Lean meats (turkey, fish, chicken), eggs (or whites if watching cholesteral really closely), I found powdered peanut butter called PB2 (look it up online, it has only 54 cal/2.8 fat per 2T). However, one of my favorite little additions is parmesan cheese! For 1T, it's only 20 cal and has 2g protein. I always add it to my green beans, try it they taste great!

You can also buy soy or whey protein powder to mix into milk, oatmeal, yogurt, pudding, etc.

For a time I was using protein myself in an attempt to even out my blood sugar. I was able to to find protein powder for shakes at the healthfood store that had ALOT less sugar...the brand I was using was Spirutien brand and loved the orange banana. I'm eating low carb and watching the sugar even more now though so I'm not necessarily saying you should get that. I bought some whey protein powder for baking and it's also for making protein shakes so thats what I will use now. After reading some threads though I'm sure there's somebody that could give more detailed advice on that and also may have some other alternatives for the protein.

I've never heard of powdered pb, but am going to look that up.
And I LOVE the idea of adding the parmesan to veggies (or whatever else.) I did that once with fresh asparagus and garlic and broiled them in the oven. It was so good. mmm.

Thanks Now I can't wait to go to the health food store! I used to go awhile back, but I just didn't know what to get b/c there's so much to choose from. Now I have a pretty good idea of what I am looking for.

woops, I didn't see amba's responses on the next page before I posted mine. She has some great advice...glad I was on the right track as far as the whey protein powder suggestion. Oh and I didn't know what to get either but I ended up getting alot of stuff as recipes I was trying out called for it. So now I have alot of healthy baking items in my kitchen for stuff. ALOT of recipes I use call for stuff like flax seed meal and bran so I'm set now.

I have a bag of flax seed in my freezer. I've had it for a year (at least!) I hope it doesn't go bad! I just started using it again last week. The other day, my hubby ground some up in his coffee bean grinder and put it on some chicken and baked it. It was really good and crispy. He thought he had come up with something new! I'd love to try out some new recipes that call for it b/c I have so much. Do share!

Woke up this morning to having gained 2 pounds back. bummer. Back at 227.

Exercise:

~Handheld weights off and on all day. Each weight is 8 lbs.
~100 crunches. Thought I was going to die on the last one!
~walked for 20 minutes while talking on the phone. It goes by soo much faster that way.


Breakfast:2 slices of 9 grain bread toasted with cucumbers and cream cheese. glass of ice water.

Lunch: Half of a peanut butter and banana sandwich. Half of a green apple, 1 tbl. of humus (chick peas, lemon, oregano,olive oil) Glass of ice water with a lemon.

Snack:I didn't finish my apple or humus so I ate the rest. I forced myself to have a few sips of V8 juice. blehhh!

Dinner: Gumbo and Brown rice. :Boiled chicken in 4 q. of water and 4 tbl. no cholesterol roux. added sauteed veggies (bell pepper,onion, garlic, green onion, celery, shallot, and parsley and seasoning-bay leaf and tony's) ate 1/4 c. of brown rice. I ate it all in a mug so I know that it wasn't more than 1 Cup of food. 10 multi grain crackers.

After dinner:
I had a major case of the munchies after dinner. I baked a peach and about two tbl. of uncooked "weight control maple oatmeal" , a handful of granola, some 1% milk and a packet of splenda and some cinnamon. turned out pretty good. .............................there was ice cream in the freezer from 2 months ago...untouched and freezer burned. I had a table spoon of that on top.

Then I threw the almost full tub of ice cream away. *pats self on shoulder*

On that note, I did something else great today! At lunch I was eating and got full before I finished and so I immediately rapped up my apple and humus and stuck it in the fridge for later! ahhhhhhhhhhh! This may sound silly to some, but for me--it's a milestone. I am slowly getting back in the habit of stopping when full and saving the rest for later...or *gasp* throwing it away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's the recipe I initially bought the flax seed for...I can't remember what else now but I've seen a ton of places say flax is really good for people for alot of reasons. As for this bread recipe I didn't think it turned out at first when I did it in the bread machine...the crust was super crunchy and my first reaction was "meh". But I put it in a bag and the next day it had softened and was good...tastes like alot of the 7 grain breads and its a heavier bread. I haven't used the oat flour for anyhing other than this bread but all the other ingredients I've used a bunch in other stuff.

Low Carb Luxury Recipe!
Gabi's World-Famous Bread

Ingredients:

* 1 pkg dry yeast (Rapid Rise/Highly Active)
* 1/2 teaspoon sugar *
* 1 1/8 cup "baby bottle warm" water (90-100°F)
* 3 Tablespoons olive oil
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 Tablespoon Splenda
* 1 cup vital wheat gluten flour
* 1/4 cup oat flour
* 3/4 cup soy flour
* 1/4 cup flax seed meal
* 1/4 cup coarse unprocessed wheat bran

Pour yeast into bottom of bread machine pan. Add sugar and water. Stir, and let sit. (This is "proofing" your yeast to see if your yeast is alive. If it's not bubbling, it's dead and you can replace it without wasting all of the other ingredients).

In the meantime, mix all other dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add oil to bread machine pan. Add mixed dry ingredients. Set your machine to the basic cycle (3-4 hours) and bake.

Cool on a rack and enjoy.

SEE INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING BREAD WITHOUT A MACHINE AT BOTTOM OF PAGE

* The sugar is totally consumed by the yeast and does not contribute to the carb count. I keep a few packets of restaurant sugar on-hand for this purpose so I never have to have a supply of actual sugar in the house.

Makes 16 slices. 3.4 grams net carbs per slice.

ADDITIONAL NOTE FROM LORA: The above basic instructions are Gabi Moeller's original ones. Please remember that your machine may require changes. Refer to the instructions that come with your bread machine — making note of any special instructions for specialty or "gluten" breads. I own a West Bend Deluxe with horizontal baking pan. To get mine perfect, I add water and oil to bottom of pan, then dry ingredients, then yeast sprinkled evenly on top. After initial kneading cycle (about 40 minutes), I stop the machine's kneading paddles so as not to over-work the dough, then finish baking in bread machine. The loaf comes out picture perfect, high and traditionally bread-like. With low-carb bread, I definitely discovered that practice makes perfect.

TO MAKE BREAD WITHOUT A MACHINE:

Follow the recipe in the same order as for the bread machine.

After you mix and knead all of the ingredients together, put the dough in a clean bowl and set it into a warm, draft-free place for about 45 minutes to an hour (one option is to turn on your oven for a pre-heat for a minute and a half to get it warm, then turn it completely off before setting the dough in to let it rise in the oven.) The dough should rise to about twice its original size. Afterward, knead slightly (do not over-knead — the gluten content will keep this bread from rising well the second time unlike "regular" bread! You'll want to be careful not to handle the dough too much after it rises the first time.) Put it in a loaf pan, cover and set in warm draft free place for another 30 to 45 minutes, and then bake at 380 degrees until done. (35-45 minutes — depending on your oven, you may have to shorten or lengthen the time.)


Low Carb Luxury: Recipe - Gabi's World-Famous Bread

P.S. I saw that there were empty albums on my Profile page so I decided to post some pics.

The first album is of me in 2002 when I was fit and healthy. I had recently lost 30 pounds and was at my ideal weight of 130.

The second album is of me in May and June of this year. Most of them are just face shots b/c I just can't bring myself to post "the real me" just yet. The one of me in the pool shows the most and is so embarassing. It's hard seeing pictures of myself 100 pounds overweight. For some reason it seems like the mirror is lying to me! When I see pictures of myself, I'm like, "WHAT?!? WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?????" One of these days I might gather up enough courage, that I see so many have done on this sight, and post some full body shots...maybe even some in my bathing suit!

6-1-08- 232 lbs.
.....................
(didn't record for most of june.)
.....................
6-28-08-228
6-29-08-227
6-30-08-226


7-1-08-225
7-2-08-227
7-3-08-225

Our starting weight and goals are very close.

My starting weight on June 6th. 232
My weight yesterday 221. Down 11lbs in June

I want to be 132 lbs.
Im looking for an online weight loss buddy who have the same goals as me and can hold each other accountable....what do ya say : )

Yes! I am sooo up for that! And great job on the 11 lb. loss!
Are you doing anything specific as far as diet and exercise go?

Thanks so much for the recipe. I will definitely be trying it!

Kristi,

You should come over to my house and cook. You seem like a natural. I'm jealous.