Everyone seems to be jumping on the chaffle bandwagon! What is a chaffle? Well, it is essentially a cheese waffle that you can use in the place of bread for a sandwich. People are being very creative and using their chaffle in all sorts of different dishes.
I used my first chaffle to make a Denver sandwich which I dipped in some delicious mild salsa. These chaffles can be used for really anything that you would normally put between two pieces of bread!
I’d say the biggest reason that these chaffles are so popular is because they are so darn easy! Both high carb lovers and low carb lovers enjoy them so it is something that you can make for your whole family and even guests!
So here is the recipe:
1 large egg
1 cup loosely grated cheese. Just basic cheddar, mozzarella or a combination work fine. Experiment with other blends and see which ones you like best! If you are lactose intolerant, more and more stores have lactose free cheese options.
1/8 tsp garlic powder (optional)
Preheat your waffle iron. I brush it with a bit of avocado oil to make sure the chaffle won’t stick.
Depending on the size of your waffle maker, add all or half of the mixture and cook like you would a normal waffle. Usually, once it stops steaming, it is finished.
For many people, shaking the bread habit is the hardest. Although it is very difficult to find a recipe that tastes the same as your old favorite, there are some great recipes that will get you by.
Here is my favorite recipe for 90 Second Low Carb Keto Bread. It is taken from the variety of healthy recipes that people get when they subscribe to my Keto Conversion 101 Course!
I use this bread recipe to make french toast, grilled cheese sandwiches and a breakfast bread to have with my soft cooked poached eggs with hollandaise sauce. Mmmmmmmm.
Keto 90 Second Bread ● 3 tbsp almond flour or 1 1/3 tbsp coconut flour ● 1 tbsp oil (melted butter, melted coconut oil, avocado oil) ● 1/2 tsp baking powder ● 1 large egg ● pinch of Himalayan sea salt
Add all ingredients to a 4×4 microwave-safe bowl or a coffee mug. Tap on the counter a few times to remove air bubbles, and microwave for 90 seconds. You can also bake in an oven-safe container for 10 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Throw it in your toaster to get it nice and crispy (this is important!). Add your favorite toppings such as butter, almond butter, or sugar-free syrup and enjoy!
Makes 1 serving (macros based on using almond flour and 1 Tbsp coconut oil): 198 calories, 17g fat, 8g protein, 2g net carb
I am always looking for new recipes and trying new things. Check out my personal Pinterest Boards for some of the recipes I have tried. Through my boards, you will find links to many other amazing chefs that are creating delectable keto creations.
I don’t think there is enough awareness of the troubles that sugar causes in our body and how it is impacting our society as a whole. There have been some shocking research done on the impacts of sugar! We underestimate the impact of how what we put in our mouth impacts what is doing on in our body.
To help raise awareness on these challenges and how it is impacting us, an amazing line up of speakers has been brought together for the Kick Sugar Summit!
If you are aware of the “who’s who” in the low carb world, you will be impressed with the caliber of speakers being brought out for this FREE online event.
Day 1 – June 10, 2019
Dr. Robert Lustig – Professor Emeritus University California San Francisco
Dr. Vera Tarman – Author of Food Junkies: Recovery from Food Addiction
Dr. Brian Lenzkes – Voted One of the “Top Doctors” in San Diego for 11 Years
Gin Stevens – Author of Delay, Don’t Deny: Living an Intermittent Fasting Lifestyle
Dr. Robert Cywes – Bariatric Surgeon
Doug Reynolds – Founder of LowCarb USA
Dr. Chris Palmer – MD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry Harvard Medical School
Dr. Bret Scher – MD, Cardiologist, Stanford Graduate
Day 2 – June 11, 2019
Gary Taubes – Author of Why We Get Fat and The Case Against Sugar
Wolfram Alderson – CEO Hypoglycemia Support
Dr. Nasha Winters – Author of Metabolic Approach to Cancer
Dr. David Diamond – MD, PhD, Neuroscientist
Craig Emmerich – Author of Keto: The Complete Guide to Success
Dr. Lewis Cantley – The Cantley Lab
Belinda Fettke – The Driving Force Behind the Current Dietary Guidelines
Bitten Jonsson – Leading Sugar Educator
Day 3 – June 12, 2019
Prof. Tim Noakes – Professor Emeritus University of Capetown
Dr. Mark Cucuzella – MD, FAAFP, Professor at West Virginia University School of Medicine
Dr. Jake Cushner – MD, Medical Director of McNair Interests
Dave Feldman – The Cholesterol Code
Jackie Eberstein – RN, Former Director of Medical Education at The Atkins Center
Dr. Gary Fettke – Orthopedic Surgeon Low Carb Crusader
Dr. Shawn Baker – Orthopedic Surgeon Author of The Carnivore Diet
Julia Ross – Author of The Mood Cure, The Craving Cure
Dr. Kristie Sullivan – Author of Keto Gatherings & Keto Living Day By Day
Day 4 – June 13, 2019
Thomas DeLauer – Nutrition and Business Performance Coach
Lynn Terry – TravelingLowCarb.com, Keto Expert – on Keto for 8 years
Lisette Cifaldi – Founder & CEO of Eating Sanity
Dr. Antonio Martinez II – Attorney and Patient/Health Advocate
Dr. Keith Berkowitz – MD, Founder & Director of the Center for Balanced Health
Alison Gannett – Cooking for Cancer Keto Coach
Dr. Ben Bocchicchio – “Slow Maximum Resistance Training” AKA ‘S.Ma.R.T™’
Dr. Josh Turknett – MD, Author of the Migraine Miracle
Brandon Straker – Coach & Personal Trainer – Reset U Fitness
Day 5 – June 14, 2019
Pete Evans – Author, Chef & Producer of The Magic Pill Documentary – Netflix
Dr. Aseem Malhotra – Internationally Renowned Cardiologist
Andy Petranek – Co-Founder of the Whole Life Challenge
Ann Childers – Psychiatric Physician
Dr. Joan Ifland – PhD, MBA, Food Addiction Professional
Dr. Hassina Kajee – MD, Board of Directors of The Noakes Foundation
Jayne Bullen – MBA, Managing Director of the Noakes Foundation Nutrition Network
Peter Ballerstedt – PhD, University of Georgia, University of Kentucky
Rita Venter – Banting 7 Day Meal Plans
If you are looking to learn the science behind how sugar impacts us and how the low carb and keto world makes it so much easier, and enjoyable, to be sugar-free, register today at the Kick Sugar Summit Registration Page.
What is the big deal behind sugar anyway? The Diet Doctor has released a very good article on How Sugar Damages the Brain. It is not just about weight gain. Sugar causes inflammation, high blood pressure, creates insulin resistance, and…many more damaging effects on the body. This is important information that everyone should know. I hope you will take the time to check it out!
Kicking sugar is one thing that most people experience immediate health benefits from and feel noticeably better. Good luck in your own personal health journey!
Photo care of https://www.papermoonphotography.com/
Many people give the keto lifestyle a try
because they want to lose weight. Since you cut out the majority of carbs in
your diet, your body quickly learns how to use fat for energy, making it much
easier to let go of body fat, especially belly fat. However, what do you do
once you have reached your goal weight? This is often the most difficult part
of weight loss. Should you start eating carbs again? Or should you stay on keto
forever?
This is actually an important question to
ask yourself even before you reach your goal weight. Always begin with the end
in mind so it is an easy transition and you don’t even have to think about it
when the time comes. Let’s look at the pros and cons of leaving or staying on
keto, so you can decide how to maintain weight loss after the keto diet.
Leaving Keto
The Pros
Some people prefer to leave the keto
lifestyle behind once they reach their goal weight. Maybe they miss their
favorite carbs. Maybe they are not sure if this is a good choice for them long
term. To do this, it is very important to slowly add back in carbs while
decreasing your fat intake. Always begin adding in a healthy variety of more
starchy vegetables and fruits first. If you jump right into adding grains and
sugars, you will find yourself feeling awful and packing the pounds back on
before you even know it. You’ll want to keep eating the healthy fats you ate
while on keto, just not as many. Many people find success by transitioning to a
low carb, whole food lifestyle similar to the Paleo diet. Eating paleo is not
as restrictive as keto but still focuses on eating whole foods and eschewing
foods like simple carbs and legumes.
The Cons
Eating a larger number of carbs will stop
the production of ketones and you will not have the same energy or fat burning
ability that you had while on keto. Also keep in mind that adding in carbs may
increase your cravings for them. And eating too many carbs, especially
unhealthy ones, will lead to weight gain. This could potentially put you back
on the yo-yo diet train and undo all the great work you have already done!
Ketones provide a cleaner fuel than glucose, prevents inflammation in the body,
and levels out your insulin levels. By not burning ketones as fuel, you are missing
some potential disease prevention benefits you would otherwise be benefiting
from if you stayed in ketosis.
Staying on Keto
The Pros
You may decide that you would rather stick
with the keto diet. Many people find that they feel so much better when they
are fueled with ketones instead of glucose that they couldn’t fathom going
back. While on this diet journey I hope you have taken the time to learn all
the impressive health benefits that ketones and ketosis have to offer. There
hasn’t been a ton of research about staying on the keto diet long term but so
far, the results are promising. Keto can help keep your blood sugar, blood
pressure, and cholesterol levels low. It also gives you energy and a clear
mind. Because you are burning fat and no longer having to deal with the insulin
roller coaster of cravings that carbs creates, it is much easier to maintain
your weight loss if you stay in keto. Keep your carbs low, eat only a moderate
amount to protein and eat healthy fats with each meal until you feel satiated.
The Cons
There aren’t really many documented cons to
staying on keto, other than some people find it difficult to sustain because
their previous carb addictions still prevail. Some people feel that they want
to stay on keto because of how they feel, but they choose not to because they
are missing out on high carb foods that they miss. This is only an issue if you
haven’t discovered cyclical ketosis or fasting. Both of these techniques are
very easy to do when your body is fat adapted.
With cyclical ketosis, for one meal 1-2
times a week, you can replace the calories from fat with the calories from
carbs. The next day, you go back into your keto practice and, if you have taken
the time to ensure you are fat adapted first, your body will flip back into
ketosis. There are several different approaches to cyclical ketosis that make
this way of eating much more sustainable for those that miss the high carbs
every now and then. This really allows you to have the best of both worlds!
Some people use fasting to quickly get
themselves into ketosis after eating high carb for a period of time. There is
some excellent research out there about the health benefits of fasting and
there are many types of fasts that you can use. Check out Dr Jason Fung’s book The
Obesity Code for more on how to safely fast. If fasting sounds like
starvation to you, that is not the case when you are fat adapted by being on
keto. Being in ketosis already makes the practice of fasting much easier since
you don’t have to fight the cravings and “hangriness” that go along with carb
cravings.
There really aren’t any official cons to
staying on the keto diet, especially if you like it! Just remember to make sure
your diet is full nutrient-rich cruciferous vegetables so that you are getting
all the vitamins and minerals you need. Sometimes, keto followers limit their
veggie intake in order to stay low on carbs. However, that is not a healthy way
to live! The keto diet encourages consumption of low carb veggies that are both
delicious and good for you. Don’t skip out on them. You need to ensure you are
getting the micronutrients you need to maintain health. Take supplements or
visit a keto-friendly Nutritionist if you are not sure.
Conclusion
It’s up to you to decide which approach you
want to take to weight maintenance. Some people want to add in some variety to
their diet, so they add in carbs. Others are perfectly happy eating keto and
choose to stay on it. Remember that keto is a lifestyle that helps you stay in
control of your weight, insulin levels, and cravings. If you want to just use
keto as a tool in your healthy lifestyle toolbox, that is great! If you want to
make it a forever lifestyle, that is cool too. What is important is that you
don’t slide into your previous way of eating. That is what caused the issue to
begin with! Make sure you truly have made some life changes and be confident
that you can continue to maintain all the hard work you have done.
Whatever you chose, if you have met your
target, congratulations! Weight loss or not, I hope you feel the best you ever
have. Thank is the true gift of keto.
You have
probably heard that losing weight involves eating lots of low-fat food. For a
few years there, eating fat-free was all the rage. Companies produced a mind-numbing
amount of fat-free foods that claimed to be healthy and would help you lose
weight.
And guess what? They were wrong! It turns out, eating fat does not make you fat!
Eating healthy means you need to eat fat. Dietary fat has lots of health benefits for your body and is necessary for you to live. In fact, eating a lot of fat can be great for you since fat can fuel your body (instead of glucose) and help you feel full.
Why Fat Helps You Feel Full
When you
consume fat, you are eating a calorically dense macronutrient that plays a big
role in your digestion and hormone production.
First, fat slows digestion. Your food hangs around a little longer in your body when it is full of fat. This is great news when it comes to feeling full and satisfied. You can become full more quickly and stay full for hours after you have finished eating a high-fat meal.
Fat also has an effect on the hunger hormone, ghrelin. Ghrelin tells your brain that you are hungry and you need food right away. However, fat can suppress ghrelin, which will eliminate that “I need to eat everything,” feeling you get when you follow low-fat diets.
Fat also
decreases your blood sugar and insulin production. Not only is this great news
for decreasing your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but it also allows
another hormone, leptin, to do its job. Leptin actually tells your body that
you are full and no longer need food. When you keep your insulin levels low,
leptin is not interfered with and functions properly.
An interesting fact: Leptin is released when you eat fat and protein, but it is not released when you eat carbohydrates. The only mechanism to tell your body to stop eating carbohydrates, is you telling yourself it is time to stop. Or, you stuffing yourself so physically full that you are physically uncomfortable and choose to stop eating. The other substance that has no hormone mechanism to stop you from consuming is alcohol. It is no wonder that they are both addictive…a topic for another blog.
In order to be sure that you can experience the benefits of leptin, make sure you eat more slowly so you are able to experience the full sensation that leptin provides before you have eaten too much.
Feeling Full = Weight Loss
So now
that we know why fat makes you full, let’s talk about how it leads to weight
loss.
We have
all tried to lose weight at some point in our lives on a high carb, restricted
calorie diet. And we have all realized we cannot live on very few calories! You
may have some success but eventually you give in because you are hungry. So,
you wind up bingeing and you gain back any weight you may have lost.
When you
feel hungry, you get cranky, anxious, and lose your will power. But when you
feel full, you are satisfied and not tempted to snack. Therefore, staying full
is key to success in weight loss!
So, the
reason is simple. If you are full, then you are much more likely to stick to
your eating plan.
Eating a
high fat diet is also a delicious way to eat. You look forward to your meals
because they taste good and leave you full.
This is where my keto taco pie comes in. This crustless taco pie has plenty of healthy fat that will leave you full and satisfied. And did I mention that it is delicious? Both your high carb and low carb family and friends will love this one. But watch out and only eat one piece…otherwise, you will feel too full! 🙂
It only takes a little bit of this pie to fill you up!
Keto Taco Pie
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 packet of keto compliant taco seasoning
2 green onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup sugar-free salsa
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
4 large eggs
½ cup heavy cream
½ tsp sea salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9” pie pan with coconut oil or grease with butter.
Heat a greased large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, breaking up with a spoon or spatula. Stir occasionally until brown.
Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the ground beef.
Whisk together the eggs and heavy cream in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the green onions, salsa, ¾ cup of the cheese, and salt.
Stir the prepared taco meat into the egg mixture. Pour into the pie pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until the top of the pie is a nice golden brown colour. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
You can add extra taco toppings such as sour cream, guacamole, or extra salsa and onions.
Guacamole is one of my favorite snacks. I use it on homemade almond flour crackers, pork rinds, and as a vegetable dip. I put it on top of my burgers, salads and sometimes I just eat it up with a spoon!
The invention of frozen avocados made so that I can whip up a batch easily whenever unexpected guests come over. If they live the high carb life, then I just push some taco chips their way while I stick to dipping in the veggies or whatever else I happen to have on hand.
Just note that frozen avocados are found in the fruit aisle. It took me a bit to realize that. In fact, if you keep the following items always on hand, you will always have what you need to make this recipe:
dehydrated onions
minced garlic in a jar
salsa (replace this for the Roma tomatoes)
This recipe is the easiest I have found. I have adapted it a bit over time. I am one of those people that think cilantro tastes like soap, so I don’t include it in this recipe. If you are a cilantro fan, go ahead and add it!
Avocados are a magical food that tastes rather bland on its own, but simply add some salt and pepper to it, and suddenly it is the most delicious snack! If avocado tastes so good with just salt and pepper, you can imagine how yummy it is after you add onion and garlic.
Here is my favorite recipe:
2 avocados, mashed
1/4 cup chopped red or yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 small Roma tomato chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Mix everything together in a small bowl. Put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (while you are talking with your guests) to allow the flavours to mix. Then take it out and season to taste. Garnish with some parsley or black olives for a nice touch.
Depending on your mood and tastes, consider adding the following:
Cilantro
Bacon
Mayo
Red or green chilies
6 servings: 2.3g net carbs (5.6g total carbs, 3.3g fibre), 7g fat, 1g protein
This is a debate that you hear quite a bit on the keto blogs. Some passionately declare that you do not have to count calories as long as you keep your carbs low and eat until you are satiated. Others count their calories meticulously, afraid that they will pack on the pounds while eating this new ration of higher fat meals.
Well, I am no doctor, but I can guess what most would say…it depends!
Here are some points to consider:
1.) Not eating enough calories can inhibit your metabolism.
One of the beautiful features of the keto diet is that your hunger goes away. This seems great on the surface. However, if you forget to eat (OMG YES! This really happens when you are on keto!!) and severely restrict your calories, your body can put itself into protective mode. Your body will start to think it is starving and your metabolism will slow down making weight loss difficult. Plus, in an effort to conserve energy, you may start losing hair as well.
People not eating enough calories is a criticism I hear often from doctors who are still concerned with the keto way of eating. If you finding yourself rarely eating but not losing weight, you may want to try taking a look at your calories.
Don’t get calorie restriction mixed with fasting. Fasting, when done correctly restricts calories for a short term but actually increases your metabolism. Dr Fung describes this best here.
2.) You can still gain weight on keto.
You need to limit your carbs, get a moderate amount of protein and have enough fat for your energy source. Some of this will come from your own fat stores, but some needs to come from dietary intake.
Most people feel full when eating fat. Personally, I have no problem eating too much fat. When I do this, my body does not need to tap into my own stores and I do not gain weight, or I lose weight. So if you have this problem, you many need to count fat in addition to carbs…but not calories.
3.) It is the quality of the calories that matters and not the quantity.
If you are counting calories so you can subtract the exact amount of exercise you did to make sure you are going to lose weight today, you may be wasting your time. The law of thermodynamics on keto does not work. Different foods have different metabolic and hormonal effects on the body. Glucose causes the release of insulin while fat does not. It is easier to gain weight eating glucose calories than it is fat calories. For a more detailed explanation on this, check out this article: https://hvmn.com/blog/keto-diet/do-calories-matter-on-a-keto-diet.
My take on the situation:
You do need to use calories to calculate your macros (macronutrients protein, fat and carbohydrates). This is because you will have much better long term success losing weight slowly instead of quickly. Find your maintenance calorie intake and then decrease that by 20%. Use that to calculate your target macros. However, once you have the grams of macronutrients that you should consume every day…just track those and you shouldn’t have to worry about the calories.
Some people say you don’t need to track your food at all at all as long as you keep your carbs below 20g per 24 hour period. Until you get used to listening to your body, until you understand what foods are high carbs and which ones are low carbs, and until you get into a routine where you are eating enough, but not too much, I think you should track your macros. Tracking calories is only required if you think you may be getting too few.
The holidays are coming…how are you going to stay eating low carb when there are so many tasty sugary favorites surrounding you? Will you have the will power? Will you be able to resist??
Remember, in the low carb ketogenic world, you don’t have to be deprived…you just have to make better choices. And luckily with this way of eating there are SO MANY different choices! You can eat everything you used to eat, you just have to prepare a low carb version of it.
It is much simpler than you think and eventually you will even start to prefer the low carb option over the high carb favorites you use to eat!
To help you out this holiday season, I would like to share my Holiday Cookbook with you for FREE! It contains many of the traditional favorites, but with lower carb ingredients. You are going to love these recipes!
Download your copy by clicking on this picture button below:
I hope this cookbook will help you to be stress free as you prepare for the parties, company, or just downtime this holiday season.
One of the most frustrating things I experienced when first learned about this low carb ketogenic (low carb, high fat) way of eating, was trying to sort through what is real and what is propaganda. The food and diet industry is gigantic, so it makes sense that companies will feed fear into their consumers to protect their bottom line, even if based on little or no facts.
I have spent countless hours, probably months by now, trying to find out why a ketogenic diet could be an unhealthy way of eating. I tried to find studies or articles from reputable doctors to convince me that the keto diet would cause fatty liver disease, heart disease, nutritional deficiencies, etc. The list went on and on of the warnings that well meaning nutritionists and doctors would post, who did not agree with this way of eating. But when it came down to proof, the best they could offer was, “there are not enough long term studies yet to prove…”. Well, let me tell you, there are still no long term studies yet that prove that the high carb low fat way of eating works either.
In fact, if you look at the health of today’s society, I would say that there is pretty clear evidence that the high carb low fat way of eating is not healthy. It causes us to crave food constantly which makes it nearly impossible to avoid all the delicious high carb treats we are surrounded by that are toted as being “healthy” because they are low in fat. They are loaded with fruits and honey, which we are told is healthier. Although it is better than refined sugars, those natural sugars are digested and turn into fat folks!! Natural does not mean safe! The rates of diabetes and heart disease continue to grow. Society is starting to be of the opinion that it is ok to be overweight, because it is just too hard to for us to remain under that obesity line. The way we eat is slowly killing us.
To stop myself before I become one of those fear mongers, I would like share with you a great article from Nina Teicholz, author of The Big Fat Surprise where she provides studies and reputable sources to debunk common ketogenic diet myths. This is a great list to print out and share with your doctor, if he/she is not familiar with the modern ketogenic way of eating.
In this article you will learn why the following is FALSE:
Keto is bad for athletes – totally false. In fact, Ultra-marathon runners are adopting this way of eating to give them a steady flow of nutrition and avoid the awful gels. High performing athletes such as CrossFit and gymnasts are finding increased performance using this way of eating.
Keto is dangerous if you have diabetes – Type 1 Diabetics do require very close medical supervision, but Type 2 Diabetics not on insulin supplements are finding the low carb way of eating so much easier to control their blood sugars that they are able to get off medication. Some groups of doctors like Virta and Intensive Dietary Management are actually reversing Type 2 Diabetes using ketogenic approaches.
Keto causes fatigue and flu-like symptoms – as your body switches over to ketosis, you may experience this if you don’t drink enough water and consume enough sodium. Regardless it is a short lived symptom.
Keto is bad for heart health and will raise your cholesterol – quite the opposite actually. Keto raises the good HDL cholesterol that prevents heart disease.
Keto will make you break out – I can say first hand that my son’s 19 year old skin cleared up immediately once he started eating keto.
Keto is not good for your gut – gastroesophageal reflux disease has been show to actually improve after eating low carb diets.
Keto causes, or worsens, fatty liver disease – as backwards as it seems, keto actually treats fatty liver. It is the consumption of sugar (especially fructose), converted to fat, that causes fatty liver.
You will lose sleep on a ketogenic diet – I know many people on a high carb diet that have troubles sleeping. There doesn’t seem to be proof of either being better.
Keto causes gallbladder problems – diets higher in fat have been shown to prevent gallstone formation.
Keto reduces lean body mass – I don’t think this way of eating would be gaining so much attention from the fitness world if that were the case.
Keto is not good for long-term weight management – I tried for 20 years to lose 15 lbs and despite diligent exercise and sticking to eating healthy, I struggled with my weight yo-yo-ing. When I switched to keto, I lost those 15 pounds in 4 months as have kept at that steady weight for over a year. I am not the only one proving that myth to be wrong.
People just can’t stay on keto – there are millions of us proving this to be wrong. It is a change to what you are used to, so making the transition is way easier if you have a keto coach to help you through the transition.
If you want the full details of this article and the related studies, you can find it at https://ninateicholz.com/ketogenic-diet-myths-vs-facts/. It would be a handy tool to have when you go to discuss keto with your doctor.
This month I did an experiment that I would have never done in the past. I didn’t step on the bathroom scale to weigh myself for 7 days. This may not seem like a big deal for most, but in order to keep my weight down, I have literally weighed myself every day. If the numbers started to move up, I would quickly make adjustments so I didn’t gain too much weight. A bit of an obsession I guess. The problem was that I craved food ALL THE TIME. I felt like I was always thinking about the next snack.
During the last 7 days I made a conscious effort to only eat when I was hungry. If I didn’t feel like having breakfast, I would skip it or have a keto coffee instead. If I was hungry I would eat a low carb breakfast of eggs, spinach, cheese and real crumbled bacon. Similar with lunch and supper, I would eat what I felt like eating and not because I felt I had to because it was “meal time”. Sometimes I at a lot until I was stuffed, sometimes I only wanted a little snack. I was actually pretty freaked out when I went to look at the scale at the end of 7 days. But then I remembered…I know how ketosis works and if I gained weight, I know the secret to taking it back off painlessly. No reason to worry! And you know what the scale said at the end of the 7 days? I was 2 pounds lighter than the week before. No stress. No starving. How can you not love this way of eating?
I hope you all are enjoying this journey and are finding your way to low stress weight loss with more energy and health than ever before.
1. Low Carb Recipe
If you Google “low carb” or “keto” + your favorite food, you can find a replacement for nearly every one of your old recipes. At first you will be disappointed that the low carb version doesn’t taste as good as your regular high carb foods. However, after awhile, you will find that once you stay low carb for a few weeks, when you go back to your high carb foods, you will find that you now actually prefer the low carb version of the food! It will become your new normal.
That happened with me and pasta. I have learned to find vegetable versions of nearly all of my past pasta favorites and I haven’t looked back. I easily avoid pasta now with no regrets and without feeling like I am missing out at all. I feel so good about all the nutrients I am getting from the vegetable version that I don’t miss the empty pasta calories from the high carb version.
Here is a zucchini lasagne recipe from The Kittchen. I just used tomato sauce from the grocery store, being careful to chose the brand with the lowest amount of carbs. Delicious!
When I was first researching low carb diets, I found it overwhelming and confusing. Everyone seemed to have a different opinion. Saturated fat is good! Saturated fat is bad. Salt is good. Salt is bad. Butter is good. Butter is bad. Who do you believe? After months and months of reading it soon became clear that there are different rules eating high carb than eating low carb. And doctors have their favorite approach and they are each passionate about their opinions. I have been able to find a reputable list of doctors and nutritionists that I trust, and those are the ones I listen to. Now that I understand the biology behind it all, I can easily detect an article opposing keto that is playing on people’s fears and old school research and beliefs. The world is changing, and just like society used to think the world was flat, the world will soon realize that ketosis is the secret to keeping our society healthier.
Want to see more research from keto experienced doctors? Follow me on Twitter @LLifenow.
3. Inspiring success story
I am a huge fan of a company called Virta that works with patients to reverse type 2 diabetes. This month I thought I would share one of their many success stories called No More Dangerous Blood Sugar Lows Now That I am On Virta. Find it here.
I love it when people share their stories. Share yours on my Facebook Page.
Happy learning! Low Carb and Keto is a way of living, not a short term diet. There is a lot to learn, but it is a journey that just get better and better. Good luck on your journey! Feel free to reach out to me at tiffiny@lowcarblifenow.com if you have any questions.
