Monthly Archives: June 2012
Review of some no-carb and low-carb foods
I’ve ordered and tried several low carb options, and now I’ve even found some zero-carb food items to try. I ordered these items from Julian Bakery.
- Two loaves of bread: carb zero white and carb zero cinnamon
- Two candy bars, one regular, one raspberry
- A box of zero carb chocolate cookies
The bread – I’ve only tried the white bread so far. It’s dense, tasteless, and nothing to write home about. AND, it was $8 for a loaf! It’s similar to the texture of home-made flax bread. It doesn’t darken when toasted. It just gets really hard.
I don’t miss eating bread all that much. Sometimes, however, I’d just like a sandwich, or a piece of toast with peanut butter. This definitely is not worth the money and is not a very satisfying substitute.
I’ll update my blog with the cinnamon bread review soon.
The chocolate bars – Both chocolate bars tasted really really good. They were each a very good imitation of a high-carb bar, for only 2 carbs each. HOWEVER, it is really hot outside right now, and the box came with two extremely melted bars. I think I would either look for these in a store, or only order in the winter. They did ship from California, so maybe the winter idea wouldn’t work. The raspberry bar was dripping from the bottom, but, bonus!, it gave the plain chocolate bar a little raspberry flavor since it soaked up a bit of the juice.
The cookies – These were okay. They remind me a bit of the Snackwells chocolate cookie that I tried a few years ago. For zero carbs, they are a satisfying option. However, they are a little more than a dollar for each cookie, which should be factored in. I may try some home made cookie recipes from some keto recipe sites.
The problem with this whole order, is that I paid a REQUIRED $14 for shipping – supposedly 2-day air. The order arrived about ten days later. With the high price of the items, plus the shipping cost, these went over my usual food budget.
Day 161: Totally on track and some disappointing no carb bread
Total weight loss: 25 1/2 pounds
Monday morning started out with low carb yogurt. For lunch I made a bacon, spinach, and tomato on zero carb bread. The bread is really disappointing. I think I liked it just as well in a bowl last week.
I ate some almonds for a snack, since I knew I wouldn’t be eating dinner til around 7:30 at trivia.
At Albert’s, I ate the grilled chicken club salad with blue cheese. The dinner was delicious. The trivia score was not so great.
For dessert, I had a zero carb cookie. I’ll probably order these again, because they’re a nice conservative treat. I probably should investigate the ingredients, because who knows what I’m eating that makes them taste okay at zero carbs.
Day 159: Busy Saturday, not much time for food
Total weight loss: (sigh) 25 1/2 pounds
I actually was supposed to weigh in yesterday, but I feared the results after the high carb buffet binge. I guess my fears were grounded.
I’m going backwards here. Not drinking enough water, taking in too many carbs, have to get back on track. (The clothes are still getting larger, so go figure!)
I actually spent a little time last night getting out all my stored summer clothes and found that many items that were too small at the end of last year now fit. The dress I ordered for Brandon and Lindsey’s wedding in August also came and it is a size smaller than I was wearing when I started the keto plan. I guess I’ll just take it as it comes, but make a vow to get back on track this week.
Saturday was going to be a busy day. We were meeting the electrician at the rental house, then rushing back for our grandson’s birthday party with his friends at our house.
We took 40 minutes for breakfast at a breakfast buffet. I wasn’t thrilled with the choices. I grabbed some scramble eggs and squirted some nacho cheese on them, then added bacon to my plate. The bacon was floppy. YECK. I probably won’t try that again.
The we were off to work on floor scrubbing, molding, etc. etc.
We took a short break for lunch at Del Taco, and I had the burrito with no tortilla…and…a churro.
Back at the party, I had a small plate of taco salad with sour cream, then promptly fell asleep. It was odd, but I have been under quite a bit of stress: selling the house, the web business, big workload at the day job, tying up paperwork and loose ends after my dad’s death, and taking care of our own home. I’ve also been somewhat depressed and miss my dad. I guess it all hit me and I took a big long nap, woke up for a few hours before bedtime and ate a no carb cookie.
Anyway, I started the day on plan, then went over on carbs with the churro and how ever many tortilla chips were in the taco salad. End of story.
Day 158: The Greektown buffet and some exciting no-carb purchases
Total weight loss: 29 1/2 pounds
Friday started out with yogurt, then 2 servings of almonds for an early morning snack.
I had fulfilled my 40 hours by 1:30 pm, and Rick and I were going downtown to record my dad’s death certificate. He loves the buffet at the Greektown Casino, and wanted me to try it.
We were done with our errands by 2:30, and headed over to the buffet. I was underwhelmed. The food was just okay, but my attitude was probably spoiled because I decided to have a cheat meal and that always leaves me feeling overly full, tired, and lacking motivation. By my old eating standards, my cheat meals are saintly: I had a piece of pizza, a bit of chicken with sweet/sour sauce on rice, and some lasagna. (That is probably only the second time since I started the keto plan that I consumed pasta!)
I also had a dessert: a piece of pecan pie and a tartlet. And then I CRASHED. I honestly didn’t think I could walk back to the parking garage without falling over asleep. The food wasn’t all that tasty and once again, I had regrets for going off the plan.
I skipped dinner entirely. I was full, bloated and done eating for the day…or so I thought. Rick started reminiscing about the bacon wrapped hotdogs we used to get at the diner when we were teens (separately… we didn’t know each other that long ago). Around 10 pm, I decided to take some of my already-cooked bacon and wrap it around 2 hot dogs. I nuked them, topped with cheese and onions, and had a late night snack. I followed the dogs with a no-carb cookie from the food order that was waiting for me on the porch when we got back from the casino. The cookie was just okay, but it will be a nice option if I’m ever desperate for a cookie.
Day 157: Oops…a margarita foils my day
Total weight loss: 29 1/2 pounds
The day started off well enough, yogurt for breakfast, almonds for a snack.
For lunch, I had a warmed up KFC breast* [please see this comment] and decided it wasn’t enough. (I told you, I’ve been hungrier than usual lately. I decided to have another of my patented BLS on a tortilla. Oops, however, I forgot to bring the tortillas to work. Sigh, okay, I have now invented a different version of the bacon, lettuce, and spinach. This one is in a bowl. And it’s MUCH healthier than a KFC bowl!
I forgot to mention that I made up a pan of “baked bacon” earlier in the week, so I’ve had plenty on hand when I need it.
Thursday night is family trivia night. We play at different bars each week, and this week we were going to play at 9 pm at Applebee’s. I knew I would be starving by 9, since lunch was at 1 pm. After work, Rick and I went to US 12 for some drinks and appetizers. I had Absolut and Diet Coke with steak bites….doing great on the carbs so far.
Then I went to Applebee’s. They have this special omn Margarita’s. I said, no. Then I watched my niece Marsha drinking hers and it looked soooo good. I ordered one, then, instead of a healthy choice, I ordered the cheesy artichoke dip with chips. It wasn’t great. Why oh why do I never learn? If I’m going to cheat on carbs, I should plan it carefully and not waste my time eating something that is less that heavenly. All in all, the margarita was good; the appetizer wasn’t great. I wish I had just stuck to fajitas and water like I did the week before.
Day 156: Jar vs. home made, no comparison
Total weight loss: 29 1/2 pounds
Yesterday was hump day. Started out with a yogurt. Then I had some almonds for a midmorning snack. I’ve been pretty hungry lately, and I don’t know why, but the yogurt isn’t keeping me full until lunch anymore.
I have been sadly lacking in water consumption. I do have to come up with a plan that will help me remember to drink more water. I’ve read tricks, like drink an 8-ounce glass before each meal, plus one when you rise in the morning and another at bedtime. I am just so OC that I get totally involved at whatever project I’m working on and I forget to get a glass of water now and then. It’s a goal to strive for, because I know I lose more weight on weeks where I drink a sufficient amount.
Rick took me out to lunch. I had two coney dogs with cheese and no buns. They were good, plus it’s always nice to take a midday break from my cubicle on a sunny day.
Ah, dinner. It was quite disappointing.
I had leftover spaghetti squash, so I decided to try the new jar of Ragu alfredo sauce in a jar I picked up last week. It’s low carb, and I enjoyed the spaghetti squash alfredo I made at home, so I thought it would be a great option for a night when I was too busy to cook.
I was wrong. It tasted like bleck. It had a sort of “processed” taste, chemical-flavored? It was also very bland. I’m sure I could add some garlic or spices to the remainder of the jar and try again, but the whole meal turned me off. The net result was that I was full, I had eaten under my carb limit, but I was very dissatisfied with the meal. I like spicy food, and it just had no flavor.
Day 155: A busy day and a Burger King whopper
Total weight loss: 29 1/2 pounds
Yesterday was a typical day at work. I had yogurt for breakfast and a BLT for lunch. Okay, it was actually a bacon, spinach and tomato, so a BST. I made the sandwich in a low carb tortilla and add some mayo. It’s delish!
I had some almonds for lunch.
I stopped at Burger King on the way home from work, because we were going to be too busy to make dinner. Last night was pool opening night and my niece and her kids, plus daughter Cindy and the grandkids were all coming to help us take off the 27 foot cover. It went swimmingly!
Anyway, back to BK. I ordered a double whopper with cheese, no ketchup and removed the bun. It was okay, and I was sated. Worked for me! I’m sure there are all kinds of hidden fillers in the meat, and other things that make this a less than perfect choice. However, I’ve learned to adapt to this keto plan and do the best I can.
Day 154: Something different at trivia
Weight loss: 29 1/2 pounds
Back to the old grind…Monday started with yogurt. For lunch, I was going to eat a leftover KFC breast* [please see this comment], but Brandon was running across the street for some KFC for himself, and he grabbed me a fresh, hot one. It was quite delicious. (Which is odd, since I never particularly cared for fried chicken. Perhaps the keto regimen has made me crave fat and skin now? LOL)
I ate some almonds for a snack.
Dinner was at trivia. Instead of the usual grilled chicken salad, I ordered fajitas. I asked in advance for the rice, tortillas, and beans to be put in a to-go container. My trivia team mate, Dave, ate the tortilla chips and salsa that came with the meal.
All in all, it’s getting easier and easier to adhere to this plan. It’s pretty much a life style now.
Day 153: Graduation party
Total weight loss: 29 1/2 pounds
Yesterday was Sunday. We had lots of work to do on the rental house – it’s ALMOST ready to sell. We started out at the local diner, as usual. I had a 3 cheese omelet and bacon, as usual. LOL
There wasn’t much time for lunch, so I grabbed a KFC original recipe breast. Linz looked it up and it’s only 4 carbs, so it’s a great option for a quickie lunch.**[please see this comment]
We were due at a graduation party, which I figured wouldn’t tempt me too much. I’ve been through quite a few parties now, and I can usually find something low carb.
I chose a hot dog, no bun; sloppy joe, no bun; and some dip and cauliflower.
Then the temptation set in…. I DO LOVE tortilla chips and cheese. I took 7.
After watching my fellow keto family (Bran and Linz) devour about a dozen cupcakes of various flavors, I succumbed to peer pressure. I ate one choco-peanut butter cupcake. It wasn’t worth the carbs. (Not that it wasn’t good. It just wasn’t good enough to risk slowing down the weight loss.)
I have to have that thought in the forefront of my mind when it starts playing temptation tricks on me.