What Works for Me

I am currently following a low-carb diet as well as working out at Curves. A lot of people have questions and concerns about low-carb dieting. Hopefully, I can explain what works for me and it will help you to make healthy decisions as well.

First, I don't really follow Atkins' plan. Not entirely anyway. If you do follow his plan, you need to make sure you read his books and follow it properly. The key, I believe, is not just in keeping your carb intake low, but in eating the proper carbs as well.

I'm diabetic. This plan works to not only help me lose weight, but also to keep my blood sugar completely under control with diet alone. The times I've fallen off the diet and gained weight back can all be traced to one problem: Carb Cravings!

The problem is, for me anyway, if I eat even a little bit of the wrong carbs, I end up craving more and more carbs. What are the "wrong carbs"? Well, here's a short list of my worst enemies. These foods will kill a diet, kill my blood sugar levels, and completely screw me up if I even eat a small bite of them.

Potatoes
rice
bread/rolls/bagels
Anything with sugar in it. Read labels carefully!!!
Fruits like oranges, apples, bananas, and grapefruit (yes, these can greatly elevate your sugar too!)

Foods that don't always trigger cravings, but will slow down or halt weight loss and sometimes make you feel hungry:

Diet sodas
Anything with NutraSweet (aspartame) in it
Carrots
Peas
Tomatoes


So, what can I eat? I stick with some very basic foods. These foods give me energy, fill me up, and keep my cholesterol and blood sugar levels low:

Eggs
Beef
Pork
Fish
Chicken
Lamb/Veal (not breaded!!!)
Cheese
Lettuce
Onions (in small amounts)
Louisiana Hot Sauce (instead of ketchup)
Real Mayo (not Miracle Whip)
Unsweetened iced tea
Black coffee
Lots and lots of ice water!


Yes, sometimes it can seem boring, but there are many ways to prepare meat without breading it. Also, don't always eat the same thing. Try for as much variety as possible. Many times I've been on a limited budget and still managed to eat somewhat of a variety of foods.

If you're going out to eat at McDonald's, let me make a few recommendations:

Bacon Ranch salad with grilled chicken and Caesar dressing (no croutons and don't eat the cherry tomatoes)
Caesar salad with grilled chicken and Caesar dressing
Asian salad, ask them to go light on the orange glaze.


See, you can even go to a fast food restaurant without sacrificing your diet. Definitely stay away from french fries, McChicken sandwiches, and shakes. Very high in carbs!

And, you're probably wondering about my cholesterol levels, right? Well, the last time I followed a high-protein, low-carb diet strictly, exercised regularly, and didn't smoke cigarettes, my cholesterol was 103. Yup! If you eat right, exercise and don't smoke, you can get your cholesterol down quite low!

Now, for the women: Curves is a wonderful program. It's a half-hour out of your day. It's easy to do no matter how old you are. It's easy on the joints. It's a lot of fun!
Go work out every day...at least 3-5 days a week, depending on how much weight you're trying to lose! If money is a problem, ask about specials on the start-up fee.

It's 31 dollars a month and well worth it!

My goal, at this time, is to go every day, Mon-Fri...sometimes on Sat.

They recommend three times a week, but I've never done well on diet and exercise programs unless I get A LOT of exercise. So, that part is up to you.

Any questions? Email me!