Tag Archives: keto eating plan

April 13, 2024 · 10:12 am

Saturday 4-13-2024

Karin de Haas – Funda Altincekic Aysel

Karin’s work makes a smile start down at my toes and work all the way up until it simply spews out the top of my head. I can’t look at these without smiling and feeling happy. She truly has a gift.

Yesterday I made “Broccoli, Bacon, and Cheese Egg Muffins” from my Simply Keto recipe book by Suzanne Ryan. I ate one this morning. It was really good and is only 2.6 net carbs. :0)

Tonight I’ll fix a roast beef sandwich for my husband and I’ll eat what I call ‘roll-ups’ – with roast beef and cheese rolled up inside Mission Zero Net Carbs Tortillas for me. I’ll finish my ‘splurge’ at lunch with the remaining chicken tender from the deli in town.

We’re due for a really nice weekend weather-wise. I’ll try to spend some time in the yard to celebrate.

Yoga, two 10-minute exercise videos (one with weights and the other stretching) and combo work-in-the-yard and walking around outside will complete my exercise plans for the day.

I’m not sure what else is in store. My husband is trying to write a complicated program on his computer. He finally asked for help from our son via the chat program and then the video conference program. I don’t know whether it helped or not, but he’s busily frowning at his screen. I told him that it was good he reached out because our son really likes to visit with him regardless of the the subject. I was proven right when I read the last line of our son’s reply on chat this morning. “I was happy to see you earlier!”

Make this a wonderful day.

Leave a comment

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , ,

March 8, 2024 · 9:47 am

I Love the Internet

Unsplash

I was going to bake pork chops for our dinner tonight, served with a side salad. I got to thinking that maybe my Shake n Bake for Pork might not be keto-friendly. I was right. It’s delicious, and I’ve used it for years, but it’s half of my day’s allowance for carbs. No go. – 12g total carbs, 10.3g net carbs, 13g fat, 26g protein, and 274 calories.

I got on the net and looked for substitutes that WERE keto-friendly. I found 2 –

  • PORK RINDS – this may be the best option long term. 0 carbs, 152 calories, 9 g fat, 17 g protein. I could get a bag, use my rolling pin to make crumbs, and store them in an over-center container. The other question will be taste, of course.
  • ALMOND MEAL/FLOUR – 80 calories. 6 grams dietary fat. 3 grams carbs. 2 grams dietary fiber. (Net carbs = carbs minus fiber, so 1 net gram carb.) 1 gram sugar. 3 grams protein.

Coconut flour and Panko were also listed, but they have 8 net carbs and 21 carbs respectively.

So, a few minutes on the Internet and I found that I HAVE one of the best substitutes – almond flour – to use tonight. I’ll put the pork rinds on my grocery list for next time.

Making the switch to low carb eating takes a bit of work. The fact that my scales are finally noticing my efforts to lose the lard is reward enough.

4 Comments

Filed under Bright Ideas, Keto Eating Plan and Recipes We Like

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

May 9, 2022 · 10:39 am

Thoughts at the Start of the Week

A6605247-flickr.com

WOW! Last week I was still checking to see if we would have a freeze overnight and needed to cover up my plants. Today our high will be 90 degrees F. ! Mother Nature is anything but subtle. We ran the a/c last night for the first time. We woke up freezing early this morning and turned off the system and snuggled in while it warmed up. Now I’m turning on the ceiling fan here in the office. We have the doors open, but may need to close up and turn on the a/c downstairs this afternoon. Mother Nature’s middle name is ‘Abrupt.’

Spoon University

I’m inching toward my next incremental goal in weight loss. I’m trying to only look at 5 pounds at a time. That’s a “doable chunk” as my friend Maria encouraged me to do. It’s wise advise, particularly when the whole goal is super intimidating. Two more pounds and I can toast my efforts with a glass of water and a dance around the living room. :0)

I tried a new recipe for bread, sent to me by my friend, Susy. It’s called, “Bagels with Fathead Dough (Keto and Gluten-Free) by Maya at Wholesomeyum.com. My friend Susy said she baked them as ‘rolls’ rather than bagels, and I did the same, doubling the recipe. Maya made this quite simple. I just changed ‘6’ to ’12’ and the quantities of the ingredients magically changed on the recipe page. NICE! I found them quite interesting. Nice and chewy, satisfying to eat. I sliced one in half, eating the half, rather than the whole thing last night, cutting down on the number of carbs to stay under my limit. I’m a happy camper.

I have a complication on eating keto. I had to have my gallbladder removed several years ago and that changes digestion. Thankfully, the keto people are addressing this issue, so I’m working now to follow their suggestions, hoping they work for me.

We have no exciting plans for the day. I’m still working on re-organizing our medicines in the panty.

I hope this is a safe, happy day for you.

1 Comment

Filed under DIET!, Keto Eating Plan and Recipes We Like, Mother Nature, Organizing/DeCluttering, Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , ,

April 28, 2022 · 10:14 am

Husband Choice Night

Christine Marie – memecrunch.com

My husband asked if we could have pot roast on the low-carb eating plan. I told him, “yes!” and we bought one yesterday. We haven’t bought one since inflation hit, so my eyeballs popped when I saw the price, but I should be able to stretch things out, getting several meals from it.

I’ll get it in the crock pot later this morning. We’ll have green beans and a low-carb biscuit with it for dinner tonight.

Leave a comment

Filed under DIET!, Keto Eating Plan and Recipes We Like

Tagged as ,

September 12, 2020 · 10:11 am

Relief

“Caught Red-Pawed” – Audrius P. – Bored Panda

 

Our last BistroMD meal last night was Salmon. It was mostly edible, but my husband and I both used lots of tartar sauce. (Usually I don’t use anything except maybe a squeeze of lemon on salmon, so I was really disappointed). Neither of us could identify the side veggie, but we each took one bite and that was it. I just looked it up online and it was eggplant with 5 spices. (Maybe it would have been better if they had used 6.) We are in celebratory mode now because we are moving on. (We still have some snacks from both South Beach and BistroMD, but time will tell if we are hungry enough to eat them.)

Today I will cook some pork chops. We will have a side salad and a celebration of small portions of black eyed peas with onion.  We will eat half of this tonight and the other half tomorrow. Monday we pick up our order from Real Food. I’m eager to try that.

As with so many things, their competitor has already sprung up in Greenwood. It’s called, Stu’s Clean Cookin’. I was impressed with the ad in the paper. They list calories, fat, carbs, and protein for each meal listed. They identified some as “low carb,” “contains dairy,” and “contains gluten.” I like that.

So – just as we needed them, we have TWO nice companies preparing frozen meals we can try! I will be doing a lot of label reading. I plan to at least have several meal options available in the freezer while trying to get back into the swing of meal planning for keto eating.

Leave a comment

Filed under DIET!, Healthy Eating, quality of life, taking care of yourself

Tagged as , , , , , ,

August 16, 2020 · 10:04 am

Exercise

Pop Sugar

I am counting the work I’m doing in the yard each day, trying to clean up from the storm, as my elliptical/cardio exercise for each day. Yesterday I spent a total of 2 hours out in the hot sun blowing leaves and picking up branches.  I gave myself a gold star for each hour. I drank water like a camel preparing for a stroll across the Sahara, and that led to a lot of exercise getting up to pee!  I had a nice shower and did a very abbreviated set of yoga stretches to try to keep myself from feeling sore.

I plan to do more of the same today, since everything is still covered in branches and leaves. I will do short sessions, drinking lots of water and resting in-between.

Tonight is a DIY (do-it-yourself) meal on our South Beach plan. Thanks to Suzanne Ryan of Simply Keto, I have a recipe for bacon-wrapped chicken breasts that is to die for. My husband’s reaction when I told him what I planned to cook was, “Oh, GOOD!”

I am PLANNING to get up to my art room to work on the newest earring painting.

I hope you have a beautiful Sunday!

 

Leave a comment

Filed under DIET!, exercise, Housekeeping - Maintenance, Keto Eating Plan and Recipes We Like, playing in my art room

Tagged as , , , , , ,

July 26, 2020 · 10:58 am

Diet Progress

You Tube

Weight comes off MUCH more slowly than it goes on. The older you get, the harder it is to get the lard off.

 

Lovethispic.com via Pinterest

 

In our current quest to get ‘back in the saddle” of the keto eating plan, my husband and I have signed up for two months of the South Beach Diet. That is the closest plan of prepared meals to how we are trying to eat. We are about 2/3 of the way through the first month.

So far, we have each lost 5 lbs. We are not very pleased with the number of choices on the food plan, or the taste of many of the entrees. We DO really like anything they offer that comes in a small cup and the shakes. My husband really likes the candy bars ( both snack and entree) and I love the small bags of nuts. Otherwise, it’s a very good thing we have fresh, ripe tomatoes to eat alongside the entrees for lunch and dinner.

That said, the first month is helping me re-realize what a “portion” is. We were eating many of the right things, but we glossed over – or ignored – the portion amounts. When we are doing the DIY dinners, lunches, breakfasts, and snacks each week, I am trying to pay particular attention to how much I am serving.  Also, my husband is saying he will cooperate with not throwing things we shouldn’t be eating into the grocery cart. If they aren’t around, they can’t call to you from the pantry…. “Linnnnnnnn dahhhhhh!”

By the end of the second month (approximately mid-September) my husband may REACH is weight loss goal. We have talked about the fact that his ‘cooperation’ will need to continue so that he can KEEP the weight off. I have consoled him by pointing out that he can increase enjoy some fruit then, and that we may buy the candy bars he likes A LA CARTE from South Beach to tide him over, or to simply keep a supply for him. He also readily admits that he really likes many of the recipes we have found by Suzanne Ryan in Simply Keto.

For example, I have Suzanne’s recipe for Keto Chili in the slow cooker right now for one of our DIY dinners tonight.

I will earn Gold Star # 7 this afternoon with my yoga practice.

Next week, I will TRY to add a few minutes of my elliptical trainer to each day. It’s very hot here, and my trainer lives in our garage, so I’ll have to get out there early and limit the minutes I spend – Maybe I’ll try Mon, Wed, and Fri to start. I figure that even though I won’t be doing 35 minutes out there, anything I’m doing is better than none.  AND, if I do the time out there, I’ll give myself another Gold Star!

My weight loss journey will be much longer than my husband’s. That’s okay. If I am seeing a reasonable amount of progress – either from the scales, the measuring tape, or my flexibility – I will try to “keep on keepin’ on. “

Wish me luck?

Leave a comment

Filed under Attitude, DIET!, exercise, motivators, taking care of yourself

Tagged as , , , , ,

July 12, 2020 · 9:57 am

Swimming Through the Confusion

I told you that my husband and I are doing two months of the South Beach Diet in an effort to get back on track on our keto eating plan. Yesterday I finally figured out that we should be eating PHASE 1 foods for two weeks (until the end of next week.)

I went onto the website in order to ask a question about the snacks and the soups. Some of the snacks didn’t have any stripes and said nothing about what phase they were, plus the soups said nothing. They are short-handed there, I guess due to the coronavirus, so it took a long time to reach someone. After the chat, I am more confused than ever.

She said, “We aren’t doing the phases anymore.”  All the stuff I read and printed the day before stressed staying on Phase 1 for two weeks, so I asked again – getting the same answer.

I am still going to mainly try to stick with stuff marked Phase 1 until all is gone, but won’t stress over eating a Phase 2 thing, when needed.

If you read what is provided on the website, there are a number of other discrepancies; one example being the use of salt. In one place it stresses you should look for “low salt” canned veggies. In another, it says ‘feel free to use salt liberally.’  I am watching my salt, so I will continue to use it the way I am now.

So far, I’m happy that we are trying to get back on track with our keto eating plan. We are getting a much-needed wake-up call regarding ‘portions.’ We are learning to plan ahead better so we have healthy snacks. (My husband was happy with his DIY celery and cream cheese snack yesterday afternoon.) I made a salad to go along with our ‘Texas Chili” entree last night.

I am hoping that by the end of the two months on the program, we’ll be better able to handle things on our own again, having received a boost from the good people at South Beach.

 

Leave a comment

Filed under DIET!, exercise, getting the lard off, taking care of yourself

Tagged as , , , ,

June 14, 2020 · 3:32 pm

Keto Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Bowls

I have just finished cooking this for tonight’s dinner (and tomorrow’s, with the leftovers). This is the second time I’ve cooked it, and my husband raved, even though he is not a huge fan of broccoli. Chicken Alfredo has always been a favorite of mine, crossed off my list when I started Keto because of the pasta. This recipe has no pasta and I don’t miss it!

When I told my husband earlier that I was going to fix it for tonight, his one word answer was “YUM!”

Net carbs are 7 grams per serving. This recipe is 4 servings.

I have truly never found a recipe book where we really like most of the recipes until this one. She uses down to earth ingredients so you are not having to hunt all over town or order a bunch of stuff online. They are also not labor-intensive recipes, a big plus in my book, since nowadays we are working outside a lot and I don’t want to go to a lot of trouble for something to eat.

This recipe is now one of our staples.

Leave a comment

Filed under DIET!, Keto Eating Plan and Recipes We Like

Tagged as , , ,

May 25, 2020 · 10:22 am

Back on Track – I HOPE

Askideas.com

The Pandemic is my latest excuse for not sticking to my diet and exercise program. (I have a whole sackful of excuses – and add more at a ferocious rate.) My husband is another excuse – he doesn’t have as much weight to lose. We grocery shop together, and all kinds of things I shouldn’t eat show up at home when we put the groceries away. I have decided to stop using this as an excuse, though. I’m hoping the man will live for MANY more years, so I will just have to be stronger on avoiding his ‘extras.’

Yesterday I got disgusted with myself – FINALLY. I re-read the first part of Simply Keto by Suzanne Ryan. I am feeling re-motivated to get back on track and start losing the lard again.  I am now, (starting again yesterday) tracking my food intake on MyFitneesPal.com. Suzanne tells you how to tweak the settings there so that you can follow your macro and even tweak it from time to time as needed. (Your ‘macro’ is the comparative percentages of fat, carbohydrates, and protein you should consume each day in order to try to lose the girth.) I have also decided to spend more time on KetoKarma.com, Suzanne’s website, to try to STAY motivated.

Before I fell off the wagon, I had lost 40 lbs and 43 inches. I have gained 9 pounds BACK since the Pandemic started. :0(  Since it is beyond stupid to try to stay safe from the virus while simultaneously stuffing food I shouldn’t be eating into my mouth, I’m promising myself to treat myself better.

Because of my good friend and hair dresser Michael Remillard, I learned that maltitol is to be avoided. Yesterday, when I was re-reading Suzanne’s intro, I noticed that she mentioned it, too, but apparently I simply read over the top of it. It’s in a lot of sugar-free and no-sugar-added products. It can spike blood sugar and is to be avoided.

Also, because of Michael, I have discovered an ice cream I can eat when I must! The brand name is Rebel, and the flavor I think is wonderful is Mint Chip. I’m also on the lookout for Triple Chocolate.  The PINT has 4 net carbs!  The pint lasted me for 4 servings. Hooraaaaaay!

One of the things that Suzanne said that really resonated with me was that  when you make a mistake at one meal, instead of just blowing off the rest of the day and eating whatever you want because the day is ‘blown,’ you should redouble your efforts by eating correctly the rest of the day, giving yourself a break and sticking to the plan. You don’t have to be perfect – you just need to be consistent.

 

Yesterday I made her “Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Bake.”  

“Sausage, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Bake” by Suzanne Ryan, Simply Keto

She encourages you to throw extra low carb veggies in wherever you can, so I throw fresh spinach into her already delicious recipe. (I tried broccoli previously, but my husband didn’t care for it.)  He doesn’t mind the spinach at all. :0)  6 servings. We each enjoyed a wedge of this with a big salad.

I’ve gotten pretty good at avoiding carbs. (My personal macro has me staying at 14 carbs or under daily. )  My biggest problem is adding fat. I am studying her meal plans at the end of the book this time to get a better handle on what I can choose to better reach the 70% fat in a healthy manner. I have been tending to eat too much protein, and that can throw you off, so planning my eating with MyFitnessPal will help there. I can enter what I’m planning to eat, see how that meets my requirements, and adjust BEFORE I eat a wrong thing.  I am learning to pay more attention – using the tools that will help me, reading labels more carefully, etc.

Snacks and desserts are danger areas for me.  I have avoided these area in Suzanne’s book, but found something I want to try after the next trip to the grocery store – “Chocolate-Covered Macadamia Nut Fat Bombs.”  I love casseroles, so I’m also going to get set up to try her “Twice-Baked Cauliflower Casserole.” 

Another lady I find who has good keto recipes is Kyndra of Peace, Love and Low Carb.   She sends recipes to my email inbox.

Sorry if I’m talking your arm off, but as you can see, I am newly motivated. I am hopeful that by NEXT Monday, I can report that I have lost some weight, changed a measurement, or I can report on the new recipes I’ve tried.

Meanwhile, I’ll bake a loaf of my keto bread today.

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Attitude, Challenges, Changes, DIET!, Healthy Eating

Tagged as , , ,

February 19, 2020 · 10:09 am

Wonderful Wednesday

sayingimages.com

My early spring garden seems to be doing well so far. I got out my trash can full of old sheets, plus clothespins, putting it under one of the tables, so I can cover the plants tonight. I’ll be doing that a lot until the threat of freezes is over. I will try to get onion sets when we do errands today. I would love to finish weeding the other boxes in the garden and get the onions in as soon as possible.

I’m trying to ignore the fact that – wherever I look – things are calling out to me to be SEEN and FIXED. I have made a priority list for the day. If THAT gets done, I’ll move on to the lesser list. (Who would have thought I would now have TWO lists….

The roast I cooked in the crock pot yesterday turned out really well. My husband asked if we could have the rest cut up with onions, mushrooms, and cream of chicken/mushroom soup tonight over rice (for him.) I’ll do that with cauli-rice for me. :0)

The sun is shining brightly today, so my spirits are lifted each time I look out the window.

Hopefully, I’ll be playing in the dirt this afternoon!

Have a wonderful Wednesday.

 

Leave a comment

Filed under DIET!, Gardening, Mother Nature, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds

Tagged as , ,

January 2, 2020 · 11:23 am

Macros and Exercise

Trish’s Treasures

The short version is I have 5 pounds to re-lose before I’m on track again. An indulgence here, a bite there, and here I am. I would be disgusted, but I did it, knowing exactly what I was doing, and I enjoyed every bite of falling off the wagon.

Now that we’re officially into 2020, I’m starting to pay attention to my eating again and exercising.

Penn Fitness Warehouse

The weather is helping in my efforts to do my exercising. The highs are in the low 50’s now so I don’t freeze my parts while doing my 35 minutes on the elliptical trainer in the garage. I take my MP3 player and earphones out, turn on the trainer, start my music, hit ‘User 1’ and ‘Start’ and I’m in the zone for the duration. My husband says I do it ‘too slowly.’ (He doesn’t do it at ALL, so I’m ignoring his opinion.) I’m doing it every day (when I’m being good) and I’m doing it in a way that doesn’t cause my joints to complain or ache, so I’m declaring a win.

 

Mother Nature Network-Jaymi-Heimbuch

 

In the afternoons, I am trying to do half an hour or so of Gentle Yoga stretches. My husband gave me a mat that he got for camping out a million years ago. It’s much thicker than the normal yoga mat, and I love the extra cushioning. Oddly enough, the only area in our house that is large enough for me to fully stretch in all directions is our living room. I again ignore my husband’s ‘helpful suggestions,’ doing my own routine of slowly stretching everything in all directions, breathing into each position, based on the guidance I received from Cat Kabira in the “Gentle Yoga” DVDs. I can really feel a difference if I do this every day. I feel looser, able to stretch in all directions more and more over time, lessen aches and pains due to other activities. If I’m lucky, I can do my practice without the help of our animals, who tend to want to lie down on top of me.

Since even at 72, I’m a little kid at heart, I reward my efforts with actual gold star stickers I bought on the net, putting one for each exercise on my desk calendar. It’s a bit embarrassing that I do this, but not enough to stop. I will always be motivated by gold stars…

Pinterest

I am doing a combination of intermittent fasting (not eating after 9 in the evening until about 1:00 or 1:30 the next afternoon) and then following my macros in the keto plan. A great website called Cronometer.com is helping me record what I’m eating as it applies to what I’m SUPPOSED to be eating for the day. My biggest problem at this point is that I tend to eat too much protein and not enough fat. I have read that eating too much protein can throw me out of ketosis. I’m working on adding more fat. I’ve tried eating an avocado each day, but I really don’t like them, so I’m trying to find other alternatives. I’ll keep reading on the net and see what else I can eat to make my eating match my macro.

Once I re-lose my 5 holiday pounds, I can hopefully get into new territory on my weight loss efforts. My best thus far is losing 43 pounds and 45 inches. My goal is another 30 lbs or so (until the BMI charts are happy with me) and whatever inches go with that. My goal is to be as healthy as I can for whatever my current age is for as long as possible. My husband and I both have health issues that improve as we follow the keto plan, so I’m hoping that 2020 is a great year for us.

Leave a comment

Filed under aging, Challenges, DIET!, exercise, Keto Eating Plan and Recipes We Like

Tagged as , , , , ,

October 19, 2019 · 2:07 pm

Thoughts on a Saturday – 10-19-2019

Marcie Patterson – LinkedIn

We have a good chance of rain today and tomorrow, plus deliciously cool weather and sunshine now. I have absolutely no complaints!

We took our son to the airport this morning for his trip back home to Thailand. We are SO lucky to have a caring, compassionate son who loves my husband and I to pieces. We’ll miss him terribly, but he has set up good communications so we can talk daily, plus a conference call program where we can see each other and talk, when we’re all up at the same time. (There is 12 hours difference between us.)

 

I am finally into new territory on my efforts to lose the lard!  Lately I have been re-losing poundage, so imagine my JOY this morning when the scales smirked at me, showing me new, lower numbers!  I am finally getting the hang of the keto eating plan. To me, the key is the macros (5% carbs, 25% protein, and 70% fat.) You can cut way back on carbs, but if you eat too much protein, it throws you off and prevents weight loss. If you concentrate on eating so that your percentages stay close to right, you get results, even if you’re old, like me. :0)

Pinterest

I am on DAY 47 of doing 35 or so minutes of daily yoga stretches, and DAY 32 on getting-serious-about-the-keto-macros. I’m also doing 35 minutes daily on my elliptical trainer. I’m hoping that the combination of all this will result in my measuring tape smirking at me by the end of this month.  Since I’m immature, even at my advanced age, I give myself a gold star on my desk calendar each time I do my yoga, elliptical, or work hard outside in the yard.  This is shaping up to be a 16-gold-star week!  To date, weight loss is 44 pounds and I’ve lost 45 inches. 

I am having a blast playing with the Unicorn Spit stain/glaze kit my sister-in-law sent me. I am trying to finish a second plaque today. I’ll take pics of it and post them when it’s finished.

I hope you are having a nice Saturday, too.

 

4 Comments

Filed under DIET!, exercise, Family, Mother Nature, playing in my art room

Tagged as , , , ,

June 28, 2019 · 4:28 pm

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.

 

 

4 Comments

Filed under DIET!, exercise

Tagged as , , ,

June 27, 2019 · 12:48 pm

Well-Earned Plug

I already told you that my husband and I are trying to lose the lard by eating with the Keto plan. I also told you I found the book above by Suzanne Ryan. I don’t think I’ve told you what a treasure trove I consider this book! She lost 120 pounds and has kept it off. She has a website, Keto Karma, this book, etc. and I hope if she isn’t a gazillionaire now, she soon will be.

I can’t say enough about her recipes. I’ve tried four so far. My husband’s reactions have been, “This is YUMMY!” to “What are we celebrating?” to “Are you SURE this is on our diet?”

I can sincerely say I have never gotten a recipe book where I found more than a few what we considered good recipes. I have bought many cookbooks, and resold many, and given away others over the years. This one I will keep and use as long as I am alive.  All of the recipes sound GOOD. She doesn’t ask you to find a bunch of ingredients that are hard to find. The recipes are straight-forward and not overly time-consuming or difficult.  And, so far, they are DELICIOUS.  I cook once and we get two meals from it, usually.

  • The first recipe I tried was ‘Sausage, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Bake.” This was so good it will become a staple for us.
  • The second was “Bacon-Wrapped Cheesy Chicken”
  • The third was last night, when I made two recipes: “Keto Honey Mustard” and “Keto Breaded Chicken Tenders.”  – these looked different than I was expecting and I was a bit worried, but they were juicy and delicious. This was the recipe where my husband said, “Are you SURE this is on our diet?”

I am reminded of  the book and movie combo, “Julie and Julia.” (one of my favorites) where Julie decides she will cook every recipe in Julia Child’s cookbook. I’m very lucky because I would NEVER even THINK of doing what she did, with all the weird (to me) ingredients, un-pronounceable names, and LONG, complicated directions. I’m truly enjoying trying each of these recipes – and I don’t particularly enjoy cooking!

We’re having our leftover chicken tenders for lunch, and I’ll try a new recipe this evening! :0)

 

 

 

5 Comments

Filed under Book - Movie - TV Reviews, DIET!, Keto Eating Plan and Recipes We Like

Tagged as ,

June 15, 2019 · 12:12 pm

Our Keto Journey Begins

Since my husband has 10 or so pounds to lose, and I have 30-35 pounds to go, we have started the Keto eating plan.  I’ve also told you that we’re going to be host parents, starting in August, to a 16-year-old soccer player from Italy. This way of eating will be MUCH more amenable to cooking for a family again, rather than the Nutrisystem plan we were on.

Recently I ordered Simply Keto by Suzanne Ryan of KetoKarma.com.  In the book, she explains her own weight loss journey (a loss of 120 pounds), the Keto eating plan, and a good recipe section, plus resources for further study, etc. I like her recipes because, so far, I’ve only had to go online for ONE ingredient.  Instead of finding several recipes that sounded possible or interesting, I feel as if I’ve won the lottery on good recipes to try!  The recipes are straight-forward, not fancy, and sound wonderful.

Last night I tried the first recipe from the book. It’s called “Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Bake.”  My husband’s reaction was, “This is YUMMY!” and he said it two or three times. He also remarked, “This tastes too good to be what we’re supposed to be eating.”  We went out today to get another Pyrex pie plate so that I can double the recipe next time. The leftovers are good in the fridge for 4 days, and a serving is great for actual breakfast (though we enjoyed it for dinner), a snack, a lunch…. We can simply pop a serving into the microwave.  We agreed this would become one of our staples.

My biggest problem is getting my husband to pay attention to the details of the new plan. He is a Type II diabetic. With the Nutrisystem plan, he was able to eat some fruit again – something he sorely missed. I’ve told him that fruit is quite limited on this plan, plus he should forego the sugar-free ice cream he’s been eating at night. (Right now I’m trying to entice him with strawberries and heavy cream for tonight.)

If you’d like to try the recipe above, here is the link

ENJOY!

I’m hoping to be able to give you progress reports as I try to lose the rest of the lard.

Leave a comment

Filed under DIET!, Healthy Eating, Keto Eating Plan and Recipes We Like

Tagged as , ,