Last day of the 2 week induction period.  To be honest, when you’ve been on the low carb eating plan for a long period and you drop back to induction, your body goes into fat-burning mode or ketosis quicker than when you first started. So I have been with it for probably a week already. But for a beginning dieter, stick to the plan for the best results.

I went back to this level because I wanted a jump start to get my body back into the lower carb mode as I’ve slipped in extra carbs over the past year. I know I have a very low metabolism and my maximum carbs to maintain my weight loss is 23 net carbs a day, which is barely above the amount for induction. So, if I indulge and eat even 25 net carbs, then I will put on the weight unless I immediately drop back to about 22 carbs. It’s a balancing act. I really wish I had about 40 net carbs a day to use. So, for the most part, even when eating out, I need to stay as close to my maximum as possible, and it can be done. It just takes will power.

But sometimes, there are some foods that tempt you to go over. Don’t deny yourself the occasional treat, but don’t make a habit of it either. The low carb lifestyle is sustainable so long as you work at it and stay aware of what you’re eating. Remember, it’s easier to say no potatoes or bread when you order than to try to resist them once they’re on your plate. It’s easier to order an Italian dish with no pasta than to get one with it and try to avoid eating it. If you know you can’t do it, then try to choose a different restaurant. If all else fails, most restaurants have salads and many are willing to make adjustments to the side dishes or what goes into the meal. Ask.

Here’s the menu for Day 14.

	Food	NC
Breakfast	Steak & eggs	0.4
	Veggie hash browns	4.8
	Coffee	1.5
Snack	Pork rinds	1
Dinner	Roasted Salmon with soy & bok choy	3.8
	1/2 cup GG cauli-rice medley	1.5
Celebrate	chocolate bar	3
	Total Net Carbs	16

 

Breakfast was a bit of a celebration with steak and eggs, a good filling option that is always a favorite. But if you’re like me and want your over easy or slightly runny egg with hash browns, you need another option to replace the potatoes. These veggie hash browns are just the ticket and I think they’re more flavorful than potato ones. Maybe that’s the lack of potato talking…

Veggie Hash Browns

1 medium turnip, shredded
1/2 cup Daikon Radish, shredded
1/2 cup Cabbage, shredded
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/4 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
Dash Black pepper
1/3 cup Zucchini, shredded (optional)
1 Green Onion, chopped (optional)
1/4 Sweet Pepper, chopped (optional)

In a microwave-safe bowl, mix the vegetables together, cover with plastic wrap or a microwave cover and cook for 1 minute on high.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a skillet and heat until it is hot. Sprinkle seasoned salt and pepper on the vegetables and mix in. Add to the hot skillet and lower the heat to medium high. Stir around and form into a big patty about 1/2 inch thick with the spatula. Let cook for about 8 minutes until the bottom is browned. Use the spatula to turn the patty over. It will probably break, but try to keep it together as much as you can. Cook the reverse side for another 8 minutes.

Remove to a plate to keep warm until you’re ready to serve.

Makes two to three servings depending on how many vegetables you add in. I made the base version without any of the optional add-ins, which is best on induction.

Nutrition Information for the base version per serving (based on 2 servings):
Calories: 39.4 Fat: 1.6 g Net Carbs: 4.0 g Protein: 1.0 g

Nutrition Information for the loaded version per serving (based on 3 servings):
Calories: 43.5 Fat: 1.6 g Net Carbs: 4.5 g Protein: 1.1 g

Since I had this hefty, for me, breakfast about mid-morning, I wasn’t too hungry for lunch, so I settled on one serving of pork rinds. I like a brand called Chef Piggy Tails that has seasoned rinds that you puff up fresh in the microwave. Delicious.

For dinner, I made a recipe that started out to follow one of Atkins recipes, but I lacked a couple of ingredients, so came up with a variation that tastes pretty doggone good.

Roasted Salmon with Bok Choy

2 Chinese Cabbages (bok choy), chopped
1/2 tablespoon Butter
12 oz boneless Salmon
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1/8 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper
2 tablespoons Salsa
2 tablespoon Sour Cream
4 leaves Baby Spinach

Preheat oven to 475°F.

In a shallow bowl or pan that will fit the fish, add the olive oil and soy sauce and stir together. Put fish in and turn it over so the skin side is up. Let marinade while you chop the bok choy.

Add butter and olive oil to an oven-safe skillet, such as a cast iron or copper clad one. Don’t have a skillet like that? Use a rimmed baking sheet. Put in hot oven for about 3 minutes until the butter melts.

Season fish with salt and pepper and any other seasoning you would like. My salmon already had a spice rub on it. When the butter is melted, place the fish flesh side down and it will sizzle. Bake 5 minutes, then turn it over to put the skin side down and bake another 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and use a fork to lift the skin away from the flesh, then tent with foil to keep warm.

Prepare the topping puree while the fish is cooking. Put salsa, sour cream, and spinach leaves in a small blender and process for about 30 seconds. The leaves won’t break up completely, but it will distribute into the sauce.

Add chopped bok choy to skillet or pan. Stir to coat the pan juices, then place in the oven for 1 minute.

Put one half of the greens on each plate and top 1/2 of the salmon. Spoon a tablespoon of the sauce over each piece of fish.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 395 Fat: 20.9 g Net Carbs: 3.8 g Protein: 46.6 g

I served this a 1/2 cup serving of Green Giant Vegetable Medleys, Cauliflower Mix. This is riced cauliflower with peas, carrots, and onions that is prepared without sauce. Add a little butter and seasoning for more flavor. Delicious. My only complaint with this is that the bag says that a serving is 1 cup and there are four servings in the bag, but really there are only two servings unless you serve 1/2 cup.

I capped the day off with my celebration sweet dessert of a Russell Stover’s Sugar Free Chewy Granola Chocolate Bar. Amazing for only 3 net carbs!

This concludes my two week induction recipe extravaganza. But going forward, I plan to include at least one Phase 1 recipe on my blog each month.

Let me know if you’ve enjoyed this or if you have questions. Or if there is a recipe that you’d like to see adjusted to low carb, let me know and I’ll see if I can do it. Thanks for following along.