10 days of plateau, finis!

I've tried to share my experiences with this diet as honestly and openly as possible- the successes but also the challenges. Well the last week and half has been a challenge. I have some observations that may be helpful to someone else, maybe even to future me.

Going 2-3 days without any loss wasn't completely unheard of for me before, but day 4 was a killer. For the most I have been following keto pretty strictly. Sure, there's the occasional carrot shred that enters my cole slaw, once in awhile my protein sneaks up over 70, but my carbs are never over 20 and I avoid non-keto foods pretty well. When something is working for months, it's confusing and a little scary if t suddenly doesn't work.  As my week unfolded, I found I was becoming a little grumpy about the whole thing. I started to forget all the great things keto was doing for me- beyond/besides weight loss. The fact my allergies were gone. My inflammation at nil (no more puffy carb face, even during a stall.) My lifelong gastro issues non-existent. All of that was completely gone from my mind and all I could see was that number on the scale that seemed to never move more than a quarter pound up and down all week long.

I did a lot of googling on ways to break a plateau. I considered everything from carb loading (maybe if I ate a chocolate cake it would end?) to a 72 hour fast (yep, fasting is a legitimate thing people do with healthy results to reset everything.) I cut back on dairy because I read that can cause a stall. I didn't see immediate results though. I added morning exercise, and that felt really good! But I was still stalled for 2 more days. Finally yesterday, I enjoyed my morning work out on an empty stomach (except coconut oil coffee), and then intermittent fasted all day- opting for one meal instead of 3. I managed to stuff 1400 calories in at that meal between food, an after dinner coffee with whipped cream treat, and a cocktail so my caloric intake was normal (for me).

What I didn't do was cheat or give up on this WOE. I didn't have a strong desire to either. Interestingly, I felt very hungry the last few days- and I think I tapped into it last night when it hit me I wanted to eat from an emotional place. As a lifetime emotional eater I understand the link between how you feel emotionally and what you put in your mouth, but I hadn't realized that a stall could in itself actually cause the kinds of emotions that make you want to stuff face. I resisted and I'm glad.

I don't know if it was just time, or if the morning fasting work out and OMAD (one meal a day) did the trick, but today, what would have been day 10 of the stall, was glorious with the scale finally down 1.5 lbs. These are my take aways about handling a stall:

1. Don't panic.
2. Shift focus from weight loss to health benefits of this way of eating.
3. STICK TO THE PLAN. Eventually, it will work again.
4. Shift things around within the plan. Change eating time, play around with work outs. Eliminate foods that might be triggering stalls.
5. Stay positive. You're doing good things for your body (see #2) and your body is healing a lifetime of bad food choices, give it time and patience.

Finally, there must always be food on this blog so here's a little food porn for the day.

I've shared the keto english muffin recipe before, it's so versatile and easy though you can get creative. Yesterday I made dinner muffins or rolls with them. My family thought they tasted like a cross between a corn muffin and a roll. Everyone loved them!

I doubled the single serving recipe found here. Then after mixing I sprayed these little sauce bowls with pam spray, and poured into them. Nuked for 90 seconds as usual, and then stuck under the broiler (flipped over halfway) to brown both sides. Perfect for sopping up roast beef gravy!

Anyway.... today's sign out? Even in a stall- keto on!

My girl wants to party all the time, party all the time.....

This is going to be short and sweet. Oh so sweet. Hosting a party today. Made food I can eat.

You can find the keto lemon cheesecake (on an almond shortbread crust) recipe here- http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/2017/04/easy-lemon-cheesecake-low-carb-keto.html

I halved it and used a 5" springform, also I used a water bath method to bake.

You can find the cauliflower ranch salad recipe inside my head. 

2 heads of cauliflower chopped an cooked al dente, add large tub sour cream, block of cheddar shredded, 4 strips bacon crumbed inside, 4 more on top, bag of frozen peas (note peas are not strict keto, omit if you want strict keto. They may fit your macros and if you are not strict, and if they fit your macros, well do whatever, I won't tell!) and ranch seasoning mix.

People are bringing meat and I'll be roasting squash, for some perfect keto yumminess. 

Ketoing on to the back yard now.... 

The minefield of bad choices

When I say I made bad choices the past few days, I am not talking about chocolate cake or Facebook Live broadcasting my last shower or trying to snort Comet cleanser, nothing quite that drastic. Just a little good old fashioned hedonism in the form of a Jimmy Buffett concert which means drinks, drinks, more drinks... and subsequent less than stellar food choices. The 10 pm hot dog I scarfed down at the amphitheatre was probably not strict keto, close enough though. The midnight wings we had afterward were keto, but I don't even want to guestimate how many calories they tipped me over to. The following hungover morning found me desperately eating oatmeal- a strict NO on keto, so I didn't die of a hangover. And waking up today parched I realize I am still way off with regard to hydration and electrolytes which I know is a for sure weight stall. I didn't even step on the scale. I don't want to know. So back to coconut oil coffee and a huge glass of water this morning, I am back on the wagon.

I guess my cautionary tale here is two-fold. You're human, you're going to sometimes deviate and make less than stellar choices. When it happens pause, assess, and then pick back up where you left off. Secondly, when you find yourself slipping- try to pick the least damaging options. The hot dog I ate was possibly keto (I don't know what fillers it had.) Even in my mostly inebriated state I thought "meat, skip bread." and stuck to that. The following day when it was clear fats and proteins were not going down to stay down and I needed something bland and carby.... I eyeballed pancakes, sighed, and went for plain oatmeal. Sometimes the victory is in how you managed to screw up smally rather than biggly.

By last night I was hungry and ready to eat 100% on plan. I made one of my favorites. A very thick meaty pasta sauce (pasta for the family) and sauteed zucchini for me. I have mentioned before, I have a very nice spiralator to make zucchini noodles as a pasta sub, but I have found I actually prefer it this way. I love the taste of zucchini sauteed in copious amounts of olive oil with salt and pepper. I don't want to mask it as pasta, because I want to eat it as zucchini. Plus that's one less kitchen instrument to clean. ;-)

That's all for now folks... wasting away again in ketoland!

The Dreaded Stall

4 days and the scale is stuck. Anyone on a long term weight loss plan knows this moment, the dreaded stall or plateau. As it turns out there's actually debate over what exactly a plateau is.  On the keto diet page I find most helpful, it's not even considered a stall until you have no loss of pounds OR INCHES for 6 weeks or longer while adhering to the plan. Six weeks?!?! Ain't nobody got time for that! So I hit the Google to find a way to address this ASAP. I found advice. Lots of advice.

1. Liquid fast
2. Egg fast
3. Fat fast
4. Calorie boost
5. Severe calorie cut
6. Carb up/cheat day
7. Stop eating all dairy
8. Stop eating nuts

None of these appeal to me, for various reasons. The six week magic point makes more sense in that context because I guess by six weeks one might be desperate enough to eat eggs for 3 days straight...

What I AM going to do is reach for more fat today. It's been on the low end recently. With more physical activity in my life, it may make sense to do so anyway. Let's see if a modest increase in fat and calories can spur along things without drastic measures or going off plan.

As to that no loss of pounds OR INCHES? I measured my buddha belly today and it's down 7 inches now. Goodbye old girl, I will not miss you.

Oh and here's a gratuitous food picture. I want to tell you how delicious this flank steak taco salad was but the truth is the steak was tough and chewy and I hated it. The guac was amazing though. ;-) Maybe this will at least inspire you to make your own steak taco salad with a much better cooked flank steak or a better cut of meat.

Even when it's slow... keto on!

My Own Personal Iowa

"If you build it they will come" is like, the #3 most famous movie line ever (behind, I would argue, "We're gonna need a bigger boat" and "Life is like a box of chocolates.")  In Field Of Dreams, Kevin Costner builds a baseball field in the middle of Iowa and a bunch of dead players come to play the game. People drive to Iowa from all over to watch them. Now obviously this is fiction because people won't even drive to their local ball parks to watch baseball- they sure as hell are not driving to Iowa for it. In the movie, the ghost baseball games are just as agonizingly long and I didn't see a single beer vender. Wait, I'm straying here....

The keto diet is SO attractive to many because it requires no exercise. You can literally watch hundreds of pounds drop in a year or 2  without ever getting up off your sofa. I see these people and their before/after pics all the time on my keto forums. It's crazy and surreal, but it actually works. In fact- many people find weight loss SLOWS when they add exercise. I'm no nutritionist or body coach so I can't begin to explain why this is but use that magical tool Google and you can catch the low-down. So does this mean all people who do keto do not work out? NO. I've observed many do opt to work out, some become serious gym rats. Some are serious runners. Others incorporate HIIT training into their plans. Others opt for milder but regular exercise like walking. It can slow loss, but it isn't going to stop it. Despite anything anyone on any diet tells you the FIRST LAW of thermodynamics, the most basic part of physics, is that calories in-calories out matters. If you eat at a caloric deficit you WILL lose weight. Anyone who says they're not is either miscounting their calories in or miscounting their calories out. Now there are metabolic disorders that can have an effect, so this is applied to your average normal semi-healthy (hard to say healthy when we're overweight) person. We also know that lean body mass (muscle) takes up less space on your body than fat. You can weigh the exact same weight as the person next to you and be fat while they appear lean and strong. All of this can make exercise an attractive option for many on keto.

So up to this point, almost 3 months in, I have had very little exercise beyond walking. I was losing just fine. Here's the thing. I've been building my own private Iowa. My field of dreams is in my gut, my thighs, my neck. And it's taking shape. And now it wants a little sport. The more I lose, the better my natural cardio rhythm is- I don't get winded anymore doing normal stuff like stairs. I have these bursts of energy too and I WANT to move more. So this past week I started moving more. Just basic toning moves- squats, planks, sissy push ups... and turning to my little home gym - treadmill and bike... and introducing more hiking on hillier and longer trails. My weight loss may slow down at this point, I'm a little nervous about it... but I'm also excited about the idea of toning up and and pulling smaller measurements in my thighs and arms. I will be sure to let you all know how this impacts my journey from here out.

Right now? I feel good! 

And for a quick food round up, Mothers Day meant keto pancakes for breakfast and a ribeye steak with fried radishes for dinner. Everything was delicious as usual! You can't go wrong with keto pancakes and ribeye steak I guess. ;-)

Re the radishes, since I haven't tried these before- just sliced and pan fried in butter with some garlic, salt and pepper. They lose their radishy taste. I didn't think they tasted exactly like potatoes- but they were okay. I feel like these are a side I will have to eat a few more times to really get used to and appreciate because I didn't love them, but they were tolerable. 

Keto on, even in Iowa!

Treat Time

My college daughter flew home for summer break yesterday and that meant CELEBRATE!

Dinner was one of her favorites, ravioli with broccoli and alfredo sauce. She's vegetarian so she stopped there. I'm keto so I didn't go there at all. I also cooked up Italian sausages in a tomato sauce for the meat eaters. I enjoyed a sausage link and 1/4 C of y low sugar tomato sauce. Yum!

Celebration time meant a treat too. TJ chocolate peanut butter cupcakes for them. Keto "mug cake" for me.

I made mine, and then put it in the fridge to completely cool before frosting it. In consistency it was like a dense "pudding" you'd get in England, or a bread pudding here in the US. It was super tasty. I promised I'd be really honest in my blog entries so the frosting I creatively thought up? Hated it! Scraped it all off. My husband tasted a little and didn't think it was bad so maybe it's just me, but I didn't care for it.

Recipe:

2 eggs, 2 TBL almond flour, 2 TBL melted butter, 1 packet stevia, 1 TSP cocoa powder, 1/2 TSP vanilla extract, 1/4 TSP baking powder, 1 small square of dark chocolate grated, all mixed well and poured into buttered ramekin. Microwave for 1 minute, let cool.

Note- this is meant for a mug, and it really rose and bubbled and was huge on top which scared me a little lol. As you can see, when I flipped it out, it wasn't a pretty ramiken shape because of the muffin top thingee.

Frosting was some heavy whipping cream , 1 TSP peanut butter, 1 packet stevia, 1 square dark chocolate whipped in the bullet blender. But again, I didn't love this or even like it really- I would skip it next time. 

Oh hey, it's Saturday, official weigh in day. 

This week was a modest success again. I am that 1-3 lb a week loser. I watch with envy these 10 lbs a week losers but I realize I'm not starting at as high a weight as them, and I'm probably not as strict given my evening cocktail/wine habit. And on the up side I have read slower weight loss = less loose skin so we will see.

Lbs lost this weight- 2.4

Lbs lost since starting keto- 21.3

Lbs lost since holidays Fat Peak- 28.3

Keep on ketoing, I know I will!

Burgers, pizza, and getting skinny

Since having my first child 24 years ago, I have been overweight. Every 5 years or so I seem to go up another 5-10 lbs. I'm about to get real real with you. This is me. The biggest me in this sequence is actually over a month into keto, thus smaller than the biggest me before keto. I was just too ashamed to take a start picture!

The before shot was taken 3/28. The current one was taken last night (5/11) I'm sharing this because I want you to see how QUICKLY and how dramatically this way of eating can change your body. You have to have faith in the plan though, you have to stick with it and not let those days where nothing happens kill your motivation. The early weeks may not be dramatic, stick with it. You may hit a plateau a month or 2 in, stick with it. Have faith there are things happening in your body- it is healing itself, it is ridding itself of that inflammation. Your time will come.

At this point I weigh the lowest I have in 10 years. This includes various short term successes with plans like the 21 Day Fix, Weight Watchers, and the Mediterranean Diet. Better yet- I can SEE it. I don't need a scale to tell me I have lost, my pants are falling off.

I do not feel like I am on a diet. I am not hungry. I am not deprived. I do not crave "forbidden" food AT ALL. It took a good 3 or 4 weeks to get past the "diet = deprivation" feeling to be honest, it's hard to retrain your thinking- but now, 3 months in, I'm all about how much I love my fatty protein and fresh veggies! I don't do food comas anymore. I don't do bloated stomach. I don't do histamine reactions. I don't do sugar rushes. I don't feel sluggish after meals, I don't feel like I'm starving 2 hours after eating a giant plate of pasta. I feel like I imagine humans are actually SUPPOSED to feel after they eat. Sated and full of new energy.

I'm not pushing this as the way of eating for everyone. I know people who have found their own best plan. But if you're frustrated because nothing else has worked, do a little research. This may be it for you too.

My food this week has been as varied and as delicious as ever. Here were a few highlights with links:

Fathead pizza topped with prosciutto, spinach and arugula mix, parmesan, and a fried egg- so good! Dough recipe can be found here:  http://www.ditchthecarbs.com/2015/04/23/fat-head-pizza/

Five Guys double cheeseburger with toppings.... in a bowl! Five Guys offers 2 low carb options, wrapped in lettuce or in a bowl. I don't like messy hands so I picked in a bowl. This is NOT food deprivation people.... this is DELICIOUS and FILLING!  http://www.fiveguys.com/Menu

Low carb and specifically keto is a choice to eat this way for quick results, but also for long term results. I have to stick with this, FOREVER. I will always react to carbs in a bad, bloated manner. That's not going to go away just because I meet goal weight someday. Reframing this way of eating to be really delicious and filling, goes a long way toward making maintenance possible. 

Keto on!

Everything In Moderation is a lie.

I have heard this phrase my whole life, from parents, from teachers, from friends, from the media, from health gurus, from doctors!  I am declaring this lie a dangerous one.

We wouldn't take heroin in moderation right? Not EVERYTHING is okay in moderation. And here's the thing- for some of us, things that really are perfectly fine for others to have in moderation - would set off a domino effect of bad choices. My friend can eat sugary sweet things and never gain an ounce. It's sort of fascinating to watch as she stuffs sweet things in her skinny little face. If I look at a spaghetti noodle, there go my thighs another size up.

So I'm finding elimination means actually eliminating things, permanently. No, I can't "just this once" have a piece of that bread. No I can't "just a special splurge" that pie. No it doesn't matter if it's my birthday, I still shouldn't have that giant piece of cake. No seriously- I can't enjoy just 3 bites of that rice dish. No REALLY, you using splenda doesn't make those cookies any healthier or more appropriate for my way of eating.

I'm strongly suspecting my biggest issue happens to be grains, moreso even than sugar. I have accidently eaten sugar without any huge effects (most recently some cole slaw at an event that I realized too late was way too sweet.) On the other hand, when I've accidentally eaten grains- like in that delicious fried chicken I should have known better about, I end up feeling awful. My allergies return. My gut feels gross again. I stall out in loss for a few days. I feel bloated. I get moody. I feel achy. CLEARLY grains are not okay for me, not even in moderation.

Whenever I find a grain substitute that doesn't taste like cardboard I am super excited. When I get one that's actually BETTER THAN THE REAL THING? I throw a party in my head! No need to eat THIS in moderation.

This recipe? BETTER THAN THE REAL THING. I followed the exact recipe except I also added some full seed good dijon mustard to the sauce.

https://www.ketoconnect.net/recipe/cauliflower-mac-cheese/

The thing about this dish, an call it cheesy bacony heavenly cauliflower, or call it keto mac n cheese, or call it crack and cheese... whatever you like, is it is supremely cheesy. And savory. And buttery. And well, perfect. And it's spot on KETO friendly! Toss the macaroni noodles forever, you never need them, not even in moderation- with this around.

I opted to strip the cauliflower by hand and it was somehow very therapeutic. I think the pieces were better shaped for this task than with a knife. 

The whole family loved this! I'll be making a vegetarian version of this soon for my eldest daughter when she comes to visit because I know she will love it too (am thinking I will fry up some bacon to sprinkle on top of the meat eater portions once plated)

Forget moderation. Stuff your face with healthy fats and veggies. Feel good and keto on.

The I Didn't Menu Plan Or Shop plates

The past few days I have been really unprepared for meals. It's been a busy week between my daughter's end of year events, job related stuff, family obligations.... excuses, excuses!

What I do is survey the kitchen for what I DO have and just jump in. Since my family doesn't eat keto, that means it may nit be food they want in which case they can do their own surveying and jumping. ;-) We call those "Fend for yourself night" around here and I don't think any grown man or 16 year old girl NEED to have wife/mom solve every meal dilemma for them.

These were a few quickies I dreamed up on the fly...

Bacon n eggs, my style. Bacon cooked first, then jalapenos added to crisp it up. Used a canning lid sprayed with Pam, cracked an egg in it and cooked it to almost done, dumped a bunch of cheese on top, bacon, and peppers, covered for a minute with a lid. Topped with sour cream.

"What the heck do I do with this pork?" plate. Browned a package of ground pork (seasoned with salt, pepper, fennel seed) The fam made nachos. I just topped mine with cheddar, avocado, tomato, and sour cream. Very filling!!

Italian salad. Chopped tomato, red and green cherry pepper, baby mozzarella balls, olive oil, salt pepper.

Finally went shopping, have a real meal planned for tonight, but in a pinch you can always be creative and get your fat, protein and minimal carbs in if you keep the fridge stocked with eggs, cheese, and some veggies!

To-go, Go-to

Yesterday was a busy day, and the pantry is somehow empty. The family decided they wanted subs from Wawa. I decided to give the Italian sub in a bowl a shot. All I can say is it is YUGE. I ended up eating half of it, and was totally stuffed.

If you're on the road or having a busy day, sometimes you just will not have the time or means to mix up a bowl of fathead pizza dough, or braise a rack of ribs. Sometimes you need options! A few ideas to keep up your (and my sleeve):

• Sub in a bowl. Most of the sandwich chains will make these for you.
• Mcdonald's breakfast platter, eggs, sausage, bacon.
• Mcdonald's egg mcmuffin, minus the muffin. Sausage for higher fat. You can now get these all day!
• Fast food burger without the bun. Check for "all beef" and "no fillers" first to make sure they're not sneaking carbs in.
• Some fast food places now offer lettuce wrapped burgers!
• Eating dinner at a sit down place? Just eat like you would at home- meat and above ground veggies. Can anyone ever go wrong with a ribeye and broccoli?
• Protein salads, be sure it's not a breaded protein source like friend chicken/shrimp.
• At a nice Italian restaurant? Look for a charcuterie board/cheese and meat plate on the appetizer list. Meats, cheeses, maybe some olives and marinated peppers, all good for you!
• Mexican? Fajitas without the wraps or the sides.
• Chinese? Just kidding, don't even try. Go somewhere else.
• Sushi? Go for riceless sushi, sashimi. Hibachi options may be okay but watch it, sauces can be tricky too- use caution.
• Pizza place? You may be stuck with wings, if they use a sweet sauce get 'em naked, like you like your cowboys.
• Food truck palooza? Turkey legs, jerk chicken, bunless burgers, sauce sauce sauce watch the damned sauce!
• Emergency gas station stop while on road trip- this is tricky, you know if you don't get a bite to eat you may die. You have no time to get real food and there are no fast food options nearby. BTDT!! RUN for the cooler if they have one- you may find string cheese and/or hard boiled eggs. Check the snack aisle, they may have bags of nuts... peanuts or almonds or pistachios. Look by the protein bars, do they have Quest bars? This part is scary, and the trick of course is preparing ahead of time on road trips by packing snack foods but no one is perfect. Look hard enough and I bet you can find a keto friendly snack at the gnarliest of road side gas stations.

Now you have some to-go, go-tos! Keto on!

I ate fat, and lost fat

I've been following this way of eating for several months now. The novelty of "eat fat, lose fat" should have worn off by now. Sometimes though it just smacks me in the face again with it's astonishing ridiculousness. It's so contrary to EVERYTHING we were ever told in health class, on government pamphlets, by doctors, on the tv news.

Yesterday, I had a cinco de mayo taco meal. The tacos... were made of CHEESE. Full fat cheddar cheese. Stuffed with ground beef and full fat sour cream, and fatty avocados. This morning I hit my 20 lb loss milestone. DOES NOT COMPUTE! I have read the science behind it, but it's hard reversing 45 years of bad information based on a really crappy food pyramid. I eat fat, and I lose fat. I may have a hard time wrapping my brain around the possibilities of it all, but at the end of the day it clearly works.

I have decided with this milestone I am going to try to make a significant (for me) change. I'm going stop daily weigh ins. I think it's time to stop obsessing and relying so much on the scale, and instead enjoy and appreciate all the NSV (non scale victories) in my life. Things like jeans that no longer fit, stairs that no longer feel like a chore to climb, that strange euphoria I experience every afternoon now, the thinner face that's more fun to "make up" in the mirror now, etc. I think I will appreciate these things more, if I stop obsessing so much on scale victories. I'm not tossing it out, but I'm going to take it out of the bathroom and restrain myself to only once weekly weigh ins.

Onto the food now man! Okay in the ketosphere these cheese tacos are all the rage. My opinion was, they were tasty but RIDICULOUSLY filling, and to me the cheese was a little much by the time I finished the first one. I served myself 2, and ended up only eating the "shell" of one, the other I picked out most of the ingredients and ate without the "shell". My non-keto family liked them too but I think they sort of had the same vibe. I think these would be good maybe as tiny mini tacos at a party, or mini muffin taco cups with fillings. I wouldn't say I won't make them ever again, but they won't be a regular part of my dinner line up- tbh I'd rather just eat a taco salad.

For those of you who love lots of cheese though, here you go!

I used this recipe. The process was simple enough. Keep on keto'ing!!

Test taco, was too big.

Drape and let cool, pro-tip, greasy side down so you don't have to hold it.

And ta-da, tacos. With cauliflower rice (taco seasoning and canned tomatoes added)

Babyback ginger stir fry

I wish it could be yesterday again today, so I could eat this all over again.

It started with this package of boneless baby back ribs. I spent too much time and energy trying to decide how to cook them and after realizing it wasn't going to be a lot of meat per person, a stir fry might be perfect. I threw the meat in my Instant Pot with a cup of water, about 1/4 cup of the marinade/sauce Ill share in a minute, and a bit of butter. Cooked for 10 mins on manual high and natural release, wasn't happy with how tender they were so I ended up turning on the slow cook option after that and just letting them simmer for about an hour. Finally perfect! Once done, I chopped and shredded the meat up and put it aside for dinner.

This is the marinade/sauce I tried. It's apple cider vinegar based, sugar free, gluten free and you know what else it is? DELICIOUS! I used it both in the meat pressure cooking stage AND as my stir fry sauce of choice. 

I know you're probably wondering, do I need this in my life? The answer is yes, yes you do. 

By now you all know I am 1. dedicated 2. obsessive 3. passionate 4. stubborn but also 5. LAZY. So of course I find a bag stir fry veggie mix to make my life easier. I saw this and it looked perfect! Brussel sprouts, kale, broccoli, snow peas and carrots. I cook for myself but also for my non-keto spouse and child, I know they like orange sauce so I got this, separated out 1.5C for me and picked out the carrots. The orange sauce comes in a separate package so I was easily able to avoid it. 

http://www.taylorfarms.com/products/stir-fry-kits/orange/#product-view

I weighed out 3 oz of the pork and stir fried it with 1.5 C of the mix, a generous splashing of the sauce, some red pepper flakes to add some fire. (The family got theirs in another pan with the orange sauce.)

Once done I topped with 1 oz of chopped macadamia nuts.

It was a flavor sensation. A party in my mouth. A peek into heaven. All that and it was perfectly keto!

I also had avocado, bacon, and sour cream for lunch yesterday. Yeah that OMAD thing? Not working on a daily basis. I think I'll be one of those every few days people. I also had some red wine, and of course coffee with heavy cream several times during the day. 

The scale is so slow this week. Down .2 Yawn. I have to remind myself 1-2 lbs a week is healthy and optimal for long term success. And hey I'm wearing a maxi dress I always refused to wear before because I looked pregnant in it so my body is changing.

Keto'ing on.

When Irish eyes are smiling

My husband's favorite meal is corned beef and veggies. Every year I dread St Patrick's day because I make it as a labor of love for him- even though I don't actually like corned beef and veggies. With my new way of eating, I of course scope out the fattiest cuts of meat I can find so when I saw a fatty corned beef brisket at the market I had to consider it. I decided I would kill 2 birds with one stone, make my husband happy and get in my fatty meat, and it would be worth it even if I didn't care for it.

Then I tried this recipe. And either my taste buds have changed or its just that good- because this was fantastic.

This is NOT a keto diet friendly recipe to be honest. Some people eat a modified diet they call "Dirty Keto" which allows for non-keto ingredients in meals as long as they're staying below their net carb limit. I actually don't do that, I stay as strict as possible. But I'm not a complete purist and I'm okay with the very occasional mis-ingredient. In this case it's a bottle of Guinness. This also calls for 1/4 C brown sugar, which I cut down to 2 tablespoons. I don't have any carby after effects this morning so as I suspected it seems to have been of minimal effect.

Oh.... and it's an Instant Pot recipe. My favorite kitchen gadget!

http://www.thekitchenwhisperer.net/2017/03/15/pressure-cooker-guinness-corned-beef-with-cabbage-potatoes-carrots/

I used the most beautiful extra seedy dijon mustard... ahhhhh....

Obviously I chose the fattiest pieces and only ate cabbage because root veggies are a big no-no on a keto diet!

The rest of the day, I ended up skipping the fast. That wine sugar hangover from the night before just kicked my arse. I had a hard boiled egg, some avocado, jalapeno and bacon for lunch, cheese and macadamia nuts for dessert. Stayed well under macros. 2 days in a row with no scale movement. Feeling great though!

Chugga chugga chugga keto choo choo.

I'm no longer obese.

At least according to the World Health Org and American Heart Assoc. My BMI index has fallen from 32 on my start date (2/20) or 33 from my highest over the holidays, to a mere "overweight" 28. Now there are lot's of flaws (in my opinion) to the whole BMI chart system. But it's a victory I'll take anyway.

My scale didn't move today. I wasn't surprised, more on that in a moment. I decided it had been awhile, since before vacation, that I measured. Now the ONLY measurement I track is around my middle at the belly button. It just seems like a pain to track elsewhere and I remember from years past I could never measure the exact right spot the second time. Results around the middle today, - almost 6 inches. I knew I'd trimmed down, but that was surprising to me. And exciting!

Okay now let's talk about yesterday. Yesterday was a pretty intense yard work day. In the hot sun. I mowed, raked, weeded, etc. I definitely burned a lot of calories. I posted last night's dinner already. Consequently I wasn't overly surprised when I felt hungry last night after dinner. I decided to just go with it- when you're feeling hungry you have 3 choices. Be miserable and hungry and go to bed hangry. Push it off as long as possible and then go crazy and eat everything in sight. Or make a smart keto snack choice, and postpone the intermittent fast. I chose the last.

Quick n easy keto microwave cheesecake

1 oz cream cheese softened

1 packet truvia

1 egg white

Dash of cocoa powder

Mix well. Nuke it for about 1 min. Allow to cool. (I used the freezer to speed it up, because... hungry.)

It wasn't bad, like a spongy cheesecake. A nice little treat. I also had some macadamia nuts. All good stuff.

And then.... I opened the wine.

My big calorie burn earlier made me a little reckless. I felt like I had so much to compensate for. So I had a glass. Not a restaurant 5 oz pour, but like... a whole wine glass full of a red blend. Then I had a second glass. 

The problem with wine is it has natural sugars. It's fine in moderation if the rest of your macros are balanced. I simply drank too much. I tracked it as 2 glasses, but went back and edited it to 3 because my pours were just too generous.

This led to these macros.... keep in mind I keep my carbs under 20 a day.

Calories- 1400

Carbs- 25 net

Protein- 59g

Fat- 79g

This morning I woke up, and I felt a mild hunger. I never wake up with a mild hunger.... except on those occasions in the past I have overdone my carbs the day before. The carbs spike your insulin, and it starts the whole "feed me more" process. Unlike last night, I am ignoring this hunger because I'm getting good at isolating "No seriously, I'm hungry!" from "I think I want food, but if I wait a bit it will pass." feelings.

Every day brings a new lesson in this WOE (way of eating) or lifestyle. Next time I indulge in wine it'll be in smaller quantities.

Keep calm and keto on!

We interrupt this broadcast....

I don't normally post food blog posts in the evening but this was so good, and I didn't follow a recipe or write it down so I wanted to get it down STAT!!

My favorite Keto dinner yet.

Alfredo chicken ala Florentine, with cheesy walnut pesto spaghetti squash. 

We chose to grill the chicken breasts, after brining for about an hour. We used this method: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_grill_juicy_boneless_skinless_chicken_breasts/

While they brined and then cooked, I steamed the spaghetti squash in the microwave- just stab that sucker a bunch of times with a knife and then cook for 10 minutes. It does all the work. You can cut it in half with a spoon afterward.

I cooked 4 slices of bacon.

Once the squash was steamed, I used a fork to pull the meat out, and mixed in a bowl with a tube of pesto, about a cup of 4 cheese parmesan blend, a handful of crushed walnuts, a big healthy swig of olive oil, and lots of salt and pepper. I put it in a pie pan and poured about 4 tablespoons of melted butter on the top, then baked at 375 for about 15 minutes.

I used a skillet with olive oil to cook chopped garlic and then added a bag of frozen spinach. After it thawed I added a handful of grape tomatoes and the bacon (which I had cut into pieces), let it simmer until the grape tomatoes split.

The alfredo was jarred. Heated it up. 

Once the chicken was done plating was easy and fun, the spinach on bottom, chicken in the middle, alfredo on top. Served alongside the squash.

I thought it was restaurant quality good!

Quick round up

Continuing on with One Meal A Day. It was a busy errand and appointment day, so I didn't have a whole lot of time to think about meal planning. At the last minute I decided on eggs benedict (without the bread for me) I also made sausage (I was careful to find sausage without sugar or corn syrup added) I ended up only eating 2 of my 3 patties, it was just too salty and bitter tasting. I also made a spinach salad with cheese and tomatoes, and since I still had lots of calories and fat macros left indulged in a bowl of whipped cream for dessert. 

Macros (including heavy cream in my coffee)

896 calories

10 net carbs

39g protein

77g fat

I'm not hungry yet today, so far this doesn't feel like a struggle- beyond trying to get ENOUGH in at my one meal a day!!

Scale moved own .4 lb today. 

23:1 Intermittent fasting AKA OMAD

I've mentioned before how fleeting my hunger has been lately. As I adjusted to this way of eating, I found I didn't want breakfast at all, so I compromised with bullet proof coffee. Lately, I haven't even wanted that.  Then lunch became a chore- and I noticed I was just getting a keto-compliant snacky plate in just to get it in, not because I was hungry. My body was prompting me toward a natural fasting period. Once this clicked I realized all those internet posts I'd rolled right by about intermittent fasting and OMAD (One Meal A Day) needed to be revisited. This way of eating is also called 23:1- fast for 23, eat for 1 hour a day. You eat one big meal, and then your body gets to burn your fat reserves the rest of the day for energy.

I'm not going to go into the science and hows and whys of it all, there are so many articles out there. Some of them are specific to keto diet, while others are actually part of other diets but they all sort of work the same way. Just pick one.
http://ninacheriefranklin.com/live-well/intermittent-fasting-control-weight-eating-one-meal-day/
http://www.omad.info/p/how-to-eat-omad.html
http://www.fitmole.org/eating-one-meal-a-day-diet/
http://www.theiflife.com/one-meal-a-day/
http://www.fitclarity.com/eating-one-meal-a-day-fat-loss-diet/

In reading experiences of people who eat one meal a day on a ketogenic diet I found a few things- don't try it until you are "fat adapted" and are in the "not hungry anymore" stage. If you force it too early you'll be ravenously hungry and susceptible to going binge crazy late at night.  There is also much discussion on the frequency of this and what works best. Some people say they do it every day. Some choose to do it every other day- stating the body gets lazy in homeostasis and stops working as hard. When you mix your eating up, OMAD one day, 2-3 the next and back and forth, your body is going to react and work harder to burn that fat. Other people have one day a week they switch it up and have multiple meals.

I've decided on a week long test period. My goal is to eat the same # of calories and the same macros I would have eaten with my standard 2 meals a day on keto. I'll just eat them in one meal. Last night's meal felt huge and filling, but I enjoyed it- a LOT.

Here's where I confess I am not exactly doing a true fast during my 23 "off". I drink coffee every morning and no that won't stop. I also often have a glass or 2 of wine before bed. Last night, I felt a little wine-hungry and I ate a cube of swiss cheese before bed. My goal is never to eel ravenous and miserable, if I feel like I really need a bite, then a cheese cube is going to happen. I woke up today feeling like normal, still not hungry. Will I make it to dinner time? We will see. Will this work for a week? Will I want to do it longer? This is an experiment, not a test- I can't fail, I can only adjust when needed and note my experiences and results.

As for last night's results, the scale was down a whopping 1.6 lbs this morning. My daily calories and macros were no lower than usual. My calories were actually a little higher than they've been lately. Within range, but still a wee but higher. Today I'll do my macros first and then my plate.

Calories- 1451

Carbs- 14 net

Protein- 60g

Fat- 102g

Food glorious food:

As for my dinner of choice. Oh my god, this was so filling!! 2 quarter pound burgers with cheese and bacon bits, a whole zucchini grilled (photo shows 1 half, after I finished my plate and realizing I had macros and calories to spare I promptly ate the other half), a fat slice of a huge tomato, avocado, extra olive oil to up my fats. Oh and a cube of swiss cheese sometime in the evening :-D

Stand fast, ketoers!

Weighing expectations

My daily sojourn into my old Weight Watchers scale.

I've already admitted I am one of those people. I weigh in daily. It can be disappointing, frustrating, sometimes maddening. But some days you gingerly step on and break out singing Queen's We Are The Champions in pure joy.  Now I know damned well, if I'm going to weigh in I should view this through a scientific perspective. They're just numbers after all and what could be less emotional and passionate than numbers? I have a great many friends who are very health conscious and they focus on things like "How does my diet make me feel?" "How do my clothes fit?" "Can I walk more today than yesterday?" and my problem is I care about those things but really how I want my diet to make me feel is skinny. I'm admitting all this so you understand I already know my motivation is flawed. And to share something I have discovered.

I am a member of a half dozen pages devoted to keto diet lifestyle. The changes this diet can induce are striking, often astonishingly drastic. I see before and after pictures every day of people who have lost 50, 100, 200, 300+ lbs and it's just awe inspiring. I also read posts every day of people who have lost 50 lbs since the new year, 25 lbs in the last 2 months, etc. BIG huge massive numbers that make my jaw drop and my self confidence twitch a little. Here I am, a little over two months in, and I'm at about 18 lbs gone since starting keto, 25 from my heaviest point at the holidays. Compared to the guy who has lost 62 lbs since the holidays, that's a little weak. Compared to the lady who has lost 20 lbs since last month, that's not so impressive. What I've learned to tell myself is this though:

It is not a race. 

It is not a contest. I can not compare my journey to anyone elses. Mine is unique. Consistent loss, at any rate is a success. Keep my head down, and focus on what my journey means to me, and where I want it to end. Cheer when the scale moves the right direction. Celebrate when big milestones are made. Be kind to myself when things temporarily slow. Believe in my ability to continue on this path.

Today was a victory, about a pound off the scale. It was also a victory because I woke up believing in myself, in my ability to continue this way of eating for a long time to come.

Okay, personal blah diddy blah stuff aside, here's a meal round up with some pictures and a recipe link from yesterday.

Lunch was leftover MS pot roast, avocado, and a spinach and sundried tomato salad.

Dinner- Everything Bagel Dogs These were tasty and super filling. Recipe at link. A little workish to make but nothing even someone lazy as I couldn't handle. Non-keto fam enjoyed them as well!

Snacks, nuts late at night, wine, coffee with heavy cream numerous times, some purple powerade zero.

Macros for the day:

Carbs- 20 net

Protein- 55g

Fat- 96g

Calories- 1390

Keep on Ketoing on.

Thursday food is always so Thursdayish....

Oddly I will start with dinner, but for good reason. It started at about 7:30 am. Good ole Mississippi pot roast. My FAVORITE way to eat beef outside of a good steak. It's extremely savory and juicy, and can be cut with a fork it gets so tender. If you google there are multiple suggested recipes. The way I do it is simple- I pick a fatty cut, like a chuck roast, put it in the crockpot. Throw a stick of butter on top. An envelope of ranch seasoning and an envelope of Au Jus seasoning. I went a little lighter on those this time because it was a small roast, maybe 1/2 an envelope for each. Finally, 6 pepperoncini. Turned the crockpot on high and let it cook all day.

Lunch was lazy man plate... salami, cheese, macadamia nuts and a pickle. 

Finally, after suffering through the most delicious aroma all day long, it was dinner time. My husband and kid enjoyed their roast over egg noodles. We all had asparagus. It was every bit as delicious as I expected it to be. I had trouble containing myself to a reasonable portion, it was so good. 

Woke up today to a scale up .4 which is right in line with my typical non-linear graph, a bit up a bit down, a bit down, stay the same, stay the same, a bit down, a bit up, a big drop down, stay the same....

I need to go eat all the leftovers now. Keto on....

Bacon cheeseburger Brussels sprouts

There may be some other version out there, but this dish is on I actually invented myself. Super easy.

• 12 oz bag of brussel sprouts chopped (I cut lengthwise and then width wise twice to make 6 pieces for each sprout) 
• 1 lb ground beef (I'm saying 1 lb for ease here but mine was actually like 1 1/3 lb)
• Cheese- I used a 6 oz bag of Kraft's smoky bacon cheddar
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled/chopped
• 1/2 C garlic flavored chopped tomatoes with juice
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Super easy. Chop brussel sprouts, saute in large pan in olive oil with salt and pepper until tender and browned on edges.

Remove, brown ground beef. Add cooked bacon, tomatoes, and cooked brussel sprouts.  Stir for a few minutes then add cheese. I did the entire bag, just pour it on top and let it melt for a minute. 

That's it. Done.  Last time I had some sugar free BBQ sauce on hand and added some of that and it was fantastic, I didn't have any this time.

Makes 4 servings. I actually ate less than a serving because it was so filling! These are the macros I calculated per serving but always double check your own math. I calculated this with 3 tablespoons of olive oil being used, adjust as needed.

Calories 510

Protein 41g

Carbs (net) 9g

Fat 34g

The rest of my meal plan yesterday was really uninspired. Macadamia nuts to munch on in the afternoon.... and coconut oil coffee in the morning, a glass of wine before bed. Not at all hungry. Pretty sure this confirms fat adaptation, I will make an effort to get more calories at dinner tonight, because I closed the day with around 1000.

The scale is down today 1.5 lbs.

Post vacation round up and weigh in

1-2 times a year I meet up with a group of friends. We eat a lot, we're all foodies and enjoy good food and trying new restaurants. I drink a lot of wine and don't have the time or inclination or exercise. This year our group spent 8 days in Fort Lauderdale, Key West and Melbourne Beach. I traveled with my food scale and my macro app, and hoped to track and keep it under control, but in reality I found that impossible to do on the road (we were on the road for about half the trip.) Trying to guestimate ingredients and measurements proved too much by the end of day 1. I also realized quickly trying to get enough fat to be true keto was going to be impossible. There's also the point I wanted to enjoy good food, because good food to me is one of life's greatest pleasures and vacation  is about pleasure!

So I adapted. I set out some basic rules for myself. Avoid non-keto foods at all costs. Even if I wasn't keeping strict keto with the correct macros, I could at least control that part. I avoided all grains, vegetables that grow under the ground, legumes, sugar. For the most part. With one huge glaring exception. Girls get away also means drinks, and I decided no beer, no sugary or fruity cocktails. Wine, vodka and club soda, a moscow mule here or there. 

My meals out usually consisted of a salad and/or veggie with a protein source. My meals at my friends house were usually cheese, salami, veggies. Snacks when I was starving on the road- balanced break packs (sans craisins) and Quest bars. Above all though- I ate tasty good food, and I ate it in higher quantities than I would at home. I am sure my caloric intake on most days was way over 1600. 

I did enjoy my "cheat meal of the month" and this is where I went crazy. We ate at this dessert restaurant in Key West, Better Than Sex. I'll spare my fellow dieters the food porn pictures of chocolate and caramel and sugar delights. The link shows it all anyway. I think my low point that evening might have been when they brought me a wine glass dipped in thick chocolate full of cabernet- like "here, have 18000 more calories why don't you?" It was exciting to indulge, but to be honest I probably wouldn't waste a cheat meal of the month that way again. I'd rather stuff my face with something savory and bready. 

Okay so end result? I'm up 1.1 lb today. This feels like a HUGE victory for me. I know how I normally come home after these things. I spent all day yesterday traveling and I feel dehydrated so Im sure that pound is all water weight. I don't get an exciting thrill of seeing my scale lower than before but that is seriously a-okay. I ate well and often and I made great memories, and I didn't sabotage myself at all. This experience makes the idea of maintenance down the road when I hit goal weight sound actually plausible.

Gotta go, I have a keto band-wagon to jump back on!

Quick one from the road

Today was about airports and girlfriend fun. Sitting on Hollywood beach tonight so this will be short and sweet.

Lunch- 

Yeah that.

Dinner-

Broccoli rabe, Italian sausage, part of a meatball with ricotta and sauce, lettuce salad with egg, chicken wings. I had another chicken wing after this. 

Snacks- wine and 1 oz cheddar I bought out of desperation for fat.

Macros:

 

I chose okay but I need to find a way to get more fat on the road....

Keto on in paradise!

Surprise! It's a two-fer.

Checking in to check out. I fly out tomorrow morning so my posts will be much less wordy for the next 8 days. I will try to track religiously though, because I think my challenge could benefit others who face it- eating keto when you're traveling and in a holiday environment. There will be restaurants and bars and group eating. I won't lie, it's intimidating to think about. I'm going in with some pretty firm ideas of what to do though. The same old basic stuff as I would eat at home- meat, seafood, dairy, veggies that grow above the ground. I've also got a decent idea of what a proper serving size looks like, that first time I ate an 8 oz ribeye with zeal thinking I was on point- was such a downer when I realized I should have stuck with just 4-5 oz of it. I know better now on these kind of details.

Today's meals are done already. I'm horribly stuffed feeling, I can't figure out if I went wrong somehow or if it's just one of those dinners that makes you feel full but disappears later. Tomorrow's scale will tell the tale.

Lunch:

So good!!! One of my keto bagels cut in half, crisped it in a fry pan on the stove top with butter, also warmed up a slice of ham. Added cheddar. Dill pickle on the side.

Dinner

Steak taco salad. I measured everything very carefully but like I said- I feel super stuffed right now. 2 oz steak browned on stove top with fresh garlic, 1/2 oz green peppers, salt, pepper, onion powder, chili powder in olive oil. On 1 C lettuce, and topped with 1 1/2 oz avocado, 3/4 oz tomato, 1 oz cheddar, 2 tbl sour cream.

Macros as it stands are:

• Carbs- 14 net
• Protein- 55g
• Fat- 94g
• Cals- 951

I imagine there will be more wine later from the bottle I uncorked last night, so expect my cals and carbs to go up a bit to acceptable levels.

Next time I check in, it will be from sunny Florida! Keto on with sunscreen.