So another day has passed and I’m still at it. Whoo!
Ketones measured by the meter are at 1.0 in the AM. They usually climb to their highest by late afternoon. My Blood glucose was 116 – down by 10 points from yesterday morn.
I’m not really enjoying it though. I had been going great guns at keto during the summer. I lost about 20 lbs., but then I took a new job that I really like, but it is all-consuming. There’s just so much interesting work to do! Even given it has been a good experience, there was an upsurge in stress and this (mostly) was dealt with through food. Bad food. I find nothing can calm the soul better than 2 slices of pepperoni pizza from a local place that knows how to make pizza – not this Domino’s crap or the other chain faux pizza. Adding bread back into my diet also stimulated the dopamine I craved to battle jangly nerves. I’m not a sweets person – my problem is burgers, sandwiches, and pizza. There was also red wine mixed in there as well.
The problem with this way of eating for me is that I become ravenous. I am hungry even when uncomfortably full. There’s biochemical reasons for this – a bunch of ’em – but I won’t go there now. At present, all that needs to be known is when I eat like I want to, the weight piles on, my appetite goes through the roof, and I am one fat, sluggish, cloudy-headed dork.
That sucks. You only live once and for me, the evidence is clear: I can’t eat as I’d like because I’d like to eat crap every meal, every day. I also don’t have a well-developed ability for ‘moderation’, which many do and they helpfully try recommending it – but it is not in my DNA.
So here I am doing keto. There’s worse ways to go through one’s life, I suppose, but it still sucks. I am also not a big fan of trying to make concoctions to simulate high-carb foods. If I hit the lottery and could hire a personal chef, then perhaps it would be an option, but I’m not someone who looks forward to cooking so my meals tend to be simple and austere.
My meals don’t follow a schedule as I eat when hungry and our family does not adhere to formal mealtimes. I eat when hungry and, at least at present, don’t measure things. Right now I’m just starting to dial-in the foods I need to eat and the quantities. Baby steps.
So what have I been eating to get into ketosis fast? My first goto was an old trick: deli roast beef wrapped around a third of a stick of butter. This is pretty radical, but when I do this early on, I very quickly go into ketosis. I also notice that cravings go away in 72-hours – at least the physical aspect. the psychological aspect still remains. I still miss cigarettes every day and I stopped last decade.
This is making me a bit mopey.
Have you noticed yet that I’m not the most motivational of diet blogs? Where’s that cheery, peppy, positive vibe, dude? Sorry – you ain’t gonna find it here – at least now.
Other things I’ve allowed myself is tuna salad made with avocado mayo that costs a king’s ransom. I ate it on pork rinds. Pork rinds are NOT a particularly quality food as I’ve read the proteins are damaged and can’t really count toward your necessary protein intake, but they do have a cracker crunch available nowhere else in the keto universe – at least not without some kitchen magic or costly store-bought substitutes. You can get a big’ol bag of the stuff at Walmart for two bucks.
I’ve also eaten hot dogs wrapped in a slice of cheese with mustard. I’ve eaten the magic yogurt with inulin that I make myself. I also oven cooked chicken thighs with oil and seasonings and ate this with melted provolone cheese as well as topped with cream cheese. I’ve also made burgers and had them on a slice of cheese without ketchup. Not doing ketchup really sucks. There’s stupid-expensive ‘Primal Kitchen’ ketchup I simply don’t have the heart nor budget to buy. As part of my diet I also try to eliminate all artificial sweeteners – again, I got my reasons but don’t feel like explaining now.
I allow myself small amounts of real sugar as I will eat Ghiradelli 92% Dark Chocolate as my only sweet. Think of it as a palate cleanser more than anything as I will only have a few squares at most in the evening.
For drinks, I am fond of coffee with cream – perhaps too much as I can drink a pot, a Trader Joe’s Turmeric and Ginger Tea that can soothe a stomach that just drank a pot of coffee, and Trader Joe’s seltzer.
This isn’t sustainable. There was no mention of vegetables and I *am* fond of them. Some people believe they are good for you, too. I need to cook more and plan more. hopefully that will start next week as I let the ketones do their appetite killing work and my brain fog lifts. I mean , last night I actually found myself motivated to tackle a few projects I’ve been putting off. I resisted the urge, but *did* find myself tackling some tasks rather than avoiding them.
By the second day, my Tums addiction disappeared as my chronic indigestion went away. That always happens, too.
I also noticed that it was late in the afternoon when I asked myself: did I eat today?
Forgetting to eat is one effect of my body running on ketones
This is the magic of ketogenic living for me.
Not so magical is the stench I give off the first few days. Day 2 and 3 I smelled pretty ripe. This has been a standard side effect of going into ketosis for me (which I have done a hundred times since 2003). It lasts a few days, I do not know the reason why, but it does subside. I’m much less odoriferous now.
TMI? Remember – I’m not asking you to read this…
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