Celery is 95% Water and 100% Not Pizza

I get asked quite frequently about what I eat and if I can recommend any low-carb recipes to anyone.  I am probably the worst person to ask this of.  I used to consider myself a pretty good cook and even better baker but since I don’t eat much anymore it kind of takes the joy out of dinner time.  Also, being single, it’s not worth making dinner for just myself sometimes.  I’ve become extremely regimented in what I eat because that works for me.  If you’re someone who gets bored easily then you’ll definitely need to use hubs like Pinterest or low-carb eating blogs to help you out.  After a lot of testing, I have determined that I lose more weight on weeks when I eat moderate carbs.  Now, I don’t blow it out of the water and have whatever I want but I do pick at carbs.  With the amount that I work out, moderate carb helps me lose more weight.  

This is my day in a snapshot:

Pre-workout- red delicious apple in route to the gym.

Breakfast- 1 whole egg, 2 egg whites (scrambled) with about 1 tbsp. shredded cheese and 3-4 slices of low sodium deli ham.  Sometimes I roll it up on the side and sometimes I chop it to mix it in to the eggs.

Snack- piece of fruit and/or a protein bar/shake (more on those later!) depending on my hunger.

Lunch- Varies on how much time I have but usually a salad w/ protein.  Lunch is where I work in my little bit of carb.  If I’m eating out with friends from work and we go to Mexican, I get a taco salad with chicken and just pick at the shell.  I will eat some of the chips but I won’t eat a whole basket like the old me.  If I pack my lunch, I’ll have salad topped with chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, almonds, a bit of cheese and dressing.  Another piece of fruit and a protein bar if I haven’t had one yet today.

3 o’clock crash- flavored Sparkling ICE water.  Found in the water aisle, no calories, carbs or caffeine.  My favorite flavors are the mango lemonade, black raspberry, cherry limeade and watermelon-strawberry.  This is my something sweet to get me through the rest of the work day.

Dinner- Blazin’ Buffalo chicken deli meat, small salad, sliced veggies or celery & peanut butter.  If I’m sick of green things for the day, I’ll have another piece of fruit if I haven’t had 2 yet today.

Dessert- Almond milk with NesQuick or sugar free Hershey’s syrup (see Mo’Dairy, Mo’ Problems for details).

As you can see, life is pretty boring in the food department but that’s what keeps me on track.  Lunch is my biggest meal of the day and I try to squeeze all my food in before 7 p.m.  I also only eat if I’m hungry, which is still pretty rare that I’m not.  Weekends are where I usually mix it up and actually cook meals or other items.  A few of my favorites are below.  I also allow myself to eat bacon (low sodium) on weekends for breakfast.  I have to limit it to weekends because otherwise I will eat it all day every day.  Seriously, who doesn’t love bacon?

Fake Fajitas (this is my fave meal!)

Marinate steak or chicken in your favorite marinade (I use the McCormick Grill Mates Zesty Herb and follow packet directions).  Sauté, in a bit of butter and garlic, sliced green bell pepper and yellow onion until caramelized.  Grill or pan cook chicken or steak until done to your liking.  Serve sliced meat over bed of peppers and onions and top with sliced tomato, sliced avocado and a dollop of sour cream.

Barber Foods Stuffed Chickens

These stuffed chicken breasts come in a variety of flavors and are lightly breaded on the outside.  They are relatively low in carb (broccoli cheese has 13g) and are pretty delicious.  The cranberry brie is my favorite but it has a higher carb count so I stick with the broccoli cheese flavor.  Add with a veggie and you have dinner!  They’re in the frozen meat section near the chicken nuggets. 

Lean Hot Dogs

I sometimes eat these for breakfast or a snack.  Oscar Meyer makes the lean beef franks that are low calorie and, obviously, low carb.  I’ll grill up two and serve with low-sugar ketchup on the side.  If you haven’t tried low-sugar ketchup, I definitely recommend it!  It has a different flavor than normal ketchup but not enough to make you question it.  It’s a great alternative that will give you a bit of savings.

I’ve tried a lot of the cauliflower substitution recipes and I just don’t love them.  Honestly, if you want a pizza that tastes like cauliflower then it’s a great alternative.  I noticed that I would load up on sauce and cheese to make it taste better.  I also went through a phase where I was obsessed with spaghetti squash.  I burned out quickly on that one.  It is a really good meal but, again, it doesn’t taste like pasta.  Again, I loaded up on sauce and cheese to compensate.  Finding out what works for you takes time and effort on your part.  I’ve learned that I’m okay eating nearly the same thing every day because that’s how I see results.  Can someone please figure out how to remove carbs from mac ‘n’ cheese already?  I’m impatiently waiting.