Lots of good eats.

I had a great low carb, high taste day yesterday.  One of the reasons I've been able to stick with a low carb lifestyle for so long is that I don't feel like my choices are limited.  Of course there are things that I miss, but there isn't anything that I miss nearly as much as I missed chicken wings when I was eating a very calorie restrictive diet.

Whenever people tell me that they are thinking about switching to a low carb diet I give them two pieces of advice.  First, you have to think of this as a change in lifestyle, not a diet.  If you lose weight by cutting breads and pasta, you are going to gain it back as soon as you start eating those things again.  I want you to be realistic about whether you can see yourself saying goodbye to bread for life.  Second, don't think of a low carb diet as some kind of miracle quick fix.  It's easy for me because I've been doing it for a long time, I have support at home, and I don't miss the sweets that much.  But if you can't live without Coca Cola, this might not be the right choice for you.

Losing weight and being healthy is not about making yourself suffer.  It's about finding a plan that works for your lifestyle and needs.  Some people don't like the idea of having to say goodbye forever to brownies or french fries, and there are options for those people as well.  Explore all your options before you commit to anything and especially before you spend any money.  There is so much information out there, and there is (without a doubt) an program that will feel like it just fits.

Now, on to the yummies.  I started the day off with 1 piece of bacon, 1 egg scrambled with cheese, and 1 half of a flax pit with a little strawberry cream cheese.  This is a power breakfast because it packs a lot of protein and fiber.

For lunch I had leftovers from my Taco Bake.  I also had some leftover roasted vegetables.  I put them on a plate and microwaved for 2 minutes for a tasty work lunch.

Add a healthy eating magazine and a lot of water for a half hour of bliss.

After work I met a friend for happy hour that turned into dinner at Frisco Tap House and Brewery in Columbia.  I really like this place because there is such a wide breadth of things to choose from on the menu.  It's not often that I have my choice of Chorizo, sauteed artichokes, Ahi tuna, and pulled pork.

I ordered the wings because they are awesome and come with a homemade blue cheese that is phenomenal. I also got a side of sauteed mushrooms that tasted of olive oil and garlic.  I ate all of the mushrooms and ended up taking half of the wings home to enjoy later.

All of this comes back around to my original point.  On a low carb eating plan I am able to enjoy foods that I love like wings, blue cheese dressing, cheese, and eggs.  I rarely feel like I'm being deprived  because I'm able to focus on the things that I can eat instead of the things that I can't.