Saturday, August 31, 2013

AUGUST 29TH - 30TH DAYS 5 - 6

FRIDAY

Today my weight is up nearly 1.5 pound and my fasting blood ketones 0.4

Small price to pay for a day out and lunch with friends.

We had fish pie for lunch made with smoked, (canned) fish, and kumera, (sweet potato) presumably wheat free. I also ate a couple of my own cheese muffins but I had changed the recipe slightly to reduce the amount of flaxseed which upsets my stomach so they had some corn flour. We were later coming home than planned so bought a rotisserie chicken and a couple of supermarket salads, broccoli and bacon and kumera and carrot. I had a spoonful of each and got the same stomach cramp I associate with wheat. Later I ate some camembert, a small piece of 80% chocolate and a few almonds.

This morning I noticed that my normal Keto coffee did not taste as sweet. I do not add sugar but I find that there is some natural sweetness from the coconut milk and coconut oil. In other words I would have liked more sweetness. I guess that means I ate a lot more carbohydrate than my body needed or wanted yesterday. 

I rarely eat anything with added sugar so I'm quite sensitive to sweet things. Having said that I do miss sweet desserts and greater freedom with fruit now and then.

I will keep to my Fat Fast menu until my fasting ketones increase.

Cold and wet here today so we have lit the fire. We will have a cosy day and maybe I will finally get the cardigan I have been knitting for John completely sewn up and ready for buttons.

Take care and eat mindfullySmile

THURSDAY

Interesting day yesterday after the previous day out.

I started well and was comfortable with my eating pattern until the mid afternoon when I began to feel hungry and very tired in the way it feels when someone pulls the plug out of the energy source. I added in snacks especially more protein. I did get through without anything that hinted of carbs but did eat some jelly whip using a WW jelly which is sweetened with aspartame. This is the last time I make that foul stuff. See Jimmy's post about the Aspartame Patent on how it is produced. Yuck! I'm on the look out for a suitable gelatin to make my own jellies.

I did not continue to count my calories and track my ratio

I had my usual Keto Coffee and Yoghurt with CLO mix. I also ate 1 HB egg, a piece of left-over steak, camembert, Jelly whip, roast beef dinner with yams, onion, carrot and silverbeet, (Swiss Chard). It doesn't look bad but man I had moments of hunger.

This morning my fasting ketones are moving up again at 0.7 and my weight was down by 200gm.... that's not even a cup of water.

I do feel much better today so looking forward to a stellar day. 

This is the last day of August and it looks as though my weight has not changed from the first day.

I am looking at changing my basic plan for the month of September. There's not much going on for the first three weeks except we move home from our friend's house where we are Kitty-sitting, next weekend. The last part of the month we fly to Christchurch and have our version of an adventure trip booked.

More about my tweaks tomorrow.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

AUGUST 27 - 28 DAYS 3 AND 4 FF

TUESDAY

The plan continues.

Saw Chiropractor yesterday. Tired and achy for rest of day. Mobility greatly improved.

Stayed around 1000 cal. Ratio 6% carb: 9% protein: 85% fat
Weight same
Fasting blood ketones 1.0

Shopping.

Just stooging along.

WEDNESDAY

Fat Fasting continues although today we are visiting friends so this could put me out of ketosis.

Yesterday I had Keto, (coconut) coffee, Yoghurt with CLO cream and a couple of frozen berries, 1 HB egg with lettuce leaf, Spicy chicken, (tiny serve), mushrooms, beef steak, almonds, camembert and a peanut choc fat bomb

Calories 1115

5% Carb: 19% Protein: 76% Fat

Today Fasting Ketones 1.1
Weight 80.5 kg which means I am one pound away from my lowest low weight.

Till tomorrow and may everyone looking in have the best day possibleSmile

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

DAY 2 DONE AND DUSTED

It is a beautiful morning here. The house we are in at the moment, (we are kitty-sitting for friends), has the most gorgeous view of a pretty little bay. The sun has not long risen and it's slightly misty. Beautiful silvery, golden light. we are very fortunate to be surrounded by such beauty.

I had another great day yesterday and today will do similar. My weight is creeping back toward my lowest low. I have an appointment with the chiropractor today will do some grocery shopping and visit with a friend. I plan to keep me food similar to yesterday.

Weight 81 kg
mornign ketones 0.6
Yesterday's calories  1020
Ratio  3.4% carb: 16.6% protein: 79.9% fat


Hope all who visit here are having the very best day possible.


Monday, August 26, 2013

DAY 1 WENT WELL


Feeling so much better today.

Stayed within my parameters yesterday. All I need to do now is get myself moving more.

Morning ketones 0.6

Food. Coconut oil and milk in coffee
Yoghurt with whipped cream CLO and few berries as a smoothie
Chicken stir-fry .... yes that spicy Mexican one, with mushrooms.
Jelly whip.
Peanut butter choc fat bomb
almonds. 
About 1050 cal
Ratio 7% carb:14% protein:79% fat

Happy with that. Just wish the scales would respond faster.

Sunday, August 25, 2013

RECOVERY MODE

I begin another 7 days of Fat Fasting rotation. Not certain at this point whether I'll go 3, 4 or 5 days on the fat fast with the last two days increasing calories and protein. I'll take it day by day.

My weight is bouncing around the same 2 - 3 kg (5-8 pounds).

Now that my back pain is almost gone, nearly back to my usual level, the stress level will be reduced but .....

Something else happened on Friday, (today is Sunday morning), which threw me. It's family stuff and very disappointing. I have been dealing with stuff like this for years now. It began way back in the mid 70s and came back to bite us painfully during the last 7 years. Addiction is the reason but the cause is adult children who have not learned how to deal with it so that they fall in the deep pit from time to time. I am sad.

For me it has been like living on the edge of a swamp filled with crocodiles for nearly 40 years. We are never free from danger and from time to time the danger overtakes us. I might write more about this on my Blog and then again I may not.

I couldn't understand why I felt so exhausted when it came to preparing dinner Friday night and that same weariness continued with me yesterday. I think it is the physical reaction to my disappointment and grief. I felt as though someone had pulled the plug on my energy source. It took me back to the days in the 70s and 80s when I had ME, (MYALGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS), or chronic fatigue or what is now probably called metabolic disorder. I wish I'd accepted my intolerance of wheat and the value of low carbing in those days. I blamed out of balance yeasts which may still be a problem but is not necessarily the main culprit.

I would have loved to have had a carby day but there is so little stuff in this house. Instead I munched almost non-stop on what I do have. I did make a cocoa drink with sugar and I had mashed potato with my dinner but the rest of the day I kept to things like peanut butter on celery, Jelly Whip with cream, almonds and my peanut chocolate fat bombs, HB eggs, cheese, and so on. I know I ate 2 or even 3 times as much as usual and a couple of times I felt over-full but I got through the day. I forgot to do a blood ketone test this morning so no idea how much damage I did but my weight is up again and it's very frustrating.

The good news for me today is that I am mentally stronger and this family stuff is not going to de-rail me.

We watched the New Zealand boat win another Louis Vuitton race this morning. One more to win and they will be racing for the America's cup next month. Love seeing the racing in San Francisco Bay.

I'll be back tomorrow. See you.

HOT CHICKEN

I've got some chicken and an abundance of limes so I'm thinking of doing some kind of Mexican flavoured stir fry, not too spicy.

OH MY!!!!

I put a heap of paprika into my chicken dish...... except I had the chilli in my hand. HelpSad We managed to eat a smaller serving than planned after adding a can of tomato and plenty of plain Greek yoghurt. I hope it doesn't come back to bite our tender guts later. I'm straining the sauce out from the left-over chicken, and will try freezing it in small quantities to add to various meals in the future. Tasty but dangerous.... hahaha

Up-date

Hot chilli chicken rescue turned out really well. In addition to the tomato I added more lime juice and left the skins in the pan until I served. John went back for seconds. He ate his with potato and yoghurt. I just added yoghurt to mine and kept my serving size small. It worked well with no afterburn or upset tummies. I do have about half left-over so have frozen it since I believe I read somewhere that freezing reduces the heat. That's one meal I don't need to prepare in the coming week. 

You should have seen me panic when I realised what I'd done. Thank God for the internet and the raft of tips I found.


Wednesday, August 21, 2013

BACK IN THE SWING OF THINGS




Advanced Low-Carber
***

Posts: 115
Joined: Aug 2012
Hi again. Hope everyone popping in to read this is having the best day possible.

We had a pretty, red sunrise this morning and now it's turned cold and rainy. Brrr! Have the fire going but not making much impression on this large, open living area with it's high ceilings.

Staying home Monday was a good call for me. John is to be scheduled for another angioplasty. I am kind of anxious about it. I wish I could find more info on the effect of nutrition on plaque build up in places like the femoral artery. He has been prescribed a statin although his cholesterol is normal, and asprin for blood thinning. He has been wheat free for 15 months but until recently continued to have porridge, oats with milk and sugar, for breakfast and rice crackers for snacks and for lunch. Finally listened to me, and is eating bacon and eggs. I often make grain free muffins for his lunch.

I had another session with the chiropractor yesterday with more improvement. Progress there is good and I expect to be more mobile everyday from now on.

I felt well enough to begin another week of Fat Fasting but this time I think I will limit the Fast days to 4 with 3 normal, for me, menu days. The weight I gained is stubborn. I think that some of it is inflammation so hopefully I will see a reflection of that one day soon.

This is my 4th day and it has been quite easy to keep my calories around 1000
with a ratio around 5% carb: 15% protein and 80% fat.

I've got some chicken and an abundance if limes so I'm thinking of doing some kind of Mexican flavoured stir fry, not too spicy.

Monday, August 19, 2013

BACK ON TRACK .....HOPING I CAN CONTINUE THE FAT FAST ROTATION PLAN

At last I have managed to keep to my planned menu for a whole 24 hours. That must mean the healing is progressing nicely. Last night I managed to stay in bed, asleep most of the time, for 6 hours with only one short wakening about 1 am when I got up to take pain relief. I noticed myself feeling considerably more at ease once I decided not to go with John today. I was dreading the hours sitting in the car, the walking around the hospital and having my food out of whack again.

I have known for a long time that my body likes routine and that means the kind of meals I eat too. Since I began this Rotating Fat Fast thing I noticed that the days I do not begin with coffee or cocoa laced with coconut oil and milk I do not feel quite as good and it's harder to keep my meals balanced during the rest of the day.

Yesterday I went right back into Fat Fast mode and it felt good. My weight and blood ketones have not changed much over the 24 hour period but my general well-being has improved.

I kept my calories low at 1000 and it was so easy, I wondered how I had so much food to eat. I only ate 38 gm of protein, ideally I would be eating around 70-80 gm but this is me easing back into effective ketosis. Sometimes I look at how other people are managing and see that they are eating way more food than me then I remember I am a 75 year old woman who is not terribly active. I cannot wait for my back to be healed enough to get moving again. My weight loss has been very slow over the last 12 months or more too. I have always lost weight easily when I kept to the guidelines but it seems I've reached a place where my body wants to stay. For this reason I am needing to mess around, tweak and experiment, to break through a stubborn 'set-point.'

Yesterday's food. Breakfast:- Keto coffee. Lunch: Yoghurt, cream, berry and CLO smoothie. Dinner: Cold roast beef and salad. Snack: Peanut chocbomb, wedge of camembert, jelly whip and a few almonds.

Today's Blood Ketones 0.6 and my weight is 82.4 kg/182 pounds which is very annoying considering it is 2 kg up on a couple of weeks ago. I will just have to plod on.

I really must try to keep the pain covered by taking paracetemol at regular intervals through the day. It makes a hug difference rather than waiting until the pain reminds me I haven't taken anything for 6 hours or more. I should know better than that. Moderate relief every 4 hours means that I can stay comfortable most of the time.

Today's menu is similar. I expect John to be home for dinner after leaving at 6.30 am

Sunday, August 18, 2013

I SHOULD BE HALF WAY THROUGH MY 4TH WEEK BUT ....

Hi Folk.

My food is all over the place. I'm pretty certain I'm not drinking enough water. My back pain is not as severe but ... Last night I got about 2 hours sleep in bed before the pain woke me up. I spent the rest of the night stretched in a semi reclining state and dozed off a few times. Needless to say I do not feel great today. I had planned to go to hospital with John tomorrow when he sees the vascular specialist for leg pain. He had an angioplasty to unblock the femoral artery back in February. It appears to have collapsed again. Our daughter, who happens to be a registered nurse, can go with him. I do not feel up to sitting in the car for 2 x 3 hours travelling plus all the tramping around the hospital and waiting.

I am not getting on the scales. I will simply do my best to eat sensibly.

This is frustrating. My brilliant plan for August is being messed up.

Seeing the Chiropractor has been painful but is bringing results. I've had two treatments with two more scheduled for the coming week. He is also giving me some neck and head treatment in the hope of bringing some healing to the facial nerve which causes bells Palsy.

My back is improving but not as fast as I want it to. I am impatient to get on with my plan to improve my health through weight loss and activity

Beautiful day here so going to sit out in the sun for a while.Smile

Thursday, August 15, 2013

PROGRESS...... BACK INJURY A SERIOUS HINDRANCE

I need to pack. We will probably have lunch at home before going to our Kitty-Sitting post.

I'm just skimming back into nutritional ketosis at 0.6 and my weight is 81.4 kg/179 lbs compared with 80.2 kg/176.5 lbs 10 days ago. I think all of this is from inflammation so will have to be patient while my back heals. I have dropped more than 1 kg or about 3 pounds since my first treatment with the Chiropractor two days ago. I am looking forward to seeing more improvement following my next appointment tomorrow afternoon. He is also going to work on my neck as he thinks he can get rid of some muscle and nerve tension which might promote healing of the facial nerve. I have had Bells Palsy for 18 months and the stress from the current injury is aggravating the paralysis. I notice it most in my speech.

I am back into tracking today for the first time in over a week. Still taking paracetemol which is possibly not the best for pain caused by inflammation but I can stomach this pain relief and that's not the case with other analgesics. The pain is now more like a bad headache just banging away and distinctly uncomfortable. I can move about but I won't be doing any lifting or very much bending. I am going to need John's help to pack. The hardest part is getting my brain to function and pack what I need. Fortunately we are close enough to home to come back every couple of days. Which is a good thing since we sowed the tomato and pepper seeds a few days ago and they need daily care.

I am a bit peeved with myself. I had a goal to be as close as possible to 75 kg/165 lbs by September 1st. That is fantasy land now. Maybe it always was.

Oh! One thing about this reduced activity. I am listening to many podcasts. Reading gets tiring but I can listen and it even helps me to nod off and get some sleep tooSmile

Wishing everyone the best day possible.

Blessings,

Sunday, August 11, 2013

WEEK 3: DAY 3

Good news or bad news first? Perhaps I can sandwich the bad news.

Yesterday's bike ride was slightly longer. My confidence is growing and I changed gears a couple of times. Today's lesson will be learning to use the brakes. I'm scared of going over the handlebars. Right now I'm finding it easier to slow to a stop by swerving onto the grass verge. That's not always going to be possible.

Bad newsSad is I chose to discard my menu around mid-day. I made flaxseed muffins for John and because, nutritionally, they fit my plan I had one with bone broth for lunch. Then I ate another and another. For me these harmless little things are addictive. Bother! John has been at me to cook a piece of corned, (brined) beef, that has been in the fridge for a week or two. Out came the slow cooker and because I felt like it I had the same dinner as John instead of my planned omelet. Corned beef, silverbeet, (same as swiss chard),and a carrot. I followed this up with the last of the jelly whip. I'd not sure that this is good for me as I used a WW pkt of flavoured Jelly, (jello). I suspect I'm sensitive to artificial sweeteners even when in small amounts. Instead of going to bed when sleepy I fell asleep in my recliner. Woke up not sleepy and ate nuts and dried fruit. Not too much, I suppose 10 pieces in total but at mid-night!!!!!

Today I feel as though I need to detox and my calorie thing says I exceeded 2000. So easy to do. Plus my weight is over 1 kg on my lowest recent. Grrr! I now have 3 pounds to lose again. I think I need to hide the scales for a few days and get my sanity back.

Today SmileI'm doing a basic Fat Fast day and hoping I feel strong tomorrow.

Tomorrow we will be celebrating my uncle's 95th birthday with a family lunch. We have more than 6 hours total on the road. I am hoping there will be cold meats and salads so I can stay on the healthy stuff. Dinner might be tricky to navigate also after such a long day.

I'll be doing outside stuff like bike riding and gardening this morning. We are expecting a wet weekend starting this afternoon. I hope to completely finish sewing up John's cardigan later today. It's a while since I totally completed a project. So that's the Good NewsSmile

Blessings,

NOT SURE WHAT I AM DOING ..... ENDING EXPERIMENT TEMPORARILY

SUNDAY, AUGUST 11TH



My back hurts. I will be going to the Chiropractor as soon as I can get an appointment. It's throwing me off my game and I seem to need more painkiller each day.

Friday I managed to do most things I wanted to do including ride the bike. After a rest I went out again and had enough confidence to ease up on my death grip of the handle bars and check out how the brakes work. I was so proud of myself. *laughing* My balance is improving each time I go out.

Yesterday we picked up out daughter and drove in the rain, to Morrinsville where we had a family gathering to celebrate my uncle's 95th birthday. It was nice to see many of my cousins and my brother and his family but I really was uncomfortable and had to watch the way I moved. We ended the day by having a dinner of rotissserie chicken and SuperMarket salads with our daughter before driving the last 30 minutes home. Long day.

I cut myself a small piece of birthday cake and kept looking at it but truthfully it did not tempt me and I ended up not taking a bite. Everytime I thought about it, just because it was there, I remembered how unwell I'd felt after a minor exposure to wheat/gluten a few weeks ago.

I could do lots of things today but I am going to rest. Sunday here. Hopefully a quiet day will help. I'm not happy to miss a day riding the bike so will see how I feel as the day warms up.

Food is off plan but today will be aiming for LCHF and checking ketones before dinner. I intended to do this on Friday but forgot. My weight has climbed again. I expected that after a day travelling and the pain in my back is affecting me.

Blessings,

LATER

I really felt unwell for a large part of the day, quite nauseous, I had 2 mugs of Jarrah Chocolate this morning. Yesterday one pf my cousins gave each of us a tub of honey from her own bees. It's delicious. John made some flaxseed cheese muffins for lunch and I couldn't resist. I think I've eaten two with honey and one with butter. I mage up some more jelly whip only this time I gave it a twist with about 100 gm cream cheese to the WW jelly and cream. I've had a small dish and it works well. I really don't feel like eating so had bone broth for dinner. Struggling to drink my normal tea.

I was pleased to see I still have blood ketones @ 0.9

Friday, August 9, 2013

WEEK 3:DAY 2

Yesterday I was a little cranky. Blame the pain in my back and the changes in diet.

Big question! Is rotating Fat Fasting with 2 more normal days good for me?

This week there is a change. I cannot complete the rotation as planned. I will do 3 days Fat Fast followed by the best I can do on Saturday and 3 days normal eating. The following from my LLV journal reveals how wobbly my thinking was yesterday and the result is not good. In the big scheme of things it is OK but it is a bit of a wake up-call.

Hi Sonny et al. I think it's 15 years since I rode a bike but what has really shocked me is my lack of balance. I've heard this happens as you age if you don't work on it. Maybe I should spent time practicing standing on one leg with my eyes closed. *haha*

The good newsSmile I rode the bike around the block twice yesterday. It's not that far but it's a start. Although it only takes a few minutes my bum began to hurt. Borrowed bike it might be but I am buying a cushion seat next time we are in town. I also discovered I was soon out of breath. Amazing how all the time on the cross-trainer had not really prepared me for the faster leg action.

I dropped off 100 gm of the 600 gms gained in the last few days. I still think much of that is related to my bodies reaction to getting hurt..... My back is still achy from falling off the bike.

I'm cutting back on ketone testing. Daily tests seem like a waste of expensive strips. To begin with I'll do mid to late afternoon or pre-dinner testing alterate days. Seeing the numbers has been a great incentive but I need to wean myself away from depending on this. This is nearly as hard as weaning oneself off daily weighing.

I'm on my third day coffee free and feel good. Finally slept almost right through and certainly am beginning to feel the benefit.

Yesterday I ate Coconut Cocoa, Yoghurt with CLO berries and cream, Lettuce salad with 50 gm (about 1.6 oz) beef, Jelly whip, Peanut fat bomb and pork crackling, about 1006 cal plus bone broth.

Ratio 5.9% carb:10.2% protein:84% fat

We were expecting rain but it looks as though I'l be able to go for another bike ride. I love the feeling. I may not be going very fast but I tell you, it feels as though I am flying along with the wind rushing past me face.

Blessings,

Thursday, August 8, 2013

WEEK 2: DAY 7

The bicycle I am borrowing arrived yesterday. I jumped on it and my balance is terrible. I just about am learning to ride from scratch and I Fell Off and twisted my back. I'm feeling sorry for myself although it doesn't hurt all that much.

Yesterday I completed my 2nd week of Fat Fast cycling. I have doubts about the wisdom of continuing which is aggravated by a small weight gain. I really prefer to make a decision and stick with it. This is confusing me.

Food yesterday was almost exactly within my guidelines.

Today I am repeating Day 1 but sans coffee. I am trying out hot cocoa with coconut oil and milk. I was hoping I could drink it without adding sugar but I'm going to try a little liquid stevia. I missed the coconut oil over the last two days which I had run out of.

Will have another go on the bike shortly and hope I don't fall off again.

How mad am I? 75 years old and re-learning to ride again. :)Can't wait to go zooming down the street. We do have lots of good concrete paths with very little elevation.

Blessings,

WEEK 3; DAY 1

The good news:) I rode the bike around the block twice yesterday. It's not that far but it's a start. Although it only takes a few minutes my bum began to hurt. Borrowed bike it might be but I am buying a cushion seat next time we are in town. I also discovered I was soon out of breath. Amazing how all the time on the cross-trainer had not really prepared me for the faster leg action.

I dropped off 100 gm of the 600 gms gained in the last few days. I still think much of that is related to my bodies reaction to getting hurt..... My back is still achy from falling off the bike.

I'm cutting back on ketone testing. Daily tests seem like a waste of expensive strips. To begin with I'll do mid to late afternoon or pre-dinner testing alterate days.  Seeing the numbers has been a great incentive but I need to wean myself away from depending on this. This is nearly as hard as weaning oneself off daily weighing.

I'm on my third day coffee free and feel good. Finally slept almost right through and certainly am beginning to feel the benefit.

Yesterday I ate Coconut Cocoa, Yoghurt with CLO berries and cream, Lettuce salad with 50 gm (about 1.6 oz) beef, Jelly whip, Peanut fat bomb and pork crackling, about 1006 cal plus bone broth.

Ratio 5.9% carb:10.2% protein:84% fat

We were expecting rain but it looks as though I'l be able to go for another bike ride. I love the feeling. I may not be going very fast but I tell you, it feels as though I am flying along with the wind rushing past me face.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

WEEK 2: DAY 6

Yesterday was not easy, at least the earlier part of the day and to complicate it further I went coffee free because I haven't been sleeping well. My guess is that I'm not drinking any more caffeine than is in a good espresso and I usually empty the coffee carafe well before mid-day but my sleep was becoming increasingly poor. There may be other causes but this is a simple solution and did help. I'll take a rest from coffee for the next four days.

Yesterday I was increasing my protein and calories but ... I overdid the carbohydrate so instead of a ratio that looked like this 6:24:70 I ended up with this 13:27.5:57.5: plus 2% alcohol. Not a disaster as today's 1.8 ketone reading proves.

How I did I eat so much.

Breakfast: Berry Smoothie made with frozen berries, plain Greek yoghurt, coconut milk, Whey powder and CLO. The dairy put the carbs way too high.
Lunch: 2 HB eggs, piece of camembert, olives, lettuce.
Dinner: The yummiest lamb's kidneys in wine sauce and cauliflower mashed with cream cheese. I had seconds of the kidney dish.
Snacks: One peanut Chocolate fat bomb.
All for 1330 calories when I had set my goal at 1250. I'm not going to be perfect all the time.

I missed starting the day with keto coffee which has coconut oil and coconut milk. My body missed it and felt out of sorts.

Felt better by end of day and feel good again this morning but will modify the smoothie.

My weight stayed the same so still one pound away from being a 79er.

Sun shining. I will probably garden and definitely work on finishing the last sleeve of John's cardigan.

Blessings

WEEK 2; DAY 5

Don't you hate it when the scales go backwards exactly to the degree you expected them to show a loss. I am determined not to pout and whine about such a small thing but it did take the edge of my excitement for a few minutesSad

In the big scheme of things the gain was almost nothing. 200 gm or less than 1/2 pound. I am very close to becoming a 79er and that's what I expected today but will have to be patientSmile (Do you sometimes want to scream when the P word is mentioned). Weight is only one marker of good health and not always the best one.

Yesterday I had my usual keto coffee, and yoghurt with CLO concoction. Dinner was a creamy herb omelet and bone broth. I snacked on some creamy jelly whip, a peanut chocolate fat bomb and a piece of pork crackling. All this for only 1009 calories.

4.8 % carbs: 7.8%protein: 87.3% fat. Almost perfect and this is reflected in this morning my reading for was Ketones 3

Today is the first of two days eating a more normal amount of protein.

I have decided to stay counting calories and ratios to complete the week.
1250 calories broken down to 6:24:70 for anyone who is interested this is
19 gm carb, 75 gm protein and 97 gm fats. I have been reading about the recommended amount to protein being close to 1 gm for every kg in weight. It was of some concern to me that I may not be getting enough protein but I think this is OK. What does challenge me is the carbohydrates. 18 gm is not very much and I decided to have an old favourite this morning. A berry smoothie. It is so high in carbs that I only have 3 gm left for the whole day. Not much room for veggies now. I still have lots of protein and fat so that's OK.

Blessings

Sunday, August 4, 2013

WEEK 2:DAY 4

Thanks for the kind comments about my Blog

I also blog here and here but not so regularly since I made getting this wretched weight off. I simply do not have the energy now that I have found the key to weight loss for me, and have made that my primary focus, to keep so many Blogs going. I guess I should designate each one their own particular day of the week.

Today is the final Fat Fast of this time around and I've lost anther 200 gm for a total of 2.8 kg/6.2 lbs in 11 days. This is remarkable and I really need to keep a check on my emotional reaction to this. Soooo tempting to continue this through to my lowest healthy weight. I always have to keep tabs because although I have never been anorexic there is a very thin line between over-eating and anorexia for me. My original plan was to do this for all of August so will see how the next three days go as I complete this week and begin another round.

Today's morning blood ketones 2.2

Yesterday's food.
Breakfast: Keto Coffee
Lunch: Yoghurt with CLO
Dinner: Bone Broth, Creamy Jelly Whip
Snacks: Pork Crackling, Peanut Chocolate Fat Bomb, 2 Macadamia nuts
Calories: 987 Plus Bone Broth
Ratio: 4.6% carb: 5.7% Protein: 89.7% Fat. Bone Broth not included

I think a big bowl or mug of Bone Broth each day will make this more sustainable long term and of course there are all the salts and minerals. This bone broth is made with beef bones that had lots of marrow so had more fat than my usual. That is probably a bonus in this way of eating.

Happy daysSmile

Blessings,

WEEK 2: DAY 3

Today is my 3rd day Fat Fasting and my second time round. Yay! another 300 gm which is more than 0.5 pound, hit the dust.

I am beginning to think this will be my final cycle at this level because I may not be eating enough protein.

Today's ketone reading is 3.4 and that makes me think I can ease up a little on this Fat Fasting.

I believe it's not necessary for morning ketones to be higher than 2.5.

Yesterday my calories topped at around 985 plus a few for the filling in my omelet.

5.2% carbs:8.9% protein:85.9% fat

Breakfast:- keto coffee
Lunch:- Yoghurt concoction
Dinner:- omelet filled with couple of spoonfuls of mushroom, spinach and bacon
Snacks:- Pork Crackling, Chocolate whip.

Quiet day, mostly knitting. Bone broth simmering in crockpot. Winter has kicked in once more. Deck chairs having fun in the wind.

Blessings,

WEEK 2; DAY 2

Hi JuliaN. Chronic Fatigue is a terrible thing to suffer from since it's invisible to others. I had what was termed ME years ago and everyone kept telling me how well I looked while I could hardly drag myself to the bathroom. Those symptoms linger so feeling good is something I treasure.

Yesterday was a struggle. Changing back to lower calories and less protein and carbs was not so easy. I ended up snacking and going over my self imposed limit but in the big scheme of things no real harm was done.

My breakfast was Keto Coffee, Lunch my Fat Fast Yogurt concoction laced with CLO, Dinner I had a stuffed mushroom, that was the last of those left-overs. I snacked on cheese, HB egg and pork crackling which I am finding is dangerous stuff for me. I could eat the whole mason jar right off.

My target calories are 1000. Yesterday I ate 1175
My target ratio is 2% carb:8%protein:90%fat
My actual ratio was 4.8%:10%:85.2%
Today my ketones are 1.7 so still in the right place.

Today was also my official weigh in being 1st of month.

81 kg/178 lbs and that means no change since the 1st July. I will add here I am using new scales which weigh about 1 kg heavier than the old ones but they are more accurate and consistent which is very important.

I may feel a little frustrated by what seems to be slow rate of weight loss. I decided to look back at my records from last year. I have lost 10 kg/22 lbs in the last 12 months. That may not ring the bells but it is substantial so no more moaning.

Now that I have discovered the benefits of Nutritional Ketosis I am hoping to speed up things up a little.

Blessings,

START AGAIN -- DAY 1 -- JULY 31ST

I completed 7 days of my plan to cycle through 5 days of Fat Fasting and 2 days of eating normal, for me, LCHF. It went well. Today I am starting another 7 day cycle.

Total weight lost over 7 days 2.6 kg/5.7 lbs. I am happy with this although some of that loss was clearing up a recent gain.

My morning blood ketones
Day 1 ... 0.2
Day 2 ... 0.4
Day 3 ... 0.5
Day 4 ... 1.1
Day 5 ... 1.9
Day 6 ... 3.2
Day 7 ... 2.7
and Day 8 ... 1.7 which follows two days normal LCHF


Yesterday I felt as though I was eating a LOT of food. I spent a fair amount of time working out my menu as it kept coming up too low in protein. Keeping carbs so very low sometimes seems like a tough restriction but totally worth it if I keep on feeling fine and losing weight.

Breakfast Keto Coffee, and a freshly baked pork crackling.
Lunch was Plain Greek yoghurt with cod liver oil, and frozen boysenberries. I also ate an HB egg.
Dinner was a bowl of beef casserole. I don't thicken the liquid so this was a cross between soup and stew and so Yummy.
My snacks were another HB egg and a slice of freshly baked Fat Bread

Calories 1230
Ratio 10.3% carbs: 20.2% protein: 69.5% fat which wa close enough to my target of 6:24:70

I might be getting the hang of this. :)While I'm enjoying the geekiness of weighing and recording right now it will become tedious in time. I'm hoping it will be instinctive before that time comes.

Blessings,

DAY 7 ROUNDS OFF THE WEEK

Jelly whip is a great idea. I haven't made it in years and I lurve it.

Yesterday was day one of two increasing calories and carbs.

I did fairly well ending up at 1246 cal. 19 gm carb, 75 gm protein, 98 gm fat for a ratio of
6.2:23.7:70.1 My target is slightly higher protein and less fat. Lets see how today goes.

I've dropped another 200 gm in weight. That was a surprise as I really did not feel all that comfortable a couple of times. I struggled to eat so much food!!!!!

Breakfast I am continuing with Keto Coffee in the morning
Lunch ground pork patties, HB egg, with lettuce, cherry tomato and spring onion made into a salad dressed with a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar.
Dinner we had fish cooked in butter with lemon zest, served with 1/4 lemon to squeeze, and I had silverbeet/swiss chard and carrot.
I snacked on a wedge of camembert and a left-over stuffed mushroom.

This morning my ketone reading was 2.7 so still comparatively high for me.

Rocking on.

Right now I am baking my own pork rinds. I've tried it many times but finally I think I have the secret and it's so simple. One thing, the pork skin I bought only had a thin layer of fat so they are cooking quicker than expected.

I cut the skin roughly into 1 inch strips and laid them out on the baking dish and left it in the fridge uncovered overnight. This morning I turned the oven to 200'C and waited until it reached temp. I then lightly salted the rinds and popped them in the oven dropping the temp to 180'C. I'm not sure how long they took but it was somewhere between 20 and 40 minutes. I lifted them out onto a paper towel and Yummo we have our own home cooked rinds. The second batch is cooking as I write and if I haven't over heated the pork fat I will be able to save it for future use as lard.

The online recipes seemed fairly similar suggesting 350'F for 1 to 3 hours depending on your prefernces

I cannot believe how much our normal eating patterns have changed over the past 19 months and it's all delicious.

Enjoy the day.

Blessings

Blessings,

DAY 6 - INCREASED CALORIES AND PROTEIN

Smile

Frosty morning = Sunny Day.

Ketogenic Euphoria posted

http://withgodnothingisimpossible-tracke...hotos.html

It does have a lot of photos so may be slow to download.

Yesterday went well although I've done no exercise for two days. I am knitting and got a bit carried away trying to finish a sleeve

My weight dropped another 200 gm to give me a total of 2.4 kg/5.3 lbs in 5 days. I said that most of that was readjusting after a gain the previous week. This morning I am well into ketosis with a blood ketone reading of 3.2 This is the highest ever.

I have read a bit about Atkins Induction. I am going to continue with my own plan which is an increase of carbs to less than 20 gm per day and an increase in calories to 1250. I will maintain a ratio of 6% carbs: 29% protein: 65% fats. That means I can eat around 18 gm carb and 90 gm each of protein and fat. This is only for two days then I will cycle back onto another 5 day fat fast and see what happens.

I am looking forward to eating a few more veggies.

Yesterday I had Keto Coffee for breakfast,
Yoghurt, mixed with whipped cream, a couple of boysenberries and laced it with with CLO for lunch
Omelet, made with cream and herbs with lettuce and cherry tomato, with a slice of cheddar cheese for dinner.
Chocolate Whip made a decadent evening snack. Chocolate whip is no more than cream whipped with the addition of unsweetened cocoa and a few drops of stevia. Tastes better than soft serve icecream Smile

This menu looks like an overload of cream but it worked and that's all that matters right now. I can adjust these menus to be better balanced next time.

The days ratio worked out well 4:8.1:87.9 within 1000 calories.

I feel so good it's tempting to continue without cycling but I know that holds some pretty big health risks as there is not enough nutrition eating this way.

Now to really finish the sleeve I'm knitting. I had hoped to finish the whole thing by the end of July but that's not going to happen.

Blessings,

DAY 5

Day 5 and tomorrow I change things to Atkins Induction which I still know nothing about.I will do two days on induction the back on the Fat Fast for another 5 days. This is a protocol in the Atkins book so I'm giving it a fair go and so far so good.

I never thought for a minute that I could do anything quite so radical at my age but I feel good so I'll continue.

Lost a whopping 600 gm, (that's close to 1.3 pounds), since yesterday. It's amazing. Plus I feel great. I did wake with a headache which went as soon as I got up and moved around. Not sure what that is as it happens quite often. Might be dehydration or just the drop in blood sugar or something else that's not too important. I was certainly thirsty when I first got up. Ketones were 1.9 so I'm happy that at last I am in the range I've been aiming for ... 1.5 - 3. If I continue to be happy with what I'm doing I will try to phase out the daily test. I only have 10 more strips before I need to order again.

Yesterday's food:-
Keto Coffee, yoghurt with cream and COL, pork pattie with a coconut pancake, cheese and chocolate whip.
Calories 1000 ... ratio 3.3:7.6:89.3
I adjusted my menu to stay closer to the guidelines.

I think to there are benefits to our food budget. I seem to have a very full freezer and fridge right now. I need to make sure I do not over-shop for the next couple of weeks.

Blessings,

DAY 4, JULY 26TH

Day four and still going strong. This morning I woke with a smile on my face and couldn't wait to get up and start writing about how joyful I feel. This is Ketogenic Euphoria and I will blog about it later. See the link in my signature.

I was shocked when I looked at my food log to see how little I seemed to eat yesterday. At the same time I was never hungry, not once.

Edit .... (I went over my calorie limit by 7.... no big deal. my ratios could have been a little better.... 3.2% carb, 10.4% protein and 86.4% fat. Close enough to my 2:8:90 ratio I guess.) .... Oopsie! That is the provisional plan for today.

Correction. Yesterday i was under by 44 calories and my ratio was 3.7:7.5:88.8. Quite happy with being that close.


This morning my scales show another 200 gm loss to make 1 kg or 2.2 pounds lost in 3 days and my blood ketones had climbed to 1.1. While the weight loss is pleasing it doesn't really excite me because that is what I gained the previous week. The last few days amount to the same as tweaking to maintain. I will see how things go over the next 2 days of Fat Fast and then the challenge of being more relaxed by following Atkins Induction.

Started the day with Keto Coffee
Lunch was a little hurried because we had appointments in town. I had half of a freshly made cheese flaxseed and coconut muffin with butter to keep my fat ratio up there.
Late afternoon when we got home I had the rest of the muffin. Then made chocolate whip and ate one serving with three left in the fridge for the next few days.
I wasn't very hungry at our normal dinner time so ate later than usual. A bowl of clear broth, no idea how the stats work out but it was yummy. Perhaps I should have measured my post prandial blood glucose to see if the sugars from the veggies which had inevitably leached into the broth made any difference.
Later I snacked on one of the stuffed mushrooms left over from yesterday.

One thing. I may not be able to eat anything with flaxseed. I had sharp gut pain for a little while. I'll modify the amount I use next time and see if it makes any difference.

The sun is shining.I should not be sitting here. Winter sun is gorgeous and I will be gardening.

Blessings,

DAY 3

Friday morning here in New Zealand. John is watching the America's cup .... I think it's live. Wish we could pop across. We love San Francisco. Pop across sounds so casual for a 12 hour flight that costs $$$$

Thanks to you folk who are visiting here to see how I am doing and cheering me on.

Fat Fasting at the optimal level is hard. Yesterday I wondered what on earth I was doing eating so much fat. It is amazing that I haven't gagged. It also takes a bit of mental effort working out a suitable menu.

Today's results are not at all stunning but I must not grumble. Weight loss, another 100 gm and blood ketones gained another 0.1 to read 0.5. I'm sure my afternoon readings would be much higher but it's just too expensive to test twice a day. I have been thinking of changing to do my blood pressure and blood ketone readings about 4 pm but I always forget.

A note about testing for BLOOD KETONES. I use a Freestyle Optimum monitor which is dual purpose and tests blood glucose also. In NZ I can get ketone test strips for less than $2.00 strip. That still makes it expensive testing everyday. My last order including shipping costs was $120 for 60 strips. That's about $98 USD. This is where I get them http://www.medica.co.nz/diabetes-care/

Yesterday my calories were 901 plus clear broth from a pork and vegetable casserole.
Breakfast:- Keto coffee
Lunch:- Plain Greek yoghurt with CLO boysenberries and cream,a few drops of lemon juice and zest.
Dinner:- 60 gm mushroom stuffed with spinach and cheddar cheese cooked in butter with a drizzle of olive oil. This seemed like a very small meal but I survived without needing to snack during the evening.
Snack:- Cheddar Cheese

I also managed to do 30 minutes Cross-trainer at a good rate.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy day.

Blessings,

DAY 2


:)Guess that means yesterday went well. For a full update you can go to my Blog and click on the Fat Fasting button.

My weight dropped by 700 gm, that's around a pound and a half. Good start especially since I had lost some weight the previous day too.

My meals went well although it is a challenge to keep the ratios in check. My target is 1000 calories, eating 2% carb, 8% protein, 90% fat. It was fairly easy when I did my first experiment. It was only 70% fat and around 1150 calories which is more like Atkins induction. I do think it's doable for me but it's not compatible with a busy lifestyle outside the home. I have no idea how people who have to go out to work do this kind of thing.

I even got on my cross-trainer, and worked away for 30 minutes. I'm told it is similar to an elliptical exerciser. I prefer it to the treadmill because I use my arms more but it does not challenge my cardio fitness as much as a treadmill. I need to get cycling fit for a rail trail ride in mid-September and that is a challenge although it is only a half day.

For those who do not want to check out my link here is what I ate and drank.

Coffee made with coconut oil and coconut milk.
Plain Greek yoghurt with cod liver oil, cream, and berries.
Omelet made with cream and filled with silverbeet, (chard), parsley and parmesan.
Chocolate fat bomb made with coconut oil, butter and dark chocolate flavoured with peppermint essence.

Total calories 992
ratio 5.9% carb, 10.2% protein, 83.9% fat

My morning blood ketones rose from 0.2 yestreday to 0.4 today.

Not perfect but close enough for me.

I am surprised I am counting, weighing and measuring and quite happy to do so for now. One of the reasons I like LCHF is the freedom from all this but if this is the only way I can shed more adipose tissue then I will do it happily.

See you here tomorrow.

Blessings,

DECIDED TO COPY MY POSTS FROM THE LLV FORUM

I am sick and tired of being frustrated by exceedingly slow weight loss. I feel well. I am not on any medication. I have already lost 32 kg/70 pounds but most of that was in the first six months of 2012 when I stopped eating wheat. Since than I have continued to work toward my health goals but my weight loss completely stalled for various periods. You can see my weight loss progress here

I have places where I Blog but I have come here to record this experiment of 5 days Fat Fast followed by 2 days more relaxed eating with higher calories but still eating less than 20 grams carbohydrate daily. I need something to refresh my efforts and enthuse me again. This place should work for me.

I have been experimenting with Fat Fasting for a few months and am happy that there are no problems. You can see my first experiment by going to the above link and clicking on the tag Fat Fasting.

I need to handle this with a measure of common sense. My 75th birthday was 6 weeks ago. I had a cholecystectomy aged 20. I am unaware of any problems related to this. I think I have been fortunate in that respect.

This is part of a determined effort be as healthy as possible for the next part of my life. I have a plan to be reasonably active which includes using a cross-trainer or walking or riding a bicycle almost daily and introducing stretching and resistance exercises as I feel strong enough.

Here goes. New Plan. Fresh enthusiasm. And linked into a good support system.

I love fresh starts. Smile

See you tomorrow and let you know how today goes.

Blessings,