Category Archives: progress report
Day 37: Chinese buffet tactics
Total weight loss to date: 12 pounds
Next weigh-in Saturday, 2/18
Yesterday was a day of trials and successes. I battled my way through a few difficult meals, but came out successful.
I was very busy at work in the morning, and had no time for breakfast. Rick planned to pick me up around noon to get some lunch before driving to a funeral an hour and a half away. [Yes, another funeral! I have lost 4 friends and/or acquaintances in the past 6 months.]
We drove a bit and I decided I was in the mood for a burger with grilled onions. We stopped at a small diner and I took a quick look at the menu. While I was still mulling over the choices, the waitress advised us that the bbq pulled pork was very good. I ordered that with some deep fried zucchini.
Minutes after the waitress left to put in our order, I looked up the carb content of the pulled pork. What was I thinking? It was over 40 carbs on most entries! I forgot that barbecue sauce is not my friend.
Rick grabbed the waitress and asked if she could put that order to go, and switch to a burger for my meal. She was quite amenable, and I had a 1/2 pound cheeseburger with grilled onions, a slice of tomato, and mayo. I disassembled it and put the bun into the bag with the sandwich to go.
The next trial was the zucchini fries. Of course they were breaded before they were fried! I certainly wasn’t thinking – could be that my brain was addled from lack of food, because by this time it was about 2 pm. I cut each piece in half and pulled the coating off. Good, but not great.
The hamburger, however, was very good tasting and filling.
After the funeral, we were all invited to…..
the Chinese buffet.
I LOVE the Chinese buffet. And I was positive that I couldn’t ever go there again. However, I was determined to find SOME low carb choices, but I knew the the trick would be passing the carb-laden foods that I love: crab rangoons and General Tso’s chicken.
I started by getting some baked crab, then some sauted shrimp. As I was passing the eggrolls, I realized that I could probably scoop the insides out and eat just that portion. So I took 2 eggrolls and 1 spring roll. Hmm. If I can do that, why can’t I eat only the insides of a crab rangoon. After all, crab and cream cheese are legal. For the entire meal, I had 6 of them. Each yielded about a tbsp of crab/cheese after the exterior fried shell was eliminated. For a bit of variety, I put some type of steak and veggie combo and some cheesy broccoli on my plate.
The meal took some work, since I had to slice things open and carve out the innards, but it was pretty tasty, and I was somewhat full when finished. I really have a difficult time figuring out exactly how many grams of carbs were in each item, since most online nutrition details don’t include the carb count for only the insides of eggrolls and rangoons, but I have to think I did okay.
I skipped dessert, of course, and ate some sugar-free jello/cream cheese mousse at home.
I’m going to take some time this weekend to figure out the carb count of various items that I could encounter so I can be better prepared next time I need to make a quick decision. I am pretty encouraged that I could do this long term. I know it will be awhile until I reach my goal, and it’s nice to know that I can go to some of my usual haunts and still find food that fits the plan.
Day 36: Valentine’s Day steak dinner
Lost: NOT WEIGHING FOR A WEEK Total weight loss: 12 pounds
I decided to give it a rest. I’m tired of watching 1/2 pound come and go every day. Let’s see if I can see a significant loss in a week. Fingers crossed.
Yesterday was Valentine’s Day. The day began with my egg breakfast. Lunch was Cincinnati chili. Snack: almonds.
For dinner, Rick and I decided not to cave to the Hallmark holiday pressure. He said he didn’t buy me chocolates, because why bother? We really don’t like crowds, so eating out didn’t appeal. And with Netflix at home on our big screen tv, who needs the movies on a traditional big date night?
We opted to have grilled steaks and watch a movie at home. Being in a really festive mood, I had a big glass of vodka and Diet Coke (ZERO carb drink!), and we played 3 Boggle matches while waiting for the steaks to cook. In all modesty, I won’t say who won, but they were all close matches.
We each had 2 great big grilled portobello mushrooms with our steaks, and they were a really delicious accompaniment. I didn’t miss potatoes or any other high-carb side dish. Although for about 10 seconds, I fleetingly pictured enjoying some bread and oil with the meal. It must have been the vodka messing with my inhibitions!
We ended the meal with some freshly made lime “cheesecake.”
I’m still not used to see only 1 or 2 carbs after entering a huge meal into myfitnesspal.com. A big steak, 2 mushrooms and dessert hardly moved the numbers, but I was very full and very satisfied.
Day 35: 12-hour workday; planning ahead pays off
Lost: +.5 Total weight loss: 12 pounds
ARRRRRRRRRRRGH! This is going backwards! I ate under 20 carbs, yet again, and the pounds are going up, instead of down. I did only have 5 glasses of water yesterday. And I ate dinner at 10 pm. Otherwise, I am eating according to plan, so this is quite a downer. [except pants, fresh out of the wash, fit much, much better!]
I’m sure glad I planned ahead Sunday, because yesterday I had no time to cook.
Breakfast – eggs/sausage/cheese in a bowl. We had two long meetings at work, so I didn’t get a chance to eat until 11 a.m.
We had a print deadline at work, so I stayed at my desk until 8:30 p.m. At around 4, I started getting hungry, and lo and behold, I had leftover Cincinnati chili. Actually, it wasn’t leftover, since I hadn’t eaten any since I made the batch in preparation for the week. It was a small bowl, but it filled me up so I could keep working.
I had some habanero almonds for a snack a couple of hours later. I miss the chili lime. I have to buy some next chance I get. A couple of us were comparing almond prices. Meijers has them in one pound bags for $6. Amazon sells 3 one-pound bags for about $20. Neither tops the 2 for $4 sale they had at Walgreen’s. I hope they have that again soon.
The book was finally ready, and I gladly left work at 8:30. By the time I got home, I was pretty hungry. I had another plate of chili over squash at 9:30. Rick and I ate the last of the lime jello “cheesecake” for dessert.
I need to find some lavash bread that Brandon let me try today. It’s a huge piece of pita-like bread that only has 8 grams of carbs for one. He made something like a quesadilla with one and it was big enough for a meal. I’ll have to get the name and brand from him and pick up some soon.
Day 34: Lime cheese cake and weekday preparations
Lost: 0 Total weight loss: 12.5 pounds
Zero, zero, zero. Sigh. My plan to start weighing once a week after I hit 15 pounds may have to change. I’ll give it a couple more daily weigh-ins, but if I continue to see no progress on the scale, I may stop weighing for a week or so. Today, I think I’ll drink about 12 glasses of water. I’ve been reading ideas about how to get the pounds to start coming off when the progress is stalled.
I spent yesterday at home working on client sites and a revamp of our own business site. Before getting started, we did take an hour to have breakfast at the local diner. I had the feta omelet and bacon, and gave Rick all the extras that came with the meal.
For lunch, I cooked up some hamburger with taco seasoning and topped it with cheese, onion, and a couple of tablespoons of salsa.
I was in the mood for pizza, but didn’t have enough ambition to try creating a crust from cauliflower. Instead, I adapted a recipe I found that used a mini muffin pan. I put a piece of pepperoni in the bottom of each muffin slot, topped with mozzarella and a bit of onion and green pepper. Then I sprinkled them with pizza seasoning and put chopped jalapeno peppers on half.
I baked them at 350 for 15 minutes. The original recipe called for cream cheese, eggs, and other items. I think that would have been more like a quiche.
The result was just so-so. They were tasty, and they were cute little cups, but the jalapeno pizzas were too salty. I ate about 8 of them, but that was the extent of my dinner.
I learned my lesson about planning last week. It seemed like I was always looking for a quick meal or having a snack for dinner. While my tiny pizzas were cooking, I prepared spaghetti squash and cooked up some Cincinnati chili. Then, before bed, I layered all the ingredients for a 5-layer chili dish into plastic dishes, so I could grab one for lunch as I left the house this a.m.
Last night’s dessert was something I’ve been meaning to try; however, again, I adapted the recipe to an easier version. I had found a few recipes that used sugar-free lime jello and cream cheese to make a sort of mock cheese cake. Some called for cooking, some called for crust. I just mixed the jello and cream cheese together and chilled for a couple of hours. Before serving, I topped with whipped heavy cream.
It was heavenly. Rick said it hit every one of his taste buds. The flavor of the cream cheese blended well with the lime taste.
Day 33: No brownies for me, thanks
Lost: +.5 Total weight loss: 12.5
Sigh. Gained a half pound back. No reason I can think of. I guess I have to do something…drink more water? ride my bike? I’ll investigate the best way to jump start my system this afternoon.
I worked at home yesterday, first on my day job as a writer/editor, then for a couple of hours helping Rick create websites.
I made my favorite weekend treat: peanut butter pancakes and topped them with a tbsp of Polaner grape jelly.
Lunch was late and followed a handful of habanero almonds: 2 chicken shawarma, wraps minus their wraps.
Dinner was a quick couple of hotdogs with beanless turkey chili and cheese topping.
Jo came by to watch the 2nd and 3rd Stieg Larsson series Swedish movies, and she brought a pan of her famous yummy chocolate brownies. I abstained and whipped up some fake chocolate mousse.
I continue to look at breads, rolls, donuts, chips, and sweets and think how many carbs they would add to my day. Even one would essentially throw me out of ketosis. I have spent 33 days eating fewer than 20 carbs a day. At the most, I’ve gone up to 25 a couple of times accidentally. That makes it easy to say no to the carb-laden food.
Day 32: Surviving a birthday party
Lost: 0 Total weight loss: 13 pounds
Well, I’m stuck at 13, but nothing much I can do about it. If I give up, I’ll probably gain the same pounds back in 2-3 days. If I continue, something’s gotta give. (Plus the clothes feel much better!)
Yesterday began with breakfast at the diner. My friend, Jo, and I had some morning “ladies'” appointments. I had a feta omelet and 4 pieces of bacon. The waitress packed up the hashbrowns and toast in a to-go container for Rick. He enjoyed them with this morning’s breakfast.
At noon, I met up with Rick and a new web client. No time for lunch, so I was pretty hungry when I got back. I grabbed 2 handfuls of almonds.
My nephew Devan’s 16th birthday party was at 6. I knew I’d be better off attending it with a full stomach, so a threw together a dinner consisting of 2 franks fried in coconut oil, topped with turkey chili, no beans, and grated cheese.
Birthday party success
There were a lot of yummy snacks at the party, but I drank water, and kept my focus on the only thing I could eat: buffalo chicken dip (chicken, Frank’s buffalo hot sauce, cream cheese, and ranch). I ate it with a spoon. LOL.
I didn’t look at the cake or ice cream (and didn’t really crave or miss it!). For a special treat, I had a caffeine-free Diet Pepsi.
All in all, it was a success. I enjoyed myself, and really didn’t feel like I was suffering from lack of snack/party food.
Day 31: You really can eat carryout on keto: meet the unwich
Lost: .5 pounds Total weight loss: 13 pounds
Wow, this scale is moving slowly, but at least it’s in the right direction.
Yesterday began with the traditional eggs ala Rick breakfast.
Lunch was a new adventure. Brandon was going to Jimmy John’s. I completely disagree with Mr. John’s political leanings, and make it a habit to avoid his franchise. However, I was pretty hungry and my scruples lost the battle: I ordered an Unwich. Brandon recommended the Lulu, which is basically a club sandwich in a lettuce wrap. I must say, it was quite delicious. This picture isn’t of a Lulu, but it gives you an idea of the convenient lettuce wrapper.
I left work early to meet a web client at Panera Bread. You may be thinking that it was an odd choice for someone avoiding carbs, but they have wifi, and it’s a pretty good place to meet when discussing websites. I ordered a Diet Coke.
After escaping “Bread Heaven,” Rick and I went home to enjoy some chicken kabobs. While waiting for them to grill, I had a handful of habanero-flavored almonds. It was a satisfying end to a busy, yet satisfying day.
Day 30: Almond milk and cocoa don’t mix
Lost: .5 Total weight loss: 12.5 pounds
Well, I lost some of what I gained yesterday. Can’t wait for the scale to show more progress. Once I hit a 15 pound loss, I’m going to start weighing once a week. It would have to be more satisfying to see the progress in larger amounts vs. this yoyoing back and forth of a pound or 1/2 pound at a time.
Breakfast – Rick’s egg bowl
Lunch – Salad with blue cheese dressing
Snack – Haberno Almonds
Dinner – Once again, it was a busy day filled with my day job, plus items I needed to do for my web business. I was tired, cranky, hungry, and the larder was empty. Rick and I had planned to do a meal schedule and shop, but he was busy working on a client newsletter plus painting and installing doors at our rental house.
I fried two Hebrew National franks in coconut oil, then topped them with turkey chili no beans, onions, and grated cheese. It was a gooey mess of goodness, and satisfied my hunger.
Snack – Discovery! Almond milk and cocoa do not mix well. I had a not-so-lovely clump-filled glass of chocolate milk. The cocoa simply would not mix into the milk. However, it assuaged my need for a bedtime snack, and I hit the hay early.
Day 28: Fighting off the carb attack
Lost: 0 Total weight loss (in one month): 13.5 pounds
Another day, another zero. The scale isn’t moving at all, but I’ll keep up the fight.
And fight it was yesterday!
No time for breakfast, so I ate a handful of almonds and decided to try Arby’s for lunch. Various sites said they have a low-carb option – a beef and cheddar on a piece of lettuce = 2 carbs (or just beef = 0!). I thought it would be a simple thing to order, but when I asked for my beef and cheddar on a lettuce wrap, the cashier suggested that I must mean the one they sell in a tortilla-like wrap. No, I explained that I didn’t want bread at all.
She made it a special order, asked if I wanted chopped lettuce or a leaf. I chose leaf. She was very pleasant about it, but it was apparent this wasn’t a common menu option. I added a side salad and sat down.
A few minutes later, they brought me my order. Sigh. It was a pile of beef on a piece of lettuce. Apparently in all the confusion, she didn’t hear the “cheddar” part of the order. Instead of going and asking for some probably chemical-laded process cheese, I opted to add a couple carbs of Arby sauce. It was an okay lunch, but nothing to write home about.
After settling my dad in at the nursing home, and going back for a couple more hours of work, I was hungry again. It was still a couple of hours until trivia, so I had another handful of almonds and a cup of Greek yogurt with peanut butter.
For my next “carb battle,” I decided to order the fajitas at trivia. I asked the waitress to put the tortillas in a to-go container. A few minutes later, she dropped off a large basket of nacho chips and salsa. Little did I know, it comes with the meal. I ate one, then dumped the rest into the to-go container.
Dinner was served. A huge plate of which 2/3 was rice and refried beans, covered in melted cheese. Sigh. I can’t get away from the carbs! They attack from all fronts! I asked for another to-go container and dumped the entire mess into it for Rick to eat later.
The chicken that remained after the “battle” was pretty tasty, but not as good as the fajitas I had a couple of days ago. It was at least a filling dinner after another day of hit or miss eating. Tonight, Rick and I plan out a couple of weeks’ menus.
Day 27: The Superbowl snacks that never were
Lost: 0 Total weight loss: 13.5 pounds
The scale seems stuck; however, my clothes are looser, so I try not to let that bother me.
Yesterday, I planned to make some cool keto snacks for Superbowl Sunday, but the day got away from me. I ended up noshing all day after a thrown-together “leftovers” breakfast.
I was up by 9, but got busy doing things before breakfast. By noon, I was very hungry, but we only had one egg! I reheated the turkey Cincinnati chili from a couple nights ago, and spent more than 20 minutes trying to get a leftover piece of spaghetti squash to cook. While waiting, I peeled the eggs I made yesterday and created another dozen deviled eggs. I also slow cooked a pound of bacon that Brandon and Lindsey picked up for me at the Eastern Market Saturday.
The chili/spaghetti squash was to be the only meal of the day. Lunch was on the run, so to speak. I had work to do for clients, plus it was house cleaning day. In the midst of vacuuming, I was famished, so I had some almonds, 2 deviled eggs, and 2 pieces of the bacon.
Once the house was clean, my stepson George, wife Beccy, and granddaughter Danielle showed up for the big game. Rick made them little pizzas.
I did take some time to makes some FAILED mozzarella cheese sticks (string cheese, halved, battered in pork rinds and fried in olive oil). The original recipe called for a parmesan cheese crust, but I thought the pork rinds would make them more authentic. Turned out not to be true: they were gooey and clumped together when I pulled them out of the pan. To me, they tasted like melted cheese mixed with pork rinds, or, in other words, GAK. Rick and the others said they liked them. Not sure if they were just being polite.
I ate 2 more eggs, more almonds, and whipped us up some chocolate “mousse” from heavy cream and added strawberries. It was a hit! I had to make up a second batch.
Still well under my protein, and with some carbs to go, my last snack of the day was 2 pieces of bacon and a glass of almond milk. I need to set aside some time to plan this week’s meals, because grabbing food willy nilly isn’t fun. I’d also still like to try the snacks I planned to make, including some crispy cheese puffs and lime cheesecake.
I learned about a new vegetable while searching out Superbowl snacks: marrow. I plan to try frying up some low-carb marrow chips this week.
vegetable marrow
Cultivated in England, this green, oval summer squash can grow to the size of a watermelon. It’s closely related to the ZUCCHINI and can be cooked in any manner suitable for that vegetable. Because of its bland flavor, vegetable marrow (also called marrow squash ) is often stuffed with a meat mixture. It’s available in limited supplies in some specialty produce markets during the summer months. See also SQUASH.