Menu Plan-Low Carbin' It!

I need to lose weight. It has a little to do with vanity, but mostly for my health and my family I want to get to a healthy weight. I have set a goal of losing 50 pounds in a year. My first mini goal is ten pounds. I had this in mind a couple of months ago when our family joined the local YMCA. I have not been as consistent about getting there as I would like, but have managed to walk or get in a workout there at least twice a week most weeks. I have lost 4 pounds in three months. Not very impressive, but the scale is moving in the right direction.


In order to make some changes and hopefully have some success losing, I want to try limiting carbs. For two weeks I will be doing what I consider to be extremely limiting carbs. It's no "big news" that we should all avoid white sugar and white flour. This eliminates all the things that we know should not be a regular part of our diets anyway. I have come up with a plan that includes a list of healthy low carbohydrate foods, but also healthy whole foods. After two weeks, I will begin to add small amounts of whole grains.

Here is the breakdown of what I will and won't eat for two weeks starting today:

Foods to avoid:

• Sugar, period. including artificial sweeteners and natural things like honey or maple syrup too
• all grains


• all fruit except for the ones I list below


• carrots and potatoes

Foods I will eat:

• Breakfast- eggs with vegetables and coffee (I most likely will not have meat for this meal)
• Lunches-Salads with lots of veggies, boiled eggs, ( a couple of days I may add tuna salad or some lean meat) I have been making our ranch dressing. I will share the recipe here in a couple of days. It is so much better than any store bought we've ever had.
• Snacks- one green apple per day, 1 ounce of almonds, cheese, celery with natural peanut butter or cream cheese, cottage cheese with vegetables. I can't wait now for our tomato plants to start producing! And if I feel the need for something sweet, I'll have a smoothie of strawberries and plain yogurt.
• Dinners-will include lean meats like chicken, lean ground turkey or beef, or grilled fish. I will probably eat a salad most days for dinner as well, just because it can be pre-made and ready to eat. It will also include lots of roasted or steamed vegetables including: brussell sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, squash, zucchini, and greens. One of my favorite meals will continue to be taco salad. Mine will be without the chips.
• Drinks-Lots and lots of water. I will start my day with water and end with water. In between I will enjoy coffee, and unsweetened tea, and probably a small amount of milk.

I should add that my family's eating will not change. They will continue to enjoy the meals I've posted in previous Menu Plans. I will share my progress and highlight the things that work and don't work. I feel that if I can follow this for 2 weeks, I can readjust my taste buds and develop new habits.

As I am finishing this writing today I feel pretty good about the choices I've made for day one. It was a little tough at dinner time when I was buttering baked potatoes for my kids. I know that late afternoon and late evening will be challenging times of day. I often reach for sweets during these times because I'm low on energy. I prayed through today and it felt good. I will write more about my motivation at some point too.