my take on low carb day

Nutrition can be a tricky thing, and today I am sharing what I eat during my low carb days. A low carb diet can be intimidating, but it doesn’t need to be!

Pearl Top / Jeans / Michael Kors Watch / David Yurman Diamond Cuff / David Yurman Cuff Bracelet / David Yurman Petite Gold Bangle / David Yurman Link Bracelet / Dana Rebecca Studs / Lulu Frost Code Rings / Blush: ‘First Love’  / Lipstick: ‘kim k.w.’

Happy Wednesday y’all! I am so excited to share the post with y’all today! It’s all about the low carb life. I know it’s a little different than the usual outfit around here, but we’re mixing it up in 2018, remember?! With my participation in this bootcamp, one key nutritional component is carb cycling. What is carb cycling? For two days (in a row) out of the week, you cut your carbs significantly. My goal each week, is to stay under 50 net carbs per ‘low carb’ day. Net carbs= carbohydrates – fiber. Fiber is your friend y’all! Just to give you an idea of my carb intake on a normal calorie day, it is 191 g of carbohydrates.

*Side bar for a little background info:: How do you determine your normal macronutrients (carbs, protein & fat) intake? My Fitness Pal. This app is a lifesaver! Upon download, you’ll plug in your weight, goal weight, how many pounds you want to lose a week & your activity level. This will provide you an outline of your target macros for each day.*

When I first began this program in the summer of 2017, honestly I was a little lost when it came to nutrition. I just thought of carbs as breads, grains, pasta, cereal, etc. Wrong. Carbs are in nearly everything! It definitely took some adjusting for me to find ways to make my low carb days as enjoyable as possible. So today, I’m here to share what all I’ve learned over the past 6+ months!

Want to put your nutrition & fitness in check?! Join the next round of this bootcamp!!

Keep reading for a my low carb grocery list, a sample meal plan, tips for eating out, etc!

*Disclaimer:: I am in no way a licensed dietician. This post is purely my opinion & what works best for me.

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My Go To Recipes::

One thing to remember when making low carb recipes, you can make them your own! We often don’t cook each of these below to a tee. Sometimes we’ll swap ingredients we don’t like, or add more of an ingredient that we do like. Just make sure to account for that when monitoring your carbs!

Also, when shopping for things like marinara sauce, for example, you’ll need to do some leg work to find the most low carb option for you. Remember, fiber is your friend!

• Spaghetti Squash with Beef & Mushroom Ragu
• Philly Cheesesteaks Stuffed Mushrooms
• Taco Zucchini Boats
• Mini Bell Peppers Loaded Turkey Nachos
• Taco Spaghetti Squash Boats
• One Skillet Chicken with Bacon & Green Beans
• Loaded Omelet Muffins
• Cauliflower Chowder
• Zucchini Noodles & Meatballs
• Turkey Santa Fe Lettuce Wraps
• Fajita Chicken Salad
• Pork Egg Roll in a Bowl

My Go To To-Go Orders::

Sometimes I either a) don’t feel like cooking b) I’m on the go or c) I don’t have any low carb options at home, so I typically have three chain restaurants that I know I can order from & be on track on my low carb days.

1. Chipotle (or Moe’s or Qdoba): My order- a taco salad (no shell), extra lettuce, black beans, NO rice, your choice of meat (my favorite is carnitas), fajita veggies, guacamole, cheese & salsa!
2. Jimmy Johns: Order your favorite sandwich as an ‘Un-Wich’, aka, a lettuce wrap. My order– a club lulu with shredded lettuce, hot peppers, no mayo & italian vinaigrette!
3. Taziki’s: I LOVE Greek food. This is a fast casual chain that is newer to Lexington. They have the BEST Greek salad, and it’s one of my favorite things to pick up on low carb day. I get mine with grilled chicken, it’s delicious!

Guidelines When Eating Out::

• Meat & Veggies are always a good idea.
• This is the time to opt for those healthy fats over carbs:: i.e. salad dressings, avocado, meats.
• If I don’t grab my low carb eats at three of the restaurants mentioned above, we typically eat local. Which can make it difficult when trying to find accurate nutritional info. My one tip for that is to search for similar options on the My Fitness Pal app. While it won’t be 100% accurate, it will give you an idea of nutritional facts and you can go from there.

Random Tips::

• Eat accordingly. If you know your lunch is going to have a decent amount of carbohydrates, opt for a less carb heavy dinner.
• These days are the days for your avocados, salad dressing, almond butter, healthy fats, etc.
• Honestly, what I miss most on low carb days is fruit. I know berries have decent fiber, but I typically save mine for the rest of the week.
• If you struggle drinking water & need something to drink besides H2O that is low in carbs, sparkling water, unsweet tea & bcaas (mixed with water) are my go to options. Even though I am sure diet soda somehow has zero carbs, I nixed pop from my diet (99% of the time) after whole 30 last year.
• Michelob Ultra is your BFF if you’re jonesing for a beer, or in a social situation where there is booze.
• This isn’t life or death, just carbs 😜 But in all seriousness, it’s important to remember to trust your body and not take it too seriously. If you’re just starting the low carb approach, and feel a little off the first few go arounds, just take baby steps. In addition, life happens, don’t beat yourself up if you can’t make it under your target net carbs. Just get back on it the next day!

This is a loose idea of how my two low carb days of the week look. Some days are more put together than others, but it’s always such a good feeling when the macros fit just right 😊

And that’s a wrap y’all! Again, this post is based off of my personal experience. If you have any low carb tips, I would love for you to share them in the comment section! xo!

Pearl Top / Jeans / Michael Kors Watch / David Yurman Diamond Cuff / David Yurman Cuff Bracelet / David Yurman Petite Gold Bangle / David Yurman Link Bracelet / Dana Rebecca Studs / Lulu Frost Code Rings / Blush: ‘First Love’  / Lipstick: ‘kim k.w.’

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