3/8/2014
Start weight: 187.8
3/15/2013
Week one: 183.0
Lost 4.8
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Hoisin chicken and green beans
This really can't even be called a recipe, it's so easy.
Take a pound or more cut up chicken thighs or breasts, based on your preference. (I use the kind already cut up in a bag and use half the bag --- EASY!)
Cook chicken in a skillet until cooked through
Add a pat of butter (optional)
Add 2 Tbl Hoisin sauce
1 tsp garlic salt, or to taste
Stir together until coated, then cook a few more minutes and the Hoisin will begin to caramelize.
Remove the chicken from the pan and cook the green beans right in that pan and they will pick up a bit of that flavor also.
(Note: Hoisin sauce has 9 grams of sugar carbs per 2 Tbl, so it is not sugar free or carb free. If I fill a 10" skillet with chicken and cook it this way, it makes 3-4 servings, so approx 3 carbs.)
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Mini pumpkin cheesecakes
The cool thing here is that with minimal effort (I think these took 10 minutes) you have NINE desserts already made!
CHEESECAKE:
1 8 oz block of cream cheese
9 packets Splenda
1 egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp almond extract
Cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, to taste
TOPPING:
6 oz sour cream
9 packets Splenda
1 tsp vanilla extract
Cinnamon, to taste
Beat cream cheese and Splenda until fluffy. Beat in egg. Mix in cream, pumpkin, extracts and spice. Pour into 9 muffin cups. Bake at 325 approx 35 minutes or until dry and just starting to crack on top. Cool.
Mix all topping ingredients and dollop on top of each cheesecake before serving.
Each will have approximately 2 carbs each. Each Splenda packet has 1 carb, the other ingredients have 0!
CHEESECAKE:
1 8 oz block of cream cheese
9 packets Splenda
1 egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp almond extract
Cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, to taste
TOPPING:
6 oz sour cream
9 packets Splenda
1 tsp vanilla extract
Cinnamon, to taste
Beat cream cheese and Splenda until fluffy. Beat in egg. Mix in cream, pumpkin, extracts and spice. Pour into 9 muffin cups. Bake at 325 approx 35 minutes or until dry and just starting to crack on top. Cool.
Mix all topping ingredients and dollop on top of each cheesecake before serving.
Each will have approximately 2 carbs each. Each Splenda packet has 1 carb, the other ingredients have 0!
Pork loin and cabbage
This is just an EASY meal idea.... Very little prep and will actually make three meals (for one person, depending on how big the pork loin is.)
Season amply pork loin with Butter Buds, garlic salt and rotisserie seasoning.
Wrap in foil, making a tight seal with the foil, but leaving room for the pork to steam as it cooks. This will allow for a lot of juice.
Cook approximately 40 minutes per pound at 375.
I buy shredded cabbage (perfect for the lazy low-carber!) in the bags in the produce aisle. It's designed for cole slaw, but great for those who don't have much time or desire to cook.
Sauté this in a frying pan with butter and salt (or whatever seasoning you like.)
Grab a bit of cheese you've sliced up and already have in the fridge and voila! Quick and easy meal!
Season amply pork loin with Butter Buds, garlic salt and rotisserie seasoning.
Wrap in foil, making a tight seal with the foil, but leaving room for the pork to steam as it cooks. This will allow for a lot of juice.
Cook approximately 40 minutes per pound at 375.
I buy shredded cabbage (perfect for the lazy low-carber!) in the bags in the produce aisle. It's designed for cole slaw, but great for those who don't have much time or desire to cook.
Sauté this in a frying pan with butter and salt (or whatever seasoning you like.)
Grab a bit of cheese you've sliced up and already have in the fridge and voila! Quick and easy meal!
Crab stuffed mushrooms
Using the crab dip from the previous recipe, either fill portobello mushroom halves or top thick mushroom slices (as in the picture). Top with shredded cheddar and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly and slightly browned on top.
YUMMY!
Crab dip and cheese chips
CRAB DIP:
3-4 oz crab claw meat
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Minced onion, to taste
Garlic salt, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Mix well, spread into 1 quart baking dish, bake at 375 for approx 30 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with more shredded cheddar, bake another 10 min or until slightly browned on top.
CHEESE CHIPS:
Shredded cheddar jack cheese
Shredded asiago cheese
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Sir together and drop by the pinch onto a cookie sheet (spray it with cooking spray first). Sprinkle with garlic salt, if desired. Bake at 400 for approx 5 minutes or until flat and lacy looking. Remove and let cool a minute or two, until they stop bubbling. Remove onto a paper towel.
Together, these make a delicious snack with no carbs!
3-4 oz crab claw meat
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Minced onion, to taste
Garlic salt, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Mix well, spread into 1 quart baking dish, bake at 375 for approx 30 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with more shredded cheddar, bake another 10 min or until slightly browned on top.
CHEESE CHIPS:
Shredded cheddar jack cheese
Shredded asiago cheese
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Sir together and drop by the pinch onto a cookie sheet (spray it with cooking spray first). Sprinkle with garlic salt, if desired. Bake at 400 for approx 5 minutes or until flat and lacy looking. Remove and let cool a minute or two, until they stop bubbling. Remove onto a paper towel.
Together, these make a delicious snack with no carbs!
Getting started!
Okay, well, I started a week ago, but still. The sheer fact that I am re-starting should tell you I'm no expert. I don't claim to be. So here's where I've been when it comes to this particular subject:
I have the most typical story ever. I've struggled with my weight since my teens and have almost always considered myself "chubby." Somehow I've always had good self-esteem, but there comes a time when the weight is just really uncomfortable. I've tried many diets and had some success. Just last year I lost 40-ish pounds on Jenny Craig. I won't lie, it works. The blessing for me was also the problem for me... I didn't have to do a thing. Every lazy person's dream, right? 40 pounds, down to a size 8 shows that it worked.
Then last June I had surgery to remove a really big tumor from my leg. Then a week later, I had another surgery to remove half of the inside of my left lower leg. The tumor had turned out to be a crazy rare cancer, Myxoid Liposarcoma. The factor here, though, is that I was literally off my feet for months. According to the doctor, he removed approximately 75% of 2 of the 3 muscle compartments. Activity was a no-go. Insert some mild depression and it was a recipe (pun intended) for gaining back all of that weight, plus some, over the last 9 months.
The cancer is totally gone, by the way. WHOOHOO!!!!
So here I am, 50-ish pounds overweight, realizing that while I like the convenience of some other programs, it's not lasting for me and I have to do it myself... a way that I can maintain. I'm a carnivore and when I was on Jenny Craig, I seriously missed meat. I loved the treats in small amounts, but more than anything, I missed meat. And cheese. And butter. And meat.
So how did I get started? Well I'm quite glad you asked. The day before my start date, I bought Cadbury Eggs and ate 5 of them. I'm not kidding. Not all at once, though.... as if that makes it better! Then before I went to bed, I grabbed a garbage bag and threw out everything carb-related that would tempt me. I kept a few things around for when my daughter and nephews come over, but made sure it wasn't anything that would tempt me. I admit that it might be easier for those of us who live alone. I'm single and my daughter is 18 now and on her own. She and my nephews hog out when they come over, but I live close to stores, so it's easy to not keep much on hand.
The first day, I made it super easy on myself and bought some sausages and a rotisserie chicken. Breakfast, lunch and dinner: done... lazy person style! That night after work, I went to the store with a list and bought a few things to get re-started.
That's it..... getting started wasn't any harder than that!
Week one weigh-in: Down 4.8 lbs. Not bad at all. And that's with it being a VERY busy week, most evenings spent at the hospital with my sister who had surgery.
Now it's a couple of days into week 2 (I weigh on Fridays) and I'm in planner mode. That's a must for any person practicing efficient laziness. I spent a large portion of yesterday looking at recipes and making a grocery list. I'm an uber-picky eater, so when I do cook, I experiment. I went to Barnes & Noble and bought the old Atkins book (listed in my recommendations) to re-read and bought a bunch of stuff to cook. Wait, I said I was lazy, right? That's right... this week my meals are already done! That's ~efficient~ laziness!
"But Tammy, I could NEVER give up pasta/chocolate/bread/etc!!!" My friend says this to me all the time and some of you might be thinking it. You just have to trust me that after a few days the cravings won't be there! You can give up carbs and barely miss them. Will the cheesecake and lasagna still sound awesome? Yes. Can you make low-carb versions of them that are even more awesome because they taste amazing and make you feel better while reaching your goals? You bet.
All right. Enough cheer leading for me. For now. :)
I have the most typical story ever. I've struggled with my weight since my teens and have almost always considered myself "chubby." Somehow I've always had good self-esteem, but there comes a time when the weight is just really uncomfortable. I've tried many diets and had some success. Just last year I lost 40-ish pounds on Jenny Craig. I won't lie, it works. The blessing for me was also the problem for me... I didn't have to do a thing. Every lazy person's dream, right? 40 pounds, down to a size 8 shows that it worked.
Then last June I had surgery to remove a really big tumor from my leg. Then a week later, I had another surgery to remove half of the inside of my left lower leg. The tumor had turned out to be a crazy rare cancer, Myxoid Liposarcoma. The factor here, though, is that I was literally off my feet for months. According to the doctor, he removed approximately 75% of 2 of the 3 muscle compartments. Activity was a no-go. Insert some mild depression and it was a recipe (pun intended) for gaining back all of that weight, plus some, over the last 9 months.
The cancer is totally gone, by the way. WHOOHOO!!!!
So here I am, 50-ish pounds overweight, realizing that while I like the convenience of some other programs, it's not lasting for me and I have to do it myself... a way that I can maintain. I'm a carnivore and when I was on Jenny Craig, I seriously missed meat. I loved the treats in small amounts, but more than anything, I missed meat. And cheese. And butter. And meat.
So how did I get started? Well I'm quite glad you asked. The day before my start date, I bought Cadbury Eggs and ate 5 of them. I'm not kidding. Not all at once, though.... as if that makes it better! Then before I went to bed, I grabbed a garbage bag and threw out everything carb-related that would tempt me. I kept a few things around for when my daughter and nephews come over, but made sure it wasn't anything that would tempt me. I admit that it might be easier for those of us who live alone. I'm single and my daughter is 18 now and on her own. She and my nephews hog out when they come over, but I live close to stores, so it's easy to not keep much on hand.
The first day, I made it super easy on myself and bought some sausages and a rotisserie chicken. Breakfast, lunch and dinner: done... lazy person style! That night after work, I went to the store with a list and bought a few things to get re-started.
That's it..... getting started wasn't any harder than that!
Week one weigh-in: Down 4.8 lbs. Not bad at all. And that's with it being a VERY busy week, most evenings spent at the hospital with my sister who had surgery.
Now it's a couple of days into week 2 (I weigh on Fridays) and I'm in planner mode. That's a must for any person practicing efficient laziness. I spent a large portion of yesterday looking at recipes and making a grocery list. I'm an uber-picky eater, so when I do cook, I experiment. I went to Barnes & Noble and bought the old Atkins book (listed in my recommendations) to re-read and bought a bunch of stuff to cook. Wait, I said I was lazy, right? That's right... this week my meals are already done! That's ~efficient~ laziness!
"But Tammy, I could NEVER give up pasta/chocolate/bread/etc!!!" My friend says this to me all the time and some of you might be thinking it. You just have to trust me that after a few days the cravings won't be there! You can give up carbs and barely miss them. Will the cheesecake and lasagna still sound awesome? Yes. Can you make low-carb versions of them that are even more awesome because they taste amazing and make you feel better while reaching your goals? You bet.
All right. Enough cheer leading for me. For now. :)
What this is all about.
Hi! I'm Tammy and for many years I've said I'm the laziest person I know. (That's until I had a teenage daughter, but I digress.) I want to first say that I'm not a dietitian. I'm not a nutritionist. I'm not a doctor. I know exactly 1/10 of nothing (you do the math) about science. What I do know is that low-carb is the only way of eating that has ever worked for me and now that I'm older and theoretically wiser, I'm finding cool ways to fit it into my "I love to eat and be lazy AND healthy" lifestyle.
My version of laziness is something I call "efficient laziness" which means I do whatever I have to do (including being very organized and a neat freak) to get the most lazy time as possible. If I keep things done, I never really have to DO them. That's my theory anyway.
As it pertains to a low-carb lifestyle, I will say that I truly feel better, stronger and healthier when I stick to it. And the more I experiment, the more I wonder why I wouldn't stick to it.
Along with any recipes I post, I'll post a picture. Nothing fancy, of course. Lazy people don't do garnishes!
Last but not least, this is a picture of me and a giant turtle. It was taken in February 2013 in the Florida Keys. I have a real turtle named Buddy. He's about the size of a quarter and cuter than cute. The pic shows me pre-refocus after gaining an obscene amount of weight trying other diets. I'm no longer dieting. Ever. This is a lifestyle. A darn YUMMY one!
So here we go!
My version of laziness is something I call "efficient laziness" which means I do whatever I have to do (including being very organized and a neat freak) to get the most lazy time as possible. If I keep things done, I never really have to DO them. That's my theory anyway.
As it pertains to a low-carb lifestyle, I will say that I truly feel better, stronger and healthier when I stick to it. And the more I experiment, the more I wonder why I wouldn't stick to it.
Along with any recipes I post, I'll post a picture. Nothing fancy, of course. Lazy people don't do garnishes!
Last but not least, this is a picture of me and a giant turtle. It was taken in February 2013 in the Florida Keys. I have a real turtle named Buddy. He's about the size of a quarter and cuter than cute. The pic shows me pre-refocus after gaining an obscene amount of weight trying other diets. I'm no longer dieting. Ever. This is a lifestyle. A darn YUMMY one!
So here we go!
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