If this post doesn't help you lose weight, then I give up

I can't tell you how much my life has changed since I've been eating low carb.  If I had had any idea, I would have done this a long time ago.  I know my Kiwi ex is reading this thinking, "Linda, we did the low carb thing for years and you know it worked brilliantly."  And it did.  But when we split up, I got away from it and man, that was not a smart thing to do.  Now I'm back at it, and fingers crossed, this is how I'll be eating for a long, long time.

A few of you have asked what exactly I'm eating and not eating.  Here's my basic strategy:

1. For the first three days, cut way, way back on carbs.  For breakfast, have eggs (I'll have three eggs, but use only one yolk).  Cut up some spinach and throw in some cheese.  Top it off with salsa--delicious!  For lunch and dinner, have chicken or fish with vegetables.  If you do this for even two days, you'll see a noticeable loss and will be motivated to continue.
2. I usually start every morning with a high fiber cereal.  You need some carbs for energy and fiber is good.  Make chicken or fish with vegetables a regular meal.  Salad is okay; I just hate stinkin' salad.  Be sure to read the label on the salad dressing, though.  Sometimes that stuff is loaded with sugar.
3. Think of all the fast food and chain restaurants you go to and download their nutritional menus.  Print them out and stick them in your glove compartment so you can always make the best low-carb choices.  Get a burger without the bun, and substitute a vegetable for fries.  French fries are evil!
4. Soda (or "pop," if you're from that part of the country) is pure evil.  Substitute unsweetened iced tea.  If you're craving the bubbles, drink flavored seltzer water.  You'll never miss soda, I guarantee.
5. For the most part, say good-bye to bread.  Sandwiches are a thing of the past for me.  No more toast or English muffins at breakfast.  Make an exception for the breads that truly bring you joy.  Warm bread in restaurants is sometimes irresistible; however, when's the last time a hamburger roll brought you joy?  Get the burger, hot dog, or grilled chicken breast with no bun.  You'll never miss it.  A lot of times we eat bread just out of habit.
6. That said, when you do eat out, ask the waitress to hold the stuff you're trying to avoid.  Sometimes the bread they put in front of you is just so-so, yet you'll pick at it because it's there.  Tell them you're eating low carb--they'll understand.
7. Say good-bye to junk food like potato chips, Doritos, Fritos, and chips and salsa.  Cookies, candy, cake, coffee cake and all that crap is on the bad list, too.      
8. That said, don't deny yourself anything.   This is important!  If you deny yourself, you'll be miserable.  Knowing that you can indulge yourself now and then makes all the difference.   I'll still have a beer or two and will hit Ben & Jerry's once a week.  I'll also have pizza once a week.  Maybe you love pasta--so have it once in a while.  Trust me, you'll reach a point where you won't want that stuff more than every so often.  Why?  I've told you before:  Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels!
9. Weigh yourself every morning after you pee and before you eat.  Get yourself a little white board to record your weight and hang it in your bathroom.  This, too, is important.  Think of it this way:  If you're always looking at the time, you're not likely to be late.  But when you don't look at a clock, time gets away from you.  The same concept applies to your weight.

So this is how my life has changed: 

1. I have much more energy.  Before I started this, I felt like a freakin' blob.  Mike and I would walk, but that was all the exercise I was getting.  In my case, once I lost the first few pounds, which took only a couple of days, I got some momentum going.   I started taking a ballet class and once I started getting my muscles toned again, I wanted more.  Now I'm also taking belly dancing (love it!) and a dance fusion class.  I dance around the house; I do tendus and  grand battements while I'm cooking.  I'm burning tons more calories than just walking.
2. That bloody middle age spread is definitely more under control.  It feels great to be wearing clothes from my closet that used to look disgusting.  And last weekend I was lying poolside in a two-piece.  (Though I'll still wear the one-piece with the skirt when the kids are around--don't want to traumatize them.)  I still have a ways to go in this area, but I'm getting there.
3. My posture has improved; I hold myself with more self-confidence.  I've always been good about that, but now I'm even better.  I did a comedy set last week--the first in a couple of months--and even though it had been a while since I'd been on stage, I could tell my confidence had improved.
4. I feel sexier.  I am sexier!

I'm not being dramatic when I say this has been life changing.  If it's a twinkle in your eye to lose weight, I beg of you (okay, now I'm being dramatic) to try cutting back on carbs.

I never thought I'd be sharing a recipe (except for homemade Bailey's Irish Creme), but here's a simple low carb meal I made up.  I call it Mexican chicken soup--how inventive, right?  Believe me, if I can cook this, you know it's easy.  Just throw these ingredients in the crock pot or on top of the stove:

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut them up after they've cooked a bit)
• A container of chicken broth
• Half a bag of frozen corn (corn is high carb, so you can use less if you want or just eliminate)
• A jar of hot (or medium, if you prefer) salsa 

Let all that stuff cook for a while and voila!  Top with shredded Mexican cheese and you've got yourself a meal.

Good luck to all who try this new way of eating, and be sure to tell me how you do!  And for those of you who are sick of hearing about this topic, this will be my last post on the subject.  (I'll try, anyway.)

The easiest way to lose weight, I'm convinced!

I know there's nothing more boring than someone talking about their friggin' diet, so I'm just gonna let the numbers speak for themselves, straight from the little white board in our bathroom.

Yep, I've lost 7.2 pounds in a month and a day.  On my (almost) 5'5" frame, that's a lot, and as you can see, after the first few days, it's been a very gradual process.  Mike's lost 15.1 pounds.  And all we've done is cut back on carbs.  Not cut them out altogether--that's just not good for you.  Specifically, we've cut out the carbs that don't bring us joy and have cut back on, but have not eliminated, the carbs that do.

That means there's no freakin' way I would eat a hamburger bun; a hamburger bun simply does not bring me joy.  It's not worth the 30 or so grams of carbs.  But beer does bring me joy, and so I'll have a few during the week.  Mike and I also go out for pizza and Ben & Jerry's once a week, too.   We're definitely not denying ourselves, and we don't have to because we're making good choices in other areas.  Like fast food--I wouldn't dream of eating at a fast food place or other chain restaurant without first taking a look at their nutrition menu.  So I now get a shrimp taco instead of a burrito--no real difference on the joy factor, but a big difference in carb count.

Counting carbs is key, along with not denying yourself the foods that truly bring you joy.   And the best part is, you start to feel the difference within the first few days, which gives you the motivation to continue with it.  And then you start to build a momentum you won't want to break. 

Although I allow myself beer and ice cream, my days of Starbucks mocha lattes and banana walnut bread are over.  Sure, they brought me joy, but at over 100 grams of carbs combined, that's too big a price to pay.  And now I can walk into a Starbucks and order a 0 calorie, 0 carb unsweetened iced green tea and be perfectly happy.  I'm not even tempted to get the latte and banana bread, which I really did love.  But I have not a shred of temptation.

Why?  Because nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.

I'll say it again.

Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.

I can't tell you how much better I feel with those 7 pounds off me, especially around the gut.  Had I not lost those first few pounds, I probably wouldn't have felt like getting back into ballet.  And now that I'm getting some good, out-of-my-comfort-zone exercise, I'm craving more.  I would take a dance class every day if I could.  My body is getting leaner and stronger and it feels fantastic.

My goal is to lose another four pounds by the end of March, which in Las Vegas is the beginning of bathing suit season.   Oh, and speaking of, this will NOT be another summer featuring the skirted granny bathing suit.

Yes, I will burn that friggin' thing.  You'll see.

If you're serious about losing weight, I hope you'll try cutting down on the carbs and then kicking your exercise program up a notch.  I know first-hand that it works. So far, anyway.  And you'll feel so, so much better in just a short time.  The time's gonna pass anyway, right?