What I've Been Eating on Atkins!

I don't update this blog nearly enough, but now with the new year I'm trying to get back into it again. :) I was doing really well on the Atkins diet, but that all got messed up around the holidays (go figure!) Thankfully I didn't really gain any weight. (The few pounds I did gain, I lost when I had the flu the week after Christmas.. Which was a nightmare.) However, I want to start my weight loss again so I'm starting back on phase 1 of the Atkins Diet!

So here are some examples of what I've been eating the past few days! :)

The goal with the atkins diet in phase 1 is to keep your net carbs between 18 and 22 each day. I went to 23 and 24 on two days, however I don't think I actually consumed that many because I didn't finish  my salad one day, and I also didn't finish the chicken salad I ate the other day. So, I'm probably still between the 18 & 22 range. Regardless, I think I've been doing pretty well and thought I'd share it with you guys to hold myself accountable, while giving ideas to other people who may be in the same boat. :)

Hope you're all having a great day, and talk to you soon!

-Ashley<3(:

Bari Wise Protein Cappucino Review!

I'm not a big coffee person.. But these are pretty great... My 13 year old brother likes them too. (when he slugs down 3 dr peppers a day, its surprizing he likes something with only three grams of sugar.)

I don't believe there is any caffeine in them, but the taste is stil there.. and it's one of the vew protein drinks i've found that you can drink, hot, that dont like.. curdle up.

http://www.dietdirect.com/bari-wise-health-hot-cappuccinos.html

I really like bari-wise.. a lot of their stuff is really good. (: Definatley check out diet direct.. the stuff is a little on the pricier side.. if you can get it, i definatley say go for it. I got a lot of stuff free, from a really great lady i met on obesity help when i was a more recent post-op... literally a massive box full of stuff. So i've gone through and tried all of it.. most of it was really good. there were a few things i didn't like so much, but you'll have that with anything.

I've gone back and ordered more of the fruit drinks, cappucinos, and one type of protein bar (which will be next to be reviewed... its amazing.) and there is  a ton more i want to try.

but yeah. if you like coffee, and need protein. this is amazing.. 90 callories, 4 carbs, 2-4 grams of sugar depending on the type (i've only tried the original.. i'm sure the others are great too) and 15 grams of protein...

(:

have a great day.

-ashley
www.twitter.com/justashley1637
www.facebook.com/justashley1637

Logging!

A lot of people log things.. Their food/fluid intake, exersize, blood sugars, insulin (when diabetic) ... I've never been good at it. Ever. When I was really little my mom would do it for me.. Like.. when i was 7.. But i've never been good at iton my own. I'm good at just keeping track in my head.. I can look back and remmeber everything I"ve eaten/drank.. and add it all together... I've been doing this all so long.. i'm almost 100% accurate on eye-balling portion sizes (although i still measure to make sure, majority of the time.) I just stopped attempting to log things.. Because i'd do it for a day.. then sto pfor a week.. do it for half aday, for 3 days, then not do it again for a few days.. It wasn't helpfull at all. and more frustrating than anything..

But this past weeki've been REALLY off.. not remembering half of my meds.. (i seriously have slept maybe a total of 12 hours... the past week.)... I've had a lot going on... It wuoldn't seem like a lotto most people.. But itsa long story.. ANYWAYS. i realized I havent taken my metformin (or any of my meds, for that matter..)thsi week... normally i'm realllllyyyy good with my meds.. I don't typically havea problemremembering them. it's become a habit for me.. But this has just been a messedup week..

I've been out of test strips for my blood sugar for a few months.. I just got some yesterday.. So i thought i'd take it..  i had just eaten.. figured it would bea ltitle high... no glucophauge(metformin), for a week.. and your blood sugar naturally goes up after you eat, right..? even in a totally healthy person..  well.. it was like 80.... .andi took it again later on.. and it was 78... -- uhm...? My blood sugars have never been... like... that great.. i've kept them controlled most my life.. without much of a problem (for which i'm grateful) but that.. without metformin? i was honestly amazed.. I've been on metformin/glucophauge since i as9 years old...

and for whatever reason this motivated me to start logging my blood sugars.. (get back on track with my meds, obviously..)
but i set a goal for myself.. to take my blood sugar fasting, 2 hours after lunch, and 2hours after dinner.. and see where i'm at.. just because this interests me. Now Itypically eat 4 (obviously pretty small) meals a day.. up to 60grams of protein total, sometimes more, and i keep the carbs under 45-50grams a day...  so i take it 2 hours after the first meal and 2hours after the last meal... and log it. I'll probably post my numbers on facebook each day.. because this is really.. id on't know. interesting i guess.. to me. to see what my levels are at. the first day i did (today) no glucophauge.. then the rest of the days i'm taking my glucophauge getting back into it..

(I'm not recommending stopping your medications, at all. This was honestly a mistake.. But i figured.. I'll take advantage of it, instead of sit there mad at myself for messing up so badly.)

then obviously i'll keep taking my meds.. like i'm supposed to. :P

But yeah..

So. the point of this post, is i'm going to try logging just for one week.. my blood sugars anyway. I've tried logging food. i just am not able to do it for more than 2 days without givng up.. its too much of a hassle for me.. I can tell you what i ate all day today.. no problem..:

Breakfast: 1/2 yoplait light blueberry yogurt, and a piece of string cheese.
Lunch: half of a chicken cheese quesadilla, and some milk..
Lunch #2: The other half of the chicken cheese quesadilla, and 2 small pieces of a peach.
Dinner: 5 small shrimp(with a little bit of coctail sauce) and a piece of string cheese.

Fluids: eh.. about 60oz.. made up of diluted diet pepsi, sugar free pink lemonade, orange flavored crystal light, and skim milk..

^^^^^. see? (: I made absolutely none of that up, either.

Butttt yeah. Just thought I'd put that out there. (:

but i did draw up two charts.. a food/intake log, and a blood sugar log.. the blood sugar log isn't exact to the one i'm using now, but it's pretty close.. you can use them as a guide to make you rown, if you want to try logging.. or just print them off. if you print off the picture, (just right click it, and click print picture, i believe..) it should show up when you print it, a full page.. the pictures look better enlarged.

Blood Sugar Log:

(i just scanned the drawing.. i didn't have the patience to try and do it on microsoft excel or whatever the name of the program isthat you can make graphs on.. sorry. :P haha.)

Food/Intake Log:

(I always hate when doctors would give me charts to try and fill out, that there was never enough room to write everything down.. ever. I'm not very good at writing super small.. so i tried to make this one have more space.. its basically for a week. 7 days. You kill more trees this way, but it's also easier to write.. and keep track of, i think.. anyway.. :P)

so.. there we go. (: I hope this helped some.. Have a great day!

-ashley.

www.twitter.com/justashley1637

www.facebook.com/justashley1637

ashleyellen1637@aol.com

Ps: Feel free to email me, or comment on this, or write on my page on facebook! i'd love to talk to anyone who keeps up with my blog.. If anyone ever has any questions or concerns, or suggestions on things i should blog about... let me know! (: