And the Doctor says....

PERFECT!

I went this morning for my first physical since losing the weight. I had gone in ahead of time for lab work so that he would have all my blood work and results so we could go over it all.

Here is a run down of what he found:

Cholesterol - Ideal = <175 Mine = 163
Triglycerides - Ideal = <100 Mine = 69
LDL (bad cholesterol)- Ideal = <100 Mine = 75
Cholesterol/HDL ratio - Ideal = 1.0-5.0 Mine = 2.2
HDL (good cholesterol) - Ideal = 50< Mine = 74!


One thing he also told me is that having a high HDL like that can only come from a good diet and exercise! I do both!

I also asked about my current maintenance calorie level. He said that actually by eating at a level like I am of now on average 1400 calories a day... I am actually INCREASING my life span! Studies are now showing that actually someone maintaining a REDUCED calorie diet/maintenance program are INCREASING their chances for a longer life!

I think it can be agreed that eating the way I did on my loss program is not how I will be eating the rest of my life. Neither is drinking shakes twice a day or pre-packaged meals. No one will continue their WEIGHT LOSS way of eating their entire lives. What I do think though is that Kimkins taught me the fundamentals of good eating. I can eat and maintain a healthy Low Fat Low Carb lifestyle for my whole life! Kimkins prepared me for a future of good eating habits. I eat my protein now lean and properly proportioned. I can listen to my body and know when I've eaten enough. I can spread my calories throughout the day so that I never feel deprived or like I have to binge.

So without further fanfare - I give you another day in my life!

Today was a bit of a rush day with my doctor's appointment this morning. So I opted for a very light breakfast before I left and then another decent sized snack when I returned. I'd also like to note here that I have not included all that I drink in a day because well.... it would take too long! On average I drink around 60-80 oz of water (regular or flavored) in a day plus diet sodas or Crystal Light as an alternative. Not to mention my morning coffee ;)

Breakfast - Almond Breeze Milk Shake w/ Whey Protein

Morning Snack - Cottage Cheese and Strawberries w/ Almonds

Lunch - Peanut Curry Chicken, soy chips and Summer Salad (lettuce, strawberries, almonds, Low Fat Feta Cheese, and Pomegranate Hibiscus Dressing)

Afternoon snack - Drank a lot of water and a soda: see notes on dinner

Dinner - Tonight we are hosting our small group from church for a build your own Taco Salad and Ice Cream Sunday social! My plan for today was to really watch what I ate throughout the day so that I would not stress tonight about what I am eating. So dinner plan tonight:

Taco salad w/ guacamole salsa and queso, and a SMALL serving of homemade vanilla ice cream!

Calories today (excluding the ice cream): 1285 Carbs: 63g

A day in the life...

I get asked all the time to share what I am eating now on maintenance. In looking over my lists I realized something. Sometimes it is hard just looking at a food list or diary to know really how people are eating and what they are doing to make their plan work for them. I thought I'd take a minute and share with you what one of my days on average looks like.

**Please note: The recipes menu I will be sharing here is maintenance standard. But hopefully maybe for those following their own low carb plan or planning ahead for their own maintenance programs this will give you something to look forward too! :)

Today's menu:

Breakfast - Fiber One Berry Medley with Coffee

Mid-morning snack - 1/2 Almond Breeze peanut butter chocolate milk shake w/ whey protein, low fat cheese wedge

Lunch - Turkey and Swiss Lettuce wraps, dill pickle spears and Diet soda, 1 small purple plum, 1 Carb Smart Ice Cream bar for dessert

Afternoon snack - celery and southwest dip, turkey pepperoni chips, Diet Pepsi "float"

Dinner: Tamago Egg Sushi w/ sauteed mushrooms, Edamame, side salad.

Total cals: 1209 total carbs: 90g Total protein: 110g

I believe my carbs were a little higher than usual today because in the berry medley I added about 1/3 of a banana today and had the ice cream bar this afternoon. But all in all this is a very good representation I think of how I can eat now on a daily basis!

I wanted to share the recipe for the Fiber One Berry Medley because this has become such a staple of my maintenance diet now!

Fiber One Berry Medley:
1/4 cup Fiber One Cereal
1 tbls Almond Meal
1 tsp Flax Meal
1 scoop vanilla or berry flavored whey protein
2 tlbs Low Fat or Fat Free Cottage Cheese
1 (serving)cup of Carb Control Yogurt (strawberry or vanilla)
1/2 cup mixed berries (I love strawberries and blueberries)
Splenda to taste

Mix all together and enjoy this nutritious and filling breakfast!

I'll be posting more menus as time allows. Learning to eat healthy on maintenance has been such an exciting adventure. I can't wait to share more of my finds with you!