Counting Carbs vs. Counting Calories

Is there a better way to eat? I’ve tried so many diet plans that I’m ready to get to the heart of this subject.

I boiled down the two best ways (for me) to lose this fat. Yes, I need to lose over 100 lbs. These two types of eating are counting carbs or counting calories. I HAVE to count something to keep my daily intake low enough to actually LOSE weight. So, I researched for days and found that a low carb method of eating is very good for my body.

I’m pre-diabetic, so I’m insulin resistant. I need to cut the carbs for sure. However, I tried eating low carb for a week. It was not enjoyable at all for me. It’s not something I can stick with very long. I like sandwiches on hearty bread and an English muffin with a poached egg between the halves. Never mind the hidden sugars in ketchup or every other sauce/dressing. I was driving myself crazy keeping up with the sugars and general other carbs.

So, I tried counting calories. It worked better for me but I still didn’t “feel” well. I realized I could (and should) combine these methods somewhat. It’s not strict Keto but it might work.

I started on a Wednesday and lost two pounds by the following Monday. I was happy with my diet choices, and my body felt pretty good so far.

I cut out desserts and processed goodies. I also choose sugar free BBQ sauce and ketchup now. I still like regular salad dressings, though, but I have discovered that a homemade balsamic vinaigrette saved the day for me (and hubby likes it, too). I’ll include this recipe below.

Using a glycemic index book, I discovered the many foods that were low and healthful. I also found out which made me feel bad. It was simple. You can look it up online. You don’t need a book. 😉

I also have begun drinking a two-ingredient mix that helps lower insulin response before every meal. It’s 1-2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a good amount of water (or other liquid of your choice). Do NOT just down the vinegar alone. It will hurt the enamel on your teeth, and isn’t so great for the stomach.

My crockpot has been a life saver. I can put in any protein and throw in some veggies, and voila! Dinner will be ready at 5:00 pm. There are also great slow cooker recipes for low carb diets online, too! I do not like to cook, so this way of getting dinner done makes me very happy, and my husband, Dave loves the homecooked meals regularly.

Have you ever roasted fresh veggies in EVOO and dried herbs? I love roasted brussels sprouts, green beans, asparagus, thin spears of carrot, and any other fresh veg that happens to look promising. Try doing this. I set my oven on 350 degrees and roast away until the veggies begin getting a charred appearance. You might want to stop cooking them earlier. LOL.

Since vegetables are a big part of this diet plan because they are low in carbs and SO good for me, I try to eat them as much as possible. I love frozen veggies that can be steamed in their own bags. Easy!

Salads are, of course, another go-to. Add some protein to the top (egg, chicken, turkey, tuna, etc). Soups are also a fave of mine. Canned or homemade, I enjoy both. More variety is had with canned, though, but they contain more salt and calories unless you choose ones without these additives. Read the labels closely.

I just ordered a variety of Cliff bars as snacks when I am traveling or running errands and need a snack. I’ll see how this turns out. They are not low in carbs that I am aware of but they are within my “snack” calorie limits.

Another tip, I’ve been having hot tea before bed. Herbal tea mostly but any kind will do – unless caffeine keeps you awake. During the day, I have matcha tea, chai, rooibos, hibiscus, green tea, and other herbal teas with great flavors like lemon or orange spice. A hot tea at bedtime curbs hunger or even the “I want a snack” mind hunger.

Sara Lee makes a light bread. It has 45 calories per slice, and it’s full of fiber. I have been purchasing this bread lately. If I don’t want a “bread” sandwich, I use a big leaf of romaine lettuce filled with my favorite sandwich middle. Yum!

Ok, time for the balsamic vinaigrette recipe I promised. Have a healthful day!

Lea’s Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), 1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar, 1 clove garlic, salt and pepper, 2-3 Tbsp. honey (start with 2), 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp dried thyme

Mix in a jar with a lid. Shake together. Keep in fridge for 2-3 weeks. Add salt or honey to taste at the end.

1 serving is 2 Tbsp./ 84 calories/ 5 carbs/ 6 fat/ 0 protein

Is the Keto Diet For You?

Some call a Keto diet “trendy.” Many people have tried this eating plan with great success, so we can call it successful if you stick with it properly.

You will be choosing more fatty fish, olive oil, nuts, eggs, bacon, butter, and cheese than on most other diet programs.

The first couple of weeks, you might see headaches, fatigue, and drowsiness. This can be expected. You are changing your whole body’s fuel system. This period is called Keto Flu.

Lots of information is available or low/no carb diets, so it’s easy to find parameters of the diet, and because so many people are on this plan, there is a community of your peers to chat with.

I know you hear this often with eating plans, but please check in with your doctor about your new way of feeding your body. He or she may have suggestions for you and can also check your body while on this program.

Limiting calories is important. However, don’t go below 1200-1400 per day. Your body needs a basic minimum to merely fuction.

Try the following blog for more info. It has good all around suggestions and also offers different popular food chain options for you.

• No Bun Please
• the ketominimalist.com/restaurant-guides

For a great podcast, try the following:

The Keto Diet Podcast

Keto for Normies

Low Carb vs Junk Food Diet

I’ve made a discovery. I had to choose a path to travel when I approached a fork in the road. Ironic that it’s called a FORK when my diet is what drastically changed. Over the last couple of decades, I made junk food my go-to when I felt stressed, bored, afraid, or whatever other emotion I was dealing with. I was alone a lot in my first marriage and fell to food as a coping mechanism.

You’ve heard this tale before by many others BUT mine hit me square in the face tonight. With hubby number two off at a meeting, I was bored and hungry. Instead of choosing the low carbohydrate foods in my pantry, I turned backward and drove to a taco stand. It sounded so tasty, and it HAD been a month since I’d changed my diet. I deserved one meal I craved, right?

I crushed the tacos in a bowl and added salsa. I sat down to watch a sit-com  – anticipating the first bite of an old delicious friend, a taco with an actual crunchy shell on it.

Boom! There was the taste. Only it wasn’t what I remembered. It had a stale, kind of burned taste, and the texture of the meat was odd. It was packed together tightly but get this . . . there was almost no taste at all. It WASN’T delicious. It was greasy and bland and not even close to what my mind remembered.

I finished the tacos anyway, secretly hoping each bite would find me enchanted again with my old habit. Nope. So, I ate until I was too full (like I once did) and felt like crap! Within fifteen minutes, I had a headache. I kid you not. MSG? I knew there was no “going back.”

I had taken a path of clean eating over the last month, and it prevailed. I was both encouraged and disappointed. I didn’t have the old habit I once counted on as my Band-Aid.

Yet, I faced a new path . . . one with a healthier destination.

I now walk in the light of health and won’t have the old unhealthful habits. I guess that’s one way to quit a habit you hate. It becomes something you detest after a while.

My bare feet take me to a happier and tastier place, and I do enjoy the journey much more than I used to. Soon, there will be no fat, headaches, mood-changing sugars, or any other detriment that I once held so closely.

I wonder what else 2018 has in store.

Happy February, dear ones ~