Week Three on Low-Carb - Getting into the Groove

The great thing about a low-carb diet is that once you get into the groove, it gets easier with time. After three weeks, I'm in my groove and decision making, about what to eat, is best described as "auto-pilot" - I know what to eat and meals come together with little effort or planning. The only adjustment made in week two was the inclusion of more carbohydrate, specifically from nuts, seeds and some fruits. I continued this into week three and averaged 30-40g of carbohydrate each day. With a full range of options, this simply doesn't feel like a diet.

So, how did I do in week three?

In week one and two I lost an impressive amount of weight - 15-pounds; more than I anticipated. Starting week three the scale actually bumped up a couple of pounds, then settled for a few days before starting a downward trend again. I awoke this morning with an additional 1-pound weight loss, to bring my three week total to 16-pounds. Yeah!

Now some may be thinking, that's it? Yup - that's it...and a pound in week three means, without giving it much thought, I maintained a calorie deficit without counting my calories. The scale going up-steady-down again in the week tells me that my glycogen stores stabilized this week also.

Where things stand today:
Target Weight Loss Week Three: 2-pounds
Actual Weight Loss Week Three: 1-pound
Total Weight Loss to date: 16-pounds
Remaining Weight to Lose: 4-pounds

As I start week four, I'll gradually increase carbohydrate once again - this week targeting a minimum of 40g (net, deducting only fiber) carbohydrate each day and consuming up to 60g net. At the same time, I'll make just one change - I'll swap my morning heavy cream out and instead use half & half in my coffee.

This one minor change saves me 60-calories - enough to add more foods with slightly higher carbohydrate content. Basically this exchange buys me 15g of carbohydrate to use throughout the day, which I'll enjoy with some more non-starchy vegetables, fruit and nuts!

With just four more pounds to lose, I'll continue at this level of carbohydrate throughout the rest of my weight loss. These days I am in a bit of a time crunch, so I won't post menus each day, but will post a few during the week to provide examples of what you can eat at this level of carbohydrate!