Friday, February 22, 2013

Low Carbing It

Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato Roll Ups 008

Today’s lunch.  Bacon, pepperjack cheese and tomatoes wrapped up in Romaine lettuce leaves. 

I slipped.  For the past 6 weeks I have been humming along on a new diet.  I have been experimenting with a low carb diet and doing pretty well with it.  I loved how NOT hungry I was all the time.  I loved how nothing I was now eating did not give me indigestion anymore, and of course I loved how much looser and more comfortable my clothes were becoming.  But yesterday I slipped.  I indulged in a lot of the foods I have been avoiding over the last few weeks.  And it taught me a lesson.  I don’t feel good when I eat all of those foods!  My Mexican dinner last night of chips and salsa, a mini Margarita, an enchilada, and a chalupa with re-fried beans and a big chocolate brownie for dessert taunted me last night while I was trying to sleep.   It wasn’t pretty!

This is the Food Pyramid that makes the most sense to me.

Now I don’t expect to go hardcore low carb the rest of my life and never eat another piece of fruit or bread.   And while I don’t expect to go “Paleo” and eat like our caveman ancestors ate, a lot of that diet makes sense.  Man has been on the earth for thousands if not millions of years and wheat and agriculture has only been in existence in recent history.   And look at all the health problems we have today. 

One of the hard things about it for me is that  I LIKE  to BAKE bread and make desserts for my family and friends.  I like to experiment and try new foods and will continue to do so.  But, I also expect to experiment a bit more with foods with less sugar and less wheat.  I’ve done a lot of reading lately and I don’t like the idea that a lot of our food today has been genetically modified.  The wheat in our breads and flours today is not the same wheat our grandmothers and grandfathers ate.  So I have been trying out some alternative flours like almond flour.  A lot of what I have been eating could be considered gluten free.  I know it seems like gluten free is all the rage right now but seriously, why are so many more people feeling better these days when they avoid wheat?  I think it has something to do with how the food industry has tampered with the genetics of the wheat we now eat in the name of higher production and yields.

I usually don’t use my blog as a platform to spout off about politics or controversial issues.  I just wanted share that I have been changing some of the things I have been eating and I feel better.  I was also hoping to hear your thoughts on eating less wheat and wondering if any of you out there have had success with eating a low carb diet?

(Also, I have just created a page above on my menu bar called Low Carb Ideas.  It will be a work in progress and I will be adding any tips and tricks I have learned along the way!)

5 comments:

Stacey said...

I'm such a carb addict I don't think there's any hope for me doing a diet without wheat. However, I do believe that every food and drink in moderation is so important. It seems like we just over indulge too often. Speaking of the mexican you had...since we moved back to Texas it's been one huge feast after another. I've gained 8 lbs!!! My sense of moderation has faltered. :)

Post some more about how this is going. You might convince me.

Susan said...

Oh I could write a book. I do believe low carb is the way to go. Once upon a time I did strict low carb and exercise and lost over 100 lbs. I maintained for about 5 years, but have steadily gained since. I'm up about 50 lbs. But heck, I'm going to keep trying. Thanks for the push!

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

I'm gluten free because I was diagnosed with Celiac's Disease almost 6 years ago now. I tend to agree with you because I never had a problem growing up or through my 30's. Once I hit 40 ~ all bets were off! Although, being on a gluten free diet doesn't mean you lose weight. Believe me, I know! Brava to you for going along for six weeks. I just started this week. I'm hoping to drop 10 pounds; about what I gained after we moved.

I also started drinking green tea {iced} because I was reading it boosts your metabolism. Mine definitely needs it!

From Beyond My Kitchen Window said...

I have been trying to eat low on the GL index. It has really worked well for me and with not eating anything white has trimmed my waist. Boy, is it hard to lose weight. It is a battle everyday. Your low carb roll ups look delicious.

Alicia said...

I could have written this post! I feel the same way as you do when I eat low carb and when I don't.

When I eat low carb not only do I lose weight but I feel so much better. I don't have heartburn at night, I don't feel bloated or gassy and I have more energy and feel lighter!

When I eat whatever I want I feel so terrible, not just mentally, but physically. I've eaten low carb before and lost quite a bit of weight in the past but always went back to eating everything.

Now I realize that it's not just a diet or a quick fix to lose weight, I have to eat like this to remain healthy and feel good and to bring down my cholesterol and blood pressure and to stave off Diabetes.

I love the little recipe you posted and I'm collecting them little by little and trying some and discarding the ones that I don't care for. This one sounds yummy, really good for breakfast! And who doesn't love bacon?