Category Archives: Indian butter chicken
Day 3: Successfully dodging the temptations at work
Yesterday was hump day. I started the day with breakfast at home: scrambled eggs with cheese and a side of bacon.
I decided to start acknowledging the successes in each day:
- There was a workshop going on at work. I circumnavigated the donut and juice table and went to my cubicle.
- On the way to the printer, I passed the Doritos, grabbed my paper and returned to my cubicle.
- After a skype meeting with the boss, I ignored the candybar bowl and grabbed a handful of almonds from the can in my drawer.
WHEW. I made it! I may “fail” quite a bit at staying on plan, but I also succeed several times a day/week/month.
I heated up my Indian butter chicken over cauliflower for lunch.
Once home, around 7pm, I relaxed with my man and a Michelob Ultra 2.5 carb beer. For a snack, I had barbecued pork rinds. I can’t believe it myself. The thought of pork rinds used to make me gag. They weren’t so bad, especially since they are zero carb. I can see this is one of those items I need to buy in bulk from Amazon. In fact, I’m a little disappointed that Amazon no longer offers 3 packs of chili lime almonds. I can only order one pack as an add-on to any $25 order. Bring back the cheap 3-packs, Amazon! I need my daily almonds.
For dinner, I heated a Costco pot roast and made 2 or 3 days’ worth of cauliflower mashed potatoes. It’s good to be prepared!
Rick and I have started watching old episodes of the Twilight Zone on Hulu. We each had an Adkins coconut bar.
Day 178: Work work work
Total weight loss: 31 1/2 pounds
Thursday started well. We didn’t eat breakfast until late, and we ate at a local place called, “Toast.”
I ordered a cheese and mushroom omelet with a side of bacon. I packed hashbrowns and toast to go for Rick to have at his leisure. The food was good, and the mushrooms added a delicious tanginess to my eggs.
We worked on the house all day, painting, tiling, cleaning, and generally making it appealing so it will sell.
Lunch was a burrito with no tortilla from Del Taco. I strayed a bit and ate a churro. Oops.
Dinner was Indian butter chicken.
Day 172: Small weight loss is better than a gain
Today’s weight loss: 1/2 pound
Total weight loss: 31 1/2 pounds
Not thrilled, but still happy to be maintaining and losing size. I decided to have a cheat meal today and, hopefully, kick the weight loss up a notch.
Yesterday was Friday. I had a yogurt for breakfast and almonds for snack.
Rick came by and took me to the My Place Diner. I once again ordered a flaming cheese and a single coney dog without bun. It was a nice afternoon break. I usually worked through lunch at my desk, but I’ve decided to get out more often, because I come back refreshed and ready to get back to work, especially now that I eat low-carb lunches. Back in the day, I would eat something heavy and carb-laden and want an afternoon nap afterwards. Keto has changed all that.
We decided to skip working on the house. It was a beautiful, hot hot day, and I wanted to get to the pool. I quickly threw together some Indian butter chicken and popped it into the microwave. There is nothing easier! Water, butter, a packet and some quickly thawed chicken tenders chopped into bite-size pieces. Nuke for 22 minutes on half power, and voila!
While the chicken was cooking, I shredded half a head of cauliflower in the food processor. When the chicken was done, I put the cauliflower in for 5 minutes. Then I popped out to the pool.
A few hours later, I was soggy and happy. I joined Rick on the deck and drank two bottles of Michelob Ultra – 2.6 carbs each, then warmed up my Indian meal.
It was a perfect keto meal and great end to the day. Dessert was 2 squares of 70% chocolate with natural peanut butter.
Day 111: Wait a minute? I can have French onion chip dip?
Total weight loss: 20 pounds. Next weigh-in: Saturday, May 5th
Yesterday was Sunday, and I did my usual work at the computer when I woke up. I caught up on the week’s web business invoices and records. I’ve never been a breakfast person. I have to force myself to eat before 3-4 hours have passed, just because I know I must to wake up my metabolism. However, Sunday’s I go easy on myself.
Brunch was at Pizza Hut. We had tried it for it’s keto-friendliness a couple of weeks ago, and it worked out well. I ordered the personal pan pizza, salad, Diet Coke deal for $6.99. I love building a big salad at the bar, and I topped it with creamy Italian and bacon bits. The waitress helpfully suggested that she’d ask for thick toppings when I told I’d be skipping the crust.
For dinner, I reheated the Indian Butter chicken.
I was trying to think of uses for the new cheese snacks, when it hit me! I can eat chip dip. It’s basically sour cream. So, we picked some up and I ate tiny little cheesy crisps with dip while we watched some tube.
Dessert was 2 squares of 70% chocolate topped with a tbsp of peanut butter.
Day 110: Surviving the disappointment
Total weight loss: 20 pounds. Today’s results: +4 pounds
Next weigh-in: Saturday, May 5th
Egad, that was a huge let down…a FOUR POUND gain?
I know it’s all water weight (I can feel it!), but PULEEZ, one bad dinner and a finger-full of donut creme shouldn’t cause that much weight gain!
I’ll keep on keeping on, but knowing I lost 27 pounds was so much more gratifying than a measly 20. Nothing to do but keep going (and drink LOTS more water).
I have to say, I was tempted to just go crazy and have something off plan for breakfast. However, how much off plan can one really go at breakfast? lol
I ate a cheese and onion omelet with a side of bacon and garnished with sour cream. It was really really good. It reminded me of a cheese pierogi. I’ll have to get that again soon.
So, the bad part is, I ate breakfast so late and we became so entrenched on working on the house repairs, that I skipped lunch. I know, this is probably really messing up my metabolism. If anything, the weight gain was from not eating enough regular meals, not from one big blow out.
For dinner, I made Indian Butter chicken. It is a meal that makes me feel like I’m cheating, even when I’m not. It’s just soooo good. Served it over a bed of cauliflower “rice” of course.
I’m just going to keep sticking to this plan. The pants are still loose. What have I got to lose?
Day 96: Inches coming off
Total weight loss: 26.5 pounds. Next weigh-in: Saturday, April 21st
Day 94: Back on track
Total weight loss: 27.5 pounds Next weigh-in: Saturday, April 14th
Yesterday continued my vacation week. We had more construction work to do, and we decided to try another new restaurant.
I woke up late (the perks of vacation!) and had brunch for my first meal. I chose two lovely chili dogs with no buns and topped them with mustard. Skip the fries, etc.
After another day of accomplishment at the rental, Rick and I headed home. I worked on Palmerworks websites for awhile, then decided to make a quick Indian butter chicken meal and use up the rest of the cauliflower for rice. I topped the dish with sour cream and it was heavenly. It was so delicious, I wanted to eat the entire recipe, instead of half. I decided to sit it out for a few minutes, and after letting the food actually hit my stomach, I was okay with one serving. It’s all about timing, eh?
I made chocolate mousse for dessert. Back on track, still under on calories, but it’s good to get back in the keto groove.
Day 80: Anyone else like cream cheese?
Total weight loss: 21.5 pounds Next weigh-in: tomorrow!
I started work at 8 a.m. Another crazy day at work, another missed breakfast.
At noon, Rick took me to get coney dogs at the local diner. I asked for them without buns, and all was well.
Around 4, I ate the usual handful of almonds.
At 7:30 p.m., I left work tired and hungry. Thankfully, I had a serving of Indian butter chicken and cauliflower rice left over.
Around 9 p.m, I wanted a little snack. I still had about 8 carbs left. I ate 3 oz of cream cheese. Odd, I know, but delicious.
As a side note, I found this about the benefits of eating cream cheese. Okay, it was a site for pregnant women, but the bennies still hold true for the rest of us.
Benefits of cream cheeses:
Cream cheeses, unlike other unsafe cheeses are made from pasteurized milk which makes it safe to eat.- They are a good source of protein.
- Calcium and phosphorous content of cream cheeses can be trusted highly in preventing bone decalcification.
- The carbohydrate content of cream cheeses is in a minimum extent so would not add on weight to your body.
- They have considerable amount of vitamin A.
I was still well under carb count (and calorie count) for the day. I just hope I don’t UNDER do it and trigger starvation mode (if it even exists!).
Day 79: Surviving the celebration lunch at work
Total weight loss: 21.5 pounds Next weigh-in: Sat., March 31st
Yesterday was our celebration day at work. Our first shipment of the new engineering textbook we’ve been working on for more than a year was due. As it happens, the shipment didn’t come in on time; however, lunch went on as planned.
I ate a yogurt for breakfast, since lunch was at noon and I wanted to be hungry enough to enjoy it.
We went to Hayden’s, which is one of my favorite area restaurants. I hadn’t been there since my birthday last November, which was before keto.
The menu offered a few keto-friendly sandwich and entree choices. The appetizers were not anything that I could eat. The boss ordered some fried mozarella balls. I tried one and it didn’t have a lot of breading, so I ate 2 more. I’ll have fun trying to figure out the carb count on those.
I opted for the blue cheese, bacon, balsamic burger. It came open-faced and I moved the bun to my bread plate, but ate the burger using the bottom bun as a sort of bed. The bacon was nice and crisp and the burger was well cooked. It was a great low-carb choice.
Dessert. Hmm. Since it was a celebration, the boss told us to select whatever we wanted. There DEFINITELY wasn’t a good choice on the menu. Cheesecake, ice cream, waffles, carbs, carbs, carbs. I was a little tempted to call it a cheat day and order the deep fried Oreos, but nah. If I’m going to have a cheat day, it’s going to be on my own terms with at least 2 of my favorite forbidden meals.
My coworker Jim and I are also on the Monday night trivia team. We often share what we order. He piles his jalapenos on my plate, and I give him extras of things I don’t like. He very graciously gave me a small bite of his cheesecake. It was okay. No big temptation and crisis averted. Here’s a lovely picture of what I DIDN’T eat.
I wonder if I would eat a deep-fried Oreo on a cheat day? Maybe, maybe not.
I worked until 6:30, and I became a little hungry by 5. I ate a handful of almonds.
Back home after work, I did a few chores, then thawed and cooked some chicken tenders in Indian butter chicken sauce. I put it over the usual cauliflower “rice” and topped the dish with sour cream. YUMMMMMY. I followed it with a bowl of keto-friendly chocolate mousse.