When the "low"-ing gets tough...

So it's only day 3 of the Carb Nite Solution, and to be honest, it's not that bad. Today was the first day I noticed a little bit more fatigue than usual, but that could just be because my usual Wednesday morning spinning class felt like it was taking place in the Amazon. Girl was sweating today! And I'm pretty sure my carb stores are darn-near depleted. I'll bet the fun is just beginning.

Here's what I've noticed so far:

1). I'm less hungry in between meals now than when I eat carbs. My meals before usually looked like this: steel-cut oats baked with egg whites, fruit and nuts; chicken with veggies, beans and rice; plain, non-fat Greek yogurt with flax, nuts and fruit. Not too bad, I know. But in-between hunger would hit. I wouldn't pig out or anything crazy, but just thinking about eating and what I was going to eat would consume me. Now I know: protein, fat, vegetable. Makes life simpler and more filling.

2). I'm drinking (water) like a fish and peeing like a racehorse (God, I love cliches). With the ultra-low carb diet, my body needs more water. In the past I've found it hard to guzzle as much water as I should. I would usually get to the point where I get foggy-headed and super-tired for lack of water. Not anymore. It's an absolute necessity to be chugging water while on the Carb Nite Solution. Protein requires more water to be broken down by the body. And since I'm not eating as many fruits and vegetables as before, I'm missing out on the water that comes along with them.

3). I'm finding more ways to get creative with my food. When you don't carefully watch what you eat, it's pretty easy to satisfy every craving and not get bored with your diet. When you virtually eliminate a food group for a short period of time, it's not so easy to stay sated sometimes. One of the things I've been doing for the last few days is making wraps out of flax meal. I found these months ago when I went gluten-free and they're really coming in handy now. Sometimes you just want a vehicle for all that meat and cheese. Here's how you do it with zero carbs:

Flaxseed Wrap
From Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis (a great read by the way!)

Ingredients
3 tablespoons flax meal
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika (I use smoked for a little extra flavor)
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted, plus more for greasing pan
1 tablespoon water
1 large egg


Directions
Mix together dry ingredients in a small bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil. Beat in the egg and water until blended. Grease a microwave-safe pie pan with coconut oil. Pour in batter and spread evenly. Microwave on high 2-3 minutes until cooked (if your microwave doesn't have a turntable, make sure you turn the pan halfway through). Let cool about 5 minutes. Lift up the edge of the wrap with a spatula. Store in the fridge for several days.

This recipe took me several attempts to master. I've found you really need to use the coconut oil and not olive oil. Once you've managed to get it right, you can use the wraps for anything- -I enjoy a nice buffalo chicken quesadilla in mine!

**What is your favorite "fake-out" recipe? How do you satisfy a certain craving without destroying your diet**