In trying to stick to a low-bad-carb diet I have planned out a mini menu for the next week or so. I say bad carbs because many people are under the impression that either all carbs are bad, or what they think of as carbs, or if something has a magic word in the title that it automatically becomes an acceptable food to eat, like natural or whole wheat. A bad carb is basically any carb that your body can not use as long term or sustainable energy, but instead turns the carb into a fat to sit in a part of your body that you don't want it to be. Natural and whole wheat when shopping in a regular grocery store tend to be misnomers. Always read the ingredients on the food that you buy because there may be a hidden ingredient that either isn't so natural, or the ingredient is not what it was when it was harvested. Whole wheat bread that says enriched flour in the ingredients means that the flour was stripped of everything that was good in it when it was plucked from the ground, then the bakers of the bread decided to "enrich" the flour with the vitamins that they originally took out of it.
Now back to my mini menu for the next week. I am making Split Pea Soup, Italian Sausage Spaghetti, and Chili. For many people I am sure that all of these recipes could be turned into bad-carb meals, however, I am either doing without or I am substituting my bad-carb with something that is much healthier for me. As difficult as it is for me, I am going without the crackers and extreme amounts of salt that I would normally add to my split pea soup. When I make chili I am doing without the cornbread, or for some of us that grew up with a different side to a bowl of chili, a cinnamon roll. For those of you who are sticking your nose up at the thought of a cinnamon roll with chili just try it next time you have chili. The sweet and salty, or spicy, go hand in hand. If you aren't the best of bakers then buy some rolls from Cinnabon, you will never look at a bowl of chili the same way. Last my spaghetti is not exactly low fat, due to the addition of the Italian sausage, but I can make it low carb by substituting spaghetti squash for the spaghetti noodles that I would normally use. Yes there are better types of pasta out there, like brown rice pasta, but the spaghetti squash has not been altered and turned into a intestinal glue that keeps your body from flushing out the bad junk.
In addition to trying to keep my eating habits in check, I have also been very obsessed with my exercise routine. Right now I am doing some form of cardio every day with some weights mixed in for various areas of my body. Since I started my weight loss journey at the beginning of the year I have lost 60lbs and several inches from head to toe. While I am very pleased with my progress I feel like I have hit a wall when it comes to toning and minimizing certain areas of my body, specifically my legs. As much as I work out my legs my "knee fat" doesn't seem to be going anywhere. If anyone has a new workout that maybe I haven't tried yet, please share with me.
For the next month I am hoping to lose more weight, but if I don't I would at least like to tone down some more. Halloween is coming and I have decided to be the green lantern (female version). This is of course a spandex costume, normally a dangerous decision for someone that still needs to lose 40lbs, but being 60lbs lighter than this time last year has given me the confidence to put on a spandex jump suit and walk around the neighborhood for all to see.
My Pledge to My Fans
• I promise to always try my hardest when my will power is wavering
• I promise that at some point I will want to cheat and will give in to my cravings at least once in a while. (after all I am only human)
• I promise that I will try and motivate those in my same predicament.
