It's time to get back on track!

I know it has been a good while since I last posted a blog. So this evening, I thought maybe I should touch base. (well, that, plus my sister told me she missed my blogs! Thank you for that, Cindy!)

Yes, I am still alive and kicking … And still Keto. But, I have been doing the laid back version of Keto. (Ed's version) I have found out, though, that the laid back version of Keto does not work so well for me. I think maybe I just get a little TOO laid back.

I have noticed that my jeans are getting tight. At first, I thought maybe it was just that voice in my head that tells me I'm fat, but I stepped on the scales and seen that I am up by five pounds (again). So I took the ultimate challenge tonight; I tried on my old Parachute Pants from 1984. Well, I got them up and even got them zipped. But I wouldn't say I was wearing them.

This is me, actually wearing my parachute pants back in 1984!

And here I am, attempting to wear them this evening.  Please note, that I did just work three 12 hour shifts.  I came home and showered, but I didn't do anything with my hair and I am not wearing any make up!

They say 10 pounds is a jean size and I believe it. I think once I get these 5 pounds back off maybe they will “fit” again.  And the shirt, too - for that matter.

So yes, it is time to get serious again. I do NOT want to gain it ALL back. It is time to get back on track before it gets too far out of hand.

Weighing, measuring, tracking – it really isn't that complicated if you have the right tools. Which, I do. I use Myfitnesspal. And most of the foods we eat regularly have already been plugged in under “my foods”. I just need to use it.

So, stay tuned!  Let's see how long it takes me to get these 5 pounds back off!

Keto Mock Filet Mignon

Oh My!

We had some bacon we needed to use up, so we put our thinking caps on. 

Back in the day – we used to make a Mock Filet Mignon. (AKA Poor Boy Steak) So we found the recipe and tweaked it to make it Keto. 

We now have another quick and easy, what do we want in a hurry menu item!  

Keto Friendly Mock Filet Mignon

1 pound ground beef

2 eggs

2 Cups Ground Pork Rinds

1 pkg Onion Soup Mix

1 Tbs minced garlic

8 strips of Bacon

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp pink salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix the paprika, salt, garlic powder and onion powder together in a small dish and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the first 5 (five) ingredients together and form 8 patties.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Place the patties on the sheet. 

Wrap each patty with one strip of bacon and sprinkle on the top edge of the bacon with seasoning you set aside. 

Bake for half an hour. 

Nutritional Information:
Servings: 4 (2 patties each)
Calories:  651
Fat            41
Protein      49
Carbs         2

Serve with a vegetable of your choice, covered with a cheese sauce of your choice.

Ours would be this:  

Enjoy!

How To Get Started

The other day I had someone ask me about Keto Coffee. So out of curiosity, I googled it. Oh my goodness, that stuff is expensive! And guess what? It's not needed.

As I said in my very first post – you do not have to buy any special Keto Products to follow this way of eating. No pills, no powders, no mixes, no 30 day plans. And just because something says it's "Keto" doesn't mean it is.

And the thing is, if you do take those “Keto Products” to get you into Ketosis faster, your body is going to burn those fats before it starts to work on your stored fat. Seriously folks, you can do it without them and probably with quicker results.

Today I decided to show examples of just how easy this way of eating is.  All you have to do is not eat anything on the "do not eat list"  (I have that list posted Here.)

So today, I am posting an example of a diet you could follow for 7 days.  This menu is just to give you an idea of what to eat, to show you how easy it is.  Remember, the focus is not on calories, it's on the Fat, Protein and Carbs. Your daily total should be 75% fat, 20% Protein and 5% Carbs - or as close to it as you can get, of the total calories you eat in a day.   That said, if you can limit your total calories and keep your macros on target, you should see faster results.  

Download a Food Tracker to log your foods with before you eat them, to make sure they fit your macros.  I personally like Myfitnesspal and I just use the free version.  You do have to go in and change your goals to 5/75/20.  If you have trouble with that, send me a message and I will be glad to help.

Things to remember:

Fat is a limit. You don't have to reach your limit, but try not to go over 75%.

Carbs are also a limit.  Try not to go over 5%.

Protein is a Goal. You want to at least hit 20%.  However, if you are at 20% and are still hungry, eat more protein! You are supposed to eat until you are no longer hungry and once you get into Ketosis you will find you are not hungry all the time.

Also, if you mess up and eat something you shouldn't have, just get right back at it.  Don't use that mess-up as an excuse to eat anything and everything you want for the day since you already messed up.   If you spill a few drops of coffee when you are filling your coffee cup, you wouldn't dump the rest of the pot and have a bigger mess to clean up, right?  Your diet should be the same way.  

Also, try to drink 30 oz of Ketoraid every day.  Use a 30 oz tumbler and just sip on it all day until it is gone.   This should help you avoid the "keto flu".

Ketoraid :

Fill a 30 oz tumbler with water, add 2 TBS of Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 tsp Pink Himalayan Salt, ¼ tsp of Lite Salt and 1 package of Crystal Light or the great value version.  This is what I use (the electrolyted version):

Okay - so now for the menus.  But remember, I personally often eat the same thing for breakfast every day for a month or better.  I do also often eat the same thing for lunch (my go to is the Johnsonville Better Cheddar Brats unless we have leftovers from the night before)  but in these menus I will try to make each different to show more variety.  

If I have previously posted the recipe in my blog, I have provided a link to the page it's on.  (Just scroll til you find it)  I figured I had shared each of the recipes that I used but there are a couple missing.  So I will post them at the end of this one.

Day One

Breakfast:

2 cups of Coffee 

both with 1 TBS Heavy Whipping Cream and Stevia 

2 Eggs

2 slices Bacon

Lunch:

2 Johnsonville Better Cheddar Brats

Dinner:

Ribeye Steak

Steamed Broccoli & Cauliflower with Gordo's Cheese Dip

Daily Totals:

Calories: 1355

Carbs -    14     (4%)

Fat -       107   (74%)

Protein -  72    (22%)

Day two

Breakfast:

1 1/2 cups of Coffee blended with 1 Cafe Caramel Protein Shake (Atkins)

3 Johnsonville Breakfast Sausage Links

Lunch:

1 Hamburger Patty with 1 slice Pepperjack Cheese

2 oz Summer Sausage, cut in thin slices

2 oz Pepperjack Cheese (block) cut in thin slices

Dinner:

Pork Steak

with Hughes Sugar Free BBQ Sauce (4 TBS)

Steamed Broccoli Florets

with Gordo's Cheese Dip

Daily Totals:

Calories:  1350

Carbs -    15   (5%)

Fat -        96   (66%)

Protein -  98   (29%)

Day three

Breakfast:

2 cups of Coffee 

each with 1/2 TBS butter

2 Bob Evans Sausage Patties

Lunch:

6 Keto Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies (Recipe)

Dinner:

Keto Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast 

Steamed Broccoli with Gordo's Cheese Dip

Daily Totals:

Calories:  1116

Carbs -    15   (5%)

Fat -        77  (62%)

Protein -  92   (33%)

Day Four

Breakfast:

Black Coffee with Stevia only

Keto Sausage & Cheese Meatballs (Recipe)

Lunch: 

Keto Crepe with Strawberries & Sugar Free Whipped Topping (Recipe)

Dinner:

Keto BBQ Meatballs (Recipe)

Riced Cauliflower & Gordo's Cheese Dip

Daily Totals:

Calories:  1207

Carbs -     12   (4%)

Fat -        96   (73%)

Protein -  69   (23%)

Day Five

Breakfast:

Black Coffee 

Omelet made with:

       2 Eggs

       2 oz Ground Bob Evans Sausage, Cooked

       3 TBS Shredded Cheddar Cheese

       1 TBS Heavy Whipping Cream

Lunch:

Better Cheddar Brat Burger

Dinner:

Keto Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole (Recipe)

Keto Zucchini Fries

Daily Totals:

Calories:  1227

Carbs -     15   (5%)

Fat -        99   (73%)

Protein -  68   (22%)

Day Six

Breakfast:

Coffee

2 oz Bob Evans Sausage

Lunch:

Tuna Salad (no bread)

     1 can of Tuna

     1 hard boiled Egg, diced

     2 tbs Hellman's Mayo

     1 Dill Pickle Spear, diced

Dinner:

Keto Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs (3) (Recipe)

small salad

      1 1/2 cups Shredded Lettuce

      2 TBS Shredded Cheddar Cheese

      1 TBS Real Bacon Bacon Bits

      2 TBS Fresh, Diced Tomatoes

      1 hard boiled Egg, diced

      Walden Farms Salad Dressing (0 carbs, 0 calories)

Daily Totals:

Calories:  1334

Carbs -      15   (4%)

Fat -         94   (64%)

Protein -  104   (32%)

And for the last day.  A day of  NO COOKING to show, just how simple this way of eating can be.

Day Seven

Breakfast:

Coffee with 1 Cafe Caramel Shake (Atkins)

3 Breakfast sausage links

(Previously cooked.  Just reheat 3 sausage links)

Lunch:

2 Johnsonville Better Cheddar Brats

   (either heated in microwave or reheated after they were cooked on the grill)

2 oz Pepperjack cheese, cut into thin slices

Dinner:

4 oz Tysons, Grilled & Ready to eat Frozen Chicken Strips

Ed's Keto Taco Seasoning

2 TBS Gordo's Cheese Dip

(Heat the frozen chicken in the microwave, then sprinkle with the Keto Taco Seasoning and top with the cheese dip.  Place back in Microwave til Cheese is melted.)

1 cup of cucumber slices with

2 TBS of Waldon Farms Chipotle Ranch Dressing

Daily Totals:

Calories:  1117

Carbs -      14   (5%)

Fat -         84   (67%)

Protein -   80   (28%)

Tyson actually has several different precooked chicken options.  There are also some other brands as well.  We have not tried them all.  And technically, a true Keto diet wouldn't allow them because they are processed foods.  But, as I said, I do lazy or dirty Keto.  They are nice to keep on hand for quick and easy lunch or evening meals.  You do have to watch them though because some have more carbs than others.

Right now my regular morning breakfast is the Atkins Caramel Shake in my morning coffee.  We pour the shake in my 30 oz tumbler and then fill it the rest of the way with coffee.  Be sure to read the label though.  Not all the shakes have only 3 carbs.  Make sure you grab the right one!  Anyway, my breakfast is the caramel coffee with 3 Johnsonville Breakfast Sausage Links.  

We cook up a full package of the Breakfast links at once and just reheat 3 each morning.  Quick and simple!   

Also, since the brats are so much better cooked on the grill than just microwaved.  We like to grill up a bunch at once and freeze them (2 per ziplock bag). Then put all the bags into 1 gallon freezer bag.  Perfect for quick and easy lunches.

In closing, I'll end with those 2 missing recipes.  

Ed's Marinated Grilled Chicken Breasts

Marinade:

½ cup Olive Oil

¼ cup Lemon Juice

1 tsp Thyme

¼ tsp Garlic Powder

¼ tsp Pink Salt

¼ tsp Ground Pepper

4 boneless chicken breasts (or boneless thighs, if you prefer)

In a bowl, mix up the Marinade and set aside.

Cut the chicken breasts (or thighs) in half and place in a 1 gallon Zip-lock Freezer Bag.  Seal the bag without air and pound them with a meat tenderizer, using the smooth side, until they are about ½ inch thick. If you did not put a hole in the bag, you can marinade it in the same bag. Otherwise, place the chicken in a new bag and pour the marinade in. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Before you fire it up, pour a little Olive Oil onto a paper towel and rub it on the grill grates. Then, fire it up and let it reach about 400 degrees. Grill Chicken for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until done.

Serving size: 1 breast

Calories: 370

Carbs: 1

Fat: 12

Protein: 61

Keto Zucchini Fries

2 Medium Zucchini

1 Egg

1/2 cup Almond Flour

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1/4 tsp Pink Salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Pam (Olive Oil Spray)

Cut the zucchini in half, then cut into fries, about 1/2 inch thick.

In a shallow bowl, combine the almond flour, Parmesan cheese and seasonings.

In another bowl, beat the egg.

Dip the fries in the egg, then coat with the Almond flour mixture.

Place in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Spray the coated fries with Pam.

Bake at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes, or til as crispy as you like.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Calories:    109

Carbs:           6

Fat:              7

Protein:        7

Ed is back on Keto!

I mentioned the other day that Ed was back to eating Keto again. 

What happened is we were looking through some old photos and came upon some that were taken back when he was Keto.  He seen what he looked like back when he was eating Keto and apparently, he decided he wanted to be there again.

Ed, on Keto.  He got down in the 160's

He had lost quite a bit, but when he went back to eating his old way, he gained most of it back.  He started back then at 190 and this time his starting weight was 185.  

He decided on his own to get back on track and in fact, he ate Keto an entire day before he even told me he was back on track.  I am at work for 12 hours a day so I clearly have no idea what he is eating or drinking during the day when I'm not around.

Ed's version of Keto is a bit different than mine.  He does not track his food.  He does not watch his macros.  He just simply eats foods that are Keto Friendly and stays clear of the avoids.  That's it!  That's how simple it can be.  And it works.  For him. 

Granted, he probably is also doing 2MAD. (2 Meals A Day).   When we have them, he drinks the Premier Protein Milk Chocolate shakes for breakfast.  But when we don't have them, he fasts from dinner tonight until sometime in the afternoon tomorrow. He may grab a couple of cheese sticks or some 0 carb summer sausage when he gets hungry.    But he doesn't eat much until our evening meal.  

Anyway, he has been "Keto" again for almost 2 weeks now (it will be 2 weeks on Saturday) and he is already down 6.2 pounds. (This, is by simply not eating the foods on the DO NOT EAT LIST!)  I have that list posted on an earlier post.  It can be that simple, for some. 

He started on March 7th  at 185 and today he weighed in at 178.8  So he's lost 6.2 pounds already.  He wants to get back to 165, so he has about another 14 pounds to go.    We will keep you updated on his progress.

I have added him as a contributor to this Blog since he is our Keto Chef.  I have also added my daughter, Rachel.  She has also been Keto and has lost almost 25 pounds already!  I am so proud of them both.  So maybe, eventually, you will hear from them, too!  

Tonight, I also want to mention that my 90 year old father-in-law currently lives was us  He has been living here for a good while (I believe it will be 3 years, come September).  Anyway, when we brought him home, they didn't give him long to live.  He's been eating Keto with us and guess what!  He is still here!  He has long passed their date of  survival. 

In closing, I wore my new t-shirt to work today. (And got grease on it, of course.  Oh well,  it is now a  Work Shirt!:)

Meal Planning

But first, Coffee!

Coffee frothed with Butter and Stevia

I must admit, when I first heard about adding butter to my coffee I thought, No Freaking Way!  It just sounded gross.  I did not try it for a long time.  Then one day my sister, Cindy mentioned it.  She actually liked it.  So, against my better judgement, I decided to give it a try.  Another game changer;  it really is good!   (Although, I do not add butter to every cup because it does add calories and fat.)

Before you try it, I suggest you get a frother.  You can get them on Amazon for about 10 bucks.  They also have self-stirring coffee cups with built in frothers!  I am not that fancy though.  I just have the $10 version.  (Actually, I just looked and my $10 frother is now about $13.)   We use it in my coffee for frothing butter, heavy whipping cream and even the protein shake.

Anyway, back to meal planning.  When Ed first took over in the kitchen his biggest complaint was that  he didn't know what to fix.  So I started making a list for him to pick from.  I actually like to plan for more than we need, just to give him more options.   I'm off work today and tomorrow, work on Thursday and Friday and I expect to get hit with overtime on either Saturday or Sunday.   So today I'll plan meals to get us through Sunday.  

  

This dry erase board lives on our refrigerator
 and he erases the meals as he fixes them.  

    

Planning meals out like this helps to keep us on track.  We don't end up ordering pizza because we don't know what to fix or we don't have anything to fix. We will have everything we need to make these items for this week.  Of course, it's not carved in stone.  Sometimes he'll make an executive decision and pick up some steaks or the fixings to make something other than what's on this list while he's out and about.  That's one of the perks of being the chef!

I think I have probably already shared most of these recipes with you, but if you see something you want the recipe for, let me know.  I will say the 3 meat combo Mexican Dish is actually a no-name dish at the moment.  This is one of my favorite things to order when we eat Mexican.  Ed and Rachel have been working on re-creating the dish.   We have been having it about once a week here lately, while he's tweaking it.  Once he's 100% satisfied with his creation we will be sure to share that recipe!  Hopefully he gives it a better name than 3 Meat Combo Mexican Dish. 😉

a work in progress; Chicken, Steak and Chorizo over riced cauliflower.

Closing thoughts.  I am thrilled to say Ed has climbed back on the Keto Wagon with me.  It is so much easier for me to stay on track when he is staying on track, too.  (I can't steal a fry or 2 if he doesn't have them on his plate) 

And also, this morning I am actually able to say that I have finally gotten the rest of that 10 pounds back off that I gained while on vacation in January.   I even pulled my parachute pants on again this morning just to make sure I could.   

Baked Pepperoni

     I had a rough day at work the other day and I came home feeling defeated.  Ed had dinner on the table and needless to say, I sat down and cleaned my plate.  Unfortunately, I didn't even take the time to snap a photo, but it really was a pretty picture.  He made a  Keto Cheesy Taco Skillet.  Very tasty.

     This is a dish that he used to make about once a week.  Leo and I kinda got burned out on it.  It hadn't made the list of menus for several months, so it was almost like a new dish again.  Maybe that's why it went over so well.  He topped mine with lettuce, sour cream and guacamole.  He had his with sour cream only and his dad had his plain.  I am sure all 3 versions were good!

Keto Cheesy Taco Skillet

1 pound hamburger

15 oz of frozen peppers and onion

2 to 3 Tablespoons of Keto Taco Seasoning, to taste

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

2 cups of finely Shredded Cheese (cheddar, Mexican blend, whatever!)

sour cream

guacamole

lettuce

Brown Hamburger. If needed, drain. (he uses 96% lean so there is nothing to drain.)

Add the frozen Peppers and Onions.  Sprinkle on the Keto Taco Seasoning, to taste. Cover and let simmer until the veggies are all cooked.

Add the cut-up Cherry Tomatoes, cover & let simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

Turn off the heat. Cover with Cheese. Replace lid and let sit until the cheese melts.

If needed (or desired) add more cheese.

Serve topped with lettuce, Sour Cream, salsa and guacamole, if desired. but don't forget to add the carbs in whatever you top it with.

Servings; 6

285 Calories

18 Fat

9 Carbs

23 protein

Keto Taco Seasoning

3 Tablespoons chili powder

6 teaspoons onion powder

3 teaspoons cumin

3 teaspoons garlic powder

3 teaspoons smoked paprika

3 teaspoons dried oregano

1 ½ tsp pink salt

Mix all together and store in a clean, empty spice jar or any air tight container.

Serving size = 1 tablespoon

22 Calories

1 Fat

4 Carbs

1 Protein

    As I said, I had a rough day and I was feeling defeated.  I was not hungry, but I wanted something to munch on.  Normally, this is when I would get into the Doritos.  Since we had no Doritos in the house, I asked Ed to bake some pepperoni.  (Another recipe tip from my daughter Rachel!)  What we had in the fridge was a package of the big pepperoni slices (intending to make some Panino's)  So he baked me some.  6 to start with. 

      OMG they were even better than Doritos!   They are crispy like chips and oh so tasty.  They were so good I asked him to bake some more.  Unfortunately, he cooked the rest of the package and there were none left by the end of the evening.  If you make these, I highly suggest you only bake the amount you want to consume.  Unless, of course, you have better will-power than I did.

Baked Pepperoni.

     Line a cookie sheet with either foil or parchment paper and place a wire cooling rack on it.   Lay the pepperoni on the cooling rack  and bake at 400 until crispy.  We had the Large pepperoni ; 3 = 100 calories and 1 carb.  If you are baking the large pepperoni, they bake for 15 minutes.  If you have the smaller ones, Rachel says she bakes hers for about 5 minutes.

     If you are wanting or needing or craving a crispy snack - this should do the trick.  But, like I said, only cook what you want because I could not stop until they were all gone.  This could be so dangerous.  

*edited to add.  my sister, Cindy, told me today that her husband, Rick (both of which are eating Keto)  tried the pepperoni in the microwave.  I am not sure this is a good thing!  Place them between two paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds.  Flip them over and go another 10 seconds.  FORTY seconds and you have a crispy, crunchy, tasty, dang near carb free snack!