~KrystaLyn~"Not Just Weight Loss" Journal

[Low Carb Mommy]

Such good advice Krysta! Thanks for sharing! I looked at your new wish list. The scenic route blouse is my favorite! They have such elegant looking clothes!
Good job on the weight. And you even got to eat pizza! Enjoy the cheat....I will live through you. I am just not close enough to allow myself to do that. I will save that kind of cheat when I am on vacation.
You may have given it to me already...but I need the green bean casserole. That sound soo good.
Can't wait to see what you do tomorrow!

[KrystaLyn]

Beth, I the scenic route blouse, too! But then, I all the stuff on the list...that's why they are on the list! LOL

But anyway, I don't think I have posted the Green Bean Casserole recipe before. I've mentioned it before, but never posted it. It's not the prettiest dish, but it is definitely tasty and filling! It's actually one of Will's favorite meals that I make, and he doesn't even Low Carb! I don't have measurments for the mushrooms since I HATE mushrooms and never put them in, so if you add them, just measure them to however many carbs you want to add from them. Also the French Fried Onions are good on it, but I would definitely say those are more for when you are on Pre-Maintenance, at least. While they are technically Low Carb per serving (because the serving size is so small), they do have flour listed as a main ingredient.

Hamburger Green Bean Casserole

1 lb. hamburger
1 small onion, chopped
mushrooms (optional, to taste)
4 oz. sour cream
4oz. cream cheese
dash of Worcestershire sauce
1-2 cans french style green beans, drained (Depends on how many carbs you want. Obviously 2 cans will be more carbs)
Cheddar cheese, to taste
French fried onions (optional)

350° Brown hamburger and stir in mushrooms and onions. Cook until vegetables are tender. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Stir in sour cream. Add beans and combine. Pour into casserole dish and top with cheese and French fried onions. Bake until heated through and cheese is melted, about 30 min. (You can also serve this as a skillet dish...just simmer in a skillet until sauce is of a desired consistency, then sprinkle with the cheese and cover until the cheese is melted.)

I just thought of this, but you could probably turn this into a Philly Cheesesteak type dish by replacing the green beans with sliced green peppers! Hmmmmm....

[Edwards20]

Krysta, I am so excited for you. I hope you and DH get to move-in the house together. This would be great. I was blessed and inspired reading your motivations. Congrats on your losses thus far and congrats on the 30's. I am with Beth on the Easter "cheat", I just can't do it yet. BUT, I got a vacation in July.

[KrystaLyn]

See, I know from experience that I have to plan in cheats. I was SO strict last time and deprived myself of everything, that when I eventually DID start eating "treats" I totally binged. So this time around I am trying to learn how to CONTROL my "cheats" so that I don't feel deprived, but can also stay on plan. By the time I get to maintenance, I want to be able to eat good 90% of the time, and allow myself treats the other 10%. Anyhoo....

So I held steady at 138.8 this morning. That's fine with me, considering I had only set my weekly goal to be 139.0 and I am going to focus on maintaining this weekend. Here's the menu from yesterday:

B - Atkins shake - 2

S - Yogurt & 2 cheese sticks - 3.5

L - scrambled eggs - 3

S - nuts - 3-4

D - Green bean casserole - 4
jello salad - 4

Total = 20.5 carbs

[Edwards20]

Hope you are having a great Friday evening.

[Low Carb Mommy]

You are smart Krysta with the plan. I will keep that in mind as I continue on making this a way of life.

The green bean casserole looks tasty! How big of a serving did you count as 4 carbs?

I have a feeling that you will drop some more before your week is up. Good job!!

[Edwards20]

[KrystaLyn]

Wow, I can't beleive how the weekend just got away from me! Well, I have a lot to confess. I did great Saturday, stayed on plan while the rest of my family was eating all kinds of bad stuff, and woke up Sunday at 138.8 again. THis morning was a different story, although one I was TOTALLY expecting. I weighed in at 141.4 this morning. That's 2.4 lbs worth of proof that carbs are NOT my friend! Fortunately, I know it's NOT real, so I am not stressing at all about it.

My plan for yesterday was just to indulge in a few pieces of candy. I told my mom not to get me anything else besides the 2 things I wanted, but she didnt listen (I DIDN'T eat everything she got...most of it went in the community bowl.) I ate a lot more than a few pieces! Then at dinner, I fell into the old trap of thinking, "well, I've eaten so much junk already, what's a little more?" attitude. And guess what I discovered? I REALLY can't give myself whole DAYS, I have to limit my indulgences to a meal or an item, and I have a feeling that is going to be hard! So I ended up eating 2, count em, TWO rolls and some potatoes with dinner. But I have to be honest, I enjoyed every bite. And after all was said and done, I was glad to get right back on plan. I have been dealing with the aftermath of the carbs today in the form of reflux But I ate clean today and plan on staying on induction levels until I am back in solid ketosis.

So what did I learn from my Easter eating escapade?

1- Carbs really are poison to me and need to be treated VERY CAREFULLY.

2- I need to limit my carb eating to either one item or one meal (NOT an entire "Free" day,) once I am in maintenance and can add them back in a bit.

3- I still have A LOT to learn in the pre and maintenance phases of this plan.

Do I regret it? Honestly, not a bit. I was able to indulge in some things that I have either been craving or really love and I was fine with it. I truly don't need to eat them again for a LONG time. Yes, the temporary weight gain is a pain, and I'm not planning on losing much this week because of it, but I think I learned a lot more from this experience that was well worth it. Like I said, I have A LOT to learn from the maintenance phases of this plan. It's a lot scarier being so close to pre-maintenance now that I had a day in the "real world!" But I REALLY want to learn how to make this a way of LIFE, and for me that means learning to look at treats as TREATS and not an every day thing! Like I said earlier, I want to learn how to eat good 90% of the time and enjoy things the other 10% And that means being mentally healthy about it, as well. There is no way I am going to stigmatize all my favorite foods! I REFUSE! Instead I want to learn to live with them, and treat them as special...for truly special occasions...occasions meant to celebrate. THat has always been one of my goals this time around...to really learn to have a healthy relationship with ALL foods. Sigh.

So....we will see how I do tomorrow, although I am expecting it to take a couple days to get back down to 138.

[Edwards20]

Krysta, you will get back down in no time. I admire you plan to have a healthy relationship with all food. Of course, if I get close to goal that might be something I consider. If you can jump right back on and lower your carbs for a day or two, I admire you. I have read almost the entire DANDR book and I just now reading about Pre-Maintenance. He says this is the most important phase. It's like practicing for your Driver's License. While eating a roll or two might now be by the book, it's LIFE and we all have to live it. I think the key is in getting right back down. I admire you and congratulate you for all you have done thus far. You have a good head on your shoulders and a big heart .... so you can do this.

[Low Carb Mommy]

You don't know how much this blessed me this morning. I have been so down the last couple of days. Thank you for your kind and uplifting words on my journal.

Just like you...carbs are my poison too. Just the little bit I had sent me into feeling bad physically and mentally now for two days. I didn't even eat "clean" yesterday. Making homemade low carb choc./peanut butter treats...eating too much of the batter and two frozen. I had such a horrible headache last night. I feel sick this morning. My body is definitely reacting. Now that it is over I wish I had had a roll. Something sweet right now makes me nauseated!

You have such a positive attitude that is contagious. You are such a great role model. You have done this before, and I trust your judgement on things. There are good lessons to be learned from this weekend...definitely!

I know that it won't be long before you leave me in the weight loss again. We are on this journey together! Skinny now forever! Love ya girl!!

[KrystaLyn]

Beth and Candy, I LOVE you guys Thanks so much for all the encouragement! I have to be honest, it's really hard writing about my cheats on here. I hate the idea of letting anybody down, but you guys are always right there encouraging and uplifting me! I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am now if it weren't for the support of such great friends!

Well, the GOOD news is that I weighed in at 140.2 this morning...that's a drop of 1.2 lbs from yesterday. I expect to be back in the 130's by tomorrow. The bad news is that my stomach was STILL kindof raunchy this morning, but I had a protein shake for breakfast and it is feeling almost back to normal. Also, I'm not back in ketosis yet, however, I don't expect to be until at least tomorrow.

So, I've lost my food diary. I have no idea where it is! It's been missing since I went to NC. I have to find it, because as you all know, I have been a bit lax lately, and I mean to tighten up and recommit to 100% clean eating! I don't plan on "cheating" (I hate that word) again until the 4th of July or possibly not even until the end of July when I go on my vacation. So, going soley on memory until I find my food diary again, here is my menu from yesterday:

B - 2 hard boiled eggs w. mayo and mustard - 2

L - Protein shake - 3.5

S - ham - 1-2
celery & pb - 4

D - chicken tenders topped w/ fresh salsa, cheese and sour cream - 3-4
<1 c. steamed broccoli w/ butter - 3?
Jello w/ cream - 1

Total = 19.5 carbs


I am going to keep my levels low again today, and no OWL extras (ie:yogurt, cottage cheese, berries, etc,) to make sure I get back into ketosis. Once I get back into ketosis, I will go back to my normal eating, except probably stay at 25-27 carbs for awhile. I am working tonight, so I will have to come up with something for dinner. Also, I went for a long walk last night, and I'm sure that helped things along.

[KrystaLyn]

So, just as a side note, I decided to take down my "original" stats in my profile because I have basically reached the lowest I got to last time (137 lbs), so anything I get to from this point on is all new territory for me and I decided to post my stats this time around as it's own, whole new accomplishment!

[Low Carb Mommy]

[Edwards20]

Originally Posted by KrystaLyn

Beth and Candy, I LOVE you guys Thanks so much for all the encouragement! I have to be honest, it's really hard writing about my cheats on here. I hate the idea of letting anybody down, but you guys are always right there encouraging and uplifting me! I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am now if it weren't for the support of such great friends!

I love you both as well. You both are so encouraging to me as well. We pass it around when we are down and I think it's amazing how God works all that out. I dread the day we are all 3 down in the dumps.

Congrats on your loss !! You don't owe me any confession, but just the sheer release of typing it out is such release.

[KrystaLyn]

Ok, so I am finally back in a trace ketosis this morning and down again to 139.6. What KILLS me is that 3 days after my HUGE treat and I STILL have .8 to lose before I get to where I started! That's why I didn't expect to lose much this week, just get back to where I was.

Here's yesterday:

B - Protein Shake - 5.5

S - SMALL handful cashews - 3

L - shrimp alfredo - 1
1 c. broccoli - 2
Light Cherry Limeade - 2

S - Atkins Shake - 2

D - 2 Egg Salad w/ ham - 3
Broccoli Salw salad - 5
Jello w/ cream - 1

Total = 24.5 carbs

[Low Carb Mommy]

Oh, but it is good to be back in the 130's though! Yea for Ketosis! Good job on getting right back into eating right! I see you couldn't stay away too long from your beloved nuts! Shrimp Alfedo sounds delicious. Was that a jar alfedo or homemade?

This is what scares me so much about maintenance. I don't understand if a little up in carbs can make you gain how are you suppose to be able to eat more later?? Am I going to have to eat this little the rest of my life?

I am looking forward to joining you soon in the 130's. I started out this week with 139.2. And today I am 140.6. I don't know if I will make it....got until Sunday. I will be glad if I lose something!

[KrystaLyn]

Whoa! I just weighed myself again, an hour later, and I am 139.0! I got on the scale quite a few times and it was consistent! I'm claiming it! Only .2 to go!

[KrystaLyn]

P.S. Beth~ It wasn't really an alfredo sauce...I just heated some butter and garlic in a pan and heated the shrimp in it before adding a dash of cream and some parmesan cheese. It's tasty and quick that way! Although I do have a REALLY GOOD alfredo sauce recipe that I got off this site years ago. It is so rich and satisfying, and a great way to get in loads of veggies since I usually serve it over spaghetti squash!

"Olive Garden" Alfredo Sauce
1 pt. cream
½ c. butter
2 T. cream cheese
½ - ¾ c. parmesan cheese
1 t. garlic powder

Melt butter and cream cheese in a medium saucepan. Add cream and simmer until all is melted. Add parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Simmer 15-20 min on low. Season to taste with salt, pepper and/or nutmeg. Serve over pasta or spaghetti squash with shrimp or chicken. Add steamed veggies to make a primavera. (16 cbs for entire recipe)

[KrystaLyn]

Ok, so something crazy is going on. I weighed again (after going to the bathroom) and I weighed 138.4, and then again (after another trip to the bathroom!) at 138.0! I even saw 137.8 TWICE! After everything had settled and I was sure I wasn't going to need to visit the restroom for the THIRD TIME, I weighed again and it still registered numerous times at 138.0! Sooooo....what do I do? What number should I claim? HELP!!!!

[Low Carb Mommy]

Claim it today and tomorrow it will be confirmed! for a whoosh myself! That is fantastic! My scales always read higher as the day goes on. I think it is safe to say that it is probably right.

[Low Carb Mommy]

I just went and weighed myself again......I just ate lunch too.....weighed the same. Maybe mine will go down tomorrow for sure. I am usually up 2 pounds at night before I go to bed.

[KrystaLyn]

Ok, I decided to mark every weight I weighed in at today on my chart in pencil. That way I remember what day I had this crazy morning whoosh, AND tomorrow I can see where I stand as far as which one was probably the true weight. I'm really hoping I was really 138.0 this morning! I should mention that all that weighing was done between 8:30-10 am this morning and before I ate anything.

[Low Carb Mommy]

If it was before you ate anything, then I wouldn't question it at all! I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds!

[Edwards20]

I am glad to know I am not the only one who lives on the scale
I think you are doing great !! Hope tomorrow's # is good for you.

Beth, I wonder the same thing about Maintenance. I did read just last night in DANDR, that for people with high metabolic resistance, Maintenance would be very similar to OWL. That does scare me. Apparently we can never eat off plan without gaining. We just have to find subsitutes ... brown rice, etc.