5 Lessons I've Learned Since Going Low Carb

I am about 5 months into adjusting to a Low Carb (LC) way of eating (WOE). I’ve had several people join me on this journey. I’ve gotten asked multiple questions over these past few months and I thought I’d share a few things I’ve learned thus far.

1.

It’s all or nothing.

I’ve learned that you are either committed or you are not. My sweet hubby jumps on board every now and then but has yet to really stick with it. I have found that everyone has to use the principles of LC eating in a way that fits them, but they must be committed to seeing it through. I set a limit of 100 or less net carbs a day. I typically average 40 or so. The hardest part to date is finding foods that fill me up, because I refuse to be hungry, and allow me to stay within my parameters. I also make sure I stay within my sodium limits. I was diagnosed with high BP during my first pregnancy (we still don’t know why) and it has not regulated since. While I’m on the high end of normal, I could cross into a chronic issue at any time. Watching my sodium is just as important as losing weight. I also maintain a balance with my fat and cholesterol intake. No matter what you decide to do, you have to either be all in or not. It’s the only way a true lifestyle change can occur.

2.

Track it.

I track my food almost daily. Sometimes it hurts to put in what I’ve eaten (which means I did not make a very good choice) while other days, I am amazed at how content I am and how few carbs I’ve eaten. By tracking my food intake, I not only can easily see my carb intake, but I can easily monitor my sodium, fat and cholesterol intake. I keep an eye on the cholesterol simply because a lot of LC eating involves some foods that are higher on that end and as we know, too much of a good thing is not always a good thing.

3.

This is life.

I am adjusting to a new way of life when it comes to LC eating. I now find myself naturally leaning towards lower carb options at restaurants and only allow myself to visit some of my high carb favorite dining establishments every now and then. We do not eat out often, but I’ve definitely become pickier. I want quality food with options that I know will allow me to have something other than a salad. I’m not paying good money for a bowl of greens if I’m going out. With all of this in mind, I know there are days when I do not worry so much about my carb allotment. For instance, we just celebrated my son’s first birthday. I enjoyed every bit of it…the finger foods, the fruit, the cake…EVERYTHING! And I did not feel guilty. That’s the beauty of this. Because I am not making over indulging choices regularly anymore, I can feel good about enjoying days like that without the guilt.

4.

Preparation is key.

Whether it’s meal planning, pre-cooking, or setting my mind in the right place, I have to be prepared. I make a monthly menu that centers on LC meals. This dictates my shopping list. I will often cook a large amount of protein (chicken, beef, etc) at the beginning of the week or make double/triple of what I’d need for one meal, so that I have plenty of extra to help with other meals. I also have to get in the right mindset. Whether I’m cooking at home or joining friends out, I have to make sure I am prepared to face temptations. I must mentally prepare to make the better decisions. It has gotten so much easier as time has gone on…I won’t lie, the first month was definitely the hardest.

5.

It’s not all about the scale.

One of my dear friends bases too much of her success on the scale. We talk about this regularly. I’ve encouraged her to start taking measurements. I’ve also noticed a major increase in her muscle tone…and as most of us know, muscle weighs more than fat. The scale may not always move, but there are other tell-tale signs of success. Do not be defeated just because the scale is not showing you what you hoped to see.

I am regularly encouraged by those who are doing this with me. I feel better and I’m proud of my success. I am finally in a size smaller pant and I don’t cringe when I look in the mirror. I’m learning how to love myself where I am. I know I need to incorporate real exercise and I desperately need to start toning. These are my upcoming goals. So, whether you are just beginning a new journey or you’ve been on one for a while, keep going. It is totally worth it.

Tuesday Talk

Five on Friday

There are so many wonderful things about this Friday...here I go!

1. Good Friday

As a Christian, Good Friday is a monumental event in history. My Savior was crucified to pay the debt that my sin renders. He took the burdens of this world to the cross so that I may freely live and someday enter the Kingdom. I praise God for the sacrifice and yet mourn the tourcherous events that had to occur to make this possible. Without His sacrifice there would be no reason to hope.

Good Friday is arguably the saddest day in the life of Christ, but hold on, Sunday is coming! 

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2. Momma is coming to town...to stay!

For several years I have been certain that my mom was meant to move near us. The Lord has honored my requests and I'm thrilled to say that she will be here today! My hubby and his friend have been in GA since Wednesday getting her ready to go. By this time tonight, she'll be here to stay! No more 500 mile road trips. No more goodbyes with months in between them.

3. Easter

I love this time of year. It's filled with so many wonderful things. We celebrate oodles of birthdays and of course, Easter. We focus our energies primarily on recognizing the death and resurrection of our Savior, but we do enjoy other festivities. The kids will have an egg hunt and we'll have Easter lunch as a family. It will be N's first Easter...I hope it's warm enough to put him in his cute outfit.

4. Low Carb

I'm finishing up my third week of low carb eating. I'm not super strict but I've found a way to make it work for me. I can't wait to share my monthly update!

This is one of my favorite low carb meals to date!

5. SPRING BREAK!

Praise the Lord! The time has come for me to be able to enjoy my family, forget about grading papers, get rehydrated and use the bathroom whenever I want!

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Happy Friday everyone!

Linking up for Oh Hey Friday and Five on Friday 

FOF: Weight Loss Edition

It's been a while since I've linked up for a Five on Friday but it's been a while since I've done a lot of things. One of those things is taking better care of myself. Since the birth of Baby N, I've not felt like I've had the time or energy I need to focus on myself. Now that I've got the majority of my health things in order, it's time to get back on track.

1. Stop making excuses

I've had multiple medical issues since my delivery in July. Some birth/pregnancy related and some not. I've been working on getting these matters addressed and now that most of them are resolved, it's time to stop making excuses. I am a full-time working mom so I'll always be some degree of tired. I have a treadmill so the weather can't be a factor. Even 20-30 minutes is better than nothing...no more excuses.

2. Love

I have to love myself enough to do this. I have to love my children enough to want to live a long, active, and healthy life with them. I want to love myself enough to be the person my husband sees me as. I need to love my God enough to adequately care for this body He designed just for me.

3. Water

As a teacher it's really difficult to get in enough water each day. I can't just use the bathroom anytime I want. I've been trying to get in more at lunch and when I get home. It's just a little tricky.

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4. Portion Control

I'm back to being concious about serving size. This is a big deal when you consider how many calories/fat/sodium are in one serving of certain foods (I do love cookies lol). Focusing on serving size helps me maintain portion control. It also helps me weed out what I consider worth eating. I want to be full, happy, and healthy. This leads me to #5...

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5. Eat more of the right things

Some habits, especially food habits, are hard to break. I've dealt with emotional eating in the past and I know how easy it is to fall into that mindset. Keeping the right kinds of foods, including snacks, in the house make eating right so much easier. 

I'll be getting back to posting weight loss updates soon...I'm currently down 3lbs for March!

Five on Friday
Mommy Moments

5 Reasons Why October is My Favorite

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Oh October,  I love you.

Why?

1. On October 25, 2008 I married my best friend. He truly is the love of my life and I look forward to many years to come.

2. In October 2012 we announced the miracle of our first pregnancy.

3. On October 31, 2014, we were blessed with another prayed for miracle. We learned that we were expecting baby #2.

4. It's the time of year when fall festivals are in full swing, the air is crisp and sweater season truly begins...

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5. My newest reason to love October is that on the 20th of this month (yes, just this week!) our dear friends brought their new son home to his forever home. This adoption has been long prayed for and they have been truly blessed. I can't wait to meet him soon! You can read about his homecoming here.

Linking up for Five on Friday 

Friday Five

It has been a while since I put together a Five on Friday post. Life has been a bit crazy and I've been savoring my extra "free" time with my soon to be changing family. As for my Five this week...here we go!

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[Photo Books]

I've been slowly putting together a photo book of G's last year, eagerly waiting for one of my favorite photo book publishers to send a special promo my way. Well...it arrived this week and her book has been finished. I can't wait to get that pretty orange box in the mail. I've begun my maternity photo book for our sweet boy. I loved making the photo pregnancy journal for G's pregnancy and I can't wait to reflect over the past 9 months as this book comes together.


[Maternity Sub Plans]

I began putting together my maternity sub plans this week. I hope to have them at least typed before Little Man arrives. They are so time consuming when you have to add beginning of the year routine and set-up. Thankfully I have an amazing sub and I know she will handle it flawlessly.

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[Baby Update]

We had our 37 week checkup on Wednesday. I've been having what I thought might be contractions on and off over the last week but nothing major. I must add that with my daughter, I had no idea I was having contractions and I was dilated pretty far before I began feeling anything...so I've not been too certain this time around either. My blood pressure has been a bit high lately and we're kind of biding our time. They went ahead and checked me since induction is a possibility. I was almost 3cm and 50% effaced! Who knew?! At least we're heading in the right direction. We also had an ultrasound and got to see his beautiful face again.

Courtesy of Shay White Photography

[Summer Fun]

We've been on baby overload around here in trying to prep the house and ourselves for our new little one. We've been finishing up some final cleaning tasks and I've managed to send a ton of stuff off to Good Will. I have multiple freezer meals prepped and we've managed to put away ALL of the laundry. For us that is a huge accomplishment, especially since this included going through donation items, sorting seasonal clothing and putting everything we're not wearing in tubs. With all that being said, we decided to spend an evening of family fun at a local carnival. G loved it this year!

Funnel Cake!

[Friends and a Wedding]

I've been trying to catch up with friends I have not had time to hang out with in a while. Today is especially great because I'll get to visit with one of my dearest friends who is passing through on her way to Alabama (she is relocating from Boston). On Saturday I plan to attend a very special wedding and enjoy and evening of food and fun with some friends. I smile as I type this simply because who knows what may happen. My doctor does not believe I'll make my due date and basically told us it could literally happen any day. So...these plans are tentative but exciting nonetheless.



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Linking up for Oh Hey Friday and Five on Friday

Playing Catch-Up

Last week was filled with some wonderful family time. This week will be just as busy as I prepare for my mom to come in on Thursday, a bridal shower, a consignment sale and our daughter's 2nd birthday tomorrow. I thought I'd play a little catch up and fill you in on some of the great things from last week.

[Easter and an Egg Hunt]

We had a lovely Easter. We enjoyed an egg hunt with our church family and then celebrated our Risen Savior on Sunday.

 

 

[Spring Break]

Last week was Spring Break...enough said.


[Vacation and Relaxation]

We decided to take a little vacation to the beautiful Smokey Mountains. We enjoyed some wonderful relaxation and some quality family time.

View from our cabin

 

[The Zoo]

Our sweet girl loves animals and we enjoy taking her the zoos and aquariums if they are in the area. We visited the Knoxville Zoo and had a blast.

 

 

[The Aquarium]

Not only did we enjoy the zoo, but we had a great time at the Tennessee Aquarium.

 

[Birthday Goodies]

I had a blast celebrating my 30th birthday with my sweet hubby and beautiful babe. It was a day filled with love and blessings.

Birthday Cupcakes



Linking up for Five on Friday and Oh Hey Friday!

New to Me Friday Favorites

It's April...and it's Friday...hoorah!

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[1]

By this point two years ago, I was just days away from delivering our daughter. I did not need to worry about having a maternity wardrobe for summer. It is not so this time around. With our sweet boy due in July (and me detesting heat), I’ll need to make sure I’ve got some things to wear as the weather heats up. I found this adorable (non-maternity) Jersey Maxi Tank dress at Old Navy. The fabric is so light and it is something I can wear post-baby.

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[2]

Since Old Navy was having a sale the day I went shopping, I also purchased this Eyelet-Panel dress. It is maternity but will also be comfy the months following baby’s arrival as I try to get back into my old clothes.

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[3]

This pregnancy has done some crazy things to me that I did not experience with my first. The most prominent issue has been my teeth. A few weeks ago I unexpectedly had to have a wisdom tooth pulled, and then on Tuesday of this week, I returned to my dentist because of some discomfort I was having with another tooth. He was able to do a quick fix that will tide me over until the baby arrives. At that point he can break out the big guns and take care of everything permanently. While I feel that I have great dental hygiene, I feel like I need to find things to get me through this next little bit. I bought this new tooth paste by Colgate*. I’ve always used their toothpaste but with this product claiming to add calcium and other minerals back into my teeth/enamel, I had to give it ago. I’m hoping this will help restore some of what the baby has been depleting up to this point.

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*I was not compensated in any way to mention this product.

[4]

Spring Break will officially begin at 4:00pm today and I am ready. For a lot of reasons I’m glad to have this little break. One of which brings me to #5!

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[5]

We will be taking a family vacation and I am so excited! This will be our last trip for a bit and I could not be happier to spend this extra time with my sweet little family. It’s hard to believe that this will be our last big trip as a family of 3. While I’m not looking forward to the drive, I do look forward to enjoying some of the things that Tennessee has to offer.

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Linking up with Oh Hey Friday! and Five on Friday

This Week's 5

With the kind of week it has been, I thought it would just be easier to go day by day.

[Monday]
We enjoyed another snow day at home thanks to more snow on the ground.

[Tuesday]
We had a 2 hour delay to ensure safety. I went to work for a couple of hours and then headed to my dentist appointment.  I've been having an achy teeth problem and I wanted to see what was going on. Everything was fine a few months ago at my last cleaning.  Too my surprise,  a wisdom tooth was almost completely filled with a cavity. After many attempts to numb me up and get the tooth out, he decided sending me to the surgeon would be the best decision.

Tuesday was also my hubby's birthday. It was not spent the way we'd hoped. I'm making it up to him on Saturday with a tasty meal at a local brewery.

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Tuesday was also filled with sadness as we grieved the loss of my cousin's husband who lost his battle with cancer.

[Wednesday]
We actually had a full day of school! Now to play major catch up...

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[Thursday]
I officially became a surgical patient. I didn't feel a thing, which was amazing. 3 stitches later I was sent home with a  mouth full of gauze and a headache. As the numbing agent wore off the reality of the pain hit. The safest thing for me to take is regular Tylenol,  which doesn't do much.

[Friday]
G is off to the sitter so that I can have a little healing time. The pain is pretty bad and sleep was difficult. I'm glad I can be at home today to mend.

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Happy Friday!

Linking up for Oh Hey Friday!  and Five on Friday

It's All Good

This week has been wonderful!!!

[Gender Reveal]

I am so excited to share the news! You can read the full reveal here.

[Snow Days]
I have been praying for snow (and I'm not kidding) for a while now. It's winter time for crying out loud and not a single good snow...until now. Beginning Monday morning, the snow began to fall and it left our little corner of the world cloaked in white. Of course, it's only proper to enjoy it while it's here.

Last year G was too small to play in the snow...not this year!

[Naps]

Snow days mean no school for me. This means I get to stay home and spend some extra time with my sweet girl. This also means naps. She takes one good nap a day and I took the opportunities to enjoy them with her. Growing a tiny human is tiring and every nap is greatly appreciated.

[22]

Our sweet girl turned 22 months old this week! I can't believe her birthday is just two months away! I've got some plans in the works and I'm really excited to celebrate our little beauty.

[New Toys]

I have been longing for a new sewing machine for quite some time. My old machine has stitched its last and it was time to let it go. My new machine came in the mail last Friday and thanks to the snow, I was able to get it out of the box...now to find time to use it.

Linking up for Oh Hey Friday and Five on Friday

Here Comes Valentine's Day!

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow!!! We’ve opted to spend a low key evening at home with each other. We’re really working on reigning in our budget (even though I think we’re doing pretty good) to better adapt to the coming of our second child. July will be here before we know it! I thought I’d share a few things that Valentine’s Day 2015 will hold.

[Good Food]

I adore my husband. I love seeing a smile on his face and often times this comes from my cooking. There really is something to the old adage, "the way to a man's heart is through is stomach." Once again this year I have a tasty menu planned. We will enjoy a rare treat of savory cooked rib eye steaks, a special potato casserole, green beans and homemade brownie sundaes. We found an excellent deal on the steaks and even with that splurge, we’ll still be spending so much less than if we went out to eat.

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[Goodies for G]

Last year I had a snow day on Valentine’s Day and got to spend G’s first V-day with her at home. It does not appear that I’ll have the same luxery this year. Regardless, she still gets a few goodies. I opted to get her a couple of books (shocker, I know) that go along with the holiday theme.

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[Sweet Attire]

I’m quickly growing my way out of my standard wardrobe. I’ll be doing good to find something red or pink in my closet to wear that fits. I do have some pretty cute heart socks that I’ll sport. G is in a much better position to wear cute Valentine attire. I picked up this cute shirt at Crazy 8 on sale…



Crazy 8 Sparkle Stripe Heart Tee

[Homemade Goodies]

I made some yummy red velvet cookies and cute Kool-aid Valentine treats for my students. I’ll send a few of the cookies to my awesome babysitter as well. I also made these cute applesauce Valentines for my daughter’s daycare.

 

[Above All Else]

Of course, while I savor the memories and treasure the sweet moments with my friends and family, I also remember that the ultimate gift of love has been given by Jesus Christ. He is our example of how to love unselfishly and unconditionally.

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I hope you have a sweet Valentine’s Day!

Linking up with Oh Hey Friday! and Five on Friday