Day 151 & Day 10 on Keto

It is easy to get discouraged when your fast weight loss slows down and actually leaps back up a couple of pounds but the good news is, it has slowly dropped back to where it was on Monday. The even better news, I’ve lost (insert drum roll) four inches since Monday!!!! I have been going through some of that infamous Keto flu. The worst symptom is having rapidly dropping energy. That has been a bit astounding not only for how quickly it comes on but also for how extreme it is. I think it is an electrolyte issue because I’ve been “fixing” it with high sodium foods like pickles, olives and jerky. 

Today, I’m feeling much better and even did 30 minutes of exercise this morning (Latin dance which I find extremely fun.) so, all is going well and my body is adjusting and getting on board with this crazy, flip the food pyramid upside-down, diet that actually delivers on weight loss and energy. 

Day 148 & Day 7 on Keto

Today, I think I had a bit of the Keto flu everyone keeps telling me about. It wasn’t severe but I did get irritable, achy, light headed and queasy. Nothing I can’t handle especially when I’m making such great progress and I’m not just talking about the weight loss although that is pretty great. No, I’ve felt an emotional and mental shift that’s difficult to put into words. I feel enthusiastic about life for the first time in many years. Simple things bring me joy and I’m interested in actually being a participant in life. I’m through being an observer. 

I made a big mistake today thinking I’d ordered some fitness DVDs and finding out it I would have to pay more for the videos and then it got worse because I couldn’t even access the videos online! I will get that charge canceled tomorrow but today, I started checking out the many fitness dance videos on Amazon Prime. I was amazed not only by the number but the variety that will allow me to start with beginner routines and build up to more strenuous workouts. That dark cloud really did end up having a silver lining. 

Got on the scale after my shower & weighed 199.2!!!!

🎉🎉🎉💥💥

The Diet

What does a typical day’s meal plan look like on the Keto diet? Well, there are no grain or flour products, no starchy fruits or vegetables,  no sugar in any form and you have to check labels carefully to avoid hidden sugars and starches. The adjustment is not easy especially when you visit the grocery store and all its temptations or a restaurant with its very limited options. But the rewards in how you almost immediately feel better, your energy increases, your weight decreases and your mood is elevated, are worth the initial growing pains. Tomorrow, I will have been on the diet for a week and even though I’m still learning how to live with an entirely different set of nutrition rules, I do not have the tiniest desire to quit. I’m making progress, I’m seeing changes and I’m anticipating more triumphs. 

This is what I eat on a typical day:

Breakfast 

2 slices of Benton’s bacon

2 eggs

Small tomato

Bombproof coffee (has a pat of butter added)

Lunch

Chicken breast (about 1/3 cup cooked & chopped)

Ranch dressing 1 Tb. 

Half an avocado

Large lettuce leaf (everything is wrapped in this like a burrito)

Dinner

Roasted pork chop that has been “breaded” with crushed pork rinds and roasted in the oven

Mashed, riced or roasted cauliflower

Small Romain salad with cucumber, tomato and acceptable dressing (ranch, Greek or vinaigrette)

Snacks

Fat bombs

Savory made with avocado, bacon and seasoning 

Sweet made with cream cheese, monk fruit and a combo of a couple of these berries, walnuts, coconut or cocoa with natural, sugar free flavoring. 

Day 147 & Day 6 on Keto

The weight is back down but I’m still less than half a pound away from seeing that magic number on the scale. I’ve never told anyone how much I actually weigh because I was ashamed of the number. I will tell you today because I think I’m very close to breaking through to the other side. I weigh over 200 pounds and I haven’t been below that number in at least eight years. I’ve tried and I’ve seriously worked at the exercise and diet but all 199 ever did was tease me. At my highest weight I was 116 and that was where I sat at the first of this year. Since this past April, I’ve lost nearly 16 pounds. Twelve of those pounds took six long months to disappear. The last 4 were gone in the past six days thanks to this Keto diet. So, in case you haven’t already done the math in your head, I weighed in at 200.4 this morning. I’m so anticipating seeing 199 that I’m almost giddy. I’m not quite as giddy as Sunday morning when I stepped on the scale expecting to be celebrating and saw a three pound gain (caused, I’m sure, by eating 3 large kosher dills and some pickle juice the day before.) But I know I will see that number and hopefully less before this week is over. Today, I’ll measure myself and a week from now, I can see how those numbers are doing. I’m already seeing a difference in how my clothes fit. I’m still sleeping well most nights. And I’m doing 12 minutes of focused exercise a day. I realize that doesn’t sound like a lot but I’m not making the mistake of breaking out of the starting gate at a full gallop. I’ve already tried that approach and I breakdown quickly. The old gray mare is no longer a runner but she is a trotter and trotters cross the finish line, too....and while pulling a buggy!

Day 146 & Day 5 on Keto

I was a little bit disappointed this morning when I stepped on the scale. I know, I know, I'm not supposed to weigh every day but after the success I've had the past few days, I anticipated the same this morning. In fact, I thought I would break through a long standing plateau. I didn't. I actually gained weight. I know this was most likely caused by the many pickles I ate yesterday. I think, when my friend told me that pickles and pickle  juice would help quench my hunger, she didn't mean for me to consume half the jar. It was a large jar, too! I went to the grocery store yesterday and restocked my cupboard. Only five days in, I found the grocery store and its many tempting offerings challenging. I did find a lot of new foods to try so I hopefully will not be hungry today. And tomorrow, I think I'll see a more encouraging number on that scale. Maybe it will show the number I'd hoped for.

Underneath all those sautéed peppers and onions is an all beef burger, cheddar cheese and two slices of bacon. It’s what’s for dinner or was; it was delicious.

A note on this Keto diet:

I’m loving this Keto diet! I was concerned at first about consuming all of that fat. I asked both my doctor and health coach about the possibility of raising cholesterol. I told them, this diet goes against everything we’ve been taught about nutrition and health. In fact, if you think about it, it turns the traditional food pyramid upside down. BUT, I was assured by both doctor and health coach that my cholesterol would not go up and might actually go down because ketosis is much more efficient at making energy by burning fat, including all of that stored fat. I’ve also been told by friends who are on this diet that my energy will increase and I’ll feel better. I’ve only been on it four days and I already feel better than I have in ages and I’ve lost four pounds! Some have said they don’t eat red meat; I don’t eat a lot of red meat either. I’m getting my protein mainly from chicken, fish and eggs and my fat from avocados, olive oil, cream cheese and butter. I know you’re saying, still too soon to tell but I’m really happy with the changes I’m seeing so far. Steve says I’m happier because I’m not putting that poison called sugar into my system. I think I agree. 

Day 145 & Day 4 of Keto

I’m down 4 pounds! Yippee!!!

I’m also starting to feel the energy. So far, no side effects. I have been occasionally nauseous but I think that has more to do with the antibiotics I’m taking. I feel better than I’ve felt in a very long time. Wish I’d started the Keto diet long ago. I’ve had a few naysayers and I can understand that; I said to my health coach, Velma, last week, “This goes against everything we’ve been taught about nutrition and healthy eating. Is there any danger of this raising my cholesterol?” She laughed and said, “No Honey, you don’t have to worry about that. Once you enter ketosis, your body will be burning all of that fat.” So, Velma is on board, my doc/np, Janice is on board and my friend Yvonne messaged me to say she’s been on Keto for two weeks and has never felt better. I’ll leave it to her to share the details of her journey if she wants but if I feel this good already, I bet I’m going to have the same response in ten more days. Even my mood is elevated and my energy.....yay!!!!

Photo: this morning’s breakfast, left over from last nights dinner egg foo yung topped with cheddar cheese and sautéed peppers with bacon and bombproof coffee(not pictured.)

Cheesy Riced Cauliflower Casserole

This cheesy riced cauliflower casserole might not be a pretty dish but it is delicious. My husband loves it and says he thinks he could eat it every day. It’s simple to make, riced cauliflower (I’ve used both fresh and frozen with no difference in taste. 2 bags of Birdseye steamed in microwave.) Oil a casserole with olive oil spray. Add cauliflower, one large sweet pepper chopped, half a package of Kraft Creamy Melt Mexican Blend, half an eight ounce package of cream cheese cut into chunks into casserole and mix. Put in 400 degree oven and bake until top starts to brown at edges. Stir after a few minutes to blend cheese. Makes 5 large 1 cup servings. 

Calories: 230

Fat: 18.6 grams 

Protein: 8.5 grams

Carbs: 9 grams

My Keto App

This is what my Keto app looks like. So happy I found it because I don’t think I could keep track of everything if I didn’t have it, at least not as easily.It not only allows me to track the grams of fat, protein and carbs and calories but also water intake, weight and activity.