While I love what keto does for my skin, my energy, my blood sugar, and my hunger (plus the food is awesome!), I've decided keto is not for me. This past week, I was extremely well behaved. Didn't cheat once, kept my carbs low, went to the gym three times, the whole nine yards. I have nothing to show for it. On top of that, I was reviewing my old gym journal (pre-abdominal tear), and I was upping my weight on 2-3 exercises every session. Do you know how many times I've upped the weight on an exercise this last month? Twice. I have been to the gym 10 times, and have upped two exercise 5 pounds. I used to up my squat by ten pounds almost once a week. I feel like I'm not getting nearly enough protein, but when I eat all the fat I have no appetite.
For those of you that love keto and are having success, I am envious and wish you all the best. I'll still be posting keto friendly recipes because my new diet (post to come!) will only allow 175g of carbs, and I'm saving those for veggies and home made bread.
Showing posts with label keto diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label keto diet. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Friday, July 18, 2014
Keto on a Budget
On various forums around the internet I've noticed a lot of people whining about how expensive it is eating keto.
Maybe it's just because I was on paleo before this, but I really don't think it's unreasonable. Here's what I eat to stay on budget:
Necessities:
1. Eggs - Seriously, a shit-ton of eggs. I buy 5.5 dozen at a time at Walmart for less than $7. I usually eat two a day whether it be for breakfast or hard boiled for lunch (usually in a salad, not alone).
2. Heavy Whipping Cream - It's awesome and I use it in everything. I quit drinking milk, so this has replaced it. Given how thick and rich heavy whipping cream is, I generally don't drink it.
3. Spinach - I buy spinach in giant bags from Costco. I think it's a five pound bag. I eat all of it, by myself, before it goes bad. When it's fresh I take salads to lunch (just spinach, no lettuce), have it in breakfast burritos, and in omelets. As it becomes slimy and wilted I make creamed spinach, saute it and put it in my scrambled eggs, or dice it and put it in my mini-quiches (recipe to come soon!).
4. Beef - Right now, beef is cheap where I live. I'll pick up a beef roast at 60-75% off, hack it into reasonable sized chunks, freeze the pieces in separate bags, and throw them in the slow cooker. I live on the border, so I always make mine spicy and instead of doing the traditional potatoes and carrots, I use canned tomatoes, canned jalapenos, and salsa. I then throw it in breakfast/regular burritos, salads, or low carb tacos made of cheese.
5.Chicken - Now since I cook for John, and he doesn't care for cheap chicken like drumsticks (not a dark meat man), I only buy breasts. If you don't mind dark meat, by all means buy what's cheapest. When it comes to chicken breast, I only buy it if it's less than $1.89 per pound.
6. Rotisserie Chicken - It's summer right now, which means my kitchen is 90 degrees before I turn on the oven, so I buy the cheap $5 pre-cooked chicken at Walmart. During the winter I'll likely roast my own, but for now whatever. One word of caution, find out what your chicken is coated in. Some have added sugar. I usually stretch the chicken out over a couple days between the two of us. Low carb burritos (with spinach!), on salads, in low carb tacos, etc. If I were eating it alone one chicken would easily last me a week. Be sure to eat the skin!
7. Folgers instant coffee - Don't buy the Walmart brand. It's awful. The reason coffee is on my list as a basic necessity is because coffee often replaces breakfast for me on the days that I work (because my lunch is early). Drinking coffee for breakfast is cheap, and with the added fat that makes it bullet proof coffee, and a handy meal replacement.
8. Coconut oil - I buy the cheap Louisiana brand refined coconut oil. Why do I use coconut oil? Well, I think olive oil can be expensive, and it goes rancid pretty quickly in my hot kitchen. In addition, I like to fry, and coconut oil is stable at high temperatures, and third, it's cheaper than butter, so I use that in my bullet proof coffee.
9. Bacon grease/quality lard (no hydrogenated oils!). Personally, I think butter is a bit expensive for greasing a pan or putting over vegetables, plus, butter doesn't taste like bacon! In addition, I save my bacon grease in a big jar next to the stove and use it for pan frying.I find it lends the chicken more flavor than coconut oil alone, and I tend to eat less chicken when I fry it in bacon fat.
10. Cheese - It's cheapest to buy a 5 pound brick and shred it yourself. It's time consuming, but if you're worried about money, just suck it up and devote 20 minutes of your life to grating cheese. Plus, if you shred it yourself you don't have to worry about hidden anti-caking agents that have carbs. Walmart brand is usually around $9 for 5 pounds and 5 pounds of shredded cheese goes a long way.
11. Tea Bags - I buy green tea bags and brew my own tea in a giant pickle jar. For me, tea is necessary because I don't like the way water tastes in my neighborhood and I refuse to buy water in a jug. I use the tea to cover the taste. Green tea is great because it doesn't make me jittery like black tea does and some reports state that it promotes weight loss. Even if it doesn't support weight loss, too much black tea gave me anxiety.
12. Parchment paper - I don't care how much it costs, parchment paper makes low carb eating easier. Just buy it. I reuse mine three or four times before I throw it out (is that gross?).
13. Parmesan Cheese- I buy the cheap Walmart brand tub of powdered parmesan cheese. It lasts forever in the fridge and I add it to cream sauces because it's cheaper than shredded cheese without sacrificing cheese flavor. If I'm making alfredo sauce I'll use equal amounts parmesan cheese and shredded mozzarella. I can't taste a difference.
Non-necessities:
1. Sour Cream - I love sour cream and will use it all the time if I have it on hand. For instance, many of the salads I bring to work have spicy meat on it. Rather than using ranch and salsa (mexi-ranch), I'll use sour cream and salsa. Fewer carbs, fewer mystery ingredients, no soy bean oil, no added sugars, and I like the consistency better. Sour cream is also great as a thickening agent in cream sauces. If you have a Mexican grocer near you (do they have them everywhere?) sour cream is cheapest there, and Mexican sour cream usually has a higher fat content.
2. Cream Cheese - I debated putting this on the necessities list because of cream cheese pancakes, and fat head pizza, and low carb mousse, and home made alfredo sauce, and all sorts of wonderful things. Cream cheese is sour cream's more popular brother. The taste is milder and it can be used more diversely. Personally, if I could only afford one thing off this list, I'd buy cream cheese.
3. Butter - I'm not saying that butter isn't a necessity simply because margarin is available (NO, no margarin), but I say it's not a necessity because you don't need it. Think about it, what does the average person use butter for? On bread or toast (which keto doesn't eat), on veggies (but why use butter when your veggies can taste like bacon?!), what else? Almost any instance where butter can be used, I think coconut oil or grease could be used instead. I do like the flavor of butter, and sometimes I do want it just because it's butter and it tastes like butter, but it isn't necessary to have it for a keto diet. Oh, the cheapest place to get it? Costco.
4. Bacon - This almost made it to the luxury list, but the one thing I like about bacon that helps to justify the price is the grease! Seriously, I'm crazy about bacon grease. Anyway, the other great thing about bacon is that it is relatively easy to cook and is great as strips, or as bacon bits (which I personally feel makes it go farther).
5. Veggies - I'm not a huge vegetable eater to start with, which is why vegetables, for me at least, are pretty low down on the list. They're great and everyone should eat them, but many vegetables have sneaky carbs in them. If you like veggies, buy in season and on sale, or frozen. Personally I think cauliflower and broccoli are great (veggies au gratin!), as well as zucchini if you have a spiral slicer.
6. Lunch meat - Although some are full of mystery ingredients and all have some carbs, I like lunch meat. It's diverse and can be used in enchiladas, as a wrap, in my mini-quiches, and as a quick snack. I keep salami and sliced cheese in the fridge at work in case I forget to pack a lunch. It's not my first choice for lunches, but it's better than trying to find something decent at a fast food place.
7. Low Carb Tortillas - For me, these are really a staple if I can afford it. Again, I live on the border. I live for Mexican food. My family also goes out for Mexican often enough that I get sick of taco salads (without the shell, of course). The awesome thing about these is that I smuggle them in my purse and scrape the meat out of my burrito and into the low carb tortilla. Yeah, I get some funny looks, but I like these because although they're smaller than restaurant burritos (built in portion control!), they have a pretty similar taste and texture. They're not authentic homemade tortillas, but they're better than the doughy Mission brand tortillas. I use these for quesadillas, burritos, chimichangas, cheese crisp, and taco salad bowls. I buy La Banderita. They're hands down the BEST low carb tortillas, better than Mission (which are better as wraps because they're thick and doughy) and better than Trader Joe's brand (which taste too fiber-y to be anywhere near authentic). They're about $4.75 (at Super Walmart, not available at Neighborhood Market Walmarts in my area) for 8 eight inch tortillas, and 5 net carbs. A little pricey and only worth eating in moderation, but this is worth it to me because I feel like it greatly increases my food options and keeps me from feeling deprived. As a side note, these are NOT gluten free and some people do stall eating low carb wheat products.
8. Pork Rinds- Pork rinds are great for two reasons. 1.) They are great in place of crackers. I have a dip recipe that calls for crushed Ritz crackers on top, I use pork rinds. Lost of recipes that just need that extra crunch can benefit from pork rinds. 2.) NACHOS. Pork rinds are pretty decent chips, so I use them for nachos. I'm not a big snack person, and I never ate many chips but nachos are a fantastic low carb dinner option once you throw on some cheese, whatever meat you've got lying around, hot sauce or salsa, and sour cream. The reason these are on the non-necessity list is because they're a little pricey ($2 for 3 servings of nachos), they don't keep well and go stale quickly (use them within a few days of opening them or they get too hard), plus they're basically chips. Chips aren't necessary when you're cutting costs, but they're sometimes nice to have. It's that simple.
Luxuries:
1. Almond flour - One thing that was really hard for me to give up was pizza. Thanks to almond flour and Fat Head Pizza (recipe coming soon!), I don't have to. The catch? Almond flour is $5 per pound where I live. Luckily you don't use almond flour in the same volume as white flour, but it's still an investment.
2. Sugar Free syrups and candies - Many people swear by sugar free syrup for coffee. Personally, I was disappointed by the sugar free syrup I tried. I just put coco powder and sweetener in my coffee instead. It's cheaper. Now, sugar free candy is totally different. I love sugar free dark chocolate. Sometimes I want a chocolate bar and the only fix is a chocolate bar, and sugar free does the trick.
3. Artificial sweeteners - Personally, since I have a sweet tooth, I really like having artificial sweetener around (I use truvia, but everyone has a different opinion) for my coffee, desserts, etc. Given that I use it in such moderation, I feel it's worth it.
4. Coconut flour - For me, coconut flour is not worth it. At a price very similar to almond flour, it's expensive. The thing about coconut flour is that I haven't found a recipe that is worth the price that I can't use almond flour for instead. Some people disagree and love it. To each their own.
6. Diet soda - I love diet soda, but when money is tight I have to wave my love goodbye.
7. Low Carb Mixers - I love liquor: margaritas, daquiris, screwdrivers, you name it. There are a lot of good low carb mixes out there, but if budget is an issue, you probably can't afford the booze anyway, right?
8. Avocados - high fat, high fiber, and can be eaten as a meal by themselves? I love avocados but they're expensive. Again, check Mexican grocery stores. Many times they're three for a $1 where I shop.
9. Stick Blender - I didn't own a blender, so making Bullet Proof Coffee was impossible without a stick blender. Even if you do own a regular blender, a stick blender is super simple to clean, takes up a lot less space, and they even make portable battery powered ones in case you want to take it to work and make bullet proof coffee on the go. The other nice thing about stick blenders is it's super easy to whip up home made whipped cream and blend cream cheese for recipes.
10.. Spiral Slicer - Whether it be a mandolin, or a cheap vegetti, this investment is great because it makes your veggies into noodles! I'm not a huge noodle person, and no, veggie noodles don't taste like real noodles, but they're close enough they'd fill a craving.
Okay, I think this pretty much covers what I typically eat. What about you, do you disagree? Did I forget one of your favorites?
Necessities:
1. Eggs - Seriously, a shit-ton of eggs. I buy 5.5 dozen at a time at Walmart for less than $7. I usually eat two a day whether it be for breakfast or hard boiled for lunch (usually in a salad, not alone).
3. Spinach - I buy spinach in giant bags from Costco. I think it's a five pound bag. I eat all of it, by myself, before it goes bad. When it's fresh I take salads to lunch (just spinach, no lettuce), have it in breakfast burritos, and in omelets. As it becomes slimy and wilted I make creamed spinach, saute it and put it in my scrambled eggs, or dice it and put it in my mini-quiches (recipe to come soon!).
4. Beef - Right now, beef is cheap where I live. I'll pick up a beef roast at 60-75% off, hack it into reasonable sized chunks, freeze the pieces in separate bags, and throw them in the slow cooker. I live on the border, so I always make mine spicy and instead of doing the traditional potatoes and carrots, I use canned tomatoes, canned jalapenos, and salsa. I then throw it in breakfast/regular burritos, salads, or low carb tacos made of cheese.
5.Chicken - Now since I cook for John, and he doesn't care for cheap chicken like drumsticks (not a dark meat man), I only buy breasts. If you don't mind dark meat, by all means buy what's cheapest. When it comes to chicken breast, I only buy it if it's less than $1.89 per pound.
6. Rotisserie Chicken - It's summer right now, which means my kitchen is 90 degrees before I turn on the oven, so I buy the cheap $5 pre-cooked chicken at Walmart. During the winter I'll likely roast my own, but for now whatever. One word of caution, find out what your chicken is coated in. Some have added sugar. I usually stretch the chicken out over a couple days between the two of us. Low carb burritos (with spinach!), on salads, in low carb tacos, etc. If I were eating it alone one chicken would easily last me a week. Be sure to eat the skin!
8. Coconut oil - I buy the cheap Louisiana brand refined coconut oil. Why do I use coconut oil? Well, I think olive oil can be expensive, and it goes rancid pretty quickly in my hot kitchen. In addition, I like to fry, and coconut oil is stable at high temperatures, and third, it's cheaper than butter, so I use that in my bullet proof coffee.
9. Bacon grease/quality lard (no hydrogenated oils!). Personally, I think butter is a bit expensive for greasing a pan or putting over vegetables, plus, butter doesn't taste like bacon! In addition, I save my bacon grease in a big jar next to the stove and use it for pan frying.I find it lends the chicken more flavor than coconut oil alone, and I tend to eat less chicken when I fry it in bacon fat.
10. Cheese - It's cheapest to buy a 5 pound brick and shred it yourself. It's time consuming, but if you're worried about money, just suck it up and devote 20 minutes of your life to grating cheese. Plus, if you shred it yourself you don't have to worry about hidden anti-caking agents that have carbs. Walmart brand is usually around $9 for 5 pounds and 5 pounds of shredded cheese goes a long way.
11. Tea Bags - I buy green tea bags and brew my own tea in a giant pickle jar. For me, tea is necessary because I don't like the way water tastes in my neighborhood and I refuse to buy water in a jug. I use the tea to cover the taste. Green tea is great because it doesn't make me jittery like black tea does and some reports state that it promotes weight loss. Even if it doesn't support weight loss, too much black tea gave me anxiety.
12. Parchment paper - I don't care how much it costs, parchment paper makes low carb eating easier. Just buy it. I reuse mine three or four times before I throw it out (is that gross?).
13. Parmesan Cheese- I buy the cheap Walmart brand tub of powdered parmesan cheese. It lasts forever in the fridge and I add it to cream sauces because it's cheaper than shredded cheese without sacrificing cheese flavor. If I'm making alfredo sauce I'll use equal amounts parmesan cheese and shredded mozzarella. I can't taste a difference.
Non-necessities:
1. Sour Cream - I love sour cream and will use it all the time if I have it on hand. For instance, many of the salads I bring to work have spicy meat on it. Rather than using ranch and salsa (mexi-ranch), I'll use sour cream and salsa. Fewer carbs, fewer mystery ingredients, no soy bean oil, no added sugars, and I like the consistency better. Sour cream is also great as a thickening agent in cream sauces. If you have a Mexican grocer near you (do they have them everywhere?) sour cream is cheapest there, and Mexican sour cream usually has a higher fat content.
2. Cream Cheese - I debated putting this on the necessities list because of cream cheese pancakes, and fat head pizza, and low carb mousse, and home made alfredo sauce, and all sorts of wonderful things. Cream cheese is sour cream's more popular brother. The taste is milder and it can be used more diversely. Personally, if I could only afford one thing off this list, I'd buy cream cheese.
3. Butter - I'm not saying that butter isn't a necessity simply because margarin is available (NO, no margarin), but I say it's not a necessity because you don't need it. Think about it, what does the average person use butter for? On bread or toast (which keto doesn't eat), on veggies (but why use butter when your veggies can taste like bacon?!), what else? Almost any instance where butter can be used, I think coconut oil or grease could be used instead. I do like the flavor of butter, and sometimes I do want it just because it's butter and it tastes like butter, but it isn't necessary to have it for a keto diet. Oh, the cheapest place to get it? Costco.
4. Bacon - This almost made it to the luxury list, but the one thing I like about bacon that helps to justify the price is the grease! Seriously, I'm crazy about bacon grease. Anyway, the other great thing about bacon is that it is relatively easy to cook and is great as strips, or as bacon bits (which I personally feel makes it go farther).
6. Lunch meat - Although some are full of mystery ingredients and all have some carbs, I like lunch meat. It's diverse and can be used in enchiladas, as a wrap, in my mini-quiches, and as a quick snack. I keep salami and sliced cheese in the fridge at work in case I forget to pack a lunch. It's not my first choice for lunches, but it's better than trying to find something decent at a fast food place.
7. Low Carb Tortillas - For me, these are really a staple if I can afford it. Again, I live on the border. I live for Mexican food. My family also goes out for Mexican often enough that I get sick of taco salads (without the shell, of course). The awesome thing about these is that I smuggle them in my purse and scrape the meat out of my burrito and into the low carb tortilla. Yeah, I get some funny looks, but I like these because although they're smaller than restaurant burritos (built in portion control!), they have a pretty similar taste and texture. They're not authentic homemade tortillas, but they're better than the doughy Mission brand tortillas. I use these for quesadillas, burritos, chimichangas, cheese crisp, and taco salad bowls. I buy La Banderita. They're hands down the BEST low carb tortillas, better than Mission (which are better as wraps because they're thick and doughy) and better than Trader Joe's brand (which taste too fiber-y to be anywhere near authentic). They're about $4.75 (at Super Walmart, not available at Neighborhood Market Walmarts in my area) for 8 eight inch tortillas, and 5 net carbs. A little pricey and only worth eating in moderation, but this is worth it to me because I feel like it greatly increases my food options and keeps me from feeling deprived. As a side note, these are NOT gluten free and some people do stall eating low carb wheat products.
8. Pork Rinds- Pork rinds are great for two reasons. 1.) They are great in place of crackers. I have a dip recipe that calls for crushed Ritz crackers on top, I use pork rinds. Lost of recipes that just need that extra crunch can benefit from pork rinds. 2.) NACHOS. Pork rinds are pretty decent chips, so I use them for nachos. I'm not a big snack person, and I never ate many chips but nachos are a fantastic low carb dinner option once you throw on some cheese, whatever meat you've got lying around, hot sauce or salsa, and sour cream. The reason these are on the non-necessity list is because they're a little pricey ($2 for 3 servings of nachos), they don't keep well and go stale quickly (use them within a few days of opening them or they get too hard), plus they're basically chips. Chips aren't necessary when you're cutting costs, but they're sometimes nice to have. It's that simple.
Luxuries:
1. Almond flour - One thing that was really hard for me to give up was pizza. Thanks to almond flour and Fat Head Pizza (recipe coming soon!), I don't have to. The catch? Almond flour is $5 per pound where I live. Luckily you don't use almond flour in the same volume as white flour, but it's still an investment.
2. Sugar Free syrups and candies - Many people swear by sugar free syrup for coffee. Personally, I was disappointed by the sugar free syrup I tried. I just put coco powder and sweetener in my coffee instead. It's cheaper. Now, sugar free candy is totally different. I love sugar free dark chocolate. Sometimes I want a chocolate bar and the only fix is a chocolate bar, and sugar free does the trick.
3. Artificial sweeteners - Personally, since I have a sweet tooth, I really like having artificial sweetener around (I use truvia, but everyone has a different opinion) for my coffee, desserts, etc. Given that I use it in such moderation, I feel it's worth it.
4. Coconut flour - For me, coconut flour is not worth it. At a price very similar to almond flour, it's expensive. The thing about coconut flour is that I haven't found a recipe that is worth the price that I can't use almond flour for instead. Some people disagree and love it. To each their own.
6. Diet soda - I love diet soda, but when money is tight I have to wave my love goodbye.
7. Low Carb Mixers - I love liquor: margaritas, daquiris, screwdrivers, you name it. There are a lot of good low carb mixes out there, but if budget is an issue, you probably can't afford the booze anyway, right?
8. Avocados - high fat, high fiber, and can be eaten as a meal by themselves? I love avocados but they're expensive. Again, check Mexican grocery stores. Many times they're three for a $1 where I shop.
9. Stick Blender - I didn't own a blender, so making Bullet Proof Coffee was impossible without a stick blender. Even if you do own a regular blender, a stick blender is super simple to clean, takes up a lot less space, and they even make portable battery powered ones in case you want to take it to work and make bullet proof coffee on the go. The other nice thing about stick blenders is it's super easy to whip up home made whipped cream and blend cream cheese for recipes.
10.. Spiral Slicer - Whether it be a mandolin, or a cheap vegetti, this investment is great because it makes your veggies into noodles! I'm not a huge noodle person, and no, veggie noodles don't taste like real noodles, but they're close enough they'd fill a craving.
Okay, I think this pretty much covers what I typically eat. What about you, do you disagree? Did I forget one of your favorites?
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Baby Steps vs. One Big Leap
Nerd Fitness wrote a great article about Muscle Memory. Now, the article basically talks about repetition to the point of something becoming second nature, i.e. muscle memory. It's the habitual aspect of healthy eating that lets people fall back on it in times of stress, when one can not exert any extra energy on it due to stress. Everyone has stress and at times that just becomes so encompassing that we can't put thought into anything other than our stressful situation.
A big part of muscle memory is a matter of slowly introducing things and building up on top of it, like learning a complicated dance move, you have to build up one on top of the other.
Now the point Nerd Fitness made was that just like learning a dance move, you have to build up the healthy habits one after another. I think there are two types of people in life, those that build up, and those that cannonball.
I'm a cannonball-er. When I decided to get healthy I dropped all shit food over night and went paleo, I joined a gym and started Olympic weightlifting, I read nothing but nutrition and exercise books for three months, and I cleaned out my wardrobe, painted my house, and basically remade my life. I'm an all or nothing person, 100%. Getting back in to the routine of going to the gym has really helped me stick with my diet. It's so refreshing.
A big part of muscle memory is a matter of slowly introducing things and building up on top of it, like learning a complicated dance move, you have to build up one on top of the other.
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| Cannonball-ers are a bit less graceful. |
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Return of the Egg Fast
After being so thoroughly disappointed with how last week went, I'm returning to the egg fast, with some modifications:
1. Eggs and fat (mayo, cheese, butter, BPC) will be my primary source of food.
2. I will be able to eat LCHF/keto for my lunch meals at work.
3. If I am home, I will eat eggs for lunch.
4. Just as before, it's 1 tbs fat per egg.
I hope this will get me on track. I'll be doing it until Monday, then I'll review. The egg fast really helped last time. I hope it will help again.
Okay, so, let's talk about goals, since I didn't address them in my Measurement Monday post. I'm hoping to drop 5 pounds. I know that sounds like a lot, but last time, I dropped 4 pounds and only fasted 2.5 days. At the time, I only lost .75 inches. This time I want to lose at least 4 inches, the 3.75 I gained last week, and a little more for good measure.
I'll report back soon!
1. Eggs and fat (mayo, cheese, butter, BPC) will be my primary source of food.
2. I will be able to eat LCHF/keto for my lunch meals at work.
3. If I am home, I will eat eggs for lunch.
4. Just as before, it's 1 tbs fat per egg.
I hope this will get me on track. I'll be doing it until Monday, then I'll review. The egg fast really helped last time. I hope it will help again.
Okay, so, let's talk about goals, since I didn't address them in my Measurement Monday post. I'm hoping to drop 5 pounds. I know that sounds like a lot, but last time, I dropped 4 pounds and only fasted 2.5 days. At the time, I only lost .75 inches. This time I want to lose at least 4 inches, the 3.75 I gained last week, and a little more for good measure.
I'll report back soon!
Saturday, May 31, 2014
First Signs of Progress!
I've been feeling a little better about myself recently (the 10 pound loss is really helping), but I still don't really feel like I'm getting thinner. I was looking at pictures on my phone and found one from about 2 months ago (right before I started paleo).
I can't believe how much better my skin is! I've had awful skin since I was 11. I've has 10 years of acne. It's almost gone! People are even saying my face is thinning out.
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| Left is two months ago, right is yesterday |
Thursday, May 29, 2014
My Confession
I don't want to be fat anymore. I'm just freaking tired of it.
I'm so fed up with it. In light of the above image, I've made a decision to do an egg fast. What is an egg fast? Basically you eat eggs. Lots of eggs. I'm following a plan I found on Facebook, so I'm not able to provide the link, sorry guys.
The Rules:
1. Must eat at least six eggs per day.
2. Must eat every three to five hours (even if it's just one egg)
3. Must eat within 30 minutes of waking.
4. Must have 1 tbl of butter per egg.
5. Up to 4oz of cheese is allowed per egg
6. Drink lots of water
7. Quit eating 3 hours before bed
Now, those rules were written by and for a 289 pound man. I'm not that big. I have modified my rules in that I do not need to eat an egg within 30 minutes of waking. I do want to have either BPC or eggs within 30 minutes of waking. Instead of one tablespoon of butter per egg, I will be cooking the eggs in butter, but if it isn't a full tablespoon, I'm not gonna stress because of the extra fat in my BPC. I'm also going to allow cream cheese and mayo (for the extra fat) and any low carb condiments (such as mustard for egg salad). I will also set a minimum of 5 eggs (though I doubt that that will be an issue). I also will be able to eat as late as I want. My fiancé doesn't get home until 8:30 and I really enjoyeating dinner with him.
I know this all sounds crazy. I know I said that I'm losing weight and getting healthy for the rest of my life, and I obviously won't be eating eggs for the next 80 years. I don't care.
Timeline? Until I fit into a freaking size 14 comfortably. Or until I get down to 180 pounds, which is where I was last time I thought I was fat. Or until I hate eggs.
Update: I found the website that the facebook post I saw referenced: Check it out
I'm so fed up with it. In light of the above image, I've made a decision to do an egg fast. What is an egg fast? Basically you eat eggs. Lots of eggs. I'm following a plan I found on Facebook, so I'm not able to provide the link, sorry guys.
The Rules:
1. Must eat at least six eggs per day.
2. Must eat every three to five hours (even if it's just one egg)
3. Must eat within 30 minutes of waking.
4. Must have 1 tbl of butter per egg.
5. Up to 4oz of cheese is allowed per egg
6. Drink lots of water
7. Quit eating 3 hours before bed
Now, those rules were written by and for a 289 pound man. I'm not that big. I have modified my rules in that I do not need to eat an egg within 30 minutes of waking. I do want to have either BPC or eggs within 30 minutes of waking. Instead of one tablespoon of butter per egg, I will be cooking the eggs in butter, but if it isn't a full tablespoon, I'm not gonna stress because of the extra fat in my BPC. I'm also going to allow cream cheese and mayo (for the extra fat) and any low carb condiments (such as mustard for egg salad). I will also set a minimum of 5 eggs (though I doubt that that will be an issue). I also will be able to eat as late as I want. My fiancé doesn't get home until 8:30 and I really enjoyeating dinner with him.
I know this all sounds crazy. I know I said that I'm losing weight and getting healthy for the rest of my life, and I obviously won't be eating eggs for the next 80 years. I don't care.
Timeline? Until I fit into a freaking size 14 comfortably. Or until I get down to 180 pounds, which is where I was last time I thought I was fat. Or until I hate eggs.
Update: I found the website that the facebook post I saw referenced: Check it out
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Doubts and a Fat Fast Update
First the good news: the fat fast is over! Bulletproof coffee is going to be replacing my breakfast from here on out. I love the taste, it's filling, and I feel like I'm treating myself to something. I'm a big fan of treats.
In other good news, I dropped almost two pounds over the last few days and I'm really motivated to stay on my Keto diet. We'll see if the weight stays off. Either way it isn't a big deal to me. The fat fast wasn't about immediate fat loss (though that is a definite bonus), but about getting me back into ketosis and motivated to stay on my diet.
In shittier news: my fiancé was giving me a hard time about my diet this evening. He thinks that someone, whether it be the American Heart Association or the manufacturer of a cholesterol pill, has created this diet to earn money. Even though I've lost 10 pounds in three weeks, what he said bothered me. I'm not having doubts, that's not it. I just want his support. If the food is good, I feel good, and I'm losing weight, who cares? Hopefully he was just kidding. He'll be eating his words soon.
In other good news, I dropped almost two pounds over the last few days and I'm really motivated to stay on my Keto diet. We'll see if the weight stays off. Either way it isn't a big deal to me. The fat fast wasn't about immediate fat loss (though that is a definite bonus), but about getting me back into ketosis and motivated to stay on my diet.
In shittier news: my fiancé was giving me a hard time about my diet this evening. He thinks that someone, whether it be the American Heart Association or the manufacturer of a cholesterol pill, has created this diet to earn money. Even though I've lost 10 pounds in three weeks, what he said bothered me. I'm not having doubts, that's not it. I just want his support. If the food is good, I feel good, and I'm losing weight, who cares? Hopefully he was just kidding. He'll be eating his words soon.
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Fat Fast
I generally don't like the idea of fasting as a weight loss tool. Nevertheless, I'm going to give this a shot. Now, I try to so my best to reference and cite the website(s) that I find information on when trying something new. Dear readers, I've failed you. For the life of me, I cannot find where I read about this particular fat fast.
Anyway, the theory is to eat nothing, and only drink bulletproof coffee (BPC) and water. Bulletproof coffee is basically coffee that has a high fat content. I make mine with 2 tbls butter and 2 tbls heavy whipping cream. I use a stick blender to make it frothy and creamy and it tastes like a latte. I also add some Trivia, because I like sweet coffee, but most people don't seem to do so.
Here's the plan:
Day 1 - BPC (as much as im hungry for) and lots of decaf green tea (water in our area tastes gross)
Day 2 - BPC (until 2pm), lots more green tea and a low carb, high fat dinner
Day 3 - BPC for breakfast, and a low carb, high fat lunch and dinner
The theory is that this will get me back into ketosis. I ate whatever I wanted yesterday (oops) and kicked myself out of ketosis. This should get me back into ketosis in a shorter amount of time than what it typically takes.
I'll report back on how I'm feeling soon.
Friday, May 23, 2014
The End of Hunger
I've always been hungry. Even as a kid, I could always eat. After starting at the hospital it went from being a little hungry all the time to starving constantly. After doing Keto for about a week, I'm no longer hungry. Yesterday I skipped lunch. I'm not sure if that's ever happened before.
The other benefit? I'm actually under on "recommended" calories. To be under in calories and not hungry is just awesome. I'm not really counting calories, but it was nice to see.
Monday, May 19, 2014
Measurement Monday: May 19th, 2014
A slight change has been made to my measurements. I'm no longer measuring my shoulders. I measure anywhere between 41 inches and 46 inches. I can't get a consistent measurement.
Abdomen: 44.5 (.375)
Waist: 34.5 (-.5)
Bust: 42 (-1.25)
Chest: 37 (-.5)
Hip: 46 (-.5)
Left Arm: 14 (-.75)
Left Forearm: 10.75 (-.25)
Left Calf: 16 (-.25)
Left Thigh: 27.5 (0)
Right Arm: 13.75 (-.25)
Right Forearm: 10.75 (0)
Right Calf: 16 (0)
Right Thigh: 27.75 (.25)
Neck: 14.75 (0)
Current Weight: 199 pounds (-2)
Inches lost: -3.595
Running total: -5.715,+3 pounds
This was a very exciting week for me! I can't believe how many inches I've lost! I lost twice as many inches this week as I did last week. I'm so excited. I also met my goal last week of losing more than 2 inches. I think this shows keto is really working for me. This is a substantial change. I'm a little disappointed that I haven't lost more from around my abdomen, but that's okay. I lost a lot of inches this week. This is a big deal for me, and it's definitely going to help motivate me this upcoming week.
As for goals this week, I'd like to lose another 3.5 inches and another 2 pounds. I can do this!
Abdomen: 44.5 (.375)
Waist: 34.5 (-.5)
Bust: 42 (-1.25)
Chest: 37 (-.5)
Hip: 46 (-.5)
Left Arm: 14 (-.75)
Left Forearm: 10.75 (-.25)
Left Calf: 16 (-.25)
Left Thigh: 27.5 (0)
Right Arm: 13.75 (-.25)
Right Forearm: 10.75 (0)
Right Calf: 16 (0)
Right Thigh: 27.75 (.25)
Neck: 14.75 (0)
Current Weight: 199 pounds (-2)
Inches lost: -3.595
Running total: -5.715,
This was a very exciting week for me! I can't believe how many inches I've lost! I lost twice as many inches this week as I did last week. I'm so excited. I also met my goal last week of losing more than 2 inches. I think this shows keto is really working for me. This is a substantial change. I'm a little disappointed that I haven't lost more from around my abdomen, but that's okay. I lost a lot of inches this week. This is a big deal for me, and it's definitely going to help motivate me this upcoming week.
As for goals this week, I'd like to lose another 3.5 inches and another 2 pounds. I can do this!
Sunday, May 18, 2014
First Week of Keto
I must say, after doing (and sucking at) Paleo for barely a month, the Keto diet is liberating, to say the least. It's also sent my digestive system through one hell of a loop. I've gone from constipated to exploding in the course of a few hours. Sometimes I have more energy than ever before, sometimes the simplest actions leave me exhausted. Its been rough. There's such a thing as the Keto Flu - which is a horrible sneaky bastard. Anyway, the worst of it has passed. I've actually lost quite a bit of weight - more than I ever did with paleo, or with just exercise and counting calories. Plus this way of eating is liberating: sour cream, cheese, heavy whipping cream, oh my! This feeling if being liberated, instead of feeling restricted; it feels sustainable. That all brings me to this point:
I can't wait to get back to the gym! I've got my diet under control and in check. I'm losing weight, while exercising less than ever before. My previous job required pushing 300-900 pounds, lifting up to 80 pounds regularly throughout my shift, and walking up to 25 miles in a day (while pushing the weight). Needless to say, it was physical, but I didn't really lose weight. I put on about 10 pounds over the course of six months. It wasn't all muscle, unfortunately.
The point is, I can't believe I'm losing weight being unemployed and relatively sedentary drinking whipping cream as a snack. Although I've been weighing myself, I'm not really counting it until tomorrow. Tentatively, I've lost up to 6 pounds. Probably water weight, but I'm curious to see the measurements tomorrow!
Tuesday I will be getting a CT scan to check out my hernia. I could be cleared to go to the gym as early as July...or I could end up needing surgery and then who knows when I'll be able to get back.
I can't wait to get back to the gym! I've got my diet under control and in check. I'm losing weight, while exercising less than ever before. My previous job required pushing 300-900 pounds, lifting up to 80 pounds regularly throughout my shift, and walking up to 25 miles in a day (while pushing the weight). Needless to say, it was physical, but I didn't really lose weight. I put on about 10 pounds over the course of six months. It wasn't all muscle, unfortunately.
The point is, I can't believe I'm losing weight being unemployed and relatively sedentary drinking whipping cream as a snack. Although I've been weighing myself, I'm not really counting it until tomorrow. Tentatively, I've lost up to 6 pounds. Probably water weight, but I'm curious to see the measurements tomorrow!
Tuesday I will be getting a CT scan to check out my hernia. I could be cleared to go to the gym as early as July...or I could end up needing surgery and then who knows when I'll be able to get back.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Ketogenic Diet: Day 1 of 21
Science says it takes 21 days to make something a habit. I tried Paleo for 30 days (okay, no, I failed at Paleo for 28 days. The first two days went well though), and decided it wasn't for me. I've been playing around with Keto for about a week now, but the thing about Keto is it isn't something you can do for a day, then not do for a day. The great thing behind the Keto diet is that it trains your body to want to use fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. There's even science behind it. Although the article I cited didn't say there was substantial evidence toward weight loss, many people have experienced positive results and cyclical Keto dieting (CKD) is used by many body builders during their cutting period.
As someone who loves research, I dove in head first. The dietary goal is to have at least 70% of your calories come from fat, and no more than 5% of your calories come from carbs. My goal is 143g of fat (72%), 100g of protein (23%), and 20g of carbohydrates (5%). This is just a rough goal. The important thing is to limit carbohydrates (no more than 20g until ketosis is achieved), keep protein moderate, and have at least 143g of fat. We'll see how it goes!
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Measurement Monday: May 11th, 2014
Alright, so this week's Measurement Monday is actually on a Sunday because I don't know if I'll have time to do it tomorrow. I doubt there'd be a huge difference between today or tomorrow.
Here's this week's progress:
Abdomen: 44.125 (-.125)
Waist: 35 (0)
Bust: 43.25 (-.25)
Chest: 37.5 (.25)
Hip: 46.5 (.25)
Left Arm: 14.75 (.5)
Left Forearm: 11 (0)
Left Calf: 16.25 (0)
Left Thigh: 27.5 (0)
Right Arm: 14 (-.25)
Right Forearm: 10.75 (-.25)
Right Calf: 16 (0)
Right Thigh: 27.5 (-.25)
Shoulders: 43 (-1)
Neck: 14.75 (-.25)
Current Weight: 201 pounds (3)
Inches lost: -1.37
Running total: -2.12, + 5 pounds
Although I've put on more weight this week than last week (bummer), I'm down 1.37 inches, where last week I only had a change of -.75 inches, this week I lost almost an inch and a half. Yay!
I have to say, this weekly analysis of my inches lost really is helpful. I don't feel disappointed that I've gained 5 pounds in two weeks (seriously? Ugh.), I'm more excited that I've lost more than two inches total. This is real progress. It's not much, but it's progress.
My goal for this upcoming week? Commit to trying a Ketogenic diet for a full week, and I still would like to try to lose two inches next week. I'm hoping a keto diet will help with that. This week was a good start, but the extra .63" would mean a lot (mentally, at least). Besides, two inches off my entire body isn't a lot. I measure 15 places for a total of 357.75 inches currently. Two inches is .6% of my current inches. I can manage a .6% loss.
Anyway, I highly recommend measuring weekly. For those of you not doing it, start! It really is motivating, and it only takes 10 minutes (and the first four minutes are spent trying to find the tape measure). So, get measuring and share your progress in the comments!
Here's this week's progress:
Abdomen: 44.125 (-.125)
Waist: 35 (0)
Bust: 43.25 (-.25)
Chest: 37.5 (.25)
Hip: 46.5 (.25)
Left Arm: 14.75 (.5)
Left Forearm: 11 (0)
Left Calf: 16.25 (0)
Left Thigh: 27.5 (0)
Right Arm: 14 (-.25)
Right Forearm: 10.75 (-.25)
Right Calf: 16 (0)
Right Thigh: 27.5 (-.25)
Shoulders: 43 (-1)
Neck: 14.75 (-.25)
Current Weight: 201 pounds (3)
Inches lost: -1.37
Running total: -2.12, + 5 pounds
Although I've put on more weight this week than last week (bummer), I'm down 1.37 inches, where last week I only had a change of -.75 inches, this week I lost almost an inch and a half. Yay!
I have to say, this weekly analysis of my inches lost really is helpful. I don't feel disappointed that I've gained 5 pounds in two weeks (seriously? Ugh.), I'm more excited that I've lost more than two inches total. This is real progress. It's not much, but it's progress.
My goal for this upcoming week? Commit to trying a Ketogenic diet for a full week, and I still would like to try to lose two inches next week. I'm hoping a keto diet will help with that. This week was a good start, but the extra .63" would mean a lot (mentally, at least). Besides, two inches off my entire body isn't a lot. I measure 15 places for a total of 357.75 inches currently. Two inches is .6% of my current inches. I can manage a .6% loss.
Anyway, I highly recommend measuring weekly. For those of you not doing it, start! It really is motivating, and it only takes 10 minutes (and the first four minutes are spent trying to find the tape measure). So, get measuring and share your progress in the comments!
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