Category Archives: keto recipes
Day 103: Let the weekend begin!
Total weight loss: 24 pounds. Next weigh-in: Saturday, April 28th
Saturday morning began with a small breakfast of leftovers: the pizza squasherole with some almonds. I worked at home on the budget and some web design.
For lunch, we went to Del Taco. I must admit, after my bad weigh-in, I was a little frustrated. I ordered the mucho burrito and tossed the tortilla, but I was really really tempted to buy a churro. I thought about it, but decided that eating a cheat meal after a bad weigh-in is a bad idea. I need to thoughtfully, carefully, plan a cheat meal, or even a cheat day, not do it emotionally. I did have 4 of Rick’s french fries.
We worked on installing doors at the rental house, then went to visit my dad. It was late when we arrived home, and I, of course, had nothing planned to eat. I got out 3 pieces of sliced ham, spread cream cheese on them, and topped them with onion. I rolled each into a loose sandwich and that was dinner. Oh, I had some almonds as a light accompaniment.
Dessert was 2 pieces of 70% cocoa bar with peanut butter.
Day 96: Inches coming off
Total weight loss: 26.5 pounds. Next weigh-in: Saturday, April 21st
Day 88: A big fat ZERO
Today’s weight loss: ZERO
Total weight loss: 21.5 pounds Next weigh-in: Saturday, April 14th
AARRRGGGHHHH.
I’m tired of agonizing over what I could be doing wrong. My clothes are getting looser. That’s a plus. But, man oh man, I would sure love to see more progress when I get on the scale.
So, I’ll just keep keeping on. No alternative.
Yesterday was my numero uno vacation day. We started out eating at a new diner. I ordered the cheese omelet with onions and a side of bacon. It was great! The cheese/onion combination was very “pieorgi-like,” so I asked for a side of sour cream and it was even better. The bacon was also thin and crispy, just the way I like it. I finished my Friday NYT crossword, and declared it a wonderful beginning to my vacation week.
>We were off on lots of errands after that. When we got home, I wasn’t really hungry for lunch, so I had some almonds.
Rick napped, I relaxed and watched some “The Good Wife” episodes. It was nice just hanging out for a couple of hours.
Later in the evening, I joined Rick out on the deck. I wanted to have a vodka/diet drink, but hadn’t eaten much, so I made some ham, cream cheese, and onion pinwheels. You know, the kind mom made in the 60’s. You roll them up, then cut them and they look like little pinwheels…or eyeballs, if you ask me. Anyway, it was something I thought of the other night when trying to find a conveyance to get the cream cheese into my mouth without just eating it out of the package. Apparently, my family members think it’s an odd thing to do.
For dinner (at 9 pm!), I chopped up a bit of the chicken Rick had grilled. I put it in a large low carb flat bread and topped with cheese, onions, salsa, and sour cream. Those are my go-to toppings for just about everything.
Dessert was 2 pieced of 70% chocolate topped with organic peanut butter. I think I went over about 4 carbs.
Day 86: Deli fare
Total weight loss: 21.5 pounds Next weigh-in: Saturday, April 7th
I skipped breakfast since I was busy and not very hungry. My appetite is definitely waning this week.
For lunch, I ate 2 beddar cheddars.
After work, I had an impromptu hair appointment. I was pretty hungry and we had time to explore Plymouth, so we stopped a little deli. I ordered the chicken caesar chiabbata sandwich with parmesan cheese. Of course, I didn’t eat the bread. It was filling and had nice flavor. I like that I am far more adept at wading through the high carb menu items than I was at the beginning. I can usually find something that is adaptable to the keto plan.
In the evening, I worked on my dad’s paperwork again. This time for about 3 hours. When I was done, I wanted a drink. I had a vodka and Diet Coke out on the deck with Rick. I wasn’t hungry for dinner, so I ate some almonds instead.
After watching some TV, Rick wanted dessert, so I whipped up some mousse.
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 78: Yummy chicken tacos
Total weight loss: 21.5 pounds Next weigh-in: Sat., March 31st
I finally started the day with breakfast. I made time to heat yesterday’s uneaten eggs and sausage.
Rick and I went out for lunch again. I’ve really enjoyed taking an hour and leaving work to hang out with Rick. All of these young friends of mine that have died recently have made an impact on many of my decisions. I used to work 10 hours and eat at my desk while working. Now I say the heck with that and I leave for an enjoyable lunch with my husband.
We went to the local diner and I ordered the jalapeno chicken club. I just told the waitress to keep the bun and I enjoyed a large grilled chicken breast topped with bacon, jalapeno cheese, and tomato.
Eating a full breakfast and healthy lunch left me with no need for a snack during the afternoon. I was pretty hungry by 6 p.m., but before going home, we stopped by to visit my dad. He’s not looking very good, and obviously wanted to sleep, so we didn’t stay long.
My new bicycle seat was delivered today, so Rick helped me mount it to my bike, and I took a quick ride. It felt much better than my old seat, and I look forward to getting some exercise when it warms up a little outside.
By the time we were done, it was nearly 8 p.m. I chopped up some leftover chicken and filled 3 Mama Lupe’s shells with the chicken, onions, cheese, salsa, and sour cream. The tacos were really really good and a quick, nutritious dinner. I skipped dessert and was well under on my carb count.
Day 76: Not much intake; lots of activity
Total weight loss: 21.5 pounds Next weigh-in: Sat., March 31st
Yesterday was Sunday and it was a day of accomplishment.
We stayed home for breakfast, but I awoke with lots on my mind. I still had lots of paperwork to get in order for my dad, I had items to complete a the rental house, I had a messy house, 3 loads of laundry, and George and Beccy coming at 5.
I have been reading alot lately about taking control of one’s life and one thing that stuck out was that I should choose the 3 most important things that need to be done and do them FIRST. I decided that I wasn’t hungry and couldn’t really relax and enjoy my NYT Sunday puzzle over breakfast when all these chores looming over me.
I headed for my desk and knocked off some of the paperwork. I paid some bills. I did some of my own paperwork. I organized a list of what I could accomplish in the day, the week, the month.
Finished with that, I showered and went downstairs to throw in a load of laundry. While there, I found my grout sponge to take with me to the rental. While cooking eggs for breakfast, I put a pot of eggs on to boil and to devil later, and I cleaned the kitchen.
Finally, by one pm, I sat down to enjoy 3 scrambled cheesy eggs with sour cream. I had a leisurely breakfast and finished my puzzle.
I hopped in the truck and went over to finally finish tiling the kitchen and foyer. I had left all the little intricate doorway corners for last. Then I jumped back in the truck and headed home, where I cleaned the living room and bathroom and vacuumed the whole house. More laundry, then time to make chili cheese dip for our guests.
The dip is okay on a low carb diet: Hormel turkey chili with no beans, cream cheese, and onions. The problem is finding a conveyance to get the dip into one’s mouth. Pork rinds crumble, and it just doesn’t taste that great with cheese chips. I used 3 pita chips but made sure to pile lots of dip on each.
I ate a Beddar Cheddar and had some lime “cheesecake” for dessert. I had eaten so little that I only used up a few carbs. Rick and I made the deviled eggs and I ate them for a late night snack.
Day 75: Hostess donettes are not worth the carb intake
Total weight loss: 21.5 pounds Next weigh-in: Sat., March 31st
Yesterday’s weigh-in put me in a happy mood. It’s slow progress, but the months add up and soon 21 pounds will be 42 and so on.
After weighing in, I had to get ready for work, and I didn’t have time to prepare for breakfast. Brandon picked me up and we went into work at 10. I did something extremely out of character. I went into the kitchen at work to get some water and there was a bag of Hostess chocolate donettes on the table for anyone to eat.
And I ate one!
This is the first time I’ve succumbed to a temptation like that in 10 and 1/2 weeks! It was gone in two bites, and I recorded it in my daily food diary: 8 grams of carbs.
Well, that was certainly anticlimactic. Those 2 little bites of processed junk food were equal to a hearty meal in carb count and were definitely not worth eating. I guess I had to get that rebellion out of my system. A lesson learned.
On to lunch time. The boss bought pizza for all of us Saturday OT workers. I ate 2 pieces with chicken toppings and one with pepperoni and Italian sausage. Of course I threw away the crust.
Later that evening at home, I made spaghetti squash and creamy alfredo and shrimp topping. The squash was tough to cut so I put it in the microwave for a few seconds, and…BLAST… the door flew open when the squash exploded. I salvaged what I could and cooked the rest properly in a pyrex dish AFTER cutting into pieces.
Dessert was sugar-free lime/cream cheese “cheese cake.”
I stayed up til nearly 3 a.m., I am really a nocturnal creature and I enjoy doing that every couple of weeks. I got hungry around midnight and ate 3 pita chips (now THAT’s control) with about 4 tbsp of crab dip. That filled up the rest of my carb allotment for the day.
Day 71: Taking stock of the past 10 weeks
Weight loss: 17.5 pounds; next weigh day: Sat., Mar 24th
I realized last night that I’m really getting the hang of this low-carb diet. It was around 10 pm, and I was done eating for the day. It occurred to me that I hadn’t entered any of my meals into the myfitnesspal.com website. I usually do it as the day progresses, so I can evaluate how many grams of carbs I have left.
I entered all the meals for the day at once, and, lo and behold, I was just about spot on for a carb count. I guess I can estimate what I’m eating pretty well at this point. More than two months into the plan, I think I’ve got it!
It also occurred to me that it’s been a very long time since I…
- Ate between meals
- Had cake, cookies, pies, or donuts
- Ate bread, bagels, buns
- Ate ice cream
- Ate pasta
- Had pizza with crust or french fries
It’s been 71 days, in fact.
I’ve found a nice pancake substitute, low carb tortillas, and pasta, rice, and potato substitutes (usually consisting of cauliflower). I’ve eaten a couple of squares of 70% chocolate. I’ve also had maybe 4 slices of low-carb bread.
This is definitely an big life change for me. And it has not been difficult at all, in terms of cravings. It has been more difficult to saunter into any restaurant or deli and easily order a meal. It takes some calculations and substitutions, but it isn’t too onerous.
And, as usual, I have to give a big shout out to Rick, who is keeping the house stocked with low-carb food items, cooking lots of burgers and chicken, and meeting me for lunches that help take the monotony out of having a salad at work every day.
Back to the food diary:
Yesterday began with eggs/sausage.
I skipped lunch AGAIN. The work deadlines keep me so busy (and I’m so OCD) that I forget to eat. I grabbed a handful of almonds at noon.
When I got home from work at 6:30, I ate the tops off of two leftover pieces of Albert’s pizza. I threw some eggs on the stove to boil, and headed to my office to work on web company issues. Then I needed to work on Dad’s affairs, again. I didn’t finish until 9 pm. I grabbed a vodka and Diet Coke and met Rick out on the deck.
While I was in my office, Rick barbecued some chicken. I cut up a couple of ounces and put it in 2 Mama Lupe’s tortillas with some cheese, salsa, and onion. They were great!
Oh, and I quickly peeled the hardboiled eggs and made up a dozen deviled eggs so I’d have snacks on hand. I ate about 4 of those as a pseudo dessert.
Day 68: Beautiful weather: time to get out the bicycle
Weight loss: 17.5 pounds; next weigh day: Sat., Mar 24th
It was a beautiful Saturday and we had lots of work ahead of us: more garage cleaning, plus finishing that floor tile. I also needed to to bills, arrange some of my dad’s paperwork, and, in general, get some of my affairs in order.
Rick arose earlier than I did (no surprise) and ate breakfast alone. I showered and got right to my desk. Around noon, I decided to have brunch at Del Taco. Rick was off riding his bike and met me there.
I ordered a steak taco Asada and a chicken taco and removed both tortillas. That did not assuage my hunger in the least. I looked around online to see what else was recommended low-carb fare at Del Taco. They didn’t have the taco salad on their menu, so I went with another choice: a beef burrito. It was made up of seasoned ground beef, cheese, onions, and sour cream.
I unrolled my giant tortilla and found that it was very similar to eating a taco salad with no shell. It was really really delicious, so I have now fortunately added another fast food menu option to my growing list. I plan to be on the keto diet for around a year until I reach my goal. It’s always nice to have some choices along the way.
I finally got to the tiling I’ve been attempting to finish. Unfortunately, I was one or two tiles short, and Rick couldn’t get them at the local Home Depot. We’ll have to go to the one in Canton tomorrow. We did get another truck load of Salvation army donations together and will deliver those tomorrow, as well.
It was a gorgeous day and we both enjoyed working outside. By the time we got home and unloaded the truck, it was close to 8 pm, and I had been hungry for hours. I took a quick spin on my bike, just to get my sea legs back. Then I set out to find a meal idea.
Rick said he felt like hotdogs. I felt like something more, and wanted to make him a treat because he had worked so hard. I looked around online for “keto appetizers,” keto snacks,” then started thinking…doesn’t macaroni and cheese sound great with hotdogs? My next search for “keto macaroni and cheese cauliflower” did the trick. I just KNEW cauliflower would be involved. I made this recipe for Mokafoni and Cheese.
I was a little short on the cream cheese, so I subbed with a little parmesan. It was a hit! I’m going to add it to my list of favorite keto recipes, since mac and cheese is an old comfort food of mine.
While the mock and cheese was baking, I took a glass of vodka and Diet Coke outside and sat with Rick under the gazebo. I didn’t want to miss a March summer night. We ate a late meal and skipped dessert.