Semi Annual Veggie Challenge #3

[TheDogAteMyName]

Re: Semi Annual Veggie Challenge (May 12 thru 16)

I'm not feeling well today (horrible upset stomach), but I have tried pumpkin. Two new veggies in two days...what's gotten into me?!?!? I'm only at 16 net veggie carbs so far today. Hopefully I'll feel better later and be able to meet my goal.

By the way, canned pumpkin is so smooth and wonderful. I've never bought it for myself before. I bought a few cans of organic pumpkin to make baby food with and she loved it. Does anyone have a recipe for a cooked pumpkin puree that is close in taste to a butternut squash recipe?

[TheDogAteMyName]

Re: Semi Annual Veggie Challenge (May 12 thru 16)

I just thought of something...nobody please laugh! Ok...go ahead and chuckle once you read Annabel Karmel's baby food books are filled with pumpkin ideas. She has a lovely pumpkin puree made with chicken broth and onions that our baby adored. I may have to give it a whirl. ROFL

[mitzimarie]

Re: Semi Annual Veggie Challenge (May 12 thru 16)

Hello, All!

I only have a moment right now - just wanted to let you know that I have read all of the posts, and love them! I sooooo appreciate the recipes!

I've haven't had much food today (really busy at work!) and I am very hungry. I'm going to go take care of that, and I'll be back later tonight. See ya!

[hrgillespie]

Re: Semi Annual Veggie Challenge (May 12 thru 16)

Back to say I tried my veggie I did Leeks and they were great ......I used the Fried Zucchinni recipie and just sliced up the Leeks and did them the same way ....... eggs parmesean and then just fried them up they tasted like onion rings ...... So that was a success ...... I also found the broccoli slaw and will try that tomorrow!!!! I think my totals might be off a little for today because I ate more of the leeks then I was supposed to.


Heidi

[Chicklady]

Re: Semi Annual Veggie Challenge (May 12 thru 16)

I picked an eggplant salad recipe as my new veggie. OMG!! I loved it! I ate two servings even my husband said "it's OK",,,a high compliment from a man who thinks peas, corn and potatoes are the only vegetables a man should have to eat

Anyway, you want to make this a day ahead...or at least 8 hours...plenty of time to chill.
1 eggplant about 1.25 pounds
2 ounces red onion, cut into 1/2" strips
8 ounces mixed color frozen pepper strips *
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/8-1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 T lemon juice
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 med tomato chopped (mine was 5 ounces after taking the stem out)
3 ounces olive oil.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Pierce eggplant all over with fork and place on foil, covering loosely. Bake 50-60 minutes, until skin is wrinkled and eggplant is soft when poked. Reduce oven to 350 Cool, then split open and scrape all meat from inside eggplant into an ovenproof dish. The scraping pretty much achieves this, but make sure the eggplant is in "mouthful" pieces. Add onion, peppers, garlic, pepper flakes and italian seasoning to eggplant and cover with foil. Bake 45 minutes at 350. Stir in olive oil . lemon juice, vinegar and chopped tomato and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Serves 6 (unless you're me ) at 8.25 gr carb minus 3.26 gr fiber for a net of 4.99

*If you decide/need to use fresh peppers, you'll need to "sweat" them first.

[bythree]

Re: Semi Annual Veggie Challenge (May 12 thru 16)

Heidi, How did you make the leeks? I love onions so if they taste the same I'd love to try them.

Today I had celery, pickles, cucumbers, and a lot of cabbage for a total net carb of 18.5.

Mitzi, I have a question...how do we know how many veg carbs we should be eating a day? I know on induction it says most of your carbs should be coming from veg's but I'm on OWL rung 4, berries and I didn't know there was a certain number I should be shooting for (besides the original induction ones). I have been cutting back on my protein a little as I add in nuts and berries. Thanks, Kathie

[IrishMom82]

Re: Semi Annual Veggie Challenge (May 12 thru 16)

May 14th, 2008

*Totals based on information plugged into Fitday*

Breakfast - N\A
Lunch - 1 Cup Green Beans = 10.0g net carbs
Snack - 1 Pickle Spears = 1.0g net carbs
Dinner - 1 Cup Head/Iceberg Lettuce = 1.0g net carbs, 1 tsp. Chives = 1.0g net carbs
Total = 13g net carbs

[OzLover]

Re: Semi Annual Veggie Challenge (May 12 thru 16)

My day is all screwed up as I was on call last night. I got called in after 2 hours sleep. Finally got to bed @ 9:30 this morning & got up at 2:00. I have managed to eat all my veggie carbs today.

B) 0.5 cup pumpkin~~~4 net carbs
L) 3 cups mesculan lettuce~~~1.5 net carbs
0.5 cup cucumber~~~1 net carbs
0.5 cup jicama~~~2.5 net carbs
4 marinated artichoke hearts~~~2 net carbs
D) 1 cup sauteed mushrooms~~~2.8 net carbs
1 cup sauteed red peppers~~~6 net carbs

Total veggie carbs~~~19.8

[mitzimarie]

Re: Semi Annual Veggie Challenge (May 12 thru 16)

Mitzi, I have a question...how do we know how many veg carbs we should be eating a day? I know on induction it says most of your carbs should be coming from veg's but I'm on OWL rung 4, berries and I didn't know there was a certain number I should be shooting for (besides the original induction ones). I have been cutting back on my protein a little as I add in nuts and berries. Thanks, Kathie

Kathie, for this challenge, these were the guidelines that were on the announcement and first post for sign up:

If you are doing Induction, your challenge is to eat a minimum of 12 NET carbs of veggies each day during the challenge.
If you are in any phase of OWL, your challenge is to eat a minimum of 17 NET carbs of veggies each day during the challenge.
If you are on Maintenance, your challenge is to eat a minimum of 22 NET carbs of veggies each day during the challenge.

For life in general: In ANY given phase of Atkins (even in Maintenance), most of your net carbs should be net veggie carbs... NOT just Induction. Also, protein is not what you cut back on to add back carbs in OWL... it's the fat percentage that goes down.

Here is the guideline for percentages (and it's only a guideline... don't stress if if doesn't come out perfectly):

For Induction, the percentages to aim for are 65% Fat, 5% Carbs, and 30% Protein. As you add back carbs in OWL, your Fat percentage decreases as your Carb percentage increases... your protein stays at a constant 30%.

Remember, don't get too stressed over the exact numbers... these are just a guideline. The main reason I even track percentages is just to make sure that my protein stays at or under 30%... excess protein turns to glucose. Having said that, sometimes my protein does go a little over 30%... don't sweat that. I have gotten pretty good at keeping it between 25 and 30%. Don't get too hung up on the numbers, though... just use them as a guide.

Now - about the fact that "most" of your net carbs should come from veggies. I interpret it this way... to me, "most" means more than half. So, I make sure that at least half of my total net carbs for the day, plus one, are net veggie carbs. (that "plus one" makes the number more than half, therefore, making it "most")

Got it? Are have I confused you even more?

[Robin's Nest]

Re: Semi Annual Veggie Challenge (May 12 thru 16)

Hi everyone! Not a good day for me food wise , but not in trouble. It is strange how honestly I can say I love vegetables.. but being on my 5th week, my hunger is not there. Something I have to work on. Had 2 cups of salad for lunch along with chicken.. and 5 brussel sprouts with Italian casserole (which has mushrooms and onions) for dinner.. Having 14 carbs tops of veggies. Will work on that tomorrow, plan and bring my meals to work. That works better.


To remedy that, I did stop on my way home to the local veggie market and picked up fresh veggies.. now I feel safe. Took a walk at lunchtime to the Amish Market to see if they carry jicama.. no. Cannot believe I work in the biggest city in the nation, and I cannot find it! I asked the owner of the local market if he could pickup some for me.. he said it does not sell, but he will pick a few up for me. Until then, will keep on looking.

If not for food, I get a for trying!

[TheDogAteMyName]

Re: Semi Annual Veggie Challenge (May 12 thru 16)

I made it!!!!!!!!!!!!! I ate a few pickles and crossed the finish line for today's veggie goal. WOO HOO! I didn't think I'd make it since I am not feeling well today.

[mitzimarie]

Re: Semi Annual Veggie Challenge (May 12 thru 16)

Mitzi, I have a question...how do we know how many veg carbs we should be eating a day? I know on induction it says most of your carbs should be coming from veg's but I'm on OWL rung 4, berries and I didn't know there was a certain number I should be shooting for (besides the original induction ones). I have been cutting back on my protein a little as I add in nuts and berries. Thanks, Kathie

Me, again

Your question reminds me of something else that I wanted to bring up, regarding OWL. Megs, one of our experts here on the board, came up with an excellent analogy to explain OWL... I found it in one of the stickies in that forum, and will paste it here.

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"As for OWL, all you have to remember is that your Induction menu is your basic daily menu. To that you will add 5 net carbs of the Carb Ladder Foods. I've used this analogy in other threads....

When you get dressed for a night out, what do you do? You pick a dress, right? Then what do you do? You look through your drawers, jewelry box, and closet to accessorize that dress, right? So you might put on a pair of dangly earrings, you might put on some strappy sandals, you might tie a scarf around your waist, you might wear your hair up, you might wear a darker shade of lipstick, right?

That's what you're doing during OWL, too. Your basic dress is the Induction menu. Those earrings are the 5 net carbs of Rung 1 foods. Those sandals---5 net carbs of Rung 2 foods. The scarf? 5 net carbs of Rung 3 foods. The hair do? 5 net carbs of Rung 4 foods. The lipstick? 5 net carbs Rung Rung 5 food."

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I love this explanation! You wouldn't leave the house without your dress on, wearing accessories only, right? Your WOE should still center around your Induction menu, with some upper rung foods as "accessories".

On my first go-round with Atkins, I didn't embrace veggies or progress up the rungs properly... I just added items from the various rungs, in no particular order. I also got to where I was existing on the rungs higher than 1... I was living on dairy, nuts, seeds, and berries. I am quite certain that is why I stalled out at 155 pounds after losing 60 pounds. I eventually strayed from the original plan all together, and regained 32 of those pounds before I came to my senses. This time, I am very strict about keeping my Induction menu, and adding some foods from the rungs higher than 1, AFTER I have satisfied my "most of your net carbs coming from veggies" rule. And this time around, I have reached a goal that is lower than my original goal, and have been there for 6 months now.

Yep, that means that in Maintenance I am eating up to 50 net carbs, and making certain that at least "half plus one" of those total net carbs are net veggie carbs... and yep, that means that I don't eat a whole lot from the rungs other than 1. In fact, other than a single ounce of raw, natural almonds each day, I eat mostly at Rung 1. Sure, that's not exactly what I had in mind for Maintenance... but after having tested my tolerances for the upper rung foods (even Rung 2!), I have found that I need to stay mostly at Rung 1 just to maintain. Is it fair? Not really... Am I doing it? You bet your sweet @ss I am... nothing tastes as good as being thin feels.

Each and everyone of us is sooooo unique in what we can tolerate with regard to foods. That's why OWL is so important. That's where you find out how many carbs you can eat, and what kinds of carbs you can eat. I know of many members who can eat from all of the rungs and still lose or maintain... alas, I am not one of them. I was pissy about it at first, but I've gotten over it... in fact, I am rather proud of the way that I eat now.

Go veggies!

[shellybeth]

Re: Semi Annual Veggie Challenge (May 12 thru 16)

I haven't felt so well today, but I did eat my veggies.....brussels sprouts and broccoli...not exactly induction-perfect but veggies nonetheless on a yucky feeling day!

Could shoot for some pumpkin and cream cheese this evening for some more, ending up about 15 net from veggies.

Michelle

[brandywine1241]

Re: Semi Annual Veggie Challenge (May 12 thru 16)

May 14 - veggies today: jicama, cauliflower, green & red bell peppers, onions, artichokes.
Total carbs 68 Net carbs 31 Veggie net carbs 22.

I couldn't find a kohlrabi, so I chose artichoke as my new vegetable. I used a 14oz can of artichoke bottoms and stuffed them with 3/4C freshly grated parm cheese, 1 clove garlic, finely diced, 2T mayo, 1/2t lemon juice, and 1/2t lemon zest. Then I baked them at 350 for 20 min.
Pretty tasty!

[mitzimarie]

Re: Semi Annual Veggie Challenge (May 12 thru 16)

Ugh - I'm exhausted tonight! *yawn*

I'll post my particulars tomorrow... have an excellent day Thursday!