Well, the first real challenge day arrived. No grains means no bagel! I woke up and waited for John to wake up to ride to breakfast. Normally he doesn’t sleep too late, but he did today and I was getting cranky and antsy. I should have just eaten breakfast. You know how that goes. I did have a protein drink and a date before he got up, but I was bonking by the time we got to the cafe. Ugh.
I had packed some strawberries with a couple of the ricotta puffs (which weren’t so puffy 2 days later…). Note John’s grain-filled goodness 😀
I also had a big Ethiopian Harrar coffee.
It was a nice ride home, although I felt a little fatigued. No flat tires, though, and that is always a good thing. 12 miles for breakfast today.
I think I have to clarify the no-grain challenge a bit as the comments from the other day brought up some questions. Funny how everything is clear as a bell in my mind, but I apparently didn’t explain well. That happens with John and I a lot. I will be talking and kind of skip ahead because I am assuming his thought processes are going in step with mine (thank goodness they don’t). Then I look up and see his face and can tell he is totally scrambling in his brain trying to figure out what I am talking about.
The biggest reason for doing this is to give myself a shot in the arm. I am pretty good at maintaining. A few higher days, a few lower days. But to get rid of the little extra something, I need to have more lower days in a row. For some reason, this has been really hard for me to do more than a couple days in a row. So, I wanted something that would really focus my mind on eating choices. It isn’t really about the weight loss because let’s face it – I am and always have been a turtle in that department. I just want something that will give me that little spark, and I think this challenge will do that. I am hoping to turtle on, though, with this challenge. 
I am not worried about giving up grains and what it will do to my body per se. You don’t need grains to function. I get plenty of fiber. Yesterday I got 35 grams of fiber in without a single bit of grain. My carbs are about 40% of my calories, which actually is much better for *my* body (hate to admit it, but it’s true) especially now that I am not doing the huge rides. When I bring grains back in, I don’t think much will happen except my cravings for sweets will increase.
Regarding ‘substitutes’ like socca bread or the coconut biscuits. I just like those things. They aren’t necessarily a substitute for bread because I would eat them anyway, but I do like the texture of a baked good and these suffice as their own entities rather than a substitute. There is no substitute cupcake or bagel out there – and no, Arnold Bagel thins are *not* even close to a bagel. They are just sandwich thins with a hole. 🙄 I’ll just have to wait to have them.
So, hope that clears up why I chose this challenge – and on to lunch!
Quick one – just some pork with broccoli and a plum. Plums were on sale this week – yay!
I also had some pistachios after lunch.
Afternoon snack was a big bowl of blueberries and an almond milk iced coffee.
Don’t you want some? Cooler weather is coming in, and it is because I got my hair cut. Guaranteed to bring cold weather.
I was trying to cram work in with the late start and all. I dislike days like that. At least leftovers make a good quick dinner!
Palak chole on some socco bread (lots o’ chickpeas in this dinner).
I hurried with work because Wednesday is mom time! I met her out at the cafe. Don’t you love a latte?
I know I do. Yes, it is decaf, but 2% milk, cause a girl loves her fats 😀
Wow, that’s quite a nutritious day of food! No sugar either? Man, you are a champ!
Debby – you made an interesting note. I find I absolutely have no desire for sugar when I cut out the wheat. It’s very weird – and annoying because I don’t want it to be that way.
Not totally sugar free, as the ricotta puffs have honey in them, but pretty close.
Great post! I love the idea of no grains or less grains – I also get a lot of fibre w/o having many grains! I’m totally gluten-free (necessity) and I only eat bread when a craving strikes, and rarely eat pasta. It’s just on the maybe 2x per year schedule – mainly because I don’t crave it and I don’t find it full of many nutrients, although they’re making better and better grain products that are GF now (my bread has 6g fibre per slice!!)
I need to get some recipes from your blog! Mmmmmm.
Dawn
PS Oh I love the haircut – and yah, it always cools down when I do that too! 😉
PSS DH and I have those messed up conversations too – although many times we seem to be able to read each other’s minds now – hardly say anything and yet we get each other! WE must be getting old – soon we’ll start looking alike! LOL
Good luck with your grain-free challenge, Lori! I love food experiments!
Your hair looks great! Let’s hope the weather didn’t notice 😉
LOL at the bagel thins comment. That is so true. Bagel thins are not even close!
Wow, you are strong to take your own food on Bagel Wednesday!
Love your pretty lattes.
Great haircut! It is much cooler here now…thanks!
Palak chole looks tasty!
Cute haircut! And good luck on your challenge – I love a good food challenge because I think it is good to change up what we eat every now and again.
Thanks for the explanation… makes perfect sense. And I am a big believer in us each needing to find what works for us. And… in shaking things up now and then. I do best when I limit my grains. I envy you your bagel moderation. People would probably be surprised at how high my carbs are and how much fiber I get with so few servings (typically only one) of grains a day.
It is surprising how that can add up *without* grains.
Ummmmmmmmmmmm, John’s coffee cake looks DELISH!!!!!!!!!! You are so good for holding strong to these challenges you make for yourself! 🙂 And , no, there is no substitute for a good bagel!
If a haircut brings cooler weather – how come you didn’t hack it off back during that awful 90+ heat wave??? 😉
I think it’s a great challenge. I am trying to eat gluten-free and sugar free as much as possible because, for me, when I eat sugar and gluten, I always notice a spike on the scale. Not fun.
Beautiful latte. One day I want a machine to make my own!
I would have skipped bagel Wednesday because I know I couldn’t resist not taking a bagel 🙂
I hear you on talking to John. That happens with R. too. Guess we women are too fast for them LOL When I talk to my girlfriends this never happens 🙂
It’s fun to challenge yourself every once in a while by changing up your diet. Sometimes we get caught up in a ritual of eating the same things day after day and, even though they may be healthy, our bodies enjoy different tastes/textures and ways of getting the same nutrients. OR, we may even be lacking in some nutrients with our routine diets. It’s good to make changes.
Although, it must be tough giving up that bagel. It took me a LOONNGGG time to give up bagels. Now I only allow myself a bite or two and sometimes half.
First, I love the way you continue to challenge yourself to make your weight loss and maintenance better. Not easier, just better. We all know it’s NEVER easy! It encourages me to read about it.
Secondly, since you seem to have such a fun sense of humor, I have to poke fun at the way I first read something you wrote. When you wrote that you had a protein drink and a date before John woke up, the first thing I thought was, “Lori really shouldn’t be having a date with anyone else especially while John is sleeping.” Of course, I immediately realized that wasn’t exactly the kind of date you were talking about.
Have great day and stay grain-free!!
Well – I would have to have the date while John was either sleeping or out. Otherwise, he would find out about it!
I don’t think it’s just you and John, I think women and men just communicate differently! (Not to mention that men are bad listeners lol!)
I admire your no grain thing and I hope it does what you want it to do, but again, it’s not even anything I’d try.
I love the little challenges you do. I found myself doing that a lot while I was actively losing weight. Like you said, not so much for the weight loss, but I found that it helped me mentally. I needed to reassure myself that I was disciplined enough to follow through with a challenge like that. Successfully finishing a challenge that I started made me feel disciplined enough to do anything I put my mind to!
Great job today!
Even though you aren’t eating bread, it looks like good, filling food to me!
It was very filling. Of course, it’s the fat – which doesn’t show up in pictures 😀
Your dinner looks sensational Lori!!!! I know Dennis zones out when he loses track of some of my ramblings sometimes too. He gets this funny confused look on his face, then obviously changes his own train of through…and he’s gone….:)
Haircut looks HOT!!!! Have a great day.
Mmmm. Plums and blueberries. Not sure why, but the fruit this summer seems to be SO good!!!
The fruit really has been good this year! And not just farmer’s market fruit either. Good stuff at the regular grocery store.
No bagels on Wednesday? I thought I sensed a disturbance in the Force. 😉
Yes, I really do want some of those blueberries. So much that I think I’ll get some at the store next time I go.
Such a pretty latte. I’d like to learn to make them at home.
great job cleaning up your diet…..but it does make it easier to bonk for sure! be careful if you ride long rides 🙂
Switching things up helps keep life interesting. 🙂
yes yes yes yes yes!!
Im so like you are and when I eliminated wheat I didnt crave sugars either.
I only wish I could get the husband to try.
even for a day.
Love the hair! I always feel a better after a shape on my ‘do.
And that latte is so pretty.
My brain skips and starts when I’m hungry. And I’m not a healthy eater but I’m envious of your lunch. Inspires me to look for plums this weekend.
Bagel thins are not bagels. I’ve embraced the turtle pace of weight loss. Turtle on!
OH yes, you can get plenty of carbs without grains! 🙂 I think my body is the same way when it comes to grains. I usually have 1/2 serving of bread per day, in the morning, and get the rest of the carbs from non-starchy veggies, dairy, beans sometimes (should be more often), nuts, and a little bit of fruit and some chocolate. I had a lunch out this past week, at a restaurant specializing in bruchetta, and I had more bread than I’ve had in quite some time. I was totally ravenous that night, even thought my blood glucose numbers were in range but a little higher than I usually let them go, and into the next day. Hated going to sleep with a growling tummy, but I didn’t need to eat any more that day.
I *LOVE* your new haircut, by the way! It’s cute, and it looks nice and cool for summer.