I’ve now been following the TNT Diet which I outlined in this article.  It is a very low carb diet (about 40 grams or less per day) with an emphasis on quality protein and fats.  Here is my update after the first week.

As with most low carb diets, you can expect a period of  adjustment to the low carb lifestyle and this has been no different.  Even though you try to prepare yourself, it can still be difficult.  If you can make it through it, you’re ready to start burning the fat.  Me?  I made it through it.  I was extremely exhausted for the first few days which led to some grumpiness that my wife certainly didn’t enjoy.  However, this was all gone by this past weekend!

I’m starting to get into the groove with my food preparation…boiled eggs, green veggies, salmon, chicken, steak, cheeses, real mayonnaise, almonds, avocados…it really is a good choice of foods for me.  I will be honest and admit that I do miss the occasional splurge on lower GI carbs like brown rice or potatoes but I have been able to mix up the allowed foods to keep it interesting.

Garlic Guacamole

I love guacamole and this is a quick and easy recipe.  To make it low carb, just use the veggie option instead of the tortillas…or just put it on top of a salad!  Courtesy of Eat Better America.

Prep Time:20 min 
Start to Finish:1 hr 
makes:9 servings (1/4 cup dip, 4 chips and 4 veggies each)

Ingredients:
1 medium bulb garlic
3 flour tortillas (8 inch)
Cooking spray
2 medium avocados, peeled, pitted
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Dash ground red pepper (cayenne) or few drops red pepper sauce, if desired
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
3 plum (Roma) tomatoes, seeds removed, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Assorted fresh vegetables for dipping, such as carrots and cucumbers

Instructions:
1  Heat oven to 350°F. Carefully peel paper-like layers from around bulb of garlic, leaving just enough to hold garlic cloves together. Cut 1/4- to 1/2-inch slice from top of bulb to expose cloves. Place cut side up on 6-inch piece of foil; wrap securely in foil. Place in pie plate or shallow baking dish. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until garlic is tender when pierced with toothpick or fork. Cool.
 
2  Spray 2 large cookie sheets with cooking spray. Cut each tortilla into 12 wedges. Place in single layer on cookie sheets. Spray with cooking spray. Bake uncovered 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown and crisp.
 
3  In medium bowl, mash avocados. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the roasted garlic*, the lime juice, salt, black pepper and red pepper. Stir in onion, tomatoes and cilantro. Serve with baked tortilla chips and vegetables for dipping.
 

Nutritional Information
1 serving (1/4 cup dip, 4 chips and 4 veggies): Calories 130 (Calories from Fat 50); Total Fat 6g (Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 250mg; Total Carbohydrate 16G (Dietary Fiber 3G, Sugars 2G); Protein 2G % Daily Value Vitamin A 70%; Vitamin C 15%; Calcium 4%; Iron 6% Exchanges 1 Starch, 0 Other Carbohydrate, 1 Fat Carbohydrate Choices 1

Getting started is the hardest thing to do.  Wasn’t there a song by that title?  Anyway, maybe it could be a little easier if you know a few of the common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them.  Who better to learn from than someone that’s made most of these mistakes himself!

When you are beginning, you will most likely see progress quickly.  Because of this, it may be hard to know if you are creating any bad habits that will hamper further development after the beginner gains have subsided.    This is a serious hurdle for a lot of people.  When you see such great progress when you start and then you level off a bit, it gets difficult.  It is easy to feel as though your efforts are in vain.  Hopefully some of these common pitfalls will make it a little easier to power through it.

1. Trying to do too much

You may be like me when I started.  I hadn’t worked out in ten years.  If that is the case, the best advice I can possibly give you is to start slow.  I had a couple of friends of mine try to do a “bootcamp” the week after they started working out.  I do believe that if they had access to a wheelchair the next day, they would’ve used it.  They hurt so much from the bootcamp, they missed the next three days in the gym.  You didn’t get in the shape you’re in overnight, you won’t look like a Men’s Health cover model overnight either.   

Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake Bites

A great, easy dessert that is both low cal and low carb.  Courtesy of SparkRecipes.

Ingredients
Vanilla extract, imitation, alcohol, 0.5 tsp
Splenda, 1tbsp
Cream Cheese, Fat Free, 5 tbsp
Hershey’s Cocoa, Special Dark, .5-1 tbsp
Light Whipped Topping, 16 tbsp (1 cup)
Chocolate Chips, Mini Semisweet, 1 tbsp

Directions
Mix coolwhip, cream cheese, vanilla, and splenda (using mixer, blender, or bowl and fork).

For chocolate cheesecake bites, add cocoa and stir in thorougly (to create swirl cheesecakes, divide batter in half and add the cocoa to half the batter – mix thoroughly, then recombine batter, swirling chocolate batter into plain batter).

Spoon into 10-15 slots of an ice cube tray.

Top each bite with 5-10 mini chocolate chips, one teaspoon sugar free chocolate syrup, or smucker’s sugar free fruit preserves (rasberry, strawberry, blueberry, etc – 3 calories per teaspoon).

Freeze for 2 hrs. After fully freezing, they should pop right out, or you might need to run water over the bottom of the tray to help them come out.

Nutritional Information
Fat: 1.1g
Carbohydrates: 3.3g
Calories: 29.8
Protein: 1.0g

Chicken Dijon

A quick and delicious main dish.  Courtesy of FoodFit.com.

This recipe serves: 2
Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 onion, finely chopped
1/2 clove garlic, crushed
2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, (about 4 ounces each) cut into 1-inch strips
1 pinch salt
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Cooking Instructions
1. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until the onion becomes tender, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
2. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the skillet. Saute the chicken until it is golden brown on all sides, about 4 minutes.

3. Quickly add the chicken broth and stir with a wooden spoon to release any caramelized bits that are stuck to the pan. Cook until the chicken broth has reduced by half. Stir in the mustard.

4. Serve with Skinny Mashed Potatoes or Rice Pilaf .

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size:1 chicken breast
Amount Per Serving
Calories:168
Protein: 27 g
Total Carbohydrate: 2 g
Dietary Fiber: 0 g
Soluble Fiber: 0 g
Insoluble Fiber: 0 g
Sugar: 1 g
Total Fat: 5 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g