LC Toolbox

Low carbers track. Or at least the smart ones do. Fitday.com is a very popular free, online tools for tracking weight, nutritional intake, and exercise. A paid version of the Fitday that has additional features is also available; this review only covers the free version.

I had been searching for something to help me track carbs. I wanted something cute. Pretty to look at.

Many people new to low carbing worry about increased grocery expenses. While some food costs go down (brown-bagging it is cheaper than fast food, for example, and you won't need to stock up on junk food any more), quality meats and fresh veggies can add to your food costs. And with the economy being a big ugly mess at the moment, people are understandably cautious about spending.

At some point, almost all Low Carbers will find themselves tracking. Whether it's counting carbs for the first time as a LC noob, weathering a stall by getting refocused, or "just what you do" to stay on course, tracking is a fact of the low carb lifestyle for most. While we utilize a variety of tools for tracking, scales are often central. Eyeballing a serving size is not the same as weighing it out, as anyone who has ever been bitten by a case of the Carb Creeps can tell ya.

Available as a downloadable excel file, this handly little spreadsheet calc will help you see what you may be missing. A must-have if your numbers just aren't working for ya. Don't let those tricky labels fool you!

I found this nifty chart comparing Splenda, SweetzFree, Trishz's and FiberFit, including sweetness equivalents and carb counts info over at Linda's Low-Carb Menus & Recipes. She was kind enough to let me share it here.

Here are some quick, healthy alternatives to the high glycemic junk that the food makers promote as "lunch box" food!

There is no question that eating high protein, low carb can be costly. Think about it...what were all the cheapo filler things you used to buy? Pasta, macaroni and cheese, rice, english muffins, noodles... you get the idea. The fact is, you will just have to buckle down and re-budget. Being overweight and the complications that can bring is surely more costly than spending a bit more at the supermarket. And, think of it this way: you'll be paying for food that will be nourishing your body!