Reality check. November 27, 2017 changed my life forever. Bill and I decided we needed a change. We did some research and chose to follow a low carb, high fat "diet." We wrote a grocery list and headed to Aldi. Once we got home from the grocery store, we realized eating healthy isn't as expensive as what we thought. Aldi is now our go-to store! Inexpensive, good quality foods.
Weight loss. I lost 4lbs in 2 days. Ummm, hello!? The first few days are rough.. I'll be the first to admit it. I wanted to give up so bad, but those 4lbs were my motivation to keep going. Researchers say that the first week of this new change is considered the "flu." This feeling goes away, trust me! Even though some days can be frustrating, I have learned that every little ounce lost is a step in the right direction to a healthier lifestyle. Here's a look at my weight loss:
- Week 1 total loss = 8lbs
- Week 2 total loss = 1lb
- Week 3 total loss = 2lbs
- Week 4 total loss = 2lbs
- Week 5 total loss = 2lbs
- Total weight loss = 15lbs
For the men out there, Bill has lost a total of 30lbs in the same timeframe! His weight loss journey is just as incredible.
Food. So I'm sure you're anxious to know what foods we're eating. Nothing too crazy, honestly. It's important to look at Total Carbohydrates found on the nutrition label. This is where you start! Once you get an idea of what foods are on the lower end, you'll get an idea of meals you can make. First off, stay away from most fruits and grains. Trust me it's okay that you aren't eating fruit, your body will get the nutrients it gets from fruits, from other foods. Here's a list of items I add to my grocery list:
- Kerrygold butter
- Sour cream
- Milk/Almond milk
- Eggs
- Bacon
- Sausage
- Almond flour
- Cheeses
- Cucumber
- Chicken (thighs, breast, wings)
- Ranch dressing
- Mushrooms
- Cauliflower
- Beef
- Pork rinds (Can be used to replace breadcrumbs.)
- Tuna
- Shrimp
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Green beans
- Lettuce
- Peppers
- Zucchini
- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
- Water
- Cream cheese
- String cheese
- Peanuts
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Heavy cream
- Stevia
Most people ask me for meal plans. Here's an idea of a week:
Monday -
Breakfast: 2 eggs/ 4 slices of bacon/ coffee with heavy whipping cream
Snack: Buffalo chicken dip with 7-8 slices of cucumber
Lunch: Salad with meat (grilled chicken, steak, or tuna) topped with cheese and Ranch dressing.
Snack: Cheese stick
Dinner: Bunless cheeseburger topped with bacon, tomato, lettuce, Mayo
Tuesday -
Breakfast: 2 eggs/ 3 sausage links/ coffee with heavy whipping cream
Snack: Hard boiled egg
Lunch: Salad with meat topped with cheese and Ranch dressing.
Snack: Buffalo chicken dip with 7-8 slices of cucumber
Dinner: 1 Chicken breast with homemade Alfredo sauce, asparagus
Wednesday -
Breakfast: 2 eggs/ 4 slices of bacon/ coffee with heavy whipping cream
Snack: 10 slices of pepperoni with cheese
Lunch: Salad with meat topped with cheese and Ranch dressing.
Snack: 2 slices of bacon, handful of cherry tomatoes
Dinner: Chicken wings (limit the amount of BBQ sauce, use hot sauce instead), Ranch dressing to dip
Thursday -
Breakfast: 2 eggs/ 4 slices of bacon/ coffee with heavy whipping cream
Snack: 10 slices of pepperoni with cheese
Lunch: Salad with meat topped with cheese and Ranch dressing.
Snack: Buffalo chicken dip with 7-8 slices of cucumber
Dinner: Steak topped with Kerrygold butter, roasted broccoli with melted butter
Friday -
Breakfast: 2 eggs/ 3 sausage links/ coffee with heavy whipping cream
Snack: Hard boiled egg and cheese stick
Lunch: Salad with meat topped with cheese and Ranch dressing.
Snack: 2 slices of roast beef rolled in cheese
Dinner: Chicken cutlets pounded with meat tenderizer, seasoned with Italian seasoning, topped with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni, with a side a broccoli
See a trend? Yep! This is just an idea of one week and with some meal prepping, your week is planned out and you're ready to start losing weight. After your first week, DON'T GIVE UP! Message me for more ideas! I'd be happy to run with you during this change. Also, I forgot to mention, drink lots and lots of water! Your body is going to freak out at first, but keep hydrated with water, keep your mind occupied, and stay active.
Let's start a challenge! Since so many of you have shown interest in losing weight, changing your eating habits, etc., I'm willing to work with you, sharing recipes, motivate you, and truly be your supporter! Let me know!
Recently, I have branched out and tried some new foods. I've been craving cookies! Let me tell you, I was a little hesitant with baking chocolate chip cookies, but damn, were these cookies ever amazing!! Here's a link to the recipe: https://meaningfuleats.com/almond-flour-chocolate-chip-cookies-grain-free/
Tonight's dinner was a rump roast, onions, and radishes in the crockpot. Bill made dinner and he said it was super easy! He picked up a roast at Myer's Meat Market (another great place to stock up on inexpensive, high quality meat), sliced up an onion, and tossed in a pound of red radishes, with some seasonings. Bill is pretty skeptical when it comes to trying something like this, I mean, who wouldn't - radishes used in place of potatoes!? This boy ate it all and even asked when we could have this meal again! I love his reactions to new foods! Oh, and FYI, for 1 medium radish it is .2g carbs (minus .1g dietary fiber, then technically it's only .1g carb... but let's not get too technical yet), compared to 1 medium red potato equaling 34g carbs! Hellllllo, why would you not want to try this!!!
Below is a picture of buttered green beans with chicken pizzas. Another awesome meal, leaving you feeling filled to the gills.
Infertility. A lot of you are curious where I stand with baby-making. Well, no baby and no pregnancy, yet. As you may know, I put treatments on hold for almost a year as I had a bad experience with a medication I was put on and other personal reasons. However, over the past month, I found a new fertility doctor who also specializes in reproductive endocrinology, which is great! I'm excited!! As of this past weekend, I took 5 days worth of Femara, which I will then follow up at the fertility center later this week for testing, in hopes to complete an IUI either this weekend or next week. Exciting stuff going on up in here!! Whoop, whoop! Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as I'm a bit anxious!
My journey through life is not done alone; through the support of you all, my family, husband, and friends, I am thankful I can continue to share what life events get thrown my way with each and every one of you. Very few people actually read through the entire blog post, but for the few that do, thank you! Be sure to leave a comment to let me know you made it all the way through!
~ Emily
