As of yesterday, I’m back on my eating plan to lose weight, control my blood sugar, and stay healthy.  The carb cravings are still pretty strong, so for now I’ve been eating a lot of eggs and simple meat like sausage patties, to keep my belly full so I don’t eat anything stupid.  In another couple days, my sugar and insulin should be normalized, and I’ll add more variety.

I need to keep my carbs under 30 grams per day, and it’s best if they’re spread out somewhat.  So that means 10g per meal, or if I have a couple snacks, 7 per meal and 5 per snack.  I thought I’d make up a list of some foods I eat and how much fits in under 5 grams, to refer to later.  People often think low-carb means no-carb, or that we can’t eat fruit or vegetables, so I figured I’d share it here so people could see some of the options.

Fruit

• Apple – 1/4 apple
• Blackberries – 1/2 cup
• Blueberries – 1/3 cup
• Cantaloupe – 1/2 cup
• Cherries (sour) – 1/4 cup
• Grapes – 1/4 cup
• Peach – 1/2 medium fresh or 1/3 cup canned
• Pineapple – 1/4 cup
• Raspberries – 1/2 cup
• Strawberries – 3/4 cup (the king of low-carb fruits!)
• Watermelon – 1/2 cup

Breads and Grains

Almost all breads and grains are off-limits (and not really suitable for human consumption anyway), but a few things can be okay now and then in small doses.

• Saltines – 2
• Triscuits – 1
• Low-carb bread – 1 slice
• Rice – 1/8 cup

Vegetables (raw unless noted otherwise)

• Asparagus – 12 spears
• Chili beans – 1/4 cup
• Beets – 1/2 cup cooked
• Broccoli – 2 cups raw, 1 cup cooked
• Cabbage – 3 cups
• Carrots – 1 medium
• Cauliflower – 2 cups
• Swiss chard – 3/4 cup cooked
• Cucumber – 1/2 medium
• Green beans – 1 cup cooked
• Lettuce – 4 cups
• Lima beans – 1/8 cup
• Mushrooms – 1-2 cups, depending on the type
• Onions – 1/2 cup
• Peas – 1/4 cup
• Snap peas – 1/3 cup
• Peppers – 1/2 – 1 cup, depending on type
• Sweet potato – 1/8 cup mashed
• Radishes – 1 cup
• Sauerkraut – 1/2 cup
• Spinach – 4 cups
• Summer Squash – 1 cup
• Winter Squash – 1/2 cup
• Tomatoes – 1 medium whole one, 1/2 cup canned
• Turnips – 1 cup
• Wax beans – 1/2 cup

Other

• Nuts and Peanuts – 1 ounce
• Real Cheese – 3-4 ounces
• Velveeta – 2 slices
• Eggs – 6
• Cream – 3/4 cup
• Yogurt (homemade plain) – 1 cup
• Meat, butter, oils, lard, spices – unlimited

That’s not everything I eat, but it covers most things, including everything we’ve got growing in the garden.  It’s nice to see them all listed like that, and realize how much variety there is to choose from.  It’s easy to get in a rut and just make the same things over and over until they get boring, but that’s really not necessary.

I keep forgetting to weigh myself first thing in the morning to get an official starting weight, but I should be at about 240-241, and my goal is 199.  I probably can’t hit that by my birthday, but halfway would be nice.  I’ll report on how it goes, and any interesting recipes we make along the way.