As I was sitting in the dining hall, watching people breeze past with tomato wraps, salads, and soups, I had a realization. My plate consisted of 100% carbs–and I don’t say this as a joke; I had buttered pasta and breadsticks on my plate. Not even an ounce of color. This is when the brilliant idea popped in my head – I should go carb-free! Basically, I wanted to see how simple it was to give up such a substantial part of my eating habits.
So, without a single doubt, I decided to give up (practically) all carbs for five days, like pasta, rice, bread, cereal, potatoes, pizza, and tortillas.
Day One- Sunday
The day began fine, almost like any other. I had a few pieces of bacon, yogurt, and pineapple for brunch, which is what I would typically eat. Dinner was a lot more difficult though, as I ate a spoonful of peanut butter, more pineapple, a salad, and some salami. I’m already missing carbs.
Day Two- Monday
Ah, I woke up totally prepared to take the day full on–only to realize that I couldn’t have delicious blueberry pancakes. *sigh* I started the day off with lunch and let me tell you – it wasn’t great. I had a beef patty (think, a hamburger without the bun) and corn. What a delicacy! Surprisingly, dinner was better. I stopped by Jamba Juice and got an Acai Primo Bowl and yum! Now this is something I could eat everyday.
Day Three- Tuesday
Tuesday started off with lunch again, and the only carb-free food the dining hall had to offer was chicken and salad. So, chicken and salad it was! It was actually pretty tasty. Dinner seemed to be a little repetitive considering I had chicken again, but this time I also added carrots. I can’t wait for this to be over. Side note: I guess you could say that I didn’t completely give up carbs, because, like the chicken pictured, I ate a few breaded items.
Day Four- Wednesday
I woke up feeling (surprisingly) energized and ready to attack the day! I also woke up not very hungry–all of the protein must be seriously filling me up. So, I had some snacks throughout the day, including popcorn and peanut butter M&M’s, but not a big meal until dinner – which consisted of pineapple, snap peas, and a beef patty. Only one more day.
Day Five- Thursday
It was my last day of being carb-free, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some bread! I decided to stop by Jimmy Johns and pick up their “unwich,” and it was actually much better than I had expected!
End Result?
Overall, it was fairly challenging trying to find carb-free meals, especially living off of dining hall food–which is already difficult to find substantial meals. At the end of the week, I didn’t feel any different than I had previously (which was a bit of a shock). I definitely wouldn’t recommend this to anyone. A life without carbs is a sad one. However, despite the difficulties, I managed to make it five days without any main carbs! Now, it’s time to indulge in some delicious pasta and bread.