Friday, June 15, 2018

The Keto Way


Hello Friends!

As I mentioned in my Facebook post, I am NOT an expert by any means on the keto eating way.  I am just sharing what has worked for myself, my husband, and my sister.  My husband has lost almost 30 lbs since January (he cheats quiet a bit, my sister lost 31 in 2 months, and I am at 10 lbs in 2 months.  I have lost weight all over…according to my husband.  😊  I also have a ton more energy! I have only taken 2 naps since I have started…which is REALLY good for me! 

The idea of keto is to eat a good combination of protein and fats and very little carbs.  Many people use a tracking ap.  I tried carbmanager and really liked it, however I am horrible at tracking things.  It was really eye opening though.  It would be helpful to use for anyone that likes that kind of thing.  If you are just starting out I would highly recommend doing this to see how you are doing as far as the combination of all three of those areas are going.

There are many keto websites out there.  I stumbled across www.ketovale.com.   She has some great recipes, an easy to follow menu-plan, and a basic explanation of what keto is.  There is also a check-list of foods to avoid and foods to enjoy!  Breads, pastas, chips, sugary drinks, rice, cereals, juices are a no no.  There are more, so check out their list.  Things I forgot that had sugar—ketchup, BBQ sauce, and candied beets.  Darn!  I would highly recommend reading over this site.  Click on all of the pages.  Use this as your study guide and cheat sheet!  I still do after 2 months!  It looks like she is trying to sell her book or something…but you do not have to buy anything! 

As with any time you change the way you eat for the positive and then change back into your old habits you will gain the weight back.  So this is really a life style change in the way you eat.  You cheat…you will see the scale go in the direction that you don’t want it to move.  I have had bad days.  Eating a half bag of kettle corn popcorn set me back a few days.  Yikes!  Also do not weigh your self during the week that you are on your period.  You will not be pleased with what you see…so don’t do it! 

Media related items:

There are a TON out there!  Lots of ideas on pinterest, facebook groups, instagram posts, and cookbooks.  Just google and you will see.  Ketovale has been my go to.  A friend of mine really likes the facebook page:  Low Carb Journey (Cooking Keto with Kristie).    I like the FB page Keto for Beginners (It has food on their front cover).  There is a lot of drama on that page, so just keep scrolling if you see it!  If you are on Instagram and type in something related to Keto… you will see some awesome results and recipes!

Keep me posted! 

I would love to be your support (if you need it).  Let me know your progress!  If you need an accountability partner I will be more than happy to be there for you!  Feel free to FB message me or text me.   Won’t post that here, but message me on FB if that is easier.

Pros that I have found: 

-More energy.  If you have ever been pregnant…I feel like I am nesting. All.the.time.  Yikes! 

-Weight loss.   Yay!

-I feel full because I am eating items that will keep me full longer. 

-My sweet tooth only arises around 7pm or so after dinner.

-It is really easy to find things to make or in restaurants. 

Cons: 

-Some people may say it is a more expensive way of eating.  I never used to buy bacon and whipping cream in the past.  Shrimp was a rare thing.  So yes it can add up, but well worth it.  Shop sales!  Stock up when things go on sale!

-Keto-flu.  Many experience this within the first week or two.  I did not, but it is common.  Don’t let it stop you.  -Your body is adjusting to this new way of eating.

-Constipation.  Yikes.  I had one really bad day.  I upped my fiber pills and that solved that issue.

-Leg cramps.  I also had this really bad a few nights.  I added magnesium vitamins and this helped me.   Some people drink pickle juice instead. 

 Staple items in our house:

I try to make sure we always have these items on hand.  Everyone is different…so this is just for our family.

-BACON  Yummy!  To cook I just melt butter in a pan.  Put the bacon in (2 strips at a time).  Cover with a wood spoon and place a paper towel on the spoon.  No grease splatter.  We keep a can to drain the grease.  I clean out the pan, remelt butter and make an omelet.

-Eggs

-Mushrooms

-Cream cheese

-Sour Cream

-BUTTER…and lots of it!

-Whipping cream

-Spinach

-Guac

-Olives  (Fresh Thyme has a great olive bar)

-Pickles

-Mushrooms

-Cheeses of all different varieties

-Strawberries are my go to fruit.  Sean likes pineapple.  But fruits are full of sugars so be careful!

-Meats of all varieties:  ham, (I use the little ham chunks for my omelets), steaks, pork chops, shrimp, chicken, ground beef, sausages.

-Water--DRINK A LOT!!!

What I eat:

I am probably pickier than most!  I personally do not care for peppers, onions, and I don’t eat a lot of vegetables.  Broccoli and spinach are my go to’s! 

Breakfast:  I eat this everyday with the exception of making pancakes a few times a month (recipe below)

2 pieces of bacon, an ham, egg, and cheese omelet. I dip my eggs in a spoonful of gauc and sour cream. Keeps me full until around 1pm or so. I usually force myself to eat around noon though because of schedules.

Lunch: if we don’t have leftovers...Most days I eat around 8 green olives, small gherkin pickles wrapped with cream cheese, a cheese-stick and I dip it in spoonful of guac.

Other days I may add a hard boiled egg or two and skip the cream cheese and ham.

If I want to mix it up I bake slices of pepperoni and they make hard chips.  I dip those into sour cream mixed with dry ranch seasoning.

Spinach salad, with cheese, hard boiled egg, meat, and a vinegerette is a great choice as well. 

Dinner: I try to have most of my meal be a meat item and then a side of vegetable like broccoli or spinach.  Some great things to try:

Burger with lettuce, bacon, cheese, mayo, guac and pickles.

Pulled Pork with salsa or pico, cheese, and guac

Grilled chicken with sautéed mushrooms

Peeled and devined shrimp cooked in butter

Steak with sautéed mushrooms

Large stuffed mushrooms with cream cheese, bacon and shredded cheese.  I improvise, but I am sure are some official recipes out there.

Bacon wrapped shrimp

Pork chops

Sausages

My husband loves to make stuffed peppers with cream cheese and bacon.

Snacks:

A spoonful of cool whip/redi whip.

Sugar free jello.

Halo ice cream!  Oh my goodness!!  So good.  I have gotten the dairy free/soy free or the LIGHT ones by mistake.  Yuck.  But everyone’s tastes buds are different!  The ones that around 320-340 calories taste better—in my opinion. 

Peanuts in moderation.

Quest bars.  If I know I am going to be somewhere where I can not purchase food or I need a quick fix to stay full, quest bars are a really nice option.  I usually only eat half because that fills me up.

Lots of recipes on pinterest.  My sister has made one and I will include that recipe.  It was really, really good! 

This is the website where I got my start and realized that it wasn’t going to be that hard!  An actual meal plans with 99% of the foods I have actually heard of!


Recipes we have tried:

Chicken & Spinach w Bacon

One of our favorites. We leave out the onions though and most of the time substitute the cream cheese for whipping cream. We also tend to add broccoli if we have it on hand. I have tried this version and it is great as well. Peeled shrimp and sliced up sausages are also great! I make a similar variation at least once a week.


Creamy Garlic Butter & Shrimp

This is also one of our favorites! Very similar to the last one.


Creamy Shrimp Alfredo and Spinach
An easier recipe than the last, but with whipping cream.


Cream Cheese Pancakes

These are great and remind me of a crepe. I put butter on it, cool whip, and strawberries.


Pizza!

One of our favorites! I could eat this every day!


Chocolate Chip Keto Dough

My sister made this for us.  They were sooooo good!  Remember though—only eat in moderation. Don’t eat the whole thing in one setting as they are so good it is tempting!




Her recipe also has some yummy looking things that are on my—will make one day list!--