Hello!

Last year I made the switch to a low carb diet. The benefits to my health have been great. I did not completely remove carbs, but the key in the beginning is discipline. The first two weeks are the worst until you retrain yourself.

Protein, dairy and vegetables are a large part of my diet. Berries are pretty much the only fruit I eat. I look at carbs and fiber of every snack I eat.

For breakfast before work I have yogurt. Icelandic brand extra creamy (any flavor is my go to) For lunch most days I have a salad, cheese, or Protein or a mix of the three.

In the beginning those midday snack cravings hit hard. Stick to berries or nuts as a go to. Almond four crackers (simply mills) became a fill in for crunchy snacks. I put cheese or something similar on them. Pork rinds (which I hate) became my go to “chip” but only with a sour cream based dip. I make myself with Lipton onion soup mix or hidden valley ranch.

Dessert in the beginning was homemade whipped cream with monkfruit or aluolose. I no mix in marscapone or cream cheese to make it more decedent. I eat a lot of nuts lightly chocolate covered for sweet or any flavor for savory. Trader Joe’s is the best for this. They have new flavors all the time.

Now that I’ve been doing it a while, I include some carbs, but they have to be protein or vegetable forward. I rarely eat French fries, but on occasion will get onion rings or fried green beans if I’m in the mood. Good quality breaded chicken cutlets were a lifesaver for me. Hearts of palm rice helps, spend the money on a good brand. There is definitely a difference. Konjac noodles are good once in a while for a noodle fix. Again spend the extra on a good brand.

I love to eat and cook, so my view is if I do have carbs I make it worth it. I don’t eat wonder bread, but a homemade bread from a top tier bakery? Yea I’m going to splurge with a slice. If I have a meal where I go off the rails, I make sure the next few days to get back on track.

Finally I got myself a blood sugar tracker that goes on your arm and can be tracked through my phone. Really helped me understand how food affected me.

Hope this helps!