Category Archives: Bacon on keto
Day 70: Back to work and a lovely evening
Weight loss: 17.5 pounds; next weigh day: Sat., Mar 24th
Again, I missed breakfast. I took my egg/sausage meal with me to work, but didn’t have time to heat it. I decided to have a yogurt instead, but didn’t have time to eat that and forgot about it.
Around noon, I had a handful of almonds and I called Rick to ask him to meet me for lunch. He came up around 2 and we went to Checkers where I feasted on a Baconzilla.
After work, we went to see my dad at the nursing home. He was himself and it was a great visit out in the courtyard, so I called Marsha and the family came up to join us. We stayed until about 8 pm, then set off for dinner.
We had planned to visit for only a little while, then go find an outdoor cafe. Instead, we went up to trivia at Albert’s so I could deliver the gift card we won last week, so the team could pay for their meal. Rick and I ate pizza out on the patio. I, of course, didn’t eat the crust. I had a vodka and Diet Coke to end our beautiful, relaxing evening.
Day 67: Seeing progress–a good weigh day
Today’s weight loss: 2.5 pounds; total weight loss: 17.5
I was relieved and happy to see the numbers starting to go down for a change. It still seems like slow progress, but as Rick says, it’s going in the right direction.
TGIF. I worked four 10-hr days Monday thru Thursday, so my weekend began yesterday. Rick and I started our day at the Toast diner. I tried a 3-cheese mushroom omelet with a side order of crispy bacon, and it was very tasty. I forgot how much I used to enjoy mushrooms with my eggs.
Around noon, we worked on cleaning out the garage and I skipped lunch. After going to the funeral home to see a coworker whose mother passed away, I was tired and hungry and didn’t feel like doing much, including tiling the floor as I had originally planned. We stopped to get some groceries then headed home.
I heated up 2 Beddar Cheddars with a side of almonds and had a quick nap.
I didn’t have much for dinner: some microwaved cheese chips with guacamole.
A few hours later, I had quite a few carbs left so I made 2 pieces of low carb toast with almond butter.
Day 65: Love that Indian food
Weight loss: 15 pounds; next weigh-in: Sat, Mar 17th
I got to work at 8 and never had time for breakfast. To hold me over until my late lunch date, I had a handful of almonds.
It was a beautiful sunny day, so Rick and I decided to meet for lunch and Checkers and eat outside. It’s only a little ways from work, so I walked down to meet him and we had a nice time outdoors for a bit.
I ordered a Baconzilla with mayo and tossed away the bun. 
I worked until 6:30, then met my niece Marsha at the nursing home to visit my dad. The visit didn’t go too well, he was depressed and not too aware of what was going on. I didn’t get home until 8.
Rick had thawed some chicken tenders for me, so I cut them into pieces and made some Indian butter chicken from the convenient package mix. I chopped up a half head of leftover cauliflower and micro’d it a couple of minutes to use as the rice base. I didn’t eat dinner until 10 pm, so I ate very little. I followed it with some chocolate mousse.
I know it was way too late to eat, but I usually don’t get to bed until after 1 a.m., so it’s probably the equivalent of most people eating dinner at 6, then going to bed by 9 or 10 p.m.
I did my day’s calculations and was way under on the carbs again. I also drank very little water. Time to get back on track with both of those goals today.
Day 60: Bad weigh-in; time for a cheat day!
Today’s weight loss: PLUS TWO – ACK; total weight loss: 15 pounds
Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting that! I’ve been carefully counting my carbs and I’ve been under all week. My clothes are getting looser and I feel great. Why oh why did I GAIN?
I was actually UNDER carbs by about 6 yesterday, and probably didn’t drink enough water. I’ve been reading up on reasons for weight gain in keto, and I’ve found a lot about the importance of eating enough fat, avoiding being UNDER carb count, and drinking more water. I think it’s time for a re-set and a better effort.
I’ve been avoiding it, but it’s time: I’m going on a cheat day today to see if I can get my metabolism moving. I’m also going to be sure to eat enough and drink more water in the coming week. If I’m going to work the keto plan, I need to do it right. On other diets, not eating as much as the allotted amount may work, but that hinders progress on keto (or so I’ve been reading, anyway).
Yesterday started with my usual breakfast. For lunch, we met George and Beccy at the Twisted Rooster. I ordered the Diablo burger, which was topped with pepper jack cheese, jalapeno bacon, hay stack onions, and a chipotle aioli. I removed the onions because they were breaded, and most of my sauce was stuck to them, so I asked for a small dish with more. I HOPE this aioli didn’t have any weird ingredients of sweeteners, but there was no way to find out. And, of course, I removed the bun, as well, and gave Rick my fries.
The burger was good. the jalapeno bacon added quite a bit of flavor. After the bun and onions were removed, it didn’t look like much of a meal for $8, but it was quite filling – almost like eating a steak.
The bad part about a meal like this is the unknown quantity of ingredients that will mess up my carb counth. Was the spicy burger filled with any kind of high-carb ingredient? What about the jalapeno bacon? Sounds safe, because bacon is a-okay, but who knows if there is some kind of hidden carb in it? I think I’m going to lay off the unknown menu items for a bit and stick to eating at home for the next week, where I know exactly what I’m eating.
Later in the afternoon, I was working on websites and had a handful of almonds and a dish of sugar free jello. Rick felt a cold coming on and took a nap. Around 8 pm, we were both hungry, so I made a late dinner of quesadillas using Mama Lupe’s tortillas.
They turned out very well, and I was well under 20 grams of carbs for the daily count.
Day 58: Another successful dinner out
Weight loss: 17 pounds; next weigh-in: Saturday, Mar 10th
Typical morning at work. It was busy as all get out and every time I started back to the kitchen to heat my eggs, I was interrupted. The result was I still hadn’t eaten by noon.
Rick was coming by work to drop off the truck and ride his bike back home. I asked him to pick me up something for brunch, because the eggs had lost their luster.
I check out Wendy’s online and lo and behold, they have some customization options. After selecting the item you want from the food menu, look for nutritional information. On that page, is a button that says “personalize it.” I was able to remove the bun and honey mustard sauce from the grilled chicken sandwich and see that the results made the meal only 3 grams of carbs. I personalized a side salad to go with it, and submitted my order to Rick, the carryout delivery guy.
Rick picked up and delivered, and the results were very satisfying. Although I rarely eat there, I’ve always thought Wendy’s chicken breasts were very big and moist, and it was just as good without the bun. I was just happy to outsmart the fast-food carb monster once again.
I had dinner plans with my friend Shelly. We met at Red Robin, where I had the guacamole cheeseburger again. This time, I didn’t ask for a lettuce bun. The concept was great, but the guac tends to smoosh around between the lettuce leaves. I opted for the side salad instead of bottomless fries again. As usual, they were tempting me from Shelly’s plate across the table. I ate about an inch off of the end of one. That was enough.
As I contemplate what to add to a potential cheat day menu, steak fries become a great possibility. Those, and perhaps pasta, are the only things I can’t successfully replicate in a low-carb option.
Dessert was chocolate mousse.
Day 52: Burger and drinks at the bar
Weight loss: 14 pounds; next weigh-in: tomorrow
Getting antsy about weighing in tomorrow. I sure hope I see some weight loss.
Yesterday, I had egg breakfast and almond snack at work.
I had to leave early for an appointment. I rushed home to pick up some paperwork and decided I’d better eat since dinner would be much later.
I piled some taco meat on a plate, topped it with salsa, grated cheese, and sour cream. I ate the last of the Mexican rice as an accompaniment. I just skipped the shell completely, because it was quicker, and it’s really not necessary when one needs a Mexican food fix.
It was nearly 8 pm when I left my appointment, and I needed a drink. Rick and I went to Beaver Creek and I had 2 vodka and Diet Cokes. I debated getting a salad, but instead chose a 1/2 pound burger, no bun, with bacon, grilled onions, and pepper jack cheese. Of course they came with some delicious looking steak fries, which were donated to a good cause: Rick.
Okay, this picture isn’t authentic; I stole it from Yelp. I was tired and forgot to take a picture for the blog, but mine did look just like this — without the bun.
I asked for some mayo and that added a bit of flavor to the burger. I took my usual 1/2 bite of fry, and moved the rest to the other side of the table.
We had chocolate mousse for a late dessert when we got home.
Day 48: Sunday at home; steak dinner
Total weight loss: 14 pounds
Next weigh-in: Saturday, March 3rd
Yesterday morning was a quiet pleasant Sunday. I made myself three scrambled eggs with cheese and onion. I had some leftover bacon, so I warmed that up to go with the eggs. I usually eat while doing my NYT Sunday puzzle, but I wanted to catch up on Downton Abbey, so I watched the Christmas Special, instead. I enjoyed the leisurely meal and entertainment.
We intended to go work on the rental house, but Rick started cleaning out the garage. This led to a couple of bins and boxes of my dad’s paperwork landing in my office. Since I have been looking for some of his documents, plus I didn’t want my office to get messy, I spent the afternoon and evening going through everything. I stopped for a quick almond snack around 3, but worked straight through until about 8:30.
Lucky for me, Rick took care of the cooking. When I finally came up for air, he had a grilled steak and portobello mushrooms waiting for me. Those big juicy mushrooms make up for my usual baked potato, or baked sweet potato, and I don’t miss either of those foods.
We watched the Oscars while we ate. The meal was delicious. I had a big glass of Silk unsweetened almond milk (zero net carbs) to go along with the meal.
Dessert was chocolate mousse. I think the result was my lowest daily carb count so far: only 6 net carbs!
Day 47: Keto-friendly Red Robin dinner
Weight loss to date: 14 lbs. Next weigh-in: Saturday, March 3rd
Big deadline looming at work, so I had to go in for a few hours. Rick and I took the time to go to the diner for breakfast, and I had 3 scrambled eggs with 6 pieces of bacon.
A few hours later, I ate a low-carb Kroger yogurt with some chili-lime almonds. It was a light meal, and I saved lots of carbs for dinner/movie night.
Rick and I sometimes do the Red Robin movie/dinner deal, so I looked up my keto-friendly possibilities. Red Robin is on top of things! They have an Iphone (and website) app that allows you to swap out meal ingredients and check the nutrition as you do so. It’s called the Red Robin Customizer. They also have lots of burger bun options, including a big lettuce bun. Smart marketing, Red Robin!
I installed the app and had some fun playing with options. I decided to get the guacamole bacon burger with a lettuce bun for 7 net carbs. I also saw that their wing appetizers were only 2 carbs, but decided not to get them when I got to the restaurant. The appetizer was 9.99, or I could choose a side salad in place of the fries that came with the burger – for free.
The burger and salad were both very good. The burger itself was really tasty. It was easy to eat on the lettuce bun–if a little too large for my tiny mouth. Near the end, the guacamole started sliding around and misplacing the bun. I had to use a knife and fork to eat the last 1/4 of the burger.
The most difficult part of the meal was watching Rick eat his bottomless steak fries. I like those ALOT. Trying to be helpful, he moved the ketchup bottle in front of the plate, but I knew they were there. At the end of the meal, I took 1/3 of one steak fry and chewed it slowly. It was very good, and that got the craving out of my system.
I know I could probably binge and eat something like that now and then, but after yesterday’s zero weight loss, I’m not very tempted. That tiny taste kept me satisfied.
We went to see Safe House. It was a little too action-packed for my taste. I hate the “shakey-cam.” Dessert was at home: sf lime jello.
Day 45: A successful bread discovery
Weight loss to date: 14 pounds
Next weigh-in: Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012
Yesterday began as usual, at work with a McRick breakfast. I had an almond snack about 11.
I didn’t eat lunch until around 2. I brought taco salad to heat up, but I really wasn’t looking forward to it. I was debating just going out to search for low-carb fast food, but I didn’t have the gumption or the time. I was hungry, yet nothing I could think of appealed to me.
Brandon offered me a low-carb Kroger yogurt. He had 3 in stock back in the kitchen. I tried the raspberry and it was really flavorful. That will be going on my (Rick’s) grocery list right away. It was only 4 carbs and it really hit the spot.
After work, we stopped by to visit my dad, but he was sleeping. We headed on home and I immediately tried a recipe I had found online and been meaning to try. I haven’t missed bread because I crave the flavors or taste of it; I’ve missed having something to use for a sandwich or to convey dips to my lips.
This recipe for foccacia-style flax bread was on about.com in their low carb recipe section. It appeared to be pretty simple, so I started assembling the ingredients when I got home: milled flax seed, eggs, oil, baking powder, and water. After mixing those together and letting them sit for about 5 minutes, I poured the batter(?) into a 10×14 pan lined with parchment paper. I sprayed the paper with a little Pam first. I baked it for about 20 mins at 350 and it couldn’t have been easier.
The bread had a nice texture, but was very cake-like. It also doesn’t taste like much. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not bad at all. It just doesn’t have much flavor. I don’t think Wonder bread has much flavor either, but it gets the sandwich ingredients to my mouth, and that’s about all I was hoping for.
Rick was about to make himself a couple of chicken sandwiches, so I stole a bit of the chicken and some onion. After assembling the sandwich, with the addition of some mayo, of course, I realized that bacon would add some zest.
I ran down to the freezer, got out a pound, and thawed it in the microwave. As it was cooking on the stove, I made a few tiny appetizers using the bread cut in small pieces and topped with crab spread. YUM.
After the bacon was cooked, I added that too my sandwich. It was a pretty good dinner, with some chili lime almonds on the side.
This bread is labeled: SUCCESS
I intend to make up another batch in a day or so. This time, I’m going to experiment with adding some garlic or cheese (thanks for the idea, Matt and Brandon).
Dessert was chocolate mousse.
Day 39: Progress!
Weight loss: 2 pounds Total weight loss: 14 pounds
Oh, this is much better. It’s been 4 days since my last weigh-in and I’ve lost 2 pounds. I will now continue to weigh in only once a week, on Saturdays. I knew logically that if I continue to eat on this plan, I will lose weight, but going up and down a 1/2 pound or a pound at a time was very frustrating after eating nearly perfectly to the ketogenic plan. Seeing bigger numbers once a week should be much more satisfying.
I only needed to go into work for 4 hours yesterday, so Rick and I had a leisurely breakfast at the diner. I chose the spinach/feta/tomato omelet with 4 pieces of bacon. It was a filling start to the day.
After work, we went to Costco. I walked through the cheese and dip section looking at the carb count on all the products. I purchased the tzaziki sauce (2g), a jalapeno yogurt dip (1g), a crab dip (1g), guacamole (1g), and of course, Dubliner cheese. I’ve been eating a couple of avocados a week, but they spoil quickly. I’ve had the Costco guac at my friend Walter’s house and it was pretty good, so I thought the guacamole would be more cost-effective than avocados, due to the individually wrapped portions.
I walked through the cracker/chips aisle hoping to find something low carb, to no avail. Nothing good in the frozen section, except the vegetables, of course. I thought I might find pre-made eggplant lasagna or something like it, but nope.
I looked at the nutritional info on so many items, that I automatically checked the back panel on the shampoo I was looking at! Oops.
After making it through Costco for just under $200, we were both hungry. (We NEVER get out of there without spending lots of money, but we do have plenty of toilet paper and paper towel!) I had been craving a 5 Guys burger earlier in the week, so we dropped in there. Rick was concerned that I would be tempted by the french fries, but I’ve never been a big fan of theirs.
I ordered a bacon cheeseburger (the 2 patty version) with mayo and double grilled onions (no charge). I wasn’t sure if their relish is sweet pickle or regular pickle and the sweet type has a few more carbs, so I passed on the relish. Rick automatically ordered two pops, so even though I’ve cut down drastically on my diet soda intake, I decided to live it up! They had a cool new pop dispenser and I found Coke Zero lime, which was really a treat.
Back at the table, I removed top and bottom bun (of course) and ate with a knife and fork. It was a flavorful experience, and I ate slowly while finishing a crossword puzzle. Low carb, good flavor, win, win.
After a visit with my dad, we went home for the evening, and I headed to my office to work on client websites. We’re also updating our own website. It’s been a few years since we revamped it, and we were never really satisfied with the lack of information on the original site (the shoemakers children, etc.). While working, I snacked on some cocoa-flavored almonds. They were just okay, but I could see how they might be a nice treat if I am ever craving a chocolate fix.
For dinner, I reheated the other half of the Indian butter chicken and cauliflower, topped it with sour cream, and enjoyed it just as much as I had the day before. Dessert was chocolate mousse.
This keto plan is really the most satisfying I have ever come across. I have craved carbs maybe one time in the last 5 1/2 weeks. I don’t crave junk food, and I can pass up donuts, sweets, and chips without batting an eye, because I know that there is some form of low carb treat I’ll be able to eat instead. Of course, I have to give a big shout out to Rick! He has gone out of his way to study which foods are low carb, keeps the larder stocked, and cooks up dinners that I can eat on the plan, even while he sometimes makes a second meal for himself. The ironic thing is that he likes BBWs. That’s true self-sacrifice on his part. LOL
Thanks, honey.
In three days, I will have been eating on this plan for 6 weeks and so far I’ve lost nearly 15 pounds. I think I have gone over on my carb count 1 or 2 times – barely – and I have enjoyed many many of the meals. I have more energy, and it’s pretty thrilling to feel my clothes get looser. I haven’t had this much success on any of the past 5 or 6 attempts to cut calories and exercise. Viva keto!