Secrets of a Low-Carb Lifestyler

First, I want to thank everyone for the support and kind words about my new "look." Yes, I have lost weight since April 2014 and yes, I feel good about it. I'm not dieting, but I am going through a lifestyle change. Many people ask me what my secret is, how I do it, and for help, so I thought I could take this opportunity to blog about it. I like to refer to it as a Low-Carb Lifestyle. 

So, back in April I met with my doctor and a nutritionist who advised me to lose some weight. As many of you know, I had gestational diabetes with both of my kids, so I am at risk for type 2 diabetes in my later life. If I don't take care of myself now, I am at an even larger risk, so I knew it was time for a lifestyle change. 

My nutritionist put me on a Low-Carb diet, which consists of the following:

Breakfast 45 carbs

Snack 15 carbs

Lunch 45 carbs 

Snack 15 carbs

Dinner 45 carbs

Snack 15 carbs

* All meals/snacks must be 2 hours apart; 2 hours from the time of first bite. 

Now, I know that a lot of you look at this and say, how do you do it? How do you know what to eat? So I'll share a few secrets of mine with you. 

🎯 My best friend is the iPhone app: <CalorieKing.> You can type any food into the app or any restaurant, and the nutritional facts will be right there. While I only look at carbs, some people may use this app to count fat or calories, and they're there too. Also, cholesterol content is there if you need to keep an eye on yours. You can also change the portion size in the top drop down menu. 

🎯 Secondly, I track my daily meals. I use another iPhone app: <Diabetik,> which tracks what I ate, my blood sugar, exercise, and notes that you may want to add. This app is manual, so you have to put in your carb/calorie/fat, etc amounts and add them up, but it keeps you on track for every meal. 

🎯 I also weight myself weekly, not daily, weekly. A daily scale reading is not accurate and it makes you feel defeated when you don't get the results you want to see. I weigh myself every Friday, in the morning, before I eat breakfast or take a shower, in the nude. This gives me the most accurate read because it's consistent. I use an iPhone app to record my results: <WeightRecord.> 

🎯 Invest in a food scale and measuring cups. Most food packages have the exact amount of chips, pretzels, cookies, etc for each portion size, but some packages state portion size by ounces or cups. It's just a good idea to have these kitchen items in case you find yourself needing to weigh a food item before you eat it (like fruits and veggies). 

This lifestyle doesn't take anything away from you, and it's easy to follow once you're committed. You can eat whatever you want, but you have to follow the recommended portions. I personally stay away from foods that are very high in carbs, because, to me, they aren't worth it. These include: 

🍍 pineapple

🌽 corn

🍚 rice

🍜 pasta 

🍟 potatoes 

🍹 fruit juices

I tend to eat more meats 🍗 and cheese. I've always been a salad lover, so I eat plenty of that too. I eat out everyday for lunch and I am still able to eat my favorites like the Med Salad from Noodles & Co, Greek Salad with Chicken from Panera, and the Chopped Salad and Lemon Chicken Orzo soup from Corner Bakery just to name a few. Some of my favorite snacks include: Keebler 100 calorie packs- cookies, pretzels, etc which range from 14-17 carbs per bag, individual size bag of chips, raw veggies- green beans, peppers, and fruits- strawberries, blueberries, plums. 

I am on Pinterest, pinning away, searching for low-carb recipes. I am not a cook, but I have found some recipes that sound so delicious and are low-carb! I am dying to have a Frosty from Wendy's and now I have the low-carb recipe for it. I'll share that recipe and others on my blog, as I make them. 

What I want you to take away from this post is that a Low-Carb Lifestyle is nothing to be afraid of. Sometimes it's a choice and sometimes a necessity. Either way, if you're motivated to change, then it is easy to follow and adjust to. Of course, if you have ANY questions for me, feel free to post below or email me. I am so happy that I am changing my lifestyle for myself and my health and I think you will be too! 

A Happier and Healthier,

Gigi 😀