165.7lbs (down 20lbs)

Thanksgiving!!  This week really has been an eye opener, in a good way.  Carbs are definitely my enemy.  It really is amazing how I never realized how bad I used to feel until I feel good.  This week threw me back into feeling horrible. I can’t believe I used to function feeling that bad.

• Sunday- We didn’t go to church today because hubby’s allergies were really bothering him. I made him French toast and I just ate 2 fried eggs and bacon for breakfast.  For lunch I enjoyed some cheese and meat.  Dinner is what made me feel off.  I’ve made it before (hamburger stew).  It only has 4.5 carbs per serving and my macros are spot on for the day. But I know there was something that affected me after dinner.  My ankles are killing me.  They’re not bending or flexing, just kinda stiff and achy.  And I’m just plain uncomfortable.  It feels like my nerves are on edge.  I’m not in ketosis either.  I really need to be strict this week to make up for last. 
• Monday- I enjoyed my coffee and HWC.  I also made myself a delicious plate of yummy gourmet cheeses and meats.  Dinner was pork skins and beef jerky.  Normally junk for dinner makes me feel gross, but I was ok. I guess since I had a delicious lunch. Macros are spot on too.
• Tuesday- Mom and I went out to eat at a little brunch place.  I had crepes, but they were stuffed with chorizo and egg and spinach and all sorts of keto-friendly goodies.  The crepe itself is definitely not keto-friendly.  Then I went out for girls night and they chose Italian!  So we had pasta and more pasta.  It was homestyle so everyone shared big bowls.  I picked around the pasta as much as I could.  I didn’t want to draw attention to myself.  Thankfully there was no dessert.  Of course I still went way over my carbs. But for me, keto is about a lifestyle and not depriving myself.  I don’t want to make drastic changes that I won’t be able to maintain.
• Wednesday- We headed to my mother-in-laws for Thanksgiving.  We ate out and I had a delicious burger minus the bun.  And of course I forgot my keto sticks, but I’m pretty sure I’m out of ketosis even without testing.
• So Thursday-Saturday was kinda a blur.  We ate and watched the Cowboys win and ate and visited and ate some more. Unfortunately, turkey was the only keto friendly food served.  They even decided not to do green beans and did homemade creamed corn instead.  So instead of starving myself, or being an oddball, it was “while in Rome” and I did as everyone else did.  I tried to eat in moderation.  I loaded up on turkey, but since that was the only non-carb served… Well, you get it.  It was bad.  I did enjoy myself though.  I didn’t beat myself up, and I didn’t regret what I ate.  I enjoyed the family and friends and yes, even the food.  When your mother-in-law makes 4 pies, you’re expected to partake.
• So my right thumb hurt so bad Thursday night I had to take some ibuprophen.  Haven’t had to take anything for pain in weeks.  Then, came the heartburn!  Oh and these waves of complete nausea.  I felt like I wanted to vomit.  Geesh, I enjoyed myself, but seriously I’m paying for it! 

165.7lbs (down 20lbs)

Good news/bad news… good news: side boobs are gone!  My armpit fat is gone!  I can actually put my arms at my side!  Bad news: my boobs really starting to sag!  I’ve always been perky.  For a 44yo, I may have been too large, but they always looked good.  But not so much now.  Apparently I’m losing the fat from the top of the boobs and not so much in the length.  Is that even a thing?!?  They really aren’t that attractive just hanging there.  Oh, no one can tell, except for hubby.  And I hate it for him.  He’s very supportive and hasn’t said anything.  But it really is kinda a drastic change.  I’ve never contemplated plastic surgery, but now I’m not completely opposed to a boob lift.  Don’t worry, I’m not going to do anything drastic.  Just thoughts running through my head right now.

I think I’m going to start a menu page.  I don’t document everything I eat on my blogs so I’m thinking if I type all the food I eat, then I can really get a good idea of how my nutrition intake compares with my weight loss, ketosis, and pain management.

• Sunday the hotel had a complementary breakfast. Not to brag, but I’m getting pretty good and navigating my meals.  2 “fried” eggs, 1 boiled egg, 4 pieces of bacon, 2 slices of cheese and 1 strawberry.
• On our way out of town we ate at a greasy burger joint. No prob, bacon cheeseburger no bun.  Didn’t even miss the fries.
• I have to admit I am very shocked at how easily my carb cravings have been basically eliminated. I don’t want to brag, because maybe it’s not me, it’s my body saying it doesn’t want them and I’m finally listening to it.  Either way hubby has said on several accounts he is very proud of me.  And that means the world to me!
• Monday- had a coworker ask if I’ve lost weight J Now that I’m actually losing, I feel like my focus has changed from pain management to weight loss.  However, the occasional sweet treat quickly reminds me that I’m doing this for my autoimmune health, not body composition.
• Tuesday I ate a crappy dinner. Hubby wasn’t hungry so I just ate beef jerky, pork rinds and mixed nuts for dinner. Technically my macros lined up, but blech.  I feel yucky.
• Wednesday just had broiled veggies for dinner. Man they were amazing!  Sister-in-law made them.  I had to literally make myself stop eating.  They were that good.  But I keep burping them up.  I haven’t actually burped in a while so that was odd in itself.  Lol
• Thursday I was out of boiled eggs so I had Braunschwieger and Swiss cheese for breakfast. Not exactly my 1^st choice, but I really like Braunschwieger so it was ok.  Dinner  was late so I grabbed Taco Bell for hubby and me.  I was in the drive thru trying to figure out what was keto friendly and the only thing I could quickly find by the time I got to the window was the 5-layer burrito, no beans, no tortilla.  When I got home it looked more like canned cat food.  Lol!!  Seriously though, it wasn’t bad.  It had ground beef, shredded cheese, queso, and sour cream just kinda dumped in a container.  I added avocado and hot sauce.  It was pretty good, just not much of it.
• Friday I went to lunch with a coworker. Ended up at On the Border.  Nothing really sounded good so I opted for the taco salad with queso.  The salad had 18g of carbs!  I still don’t understand how.  It didn’t come in a shell and I didn’t even eat ½ the lettuce.  So I may do more investigative work on how the carbs break down…if I have the energy.  That put me 2g over my allotment for the day L  But I’m still in ketosis, barely hanging on though.
• Saturday I ate no carbs during the day because tonight I knew there would not be too many low carb choices at my girls night. Aaannnnnd I was right!  I won’t torment myself with the amazing selection of dips, deserts, and delights.  But needless to say I ate about a 2T of a few things so I didn’t appear rude.  And only ½ a cookie.  Yep, out of ketosis.  And the knuckle on my middle finger is aching terribly, going to be a long night L Oh the ups and downs…

CW 167.7lbs (down 18lbs)

My side boobs are def shrinking, my arms actually hang by my side now.  I can cross my leg again!!!

• Sunday started out so promising but I quickly crashed and burned. I started out with my boiled egg.  It was my hubby’s bday so I made him blueberry muffins and didn’t have a 1.  But my pride definitely proceeded my fall.  My Mother-in-law brought a German chocolate cake from Collin Street Bakery.  I had to have a slice, albeit a small one.  After all, it was his birthday!  Then we ate sushi at Deep Sushi in Deep Elum for dinner.  Yep, I ate all the rice with my Ahi tuna tower and baked volcano roll.  WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!?  I’m completely out of ketosis.  My Mother-in-law asked if I had lost weight.  I don’t want to tell people I’m doing Keto so I just told her that I’m cutting back on carbs. I feel bloated, I’m retaining water, and my wrist is now achy.  I feel just as fat as I did at the very beginning.  I know I’m not, only because I can’t gain 18lbs in 1-1/2 days, right?!?  But seriously!  I can’t believe I feel this bad!  Wow!
• Fell out of ketosis Sunday, still not back in Monday
• Monday I did a 22hr fast. Not on purpose but it was a whirlwind day.  Friend wanted to throw his wife an impromptu surprise birthday so I didn’t eat until after 6.  I ordered the gourmet cheeseburger (didn’t eat the bun) and didn’t eat the bread served.  But…. Everyone was ordering desert (in honor of the bday girl) so I felt strangely obligated.  Yuck!  I actually didn’t like the taste of the caramel cheesecake.  So, I guess I did well only eating a couple of bites.  Ugh!!!  Still not back in ketosis tonight!!  Went to bed with my right hand and wrist killing me.  It was hard to sleep.  Pretty sure my joint pain is caused by carbs!
• Tuesday I didn’t have my boiled egg for breakfast (forgot to peel it night b4). But for lunch I had the flavored tuna w/mayo and an avocado.  Didn’t care for the flavor of the tuna so I didn’t eat much.  But I wasn’t too hungry, the avocado thing works every time.  I’m exhausted though.  I just want to take a nap.  My body is def sluggish.  As I’m typing this in bed, I just want to close my eyes for the night.  But I can’t.  Gotta go to church in a few for a conference.  It only happens once a year so I don’t want to miss it.  Omgosh!  I’m laying here and my belly looks like I’m prego!!  It’s so bloated!  I’m scared to check my ketones.  I was doing so well to fall off so hard.  But I’m not giving up.  I know how great I felt b4 so I know it’s totally worth it!  So I tested my keto before bed and it’s a trace.  I’ll take it!  I def feel off though.  Little more grumpy, tired and poofy around the waist.
• Wednesday I thought I was getting back on track and was feeling confident…until I checked my ketones. Ugh!!  What happened?  I’m out of ketosis again!  I will never cheat again!  To be honest I’m frustrated, but not with keto.  I’m frustrated that I allowed myself to fall off like this.  Feeling better is my #1 goal.  However, since actually seeing myself lose weight, I am extremely dedicated to making this work.
• Thursday I didn’t check my ketosis until the evening. It registered trace again.
• Friday I haven’t pooped! Even after all the carbs Sunday nothing has moved in 6 days!  Which is probably why I feel so bloated in the middle.  So for dinner I ate a big ‘ol salad with grilled chicken.  I’m afraid that if things don’t get moving I’m going to be in big trouble, we’re going out of town tomorrow!  Good news!  Things moved.  A little.  I was happy something came out.  Now to go to bed.  Big day tomorrow.
• Saturday morning: more poop. I didn’t even have to take anything.  The salad did it.  Now to return the bottle of Magnesium Citrate I never opened.  Had my coffee and boiled egg.  Time to head out of town for a wedding. I now feel secure in my 1-1/2hr car ride.  Being from Texas we love our tex-mex.  So that’s what was for lunch.  I knew I had to be super careful about what I ate here because I knew there’ll be carbs at the wedding tonight.  So I ate chili con queso with sour cream and guacamole like a soup.  And man was it delicious!!!  At the wedding they served bbq brisket, potato salad and baked beans (it is Texas after all).  I ate 2T of the beans and potato salad, so I didn’t appear rude.  Although I could have easy eaten double of that.  I gave hubby my bread and slice of wedding cake.  Although I did take 3 bites of the red velvet heaven first of course.  My left thumb joint hurt so bad last night and kept me up for a while.

 

 

CW 167.7lbs (down 18lbs)

My clothes are definitely fitting looser.  I feel skinny.  I’m not, but I feel great! I can actually see my muscles now!  They’re still surrounded by a lot of fat, but they’re there!  I see them!  My arms are squishy and legs jiggle, but I feel good

• Sunday we grilled T-bone steaks, ummm. I had grilled asparagus and no bread.  I know I keep saying how proud I am of myself.  But it’s weird how easily I have transitioned into the Keto lifestyle.  Even when I tried eating healthy, it wasn’t keto so I wasn’t losing weight.
• Monday I made a pizza meatloaf. It had potential to be delicious!  I just overcooked it so the beefy part was a little dry.
• Wednesday I noticed that I don’t feel hungry for dinner any more. I’m eating Starkist Tuna Creations with a little mayo and an avocado every day for lunch.  So for dinner I just eat a little cheese, braunsweiger, and lunch meat.  I’ll cook for hubby though.  My calories have been around 800 for the day.  But if I’m not hungry, why force myself to eat?
• Thursday I went over on my carbs. I ate one of the prepackaged cheese and nutmix snack packs.  It had 9g of carbs just by itself!  I really have to read b4 I buy.  So for dinner tonight hubby wanted French toast.  I made his toast and just scrambled the left over eggs and had eggs and bacon for dinner.  Not bad at all J
• Friday we grilled ribeyes. I didn’t have anything other than the meat.  I truly do love keto.  I could never be a vegetarian!
• Saturday I visited with my mom and sister. I got up from the couch w/o having to pull on the armrests. For dinner, hubby and I ate at the best Chicago style pizza restaurant in the DFW Metroplex.  I knew I should have only eaten the topping, but the crispy deep dish crust is the best part!  The keto stick at least registered a trace amount.  Back to keto tomorrow

Wk4- I realized protein is the goal, not fat

• I have tons of energy. I’m not tired after lunch, I don’t have the afternoon crash.
• I bought the Keto sticks. I absolutely love testing my pee!  It’s fun seeing the results- I’m more motivated.  Plus it’s fun trying to guess where I am in ketosis.
• Sunday, I totally blame hubby! After church I said we could go anywhere he wanted.  So he picked Long John Silvers.  Long story short he wanted to go there a few days ago and I talked him out of it.  Ugh, nothing I put in my mouth was Keto-friendly.  Even the fish w/o the breading was so wrong.
• Monday I did pretty well. Only had the topping of pizza and 1 cheese bread.  I know I should not have even tempted myself, but my carbs are still under since I fast on Mondays
• Tuesday, I went over. Had a little more cheese bread for breakfast.  But the rest of the day I did well.  Only went over my carbs by 1g.
• Wednesday, I’m back on my regular routine for lunch: meats, cheese, avocado and today snow peas. Fat and protein are spot on and carbs are under by 7g!
• Thursday my fat was way under. But at least my carbs were under too by 3g and I only had 538 calories.
• This week I did not do good with tracking my macros. I was very busy and distracted.  In fact I’m late posting this.

 

 

178lbs (down 7lbs)

• Sooooo, I just realized my carbs need to be around 20! Omgosh!  This is harder than I thought!  I guess ignorance is bliss.  LOL!  But I think starting out slowly helped with not getting the Keto flu and not shocking my system.  It’s been much easier to get into the lifestyle.
• But I am super excited that my joints are not hurting, I don’t feel achy at all.  In fact, I feel stronger and have a ton of energy.
• And to be honest, I’m not 100% sure of my start weight. I don’t own a scale so I only measure when I go to the Dr or to my mom’s house.  I know I weighed 185 2wks before I started Keto, and I wasn’t doing anything to lose weight.  So I feel confident that I was at 185 when I started this journey.  Which means I’ve lost 7lbs.  But the fact that I feel soooo much better is the exciting part.
• Sunday on the way back home from Bryan, TX we stopped at Buc Ee’s. If you’re not from TX, they have a cult-like following, lol.  So I thought I was doing good by getting dried okra.  I have heard about lots of health benefits about okra so I thought it’d be good.  Nope!  Wrong!  There’s 16g of carbs in 1 serving so I only had 3 pieces.  Even that put me over my carbs by 2g.  But I was pretty proud of myself for being able to cut 10g when I thought 30g was hard.
• Mondays are my fasting days so while my calories were up due to the pork ribs at dinner, my macros were spot on.
• Tuesday I went a little over on my fat, but my carbs were only 14g and my calories were 1071. I’m now becoming obsessed with entering my foods.  It’s kinda fun to see how everything adds up.
• Wednesday I thought I was being sooooo good!  I didn’t bring lunch so a coworker and I went to Subway.  I saw they had a turkey bacon & Guac on a tomato basil wrap.  Perfect, the wrap is thinner than the flat bread so it must have less carbs.  WRONG!  It has 58g!!  can you believe it?!?  I only ate ½, but still…  Then I went to a Mexican restaurant and ate charro beans (bean soup).  Omgosh!  What’s wrong with beans?!?  I feel like I’m taking 2 steps forward and 1-1/2 steps backward.  Just when I think I get the hang of Keto, I go and blow it.  I had 59g of carbs today!  Geesh!  No more tooting my own horn.  I’m definitely not as good at this as I thought.  Rookie!
• Thursday I only had 12g of carbs but I met my fat.  I realize I just can’t “wing it.”  I need to plan what goes in my mouth and not think I know what I’m doing.
• Saturday I realized that I also need to read packages before I buy items. My prepackaged seasoned salmon has 11g of carbs.  Really?!?  Ugh!  Thankfully I was able to stay under my carbs but I didn’t meet my fat today.    This week has really been a roller coaster.  Some pretty good ups; but man the downs, were really down.

 

 

It’s shocking how EVERY.SINGLE.THING has carbs

• I actually started tracking my macros in an app.
• I am struggling to stay under 30g!
• Good news is I don’t feel as bloated.
• I’m also not retaining water in my hands/feet. My rings slide on easily.
• Monday- found out my chocolate covered espresso beans have 13g of carbs! How am I going to survive without them?!?
• I was able to stay under my carbs so I treated myself to a few choco espresso beans
• Tuesday – For dinner I picked up a rotisserie chicken and made hubby mac & cheese. I only had about 1/4c and still I was under by 6 carbs.  Woohoo!
• I guess I’m dirty or lazy keto, I’m confused about the lingo. I still eat or drink some non-keto-friendly things, I just watch my macros.
• Wednesday- I’m totally in love with making homemade chicken fajitas but instead of tortillas, I smother it in mozzarella cheese and sour cream, then I add an avocado and a little salsa. I fixed corn on the cob for hubby.  I only ate ½ an ear and it still put me over my carbs by 2g!  Geesh this is so much harder than I thought!
• Thursday- hubby wanted olive garden for dinner. No prob, I had their salmon piccata with roasted veggies.  Omgosh!  It was delicious!  Oh!  And I only ate ½ my bread stick!  Didn’t even want the other half!  Totally forgot about it until the end of the meal with hubby finally ate it.  However, the fried calamari was my undoing… but I still hit my carb limit!
• Friday left to go to my cousin’s college graduation at A&M. I hit the road with my mom and sister.  We stopped at DQ for chicken strips.  I wasn’t hungry so I didn’t order anything but ice water.  I’m quite proud of myself right now!
• Saturday we had homemade quiche so I ate only a little with exactly 7 berries on the side. Then ½ sandwich for lunch.  Carbs are under by 4g and I’m eating hardly anything but I still feel full and satisfied.  It’s weird, but fantastic at the same time!

 

 

No deserts, pasta, bread, or known carbs

• I’m purposefully starting out slow.  I read about keto flu and don’t want it. I teach and my start date for Keto coincides with the start of school.  I can’t afford to not be on top of my game.
• I’m doing pretty well at avoiding bread and sweets.  There has been a package of Hawaiian Sweet Rolls sitting on the counter that I’m not even tempted to nibble.
• I’m not craving sweets either.  And I have a very serious sweet tooth too!
• I’m the designated chef of the family so I do all the cooking.  No pasta, or rice.  I think this might be easier than I thought.
• Definitely not feeling run down or sluggish, no Keto flu for me!  woohoo!
• But most importantly, I’m not as achy as I have been.  I’m definitely moving around better.