Category Archives: meal ideas
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.
Day 66: Chili dogs at the diner
Weight loss: 15 pounds; next weigh-in: Sat, Mar 17th
Now that our textbook is off to the printer, the pressure is off a bit. However, now it’s time to get our software finished. I was running late in the morning, plus we were out of breakfast sausage, so I grabbed a yogurt.
Around 11, I was getting hungry, but Rick was out delivering a client’s newsletter, and I wanted to wait for him to finish and meet me for lunch. We didn’t get to the diner until around 2 pm. I ordered 2 chili dogs. I never bother asking restaurants to remove the bun, since that always seems to get complicated (don’t know why). The buns did make nice little beds to hold my dogs and chili. I treated myself to a Diet Coke as well. I knew it would be a long day and I wasn’t getting off work until 7 pm.
Once I finally arrived home, I heated up some Indian butter chicken and the rest of the cauliflower from the fridge. Even after dinner and mousse, I still had carbs left again. I have to plan better.
One discovery I forgot to blog about was in the “healthy” isle at Kroger. In the refrigerated section where they keep the soy milk, I found hummus that had only ONE net gram of carbs per 2 tablespoons. …and it was on sale! I microwaved little piles of cheese to make some handy little crackers. The whole snack was only the amount of carbs in the hummus, because the cheese was zero.
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 59: More of the same
Weight loss: 17 lbs; next weigh-in: tomorrow
Yesterday began with eggs at work. For lunch, I heated leftover taco meat and assembled 2 tacos in Mama Lupe tortillas. They made for a delicious and filling meal.
I left work at a reasonable hour and had an early dinner. I used the spaghetti squash I had prepared earlier in the week as a base for Cincinnati chili. It was just okay. I think something happens to the texture/flavor of squash after a few days in the fridge.
We were out of cocoa, so I made sugar-free lime jello with cream cheese mixed in for dessert.
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 55: Hanging out around the house and trying some Carbquik recipes
Total weight loss: 17 pounds; next weigh-in: Sat., Mar 10th
Sunday morning was a little stressful. Friday night, I found an IM on Facebook from Rick’s cousin Bob in Valparaiso, IN. He said Rick’s cousin in Chicago had died. Rick wasn’t close with his cousin, but he did want to attend the funeral, which was today.
Unfortunately, I forgot to tell Rick about the IM. Saturday night when I went to bed, I found the obituary posted on his cousin Bob’s FB page. UHOH. I emailed Rick (he goes to bed much earlier than I do, so I email him at 1 a.m. if there is anything he needs to know when he wakes up in the morning–it works for us). When I awoke at 8:30, Rick was looking up the last minute flights. Turned out we couldn’t get a flight back until Monday, so I couldn’t go due to work and other commitments. We hightailed it to the airport, and Rick made it in time for the 3 pm service.
I was on my own, so I made the best of it. I watched old romance movies (Jane Eyre), I recleaned the kitchen and cleaned out the fridge. Then I did 2 loads of laundry, played around with old audio tapes from my 13th birthday (trying to record them and make mp3’s), and generally relaxed.
Back to the topic, keto:
Breakfast was 3 eggs with cheese and onions. Snack at noon was almonds.
I was super hungry by 4 pm, and I reheated Indian butter chicken leftovers and made up some fresh “c-rice.”
In the evening, I decided to experiment with the new Carbquik, and I made some cheesy garlic biscuits. They probably could have been cheesier, but they tasted similar to the authentic Red Lobster rolls. The texture and look were the same. The Red Lobster version is 17 grams of carbs, and this is only 2 grams, so it’s a nice substitute. I ate two topped with butter. 
I also made a batch of deviled eggs. I ate 3 of them with the biscuits in lieu of dinner.
Day 54: Delicious low carb tortillas and surviving a birthday party
Weight loss to date: 17 pounds; next weigh-in: Saturday, March 10th
Yesterday was Saturday. We decided to eat breakfast at home. I started playing around on the computer, and by the time I made myself breakfast, it was actually brunch. I decided I get enough eggs during the week, so I cooked some “Beddar Cheddar” sausages. They were meaty and moist, and I ate a handful of almonds as a side dish.
We spent the day cleaning for our granddaughter’s birthday party. I enjoy having parties, just because it means I’ll clean the house from top to bottom — then get to enjoy how great it looks for a couple of days.
I didn’t get a chance to have lunch, and I didn’t want to waste the pizza the kids were eating by tearing off the top, so I heated up some taco meat and tried the new Mama Lupe’s tortillas I received from Netrition.com. They were really good and only 3 net carbs each.
Next was cake and ice cream time. My step-daughter Cindy made some beautiful fondant cakes and it was hard to resist. When everyone was busy filling their pieholes with rich cake and creamy ice cream, I whipped up some low-carb chocolate mousse. Of course, the adults wanted some of that, as well, so I made a huge batch. I only ate one portion, and it took away the craving for all that carb-laden dessert around me. I had a portion left over, so I froze it to see if it turns out like ice creams. Fingers crossed.
After everyone left, I sat down to watch some TV and was a bit hungry. The only problem was that my carb count was at the max for the day. I poured a big glass of zero carb almond milk, and that hit the spot.
Day 53: Weigh-in day did not disappoint
Today’s weight loss: 3 pounds
Total weight loss in 7 weeks: 17 pounds (woot!)
I had been assuming that today’s weigh-in would not go well. Not because I went off, or went over carb count, but because the past few weigh-ins have been so disappointing. I know my clothes are looser, and I have lots of energy, but the more I thought about only losing 14 pounds in 6+ weeks, the more this keto plan didn’t seem like the quick weight loss dream I thought it would be.
I know 2 pounds a week is a safe and practical amount to lose. But when one accomplishes a 14-pound weight loss on day 39, and that hasn’t changed by day 46, it becomes frustrating.
Wait. What did I just read? It was only one week later that I weighed in and had a zero weight loss? And, now, a week later, I’ve lost 3? That isn’t bad at all!
I’m guessing most of the frustration developed in that week between day 39 and day 46, when I was weighing myself daily. Now that I’ve settled on a weekly weigh-in, it should show a little more progress than tiny increments of weight loss per day (or no weight loss per day). I’m still doing well; I think I’m just used to seeing those big numbers the contestants accomplish on The Biggest Loser. Even in terms of a 2 pounds a week goal, I should only have lost 14 by today, so I’m 3 pounds ahead. I think I’d better focus on continuing with the plan and not focus so much on the scale.
C’mon 20! [Okay, not focusing on the numbers is going to be difficult.]
Yesterday, I had some errands to run and things to accomplish before starting work at 10. We didn’t have time for Rick to cook, so I bought 2 McDonald’s sausage, egg, and cheese, breakfast sandwiches (on sale for $3 for two). Of course, I removed the delicious smelling biscuits. I’m glad I ordered two, because after the biscuit removal, and with no hash brown patties, one would not have satisfied me.
At 2pm, I discovered that I did not have a yogurt in the fridge. Oops. I ate 2 ounces of almonds and a beef stick. Yum.
After work, I was pretty hungry, but we needed to get groceries. Usually Rick goes without me, but I was interested in looking over the health food aisle to see if there was something I was missing out on. I bought some soy hummus (1 carb per serving) and some almond “peanut” butter – $9.99!!! This had better be good.
Rick has some kind of whole grain bread that he buys, and he said it was only 5 carbs per slice if I ever wanted a tuna fish sandwich or something. I’m not willing to sacrifice 10 of my 20 grams of carbs for a sandwich, but I did decide to toast one piece and top it with the almond butter to stop the hunger pangs while I started making dinner. The almond butter had about 1 1/2 inches of oil on top and I could not get it to mix in with the thick and dry substance below it. Maybe at 10 bucks a bottle, no one is buying it and it sits on the shelf awhile. Rick manage to dump the whole thing in a bowl and use his formidable muscles to stir it into a nice gloppy, spreadable butter. It was pretty good.
I thawed some chicken breasts for Indian butter chicken, and mistakenly started getting the spaghetti squash ready. Then I realized that I use chopped cauliflower as a rice substance. I finished cooking and forking out the squash anyway, so now I’m ready for another dish that uses that.
I had leftover cauliflower rice (“crice”) from the Mexican rice recipe, so I heated that, topped with microwaved butter chicken and enjoyed a delish meal. Dessert was the usual chocolate mousse. It never gets old. LOL
Oh yes, I almost forgot. My low carb food order from netrition.com came in. That was very quick. Almost tops Amazon. I now have some experimenting to do: low carb “Carbquik” for pancakes and other pastries, those odd shiritaki pasta, Mama Lupe low carb 7-inch tortillas, barbecue sauce, and Margarita mix (I couldn’t resist that last one). Let the experimentation begin!
Day 51: Pizza at lunch; tacos for dinner
Weight loss: 14 pounds Next weigh-in Saturday, March 3rd
I had the usual breakfast yesterday, and an almond mid-morning snack.
At lunch, my boss provided pizza. I had a piece of 3-meat pizza and one with chicken and veggies. Added a salad on the side. Fortunately, we were all eating in our cubicles, not as a group. I ripped the toppings off the pizza and tossed the crust (literally a “tossed crust” pizza. LOL)
After work, I created 2 tacos from leftover seasoned meat and provolone shells. The Mexican rice warmed up well.
Dessert was chocolate mousse.
Day 50: Excellent Mexican rice
Weight loss: 14 pounds
Next weigh-in: Saturday, March 3rd
Day 50 and I’m still going strong. I’ve had a couple of disappointments on the scale, but the clothes keep getting looser. And–with Rick’s help–this has been fairly easy. The recipes that create mock food items, like spaghetti squash and cauliflower mashed potatoes, make me feel like I’m not missing anything. The high-fat and protein dishes keep me feeling full, and also keep me from feeling cravings when others around me eat sweets or bread.
The steak fries tempted me a couple of times, but as they say, “Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels.” Yeah. We’ll see if I can get to that “thin” part. LOL
Yesterday started with my egg breakfast, followed by a yogurt lunch and an almond snack.
By dinner time, I was ready to experiment with something tasty.
I cooked some hamburger in taco seasoning and prepared 2 slices of provolone cheese “taco shells.” Then I took out my trusty cauliflower and a recipe Brandon gave me for Mexican rice. He found it here, tried it, and had very good results.
I grated the cauliflower, then put the rice-like substance in the microwave for 5 minutes. In the meantime, I put 3 tbsp of butter and a 1/2 cup of onion in a saute pan. When the onion was translucent, I added about 2 cups of the cauliflower and 1/2 cup of salsa.
The recipe called for a “small” head of cauliflower, but even using only 3/4 of it seemed too much and it didn’t look very colorful. I added another 1/2 cup of salsa.
The results were pretty impressive. It looked and tasted like Mexican rice! Eureka! Another great substitute.
I felt like I was eating an authentic Mexican meal (well, authentic “American Mexican”, at least). It was no Xochimilco, but it was as good or better than Taco Bell. I totally forgot that I have some Costco guacamole in the fridge. I guess I’ll use that for tonight’s leftovers.
I know I added at least 2 more grams of carbs by doubling the salsa, but the results were pretty good.
Rick had leftover spaghetti, and it didn’t bother me in the least. I’m really not craving the pasta with these great available substitutes for the starchy things I used to eat. We ate quickly, then set off to pick up our friends Wally and Karl from the airport. Our home is close enough to DTW to make us a handy shuttle service.
Upon our return, dessert was the usual chocolate mousse.