FAQs for eating low carb

Over the last year I have received many questions about eating low carb. One thing I want to point out first is "low carb" is not "no carb."  Almost everything has some carbs in it.  It's about making the right choices when you consume carbs.  Here are some of the most common:

Q: Do you cook something different for your kids?
A: No.  My kids are 3, 4 and 6 years old.  They eat what I cook or they can have a bowl of Cheerios for dinner.  I do make some adaptations, and I can't always cook some of the foods or side dishes I would like, but we always have plenty and we haven't pulled out the cereal yet.

Q: Do you count carbs?
A: No.  Maybe I should, but numbers have never been helpful to me.  It usually stresses me out, which doesn't help weight loss.  There are days my body needs more carbs or calories than normal, and I do not want to feel like I'm starving, so I just make good choices when choosing snacks.  If I need an extra string cheese and almonds, I figure my body is trying to tell me something.  Just do everything in moderation.  If you want to count carbs, the more carbs you consume, the slower the fat burn.  Around 50 carbs a day is a pretty fast fat burn.

Q: What foods do you try to avoid?
A: The obvious foods I avoid are breads, fried foods, and sweets.  If I have bread, I choose whole wheat.  If I want sweets, I choose low carb fruits or a light and fit Greek yogurt.  I have tried Bluebell's No Sugar Added ice cream and I like it.  I do not have it often, but if I'm craving ice cream, it's better than the real deal.  There are a lot of substitutes for carb-loaded loves, too.  One of my favorites is lettuce wraps! (I'll do a separate post soon about some other substitutes.)

Found at Walmart

Q: What do you do when you're on the go/out to eat?
A: Most fast food restaurants will wrap their burgers or sandwiches in lettuce for you.  They will also let you sub a side salad for fries (Ranch dressing is low carb!! The real stuff, not fat free).  "Sit-down" restaurants are easier to navigate.  They will have options that are healthy choices, just keep an eye on the side dishes and drink water or unsweet tea.  It's up to you on sweeteners.  Personally, I still use artificial sweeteners.  Right now I hear Stevia or Truvia are some of the most natural.  Agave is also a good choice.  

Here is a list of snacks and meals I came up with that you can prep and take on the go in the car if you're like my friend, Ashley, who is taking her son to sports stuff 3 nights a week.

Snacks
-cheese sticks & almonds
-low carb sausage balls
-boiled eggs/deviled eggs
-apples and peanut butter
-low carb brownie energy bites

Dinner
-Breakfast burrito (low carb tortilla)
-smoked sausage, apple, and cheddar cheese (kabob it for more fun)
-lettuce wrap chicken breast taco with carrots
-lettuce wrap burgers with strawberries
-ham roll up
-BLT (lettuce on the outside)
-low carb chicken salad

Menu: Week 1 January 5-11

Ranch Chicken with green beans and potatoes and dessert

Potatoes, Chicken, and Green beans

I made a Pinterest recipe on Saturday.  It was super simple and pretty good as well.  Chicken breasts, fresh green beans, and small potatoes.  I wanted to use red potatoes, but they were out at the local Wal-Mart, so I went with these tiny golden potatoes. Put all three together in a glass casserole dish and sprinkle about 3 tblsp of Ranch dressing seasoning on all of it.  Cover with foil and bake for an hour at 350 degrees.  Note: I think it could have wrapped up around 45 minutes and been fine.  I have attached the recipe link below.


Ranch Chicken recipe

Most people think that low carb means no dessert, but I try to include a dessert whenever I can find one or make one up.  This time I had some eggs that were about to expire and bananas that were extra ripe, so I used the eggs and some heavy whipping cream (zero carbs) and made some crepes, whip cream and used the bananas.  I found the recipe on Pinterest, of course.  It was my first time to make crepes so it went as well as can be expected.  My kids ate it up, though.  

Low carb egg crepes Crepe recipe

Choosing a low carb lifestyle...

Almost two years ago to date, I realized it was time to change my eating habits.  I loved love food!  My husband and I would even go as far to say that we are foodies.  We frequently try out new foods, new restaurants, and we have even participated in cooking class and several food tours.  (If you've never done a food tour, I highly recommend it: see links below). However, my youngest son turned one at the end of 2012, and I decided my weight was out of control.  He was my third baby, so I knew we were finished having kids, and I ignored my weight for his entire first year.  I stepped on the scale in January of 2013 and it was upwards of about 215 pounds, the most I'd ever weighed.

Left: November 2012    Right: November 2013

I didn't make a New Year's resolution because those were always broken, but I wanted to make a lifestyle change.  I started a slow carb diet, and I lost almost 20 pounds in the first two months. Something was finally working.  I continued on a strict diet through August and ended up losing a total of 45 pounds.  I seem to hit a plateau at this point.  I continued working out and eating right, but I couldn't lose any more weight.  Results were minimal and mostly seen in inches and muscle tone.  I'd like to lose another 20 pounds, but I've decided to be happy even if I can't.  It has not been easy to keep the weight off, especially on vacations and holidays.  I can put on 15 pounds in a month if I'm not watching what I eat.  Since I have found something that works for me, though, I'm okay with it.  I can eat what I want over the holidays, as long as I stop it there.  I have goal weights, and an "Eek weight," and an "Oh crap" weight.  After this holiday season, I'm at the "Oh crap" weight, but that's okay because my low carb lifestyle begins again now.  

I know I will eventually get to the point of eating healthy all year round, but I LOVE food, and I still want to enjoy pumpkin pie and Christmas tree cakes, no matter how much I know I shouldn't.  So this blog is mostly a help for living low carb.  I'll post menus, recipes, and what I eat.  Feel free to share ideas or tips, or just share my blog with a friend who wants to eat low carb as well.  Here's to a new year and a low carb lifestyle!!!