Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Best Crockpot Turkey Breast Roast Recipe Ever

Sometimes I create something wonderful by pure chance. This is one of those times. I bought a boneless turkey breast roast, but couldn't decide what to do with it. I searched online for a crockpot recipe, but I couldn't find one I liked. In the end, I poured a half cup water into the crockpot, and the generously sprinkled Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning all over the turkey breast, threw it into the pot, turned it on low for 8 hours...

And OMG! I wasn't really looking forward to dinner. I was expecting a tasteless, dry turkey. I blown away at how moist and yummy my turkey turned out. It was so good I ate more than my share! DH loved it too. So simple, yet so delicious. 

Monday, July 30, 2012

Root Beer Float Protein Shake

I've been trying to stay away from diet soda, but once in awhile, you simply need a treat (especially after you talked yourself into going to the gym for the first time in ages). Tonight I made a root beer float protein shake.


Ingredients:
3/4 cup of diet root beer
1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream
1 scoop of Jay Robb's Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
ice

Blend. Pour into a glass. Enjoy! 

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Low Carb BLT Wrap

Today, I made the most scrumptious lunch - a BLT wrap!

Directions:
1. Cook 4 slices of bacon.
2. Peel off a large iceberg lettuce leaf, wash, pat it dry with paper towels and lay it on a plate.
3. Spread 2 tsp. of Hidden Valley Ranch Bacon Dressing on the lettuce (1 carb for 2 T.).
4. Spread 2 T. of guacamole on the lettuce (I use either HEB's Natural Guacamole or Wholly Guacamole Classic).
5. Slice a tomato. Cut one slice in half and place both halves on top of the guacamole. Sprinkle salt and pepper on your tomato.
6. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over your tomato.
7. Top with your four slices of bacon. Roll the lettuce wrap and eat!

Approximately 1.5 carbs

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Chicken Breasts with Vegetables

Several years ago I was experimenting in the kitchen and came up with this recipe. It's one of my DH's favorite dinners.

Instructions:
1. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and Greek seasoning on each chicken breast. Place the chicken breasts in a greased baking dish (I spray with Pam).
2. Dice up 1/2 cup fresh tomatoes. Place a small amount of tomatoes on top of each chicken breast.
3. Dice up 1 small zucchini and 1 small summer squash. Put a generous amount of each on every chicken breast.
4. Sprinkle the vegetables with Greek seasoning.
5. Bake for 30 minutes at 350.
6. Top each chicken breast with cheddar cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes or until the chicken is melted.

Approximately 2-3 carbs.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Low Carb Breakfast Salad

I've been thinking about how I can get more vegetables into my morning. I came up with this crazy idea of making a breakfast salad! Who would have thunk?

Ingredients:
1 cup lettuce and / or spinach, torn very small
1 boiled egg, diced
2 slices of bacon, crumbled (save the bacon grease)
1/2 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
3 cherry tomatoes, cut into fourths

Toss the salad with bacon dressing.

Bacon Dressing: Put 3 T. of the bacon grease (the fat) into a small saucepan. Add 3 T. of red wine vinegar, a dash of salt and pepper, 1/2 tsp. of Dijon mustard, and a few drops of Stevia (or a tsp. of Splenda). Whisk the mixture over low heat until warm. Pour over your breakfast salad! Approximately 3 carbs.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Tea for Weight Loss, The Tea Series, Part 1

I've decided to post a series about tea. I am a bit of a tea connoisseur. I love a good cup of hot tea, or a tall glass of iced tea. I've made a point to educate myself about tea, and I've learned some exciting things. The first and foremost thing I've learned is that tea can help with weight loss!

All teas (white, black, green, oolong, pu-erh) are harvested from the same plant: the tea plant, also known in scientific terms as camellia sinensis. The different types of tea are based on how they are processed. They all have the same properties that help us with weight loss. Tea has three synergistic properties that work together: caffeine, L-theanine, and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG).

Tea has about 65 mg of caffeine per brewed cup (8 ounces). Coffee has about 90 mg of caffeine per brewed cup. But we are comparing apples to oranges. You see, tea has L-theanine, an amino acid that counteracts the negative effects of caffeine. This works to send your brain a message telling you that you are satisfied and full, rather than hungry. So basically, it works as an appetite suppressant. And then there is the EGCG which is an antioxidant that helps kick your metabolism into fat burning mode. How cool is that? Tea by itself won't cause you to lose weight, but it acts as an effective supplement to your low carb diet.

To top it off, tea is much healthier than diet soda. Let's face it -diet soda is chemicals and fake sweetner. Tea is an ancient drink that comes from nature. It's totally safe to drink tea all day long! Now I know what you are thinking: how does the caffeine effect your sleep? Well, I can tell you from personal experience that about a week and half into low carbing and full time tea drinking, I am now sleeping through the night.

In Part 2 of The Tea Series, we will talk about the different kinds of teas.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Cherry Cordial Protein Shake

If you want a real treat in a healthy package, then you must try making a cherry cordial protein shake. It's to die for!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup club soda
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 scoop (or 1 package) Jay Robb's Chocolate Whey Protein Powder
3 tablespoons DaVinci's Sugar Free Cherry Syrup
1 tablespoon flaxmeal (optional)
1 tablespoon chia gel (optional)

Blend. Add ice and chop till fine. Drink up!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Classic Deviled Eggs

My great-grandmother taught me how to make deviled eggs when I was just a girl. I've always loved them. They are a staple of my low carb diet.

How to Boil Eggs:
Place 3 day old brown eggs (they peel better) into a pan. Cover the eggs with water (1 to 2 inches). Bring the eggs to a boil. Allow the eggs to boil for a minute or two. Remove the pan from the heat and place a cover on the pan. Set the timer for 15 minutes. Remove the eggs from the pan and submerge them into a bowl of ice water until the eggs are completely cooled. Crack the egg on both ends. Peel from the top end down first, then around the side of the egg.

How to Make Classic Deviled Eggs (6 whole eggs, 12 deviled eggs):

Boil and peel 6 eggs. Use a sharp knife to cut the eggs in half, lengthwise. Remove the yolk from each egg and place all of the yolks in a small bowl. Mash the yolks well with a fork.

Mix In:
2 tbsp. real mayonnaise
1 tbsp. mustard
1/4 tsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. sugar free relish
dash of salt and pepper

Fill each egg "bowl" with the yolk mixture. Sprinkle paprika on the deviled eggs. If you want to be fancy about it, you can put the yolk mixture into an icing tube and "pipe" it into the egg bowls. Enjoy! 0 carbs, 32.5 calories, 3 protein, 2.5 fat

Monday, July 23, 2012

Weekend Fat Fast Results

I started a Weekend Fat Fast on Friday, July 19, 2012. My beginning weight (as of Friday morning) was 189 pounds. This is naked butt prior to eating or drinking anything weight.

The Fast
Day One (Friday) - I had to rearrange my meals to fit my day. It's not that big of a deal, but I had to drive across town and knew I'd be out and about for 3 hours, so I made my protein shake on the go. I also woke up late (had to pick up the teen daughter from the Batman premier at 3 a.m.), so I had my scrambled eggs around 9 a.m. I found that I'd get a little hungry at the 2 1/2 to 3 hour mark, which was fine because it was time to have another mini meal. I was never starving, but I can't say I felt completely full either. I kept telling myself it's only 3 days. I can do anything for 3 days, right?
Day Two (Saturday) - I lost 2 1/2 pounds! Yippee! I finally broke past 188 (lowest I've gotten in my 3 pounds on / off game). My Saturday morning weight came in at 186.5. To top it off my morning blood sugar was 156. Now that is still too high, but I've been struggling with this since I started back low carbing (and actually started testing -my bad). Every morning my BS has been 220-230. This is a significant improvement! One things though: I started to have foot cramps. I take a chelated mineral for this reason (low on magnesium). Two a day usually cuts it, although it was recommended I take 4. I think I might be low on potassium with my diet (I am using Morton's Lite Salt). I'm going to go ahead and take 4 chelated minerals (you can't take them at once, so I have to spread them out through the day).
  Saturday started out great, but it was kind of tough. I felt hungrier, and flipped out on DH when it was time for my super Jello. He ate the whole darn bowl! Seriously! The entire bowl! I had to have my protein shake, and make another bowl of Jello. I also had a headache and a toothache (I guess I'm going to have to suck it up and go to the dentist). I went to bed early (without my Jello), but woke up about 10:30 p.m. and ate my 1/2 cup as if it were ice cream.
Day Three (Sunday) - My weight is the same (phew) and my BS came in at 158. One more day to get through eating the same thing in the same amounts all day. It's not horrible, but it's not fabulous either. I felt better on Sunday, so it wasn't too bad of a day. I was definitely ready to eat something different!

The Results
Drumroll please...
This morning my weight is 186.5. I maintained a 2.5 weight loss. I've read that people have lost 5-7 pounds on Atkin's Fat Fast, but would gain half of it back within the week. I didn't lose as much, so I truly hope it sticks. I also lost an inch in the bust. Oh yeah! My Monday morning blood sugar came in at 161. Certainly far from perfect, but much better than it was prior to my fat fast.

Reflection
I knew almost as soon as I started that I should have made 3 days worth of meal plans in order to have a little variety. It takes time to work out the fat/protein/carbs/fiber/calorie intake. DH won't do this fast with me because he hates mayo (sad for him). I need to come up with replacement ideas for the man. I also realize he will need more calories. He could stand to lose 10-20 pounds, but he's not that far over the scale like me. There really is a tiny person under all of this fat. I just need to let her out. Overall, I think this 3 day fat fast did me some good (jumped started my weight loss which was stalled and lowered my blood sugar). It also made me realize that I'm really going to have to count, record, weigh, measure, and track what I eat in order to figure out my sensitivities. What causes me to lose / gain pounds? What causes my blood sugar to go up / down? I tried to do this by estimating and staying away from processed food, flour, wheat, and sugar, but I realize now that I'm seriously sensitive to something. I need to figure out what that something is exactly.

I'm now a bit stumped. What was the cause behind the effect? Was it the upped fat? The lower carbs? The limited calories? Did protein play a role? And what about fiber? I'm going to carefully play with these things over the next few weeks to see which ones my body responds to. Overall, I consider my fat fast a success. If I do it again, I will definitely make a 3 day menu with a little more variety.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Low Carb Dinner Menu, Week of July 22-26, 2012

It's time to get back to menu planning. Life is easier when you plan.

Monday
I bought a bag of crab legs and a bag of cooked shrimp at Sam's. I plan to whip up a salad to go with it. I'll get DH to make some low carb cocktail sauce to go with the shrimp. Of course, you can dip crab into some melted butter. Yum!
Tuesday
I'm going to try making zucchini boats. You cut off the ends of the zucchini, then cut it in half lengthwise. Next, you scoop out the seeds. Brown some ground beef with garlic and olive oil (and other Italian seasonings). Spoon some of the ground beef into the zucchini boats. Top with slice cherry tomatoes or low carb spaghetti sauce (or season tomato sauce) and parmesan cheese. Broil for a couple of minutes.
Wednesday
I love cube steak! Dredge the steaks lightly in Worcestershire sauce and Carbquik, then fry them up in vegetable oil. I'm a bit fond of eating cube steak with reduced sugar ketchup. I'll add a salad for a side.
Thursday
Several years ago, I created a recipe that my DH loves! I call it chicken breast with vegetables. I season my chicken breasts, then add some fresh tomatoes on top, and chopped zucchini and summer squash. Sprinkle the veggies with some seasoning (I use Greek seasoning). Bake for 30 minutes at 350. Top each breast with cheddar cheese, and put it back in the oven for 5 minutes.
Friday
I think I'll make a pork tenderloin, but I need to Google to find a seasoning recipe that appeals to me.


Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups with Coconut Oil

You don't need me to tell you the benefits of coconut oil. It's rich in vitamins and minerals, and is called the healthiest oil on Earth. If you are a believer in CO, but have a hard time forcing it down your throat, then you must try this recipe for chocolate peanut butter cups with coconut oil. It's a delicious, low carb treat packed with healthy goodness.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of expeller pressed coconut oil (you can also make this with 1/2 a stick of butter)
2 squares of 1-1/2 squares of Baker's Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
1/3 cup Splenda
1 tbsp. heavy whipping cream
4 tbsp. Jif Natural Peanut Butter


Put 15 mini muffin papers into a mini muffin pan (do this first). Spray with Pam. Place the chocolate in a glass measuring cup and put it in the microwave for one minute. Take it out and stir it with a spoon. Quickly dump the rest of the ingredients in the measuring cup. Place the measuring cup back into the microwave for one minute. Take it out and stir it well. If the ingredients need to melt more, place it back in the microwave for 30 seconds. Take it out and stir it until it's well blended. Pour the mixture into each muffin tin (almost all the way up). Place the muffin pan into the refrigerator. Once the chocolate peanut butter cups are set, you can take them out and eat them. Store them in a plastic zip baggy in the refrigerator. 2.6 carbs each (Be careful with these! You don't want to overeat them.)

UPDATE: I just made a batch, but I didn't feel like messing with the mini muffin pan and papers. The batch fits perfectly into a rectangular Pyrex storage container. I'm going to cut it like fudge! I also added 1 T. of DaVinci's Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup to get it a little more chocolaty without the extra carbs. 

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Low Carb Strawberry Milkshake

Hold onto your taste buds, because you are not going to believe this until you try it. I did it totally by accident. I created a low carb strawberry milkshake (minus the milk and ice cream). The only thing that is missing is the thickness that comes with the ice cream. I was just throwing stuff into the blender, but I had no idea it was going to taste just like a strawberry milkshake. I even though to myself, "Oh, this tastes familiar" (that's how long it's been since I've had a real one). Then I took another sip, and just about flipped when I realized what I did.

Ingredients:

1 packet of Jay Robb's Whey Strawberry Protein Powder (this will not do it alone)
2/3 club soda
1/3 heavy whipping cream
good splash of Davinci's sugar free strawberry syrup (makes the difference)
1 tbsp of chia gel for good measure

Whip it up in the blender. Add ice and set to chop. Pour in a glass and drink up! 3 carbs

Friday, July 20, 2012

Sneaky Carbs

One of the biggest sabotagers of a low carb diet is sneaky carbs. You've been working hard counting your carbs, but you still can't lose weight. What gives? It's time to sniff out the sneaky carbs. Here are some tips for eliminating unwanted carbs from your diet.

Tip 1: Assume Nothing. Read the nutritional information on the back of every package. Ignore the front of the package, especially packages that claim low net carbs or sugar free. Nine times out of ten it's a bunch of bunk. Personally, I think it should be against the law to call a food item sugar free if it has carbs in it, after all, we all know that carbs break down as sugar in our bodies. Watch out for so-called net carbs too. Food companies (including Atkins) remove xylitol from its carb count. This stuff effects different people in different ways. One person may be fine with it, yet another person may experience blood sugar spikes. Watch out for any ingredient that ends in -ol. Look at the actual carbs on the nutritional label yourself. You can subtract fiber for your net carbs, but that's it. Hidden carbs in packages are sneaky little boogers.

Tip 2: Round up. If the package says less than one carb, round up to one. Less than one carb doesn't equal zero carbs. Round up to avoid over eating carbs.

Tip 3: Factor in the Serving Size. Make sure you look at the serving size on the nutritional ingredients label. You turned over the package, and it says two carbs. But that two carbs is for ONE TEASPOON. Factor in the serving size. Is that all you are going to eat? One teaspoon? Serving sizes can make or break the carb count.

Tip 4: Weigh and Measure. Keep a tight count on carbs by weighing and measuring your food (especially vegetables and fruit). This isn't my idea of fun. I would much rather eyeball it, and I can if things are going well, but if I get stalled, out comes the scale. Write down your carb counts or enter them into an online program, but if you are seriously worried about over eating carbs, you will need a good kitchen scale.

Tip 5: Carry Stevia. Carry a small bottle of Stevia in your purse, backpack, briefcase, or whatever you carry around. Next time you grab an iced tea, skip the Splenda or artificial sugar and use Stevia instead. It's zero carbs (unlike Splenda). This way you don't get caught in a pinch. I hate the taste of aspartame (not to mention it scares me), so I'll use Splenda, but Splenda does have carbs, so I carry a little bottle of Stevia in my purse to sweeten tea and coffee on the go.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Weekend Fat Fast

I've decided to try a hybrid of Atkin's Fat Fast over the weekend. I am not at work on Friday, so I'm going to do a three day fat fast to see how it goes. On the Atkin's Fat Fast, you are supposed to get 90% of your calories from fat, eat 5 to 6 small meals throughout the day, and stick to 1000 calories. I've decided to try 1200 calories with one meal being a protein shake. I'm going to have five mini meals each day. I've worked out the calories (not that I'm a big believer in the whole calorie thing, but I'll play for a weekend), fat, protein, fiber and carbs. If I want to back up to 1000 calories, I can nix the protein shake. I plan to eat a mini meal every 2 to 3 hours.

Mini Meal # 1
2 scrambled eggs in 1 tbsp. butter

Mini Meal # 2
1/2 cup Super Jello

Mini Meal # 3
1 -5 oz can of tuna with 1 tbsp. of real mayo (plus a little sugar free relish, Morton's Lite Salt, and pepper)

Mini Meal # 4
2 deviled eggs (from 1 whole egg made with 1/2 tsp. real mayo, a little sugar free relish, a dash of salt and pepper, a smidgeon of mustard, and a dash of paprika on top)
6 macadamia nuts
2 tbsp. HEB's Natural Guacamole

Mini Meal # 5
Jay Robb's Protein Shake (1 scoop of protein powder, 3/4 cup club soda, 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, 2 tbsp. DaVinci's, 1 tbsp. chia gel, 1 tbsp. flaxmeal)

Liquids: coffee, tea, water (sweetened with Stevia)
I am going to drink a lot of Oolong tea throughout the weekend. Oolong tea is delicious and known for helping with weight loss.

I will continue my supplements during my Weekend Fat Fast. My weight today is 189. I will report my results on Monday morning.

Low Carb Book Review: How I Gave Up My Low-Fat Diet and Lost 40 Pounds by Dana Carpender


    I just finished reading How I Gave Up My Low-Fat Diet and Lost 40 Pounds by Dana Carpender. I knew her name based on her reputation for creating great low carb recipes and cookbooks, so when I saw her book, I decided to purchase it. Dana's book is just what I needed to help me get back on track. Here's the thing: the woman has done her homework, explains medical and science stuff in normal speak, and has eight years of low carbing under her belt. She's a walking example of how anyone can live a low carb lifestyle.
Dana is an Atkin's gal, but she recognizes that different people have different bodies, and what works for one person might not work for another person. She does a great job of explaining the reason everyone should eat low carb (based on scientific and medical research studies), but then she goes on to explain some of the different low carb diets out there -the pros / cons, and reasons why a diet may or may not work for a person. She doesn't say, "You have to do this, or you have to do that." Instead, she tells you the various options, and even talks about creating your own hybrid plan. It's all a great low carb experiment to figure out what works best for your body, lifestyle, and weight goals.
I read her book on my Kindle. There were some fabulous recipes (how to make your own yogurt), resources, and references. It was enough to get me to finally figure out how to highlight/bookmark pages (which is really easy btw). If you are new to low carb, or a veteran, I highly recommend this book. It's a great, easy to understand read.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Magic Weight Loss Meal

This is an experiment of the low carb kind (less than 2 carbs). Can a mini magic meal jump start weight loss? Can it help a person become *cough* "regular"? I'm convinced my mini magic meal could do the trick. At the very least, it will give you a nutritious bang for your buck.

Magic Weight Loss Meal

1/4 cup of flaxmeal
1 tbsp. of butter
1 tbsp. of heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp. of chia gel
2 tbsp. of hot water

Pour your flaxmeal in a bow. Cut the butter into small squares and spread it around on top of the flaxmeal. Pour in the hot water and stir until the butter is melted. Add the heavy whipping cream and chia gel. Stir well. It's kind of thick and goopy and okay, it's brown, but it tastes good -very much like oatmeal, and it keeps you feeling full and satisfied.

Note: You might want to try this on a day that you are home for a couple of hours after eating. It's a good idea to see how your body reacts to it first. So far, my body has reacted very well (normal), but rather quickly (the urge to purge comes rather fast if you know what I mean).

How to Make Chia Gel

Mix 1/3 cup of chia seeds with 2 cups of water. It takes about 10 minutes to gel. Store it in the fridge. It lasts for about a week. It's rather tasteless. Mix it into protein shakes or any baking recipes. I've also heard that it help to moisten ground turkey and meatloaf type meals. You can also add chia seeds to your salad. It's the newly discovered (yet, rather ancient) super food! Read more about chia seeds here.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Are Freezer Vegetables Healthy?

Yes. IF you make them yourself.

Let me explain. I like convenience in a microwave package. Just like everyone else, I'm in a hurry all the damn time. Grabbing a bag of vegetables out of the freezer and popping them into the microwave makes my life easier. So I didn't think twice about buying vegetables out of the frozen food section of the supermarket. I just assumed (and we know what that means) that my freezer vegetables were just vegetables (and perhaps EVOO, butter, herbs, and spices).

So in my quest to go very low carb again, I decided to take a look at the carbs on the frozen vegetables I have in the freezer - you know, just to make sure. SHOCK! Why didn't I look before now? Fourteen carbs for a half cup serving! Say what? How is that possible? There's a smidgeon of carrots in there, but really, FOURTEEN carbs? Really? So what gives?

The words "fructose, corn starch, and modified" were enough to have me running for the hills. And that's just the beginning of the list. What possessed the food companies to load a bag of healthy vegetables with a bunch of unhealthy crap? And how dare they put the word "healthy" on the box when clearly it's not!

Moving on to plan B: I'm going to make my own freezer bag vegetables (as soon as my Foodsaver arrives). I'm dreaming up vegetable combos, and searching for herbs and spices to complement my healthy freezer vegetables. This is how I see it: one day, lots of veggies, chop, bag, add spices (and EVOO or butter), suck out the air, freeze (in a steamer bag). Who needs Green Giant? I can spend one day making a month's worth of vegetable freezer bags. The end result: a healthier, happier me. I'll post my vegetable combos soon, so stay tuned.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Super Jello

Do you need to add some fat to your diet? Are you looking for a very low carb snack to keep you from going on a carb binge? I tinkered around with sugar free Jello until I came up with a creamy sensation. A little Super Jello goes a long way to satiating hunger.

Ingredients:
1- 0.30 OZ box of sugar free Jello (any flavor of the smaller box)
1/2 package Philadelphia Cream Cheese (4 carbs)
1 cup of boiling water
1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream

Directions:
(1) Boil one cup of water.
(2) Cut the cream cheese into chunks and place in a microwave safe glass bowl. Place the cream cheese into the microwave for about one minute. Stir the cream cheese until all of the lumps are removed and the cream cheese is smooth.
(3) Pour the Jello into a bowl (I used a plastic bowl with a lid, so that I could put it straight into the fridge). Pour the hot water into the Jello and stir quickly until all of the gelatin is dissolved.
(4) Pour heavy whipping cream into the bowl and use a hand whip to stir until well blended.
(5) Use a spatula to pour the cream cheese into the Jello mixture. Use the hand whip to stir the mixture until well blended. Put the lid on the bowl and place it in the fridge until it's completely gelled.

1/2 cup per serving, 4 servings, 1 carb per serving

Kick It Up a Notch:
You will quickly find that this rich and creamy treat is very satisfying. You probably won't be able to eat an entire half cup serving at once. I spoon out two to three spoonfuls and I'm a happy girl. But perhaps you want to kick it up a notch on the nutrition ladder? Add a couple of tablespoons of chia gel to your Super Jello to make it super nutritious!




Sunday, July 15, 2012

Return of Low Carb Underground

I'm back! If you read my last few posts, you will see that after losing 50 pounds, I hit a stall wall. I couldn't find a way around, under it, over it, or thru it. After months of seeing absolutely no results, I began to slip down the slippery slope of carb eating evil. I gained it all back, plus some! Not good, right? After a year of going back to the devil, I began to lose weight eating anything I wanted. Oh, I would have a low carb day here and there. I even avoided flour and sugar (most of the time), but I didn't pass up the desserts on goody day at work, or miss out on a bowl of ice cream when I was in the mood for it. But I was losing weight!

You guessed it. High blood sugar = unhealthy weight loss. My vision went wonky again. I was tired, sick, and suffering from recurrent yeast infections. I lost almost all of the weight I gained, but not in the right way. My blood sugar is officially out of control. And here I am again. I now resolve to eat low carb even if I stall! It's not just about weight loss anymore, it's about my health. Sugar is the devil incarnate. It's evil. It's toxic poison and I'm determined to get it out of my system. So here I go again, but this time, it's for a lifetime.