Friday, December 28, 2012

Heading to Phoenix

tomorrow for the 72 hour race.
My goal is to complete 100 miles.
God help me...

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

It's Christmas

and I know I'm out of NK.

I didn't eat any grains or sugar, however I've been enjoying too much of everything else.

Time to get back on the LCHF horse. I just packed my lunch for tomorrow..cheese and turkey rollups with a chocolate fat bomb.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Next week at this time

I'll be on Day 1 of 3 days of walking.

Around and around a one mile loop.

I'll be almost 12 hours in.

I need to find more hobbies...

Friday, December 21, 2012

The world didn't blow up today

and it's winter solstice.

Seems like a good time to begin another 100 day experiment.

I'm still doing Nutritional Ketosis. I think this will be a year long project, not just 100 days. I feel so good that I don't want it to end.

I'm thinking about trying Fast-5 again.

I've started and stopped Fast-5 more times than I can count. This time I may be successful. Since I'm keto-adapted, I don't even get hungry until the afternoon. I've been eating a protein/fat meal around 10am, just because I feel like I should eat something. But I'm not hungry when I do so.

Hmm...100 days would be from tomorrow until April 1.

Let's see what happens.

UPDATE...I forgot that next weekend I plan on walking 100 miles. Fast-5 will have to wait until January.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Today was mega stressful

Tomorrow might not be much better.

The good news is that I didn't stray from my keto-diet.

Around 8am I ate some ham, roast beef and cheese.

No hunger until around 4pm.

My glucose reading was 69.
Ketones were 1.9.

Before I was fat-adapted, today would have been a carb-fest. Today, I didn't even consider it. That's a huge step for me.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Hooray for Starbucks!

They use Kerrygold butter!


When I stop in for my venti bold coffee, I ask for a couple pats of butter. I use it on the ham or eggs that I have in my car for breakfast.

Fasting Glucose was 79.
Ketones went down to 1.2.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Couple things

My original plan was to maintain ketone numbers in the 1's. I may try for a higher number.

Today my ketone reading was 2.1. Although the 1's feel good, the 2's feel even better!

I ate breakfast around 8am. I didn't even think about food until 4. No hunger, not even thoughts about eating. 

Being in the 2's may be the best place to be.

I've also been working on upping my fat uptake. I'm double checking my meals to ensure there is ample amounts of avocado, butter, cheese, mayo, etc.

I'm still learning...

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Still hanging out in NK town

My ketones have been between 1.2 - 1.9 the last couple days.

Those numbers work for me. To stay in that range I eat a no to very low carb breakfast. That keeps me full until late afternoon. Then I may have a chocolate fat bomb and/or a glass of wine. That keep me happy until dinner.

As long as I don't dip below 1mm, I'll stick with this way of eating. I've got less than 2 weeks until my race in Phoenix, I want to stay in NK until then.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Wise words

"Am I living the healthiest life that I can honestly enjoy?"

This is what Dr Yoni Freedhoff wrote on his blog.

That is how I hope to live the rest of my years. I love the LCHF way of eating. The food is delicious and satisfying. My cravings for carbs and sugar are gone. I'm still amazed that I can get a coffee at my favorite place and not even be tempted by the bakery case. It's so liberating to be in control of your food choices.

I'll be eating this way for the next 55 years (I plan on living until I'm 110).

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Last day of the Fast Track to NK Experiment

Wow, Joseph Arcita's way of getting into ketosis really works.

Before this experiment, my reading was .4.
Two days later it's 2.9.

This morning I was supposed to do moderate exercise in a fasted state. I was too busy to get it in but late yesterday I did go on an hour hike.

Around 8am I had some turkey, roast beef, cheese and olives. That kept me going until 2pm, then I had a chocolate fat bomb.

I think the key is eating some protein and fat for breakfast with very little carbs. It's almost 3 and I've had less than 5gr of carbs. This is an easy way to stay satisfied and save a few extra carbs for later in the day.






Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Fast track to Nutritional Ketosis (the do-over)

Thanks to yesterday's empanada debacle, I'm starting over. Here I go...

Yesterday I finished dinner before 6pm.

Today I did intervals on the hotel treadmill in a fasted state. Later in the morning I'm having turkey and cheese for breakfast.

DAY 1 UPDATE...This fast-track plan seems to be working. Despite yesterday's $%&* empanada and yes, a glass of wine, my ketone reading is higher than it's been in weeks. Today's reading is 1.6. My glucose was 61, in the middle of the day. How do you like them apples?

Dinner is going to be a cheese omelet with smoked salmon and avocado. Lots of fatty goodness. Before dinner Bob and I are going on a hike.

Monday, December 10, 2012

Fast track to Ketosis

I'll keep a record of what I eat on this post. I won't check my ketones until the 3 days are over.

DAY BEFORE
-Finished dinner before 6pm. No more food tonight.

DAY 1
-Tabata bike sprints at the gym before I ate. About 15 min total bike time.
-Around 10am I had some grilled chicken, cheese and 2 hard boiled eggs topped with mayo and mustard.
-At 4pm I'm going on a hike with my husband for about an hour.
-Dinner will be ground beef topped with avocado and sour cream. About half a tomato and 2 cups of kale.
UPDATE...After dinner I had a "fat bomb" drink. Warm whipping cream, butter, coconut oil and unsweetened cocoa.

DAY 2
I'm going to start this experiment again tomorrow. I was thrown a curveball today.

The day began as planned. Around 9am I ate some prosciutto with cheese and a couple hard boiled eggs. I had a business meeting at 10am so I couldn't get to the gym.

All was well until the woman at the meeting offered us a homemade empanada. I considered knocking it out of her hand and running out of the meeting. But I didn't do so. I took one of the flour/sugar combo and ate about 90% of it. I stuffed the remainder in my pocket when no one was looking..

a flour/sugar carb bomb


I guess the good news is within minutes, I experienced a sugar rush. In the old days I could eat 4 cupcakes without feeling the way I did today. My heart started to beat faster and I felt kind of nauseous. I also felt flushed, it was crazy.

So, back to Day 1 of the fast track to NK experiment...



Sunday, December 9, 2012

The number is rising

my ketone reading was .9. Fasting glucose was 85.

I was reading an interesting blog by Joseph Arcita

His blog talks about lots of stuff, I was reading the posts about ketosis.

He outlines a sure-fire way to quickly enter ketosis.

Day 1
No food after 6pm.

Day 2
Interval training in a fasted state in the morning. Limit carbs to 1-2%.

Day 3
Medium effort exercise in a fasted state in the morning. Carbs are limited to 5%.

If I follow these guidelines, I should be in ketosis.

I'll try this out, Day 1 will be Monday.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Three weeks from today

I'll be in Phoenix, attempting to complete 100 miles in 72 hours.

Yikes.

My goal is to have my ketones at least in the 1's, 2 would be even better. Unfortunately I'm floundering around .4. Starting today I'm cutting out the snacks, when I was in the 1's I was eating 2 meals a day without a problem. I'm going to duplicate the foods I was eating when I was in the higher ketone numbers.

Back then I was eating breakfast, skipping lunch, then ate dinner. This morning I had my favorite breakfast, adapted from the diet doctor from Sweden. Yogurt mixed with heavy cream. Topped with some nuts and coconut flakes. I added a couple pomegranate seeds too. A bowl of this stuff keeps me full until the afternoon.

For someone who's walking 100 miles in a few weeks, my exercise has been very low. I've got a couple long hikes planned, I'm also going to hit the gym. That might help boost my ketones too.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Back home

and I pricked my finger...

Glucose   71
Ketones. .4

Ketones are crappy but they're getting better.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Business lunch today

We went to a mexican restaurant.

No endless baskets of chips and questo for me. My business people ate 3 baskets.

I sipped water with lemon until our food arrived. My meal was fajitas with steak, peppers and onions. Topped with avocado. I was slightly mocked for not eating the rice, beans and flour tortillas. I just smiled as they ate fried chimichangas  and enchiladas.

They got sleepy after lunch. I felt great!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

I'm working out of town.

Until Thursday.

Tonight I had a business dinner, stuck to a low carb meal (bunless burger with cheese and avocado). Buckling under peer pressure, I had a glass of wine. I did have the strength to say no to the fried mushrooms and pickles. And said no thanks to a dessert. And also declined a post dinner cocktail at the hotel.

Tomorrow I have a business lunch at a local Mexican place. I googled (I love google) the menu. I'll order the fajitas, hold the beans and rice and tortillas.

I didn't pack my blood testing stuff, I'll prick my finger when I get home on Thursday afternoon.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

On Saturday I was in a cranky mood.

I was bummed out about yesterday's low ketones. Mostly mad at myself for letting it happen.

My mood improved when I looked in my mailbox..


My glucose strips have arrived! I now have 55 ketone strips and 56 glucose strips, a hefty stash for my 100 day experiment. When my ketones get higher I think I'll do a week of twice a day testing. Until then I'll stick to morning glucose (today was 77) and afternoon ketones.

Another happy event...LCHF cocoa!


The recipe and photo are from one of my favorite blogs...www.lifezone.se/eng/
Monique is a wealth of information, I read her blog daily.

A couple days ago she wrote a recipe for cocoa. It has the basic ingredients for bulletproof coffee. Instead of coffee, you use cocoa. Brilliant! And it's as tasty as it sounds. I'll be drinking lots of this cocoa during the 100 day challenge.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

100 Day Nutritional Ketosis

challenge begins Monday, Dec 3.

Now that I can get ketone strips for $2 a piece, I think I'll do a long challenge.

My goal is to get my ketones around 2 - 3 . Upon reading other blogs, that number range seems to be the sweet spot for weight loss and well being. I've been on the low side for the past week and notice that some of my cravings are returning. I've also been snacking even though I'm not hungry. This is a slippery slope, I need to do a U-turn before I'm eating pizza and toast again.

My plan is to strictly limit carbs to 50 grams or less. Protein will be 50-60 grams. I'll eat enough fat to be satiated.

I'll keep breakfast to about 10 grams of carbs. This morning I had full fat yogurt with whipping cream. Topped with 1/2 oz of nuts and 1/2 oz of pomegranate seeds. When my ketone levels rise, I know this will carry me until mid-afternoon. Until then, if I get hungry, I'll have a piece of cheese to tide me over.

I do enjoy a glass of red wine in the early evening. A 5 oz glass has about 4 grams of carbs. Wine will stay in my plan as long as I haven't had extra carbs during the day.

If I keep my dinner to around 20 carbs I should be good.

If my ketones don't rise, I'll tweak my plan.

I'll check my ketones about 3pm everyday. I'm braced for a low number this afternoon. The good news is I have nowhere to go but up.

UPDATE...fasting glucose was 84. Ketones were .3. I knew I was out of ketosis by the cravings I've been experiencing for the last couple days. Since Thanksgiving I've been eating too many carbs, I knew the ketone number would catch up with me. It will be interesting to see how long it takes to get back to at least 1 again.