I am on a mission to eat food that tastes good and ultimately fuels my body to burn my fat. I have a gym membership and I’m using it. However, I have to bring my kids with me and they get to hang out in the playroom while I workout for about an hour or two. Unfortunately, when my kids get sick I don’t impose them on other gym members children that visit the playroom. So we have to stay at home and I have to miss a week or two to get back into my workout routine that I was just getting into.
So what is the one consistent habit that I do? I eat and drink. So this is something that I can control and regulate. In my youth I used to be a gym enthusiast. And I was very addicted to it. But now that I have a family that are like little hoovers for my time, food and love I have to be aware of preparing meals that my family can eat. I’m not the type that is going to count carbs, read all of the nutrition labels and pee on a stick to see what my PH balance is either. (Although, my husband does. lol) What I am about to share is what we are doing in our home.
Did you know that fasting for 12 to 16 hours causes your fat to be used to give you energy?
There is a bit of a health trend that is spreading about “fasting”. However, it is not starving your body for a period of time. It is “time restrictive eating”. For example, you will drink and eat your first meal of the day at 9am and your last meal would be 5pm. You may not see pounds drop right away, but you will notice your clothes fitting better. Your overall mood and weight will improve.
What is Ketosis?
Ketosis is a metabolic state in which your body uses fat and ketones rather than glucose (sugar) as its main fuel source.
Keto is all about insulin response. The American diet is very high in processed foods and carbs. Carbs turn into sugar which causes your insulin to spike. Insulin is the signal to your body to store fat. Essentially, I want to avoid the one thing that is making me fat, overweight, cravings and my well-being. And that is SUGAR.
Our produce purchases included all sorts of organic fruits and vegetables. However, I have found that it is not achieving my goal to look good naked and to improve my overall wellbeing. So what I thought about eating healthy was not true. I used to believe eating organic fruits and vegetables was somehow all good. But my body wasn’t changing.
I used to be a fit 135 lbs. I gained 30 lbs that I consider has overstayed it’s welcome. Of course, my son was born in 2015 and in the following year I gave birth to my twin daughters. So there’s that whale of a tale for most women that can probably relate to how typical weight gain occurs after pregnancy – then it seems much harder to drop.
At the end of my last pregnancy, I reached over 200 lbs. Honestly, I know of women who are in their 20s and had twins. Yet, their body snapped back. I felt that my body failed me. Over time I realized, that it was simply a lack of knowledge. I could get all depressed about it. Or I can do something about it.
What Does Your Body Need?
Your body needs glucose to function. Normally what happens is your carbs are turned into glucose. And it is used as energy. Your body can also transform fat into glucose. So when you limit carbs you end up using fats instead of carbs as fuel for your body. When your body gets used to using fat instead of sugar for energy then it starts burning your own body fat. That’s why low carb diets work.
I hate using the word “diet.” When you diet in my mind it sounds temporary. And when you do not make it a habit to eat to live then I believe that eventually you will return to your old habits.
Below I am providing my personal list, sample recipes and some resources to go to for Trusted Health evidence based top experts. This is my personal journey. I hope that you will be encouraged to do your own keto challenge or try these recipes. Especially if you are just starting out.
I am not selling memberships, workout videos or pills of any kind. This is what is working for me thus far and I know others who have experienced tremendous success. At the end you will see my personal challenge and revealing personal details.
The List of Foods, Vegetable and Fruits
As I started writing this out. Through a very heated discussion between my husband and I added what to substitute a food item with.
BREADS
No grains, no rice, no oatmeal.
ALTERNATIVE – I am swapping my whole wheat bread with Spinach Wraps or Spinach Herb Tortilla Wraps.
CEREAL
It uses grain and sugar. One of the worst products you can consume.
STARCHY VEGETABLES
• Potato
• Sweet Potato
• Bell Peppers
• Carrots
• Yellow Squash
• Corn
ALTERNATIVE – Any leafy green vegetables like Spinach, Kale, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Celery, Asparagus, Bok Choy, Artichokes, Cabbage, Olives, Brussel Sprouts, Onions, Okra, Mushrooms, Peas, Zucchini, Cucumber and Avocado.
FRUITS
• Bananas
• Pineapple
• Apples
• Grapes
• Oranges
• Kiwi
ALTERNATIVE – Lemons and Limes. In small quantities of Blackberries, Blueberries, Strawberries or any berry.
Up to 6 Grape Tomatoes per day.
DAIRY
Pretty much you want to cut out milk. It’s okay for cooking in small amounts. It’s not a great drink. As they take fat out of the milk it increases in carbs. They have to add other stuff to make it taste better.
ALTERNATIVE – The best option is to use Organic Vitamin D Milk. Real Butter, Sour Cream, Heavy Cream.
COFFEE
Coffee is coffee. However, I prefer to make my coffee in a French Press. I have never been a big coffee drinker. I would enjoy a latte on occasion. So instead I will prepare 1 cup of coffee with heavy cream to taste.
My husband who has always been a coffee drinker suggested to not use half/half or milk. No sweetners. No artificial sweetners.
TEA
• Sweet Tea, Tea with sweetners or sugars.
ALTERNATIVE – Lipton Ice Tea, Black tea, herbal tea, green tea, chai tea. No sugar or added sweetners.
JUICE
• It has sugar. One of the worst products you can consume.
PASTA
It’s made from grains.
ALTERNATIVE – SWAP it out with Zucchini and make Zoodles.
NUTS
• No Peanuts
ALTERNATIVE – Almonds, Brazil Nuts, Macadamia Nuts, Pecans, Walnuts. Chia Seeds, Flax Seeds, Hemp Seeds, and Pumpkin Seeds. Unsweetened Coconut too.
CHEESE
Normally it is a very low carb. But there are some cheeses that are higher in carbs. Specifically the ones that start mixing ingredients. You want to use real cheese that is made from real milk. Not American Cheese that is made with vegetable oil.
ALTERNATIVE – Soft cheeses like Cream Cheese, Feta, Ricotta, Goat Cheese, Gouda and Blue Cheese. Hard cheeses like Cheddar, Colby, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Pepper Jack, Provolone and Swiss
EGGS
As many and as often as you want. Cage Free is best. The Omega 6 is bad fat. You want the ratio to be higher in Omega 3. When Chickens get away from eating a natural diet it effects what they produce in their eggs. Chickens that eat grains tend to have higher in Omega 6.
MEAT
How it is seasoned or marinated is important. You want to make sure the marinade is not full of sugar.
*Be sure to check the label and avoid brands with unwanted sugars and starches.
Normally, for our family we buy a quarter of a cow. The meat is cut in a variety of ways that we use for grilling, baking, slow cooker and cooking at home. Or you can buy it from the grocery store labeled “grass fed beef”.
Here is the list of choices I can eat: Beef, Pork, Italian Sausage, Lamb, Bacon, Veal, Chicken, Fatty White Fish (Halibut), Salmon****, Crab Lobster, Mussels, Octopus, Oysters, Scallops, Shrimp, and Squid. Use fattier cuts of meat if possible.
You can pretty much use any spice, salt, vinaigrette*.
****Salmon should be wild caught not farm raised.
LET’S TALK ABOUT FAT
You want to stay away from unsaturated fats especially vegetable oil, seed oils and margarine. You want to get your saturated fats from coconut oil, palm oil, real butter, lard, tallow (beef fat), avocado oil, bacon fat and my personal favorite olive oil.
The reason is that saturated fats are much better for you, because it is not processed.
Let’s run through a typical day.
Breakfast
Drinks: Cup of Coffee*, Unsweetened Tea or Water
Omelette
Eggs, bacon, sausage, avocado, cheese, sour cream, Valentina Salsa Picante Mexican Hot Sauce (vinegar and chili).
My kids will get extra fruit on the side like strawberries, blueberries and a banana.
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Waffles
Low carb Keto friendly recipes for waffles are also available. Use butter, whip cream, and diced berries for toppings. The recipe that I prefer is made with almond flour, baking powder, xanthan gum. It is crispy, fluffy and I was able to slice through it clean. Click Here For Recipe.
With a side of scrambled eggs.
*Not recommended to drink coffee after 2pm.
Lunch
Drinks: Cup of Coffee*, Unsweetened Tea or Water
Salad
Diced spinach salad, berries, grilled steak or steak, avocado, almonds, feta, cheese, blue cheese, goat cheese, bacon.
Dressing made with real dairy or vinaigrette.
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Southwestern Cheeseburger
Grilled Grass Fed Beef seasoned with garlic, pepper and salt. Cheddar Cheese, sautéed onions, 4 sliced grape tomatoes and homemade guacamole.
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Grilled Marinated Steak Wrap
Grilled Keto Marinated Steak pressed with cheddar cheese, 2 sliced grape tomatoes, ranch dressing, mustard, avocado and Sour Cream. The tortilla wrap is made with spinach and herbs.
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Tuna Salad/Chicken Salad/Egg Salad
Real mayo made in egg salad or tuna salad or chicken salad.
*Not recommended to drink coffee after 2pm.
Dinner
Drinks: Water, Unsweetened Tea, Wine***
Baked or Grilled Meat
Cauliflower gratin, or mashed cauliflower, broccoli and cheese, Prosciutto wrapped asparagus
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Zoodles and Meaty Marinara Sauce
Watch for added sugar in the pre-made marinara sauces in the jars.
Zoodles can be peeled in a different way, but I found that the spirals were a far better swap. The kids didn’t notice and enjoyed the meat sauce. They just assumed it was spaghetti.
***Yes, you can drink responsibly with certain alcoholic beverages.
Keto Experts
The Diet Doctor website is a great resource that includes podcasts, videos, recipes, a Facebook community group page and health related news. It’s a good start for beginners who want eat real food for their health.
How To Measure My Fat Loss Success?
For accountability of making this a habit, I’m going to post what I’m eating on my Instagram or on Facebook for the next 30 days. At the end of each week, I will share some measurements to note the progress in a post along with the recipes that I used during the week. The numbers on the scale is not really important to me. I’m more concerned with measuring my waistline.
Thank you for your attention! Let me know what you think in the comments below.
