Say Cheesecake!

With my history of addiction (to carbs), and the recent "march on fitness" that we have once again joined, along with the diabetes that runs in my family, Richie decided to lay down the law and have me join him on The Anabolic Diet. As hard as it is for me to cut those delicious, mouth-watering carbs, I agreed.

Now before you go and lecture me on the perils of fad diets, and how "low carb" is a temporary fix, let me just say that:

#1. I know all that stuff... I've been through nearly every fitness craze in my youth you can think of probably. And I know that there is no 'quick fix' or easy way to get or stay thin. You have to stay active, and try to maintain well balanced nutrition, you can't go "eating all that meat" and be healthy. Ok, so that's the thing, you don't have to eat tons of meat to watch your carb intake, and you can still get all of the essential fats, and vitamins and fiber that it takes to be healthy. Anything can be excessive. The plain and simple fact is, I need to watch my carbs and sugar... yes, that's that.

#2. Not everybody's body works the same. Outside labor, or sweat-of-the-brow business along with "just pushing away from the table" might work for you. I know what problems exist for me, and how I need to overcome them. I have to do what I can stick to, and I have to be able to make it a long-term, lifetime habit. I have to work out, and I prefer gym equipment and like to go outside when It is possible, so a good mix for me.

My husband, he reads... alot! For the muscle-building, and fitness, he reads alot on www.t-nation.com. They have great sections for women too. Estrogen is a double-edged blade, we as women have to have it, but at the same time it is the hormone that causes us so much grief. So it's o.k. to get rid of a little bit of it, and we will still be every bit as sexy and womanly in doing so. So there are alot of great sections and articles in there.

In reading the forums, he corresponded with a guy who had been on this Anabolic diet for some time, and most of these guys are really into this stuff, some of them medically, and have great knowledge of it too. They were discussing ME, and my love of sweets because Richie was concerned about the history of diabetes in my family. So the guy sends him some info, tells him that the Anabolic diet would be great for both of us and that he should get me on it with him. I usually sneeze at this because I have such a hard time sticking to the strictness of the first two (2) weeks. But if I can make it through 2 weeks, I should have it made for sure. In this beginning period, we restrict our carb intake to approximately 30 carbs per day. This pretty much leaves us to unlimited salads, nuts, chicken breast, etc, eggs/bacon (I prefer turkey bacon), and those delicious Iced Protein Shakes that I have perfected at home. This is totally doable, and I don't have to leave out any nutrition.

The guy then gives him the idea for this fantastic low-carb cheesecake that you don't have to feel even an ounce of guilt over. I jumped at the chance to whip it up.

I used 3 packages of the 1/3 less fat Philly cream cheese (because mainly it had <1 carb per serving), 2 eggs, 1 1/3 cup Splenda, and a couple tsp. of French Vanilla imitation extract (nothing really in that). For the crust, believe me this is delicious too, I used Horizon Organic Real butter and ground Almonds (low in carb and high in Vitamin E!). It made a great crust. Baked the sucker in the oven as normal at around 375 degrees for between 45 min to an hour (you know when it's done), chilled and it is Fan-Frikkin-Tastic!!!

If I can find such delectable alternatives for my sweet tooth, and enjoy pretty delicious foods that make me forget that I am not eating that many carbs at all, then I can smile even cheesier for the camera. Happy Snacking My Sweeties!!!

Other Suggested Reading:

Livin La Vida Low-Carb Blog

The Anabolic Diet Blog