Cutting carbs gets easier the further you go. I'm currently averaging 25 or so TOTAL carbs a day... Will write my "thankfuls" after lunch!

Today, I'm thankful my fiance is currently attending orientation for a new post. I am sincerely trying not to get too excited, as no employer wants to work with his disabilities, but he isn't technically "disabled" enough to earn disability payments. It's frustrating, but we're hopeful this time!

@NorahCait 25 grams of carbs a day mostly come from dairy, eggs, and meat, plus those from the occasional higher fiber veggies. I like asparagus, broccoli, green beans, and most greens - and rarely cauliflower. Any of those I do prepare, I steam or roast and toss or saute with butter, almonds, bacon, and/or cheese. I also do cabbage, mushrooms, stir fry veggies, bell peppers, etc., in moderation.

Since when you lower carbs, you MUST up fats, as carb and fats are the only two fuel sources your body can use, so this works out well with the above.

If I choose to have fruits, berries and stone fruits (like peaches, etc.), I do it in small quantities and I pair them with fats (heavy cream, sour cream, cream cheese, sharp cheddar, etc.). I don't do this often, as berries are a slippery cravings slope for me! If I miss fruit flavors, I use extracts or jello.

Pretty much I don't avoid anything, really, except sugar, and even then, I just watch portion sizes and make sure it fits my daily allotment. For me, going below 100 grams of carbs a day was torture (this is usually the threshold for low carb per medical terminology). Once I got closer to 50 grams of carbs a day, all of my cravings stopped - and what little was left was manageable.

I do have the odd bite of rice or potatoes, etc., but for the most part, I really don't miss them - and one bite is enough...because it is either the flavoring combination I miss, or it doesn't taste as good as I remember. In particular, chips (especially corn/tortilla chips) taste like sawdust and paste. I don't miss THOSE at ALL!

All in all, I've lost 20 pounds since I dropped my carbs, around 20 inches off of arms, chest, waist, hips, thighs, etc., combined, and I'm a few inches from sliding down my second full pants size since 1/15/15. I have amazing energy, particularly in the morning, where I used to be a zombie before 10-11 am, I am sleeping better, cravings are managed, I'm losing fat - not just water weight, that mental fog has cleared, I don't have post meal slumps, and per my bloodwork recently, all of my numbers - from cholesterol to blood sugar to thyroid panel and everything - have improved. I find myself trying and liking foods I wouldn't eat before. My heartburn is almost completely gone (because your body processes carbs first, and if it uses up all the bile and acid to digest the monstrous amount of carbs I used to eat, there was not enough bile/acid left to properly digest the fats I was eating, leading to heartburn) - rare occasion is usually related to something else. My potty problems are 95% resolved, and I'm loving the fact that I can eat bacon, butter, and cheese every day and still lose fat and improve my health!

Happy to answer any other questions if you have them.