Assorted Boids, Pleasant Peaches, and Standard American Sugar - Day 21

It was a pretty good day. I actually spent some time in "the room" going through more stuff. I actually now have ALL of the 2022 tax papers in ONE location in the house. Go me! The usual ADHD me would have some in every room up until January 30-ish or so ... 

Got some fish-related supplies listed on Facebook Marketplace. Let the Great Purge begin ... When we move, we will be taking very, very little with us. THAT is my goal!  

Got some laundry put away; did some works; fed the boids and gave them some unfrozen waters. All in all, a fairly productive kind of day. 

There's one thing I don't think I mentioned at the start of this - my use of this: 

While this is a FAR SIGHT better than the Crystal Lite Peach Tea addiction I had before the Die-a-Beet-Us diagnosis, it's still sugar. My rationalization was that it "helped" me get my water intake. Just because they don't ADD cane sugar, doesn't mean that concentrated grape juice isn't sugar enough. Stevia is just an afterthought down there at the bottom of the list. 

Anywhoo, after a good two years of all things peach flavored, including actual peaches, I think it's time for a change. I ran out of this yesterday, and have switched over to lemon and a few drops of stevia in my water. And probably 24 hours later, I can tell there's a significant difference because I have drunk/drank/drinken a LOT less water today. I was also a lot less hungry this morning before that stupendous sammich. Usually, there is at least an hour or so of significant rumbly-tumblies, and just downright hunger before lunch. Not today. 

It's too late to cancel my next delivery, I think ... Oooo let me go check. Hold please. Actually, I think I just did cancel it, so now, my water intake's flavor will be switched to fresh-squeezed (by me) lemon juice, and stevia. It's just one less thing that may cause those pesky stress cravings, and help improve the mood. 

Like that frog in the cold pot o' water, you don't know you're cooking until it's too late, when you're in the throes of the Standard American crapfest of food ... But, if you ever take a break from sugar and artificial sweeteners, high-fructose corn syrup, and high-glycemic fruits, and then you go back? Froggie gets tossed into the boiling sea and feels it immediately. Sugar is the thing I have to watch out for when it comes to mental well being. Sugar is hellish.

I still love it, but it's hell. A bite here and there, fine, but the daily consumption is something I need to, want to, and will change. 

Day 21 Progress

Weight: 209

What I Et:

- The Morning Coffee 

- The second best sammich I have made on keto ... 

Leftover top sirloin, sauteed in a bit of butter to reheat, some yellow onion, and mini peppers, sauteed in olive oil, two chaffles, made with coconut flour, which made them more "bready" than the lupin flour, served OPEN FACE with a slice of provolone on one, and mayo on the other. You're welcome. 

- A few Elote almonds 

- The Afternoon Coffee 

- Three chicken tenders, grilled, with a bit of butter, and a side salad with some grape tomatoes, queso fresco, a few French-fried onions, and this dressing: 

- A few more Elote almonds 

- An Evening Coffee (stupid move ...) 

69 Days to Goal

Meh ... Day 20

Current frame of mind ... 

Currently, there is nothing I want more than to get ALL of that pineapple crap completely out of my person. I slept okay. I woke up in a poor mood. That mood has continued, even now, at 2:05 pm ... I am full of agitation, stress, anxiety, and all for NO REASON AT ALL ... Nothing happened. Nothing. On top of that, I put on two pounds in one day? Seriously? What exactly did they put in there? No, I'm not obsessing about weight. I'm just annoyed. I know it will vanish. I just am not comfortable in my own skin right now. I am bloated, irritated, and just stuck in the middle of a Munch painting. Yuck. 

The Saturday hunt-and-gather session was especially stressful, again, for no reason, because the store was deader than usual for a Saturday. However, I guess it gave me a lot of insight in things that then make my brain think that I need SNACKKKKKKKKKKKKS. Got to test that theory not once, but three times on the way home, with three other stops at locations that all house snacks. URGH!

I did really good, though, all things considered, and came out of it only partially scathed. One Cherry Coke Zero Sugar, and a bag of Smokehouse Almonds, still unopened, and NO salty or sugary snacks purchased or consumed. 

It was an odd day ... it's also the weekend, so I have no delusions that I won't eat more than usual. I do know that I'm getting tired of THINKING about all the things I want to do and not just DOING them. I also don't know how to address the loneliness I feel. I lack the social skills, clearly, to form lasting friendships with more than one or two individuals at a time. I probably border on being antisocial, but I have zero knowledge about that type of personality. 

On a more positive note, I have read approximately eight pages, plus the intro, of the book. Again, reading makes me very drowsy, so it's going to be slow going. 

I did do some kitchenesque experimentation later in the evening because I felt snacky, but wanted keto. I got a new muffin tin with 12 compartments, so I was able to try the pickle chips again. I even was so bold as to try onion rings, as well. The pickle chips were exponentially better than the onion rings, and I'm not sure how to get a better coating on the onions, or actually what to make them in, but it's an experiment in progress. It might just be that you have to do the standard dunk-and-bread system with onion rings. Pickles are easier to wrangle. 

I think it's also going to make a great breading for chicken tenders, especially in the air fryer. I'm also wondering if a bit of almond flour might result in a different texture ... with just cheese and Pork Panko, it was still a bit chewy. See also, our oven is some 17 years old, so circulation of heats within the baking compartment is probably less than optimal. Even at increased heat of 375F it still took probably 25 minutes to get here. I did shut the oven off at 17 minutes, though. I'm curious, next time, to see what happens in the air fryer. 

That's enough for this day. I need a new one. 

Day 20 Progress

Weight: 209

What I Et: 

- The morning coffee 

- Three eggs with a splash of heavy cream, formed into a half-functional omelet shape with one piece of Land O' Lakes American Cheese. 

- One Sargento string cheese stick 

- The Afternoon Coffee 

- Cherry Coke Zero Sugar

- 1/3 of a top sirloin and a side salad with dump ranch

- Some French-fried onions

- I'm sure I had some Elote almonds, but I can't say that with 1000% certainty 

- Five pickle chips and two onion rings 

See, I ate a lot (especially fat/calorie wise). I just didn't care. 

70 Days to Goal

What in the Holy Pineapple Was I Thinking? - Day 19

Let's get it out of the way ... Cleanses, in powder, pill, or liquid, just do NOT have the same effect on me. I thought, okay ... I'll try this one more time, because it's FULL of fibers, but only has ONE gram of net carbs; sweetened with monk fruit; can't be all that bad. (See the product picture down below). 

Pffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffft. Hold my coffee. 

A serving is 12.5 grams, which the internets tell me is equal to one tablespoon. As I write this (on the morning of Day 20), all it did was make me FEEL like garbage. It has yet to make the actual function happen. I did NOT like the overall effect it had on my person. It left this fibrous/gel-like coating in my mouth. The taste was traumatizing - and just barely resembled pineapple flavor. The texture was almost chewy. And it made me feel like my blood pressure, or my blood sugar had spiked astronomically. 

I'm good. You never know til you try, and now I know. Maybe it works for others, but for me, it's a no-win situation.

In other news, yesterday was an odd day. The beloved hath sinus AND double-ear infections. Had to take my father-in-law to an appointment. The Black House is ALL the way down, and, in fact, buried in the ground below. It is GONE ... All that's left of the place are the trees and weeds. Weird. Even the shoes hanging on the old power line, gone. I should have gotten a picture, in an angle facing the house, so that you could see just how Black House it all actually was. If you have never read Black House, it's a dark and twisted story that ties into the Dark Tower series, which, if you didn't know, is Stephen King's epic, epic story. This place DEFINITELY looked like the gateway to something not so good, and all things evil. 

Work was okay, but I find it hard to focus and get back into it after taking the morning off. It's like the morning is the runway, and by afternoon, my productivity lifts off, and I can get stuff done. 

We have started watching A Million Little Things ... We FINALLY have a show we can enjoy and discuss and pick apart again. I'm glad we waited because a few years back, I would not have been in the right headspace for the subject matter, but now, it makes sense. Peel away the "everybody looks perfect and has all the money in the world" facade, and the story is good. 

My thoughts are all over the place, but Day 19 was an okay day. I'm good with okay. I am not good with pineapple-chia cleanse powders. 

See you later, taters. 

Day 19 Progress

Weight: 207

What I Et: 

Here's the not-so-obligatory shot of lunch: 

It was really good, flavor-wise. Just disappointed that there was only one-fourth of one slice of Andouille sausage in there. Seriously? The seasoning on the broccoli was fantastic, too. I'm just too lazy to show you the artistic food-styled Factor photo ... 

I started to track, and then lost the gumption after lunch ... 

- Two chaffles, with two thin slices of Sargento provolone

- Probably 1/2 a can of Swanson Chicken w/ Ginger and Turmeric Bone Broth 

- 16 grams of Elote almonds

- Some pork rinds and chip dip 

- Dear Universe, what EVER was I thinking ... I had one LEVEL, and very tiny scoop of this with approximately six ounces of Macadamia Milk ...  

71 Days to Goal

A Clear and Consistent Understanding - Day 18

One of television's finest moments

Not gonna lie. I'm a bit frustrated at wavering back and forth here around the 208 range. Well, I was, until I checked the chart that I kept from my first keto attempt back in 2017. After review, I realized that, at 90 days, I had lost 18.5 pounds ... and I'm here at Day 18, and have already lost eight. That's pretty substantial for 2.5 weeks, and without really any effort. 

I'm not going to keep talking about how I "want" to do exercise, because, honestly, I don't. I've never been the athletic type. It certainly wasn't encouraged in childhood, unless it involved manual labor around the house or farm. I loved to swim. That was about the only form of exercise I got that I absolutely adored. 

I honestly can't tell you what holds me back. I've done it before. I no longer have the pressure of having to "go to the gym," so it's not like there's any form of self-consciousness going on. The cats, and Nettie do not care what I do, or how I look doing it. We've surpassed the time when I can go out for a brisk walk in the cool autumnal air. The weather here in Ohio is straight-up winter. At least this week. 

I just don't know. I know that if something started chasing me, it would probably win. I know that I don't want to move around like my mother. She at least, now, has an excuse. She's aged, but she's been poorly situated, physically, for decades. I just know that I do not want to be in that condition. I'm only 54, FFS, so there's no need to act like I'm nearing retirement. 

I'll figure it out. 

Work has been especially worky and busy this week, which is a phenomenal thing. Other than that, I did finally manage to get at least half of the clean clothes folded, sorted, or otherwise put up.

I think one of my goals for the next 12-week year will be to get my room (my daughter's old room) sorted, and cleaned out. Right now, it's a guest/storage room for my stuffs. Stuffs that I haven't touched in ages, and usually just look at like one would look at a scrap book. I've got several things that could probably go on Marketplace, but pffffffft, I hate dealing with selling/bartering/blah-blah-blah, and I'm not the eBaying type. I don't know. Like the last batch of things, this stuff will probably just end up at Goodwill, or the Catholic Charities place in Fort Wayne. 

Other than that, really not a lot going on. Things are good. Life is good. 

Thanks for stopping by. You can comment. Conversation is welcome. 

Day 18 Progress

Weight: 208.4

What I Et: 

- The morning coffee 

- Factor Pimento Cheese Chicken Breast with Garlic Spinach & Creamed Zucchini and two chaffles because I was absolutely famished by the time lunch rolled around. Not sure why, but I cleaned it all up. 

- The Afternoon Coffee 

- One Diet Dr. Pepper

- Another Chicken Florentine Chaffle sammich. This time, the chicken was leftover, grilled, and the onions were not as good because I did not add the sweetener, nor enough vinegar. Still good, just different. 

- Elote almonds - probably less than a serving

72 Days to Goal

Yoga, Gerbil Mills, and Other Random Words - Day 17

Who are, who are, who are, who are, who are, who are ... you? 

This is Erma. Her mate, Gerd, passed a while back. Now she hangs with big fish(es). She's a woman after my own heart. Adaptable, chill, and content in her corner of Water World. 

I really thought I consumed more food today, but I guess not. Correction, I had NOT et a lot until we watched some television last night, and then I was busily chewing away at some pork rinds and chip dip, and then some more almonds. It was a busy day at the home office ... and I actually accomplished a few other things, as well. As always, I'm a work in progress. I took some of these: 

Because if you suffer from kidney stones for whatever reasons, these things are magical. I also took some ox bile, and choline, just to see if that would help me feel less crappity after the taco-bowl lunch. I actually don't think I felt much of anything, so go supplements! 

Something was done today that probably should have been done two years ago - my beloved cancelled the gym membership. We've been silent patrons, just supporting them monetarily from afar. It's just such a hassle/pain/nope situation to have to drive there and back. Hence, I can't even tell you the last time we went. Plus, it was gross. They didn't really bother maintaining it, updating equipment, or keeping it staffed, so the honor system of people cleaning the machines after they used them was pretty much extinct. Eww. 

We have a living room, a TV, a subscription to DDP Yoga, and some new equipment we'll be setting up soon, so we can get some movement, and toning done here at the ranch. I'm not out to win any body-building competitions, or swimsuit (what est that?) pageants, so it's all good. 

I also did something I've been putting off for a few weeks. Whatever will be will be, but now I can put it to rest and let it evaporate from my brain cell(s). I was proud of myself that I took time to think before I responded completely, and I managed to say what I had to say in just a few sentences; whereas, in a past world, I would have written a 150-page essay. 

Life is too short. You do what you have to do to make you happy and bring yourself peace. I did. 

It's a light news day, folks. That's all for now. Thanks, as per usual, for your visit! 

Day 17 Progress

Weight: 207.6

What I Et: 

The morning coffee 

- Another taco bowl (leftovers) with the cheese, tomates, onion, and sour cream 

- The Afternoon Coffee 

- Grilled chicken (a small 'un, probably 2-3 ounces), grilled asparagii, and a side of melted butter, because grilled chicken doesn't have fat!! 

- Elote almonds - probably at least two more servings. I am out of control!  O.O 

- Some Epic pork rinds and chip dip

- Some more almonds 

73 Days to Goal

Black House Down - Day 16

This

Turned into 

This Today ... 

That house has been there, pretty much in that condition, since we moved here 17 years ago. This is where the creepy clown bus lived, too ... 

Now we'll never know how many shoes were in the house (read the book ...) or skeletons were in the bus. 

In other news, got a new book ...

   

I've got several books that I need to actually read now. Problem is, reading makes me INSANELY tired. Audio books don't help, because then I multitask, and I don't hear 89% of what's being said/read to me. Maybe I'll just set a goal of reading at least two pages a day. If I make it a goal now, for this 12-week Year, I would need to read at least 3.5 pages per day. However, when I get through it, I get through it. I'm not in a reading race. 

It was a rather productive day on the work front. Go me. Helped that the morning meeting was cancelled, so I could work without having to stop for an hour, and then get even more distracted. 

I'd have to say that energy levels are pretty good. Yet, I still don't get much accomplished around the home front. I'm what you would call a procrastinator. I don't know why, but I am. 

I did take measurements today, head to tooes. I was watching the Keto Twins' advice on starting keto, and they brought up the act of taking NOW pictures, and taking NOW measurements, so you indeed have something to look at later on, just to see how far you really have come. There are many times when the scale doesn't move, or goes up, but the reading on the tape changes. Maybe I'll share all that on January 31, just so we can see. 

One thing I haven't started yet is the movement. Well, I am not counting the almost daily walk around the yard since it adds up to probably nothing, but at least I get SOME form of circulation. I'll get it figured out. 

That's enough for now. Thank you for stopping by. Feel free to speak ... There's a comment thingy down there somewhere. I don't bite ... all the time. 

Day 16 Progress

Weight: 208.4

What I Et: 

- The morning coffee 

- A scrap of Muenster cheese 

- One Popcorners chip 

- Chicken Piccata with Cauliflower Mash & Roasted Broccoli

Their fantasy

v

My reality

I ate approximately 75% of the meal. It was heavy ... and honestly, I didn't read what I was eating, so I did not realize that what I thought was a very heavy sauce was actually the mashed cauliflower. Oops. 

- Some Epic pork rinds and chip dip

- The Afternoon Coffee 

- Some Elote almonds 

- A taco bowl (ground beeves, taco seasoning, some chopped red onion, chopped grape tomates, Supremo Chihuahua cheese, and sour cream) 

Not sure what's up with 75% today, but that's about what I et of this meal, too. I think it's the things that are high in fat that, whilst making me full, also affect my kidney pains (read: stones). I don't know if it's related to being sans gallbladder, but really, really fatty foods (with low carbs) cause a ruckus. C'est la vida loca

- Some more Elote almonds because THEY ARE TASTY! I was a bit out of control, so I'm guessing I had approximately 2.5 servings of those things between afternoon and evening. Clearly, that is NOT a flavor I should purchase often! 

74 Days to Goal

Back to Tracking - Day 15

Before I say anything else, I decided, since it's Monday, to track my food today, JUST to see where I actually fall, on a normal day, with the macros. I'm probably getting the cart before the proverbial horse, but I'm anxious to see where the diahbeetus ranges are at. Haven't decided whether to trust an at-home test for A1C or not, given the dodgy results of the blood-glucose monitors. 

Tracking food, tracking blood glucose, A1C, or even peetones (ketones, sorry) - this way leads to madness. Obsessive-compulsive-maniacal lunacy. How do I know? I've been there, and I really have no urge to return. You truly do get what you think about, whether you want it, like it, or not. So, really, why not focus on directing my thoughts to things that actually matter, or thoughts that bring me joy? 

Here are five phrases that help me move through and over the potholes and speedbumbs: 

1. F$quitol
2. Que será, será (Thank you, Doris. You taught me well ...) 
3. Life continues on 
4. Whatever ... 
5. Memes - not a phrase at all, but memes are an easy way to forget what ails ye, that and cooking videos on YouTuub

Credit

See, now I don't remember what I was talking about. 

Day 15 Progress

Weight: 207.6

What I Et: 

- The morning coffee 

- Cheesy Bacon Ranch Shredded Chicken with Portobellos & Garlic Broccoli (repeat from Day 7)

- 14 grams of Salt n' Vinegar Almonds 

- The Afternoon Coffee 

- Buffalo Chicken Stuff 

Not a very flattering picture, but it was edible ... 

- Five Keto-Fried Pickles ... 

As promised, I tracked everything I consumed, sans water, today. Here are the results: 

I'm really not worried about the amount of heavy whipping cream. I don't eat that much, and therefore, i can afford some calories. If you, however, like to chew, and consume solid foods at a higher rate, I would suggest NOT using so much cream in your coffee. Just sayin' - no need to drink calories when you want to EAT calories. 

Note. Keto-fried pickles DO NOT reheat well ... The flavor was still there, but the crunch was completely gone. 

All in all, not any huge shockers. This is a typical day ... Not especially starving. Just ate lunch, went back to work, then ate leftovers for dinner. 

Also note, for anyone who says that you have to go WAY OVERBOARD with fat on a keto diet, they are wrong. You do not. In fact, I cannot. If I consume to much fat, it messes with my kidneys, makes me tired, and just doesn't feel great. The Buffalo stuff borders on too much fat, and this was a lighter version, mainly because I was out of bleu cheese, substituted with mass-produced ranch, and went a wee bit too heavy on the Frank's Buffalo sauce. 

So, yeah, that's what a full day of eating looks like, macro-wise. Oh, but let me show you what Fitday.com says should be my goals, given my 12-week-year goals ... 

Unless I pile on foodstuffs all day long, I probably am not going to meet that caloric requirement, so I will be at a greater caloric deficit. However, since I have no intentions of this level of tracking, we probably won't know. Maybe at the halfway point, I'll do another day of tracking. We'll see. 

75 Days to Goal

My First 90-Day Year - A Letter to Me

 

The past is behind you ... Always

Hey, you!

Congratulations! You made it through your first 12-week year, and you never stopped believing (cue Journey) that you’d get here, and absolutely crush those goals! You didn’t cave! You didn’t give up!

Look what you have done! You totally returned full-throttle to keto! Isn’t it amazing how excellent you feel now? You have met AND exceeded that 15-pound weight loss. I knew you would! On top of that, you are now NON-diabetic! Brilliant!

By this point, you should know how absolutely much you rock. Nothing else matters. You outlined what you wanted to do, and you did it by any means necessary. Amazing!  

So, since you passed your first 12-week year with FLYING COLORS, what do you want to do now? The world is definitely your proverbial oyster, so just think about it, and you will totally get it done!

 

Here is some stuff to think about and plan around for the next 90-day period:

1.     What do you want to achieve in the next 90 days

a.     Health

b.     Personal

c.      Lifestyle

d.     Fitness

e.     Income

f.       Attract/accomplish

Day 14

 

All thanks to @Effinbrds - taken randomly from Tweeter

I ask myself that almost daily. What good does it do to know how I feel on the inside if no one can see it on the outside? What if nobody cares enough to even ask? Well, one, I don't have a clue why I am here, or what my real purpose is. All I know is that I am here, and as such, I just keep going until the day I don't. 

It's not my place to point out anything about anyone else. I get that. I still do. I am human. I still express when something hurts me, no matter what happens when I choose to open up about it. I can't control what anyone else does. I can't fix anyone but me. I can't take away anyone else's pain. I can't make anyone else happy. All I can do is work on me, and find what makes me happy, and what makes me feel worthwhile. 

I have all manner of flaws that I'll never tell you about because it's not in my nature. I won't tell you about anyone else's flaws either. All I talk about here is me, as conceited as that may be. I will tell you how I handle something without telling you what I'm handling. I'm not in the Misery Loves Company business anymore. I just want to be happy. Only one person can make me happy - me. 

That being said, life is pretty good. We have a roof. We have food. We have clothing. We have heat and air conditioning. We have running water. We have good jobs. We have money. We have entertainment, and access to most of what makes the world go round. You most likely will never hear me complain about anything material because I have zero about which to bellyache. 

Everything else will work itself out. 

Have a good week. As always, thanks for stopping by. xo 

Day 14 Progress

Weight: 207.6

What I ate:

- The morning coffee (about 2/3 of it) 

- The rest of that Zero Sugar Cherry Coke from Saturday

- Buffalo chicken stuff - still no picture. I'll get one eventually

- A few Sea Salt + Pepper pork rinds, and a smidge of chip dip. I was hungry, I just wasn't in the mood for those 

- Quest Peanut Butter Cups 

This is NOT a regular item on my menu. The flavor basically sucks, and the use of erythritol just upsets my innards. In order to avoid buying a bag of Dot's Southwest pretzels, and a Gatorade Peanut Butter-Chocolate bar, I got this, and a cheese stick. You've gotta do what you've gotta do on your way to doing better. 

- The Afternoon Coffee 

- One of the best pork chops my husband hath ever made with some, clearly, melted butter

- My version, seriously modified, of Serious Keto's Perfected TikTok Pickle Chips  I had five. I could have easily et all of them, given no self control on my part. 

The reason mine are seriously modified is because I have discovered that I no longer own a muffin tin. I did, however, have a MINI-muffin tin, so I worked with that. I also discovered that a Magic Bullet blender does NOT chop a combo of shredded cheese and Pork Panko as well as pulsing in a food processer would have. It creates a clumpy, less-than-dry concoction. :/ I also used V&V Supremo Shredded Chihuahua Quesadilla Cheese instead of cheddar, and had to use half slices because whole pickle chips would not have fit. I think the chips require the larger space that a normal muffin tin provides. I started off at the suggested 350F, and baked for 14 minutes, and they were still a lot soupy/sloppy looking, so I added another five minutes on. They still weren't golden brown yet, so I bumped up the temperature to 375F, and let them go another 10 minutes. The result, above, was mostly crunchy, and mostly delightful batch of 12 pickle chips. Once I get a proper muffin tin, we will see how absolutely divine those turn out! 

- 16 grams of Salt'n' Vinegar almonds

76 Days to Goal

No Truth in Lucky Numbers - Day 13

 Ho. Ho. Ew. 

Not much to say about Day 13. It was a day. I didn't eat a lot of junk, but clearly, what I did eat wasn't of the right composition, and resulted in too much fat, and too much eating in the evening. Life goes on. Got the first real snow of the season, the kind that sticks. The above picture is from some other year's snow. The kind of snow that's pretty. Snowfrost, if you will. 

Maybe Day 14 will be better. 

Day 13 Progress

Weight: 209.6

What I ate: 

- The morning coffee 

- Keto Monterey Spinach Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo & Cauliflower Gratin

Their fictional rendition

v

My reality bites

- 14 grams of Salt'n' Vinegar almonds

- The Afternoon Coffee 

- 1/3-ish of a Cherry Coke Zero Sugar 

- Four bites of Buffalo Chicken dip

  No pictures of this: Probably 1.5 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, 1 block of cream cheese, some  

  Frank's Buffalo sauce, and a few splashes of standard-issue store Ranch dressing. Bake it. 

- One small bite of each of these: 

I'm not even linking to them because they SUCKED. I have never had a macaron before, so we decided to try these. The husband informed me that this is NOT what a macaron tastes like. I believe him. They were nothing but somewhat stale-ish, chemicaly, sugary nonsense. Save yourselfs - don't get them. 

77 Days to Goal

Carb Creeps? Day 12

I don't know why, but he loves to loiter upside down ... 

The day didn't start off so spectacularly. Circumstances prevented me from sleeping past about 4:20am. I woke up in a less-than-favorable mood frame, and then proceeded to consume a sizeable coffee, played some Solitaire, then did some work. I entertained the thought of going back to bed this morning, but workload has been sizeable, and so I kept on keeping on. 

--------------------------

Let's pause for a review of however chain restaurants decide to develop their nutritional fact sheets. We ordered carryout from Logan's. I thought, surely, the salad I ordered would be less carby/dirty than a fried-chicken cobb salad. I was severely wrong, at least according to their nutrition facts (It's here, if you have nothing better to do, and you have really good eyesight, or a magnifying glass). 

I ordered an Anything & Everything Salad, which has Mesquite wood-grilled chicken served over romaine lettuce, bacon, walnuts, cranberries, blue cheese crumbles, tomatoes and hard-boiled egg. Served with your choice of dressing. Please do tell me what, in that list, constitutes SIXTY-FOUR grams of carbs? I think that's a typo on their part. I really do. Because, supposedly, their Fried Chicken Salad only has 20 grams of carbs, and it has, um, FRIED CHICKEN AND CROUTONS. Mine did not. What the actual ... ? 

Anywho, I'm going to trust my gut and say that all in all, it probably contained less than 10 grams of carbs, total. 

This is why it is beneficial to learn what's in food, nutrition-wise, and occasionally track your foods, so you know what you are getting when you order from restaurants. I knew perfectly well that only ONE serving of dried cranberries has around 31-33 grams of carbs, and being the obsessive one, I picked off the vast majority of the cranberries on the salad (pictured below) and weighed them. The total? FIVE grams. Five grams of dried cranberries. Hard-boiled eggs aren't really carby. Bleu cheese, which I think was gorgonzola, isn't all that carby either. The dressing, according to their menu, has four grams of carbs, and I did not use all of it, so I'm not too jittery about that. 

What I've also learned over the years is that I just cannot stand mass-produced salad dressings anymore. There is some underlying nasty chemicaly flavor that's just not delightful. Hence the reason I make my own at home. 

------------------------

Back to the day at hand. I ate lunch, which made me tired, but I kept working. Then, about probably 2:15, I crashed and burned for about an hour. I could've slept longer, but Nettie decided to bark at the wind, and so I arose at 3:15 and resumed workables. I should be able to sleep really, really well when we get to bed. 

There's just not a lot of riveting news ... OH ... WAIT ... 

Because the universe works in strange and trippy ways, remember how I said I need to make my doctor appointment for January? If not, it's there for pictorial proof that I am not making this up ... So, I'm sitting here minding my own business this afternoon, and my phone rings. I picked up because it was a Fort Wayne number, but the line was dead. I looked up the number. Guess who the number belonged to. Just guess. YES! The doctor's office. 

It was the universe reminding me to do at least one thing that I said I was going to do, and helping me stay on track with my goals. So, I called back, and I indeed have my appointment scheduled for January 30th, bright and shiny in the morning. 

Everything is always working out. Sometimes rapidly; sometimes, you just have to be patient. 

Okay, now I'm done. Thanks for stopping by. Have a loverly weekend! 

Day 12 Progress

Weight: 208.6

What I ate: 

- Large morning coffee 

- One scrap, probably three grams, Muenster cheese

- TWO Popcorners chips - because they were burnt, and who doesn't love burnt popcorn? O.O 

- The leftover steak with a bit of butter melted on it, and the dump-ranch dressing for dippies 

- A side salad with queso fresco, some French-fried onions, and dump-ranch dressing

- Approximately 11 grams of Salt'n Vinegar almonds 

- The Afternoon Coffee 

- Approximately 3/4 of an Anything and Everything Salad from Logan's 

The food styling reality 

v

My reality (in a carryout container) 

What's missing is the chicken, which I had to cut up, and probably about 1/2, or 1/3 of an avocado, and the giganormous cup of Parmesan Peppercorn dressing. 

- A few more Salt'n' Vinegar almonds

- Some French-fried onions

- A small keto "mousse" with whipped cream cheese, four blackberries, a couple very gentle splashes of HWC, and some liquid stevia

78 Days to Goal

All My Tea Leaves - Day 11

Probably the closest I will ever get to a rhinoceros. Isn't he adorable, though? :D  

It was a pretty good day. Got some sleep. Got a raise. Got some excellent feedback on my job performance. Just a good thing. It's an excellent feeling to know that I make a difference and that someone, namely my boss, recognizes what I do. See, this is what happens when I stay away from the socials and focus on things that actually matter! I'm still over-busy, but we're working on that. 

The whole Dio thing hit me rather hard this morning, before the good news, because I listened to this: 

This band writes some pretty deep schtuff. That is all. 

As for health, I think I'm doing pretty good. I've been taking supplements the past two days - magnesium, choline, B complex, and something else I can't remember. Not sure how long I will remember to do that, but it has cut the headaches back considerably. That, and the fact that it was 72 degrees F with no considerable wind, so sunlight is always helpful. 

Yes, I had some way-dirty-keto foods this evening, but oh well. I can tell the difference, physically, as soon as I eat something highly chemical, though, such as the Atkins bar. There's itchiness, and a bit of headachiness and just general malaise that I don't feel when I don't eat things like that. 

What I am REALLY looking forward to is when the Factor meals end. I've got one order coming next week, and then have another week of discounted meals to order after that, and then I will cancel. It was just nice to start keto without having to do a magical metric ton of meal prep. Gives me time to plan, and do it right. 

I'm sure there will be lots of bacon, deviled eggs, sausage/egg casserole, Buffalo chicken, and salads on the lunch menu. Maybe bone broth. Maybe not. I can save elaborate cooking for evening meals. That usually ends up being meat and a salad, or meat, and a veggeble, so it won't be taxing to figure it out. 

I believe I'm making pretty decent progress on the 12-week-year goals. I do need to call and schedule the doctor visit for January. Might as well get it done now, or I won't be able to get in until April '23. Until then, I'm not stressing about the blood sugar, the A1C or anything else. They can do a full workup then, and see that my levels are all good.

That's the other bonus of keto - I already don't go to the doctor that much, but on keto, I go even less. 

Okay, and now I am making it a requirement that TOMORROW will be the day I write that 90-day letter. 

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day! 

Day 11 Progress

Weight: 209

What I ate: 

- The morning coffee

- Factor Cheesy Chicken and Peppers 

Life is just a chicken fantasy ... 

v

Can you see the fantasy here? 

*drowning in a bath of pepper and chicken juice, which I drained, and complete with, of course, tiny diced zucchini. Once again, size DOES matter. Thankfully, it tasted better than it looked. Won't bother ordering it again, though. 

- Pork rinds and chip dip, because I was especially hungry today

- The Afternoon Coffee

- Steak - a pretty fine steak ... and a side of dump ranch dressing - because that's how I do

My phone camera does not adequately display the divine quality or flavor of this steak ... but I et this much: 

- Some French-fried onions, because I felt the urge to chew on something other than meat

- One Atkins Lemon Bar

- A Diet Dr. Pepper. 

79 Days to Goal