Can You Say, “P L A T E A U?”

Just Something Creative

We have been on the Keto eating plan for about two weeks or so now.  I’m trying to stay at 20 carbs or below daily, not worrying as much about calorie counts now (though I still do aim at below 1200 calories per day. Due to our lightning hit and the loss of so many of our things, I’ve been spending most of my time trying to call for repairs, help my husband repair things, or ordering replacements, rather than doing my exercise plan.  I still was hoping for a bit of lost weight.

I am again on the plateau from Hell. I have my former sedentary lifestyle (though I still wouldn’t describe myself as ‘active’), and my age – 72 – against me, so I’m not expecting miracles. I am also trying a LOT of new recipes – all delicious – and tracking my eating and drinking on MyFitnessPal.com.  The website thinks that I ‘may not be eating enough,’ but the Keto book – Simply Keto by Suzanne Ryan – says ‘if you’re not hungry, don’t eat.’  If I DO get hungry, I’m trying to grab something low carb, or I’m eating raw veggies and dip, a hard-boiled egg, or pecans.

To date – since I got serious about trying to lose the lard – I’ve lost 43 pounds and 48.2 inches. 

That’s a good start, but I’m trying to lose another 30 to 35 pounds. This is to get into the healthy range on the BMI charts. (I could also get taller by about 5 inches, but that doesn’t seem to be happening, either.)

My husband has essentially given up sugar. We’re trying hard to keep his Type II diabetes under good control and forestall any further damage.  We both have also given up added salt (other than that called for in recipes), white flour, potatoes, rice, and pasta. My husband still eats ice cream, but we get the no sugar added variety.

We are enjoying the new recipes from the Simply Keto book immensely. I’m actually taking an interest in cooking (though I’ll never really ENJOY cooking) because each of the 4 recipes I’ve tried so far have been winners. No weird ingredients. No half-the-day laborious directions. I’m also enjoying using my spiralizer to make spaghetti from yellow squash and zucchini and sauteing them in olive oil. My husband even says he won’t balk at my substitution of one of these for spaghetti the next time we want spaghetti with meatballs!  Woo HOO! (Cauli-rice is still not a go with him, though spaghetti squash might be.)

My goal is to get us – and keep us – as healthy as we can be for our ages. Toting around extra lard strains your whole system. We really don’t need that. My husband won’t exercise, but he is moving around trying to fix things, working in the yard, etc. If we can get our electronics repaired or replaced and things calm down around here – I’ll try to get back to my new three-days-per-week program of yoga one day, the elliptical trainer one day, and either walking or dance video the third. I also want to add some work with weights two other days.

I’m HOPING that if I ‘hold-my-mouth-right’, and ‘keep on keepin’ on.’ the scale will start to give me more pleasing numbers and the measuring tape will smile at me one day.

I’ll report again at the end of next month – OR if I start doing really well – whichever comes first.