Week Fifteen - Day Three: Struggles & Difficulties...

Yes, the constant struggle has been ongoing. I have been frustrated by the fact that I start the day off great, and then stumble before the sun sets.

So now, as the picture suggests, I will make it part of the dance!

I have danced my way thru some of the information I have gleaned over the past month and came upon information that I had forgotten about.

KETOGENICS!!!

What is a Ketogenic diet? "A Ketogenic Diet is any diet that causes ketones to be produced by the liver, shifting the body's metabolism away from glucose towards fat utilization." Basically what happens is, if the body doesn't have any glucose (i.e. carbs) to burn, it will draw on the available fat and use it instead. This leads to a much faster weight loss.

This is how a ketogenic diet should look:

You can also have a few fruits, but they absolutely must be kept to a minimum!

I got a great e-book from Amazon called The Super Keto Diet. It gives more insight and great recipes. I also found a keto grocery list and copied it to my inkpad app so I always have it on my Galaxy.

Here is a brief synopsis called Keto In a Nutshell that will explain everything.

"Do I need to count calories?" you may ask.

The answer is no, you don't, and I never have. But you can. There is a plan (and book) called The Fat Fast, where you (a) restrict your calories to 1,000 a day and (b) 90% of those calories come from fat. The late Dr. Atkins suggests using this when you have reached a plateau and need to break thru and get on with your weight loss.

I'm not trying to break thru a plateau, I'm just trying to get back on track!

TOMORROW IS MAY 1st.

IT IS A DAY TO CELEBRATE UNION SOLIDARITY!

IT IS MAY DAY - A DAY TO CELEBRATE SPRING!

IT IS A DAY FOR NEW BEGINNINGS FOR ME!

I have my keto shopping list in hand, my recipes, and light at the end of the tunnel as this plan is only a 7 day starter to really jump start my system.

I will let you know how I did with my weight loss on May 8th, as that is when the next doctor's appointment is. I had wanted to lose 12 more pounds by May 1st, so I am hoping it will be even better than that!

And now I leave you with this thought:

( I hope it made you giggle! )

…Lin…

Week Fourteen - Day What? It's been an "off" kind of... Day? Week? Month!

Where has April gone? It's hard to believe that it's been one month and 6 days since my world was turned upside down.

I have had one bad day after another with nothing agreeing with me. Nothing, as in food. My stomach has been in knots. It must be the stress.

Finally I think I have turned the corner. My stomach is settling and food is starting to agree with me once again. Additionally, Easter is over and I can get back on track.

Farewell until next year!

The only remnant I have left of Easter are the colored eggs still in my refrigerator. That is an okay thing because I can use them for egg salad or deviled eggs. Both of these things I can eat and not feel bad about.

And now that I'm getting back on track, how did I do today? Not bad, I have to say. For breakfast I had chicken strips dipped in ranch dressing; lunch was 3 strips of bacon; dinner was Eggs Mexicana.

I still have to go grocery shopping because I haven't really stocked my pantry in a long time. One of the things I plan on making (and have plenty of leftovers) is Spunky, Chunky, No-Bean Chili. In the #recipe they serve it with Almond Flour Biscuits which she fries up like fritters. This is a meal I am looking forward to!

It's a rainy, blustery day and I have been hiding out inside just enjoying the weather. I love it when it's windy and rainy. Don't you? This is probably the first day no one has called or come by to see me. I am reveling in the peace and quiet; catching up on all my DVR'd programs; and snuggling on the couch with Maddie.

Yes, I am ready for the weekend. Captain and I are going winetasting tomorrow; Sunday is the Highland Games. He told me he would get a utili-kilt and I certainly hope so. He looks sexy in a kilt. Any kilt!

And finally, after all of that, along came the cravings!!! Really? I'm so disappointed!

I hate when that happens. But I had things that got me thru it. A handful of peanuts and a couple of hot dogs that I steamed and then crisped up in the pan. Thank goodness for circus food snacks that don't have any carbs!

No, I did not have a bun with my hot dog; nor did I eat any popcorn.
But I was all over the hot dogs and peanuts!

And now it is good to be back. Back to blogging; back on my plan. I have missed you! Thanks for being patient with me while I've gone thru this major change in my life. Have a beautiful night and I will see you tomorrow!

…Lin…

Week Thirteen - Day Three: Hump Day!

I have to tell you that last night I wanted to snack. I wanted it so badly! And although I did snack just a bit, it was all perfectly legitimate. I snacked on a couple slices of chipped beef, I ate more cucumbers, and a big spoon of peanut butter. It got me thru the rest of the night.

And now on to my Wednesday!

This morning I was wide awake at 5:15, so I decided to get up. I unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher. I hate it when I have a lot of big stuff because it takes up so much room. But it is what it is.

Once the dishwasher was started I decided to make that chicken recipe I posted the other day. You know, the Easy Cheesy Baked Ranch Chicken #recipe that I hashtagged? It came together in about 5 minutes. I used ranch dip since I had that on hand from last weekend's get together. And then I thought, why use the dressing at all, since the dip is thick enough and you don't have to add anything extra to it to thicken it? I also used thighs as they don't dry out like breast meat does. Don't bother to mix the cheeses as you can just sprinkle them on individually. Best of all, since it is a whole pound, I will probably be eating it for 2-3 days. :)

Hot out of the oven.
How do they look?

OMG it was so very good! I really liked it. One is more than filling for me. This will go on my "must make it again" list!

My dad had ATT coming over to the house today to hook up their home phone and internet.

At the same time the insurance underwriter was coming to check out the house for the homeowner's insurance.

Therefore, he had to bring Leyla over to my house. She is sweet, but can be aggressive as she is a min-pin.

This is not her,
but this is what she looks like.

We were hoping to introduce her to Maddie, but that didn't go too well. Even though Leyla was in muzzle, she still went after Maddie. So she gets to stay with mom & dad instead of moving in with me, and Maddie won't be going over there to visit any time soon.

Ugh!

After the dog fiasco I needed to go to the grocery store. I only needed water and dog food, but they had a special on artichokes! Two huge ones for $3. I confess, I bought two of them.

Artichoke story to follow!

As to lunch and dinner, let me tell you how that went!

Lunch was very uneventful. I had another salad but I put my cheesy ranch chicken on it. It was good, but the salad dressing does overwhelm the flavor of the chicken. So I will stick with rotisserie chicken for my salads in the future.

Dinner was awesome! I had a hamburger patty and an artichoke. Maddie and I actually shared the burger. It was just plain and seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder. The artichoke, on the other hand... well, I didn't give any of it to Maddie. I was selfish and ate almost all of it. As you can see, I still have the heart left and I will save it for later.

Yes, I had garlic butter to dip it in. My bff Peggy always uses mayonnaise, but I prefer the garlic butter. Surprisingly, when our kids were little they all loved artichokes, so we would share ours with them. They would go back and forth between the butter and the mayonnaise! They really didn't care what they dipped it in, as long a they could dip it. LOL!

Point of information here... Peggy and I spent a lot of time together when our kids were growing up because our husbands worked a lot (her husband worked long hours, my husband worked out of town), so we depended on each other for support. It was an instant friendship from the time we met and it's lasted going on almost 30 years. We are more like sisters than friends. We will always be...

So that has been my day, pretty much. Dull, fairly uneventful, and once again successful. Just so you know, I will be splurging somewhat on Easter, but I'm not planning on overdoing it.

You have been warned! ;)

Have a lovely night!

…Lin…

Week Thirteen - Day Two: Tax Day, Pint Night, and Other Such Silliness...

I have to say I am absolutely ecstatic! Why? Because it's April 15th and I got my taxes in. Actually they were done a few days ago and I just had to mail in my check to the Franchise Tax Board. I don't understand how I can get a refund from the feds and yet owe the state. Oh well, it was only $36. And my refund? Hold on... $5! Woohoo!!!

I am one lucky girl!

And what about Pint Night? Well, it didn't happen. That is okay. I am over beer, but Captain, being the Irishman that he is, loves it. However, he is still trying to finish his taxes so he's not going to make it today. Even our friends, Tom and Susan, are not going tonight.

Abita;s Turbodog Brown Ale was tonight's pour.
This is what Captain missed! LOL!

My dad picked up his meds from the pharmacy today. It is his first refill since he got out of the hospital.  I have been keeping his pills filled in his pill keeper for him, so he asked if I would come over tonight and sort them. I said sure I would!

OK, maybe he doesn't have this many.
But it feels like it at times! :)

He also invited me to dinner. I thought about it, looking for a really good reason to stray from my plan. After much thought I decided not to because (a) I have been good all day and (b) it probably wouldn't be worth it.

Breakfast this morning was one egg and 3 slices of bacon. Maddie and I shared the bacon. No lunch, but I really wasn't hungry. For dinner I made an Asian chicken salad. I didn't have the mix, but I had bought the premade coleslaw and a bag of broccoli slaw. I mixed them both together for a more nourishing salad. I topped it with chicken and almonds and the dressing was sesame ginger. I also sliced up a cucumber to munch on. It was really good and really filling.

Yes, I have had a successful day. I am proud of myself. The crushing need to constantly eat because of stress is going away.

One thing I noticed (and forgive me if I have mentioned this before) is that when I was closely following my plan (no carbs, no grains of any kind) the itchy patches on my stomach and thighs went away. I may have an allergy to wheat, which would not surprise me. My brother, John, had severe wheat allergies when he was little.

So that has been my day. Just another step on the journey of my life. I will see you all tomorrow!

…Lin…

Week Thirteen - Day One: Success!

Yes, it's lucky week 13. I have done quite well today, if I do say so myself!

This morning I got up, wrote my blog for yesterday (as you well know), had my coffee and then breakfast, which was just a few slices of bacon. I only eat breakfast because I have morning meds that I need to take with food.

It's nice to be getting back to my daily routine. Coffee, GMA, news, playing with Maddie, and occasionally I have things that I need to do.  Like see the dentist.

Did you know that DDS stands for Dandy Dental Service?
True fact!

So I shower, got dressed and headed into Sacramento. First I was meeting my friend Daileen for an early lunch. We went to Panda Express.

It was just OK. I had about half of the Sanghai Angus Beef and shared the rest with Daileen. It wasn't bad, but I should have ordered the shrimp. Next time I will. But it really wasn't about the lunch; it was about catching up on the gossip at work. So much is happening there. I now remember why I don't miss working there anymore. Happy to be retired!

From lunch it was off to the dentist. I really like him, he's a great dentist, but I just hate going to the dentist. I think I would rather give birth... Really... But I don't have any cavities or dental issues, so all is well with my smile.

Since my BFF Peggy works only a couple of miles away, I decided to stop by her office and visit her. We had a nice, long visit and she was hungry so we went to Carmelita's Mexican Restaurant, just down the street.

What? Eating again?

Yes, I was eating again, but let us recap, shall we? Breakfast - 3 slices of bacon; early lunch - 1/2 small order of Shanghai Beef; late lunch - one taco. Yes, all I had was a taco. Sadly, it did not agree with me. It's the first time Mexican food has not liked me. And we all know what happens when food doesn't agree with me.

No, we won't go down that road tonight.

So I am home and settled for the night. I feel very positive about how my day has gone, in spite of everything. I have 16 days still to reach my 10 lb weight loss for the month. I'm not setting huge goals, I am setting reachable goals.

Bidding you good night, sweet dreams, and I will see you all tomorrow!

…Lin…