No Sugar No Flour Diet...

The no sugar no flour diet is exactly what it says it is. The idea behind this diet is you avoid the junk calories you would get from foods containing sugar or flour. Note that sugar comes in many forms. If you read a label, you may not see sugar at all--but the product may be loaded with sugar in the form of maltodextrin, fructose, corn syrup solids, high fructose corn syrup, and so on. Usually when you see flour on a label, that flour has been so highly processed it has the same effect on you that table sugar does. Thus, by avoiding flour as well as sugar you minimize empty calories. Another issue with flour-based products, is they typically also include hydrogenated oil--which is very, very nasty.
What's wrong with flour and sugar:
Let's include "flour," from this point forward, in "sugar"--with the assumption we mean highly processed flour. Note that flour is usually highly processed. When we say sugar, we are talking about all highly refined carbohydrates plus root vegetables and cultured grains (e.g., corn) but not carbohydrates in general.
Here are some drawbacks to sugar in your diet:
Provides nutrient-free calories, rather than the "calories plus nutrition" you get in whole foods.
It makes foods more calorie-dense, meaning you get more calories from the same amount of food.
Typically, sugar is added and unnecessary. When you eat a piece of broccoli, you get the carbohydrates in the broccoli. You get enough carbohydrates from your normal foods (fruits, vegetables, and barely processed grains) without adding more.
Sugar causes unwanted responses. Because sugar (as defined here--highly processed carbohydrates) is highly glycemic, you get a huge and harmful insulin response. One result of this is your body converts the sugar to fat for storage.
This is from an article on http://www.supplecity.com/articles/diets/nosugarnoflourdiet.htm

Freezer Food Storage Tips

I just attended my neighborhoods Food Storage Meeting and we talked about food storage. So many people know SO much! I will add the other pointers to this list soon - but here is my own for starters:

Make sure you have enough baggies, pans etc. in the right sizes before you begin.
Make sure you have enough freezer room for the meals / food you plan to freeze
Check your local grocery stores for times of the year that have better bargains on meats, veggies, baggies, pans, etc.
Make meals/food you know your family will eat and like.
Make a variety (I like to make 2-3 of each meal once a month)
Split up the meats by day: All chicken meals on Tuesday and All beef meals on Thursday.
Cut up all the veggies, meats, etc. ahead of time.
Decide which meals are better frozen uncooked and some are better just reheated.
Some vegetables are better not being frozen.
If you have extra meat – fry it, bake it, etc. and store it in a bag for an easy surprise meal.
Our Families Favorite Freezer Meals
Chicken or Steak Fajitas
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Lasagna
Chicken or Steak Kabobs
Chicken Caesar Salad
Smothered Burritos

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

(I'll get a better pic - my family dug in before I knew it)
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Servings: 6 adults
Net Carbohydrate Count:

1 16 oz bag or cubed or crinkle cut carrots
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 C Sour Cream
1/4 cup (that's right) Lemon Juice
2 Skinless Chicken Breasts (sliced in 1 cm slices)
1 cup sliced ham (I prefer Oscar Meyer Deli Fresh Shaved Ham)
4-5 sandwich size slices Swiss Cheese

1. Grease 9x9 or 9x13 size pan (either will work - 9x9 will be deeper).
2. Pour in entire bag of carrots.
3. Mix Cream of Chicken, Sour Cream and lemon juice in seperate bowl, then spread over carrots.
4. Chicken should be sliced so they will lay on top of cream mixture in a single layer.
5. Chop up ham into bits. Evenly spread chopped up ham slices over chicken.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Remove, check chicken for doneness and tear Swiss cheese into 4 pieces per slice and lay over ham to cover entire pan.
6. Finish baking to let swiss melt and brown - about 10 minutes.

Amount Per Serving: Calories Total Fat g Saturated Fat g Polyunsaturated Fat g Monounsaturated Fat g Cholesterol mg Sodium mg Potassium mg Total Carbohydrate g Dietary Fiber g Sugars g Protein g

Chocolate Chip Cookies - Sugar and Flour FREE!

Makes 4 dozen cookies

1 Cup (2 Sticks) Butter, softened not melted
1/3 C Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
2/3 C Splenda
2 t Vanilla extract
2 Eggs
Mix the above ingredients well with a blender.
Add:
2 1/2 C CarbQuick (CarbSmart.com)
1/8 t Salt
Mix Well.
Fold in:
1 Bag of Hershey's Sugar Free Chocolate Chips (8oz) I have found mine at Walmart.
Add abt 1/2 C walnuts or pecans if you prefer.

Drop 12 on cookie sheet about Tablespoon size each.

Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Pay attention to them or you chance over baking. Just let the edges brown a little. They will not fall so this is a more rounded cookie. If you want them flat - flatten before baking as you will notice I don't use baking soda or powder. The CarbQuick has this in it.

These will store in a sealed container for at least 5 days (that's the longest they have lasted at my home). You will find these cookies are not as sturdy as your flour cookies but because of that they have a fantastic texture. Everyone we have shared these with don't know they are eating sugar and flour free cookies!

Pumpkin Cake Bread

I call this "cake" bread because you can just about eat it with a spoon. It's delicious!
The best part - there is no rhyme or reason to which order you put them in (put the chocolate chips in last though) :)

1 can Pumpkin (not the pie mix - just plain pumpkin)
2 cubes of butter (don't use margarine)
2 1/2 Cups of Carb Quick -- Find it on Carbsmart.com (this is a substitute for flour, salt, baking soda)
3 eggs
1 bag of sugar free chocolate chips (Hershey's has great flavor)

Pour even amounts into regular size bread pans and bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

Cawliflower Mock potato casserole

Hey all -
Its been a while but I HAVE been cooking and still loosing weight and feeling great!!

Here is another recipe for you!

1 head cauliflower - cut into sections about the size of a childs fist.
Blanch the cauliflower - (boil until just tender)
Shred with a salad shooter (my preference) or chop (not minced but small pieces), or grate if you can.
Mix in a bowl with 1 cup of sour cream, 1 tablespoon butter, 1/2 cup shredded medium cheese, dash of salt n pepper.
Pour into a oven safe casserole pan. Top with shredded cheese, chopped bacon (cooked) and chopped green onions if you like.

You will be amazed how yummy this dish is. I took it to Thanksgiving and it was gone before the regular "starchy" potatoes.

Zucchini Hash

Zucchini Hash
Servings: 6 adults
Net Carbohydrate Count: 3

2 medium zucchini (approximately 3 cups cooked - 4 cups raw) - peeled and chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium onion peeled and chopped (approximately 1 cup cooked)
1 cup ham - diced
Kosher salt
Fresh cracked pepper
Paprika
4 tablespoons butter

1. Preheat 10" saute pan to medium high heat.
2. Put 1 tablespoon of butter in pan and brown ham 2-3 minutes.
3. Add zucchini and onion and rest of butter and cook for 8-10 minutes stir occasionally with wood spoon (hash should be well browned).
4. Season hash with salt and pepper and paprika. Serve with favorite egg dish.

Smothered Burritos

Smothered Burritos
Serves: 6 adults
Net Carbohydrate Count: 11.3

1lb meat (ground beef, shredded chicken or beef)
1 taco seasoning packet
½ C. Water
6 Low Carb Tortillas (nutritional info acc. to Mission)
2 C. Shredded Cheese
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 C. Sour Cream

1. Cook meat of choice through. Then add taco seasoning and water and cook till absorbed.
2. Fill 6 Tortillas with equal amounts of meat and cheese (use 1 cup) and roll. Then lay in a greased 9x13 pan.
3. Mix Cream of Chicken Soup and Sour Cream in a separate bowl. Spread mixture evenly over top all the rolled burritos.
4. Use second cup of shredded cheese to sprinkle over top. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes - be careful not to brown cheese.
5. When serving top with hot sauce, sour cream, lettuce and tomatoes (not included in the calculation of nutritional information.

Amount Per Serving: Calories 557.6 Total Fat 39.1 g Saturated Fat 19.4 g Polyunsaturated Fat 1.3 g Monounsaturated Fat 12.7 g Cholesterol 114.8 mg Sodium 861.4 mg Potassium 289.4 mg Total Carbohydrate 22.5 g Dietary Fiber 11.2 g Sugars 0.2 g Protein 29.3 g

Parmesan Coated Chicken

Parmesan Coated Chicken
Servings: 4 adults
Net Carbohydrate Count: 5.6

4 Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 raw egg
1 C Shredded Parmesan Cheese
¼ C. Bread Crumbs, Italian Style dry

1. You can choose to cut up the chicken breasts into strips or nuggets or leave them whole.
2. Coat a 9x13 pan or cookie sheet with non-stick spray.
3. Stir egg in a bowl.
4. In another bowl mix cheese & bread crumbs.
5. Take each Chicken Breast and dip in Egg and then coat with Cheese / Crumbs mixture. Place on Baking Pan.
6. Cook at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes till done. Coating will be slightly brown.

Amount Per Serving: Calories 390.0 Total Fat 10.1 g Saturated Fat 4.7 g Polyunsaturated Fat 1.1 g Monounsaturated Fat 3.0 g Cholesterol 204.5 mg Sodium 640.3 mg Potassium 653.7 mg Total Carbohydrate 6.0 g Dietary Fiber 0.4 g Sugars 0.4 g Protein 64.7 g

Spaghetti Casserole

Spaghetti Casserole
Serves: 8 Adults
Net Carbohydrate Count: 11.8

1lb. Lean Ground Beef
¼ C. Chopped Onion
1 T. Chopped Garlic or 2 Teas. Garlic Salt
Salt & Pepper
1 Jar of Hunts Spaghetti Sauce (Garlic & Herb)
16 oz Dreamfield Healthy Carb Living Spaghetti Noodles
4 oz cream Cheese (softened)
1 C. (16 oz) Sour Cream
1 bunch Green Onions (Scallions) washed and thinly chopped
2 C. Shredded Cheddar and Mozzarella Cheeses

1. Boil Noodles till tender
2. Brown Ground Beef with Onions, Garlic, Salt & Pepper
3. Add Spaghetti Sauce to Cooked Meat
4. In a separate bowl blend Cream Cheese, Sour Cream, and Green Onions
3. In a 9x13 pan (or similar) Noodles, Sour Cream Mixture, and Meat Mixture (in that order) twice. Then cover with Shredded Cheese.
* You can layer the shredded cheese throughout as well.
4. Bake in the oven at 350 for 20-25 minutes until cheese is slightly browned and melted.

Amount Per Serving: Calories 510.6 Total Fat 32.5 g Saturated Fat 17.5 g Polyunsaturated Fat 1.2 g Monounsaturated Fat 10.9 g Cholesterol 100.4 mg Sodium 723.2 mg Potassium 556.8 mg Total Carbohydrate 14.3 g Dietary Fiber 2.5 g Sugars 3.9 g Protein 26.8 g

Feta Green Beans with Bacon

Feta Green Beans with Bacon
*from the Kitchen of E Evans
Serves: 2 Adults
Net Carbohydrate Count: 2.5

This is a quick and easy alternative to plain green beans.
1 C. Frozen or Fresh Snapped Green Beans
½ C. Water
1 Tbls Butter
¼ Tbls Chopped Onion (can be dried)
1 piece of Bacon, Cooked and Crumbled
1/8 C. Feta Cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

1. In a sauce pan, heat on medium Beans, Water, butter, and Onions.
2. When heated through mix in bacon.
3. Top with Feta Cheese and place a lid over pan for 2 minutes.
4. Serve.

Amount Per ServingCalories 111.4 Total Fat 9.4 g Saturated Fat 5.6 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g Monounsaturated Fat 2.9 g Cholesterol 26.6 mg Sodium 159.3 mg Potassium 140.0 mg Total Carbohydrate 4.4 g Dietary Fiber 1.9 g Sugars 0.0 g Protein 3.4 g

Taco Salad

Taco Salad
Serves: 6 Adults
Net Carbohydrate Count: 6.1

1 lb. Lean Ground Beef
1 packet Taco Seasoning
½ C. Water
1 head Iceberg Lettuce(washed and Shredded)
1 ½ C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 C. Chopped Tomatoes
½ C. Sliced Black Olives
12 tablespoons sour cream (1-2 T for each serving)
6 Tbls. La Victoria Red Taco Sauce (1 T for each serving)

1. Brown Ground Beef
2. Add Taco Seasoning and Water and simmer until blended.
3. Layer Lettuce, Cheese, Tomatoes, Olives, and Taco Meat.
4. Top with Sour Cream & Taco Sauce.

Amount Per Serving: Calories 370.0 Total Fat 28.6 g Saturated Fat 13.6 g Polyunsaturated Fat 1.2 g Monounsaturated Fat 11.1 g Cholesterol 87.0 mg Sodium 550.2 mg Potassium 445.5 mg Total Carbohydrate 8.1 g Dietary Fiber 2.0 g Sugars 2.3 g Protein 20.2 g

Beef Chili

Beef Chili
Serves: 6 adults
Net Carbohydrate Count: 10.4

1 lb. Ground Beef (93/7 is the best)
½ C. Chopped Onion (or less depending on your taste)
1 can of Red Kidney Beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can of Chopped Tomatoes
1 can of tomato paste (6 oz)
1 ½ C. water
1-3 teas Chili Powder (depending on the “heat” you want)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Shredded Cheese
Sour cream

1. Brown ground beef with onions (can also use dried onions).
2. Add Beans, Tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder, and water. Turn to medium heat for 5 minutes.
3. Serve. Top with shredded cheese.
This meal refrigerates well for 2-3 days.

Amount Per Serving: Calories 296.4 Total Fat 17.9 g Saturated Fat 7.4 g Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0 g Monounsaturated Fat 7.4 g Cholesterol 61.6 mg Sodium 516.9 mg Potassium 727.3 mg Total Carbohydrate 15.8 g Dietary Fiber 5.4 g Sugars 4.4 g Protein 18.7 g

Taco Soup

Taco Soup
Serves: 6 adults
Net Carbohydrate Count: 11.9

1 lb. Ground Beef (93/7 is the best)
1 Chopped Onion (or less depending on your taste)
1 packet taco seasoning
½ C. Water
1 can of Red Kidney Beans (drained and rinsed)
2 cans of Chopped Tomatoes
1 can of tomato paste (6 oz)
3 cups water
Shredded Cheese
Sour cream

1. Brown ground beef with onions (can also use dried onions).
2. Add taco seasoning and ½ C. Water and simmer till water absorbs.
3. Add Beans, Tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. Turn to medium heat for 5 minutes.
4. Serve. Top with shredded cheese and/or sour cream.
This meal refrigerates well for 2-3 days.

Amount Per Serving: Calories 297.6 Total Fat 17.6 g Saturated Fat 7.3 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.9 g Monounsaturated Fat 7.3 g Cholesterol 61.6 mg Sodium 672.2 mg Potassium 738.9 mg Total Carbohydrate 16.7 g Dietary Fiber 4.8 g Sugars 5.1 g Protein 18.7 g

Grilled Chicken Marinade

Grilled Chicken Marinade
Servings: 4-6 Adults
Net Carbohydrate Count: 1.4

4-6 Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 C. Diet 7up
1 C. Soy Sauce
½ C. Olive Oil (you can use other oils)

1. Place Frozen or Thawed Chicken in Bowl or Pan (that will fit in your fridge).
2. Pour Diet 7up, Soy Sauce, and Olive Oil over Chicken.
3. Refrigerate about 12- 24 hours (overnight)
4. Place on Grill and cook through.

Amount Per ServingCalories 350.4 Total Fat 11.9 g Saturated Fat 2.0 g Polyunsaturated Fat 1.4 g Monounsaturated Fat 7.3 g Cholesterol 136.9 mg Sodium 1,381.3 mg Potassium 647.9 mg Total Carbohydrate 1.6 g Dietary Fiber 0.2 g Sugars 0.4 g Protein 55.8 g

Rainbow Jello Salad

Rainbow Jello Salad
Serves: 12 adults
Net Carbohydrate Count: 1.9

3 c. Sour Cream (not lite)
1 small package of each flavor of Sugar Free Jell-O
Black Cherry
Cherry
Strawberry
Orange
Lemon
Lime

Keeping Jell-O in the same order.
1. Dissolve each package (one at a time) in 1 C. Boiling Water.
2. Divide mixture into two bowls.
3. Add ½ C. Sour Cream to one of the bowls and mix well (sour cream should dissolve)
4. Pour Sour Cream mixture to un-greased 9x13 pan. Place in fridge to set (about 20 minutes).
5. Add 3 tbls cold water to 2nd bowl of Jell-O and mix well. Pour slowly over (solid) Sour Cream layer. Place in fridge to set (about 20 minutes).
6. Continue with all layers.
7. Slice into 12 pieces for serving size (or more).
*This is a yummy treat but does take about 6 hours to complete.

Amount Per Serving: Calories 102.0 Total Fat 7.6 g Saturated Fat 4.7 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3 g Monounsaturated Fat 2.2 g Cholesterol 15.9 mg Sodium 190.2 mg Potassium 53.2 mg Total Carbohydrate 1.9 g Dietary Fiber 0.0 g
Sugars 0.0 g Protein 5.4 g

Sausage Kale Soup

Sausage Kale Soup (modified Olive Garden Zuppa Tuscano)
Servings: 6 adults
Net Carbohydrate Count: 7.6

1 lb Italian sausage
5 pieces of well cooked bacon (cut into small pieces)
1 tbls Chopped onion (fresh or dried)
1 teas garlic or garlic salt to taste
1 qt water
2 cups of warm water and 6 chicken bullion cubes (or more)
2 cups or more of chopped Kale
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

This recipe can be cooked in one large soup pan.
1. Fry cut up bacon until crispy and set aside.
2. Brown Sausage with chopped onion on Medium
3. Add Garlic
4. Dissolve 6 or more bullion cubes in the 2 cups warm water in the same pan with Sausage (you can add more bullion later if you want to taste).
5. Add 1qt Water and bacon. Raise heat to allow a little boil for about 1 minute.
6. Reduce heat and add Kale, mix well, then add cream.
7. Taste and add salt and pepper (you can add more bullion if you want more flavor at this point).
8. Serve. This item does refrigerate well for a day or two.

Amount Per Serving: Calories 209.3 Total Fat 16.3 g Saturated Fat 8.1 g Polyunsaturated Fat 1.3 g Monounsaturated Fat 5.9 g Cholesterol 48.9 mg Sodium 321.4 mg Potassium 296.9 mg Total Carbohydrate 9.5 g Dietary Fiber 1.9 g Sugars 0.8 g Protein 6.6 g

Meatloaf Muffins

Meatloaf Muffins
Servings: 8 adults
Net Carbohydrate Count: 10

2 lbs lean ground beef
2/3 sleeve of saltine crackers (crushed)
2 eggs
½ C. Cream
½ C. Water
½ C. Chopped Onion (or dried onion)
1 T Worcestershire Sauce
Ketchup

1. Combine ground beef, crackers, eggs, cream, water, onion, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce in bowl - mix well.
2. Place evenly in greased muffin pan.
3. Top each “muffin” with about a half tablespoon of ketchup.
4. Cook at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

Amount Per Serving: Calories 539.1 Total Fat 40.9 g Saturated Fat 17.7 g Polyunsaturated Fat 1.9 g Monounsaturated Fat 16.8 g Cholesterol 211.4 mg Sodium 406.5 mg Potassium 459.6 mg Total Carbohydrate 10.4 g Dietary Fiber 0.4 g Sugars 4.3 g Protein 30.0 g

Chicken Fajitas

Chicken Fajitas
Servings: 8 Adults
Net Carbohydrate Count: 8.8

3 Chicken Breasts
1 T Vegetable Oil
1 Green Pepper
½ Yellow Onion (abt ¾ cup)
8 Mission Low Carb Soft Taco Tortillas
1 teas taco seasoning
Shredded Cheese, Lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, hot sauce, etc.

1. Chop and slice raw (but slightly frozen) chicken breast
2. Cook Chicken in a frying pan with oil
3. Slice Onion and Green Pepper (can also use red pepper)
4. When chicken is just cooked through add 1/8 cup water and taco seasoning.
5. Add Vegetables and cover and cook on medium till vegetables are soft.
6. Spoon even servings into tortillas and add toppings of choice (noting carb count).

Amount Per Serving: Calories 231.7 Total Fat 5.3 g Saturated Fat 0.5 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4 g Monounsaturated Fat 1.5 g Cholesterol 51.3 mg Sodium 406.9 mg Potassium 269.4 mg Total Carbohydrate 20.2 g Dietary Fiber 11.4 g Sugars 0.6 g Protein 25.7 g

Bacon Breast Chicken

Bacon Breast Chicken
Servings: 4 adult
Net Carbohydrate Count: .8

4 Chicken Breast
8 Slices of Bacon
1 C. of fresh sliced mushrooms
1 C. of blended cheese

1. Place Chicken Breasts in greased cake pan and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
2. While chicken is cooking fry bacon til cooked but not crisp (it will crisp in the oven).
3. Remove cooked chicken from oven and place 2 pieces of bacon on each breast, then evenly distribute mushrooms and cover with cheese.
4. Place back in oven (at 350) and let cheese melt and bacon crisp.

Amount Per Serving: Calories 450.3 Total Fat 18.6 g Saturated Fat 9.0 g Polyunsaturated Fat 1.7 g Monounsaturated Fat 6.4 g Cholesterol 177.3 mg Sodium 531.7 mg Potassium 746.0 mg Total Carbohydrate 1.0 g Dietary Fiber 0.2 g Sugars 0.3 g Protein 65.9 g

Homemade Mac-n-Cheese

Homemade Mac-n-Cheese
Servings: 4 Adults
Net Carbohydrate Count: 5.4

½ Box Dreamfields Elbow Noodles
1 C. Shredded Cheese (cheddar / mozzarella blend works best)
2 T. Butter
Salt & Pepper

1. Boil and Drain Noodles
2. Mix in butter and cheese while noodles still warm.
3. Add Salt & Pepper to taste.

Amount Per Serving: Calories 164.8 Total Fat 15.1 g Saturated Fat 9.6 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g Monounsaturated Fat 4.1 g Cholesterol 44.9 mg Sodium 216.3 mg Potassium 29.4 mg Total Carbohydrate 5.4 g Dietary Fiber 0.0 g
Sugars 0.0 g Protein 7.1 g

Fettuccini Alfredo Noodles

Fettuccini Alfredo Noodles
Servings: 4 Adults
Net Carbohydrate Count: 8.2

½ box Dreamfield Fettuccini Noodles
1 C. Ragu Alfredo Sauce
¼ C. grated parmesan cheese

1. Boil then Drain Noodles
2. Mix in alfredo sauce
3. Blend in grated parmesan cheese.

Amount Per ServingCalories 138.5 Total Fat 11.9 g Saturated Fat 4.7 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0 g Monounsaturated Fat 0.5 g Cholesterol 34.9 mg Sodium 516.4 mg Potassium 6.7 mg Total Carbohydrate 8.2 g Dietary Fiber 0.0 g
Sugars 1.0 g Protein 3.6 g

Parmesan Chicken with Spaghetti

Parmesan Chicken w Spaghetti
Servings: 4 adults
Net Carbohydrate Count: 10.2

4 Chicken Breasts
1 jar Hunts Spaghetti Sauce (Garlic and Herb is the lowest Carb)
½ pkg Dreamfields Spaghetti Noodles
¾ C. Grated Parmesan Cheese

1. Bake or Fry Chicken breasts till cooked through.
2. Boil Noodles
3. Place Noodles in Cake Pan (or individual oven safe pans), then place chicken breasts on top of the noodles spaced evenly.
4. Spoon about ½ C. Spaghetti sauce over each of the chicken breasts.
5. Sprinkle shredded parmesan cheese over each chicken breast evenly.
6. Bake at 300 for 20 minutes - (do not let cheese brown)

Amount Per Serving: Calories 320.4 Total Fat 4.8 g Saturated Fat 1.6 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g Monounsaturated Fat 1.1 g Cholesterol 140.5 mg Sodium 838.2 mg Potassium 996.7 mg Total Carbohydrate 13.2 g Dietary Fiber 3.0 g Sugars 5.0 g Protein 58.4 g

Country Pork Ribs

Country Pork Ribs
Servings: 4 adults
Net Carbohydrate Count:

1 ½ lb Country Style Pork Ribs
1 Cup Low Sugar BBQ Sauce

Place Pork Ribs in Bowl and marinate with BBQ sauce or place in freezer bag and freeze until use. Defrost (if needed) and bake at 350 for 1 ½ hours until cooked through.

Amount Per Serving:Calories 118.9 Total Fat 8.4 g Saturated Fat 3.1 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g Monounsaturated Fat 3.6 g Cholesterol 34.1 mg Sodium 35.6 mg Potassium 128.5 mg Total Carbohydrate 0.7 g Dietary Fiber 0.0 g Sugars 0.6 g Protein 9.3 g

Green Bean Casserole

Green bean Casserole
Servings: 6 adults
Net Carbohydrate Count: 4.5

2 Cups Frozen Green Beans
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
½ C. Cream
¼ C. Water
1/3 C. Fried Onions

1. Blend all ingredients and place in greased small casserole dish.
2. Top with more Fried Onions (abt. 1/3 C.) and Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Amount Per ServingCalories 83.1 Total Fat 6.3 g Saturated Fat 3.2 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4 g Monounsaturated Fat 1.6 g Cholesterol 15.7 mg Sodium 190.4 mg Potassium 96.4 mg Total Carbohydrate 5.7 g Dietary Fiber 1.2 g
Sugars 0.1 g Protein 1.5 g

My Weight loss Story - The first chapter

"Stand naked in front of the mirror. If you are thick through the middle, that means you have an elevated insulin level. What does that mean? That means that your cells have stored all the sugar that it can hold from carbohydrates that you eat. From that moment on, any sugar, even a carrot, which the body recognizes as sugar, will be stored as fat, for women, in the reproductive areas, which is the hips, the stomachs, the butt, and then after that's filled up, it starts filling up the rest. And for men, it's the gut, it's the beer belly. An elevated insulin level, you're on a track to disease." -Suzzane Sommers (I have never read any of her books BUT she made this statement on the Larry King Show and it was spot on!)

My History with Dieting:

I have done every diet known up to this point and never lost more than 5 lbs on any of them. About a year after having my first child I was fed up with not losing weight and decided to talk to my doctor about it. He said I should eat better and work out...so I did for a while to my best ability not really knowing how to eat right. I have always been very active in sports and so know how to workout but still saw no results. A friend suggested I have my thyroid tested as this could be the problem. She referred me to a Nurse Practitioner (woman) that suggested I have my insulin tested as well. The thyroid came back normal but my insulin was elevated. I mentioned a previous Doctor had put me on a drug called metoformin (lowers your blood sugar and also makes Clomid more active) when we were trying to get pregnant and while on it I had dropped 14 lbs in 2 weeks. She suggested putting me back on it thinking this could help me lose weight and it did (just like before) but not without some icky side effects: stomach cramps, diarrhea, headaches, fuzzy vision, and being dizzy. So after 2 weeks and losing those 14lbs I called it quits thinking that was a good start I will go back to eating low calorie and low fat and keep losing - instead I gained it ALL back and then some! Over the next year or so I kept going up and down lose 5 gain 10 (we all know that yo-yo). I became pregnant with Caleb so that was that. I should mention that I have lost every pregnancy pound after my kids were delivered (literally with in 6 weeks-wow) it was the next 6 months that would follow that I would gain weight so there is no blaming this on my children.

TURN AROUND -

On the night of April 13th after seeing the scale read 240lbs I was devastated. I was trying to figure out how I could get so many other things done in my life and be so in charge of just about anything but my own self control. I started thumbing through my many "diet" books and flipped through my pages of calendar (we have 4 years of calendar pages that sit in our bathroom and we document our weight at least weekly - its a personal thing - but boy do I have some documentation). Then I grabbed a journal I started on Jan 1st of this year, my diet journal where I intended to keep track of everything I ate and I did for the first day and a half until the 1200 calorie days caught up with me and I am sure I binged! The first day consisted of what some would think was a great day... Breakfast: yogurt wth granola and Toast, Lunch: Turkey sandwich (on bread) with grapes, and dinner was Chicken Breast, pasta, and green beans. Sounds normal and good right - for me - WRONG! I think the worst part was when I read my "How I felt for the day" It said, "I am pretty hungry right now, but tomorrow I will lose weight so it will be worth it, maybe I can reward myself tomorrow with a treat." How sad! What was I thinking! So as I sat there (on my closed toilet lid) so frustrated, I believe I was crying at one point because I am an adult and should be able to figure out how to not be so fat and out of control when it comes to food, I probably wanted to fix a "treat" to make myself feel better. I thought back "Has anything worked for me?" That's when the whole "sugar problem" popped in my head and I decided real quick that I was going to at least do it for 2 weeks to lose my 14 lbs that I knew was possible ( I had already done it twice) but I also knew I had those 2 weeks to commit to something bigger than myself because I had no self control when it came to food. In the 12 step program one of first steps is "Admitting you cannot do it by yourself". I knew I couldn't and so I began by praying for Heavenly Father to get me through these first 2 weeks. Something I also decided was that other than my spouse I was not going to tell anyone about my "diet" because (at least initially) I didn't want to fail and feel embarrassed that I told them I was going to do it - I didn't want to hear the "Oh didn't work huh?" even though I don't think now anyone would have said anything - this way of thinking made me more accountable to myself because I didn't worry about what anyone else thought because no one else knew. Make sense?

Implementing the PLAN -

So that was pretty late on a Sunday night and I don't know what is with us but most people start diets on Mondays. I already had a couple books about "Low Carb" and got on the internet trying to find the best method to eat no sugar/low carb for 2 weeks. I mentioned before but I will reiterate I set my initial goal for 2 weeks. It was much more attainable goal than I am going to loose 30 lbs. In the Atkins Nutritional Approach what they call "Induction" which lasts at least 2 weeks and can be done as long as you need. I saw two weeks and decided it would work. It limits you to 20 carbs a day (many average eaters eat about 300-500 carbs a day). What is a Carb? Carbohydrates are mainly sugars (simple carbohydrates) and starches (complex carbohydrates, found in bread, pasta, beans) that the body breaks down into glucose. Basically if you are eating too many carbohydrates mostly from bread, pasta, or potatoes you can cause your body to be glucose intolerant which could eventually lead to Diabetes or the like. I think most of us would agree that every ones bodies are different, even some siblings gain and lose weight differently so you need to find out for yourself but most people who overeat carbs are overweight - start watching what other adults eat around you. I did and it was very interesting especially watching all the "low fat dieters" who did not seem to get any smaller... did you know that when manufacturers remove fat to make an item "low fat" they have to add something for flavor and what tastes better than sugar - - hum... makes you think!

I should mention here that after my first week my weight loss was noticeable enough that my sister asked if she could "diet" with me and who was I to stop her, then at my 2 week mark my spouse decided he didn't want to be the fat friend anymore and joined in on the fun. I have to say it was easier to be cooking less food and good for you foods...and in hindsight I can't even believe I was giving myself lots of veggies and feeding my family (whom I love) all those sugary carbed out side dishes. Don't worry your thought process will change too. Needless to say it was very motivating having someone say "I want to do what you are doing, you look great" so the "diet" continued past my initial goal of 2 weeks. My second goal was to my 30th birthday (another do-able goal).

How this became "how we eat" for life:

Dieting is one thing and it cannot be sustained, which is why I still cringe even calling how I eat a "diet" because I don't see it that way. I eat real foods, I can go to any resturant and find things on the menu to eat, sometime I have to minus an item but they don't usually hassle me. I found in the begining when people started to notice and ask me what I was doing and if I said "Atkins" I got mixed looks and responses and so thats when the whole no sugar/no flour came up, but thats really what this is. So to avoid the weird looks and questions I would say "I don't eat sugar". I am not eating enourmous amounts of meat and cheese, in fact I don't eat anymore than I did before, I have just replaced the bad carbs (sugar) with vegatables such as lettuce, green beans, cucumbers, cawliflower, and others. By eating protien at each meal I stay full longer so I don't need to munch between meals. I am no longer addicted to sugar. I don't need sweets and I feel so much better, happier, and healthier. This is how my family eats and if I had anyone over for dinner they wouldn't know they were eating low carb. I figure for a while we will still get the "are you still dieting" and I just say "yes", it's easier.


So here is an overview of what I did the first 3 months...

1st 6 weeks - Atkins Nutritional Approach Induction Phase (Phase #1) I ate only 20 carbs a day,don't eat less than 20 carbs thinking you will lose more weight. Eat as close to 20 carbs as you can get. Set it in your head that certain foods are off limit - not even a consideration. In fact if someone offers you any you may find yourself saying "I cannot have that" and you would be correct.

During the second 6 weeks I added 5 carbs to my daily allowance (so week 7 each day I could eat 25, 8 weeks was 30) - this is also pretty much the Atkins Phase #2. I added fruits and veggies, keep it in your head that anything containing sugar or flour/grains is poison to you. During this 6 weeks I was getting myself used to eating more natural and raw foods, you will find you don't need to even shop in the middle section of the grocery store. It will save time and even though some of the foods cost more you will be eating less (because these foods get you full and keep you satisfied). Try new veggies and fruits that you haven't tried or have not liked in the past and they may surprise you and taste better! (Just a note: I stay at less than 40 carbs a day because I still want to lose weight, My husband can eat almost 60 and he is still losing pretty fast - thats guys for ya!)

**I didn't work out, I did regular housework and if I felt like going for a casual walk I did but no working out (I had to concentrate on my eating and get that down first).

**In the first 4 weeks I loved having sugar free jello around the house and lost weight just fine but at 4 weeks I stalled and didn't lose a pound for 4 days...I read that aspertame can slow your weight loss and so I stopped eating anything (Jello) with it and sure enough started losing weight again. Not everyone has that problem though, it didn't effect my husband.

** I should mention that when you break your sugar addiction you can experience headaches, being tired and being cranky (at least thats what I experienced) but they only lasted 3-4 days.


Meal Ideas (some we didn't eat till later in the 3 months)
Taco Salad - Hamburger, Lettuce, cheese, hot sauce (check the carb count) and sour cream
Chicken Cesar Salad - Chicken (grilled and sliced), lettuce, and ceasar dressing with parmasan cheese
Hamburgers - wrapped in lettuce or set on a bed of lettuce with a slice of cheese, mayo, low sugar katsup (tastes the same), pickle, and tomato (2nd 6 weeks)
Hot Dogs - bbq'd, sometimes I melt cheese on top
Spaghetti - I make my own sauce and Smiths has a low carb noodle we ate after the 1st 3 months
Fish (Tilapia) - Costco has great tilapia but cod works great too
Chicken Breast - some good marinade is soy sauce and 7-up zero (no carb) - very yum!
Burritos w/ shredded beef - Costco has beef in a can and Smiths has low carb tortillias, cheese, lettuce, hot sauce, sour cream
Olive Garden Soup - I have a great recipe includes sausage, bacon, kale (like lettuce), and chicken broth
Steak
Chicken / Veggie Kabobs

Green beans
Broccoli / Cauliflower & ranch dip



Low Carb Items that we buy online (some are kindof expensive so we don't buy them very often)


Dreamfields Elbow Noodles [Smith's]
Dreamfields Spaghetti Noodles [Smith's]
Bella Vita Pasta Sauce [Netrition.com,$3.49]
Dixie Pudding / Mousse / Jello [Netrition.com,$2.19]
CarbRite Brownies [CarbSmart.com/Netrition.com,$4.59]
CarbQuik [Amazon.com]
Dixie Pound Cake [Carbsmart.com/Netrition.com,$5.29]
Dixie Carrot Cake [Netrition.com,$5.49]
Dixie CheeseCake [Netrition.com,$8.39]
Big Train Pancake / Waffle mix [Carbsmart.com/Netrition.com,$3.99]
Big Train CC Cookie Mix [Netrition.com,$3.99]
Flax Z Snax Blueberry Pancake [Netrition.com,$7.49]
Tortillas [Grocery store]
Atkins Bars (Advantage Snickers / Peanut roll) [Walmart]
Atkins Shakes [Walmart]
Sugar-free Ketchup (One-Carb Heinz) [Grocery store]
Sugar-free Ice cream / Brewers Carb Smart [Smith's]
Low-sugar Jams [Grocery store]


Here are items that are easily bought at the grocery store and are all ok to eat from day one!

Fish / Steak / Hamburger / Chicken / Pork / Hot Dogs / Sausage / Bacon
Lunch meat
Eggs
Lettuce / Kale
Salad mix
Cauliflower / Broccoli / Green beans
Ranch dressing
Cheddar / Mozeralla / Fetta / Swiss / Parmesan / String Cheese
Sour Cream
Mayo / Mustard / Tarter Sauce
Almonds / Walnuts / Peanuts / Sunflower Seeds
Heavy Whipping cream
Whipped topping


Just to give you an idea of a day for me in the first 6 weeks what I ate:
Breakfast: Eggs and Bacon or Ham (I would modify the type of egg, but this is what I ate almost every day)
Lunch: Salad w cheese and salad dressing & some Carl Budding Lunch meat (love the stuff)
Dinner: Meat with veggis for the side
Snack: Anytime I was feeling like I needed to eat something (hungary or not) I would eat Jello (before I figured out the aspertame thing) lunch meat, or cheese stick. You can have walnuts too (they are the lowest carb of all the nuts).

I hope I have given you enough information to get started (if you want to). There are 2 books that would be very good reads, and you can borrow them from me. The first is "How I went off my low-fat diet and lost 40 lbs" and the other is the book that explains how to do the Atkins diet. If I had to say what I have done I would say I have modified the Atkins diet for myself so that book would be a very good read to understand how sugar effects our bodies.

Oh I guess I should mention up to this point I have lost 40 lbs and 5 inches off my waist (that was measured 3 weeks ago- I should measure again because its amazing how fast it changes). (as of July 2008)

Here is another reason to cut out (non-natural) sugar:

Otto Warburg, Ph.D. More than 70 years ago, Dr. Warburg won the Nobel Prize in medicine when he discovered that cancer cells require glucose (sugar) for growth. All cells have a requirement for glucose, but cancer cells consume as much as 4 to 5 times more glucose than normal, healthy cells. In fact, they're unable to multiply rapidly without it.