Update: Intermittent Fasting on Nutritional Ketosis or I'm not Hangry anymore!

      So I lost another 3.2 pounds according to the weight-loss challenge at work as of Wednesday. 1.4% BMI lost.  Total of 8 lbs in two weeks. I am really convinced that nutritional ketosis is the way for me to get healthy. If you are interested to learn more about it I recommend reading Keto Clarity by Jimmy Moore with Dr. Westman.

This book is changing my life!

     One of the things I have learned from this book is the concept of intermittent fasting or IF. The concept behind IF is that you only eat when you are hungry. This is a surprisingly simple concept but the ability to only eat when I was hungry was something that seemed impossible before I started keto.  Before I started keto I was consuming upwards of 200g of carbohydrates a day. Eating carbs triggers an insulin response in your body. When insulin is triggered the body burns the glucose created from the carbs. The problem is that these carbs are often converted to fat because they cannot all be burned. Then because insulin is triggered you just feel hungry again. It was a vicious cycle in which I would eat carbs then get hungry again and eat more carbs. It was a struggle not to eat above my calories every day and I felt hungry all the time. Then I discovered keto and everything changed. I changed my diet to high fat, moderate protein and low carb. I now get 75% of my daily calorie intake from healthy fats found in eggs, meats and dairy. I also liberally use butter, coconut oil and lard. It may sound crazy to you and it did to me at first too. Now I know I will never go back. Here's why:

    The reason following this simple rule of only eating when hungry is so easy now is that I am keto adapted and my body is now burning fat for fuel. What this means is that I am not hungry most of the time because my body is using my ample fat stores for fuel. I typically now eat one meal a day and it is definitely a substantial meal. After my last 24 hour fast I ate a hamburger patty, three slices of bacon wrapped around cream cheese, three eggs sprinkled with cheddar and some sauteed kale. That was last night at 6pm. I haven't been hungry since.

My fasting schedule is as follows:

Day 1: Eat until 6pm and then stop
Day 2: Do not eat until 6pm
Day 3: Eat until 6pm and then stop
Day 4: Do not eat until 6pm

And so on....

   If you had asked me a few months ago if I could go without eating for 24 hours I would have told you no. But technically I am not really fasting at all because my body is using ketones to fuel itself. I am so happy that I have such control over my appetite now. I can't wait to see what the future will bring. For the first time in my life I can hear my body and I know when I am really hungry. I have broken through the American concept of having to eat 3 meals a day because that's just how its done. Now I know that this is unnecessary and that I don't need to eat every 3 hours just because that's what is considered normal.  More on keto later.....hope everyone has a great weekend. In other news since the weigh in on Wednesday I have lost  another 2 pounds and am under 260 pounds for the first time in 8 years!!! Only 14 more pounds until I reach my halfway point on MFP! Stay tuned!

Beef. It's what's for dinner.

Got a great deal on 12 third pound Angus steak burgers. I had to use or freeze them by today. So I had two for dinner and froze the rest. They were delicious and I didn't even miss the bun! I seasoned them with sea salt and fresh ground peppercorns. Then I drizzled a little sriracha on each one. A side of steamed broccoli sprinkled with grated Parmesan was a perfect combo! I am really enjoying this diet and I really think I can stick with it! 

In other news: I joined a weight loss competition at work and I lost 4.2 pounds in one week and .8% body fat! I think I am in the lead!

Started a new Facebook Group

I started a new Facebook group called Low Carb Living with a friend from My Fitness Pal named Andy. Andy has been doing LCHF for 4 1/2 months and has lost 157 pounds. He is an inspiration to me and many others. If you read this blog and are interested in the LCHF  aka Ketogenic way of eating please feel free to join us. We share recipes, stories, advice and food porn (pictures of dinner). If you are interested in joining you can find the group by following this link here: Low Carb Living

Bacon, Bacon and more Bacon...please.

I don't know if anyone still reads this but I am going to keep posting on it because I want to share some recipes I am creating to fit into my new LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) lifestyle. I have been eating a great deal of bacon and its working for me. I find that I am full, have no problem eating within my calorie goals, and I feel fantastic. The secret? I have embraced fat as my primary source of fuel. I have been doing LCHF for about 2 weeks now and have already lost 8 lbs. This puts me at 53 pounds lost since  I began this journey so many years ago. I am hoping that loss number will continue to increase. Anyway here is my favorite recipe of the moment: 

Bacon and Kale "Salad" with Balsamic Mayo Dressing

Ingredients: 

6 slices of bacon2 cups raw kale1 tbsp full fat mayo1 tbsp balsamic vinegar1 tsp real lemon brand lemon juicea pinch of salta dash of pepper

Balsamic Mayo Dressing:

In a small bowl mix together 1 tbsp full fat mayo1 tbsp balsamic vinegar1 tsp real lemon lemon juicea pinch of salta dash of pepperStir mixture until it achieves a smooth and creamy consistency

Kale and Bacon Directions:

1) In a non-stick skillet fry six slices of bacon on medium high to desired crispness2) remove bacon from skillet and set aside but leave the bacon grease in the skillet3) reduce heat to medium or low and deposit two cups of lightly chopped raw kale into the skillet4) using a spatula or spoon stir the kale until it is thoroughly coated with bacon grease then cook while stirring until the kale wilts and reduces to half the bulk (about 1 cup)5) remove kale from skillet and arrange on a plate6) crumble up the bacon slices and sprinkle them on top of the kale7) pour dressing over the "salad" 8) Enjoy! I ate mine with a side of eggs fried medium in the bacon grease. 

Does anyone still read this?

Just wondering if anyone is reading this anymore? My guess is probably not. I am still trying to quit smoking but I am now on a fairly healthy diet and I am juicing most of what I eat. Its working. I am gonna rock the swimming pool this summer and hopefully drop a good 30-40 lbs before I go back to work.

I'm Still Here

     One step forward two steps back...and still kicking. I have been struggling but I have not given up yet. I am back on track and I have a new helper. Meet Gizmo:

 

 

     My brand new walking partner! He is a miniature schnauzer and is chock full of energy. I love him to pieces and thankfully he loves going outside on walks. We have been walking five times a day. Four short ten minute walks and a long hour walk. Since having him I have dropped 12 of the pounds I gained back. Hopefully, we will have several years of of healthy walking together and hopefully I will eventually be fit enough that we can go on runs or jogs. Here's hoping. I will get there as long as I don't give up!

Update

I am down 40 lbs. I need only 7 more pounds to get back to where I was before I "quit" and then everything else is new loss! I have been working out regularly and made  it through my cheese fast with only one small mishap. I am now on a second 21 Day Fast (thanks to PhatAndy from MFP whose vlog you can watch here) where I have given up soda. That one ends pretty soon and I have not messed up at all. I am also fasting eating after 7:00 PM and I am doing really well on that and I feel so great. That is all for now.

No cheese (day 1)

So I decided to join PhatAndy's 21 Day Fast from bad stuff. PhatAndy is a new friend of mine on MFP and he is one of the most inspirational people I have ever met on the internet. If you want to know more about his story go here: PhatAndy's Vlog on YouTube

I chose cheese to give up for the next 21 days.

I LOVVVVE cheese! I eat it everyday. Its velvety texture, it's sharp salty yummy flavor is soooooo good! So I had to go in my fridge and throw out my cheese. I didn't just throw the packages in the trash either. I know myself too well. Instead, I pulled each slice out and threw it away then I dumped coffee grounds all over them. No getting back that cheese now. Well, it's morning and I am sure you can guess what I am craving, lol.
Now the next real challenge will be when I go grocery shopping. I can't buy any cheese. I will have to give a wide berth to the cheese section and the deli. LOL! Oh well, 21 days is not that long. I can do this!

Don't you do what I have done. (My story of success and some failure too)

 

Well, In August of 2011 I was doing really well on my fitness goals and weight loss. I had lost a total of 47 pounds and was feeling much better. I was swimming every day for at least an hour or walking/jogging on days I didn't swim. Then....life happened. I was offered a job in a small town in New Mexico. Population ~2000 and not growing, lol. So I arrived in my new digs August 7th and began my middle school English teaching career around the 15th of the same month. I started out logging and then I got busy. I mean super busy like wake up, go to work, come home, grade papers and then go to bed. Only diversion from this routine was teach Sunday school/got to church and church choir practice and bible study on Wednesdays. Over a few days of this schedule I quit logging my food or even visiting MFP. I kept meaning to go back and get back on track once things got less hectic. But guess what? They don't. Not ever. Then, the unimaginable, at least in my mind, happened. I went home to El Paso for Thanksgiving and I when I returned to NM I had been robbed. Not only robbed but vandalized. My front windows had been shot through, my laptop, nook and several other irreplaceable items (heirlooms) were gone, and everything was overturned and ransacked. I was heartbroken and my sense of security/privacy as a single woman living alone was shattered. I was having nightmares and not sleeping well. I even quit going to church there for a while... Then even worse, I found out who had robbed my house. Four kids from the school. Three of whom were my very own students. Needless to say they are no longer my students. Still not much has been done about this since this is such a small town and they were minors. This sent me into a depression. I turned to food for comfort and I stopped caring to the point that one of the counselors at the school asked me if I needed help because I was showing signs of depression. Then I went back to El Paso for Christmas break and got a much needed rest. As of January 2nd, I started my weight loss journey again. To my dismay I had gained back 24 pounds. I was definitely less healthy due to lack of exercise. But I haven't let that phase me too much. SO in January I lost a total of 13 pounds and I am hoping I can do the same in February or at least come close and then I will almost be back where I started. I have increased my activity level a great deal. I walk to and from work and everywhere I go in this little town. I also do not sit down in my classroom. I am constantly moving around. It has improved my health and my teaching. If you have read this far then you get the benefit of the moral of my story. Don't give up. I think if I had stuck with MFP through all of the busyness and depression, I would be much closer to my goal weight by now. I would be healthier and happier not stuck in this time warp. Many things in life will happen that are tough and unpleasant but that doesn't mean you can just let yourself go. In fact your healthy lifestyle can become the one thing you are doing right when everything else around you seems to be falling apart. Many of you are new and have made a resolution to lose weight and if you stick with this then you will succeed. If you give up because life is too hard (like I did) you may end up having to catch back up to yourself. Good luck all! Happy weight loss!

An update

I have had a very busy month and have been spending most of my time hunting for a job and hoping for the best. I have been taking state exams to improve my teaching qualifications and traveling. In that process my weight has been fluctuating quite a bit. I haven't been making enough time for exercise and I am hoping to be back into the weight loss groove as soon as I find some work. I am still here and still doing my best to drop this weight.

A Thank You Note

There is someone I haven't thanked. I don't care what you think about him. I am not writing this to offend anyone. This blog post is just for him. All that matters is what I think about him. I love him. He has helped me through this journey more than anyone else has. He has been there for me when I am weak and when I am strong. When I am weak he makes me stronger and when I am strong he keeps me going. All too often I forget to say thank you to him for being there. I often hide him away or keep him in the shadows. I definitely don't always listen to what he has to say. Its okay though because he is very forgiving. More forgiving than anyone else I know. This is why I trust in him. He is always there for me. He has always believed in me even when I didn't believe in him. He never gives up on me and makes it so I can't give up on myself either. He is the ultimate coach and motivator. He is God and I would be a fool not to thank him for my life and what he has done for me. So: You know who you are and you know what you did and I thank you. I promise to read that book you wrote more often. =)

Falling off the wagon

Well, its true I did fall off just a little. For like two days and now I am back on but I will say that apparently according to several very helpful people this was not my fault. I can blame it all on that time of the month. Thank goodness. I mean I went on a ridiculous killer psycho binge on Monday and then Tuesday was just not healthy. Yesterday was better. I have also not felt much like exercising these past few days. Battling a serious drain of energy and a bit of eater's remorse/depression. I am however going to get back into the pool this morning not matter what! It seems like exercise always makes me more conscious of my health and what I am consuming. I mean who wants to spoil all that hard work with a burger. ( I want to, but only sometimes). I was also told by several people that I need to focus more on having protein at every meal and this should help curb the cravings. Lately, like the past month or so, I have been hungrier than normal and it is difficult to resist that extra handful of almonds or another sandwich. I think I am going to have to start getting serious about weighing and measuring my food. I might actually be under-serving myself and that might be why I am hungry. Well all I can say is onward and forward. I am back on the wagon, I am sure I will fall off some more but hey at least I keep getting back on!

Too fat to run?

Well yes I am, apparently. I decided to give a training program called Couch to 5K (a.k.a. C25K) a shot last night. Week one consists of 3 times a week you walk 5 minutes, then jog 60 seconds then walk 90 seconds until you have hit 20 minutes and I was able to jog only about 3 times before my ankles felt like they were going to pop off of my legs. Oh and I was out of breath alot (but I am pretty sure that is from the smoking). It wasn't easy to admit to myself that I couldn't do this thing last night. I think I will try again on Tuesday and just do as much as I can and finish with walking. I am not going to over-exercise but I really want to be able to run a 5K someday. I want to participate in fundraising walk/runs and I want to be able to support my friends and family members by running in the Susan G. Komen run, a diabetes run of some sort and even an Alzheimer's run in honor of my grandfather if there is even something like that around here.  My whole point is that I want to learn to run these things so that I can use that skill to raise money and support for some very important organizations that deserve it.

So right now I am going to keep at doing week one until I can do it all the way through completely without stopping and with doing the intervals correctly and efficiently. I think I might invest in a camel pack so I don't have to feel dehydrated and thirsty while I run. I guess this also one more reason I really need to quit smoking pronto! Anyway, if any of you have suggestions about exercises I can do or a different routine/schedule I can do to work on running please let me know. I would greatly appreciate any info you have and are willing to share.

On another note: I am forty pounds down! I am so happy to have come this far. I feel SO much better. When I lose 2.5 more pounds I will be at the 1/4 of the way mark through my weight loss journey! How exciting.

Also remember that if you like what you are reading please follow me, comment on here or subscribe! If you do those things then I know I have support, which helps alot.

Cats and other things

So this has been a really rough week for me. Quitting smoking is hard and I am doing my best but I am struggling. It seems like the moment I decide to do something positive in my life the stress train rolls into to town in a big way. I have gotten some disturbing news from the doctor, but don't worry it isn't life threatening and there is nothing that can be done. (Stressor #1). I am still searching for a teaching job and the state of Texas is doing it's best to ensure I never get one anywhere near where all of my friends and family and myself have lived for years. (Stressor #2). My weight is yo-yoing like crazy and I have no idea how much I have actually gained or lost in the past few days (Stressor #3). My grandmother is going in for surgery tomorrow and might not make it (Stressor #4). I could go on and on but then I would feel like I'm whining. Don't worry about me though because I am staying strong and I am not going to let anything beat me. In terms of success I am down to ten cigarettes a day versus a pack a day I was smoking. Progress is progress and come hell or high water I will be smoke free by my birthday!

I have been pretty faithful working out and I spent a good part of yesterday outside doing yard work and gardening. Tonight I am going to go see CATS, an Andrew Lloyd Webber  musical, with my mom. I think it will be alot of fun and it will be a nice reward for losing 39 pounds. I am still hoping it will be sixty total by my birthday. All in all I am doing my best and that is all anyone can ask of you. I really want to get back in the pool soon though. I need to mix it up again. I am getting bored of walking and aerobics in front of the television.

Impatient,Frightened...Not Giving Up

Stupid little toes, they all look so freakin happy!

Reference above picture to understand how I feel sometimes in this whole ordeal. Sometimes I just lack the patience to wait for the weight if you catch my drift. I am absolutely certain that if I have any chance of avoiding the lose skin that often occurs when you lose a bunch of weight then it really does have to come off slowly. I can't afford skin removal surgery and I don't want to be stuck with an apron. All I keep hearing from people is "slow and steady wins the race", "this is a marathon not a sprint", ect. ect. ect. I get it I really do. It's just that I want to feel fabulous now. Don't worry dear readers; I am not going to give up because I am not experiencing drastic results or because losing weight is pretty painful(physically, mentally and emotionally). I mean what is the point of all of the pain I have already gone through if I quit now. I can't have worthless pain. Then where would I be?  So, I will just keep chugging along and hoping that I will get to the 60lb mark by my birthday. I would be really excited if that happened, but if it doesn't then I am okay with that too. 

In other news: This just in, after fifteen years of habitual nicotine consumption a 29 year old obese woman has decided to smoke her last pack of cigarettes. Ever. That's right folks you heard it here first. Tonight I am having a smoke fest. Hopefully it will make me sick and disgusted with the very thought of smoking. Tomorrow is a new day and it really is the first day of the rest of my life. I plan on being smoke free by August 14th with the help of a ten week patch system which I start tomorrow. I am really afraid I am going to fail at this. I have never been this serious about quitting before and I don't want to be addicted to cigarettes for the rest of my life. (Words of encouragement please...) At the same time, I am very concerned that I will gain weight back and I really don't want that to happen. I know it's time to take that leap and that is scary because I don't know where I will land.

Let the fat pig jokes ensue lol!

Go on, laugh...you know you want to =)

Anyways, I am staying strong with my exercise and today I did 90 minutes of moving around that consisted of walking in place, jogging and some aerobic stuff. Not bad and a total of 600 some odd calories burned.  This is actually a big non scale victory for me, I never run or jog or anything and I have been able to keep up a sustained jogging pace without stopping for at least 3 minutes. That's not bad for someone who has no idea how to actually jog or run.  So I am excited that I have achieved a new level of fitness for me!

Just moving

So today I have basically been standing in front of the television and alternating between walking and jogging in place. You just can't beat watching television and exercising at the same time. I have burned a total of 413 calories doing this. I also have a had a really good and healthy food day, so I figure I'll share it below. So there you have it. I feel like today was a good day all around for eating healthy and moving around. Tonight on ABC there is a new show where this guy takes severely obese people through a year long transformation. i am going to watch it and walk the whole time. It's a hour long so it's going to be some hard work, but worth it. I think that will be another 377 calories give or take. Anywho, wish me luck and feel free to make comments on my diet and exercise. I can use all the critiquing I can get.  :

Breakfast 7:00 AM	Calories	Carbs	Protein	Fat	Sat Fat	Sodium
Village Farm - Whole Grain Oatmeal Blueberry, 1 package	120	22	4	3	0	90
Chobani - Nonfat Greek Yogurt, Strawberry, 6 oz container (170g)	140	20	14	0	0	65
	260	42	18	3	0	155
Snack 10:00 AM
Starkist - Low Sodium Chunk Light Tuna In Water 3oz, Can, 1 can drained	90	0	21	1	0	120
Alis's - Salad Mixed Greens and Spinach, 1 cups	20	2	2	0	0	80
Wishbone Salad Spritzers Balsamic Breeze - Balsamic Salad Dressing - Spray, 10 sprays	10	1	0	1	0	130
	120	3	23	2	0	330
Lunch 1:00 PM
Peanut Butter & Co - Dark Chocolate Dreams, 2 Tbsp (32g)	170	12	6	13	3	35
Smucker's - Simply Fruit Black Raspberry, 1 tbsp	40	10	0	0	0	0
Sara Lee - 45 Calories and Delightful Multi-Grain Bread, 2 slices	90	19	6	1	0	160
	300	41	12	14	3	195
Snack 4:00 PM
Village Farm - Whole Grain Oatmeal- Cranberry, 2 packet	240	42	8	5	0	180
	240	42	8	5	0	180
Dinner 7:00 PM
Hillshire Farm Deli Select - Ultra Thin - 95% Fat Free - Roast Beef, 2 oz = 56 g = 4 slices	70	1	11	3	1	550
Flatout Flatbread - Multi-Grain With Flax - 8 Net Carbs, 53 grams (1 Flatbread or 1.9 Oz)	100	17	9	3	0	280
Sargento - Reduced Fat Sliced Pepper Jack Cheese, 1 slice	60	0	5	4	3	135
Alis's - Salad Mixed Greens and Spinach, 1 cups	20	2	2	0	0	80
Van De Walle Farms - All Natural Picante Sauce, 2 Tbsp	10	2	0	0	0	240
	260	22	27	10	4	1,285
Snack 10:00 PM
Weight Watchers - Reduced Fat Whipped Cream Cheese Spread, 2 tbsp (20 g)	60	4	1	5	4	70
Quaker - Rice Cakes - Chocolate Crunch, 2 cake	120	22	2	2	0	60
Blueberries - Raw, 1 cup	83	21	1	0	0	1
	263	47	4	7	4	131
Totals	1,443	197	92	41	11	2,276
Your Daily Goal	1,873	257	70	62	21	2,500
Remaining	430	60	-22	21	10	224
	Calories	Carbs	Protein	Fat	Sat Fat	Sodium

Progress?

So I was bored and thought I would put together a little progress check. The top pic is me at 315 pounds my heaviest weight ever. The bottom pic is me at 285. So that is a total of 30 lbs lost. That was a bit ago but I don't have any more recent pics than that. I have at this point lost a total of 38 lbs. So maybe I will do another one of these once I have lost another 30 total. So I will make another progress report like this one at 60lbs lost.  I am just wondering if anyone can see a difference. It is hard to see it yourself. 

This week I am really cracking down on working out and I start my nicoderm patches on the 1st so I will let you all know how that goes. I may not be perfect at it and it doesn't matter. I will do my best! That's really all you can ever do. I am looking forward to being smoke free though! I can't wait to breathe easy again!

Send home that butterfly

Okay so I want my readers to take a good look at the little ticker here....

See it? Good...

My whole goal, my mission in life at this time is to send that little butterfly home. The picture you see is significant. Its not just some random picture. I drew it several years ago just messing around on my tablet. But I have held onto it because, while I admit it isn't the best picture ever, something about it resonated with me. Then I decided to use it as my ticker picture and then the meaning became clear.

The tree: The tree for me represent the struggle.The gnarled dead branches are the battles I will face. I mean let's face it, losing weight, especially this much isn't easy. It requires hard work and dedication. It also means you have to fight some battles with yourself, with others, and particularly with food.

The woman: She is me when I reach my goal. Her back is to us and we can't see her face, just like I can't picture what I will be like at 145 lbs. Nonetheless, we can see her arms stretched out to great the world before her. She is joyful in her stance. Everything about her speaks of victory.

When I see this ticker, it reminds me that I will get there, that it is a struggle, but there is joy and victory at the end. My goal is to send that little butterfly home. Just have to keep at it and not give up.

So on the exercise front: I spent Saturday cooking and serving and Sunday cleaning up. I burned about 1300 calories between the two days. Today I am not sure what I will do for exercise. Probably just take a walk. Tomorrow I am getting in the pool for as long as I feel like it but at least an hour. I am really going to push myself hard and enjoy it. No leisurely swimming for me.

Cooking and Food Preparation (This time I'm counting it!)

So my exercise today will basically be working hard to prepare for the dinner party I am throwing tomorrow night. I will be spending most of this evening in the kitchen on my feet; cooking, pounding, stirring, mixing, ect. I will also be out in my herb garden harvesting fresh herbs. I will also be running some last minute errands and such. I hope I can also get in about 15-20 minutes on my stationary bike. We shall see. Anyhow, I am going to wear my heart rate monitor when I really get down to business and I am going to count those calories. Normally, I would not count cooking and food prep calories, but I am prepping for a 17 person dinner so it is not what I normally do everyday. Just in case you are interested, here is what is on the menu:

Appetizer:
Italian Asparagus, Assorted Crackers and Cheeses

Main Course:
Spinach and Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Roll-ups
Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Sauce
Cranberry Apple Walnut Salad with Feta Cheese and Greek Dressing

Desert:
German Chocolate Cake

Drinks:
Fruit Infused Ice Water
Iced Tea
Homemade Lemonade

I'll update this to add in the calories I burn.

I burned 783 calories doing 370 minutes of cardio exercises, including "Cooking or food preparation"

Time to put the pedal to the metal

I haven't really dropped any weight in the past two weeks. I am sitting right at 280. I need to get below that. I wanted to blame it on the diet or something else like stress or hitting a plateau but that really isn't the issue. I need to work for it. I need to renew my dedication to this whole venture. After some careful examination of myself and my habits/behaviors, I have decided that I am just plain lazy. I haven't been working out hard enough. I keep saying I don't want to get burned out, but in hindsight that's really just another excuse.

So for the rest of this week and starting next week I am really going to put the pedal to the metal and speed things up. I am going to work my butt off, literally. No more of the I don't feel like it. So what right? Not feeling like it is what got me into this condition. No more aww the pools closed, guess I can't work out today. There is always a sidewalk and good old chevrolegs. No more excuses, just hard work. I will exercise ever day for thirty minutes at least. This fat and apathy will not defeat me.

So for the five people that actually read this... ya'll are going to get sick of me, because in order to keep myself motivated I am going to blog about my exercise every single day until it becomes a habit! Today... I am going to go swimming and I am going to really push myself this time. Back to two hours for me!

No point to this...just thought it was funny!