Salsa, pico de gallo... it's the little things that are keeping my carbs up
 

After several weeks of being good (ok, a couple of cheats during vacation) and not losing inches or pounds, I decided to take a good look at what I'm eating, and make changes based on the suggestions I've read on the board.

Well, I have yet to prove my theory, but I think I may have come up with something. It turns out it may be the salsa and pico de gallo that are keeping me from losing.

I live in Mexico, and a meal is not a meal without some kind of salsa, so... you can easily end up eating an extra two tomatos, one onion and one jalapeño in salsa throughout the day (even more if you sit down with a bag of pork rinds and a bowl of salsa for an afternoon snack, *sigh*), and you don't even think about it, after all, it's just something you put on food, not actual food, right? Well, not according to Fitday. It turns out that a small bowl of pico de gallo (1 cup tomato, 1/2 cup onion, 1 jalapeño pepper, half a lime's juice and some cilantro) has 20 grams of carbs!

And I can (and do) eat that in one sitting and not even notice it! So I guess that rather than blame the stall on the cream cheese, I should start taking a good hard look at "the little things".

Has anybody else found similar "little things" that are much carbier than they would have thought? I'd like to know what else to be on the lookout for.

When I first started this WOE, I actually gained 3 pounds over my first weekend. I was still trusting all the condiments that were great from a low/fat low/cal perspective (which is what I had used to loose weight before), So for that weekend...I ate bbq sauce, cocktail sauce, sesame ginger salad dressing, ketchup, and who knows what else. When I saw the scale, I started researching my menu and just about choked when I saw the carbs per serving for those condiments!!! I figured it all out and have been fine since. (Had a pretty long stall...but didnt really care because I enjoy this WOE) I'm hoping my scale will behave itself and start moving more regularly...but I've already lost quite a bit and I know that eventually I'll hit goal. LOL PS: Watch powdered seasonings too...they slip sugar into more of them than you might realize (Lowry's being a fine example) I think it's minimal and you can use it with care...but you need to be aware of those hidden carbs.

Cream and cream cheese
 

I fell into the trap. I was having a lot of cream and cream cheese everyday. I think I was still craving sweet things. Silly me. I had always assumed that cream was just fat. :) I was also shocked to learn how many carbs were in onions. The Atkins Carb Gram counter (from the website) says 7.5 for one onion. That cup of tomato isn't very low either :(

Ouch - that was a dart of truth piercing my LC armor. I grew up in south Texas (Harlingen) and I know very well what you mean by a meal isn't a meal without salsa. We ate mexican food all of the time, long before it was trendy, and grew our own onions, tomatoes and peppers. We were always making different kinds of salsas. And fajitas were what poor people ate (we used tough cuts of meat and tenderized them).

I'm finding that if I don't obsessively write everything down, a bunch of little things slip in - that extra serving of almonds while I"m working so hard at my desk, the extra fauxtato salad when I open the refrigerater, etc. It's not eating due to hunger either. So, I"m with you on tightening the belt.

My problem too. I put salsa on everything...I eat it from the bowl (I make batches) ... same with Guacamole...and yes, the carbs do add up. I also cook with lots of onion...another higher-carb food. But for me TASTE is everything...and the spicer and more complex, the better otherwise I don't know if I can stay low-carb forever. So when I do overeat with any of the above, I take it light for the rest of the day or prepare for that earlier in the day.

Oh yum... homemade salsa. :p

I don't eat lots of salsa, like maybe 2T when I have it. But I sure wouldn't want to live without it totally!

Just FYI too, you don't have to stay on induction permanently. You can raise your carb count and continue to lose weight. For me personally, even on induction levels of carbs I won't lose weight if I consume too many calories. So now I'm eating 30-40g a day, watching the calories a little and losing pretty well.

I think probably the nutrition from salsa would be an excellent addition to a diet for anyone on OWL or in later stages.

I'm no longer on induction, so yes, I think I will still have some salsa, just not so much as before.

Zorra, I went through the same thing with the cream and the cream cheese. In fact, I don't think I'm entirely over it yet. For the first few weeks I had it everyday, and it's just been a few days since I've given it up, but I still crave it. My husband swears that's what made me stall (sour cream, cream cheese and Splenda, my afternoon treat), because we're both eating the same things except for that (he hates cream cheese) and he's not stalled. Now I'm worried it might also stall my friend, who started LCing after we did. The fact that she could have this little treat is what made her decide she could go ahead with this WOE. Oops!

OH Zorra i did the same thing iwas eating onions like a mad woman because i love them!! And i cut them out and sf jello and so much soda and off came 20lbs total! So i think it is really the little things that make the difference

Oh man Pico de gallo is awsome. But I do limit it to now. I try to only have two tablespoons as well. Hard but necessary. never thought about making my own. That sounds delic.

It is just so easy to make and so much better when you have it fresh, and you can make it as spicy or as mild as you like. Also try sprinkling a little oregano on it, mmmhhh! I think I'll go make some for lunch!

It is the little things that add up, as this quote will show. In my Low Carb Living magazine, on page 64 it says, I think that may happen to some of us at times, eating all the little things that we think don't count.

LC ketchup
 

I eat ketchup or steak sauce on everything just very little i use more musard than anything and havent had a prob. but i have always been careful has any one tried the lc ketchup i hate anything w/soy im allergy my doc thinks

Heinz LC ketchup tastes great, my husband loves it.

I second that. The Heinz is great.

Also, I've been using hot sauce instead of salsa on a lot of things. I use less because it's more concentrated heat, and I make sure I use one that's low in carbs.

mmmm...salsa. Tortilla chips and salsa are the only things that I cannot live without.
I probably have a good blow-out once a month with it. But thats it. As long as I can have them once in a great while I dont feel deprived.