High carb days

When I first heard about carb cycling, I had been struggling with a low carb diet for a while. The idea of adding days filled with carbohydrates sounded amazing! Once I did some research I realized "high carb days" means eating healthy carbs (found on the smart food list) in appropriate portions combined with lean proteins and veggies. On high carb days you should limit fat to as little as possible. Because carbs are higher in calorie, women  should aim for 1,500 and guys 2,000 per day. When choosing which carbs to enjoys, look for things that are nutrient-rich and high in fiber. I don't measure everything I eat, but I do measure the carbs. I know from past experience that I can get carried away with them! So what do I eat on high carb days? Here's a sample menu:

Breakfast: high fiber english muffin with turkey sausage and egg beaters
Snack: fat free greek yogurt with low fat, high fiber cereal (kashi), or low fat cottage cheese with fruit
Lunch: grilled chicken, steamed veggies, brown and wild rice, or stir-fry veggies, shrimp and brown rice (using olive oil cooking spray)
Snack: protein shake with a piece of fruit or 100 calorie popcorn
Diner: grilled chicken or turkey burger, roasted vegetables, half a sweet potato flavored with butter spray and pumpkin pie spice

Weekly weigh in: I actually weighed yesterday. As far as weight loss, this week would be considered a failure. I actually gained 4 pounds. But I did learn a few things- like how important prepping is. I didn't do it last week and it showed. Trying to get lunch and snacks from the hospital cafeteria makes sticking to the plan a lot harder (and more expensive!). I've also been dealing with some extra stress and emotional issues and turned to food. I used to enjoying working out to relieve stress. So hubby and I are going to join a gym this week cause doing a DVD with your 3 year old "helping" doesn't do much for stress. I'm trying to remember that this is a process. There will be good weeks and bad weeks. Remembering why I started this journey and getting back on track is what is important.