Diet Nearly Capsized as Foul Fish Sinks Dinner Hopes...

Since we've started the "CarbLovers Diet" we have eaten out, maybe, a handful of times (mostly Subway!). We prefer to stay in and make as many of the recipes that CarbLovers offers. So far, we have enjoyed everything we've made, with the exception of plain Greek yogurt and Gnocchi with Arugula-Walnut Pesto! LOL Tonight was one of those "really, we have to eat that???" moments. What was on the menu you ask? Pan fried salmon. Ashley has avoided salmon like the plague because "it's too fishy." Carrie has not touched a sliver of fish in, oh, 15 years after her uncle made her go through the horrifying experience of de-boning and scaling her own dinner! (exception: tuna) So you can see our hesitation when the menu called for salmon. We gave each other a "look" and knew that we had to get over it and try it. We trekked to Target last night and bought ourselves a 7 oz. fillet of Alaskan Salmon. (Rick, Ashley's husband...got porkchops!) We sprayed the fillet with some olive oil and "fried" it up along side a medium parmesan potato and small tossed salad with balsamic vinaigrette. Surprisingly enough, both of us really enjoyed tonight's dinner! The salmon wasn't "too fishy" for Ashley and Carrie got over her fish phobia...she's even agreed to try shrimp! LOL

 Tonight's nutritional information: Serving size - 3 oz. salmon, 2 potato halves, 1 1/2 cups salad | Calories 410, Fat 12g, Cholesterol 50mg, Protein 30g, Carbs 49, Sugars 7, Fiber 7, Resistant Starch (RS) 2.1g, Sodium 660mg. (Please note that with the exception of sodium, Carbs are the highest count :o) )

To help make this process easier, we have both purchased journals and downloaded the CarbLovers app onto our phone/iPod to help us keep track of our calorie and RS intake. We sit down together and plan our entire week of meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack, then head to the grocery store to get what we need. We also make sure to prepare lunches and some breakfasts the night before to make our mornings easier. The CarbLovers book has an outlined menu plan for the first month of the diet; however, we have found it easier to pick and choose different meals for our lunches. Example: one day calls for a grilled cheese at lunch and since neither of us can really do that at work, we swap another meal for that one. We just make sure we count our calorie intake for the change so that we don't go over.

 Potatoes: "In addition to fiber and resistant starch (more about those in a future post), potatoes are a natural source of proteinase inhibitor, a natural chemical that boosts satiety hormones and curves appetite. Potatoes are incredibly filling - at 300 calories, for a large baked spud - great for weight loss!" 

                                                                  Tonight's Dinner

                                                 Carrie...Yeah, not so sure about this fish...

                                               First bite of fish in 15 years...not too bad!!

                                                               Ashley...it's too fishy!!

                                                                            "YUM!!!"

                                              Ashley cleaned her plate...well mostly ;o)
                                                             Did Carrie clean hers?

                                                               Why yes, yes she did!!




Please note that some information was paraphrased or taken directly from "The CarbLovers Diet" by Ellen Kunes & Frances Largeman-Roth, R.D.

Yes...Potato Chips!!!

When you think about a diet what comes to your mind?
"Don't eat this!",
"Don't eat that!", 
"NO CARBS"
 The first thing that "CarbLovers" teaches us is that you have to eat carbs to lose weight and keep it off. The "No (low) Carb" diets often cut out the things that we crave the most, thus making it incredibly hard to stick to your diet. When we found out that we can actually eat carbs and lose weight at the same time, we were completely on board with being able to continue eating our favorite foods, such as: BREAD, PASTA, PIZZA, and yes...POTATO CHIPS!!!!

Five Truths About Low Carb Diets:
1. Low carb diets make you feel sad and stressed

• From an outsider looking in, we have seen first hand the effects a "no carb" diet can cause. Major mood swings, irritability and stress by obsession over not eating carbs. If you chose to do a "no carb" diet and feel that is right for you, that is your choice; however, please seek out your doctor's opinion.

2. Low carb diets make you fatter, not thinner!

• Yes, you will lose a good amount of weight, but the moment that you start putting those carbs back into your body... say hello to your weight again, because it will come back

3. Low carb diets are not sustainable!
4. Low carb diets bloat your belly!

• According to a study a "low carb" diet cause constipation. A bloated belly is one of the main symptoms of constipation

5. Low carb diets  make you feel deprived!


Please note that all information given was paraphrased or take straight from our copy of "The CarbLovers Diet" By Ellen Kunes and Frances Largeman-Roth, R.D

Hello, My Name Is...

Hi. My name is Ashley. And I'm a Carb Lover. I'm 28 years old, married, and teach 5th grade. Being a teacher, my stress level is incredibly high; especially since I teach in an inner-city school corporation with low poverty levels. Because of a high stress job, I usually come home and pig out on whatever I can find in the fridge/cupboard. A lot of times, I get home late and I'm too tired to cook. Which results in calling my husband and saying, "Hey, grab whatever is on your way home."

I've always struggled with my weight. As a kid I was always the "big girl." Luckily I grew up in a small rural community and was never really teased about it. When I was 20 years old, I had to go to my first "woman doctor" because I was not regular. Come to find out, I have PCOS (poly-cystic ovarian syndrom). This is another huge factor in my weight problem. My hormones aren't regulated so it's very difficult for me to lose weight.

5 years ago I managed to lose 30 pounds on my own. I watched what I ate and exercised daily. 5 years ago, I was getting ready to become a bride, so I had something to work for. Well, I got married and stopped caring about how I looked. I had my husband, I didn't need to try to look good for other men. I have a very loving and accepting husband. We want to start a family and because of PCOS and my weight, I'm not regular and at this point I'm unable to conceive. Getting healthy is my top priority now so that I can become a better wife and ultimately a mom.


Hi. My name is Carrie. And I'm a Carb Lover. I'm 25 years old, I've found the love of my life, and work as a financial planning assistant full time and at Victoria's Secret part time on the weekends. A year ago I moved back in with my parents to save money and pay off some debts. Since then I have gained about 30 pounds. I'm an emotional eater. When I'm angry, stressed, depressed I eat. I've dealt with depression while in college and have struggled with it since then. My sophomore year of college I lost 20 pounds for my sister's wedding and promptly stopped working out afterwards!

Up until recently I have been very happy with my body. I'm a curvy woman and always have been. I have accepted that and know that I will never be super skinny (like my 110 pound sister). I love my curves, but recently the curves are becoming more of a bulge. As my boyfriend and I work towards marriage, I would love to look good in a wedding dress! Not only that, I want to be healthy at the same time.

I'm the kind of person that can sit down and eat a loaf of bread, a stick of butter, or a bowl of popcorn. I LOVE carbs! As much as I love these foods, I have to have portion control and eat the "right" kinds of carbs.

We came across the "CarbLover's Diet" (by Ellen Kunes & Frances Largeman-Roth, R.D.) purely by accident. Carrie's mom announced after Christmas that the entire house was going on a diet! She went and bought several different diet books and the "CarbLover's Pocket Guide" caught Carrie's eye. While skimming through it, she noticed there were no "don'ts/no's." It seemed like something she could do. This lead Carrie to mention it to Ashley and thus begins our CarbLover's Adventure!

We officially started January 9, 2012. After a week, Ashley lost 10 pounds and Carrie lost 8 pounds. After 2 weeks, Carrie and Ashley lost 2 more pounds each. We decided to have a "cheat day" at the end of our 2nd week and realized "Yeah, that was premature!" We have decided to the "7 Day Kick Start" over to help us get back on track. (We also went and bought the full version of the CarbLover's Diet book and the cookbook.)

Over the next few months, help us stay accountable to our weight loss goals. Visit often, leave us encouraging comments, and feel free to ask us questions! We'll be learning together.


Ashley...being forced by Carrie to put this...is weighing in at 284. (This is after the 12 pounds I've already lost.)

Carrie...who is doing this because it's a good accountability...is weighing in at 172. (This is after the 12 pounds I've already lost.)