I am back in the saddle again. Last night I had the best workout I've had in over a month (Zumba is a great low carb workout because it clearly burns fat and gets ketosis to go darker quickly.) Before the 30 minutes of Zumba I did 15 minutes of yoga stretching and 10 minutes of running on the trampoline. I worked up a great sweat and felt very accomplished. I kept arm moves modified to limit trouble with the shoulder and felt pretty good this morning. I'm planning on the same workout tonight as I am hanging out at home alone.
One of the biggest challenges, or perhaps better considered best tools for low carb dieting is variety in the diet. Eating the same thing over and over again can get boring, then it becomes discouraging, and before you know it you give up and quit.
Although I eat the same favorite breakfast car from Atkins most mornings, the rest of the time I try to mix things up in my other meals. To top it off, Atkins now offers frozen dinner. I have tried a few (I will do a full review here in the future) I have found one that I absolutely love. I have eaten it 4 times in the last 5 days.
The key to success in the diet is both variety of flavors (I eat more spicy foods when doing low carb than I do when I'm not) and variety in texture. For example, I will add chopped macadamia nuts to my tuna and mayonnaise, it takes it to another level. A dollop of cool whip (not whip cream) on a cup of Kroger (Ralph's) low carb yogurt along with a few walnuts makes it a much more delightful treat - the cool whip on sugar free jell-o is also a yummier treat (think parfait.) Fresh berries in the vanilla is another yummy option.
Below is a picture of the shopping trips I have taken in the last couple days to bring things in the house to make for lots of options for snacks and meals. Trader Joe's bruschetta with some cut up string cheese helps curb a pizza craving. The yogurt makes the yearning for something creamy go away. Pork rinds made into nachos with melted cheese and salsa and a dollop of sour cream solves the desire for crunch.
I like to be bold, try new cheeses, mix things like the macadamia nuts and tuna that might not normally go together it makes things more interesting and sometimes I discover something exceptional like my ham and asparagus omelette. The key to success is just not to get into a rut. Keep it interesting, and the diet is a much easier process.
Weight: 195.2 Gulp! Up almost a pound! Frustrating, but not frightening.
Feeling: Relieved, I expected my arm/ shoulder to hurt more because of my workout last night. It hurts, but not any worse than yesterday, and possibly even a little less. I suspect the yoga stretching may be helping. (I hope, I hope!)
Eating: Probably eating more than I should. Diving back into the low carb lifestyle, I suspect I Am doing a lot of sampling and eating out of the desire to get excited again.
Moving: Last night I did Zumba for the first time in more than a month. I had to modify moves to look out for the shoulder, but that along with a ten minute run on the tramp to warm up and the yoga stretching was a great workout. I find Zumba to be the most effective workout on low carb dieting, it must be a fat burner because ketosis ALWAYS improves after a 30 minute Zumba workout.
Favorites: A couple fresh strawberries with a little splenda on top and a dollop of Cool Whip make a great post workout, late-night snack.
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