“Carbs — They Love Me, They Love Me Not”

What is your favorite food?

Growing up, Grandpa always did the cooking. I began living with Grandpa and my cousins at the age of 11. When we woke up in the morning we either had a cooked breakfast of grits, eggs, toast, sausage, and bacon, or we had several options to choose from like oatmeal, cereal, or PopTarts (or if you were like me you sometimes ate leftover dinner for breakfast). When we got off of the bus after school in the afternoons, dinner was already hot and ready waiting for us. Anywhere from chicken tenders and fries, to homemade chicken noodle soup, to that huge roaster full of spaghetti, to fried porkchops and alfredo potatoes, to meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and corn, to … okay, I’m reminiscing too much! And if we didn’t eat when the food was hot, we didn’t eat at all, lol! (I know a few of my cousins who were not early risers on the weekends went without eating Saturday morning breakfast lol).

Man, I know most of us love and enjoy our grandparents’ cooking. There’s just something about “going to eat at grandpa’s house” that makes our hearts smile and our tummies jump for joy. I swear there’s something in the grease they use or the seasoning, because you can watch them cook, take notes, record a tutorial, and it STILL won’t taste the same when you try to make it yourself! That’s how I’ve always felt when I started to cook on my own. I was never known as a “good cook” (probably still ain’t, so don’t tell my future husband). Growing up, I was on corn shucking or potato peeling duty. And when I got to college, even then I was on table-setting or drink-making duty. My roommates at WVU did most of the cooking. My signature meal, up until about the age of 25, was hotdogs and boxed mac-n-cheese! Lol, I can still go for a box of mac-n-cheese every now and then, too! So, I was sure to never put “I love to cook” in my dating profiles, because that would just send the wrong message.

It wasn’t until I moved to Georgia and really lived on my own that I started to get familiar with the kitchen. I cooked for myself and knew I would never go hungry, but my main dish was always baked chicken of some sort. I tried some different meals here and there like lasagna and meatloaf, but my go-to was baked chicken, boxed mac, and broccoli lol. But then in 2017 I cooked my very first Thanksgiving dinner! Because I have been there way too many times, for anyone I knew in Athens that had family somewhere else but couldn’t make it home for Thanksgiving, I invited them over to my house and served them dinner. Yes, I had the ham (no turkey because I wasn’t trying to do all of that), greens, cornbread, dressing, candied yams, macaroni and cheese (NOT BOXED!), deviled eggs, cranberry sauce, and an apple pie! Since Grandpa passed away, I would call my mom or my aunts to help walk me through every dish. (It takes a village!) I may have had some mishaps and emergencies preparing Thanksgiving dinner, but the food came out great and I made some great memories.

Thanksgiving 2020 is just 1 week away! This year I am not cooking a meal for my friends in Athens. This year I am going home to PA to enjoy Thanksgiving with my family. I would usually look forward to eating a similar meal like I listed above, but this year is a little different. What’s different about it? The difference is I currently am not eating carbs! I know some people may have rolled their eyes when they just read that, but NO I am not on a fad diet just to have fun and be cute. My change in my nutrition habits has led me to a low-carb diet because it is what is best for my health.

A few weeks ago, I shared a post on crushing fitness (you can read it here if you missed it). I shared that it took me a minute to figure out what I loved to do physically in order for me to stay consistent. That remained true for my nutrition as well. Nutrition is 80% of the fitness battle; regardless of how fast you run or how much weight you lift, if your eating habits are trash you’ll never reach your fitness goals. I have known that little rule for a long time, but I was never able to fully understand or commit to it until now. For anything to be sustainable, you have to know your “why.” And because now my “why” is something more than just to lose weight or get a flat tummy, changing my eating habits has become more meaningful and important to me.

Diabetes runs in my family, so in July I got my A1C level checked. The results of the test stated that I was in “pre-diabetes” stage. I still do not fully understand what that means, but all I know is I wasn’t claiming or getting diabetes. That is my “why!” The doctor stated that it was reversible and with a change in eating habits and losing weight, I should see the numbers decrease in just a few months. Say no more! The doctor said “exercise more and reduce your carb intake, especially your white carbs, fried foods, and sugars.” At first, I was thrown off because I was a crossfitter for the past 2+ years of my life, doesn’t she know I am over here working out?! But then I came to terms with it and did exactly what she said.

Google is my best friend. Every time I went to search “pre-diabetes dinner,” keto-style recipes would appear. At first I was confused. I was not trying to hop on another bandwagon and do “keto,” so I kept searching. But then I finally read what keto is about. In the most simplest terms, keto is this: our bodies need fuel. our bodies normally use carbs as fuel. keto is low carb, low sugar, high fat, moderate protein. your body won’t have carbs to burn for fuel so it will start to burn fat for fuel. Simple, right? And I actually think eating that way is simple too! Since I changed my eating habits and figured out what I liked and didn’t like, I was able to get into a groove. My main food items have been: meats, eggs, cheese, veggies, and avocados. I also found these spinach & herb wraps that are a necessity for me to have a low-carb breakfast (I was the one who poured syrup all over her breakfast plate! The wraps are also clutch for taco Tuesdays!). I have made a variety of meals, but here are a few of my faves:

Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Wrap

• 4 slices of turkey bacon, placed on a cookie sheet, placed in the oven on 400 degrees for 10 minutes,
• 1 large egg,
• sometimes 1/2 avocado,
• shredded cheese,
• 1 tbsp. of cream cheese,
• rolled tightly into a spinach & herb wrap.

Taco Casserole w/ Cauliflower Rice

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• 1 bag of frozen cauliflower rice (or you can make your own),
• 1 lb. ground turkey (ground beef probably has more fat, but my taste buds are more accustomed to ground turkey now),
• taco seasoning,
• sour cream (my fave!),
• and any other toppings like cheese, lettuce, & tomatoes!

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings

• chicken wings (which BBQ wings are my favorite food, so I do miss the sweet & tangy sauce, but I’m not complaining!),
• butter,
• garlic,
• seasoning,
• place on rack in oven on 400 degrees.

Cajun Shrimp, Sausage & Veggies in Alfredo

• 1 bag of frozen shrimp,
• 1 pack of turkey sausage,
• 2 medium zucchini,
• 2 medium yellow squash,
• 2 red bell peppers (original recipe also called for asparagus, but I don’t like that),
• Cajun seasoning, salt & pepper,
• homemade alfredo sauce (original recipe also didn’t call for sauce, but I figured it would add the fats for a good keto meal).

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Every morning after I brush my teeth, I chug some water. I keep my gallon water bottle (Amazon link below) by my bed and start early on my water consumption. I read somewhere a while ago that this helps get your metabolism going early and can help with other bodily functions. For breakfast I usually have that breakfast wrap with a cup of black tea or a cup of coffee with a splash of half and half. Every now and then I will have a fruit, protein smoothie for breakfast. Fruit is really the only form of sugar that I consume. I don’t count my calories or anything; I just eat what I like and what I want. The foods that I “want” have just changed and I am now more aware of what I am putting into my body. I also do not do any real meal prepping. I do try to have two different meals cooked for the week so that I can alternate between them for lunch and dinner. Last week I had a dish with zoodles and garlic chicken and a dish of garlic parmesan cabbage and Italian sausage. Any dish with a veggie and a meat and some form of fat is a safe meal, and my body has responded positively to the changes!

When eating a keto-style diet, your desire for snacking decreases. But when I do want a snack I either have a few wheat crackers with slices of snack-sized cheddar cheese, an apple with peanut butter, or Skinny Pop’s low-carb, white cheddar popcorn. My go-to libations are a glass of red wine, a White Claw, or a simple vodka soda. It took me a minute to find my happy place, but that’s the beautiful part about journeys. We never know how they’re going to look. Even though I have found that eating low-carb is best for my health, I also have not forgotten the importance of finding joy in anything that I do. The crackers and popcorn are probably not “keto-approved,” but they’re definitely lower in carbs than my flaming hot Cheetos that I used to indulge in. The key is balance. I found the balance. I am happy where I’ve chosen to be.

I might not choose to have a full plate of mac and cheese, dressing, and yams when I go home for Thanksgiving next week. I might not choose to have a slice of my auntie’s homemade apple pie. But I have made these choices to further fulfill my “why.” If a keto-style or low-carb diet didn’t make me feel good or make me happy, I wouldn’t be doing it. Especially not doing it for 4 months. And this kind of diet might not be what’s best for you, and that’s okay. I brought you into my kitchen this week to share my eating habits with you just so you could see that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. I am not perfect. My eating habits are not perfect (I still treat myself to an order of fries or a rice dish probably once a month), but I have made some great progress. To be honest, I have been slacking on my spin classes the last couple of weeks. But, I have continued to drink my gallon of water everyday and maintained my eating habits, and I have not gained any weight. This is a victory for me, yall! I feel so good, feel more confident, and want to just share all of my positive feelings with everyone!

Find your “why.” Focus on the joy. Fulfill your purpose!

“Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.” — Ecclesiastes 9:7 NKJV.

Moni Jay, Off the Record

Amazon Product Links (If you buy any of the Amazon items through the provided links, I may get a small commission at no additional cost to you):

These are a few items I find neccessary when doing a keto-style diet:

• 1 gallon water bottle
• vegetable slicer
• spiralizer for zucchini noodles, aka “zoodles”