Thursday, February 9, 2017

KateGoesKeto: One Month Check In




So after roughly one month on the keto/LCHF (Low carb high fat) diet I feel like I am ready to share some serious knowledge I have come across. 

So first of all, counting macros is for the birds. I quit doing it about 2 weeks ago and I may be out of ketosis more often but I have still lost weight and maintained being under 125 lbs (5+ lbs down from my original weight) and that is without even being super strict on my LCHF diet. 

I have cheated...a lot. But I would say even on days when I am not following keto I still eat WAY less carbs than before starting this. On any given day before Keto/LCHF I probably averaged about 2000+ carbs, between sandwiches, fruits, sauces, and all the things that have carbs because I wasn't paying attention to anything I ate. Now, even on a cheat day or cheat meal I probably am still way under 500 carbs. 

However I still shoot for under 20-50 carbs, I pay attention to what I am putting into my body, the carbs, the ingredients. I still feel over all better and I have noticed a major change in my body's physical appearance as well as just how I feel every day. It is WAY easier for me to get up earlier, go to sleep earlier, I am not so tired all the time. Clothes fit me better now, I fit into clothes that haven't fit well in a long time. Just overall a better quality of life. 

Here are some things I have learned in the past month...

1. Things baked with coconut flour are not for me.

I tried the coconut flour tortillas, coconut flour cookies, etc. They all taste super grainy and just are not for me. I am determined to use up the little bit of coconut flour I have left and then I will be sticking to almond flour after that!

2. Not every "replacement" recipe is going to be good or taste like the original.

I got lucky in the beginning with the waffles and the Big Mac casserole because I have tried a lot of replacement things since then, granola bars, bread, rolls, etc. that tasted like crap. So there is a huge curve with this diet on trying things out and seeing what works for you!

3. Don't avoid things just because you assume there will be carbs.

Spend some extra time in the grocery store, look at the labels. I have found really more options than I had ever thought possible by just taking more time to look at labels and see stuff that could fit in. I found dressings, BBQ sauces, canned goods, protein bars, potato chips, protein shakes, frozen meals (hello frozen buffalo wings), and all kinds of things that are low carb and taste really good! 


 
 

4. Just because it works/doesn't work for someone else doesn't mean it will be that way for you.

There is SO much info readily available for the keto/LCHF lifestyle. Facebook groups, blogs, twitter, Instagram, all kinds of stuff. There will be people who eat absolutely no processed foods because anything processed kicks them out of ketosis and stalls them. Some people drink no diet drinks, some people don't use artificial sweetener, some people don't eat any grains, etc. etc. however, there are people who eat ALL those things (me) that have still had positive results. So you have to try and see what works for you. 

5. Low carb protein bars are gross. (my opinion)

To be fair, I have never really liked protein bars. However I have really just thrown away the idea of even trying protein bars anymore because I don't like the texture/taste of ANY of them. To me they are all gross and I will not spend money on them anymore.

6. Just because it says low carb or keto does not mean it will taste good.

I cannot reiterate enough that a lot of marketed "low carb" options are GROSS. You will learn by trial and error but whereas when I first started I loaded up my amazon cart with a bunch of keto/low carb foods I have since decided not to order any of them for now because there are so many low carb/keto options that DO taste good, they just aren't marketed as low carb/keto because they have always existed. (pickles, parmesan crisps, salads, grilled chicken, sausage, cheese, etc.)

7. Just because you are on a keto diet doesn't mean you can't go out to eat.

I have yet to face a sit-down restaurant that didn't offer a salad or meat/veggie option. It is totally possible and makes ordering a lot easier. I never feel like I don't get to have something yummy because most of the time pre-keto when I went out I would normally order steak/veggies, fish/veggies, shrimp/veggies, buffalo wings, burgers, etc. And all of those are easily keto-fied and you can order a side salad. Voila, keto meal out to eat. And I save money on not ordering expensive appetizers. BOOM.

8. Don't over complicate things.

Just because you CAN put in extra work to make keto replacement meals and whatnot doesn't mean you should or HAVE to for every single meal. The other day I sat in my living room for an hour trying to figure out what I had the ingredients/energy to cook before I realized I had chicken and broccoli and that was perfectly keto/low carb. So I threw it in a skillet with some low carb marinade and cheese and it was DELICIOUS and low carb. Don't make this more complicated than it has to be, you will be stressed, spend too much money, and it will be so much harder to stick with it.

9. This is not supposed to be an expensive diet.

This kinda goes with #8. Keto can be as expensive or cheap as any other diet. Raw chicken is SO cheap, I can get enough chicken to last me a whole week for under $10 and marinades/sauces last weeks at a time. Frozen veggies are cheap too. Realistically you can do keto in under $40 a week depending on how tolerant you are of repeat meals. Just because you CAN have something doesn't mean you should. Don't buy stuff just because its low carb, only buy stuff you really want to eat and can afford.

10. Meal prepping is necessary.

Somewhat. At least a little bit of meal prepping is necessary to make this an achievable diet. I don't meal fixing whole meals in plastic containers and taking up the whole fridge, I don't do that. But I will buy the big containers of raw chicken because they are cheaper and then put 2-3 breasts or thighs in a ziplock and put those in my freezer to pull out every couple of days. Makes my life easier and cheaper.

11. The scale lies.

You can still have days where the scale will say no change but the mirror says differently. I will also have days where I am bloated but the scale says I have lost a couple pounds. Listen to the mirror, listen to your BODY. If you look/feel good/better than the day before then think about the food choices you made and remember them. If you are bloated and feel gross then do the same thing and try to avoid things you think bloat your body and make you feel bad. The scale makes me crazy, my body doesn't lie to me.



 
So there you have it. Those are some of the things I have learned the past couple of weeks. At the end of the day the most important thing I have learned is to just listen to my body. Pay attention to the things I am putting into my mouth and what they do to my body. Your body will react to EVERYTHING you put into it either positively or negatively. We tend to pay more attention to the extremely negative (cramping/puking) but it is so important to stay conscious of how our body reacts each day to what we ate. 

So Kate is still going keto, for now anyways. Really enjoying this diet and so far my body is saying that it is too!

-Katelyn



 


 





Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Keto Staple Grocery List

So one of the hardest things I have figured out about Keto is the staple items I need in my pantry for all those keto recipes that I find. So here are the staple items that I have found are pretty necessary to keep stocked each week.

Dairy
BUTTER. Preferably grass fed kerry gold butter but otherwise any kind of organic butter.
Sour cream
Cream Cheese
Heavy Whipping Cream
Shredded cheese (all different kinds)
Velveeta cheese (this is just a personal favorite of mine for cheesy broccoli)
EGGS

Meat
This one is more complicated, because it is more about personal choice. This is my staple options that I rotate between.

Some kind of lunch meat, I usually do turkey.
Chicken, I prefer chicken thighs, and don't be afraid of ones with skin!
Sausage, any kind, but make sure you check for the carb count.
BACON. This is a huge staple, eat it alone, as a side, on a salad, wrap, or sandwich.
Frozen turkey meat
Frozen beef

Produce
Peppers, green/red/orange
Lettuce/Spinach/Kale for salads, wraps, sandwiches etc.
Cucumbers, great low carb for dipping and snacking
Celery, great for low carb dipping and snacking
Jalepenos (I personally make stuffed jalepenos almost once a week)

Baking/Essentials
Almond Flour (some people prefer coconut flour but I WAY prefer almond)
Stevia (or whichever 0 carb sweetener you prefer)
Baking sweetener
Chia seeds
Vanilla Extract
Maple Extract (for all the keto waffles)

Snacks
Pickles
Pickled Okra (personal favorite)
Almonds
Mixed/Spiced nuts
Pork Rinds
Quest Chips
Low carb yogurt











Friday, January 20, 2017

KateGoesKeto: In the morning, Im making waffles!

KETO WAFFLES
Low carb/Keto waffles are one of the best discoveries I have made since starting the keto life style. Seriously delicious, so filling, and honestly make me not miss regular waffles and pancakes. I think you could use this batter to make pancakes too but the waffles were perfect. I added maple and vanilla extract to my batter and used sugar free syrup. They were the bomb. Dustin approved as well! 

RECIPE:

1 cup almond flour, sifted
½ Tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream 
2 Tablespoons oil
3 eggs
(Then I added a dash of vanilla extract and a dash of maple extract)

I put all of this into my food processor to smooth it out and make it more batter like!
(If your almond flour is already really smooth then you probably wouldn't have to do that but I was working with almond meal so it needed to be ground finer!)

Top with sugar free syrup and you are good to go! Promise these are SO good, my mouth is watering thinking about this!

Bon Apetit!

-Katelyn










KateGoesKeto: Fat Head Pizza


Gattis who?

Gattis is my favorite pizza ever but I made this Fat Head Pizza tonight and it was AMAZING. I don't even miss other pizza anymore.

The crust, made from almond flour, mozzarella cheese, and cream cheese (and 1 egg). It was FANTASTIC. Absolutely made me forget about Gattis, Papa Johns, Dominoes, all of them. This pizza is absolutely phenomenal.

RECIPE-

Ok so there are A LOT of recipes for Fat Head pizza however this is what I followed-

3/4 cup of almond flour
1 3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese (pre shredded)
2 tbsp of cream cheese
1 egg
garlic (I prefer minced garlic in olive oil)
and a hefty dash of Italian seasoning

Instructions for the crust-

mix the cheese and almond flour and cream cheese in a bowl, microwave for 1 min.

take out, mix together more, add egg, seasoning, garlic, and any other seasonings!

Microwave for another 30 seconds, take out and mix, it should look like a dough!

scoop out onto a piece of oven safe parchment paper, I drizzled a little olive oil on it before I put the dough down.

Place another sheet of parchment paper on top and start to spread the dough out into a rectangle shape, then put take the top parchment off, put the dough (on top of the parchment paper) onto a baking sheet and bake at 425 for 15 min (Watch it, it only needs to be brown but don't let it burn!)

Take out, put your toppings on, I did pizza sauce, a pizza cheese blend, bacon, and salami!

Bake another 5ish minutes until your cheese is melted.

ENJOY!

Seriously so good, if you want leftovers you might want to make 2 pizzas, this one fed both of us with only 2 slices left over!

Bon Appetit!

-Katelyn





KateGoesKeto: Whoooosh



I have heard about keto "whoooshes" before, how you will weigh yourself one day and be the same weight you were when you started and the weigh yourself a day or two later and "whoosh" you've dropped a couple pounds. Well, it finally happened for me! I have officially lost and maintained the loss of 4 lbs and counting! I feel great, although I will admit that I have not been 100% faithful at being under 20 net carbs a day. However I am getting back on track and I am even trying to add in some gym time!

Here is a new list of pro and cons that I have come up with in the last couple weeks since my last blog post.

CONS-

1. Sometimes I want something fresh, a fruit salad, an apple, an orange, something like that. And my options have been slim for a "Fresh" snack. My compromise has been carb master yogurt from Kroger and salads. I do really miss fruit though.

2. No freezer meals. I know that this is probably a good thing, but I miss quick and easy freezer meals because with keto basically if you want something hot then it probably is going to require some cooking and prep work.

PROS-

1. Weight loss! Now I can say that I have experienced weight loss so that is pretty cool!

2. fat. head. pizza. Need I say more? Coming soon on the blog, keto pizzas are even better than regular pizza.

3. Yummy foods, this diet is so yummy, yeah I miss a lot of carby foods but the alternative low carb options are good too!


So far still good! I am still loving the LCHF (low carb high fat)/Keto life. Dustin still seems to be enjoying it as well, we have been trying out new recipes and so far our favorites are this low carb chocolate cheesecake pudding with chopped strawberries on top, Fat Head Pizza, and grilled asparagus with olive oil (if you let it roast in the oven it tastes better than pop corn). As well as slow roasting many other veggies, our fail safe dinner plan is a meat like steak or chicken or fish with slow roasted veggies. Not too difficult to make and fills us up!

So thats it for my little update! Soon to come, RECIPES!

-katelyn











Tuesday, January 10, 2017

KateGoesKeto:BigMacs&Dr.Pepper

First of all I'd like to start my saying that I FINALLY have experienced a little "whoosh" of weight loss! Not a lot but I'm about 2-3 lbs lighter since I last weighed myself 2 days ago. And that's weighing myself at the end of the day after all my meals have been eaten! 

Now to the "meat" of this post (pun intended)....today I wanted a Big Mac. I've mentioned in posts before that I love me some big macs and I wanted one today.... bad. So I made a Big Mac Casserole! I found the recipe on Pinterest and modified it a little for my tastes, I'll put the recipe below. I was very skeptical. Mostly because I thought Big Mac sauce was like a magical unicorn sauce that couldn't possibly be recreated, and I didn't think I could recreate the fast food tasting goodness of a big Mac at home.

WRONG. It was AMAZING.

I'll never eat another regular Big Mac again. Imagine a Big Mac, made with REAL beef, organic cheese, and just all around wholesome/quality ingredients and that's what a Big Mac Casserole is.


Here was my plate, I couldn't even eat all of it, keto has cut my appetite in half, but I savored EVERY bite. It tasted just like a Big Mac, but better. 

RECIPE:
-2 lbs ground beef (I bought the one with 27% fat ratio) 
-2 bags of shredded cheese (I used 1 bag of mild cheddar and 1 Mexican mix) 
-sesame seeds
-dill pickle slices 
-worstechire 
-black pepper 
-salt
-minced onion 

Instructions-
Preheat oven to 350

Brown your meat then add almost a whole bag of cheese to it, a decent amount of minced onion, a splash of worstechire, and salt and pepper to taste, then mix in some Russian dressing (I did about 3tbs.

Once all is combined and cooked down add mixture to baking pan, I used 2 throw away 9x9 pans, but this could easily go into other sizes and work. Spread out and pat together into bottom of pan.

Cover in sliced pickles (I made a 1 pickle layer, none overlapping)

Drizzle Russian sauce over it. 

Cover in cheese then sprinkle a generous amount of sesame seeds over it. 

Bake for 20 min. Then broil for 5-6 and let the cheese get nice and cooked. 

Voila! Big Mac Casserole. 


This recipe made 2 of these pans. My boyfriend and I ate about half of a pan, bf didn't finish our plates. So for 2 people it would be about 8-10 servings (so a couple lunches/dinners) next time I will probably freeze one pan. 

So I satisfied my fast food craving, ate this with a diet Dr Pepper and then for dessert we had a low carb concoction I whipped up. another pun intended. 


1 cup of HWC
A tbs of cocoa powder 
About teaspoon or so of stevia 
Whip into a whip cream then spread into a Tupperware and stick in the freezer. 

Then I cut up 1 Atkins PB Cup (1 net carb) and sprinkled that on top! Was pretty good but again we barely finished it! 

So far so good, officially 1 week into keto and we are loving it! 

-Katelyn 
 
 
 

Monday, January 9, 2017

KateGoesKeto: One Week Check In

Okay so today is day 6, so basically one week into keto. So far no weightloss but I feel lighter. Now, that might be psychological but I mean it when I say I feel lighter and more energetic. I write that as I am currently 7 hours into a 12 hour shift so I mean it! So I thought a week in I would write a little pro and con list of my honest feelings about Keto so far.


Let's start with the bad, shall we?


Cons-
-So. Much. Cooking.
   Now this is mostly my own fault because I am not the type that can eat boiled eggs and slices of cheese. I wouldn't last like that, within 2 days you would find me eat a big mac. So it is a lot of cooking, most of which I enjoy, but some of the keto staple grocery items are a little pricier and I miss the option of popping by a fast food place on my way home from a 12 hour shift to grab something.


-Weight loss?
   This is more a con of the LACK of weight loss lol. I see SO many people on keto drop a good bit of water weight within the first week and....I have gained 2 lbs. Now, that is with weighing myself a few minutes ago during the middle of the day 2 meals in however I would expect to at least be like 1 lb lighter...but I am not letting this weigh on me TOO much because A) I am still learning the low carb life and B) I only have a loss goal of about 10-15 lbs so I cant really expect to lose it all in one day.






PROS-
 
-Feelin' Good
  I may not have lost any weight yet but I FEEL good. I don't feel bloated, I have felt pretty alert and energized during the day. Just an overall good feeling.


-0 Guilt
  Pre-Keto I would stress out every day about food. I pretty much ate whatever I wanted but I would feel a lot of guilt later about what I ate. I like that Keto offers a good guideline for food and it is easy enough to follow the low carb part of it. So at the end of the day when I have 5-10 carbs left because I was good all day then I have absolute 0 guilt eating some of my Halo Top ice cream or some Atkins PB cups!


-Direction
   I like that keto is something pretty easy to understand as far as the LCHF (low carb high fat) part of it. It's easy to calculate net carbs in something (carb-fiber) and there are literally tons of Facebook groups and pinterest ideas, etc. on keto recipes and tips. Every question I have had so far was EASILY answered with a google search or asking on a facebook group!




So that is my rough pro and con list real quick. Overall I am still happy with it, still going to stick with it. I am a little bummed I haven't experienced that immediate drop in water weight but most people that say that they immediately experienced a drop of 4-10 lbs in the first 1-2 weeks have much more than 10-15 lbs in mind for a goal weight loss. I am a little disturbed at gaining 2 lbs but I am going to attribute that to weighing myself in the dead middle of the afternoon and to the fact that I am making a huge dietary change and have not been 100% strict with myself so far. So this week I am determined to buckle down a little more, seriously focus on low carb & fitting into my calorie count and not so much on macro counting because honestly as a beginner it is hard to think about fat and protein intake.


Here are a couple pics from my favorite meals I have eaten this week! Keto can be super yummy!






Jimmy Johns is my new bae, they offer for any of their sandwiches to be ordered as an "unwhich" wrapped in lettuce!
The bootlegger was good, the #9 Italian night club was better.





Breakfast taco! With sausage, eggs, cheese, and Taco Bell mild sauce & chipotle sauce!





My yummiest coffee for sure!




Grilled salmon with veggies! (half eaten because I forgot to take a picture)