door (whose 14 month old is potty trained and always has her hair and makeup done), or the 18 year old at the gym (whose running for an hour at a 10 incline and never sweats a drop), or the lady at the grocery store (who has her coupons perfectly organized and paid $12 for her cart of groceries)? Today you are you, tomorrow you will be you, in 10 years you will be you. You are the only person you will be with every day of your entire life. How much easier would that life be if we love that person, huh? I propose that we all stop trying to be someone else and start trying to be the best "you" you can be! "There is no one alive who is Youer than you!"

Anyway, so on a low-carb diet you eat a lot of vegetables. I mean A LOT of vegetables! SO after a while you start looking for different ways to cook them (a little desperately). Right now my favorite method is roasting. Roasting vegetables gives them a deep, nutty flavor that is fantastic. Also, since I'm not a big fan of mushy anything, it gives them a slight crispiness.

What can you roast? Anything you want! Right now my favorites are broccoli, cauliflower and asparagus. Asparagus is especially tasty when roasted. Here's how you do it:

Roasted Asparagus

Wash your bunch of asparagus and then trim the stems. Here's how you know where to trim an asparagus. Grab the top of the asparagus with one hand and the bottom with the other. Gently bend the asparagus until it naturally breaks. Do 2 that way and then use a knife to cut the bunch at the same point. This ensure that you get only the tender part.

Spread on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil or butter. Toss to make sure they are all coated. You can use a lot of oil or just a little, it's up to you. Sometimes I just spray them with an oil spray. Then season with salt and pepper, and pop into a 375 degree oven. Check them after 10 minutes (or when you can smell them cooking) I like to leave them in a little longer until they are brown and crunchy on the edges.

Use the same basic concept to roast any veggies. Last week I did a broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, and red onion mixture. It was divine! To jazz it up you could also sprinkle some grated parmesan onto the veggies before or after roasting.

Check back in Monday for weigh-in!

Weigh-In Feb 27

I'm down to 211.5 today, so down 3.5 lbs from last week. I think I would have been down more except that I fell off the wagon this week. We went out to dinner Friday night with David's company and I was prepared to follow my diet until I got there and we didn't get to order, it was a pre-ordered meal. So I thought I would just go with the flow, pop off the diet for one night and then get back on track. So I did (and by the way the creme brulee was amazing!) But then on Saturday I had crazy carb cravings and ended up eating pizza for dinner. Then on Sunday I ate a whole bag of my favorite Easter jelly beans.

:Hangs head in shame:

It's amazing now to see and feel my reaction to sugar. Not only physically, the blood sugar spikes and headaches. But also the cravings they trigger, for foods I haven't craved in weeks. I'm eager to get back on the plan this week. Though I desperately need to go shopping first. My fridge contains mostly condiments right now. One thing I've learned doing this is that I always need to keep food available that I can eat. One of the best parts of low-carb is that you can eat whenever you're hungry.

So onward we go. I'm hoping to lose the rest of my anniversary weight this week, and then hoping to hit my 20 lbs weight loss goal the next week. Now go drink some water and check back Wednesday.

Denial and Comfort

All right I'm back. I'm still in total denial that my anniversary vacation is over. You know how it feels when you look forward to something for so long, and enjoy it so much? It's so anti-climatic to come back down to earth. So in response I did pretty much nothing this week except work through 2 seasons of the X-Files on Hulu.

However I DID restart my low-carb diet and it's going great. It feels comfortable to me now, easy and second nature. It's so nice to be on a diet where I don't feel deprived and frustrated all the time. So while my productivity is at a low this week, my weight loss is full steam ahead.

So this week I want to share with you one of my new favorite low-carb snacks. This is what I make in the evenings if I feel hungry at all.

Deli Roll Ups

Thin slices of your favorite lunch meet
Dill pickles
Cream Cheese

Yup that's it! I like to layer a slice of turkey, ham, and salami then spread a little bit of cream cheese down the center. Take a pickle and quarter it lengthwise and lay one on top of the cheese. Then roll it all together. Use whatever meat you want to. You don't need much of the cream cheese (remember if you're counting carbs that while cream cheese is low in carbs it still has some). My kids think these are so much fun to eat. Last night I was feeling lazy so I made myself a salad and 3 of these to go on the side. Super yummy.

Tonight my husband's company is taking us out to eat. Luckily we're going to a steak house, one of the easiest restaurants to go low-carb at. Looking forward to a nice low-carb evening with my hubby.

Check back in Monday for weigh-in! I'm really hoping to have lost the weight I gained on my trip.

Weigh-In Feb 20

I picked my new quote hoping it would sink in but it's not really helping at all. I'm terribly sad that my anniversary week is over because it was soooo much fun! I've been a mom for almost 9 years now, and I love it. There's no job I'd rather be doing. But it was wonderful to take 5 days and to just be Amy. To sleep when I was tired, and eat when I was hungry, and only do what I wanted to do. It was precious time and was such a wonderful break for me and David.

But now it's Monday again, sadly, and life must press on! Like I said last week I didn't follow my low-carb diet during my vacation. So my weigh-in today was 215, up 6 pounds from last week. And for once I don't regret a single pound, every single one was worth it. But now I'm back on the wagon and hoping to see that weight fall back off again. I'm excited this week because my husband is coming on board the low carb train with me which makes cooking much simpler.

Check back in Wednesday for some photos of my lovely trip. Now go drink some water!

Weigh-In Feb. 13th

Progress continues! I lost a little more than 3 lbs this week and I also lost 3 inches. I'm still very excited about my low-carb diet and it's been surprisingly easy to stay on it. The only time I've been tempted to jump off the wagon was today when I became too stressed. Yesterday on the way home from Granna's house our car (our only car) died on the drive home. Today we found out it's going to cost $1600 and a whole week to repair it. Then today my 6 year old had some dental work he had to be sedated for, and tomorrow I'm scheduled for a out-patient procedure myself. This all is happening 2 days before my husband and I are scheduled to leave for 5 days. So stress levels were up today and the apple crisp in my fridge started to seem more and more appealing. Funny how we have those triggers built into us, isn't it?

Valentine's Day is this week but there's a more important date for me this week. Wednesday is my 10th anniversary. My goal was to be under 200 lbs by my anniversary and I'm a little disappointed that I didn't make it but so excited that I found something that's working for me. I'm even more excited that when we get back my husband wants to go on this diet with me and train for a 5K in April. These kind of things are so much easier when someone is doing it with you.

So we're leaving on Wednesday and I can guarantee you that I will not be following my low-carb regimen this week. After all you only have a 10th anniversary once, right? So I'll be back to post and weigh in next Monday. Hopefully I won't gain too much but I plan to relax and have fun this week. Hope you all have a lovely Valentine's Day.

Spinach Quiche

This has been my favorite low-carb recipe so far. It is rich and hearty and has so much flavor in it. Even my kids devour this. If you're not low-carbing you can switch the cream out for milk. Use any cheese you'd like, mozzarella would reduce the fat content if that's a concern for you. Pepper Jack would spice it up if you like a little heat.

Crustless Spinach Quiche

4 strips bacon
1/2 Cup green onion, chopped
6 1/2 Ounce-weights frozen chopped spinach
4 large eggs
1 Cup heavy cream
1 Cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 Teaspoon salt
1/8 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 Teaspoon ground pepper
sprinkle of parmesan

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until desired crispiness. Remove from pan and set aside. Add onions to hot pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft. Stir in spinach and continue cooking until excess moisture has evaporated. Coarsely chop bacon.
In a large bowl, combine eggs, cream, cheese, bacon, salt, nutmeg and pepper. Add spinach mixture and stir to blend. Pour into prepared pie pan. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.
Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. The serving size in the recipe is 1/4 of the quiche, but my kids usually share that serving between all three of them. This is really good the next day too.

Let me know if you try it, and what you think.

Sugar Tolerance

Today I had to do a glucose tolerance test. I'm sure a lot of the women here will understand what I'm talking about. You fast for 8 hours, then drink something that tastes similar to orange crush, then fast 2 more hours and have your blood drawn. I've had this test done 7 or 8 times in the last 10 years. It's never really bothered me, I drank my weird orange soda thing and moved on. No big deal.

But this time I have been off sugar for almost 2 weeks, and I'm used to eating every 3 hours or so. So I went to chug my orange glucose drink and almost gagged. It was so disgustingly sweet! Cloyingly so, like drinking straight syrup. That was the first moment I realized that this diet has changed my tastes. I got the whole drink down finally and within 10 minutes I had a raging headache, in a few more I felt dizzy and weak. I felt horrible! That is how I used to feel after I ate all the time, man I do not miss that feeling at all.

I read recently that people who try to quit smoking aren't afraid of never smoking again, they're really afraid of always wanting to smoke. Of never getting rid of the cravings. I totally understand that, it's how I felt when I used to diet. I could deny myself those foods I craved but I always craved them. That's what I am loving about this diet. I am never hungry anymore and I have literally no sugar cravings.

Anyway, hopefully my weight loss isn't de-railed this week by the sudden influx of carbs. I have just one week left until my anniversary and I would love to be under 210 for it! Check back on Friday for a delicious low-carb recipe.

Weigh-In Feb 6

It's Monday again which means I have an appointment with my scale. But not just any scale, my brand new, shiny scale I got for my birthday. That's right I used my birthday money to buy myself a new scale that tracks weight loss and calculates body fat percentage. I know that makes me a little strange, but what are you going to do?

This morning, after one week on my low-carb regimen, I stepped onto my new shiny scale for the verdict. Last week I was 217.5 and this week I was 212.5! Five whole pounds this week. So happy! Not only did I lose 5 lbs this week but I re-measured myself this morning and I also lost almost 6 inches!

I'm loving this new diet. I almost never feel hungry anymore and I don't crave sugar at all. For the first time in years my blood sugar is stable, I don't have sugar crashes or the dizzy spells I had gotten used to. I'm eating more vegetables than I ever have before and food tastes so much better to me. Overall I'm just so happy that something is finally working for me.

I'm starting to think that I might actually get under 200 lbs again. Hopes been hard to come by the last couple of years where it came to my health. This week I'm also going in for testing to find the cause of our recurrent miscarriages. Wish me luck. And tune in later this week for some of the yummy recipes I've been making this week.

Cheesy Cauliflower Mash

Let me start out by apologizing for the lack of post on Wednesday. Me and dental work to no mix well, especially without very strong pain meds. I'm starting to feel better now though so onward.

The low-carb diet is going great! I can't believe how easy it's been to stay on the plan. I've been eating very yummy food, I haven't been hungry in between meals, and my energy levels have been very high. I'm losing weight too, can't wait for weigh-in on Monday to see how much.

Until then let me share a super yummy recipe I made last night. (I really need to photograph my food, I'll try better this week). This is a recipe adapted from one on the Atkins website.

Cheesy Cauliflower Mash with Onions

2 c cauliflower florets
2 tbs EVOO
3/4 c chopped onion
2 tbs cream or milk
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 ts salt
1/2 t pepper

Steam or boil cauliflower florets until soft and then mash.
Saute onions in oil until opaque.
Combine cauliflower, onions, and cream or milk. Mix until well combined. I used a handblender to get is smoother like mashed potatoes. Salt and Pepper to taste, then add the cheese and stir til melted. Tip: If you use a sharper cheese you can use less and get the same flavor.

This makes 4 servings at 4 net carbs a serving. If you're not doing low-carb you can make it lower fat by using milk instead of cream and using less or low-fat cheese. This only took like 10 minutes to make.