Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Working out of town all week

I brought my kettlebells and running shoes..


I'm staying at a hotel that has a kitchen. I filled the fridge with grass-fed bison, salad stuff and some fruit from Whole Foods.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

I started pricking my finger again

because I missed it so much!

Actually I did miss getting my daily glucose and ketone readings, even if the numbers weren't what I wanted them to be.

I've been doing my daily fasts until noon. Then I eat between noon and 7pm. Before my first meal, I've been testing my blood. Glucose has been averaging in the low 80's. Ketones around .4. I've been grazing too much during my eating window. One of my goals is to have a meal at noon, then dinner without snacks. I'm not hungry, reaching for a snack has just been an easy habit to develop.

Friday, July 5, 2013

52 half marathons

has been pushed back to the original date, October 20.

Although it had to be done because of the heat, cancelling last week's race has already put me in the hole. My wallet took a hit, I also need to build up more vacation days.

So, official race #1 will be Duke city in Albuquerque.

I'm going to be doing some races during the summer, to ensure I stay trained. I'm also going to use the summer to get my keto diet in tip top shape.

It will be October 20 in no time...

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Cancelled

Saturday's half marathon was cancelled due to the crazy heat.

Damn you sun!
The race director made the right decision, the tempts are breaking records in Las Vegas and surrounding states.

Unfortunately I was already in Vegas at the time it was cancelled. I had already lost too much money in the casinos and rented a car. I also used up 2 vacation days.

I'm not in a great mood..

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Saturday's race

had to change their location.
I'm scheduled to do Running with the Devil at Lake Mead, near Las Vegas.

The Race Director had her permit revoked because of an extreme heat warning. The tempts are supposed to reach around 115 degrees.

Yipes.

Luckily Joyce was able to secure another location. It's in Lovell Canyon, which is at a higher elevation.

Hopefully it will only be 100 degrees.

Yipes.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

20 Ketone strips

that's all I have left.

I haven't been checking my ketones until I decide if I'm buying more or not. At $2 a strip, it's a costly investment.

I have almost 60 glucose strips. What I may do is continue testing glucose everyday. This afternoon, about an hour after my meal of eggs, avocado and ham  it read 87. Most of the time if my glucose is on the 70's or 80's my ketone reading will be .4 or higher.

Maybe I'll continue with daily glucose and weekly blood pressure. I'll save my ketone strips for some type of future experiment. Or maybe I'll check them a day after my first 20 half marathons.

Hmmm...gotta think about it.....

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

115/79

that was my blood pressure this morning.
I checked it last week and the number was the same.

For the last couple years my blood pressure numbers were labeled as pre-hypertensive.

Now I'm in the normal range.

Nice!

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Did I say 18 weeks?

How about less than 2!

The half marathon in Vegas on June 29 starts my 52 races in 52 week goal. I moved the date up mostly because of finances. There are quite a few races that I can do over the summer with minimal travel. Minimal travel means less stress on my bank account!

Sunday, June 16, 2013

18 weeks

until my 52 half marathons in 52 weeks begins.

I've got work to do until then.

I'm going to do a half marathon a month until October. I want to stay trained through the summer. In 2 weeks I'm heading to Vegas to do a "hot as hell" one at Lake Mead.

I'm also going to commit to 3 kettle bell sessions a week. If I can't get to a class, I'll do a workout at home. If I'm working out of town, like this week, I'll load the bells in my car. And lug them to my hotel room.

As for my diet, I think I'll leave it alone. As soon as I start "tweaking" things, I get rebellious. I'll continue with daily 16 hour fasts and LCHF way of eating.

18 weeks are going to fly by!

Saturday, June 15, 2013

At the conference

some of my co-workers noticed how I was eating. Or not eating, since I skipped breakfast everyday.

They asked me what kind of diet I was doing. Mostly I answered with "I eat a high fat, moderate protein, low carb diet paired with intermittent fasting".

I was at a conference with over 200 people. No-one knew what I was talking about. I recommended Dr Davis's book  and blog to everyone I spoke to. A couple people were doing Paleo so they knew about the no grains, no processed part of the equation. My high fat consumption  was puzzling to most people. To keep it simple I would say that I replaced carbs with fat. I didn't even get into the whole Nutritional Ketosis part!

Everyone needs to find their own path but sometimes it was tough to bite my tongue. I'd be at a table with 10 or so people for lunch and dinner. There would always be someone in the group that was on a "diet". They would eat "only 1 roll with no butter". Their meal would be "low fat".

It's tough not to be a LCHF evangelical. I know that in my past vegetarian days, no amount of research would have convinced me to switch. Until I was ready. It only took about 55 years!


Friday, June 14, 2013

Going home

I'm at the Santa Barbara airport drinking coffee (no food until 11).

I'm happy to report that I stayed on plan. No grains or desserts. No potatoes (lots of French fries were served) or corn.

I was even able to stock to my 16/8 fasting schedule. Life is good!

Santa Barbara is gorgeous. When I get a wheel barrel full of cash, I'll move here.UPDATE...

UPDATE...Just checked my blood. Glucose is 77 and ketones are 1.0. I'm still a fat burning machine!





Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Santa Barbara Day 1

Stuff I ate..
Nuts
Buffalo Jerky
Chicken and vegetables
Couple pieces of beef
Couple glasses of wine

Stuff I didn't eat...
Rolls
Cheesecake
Key lime pie
Chips and guacamole ( I ate the guac)
Chocolate cake

On to day 2....

Monday, June 10, 2013

Heading to California again

no race, this time it's for work.

I'll be in Santa Barbara from Tuesday-Friday. Lots of social engagements to attend. Lots and lots of food.

I'm not concerned.

My version of daily fasting will be to skip breakfast and eat lunch and dinner. I'll probably be an hour or two shorter than my usual 16 hour fast.

I really don't struggle with my food choices anymore. No grains or sugar, even if the other 150 attendees are all eating chocolate cake. I'm bringing some nuts, coconut flakes and buffalo jerky for emergencies.

Better start packing...

Sunday, June 9, 2013

52 weeks/52 half marathons/No carb loading!

it's gonna happen!
I begin on Oct 20.

My plan is to complete each race without consuming energy drinks or gels, bananas, bagels or any other form of carb porn that's offered before or after each event.

I will not be attending the often advertised "all you can eat pasta" dinner the night before each race.

No sampling of carb porn (and there is always lots of samples) at the race expos where I pick up my numbers.

Most races I'll do in a fasted state. I've done several half marathons with just a cup of pre-race coffee as fuel. Well, that plus the thousands of stored fat calories my body is burning.

Although my husband is skeptical, I'm confident that I can do this. I know that being fat-adapted is better than being a sugar burner. Now I'm going to prove it!


Saturday, June 8, 2013

Another one done

I completed another half marathon (San Diego) without needing energy drinks or sugary gels. Nothing but a cup of coffee before the race!

The race started at 6:45. At 6 I had a cup of coffee. I drank it while walking the 1 mile to the start.

13.1 miles later, I was done. No post race bananas or bagels. O the 2 mile walk back to my hotel I stopped at Starbucks for a grande black coffee.

After a shower I had a fantastic lunch at this place...burgerlounge  Bunless grass fed burger and half a salad. I ate around 1pm. Until lunch, I felt great. No signs of fatigue. During races I always carry a package of almond butter, just in case. I'm happy to say it wasn't needed.

Using fat as fuel is amazing. I never want to go back to being a sugar burner.


Saturday, June 1, 2013

Resistance is futile

When it comes to what I eat, I'm taking it easy.
I'm not going back to eating grains or sugar. I'm just not labeling myself anymore. I'm not "dairy-free" or "paleo", etc.

Once I proclaim that I'm on such and such a plan, I begin to resist.

After a million different experiments, here is what seems to be working for me, right now..

kind of paleo (whole foods)
kind of LCHF (especially the high fat dairy part)
16/8 intermittent fasting

That's what I'm going to do until it doesn't feel right. I know I'm fat adapted, however, I think I'l keep checking my numbers until my ketone and glucose strips are gone.

I'm in San Diego. Tomorrow I'm completing the half marathon. It feels right to stick to the half marathon distance this year. I'm sure I'll be doing another marathon or ultra, just not anytime soon.

Time to climb in bed and watch tv for the rest of the evening.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Ketones and The 100

I'm happy to report that following Jorge's Cruise 100 plan is keeping me in NK.

Today my ketones were 1.6. My blood glucose was 76. I used my 100 calories of sugar carbs on a glass of wine (21 cal), a chocolate truffle (32 cal) and 1/2 cup of berries (26 cal).

Today's sugar calories will be spend the same way. I'm enjoying a glass of pinot noir as I write this blog entry...

Monday, May 27, 2013

Something different

I made it 17 hours without dairy.

I ditched that experiment.

On to something new.

I bought this book last week..

It basically follows a LCHF plan.
Everyday you get 100 sugar calories. They come from starchy carbs, fruits, alcohol, grains, etc. Multiply the carb count by 4 and that's the number. For example, the 1/2 cup of strawberries I add to my greek yougurt and heavy cream mixture in the morning is 26 calories. That means I have about 75 calories left for the day.

Sugar calories from the above sources are the only ones counted. Carbs in vegetables aren't counted. Neither are nuts or avocados, I eat them everyday. Fat and protein are freebies.

I like it. I don't use the book's recommendations for portion sizes (a bottlecap of fat, forget that!).

After dropping below NK for about a week, my numbers are rising again.

Yesterday I was .5. Back in NK again.
My 100 sugar calories were used on
1/2 cup strawberries   26
glass of wine   21
dark chocolate  32

Next weekend I'm heading to a half marathon in San Diego. I love San Diego!

Sunday, May 19, 2013

What would Wilma eat?

Time for another experiment.
I'm going to switch from LCHF to paleo for a month...


When I started this no grain/no sugar thing, my goal was to transition to a paleo diet. Along the way I found Nutritional Ketosis (thanks jimmy!)

My blood ketones have been ranging from .7 to 1.4 most days. I've been very curious to see what would happen if I switch to paleo. There wouldn't be too many changes, The big one will be eliminated dairy. That's going to be tough. I love cheese. I even have a special cheese box in my refrigerator. And special cheese paper. Yeah, the cheese part will be tough.

So, the plan for the next 4 weeks will be dairy free paleo. Desserts can be made with honey, that will be interesting to see what happens to my ketones. I ordered some tasty desserts from Paleotreats. I'll allow myself one a day and see what happens.

I'll check my glucose and ketones everyday and post the results.
Let the fun begin...

UPDATE
Day 1 is almost over. My blood glucose at 4pm was 87 and ketones were 1.9.
I had a kettle-bell class this morning, that was the only exercise.
No dairy. I had a Paleotreat around noon. They're fantastic, I need to be strict with my "one a day" rule.
Getting ready to have dinner at a nearby burger place. I'm going to have the grass-fed beef with avocado. No cheese....dang it!

Monday, April 29, 2013

Back in ketosis

I'm a happy camper!
My blood ketones were at 1mml. Yesterday they were a paltry .1. I'm happy to see it only took 24 hours to get back into ketosis. Now I need to stay there!


Sunday, April 28, 2013

What the heck, I'll prick my finger

and check ketones and glucose this afternoon.

I know it will be bad, the interesting part will be how fast I get back into ketosis.

Back later...
2PM..Getting ready to check my blood...
Glucose 85
Ketones  .1  Dang it!
Oh well, there's no place to go but up.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Finally back home

at least until Tuesday!

The 2 half marathons in Las Vegas were terrific. I completed both in a fasted state. After the races I had turkey and cheese roll ups with some nuts.

My husband did the Sunday race with me, he couldn't believe that I was able to go 13.1 miles on a cup of coffee. He had a muffin before the race and energy gels during. After the race he had a sandwich and cookies. Being fat adapted feels as if I have superpowers!

On Monday afternoon I returned home, only to fly out again on Tuesday. This time it was a work conference in Los Angeles. Although I stuck to no grains/no sugar, I ate way too many carbs. All week. Ugh, I'm still bloated. No use wasting ketone strips, I know I'm out of ketosis.

I'm back into my familiar routine, I hope it won't take too long to elevate my ketones. I'll give it a week and then I'll start checking again. I've got lots of glucose strips, I'll go back to doing a daily check of those numbers.

Next race is June 2 in San Diego. I'm not sure if I'm doing the half or whole marathon.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Crazy busy!

I was in Las Vegas this weekend for 2, count 'em, 2 half marathons. One on Saturday and one on Sunday. I completed both races in a fasted state, only a cup of coffee before the start. Felt fine, no drop in energy or hunger pains. After both races, I had turkey and cheese roll ups with avocado. Delish!

Tomorrow I'm heading to Los Angeles for a week of business meetings. Business meetings = sitting in a conference room all day. And lots of food. I've been doing LCHF long enough to know how to avoid the carby minefields.

My ketones this afternoon were 1.4. I know it's an after burn from the races.

I better get packing....

Sunday, April 14, 2013

I'm torn...

about continuing my daily ketone/glucose testing. Here's why...

Last week my ketones were low, hovering around .4 or .3. I know my carb intake was too high and knew my number would be low. When it was confirmed on my trusty Precision Xtra meter, I didn't curb my carbs. Quite the opposite, I adapted the "What the hell" attitude. That never turns out well.

It's been almost a week, I checked my numbers today, still .4, which is no surprise.

Ironically, my order for 60 more ketone strips arrived yesterday from the Canadian pharmacy. And 100 glucose strips.

It occured to me that my relationship with daily finger pricks is turning into my relationship that I had (before I ditched it) with daily weigh-ins. If my scale number was higher than I wanted, I was cranky. And happy as a clam if the number was low.

This morning I did an hour kettle bell class in a fasted state. Next weekend I'm doing a half marathon on Saturday and a half marathon on Sunday. Both will be in a fasted state. I'm going shopping for pants because all the ones in my closet are literally falling off. I can do the 16/8 hour fast/feed window without a problem.

I know I'm fat-adapted. But when my ketone number is low, it makes me nuts!

What to do...what to do.....

Sunday, March 31, 2013

It's been a crazy week!

Between the marathon and work, I lived in a hotel all week. In a different city almost everyday.

FYI- Bacon that's cooked in a Hampton Inn microwave is kind of flabby. I ate it anyways.

I had a terrific grass-fed burger at Milt's drive-thru in Moab. I'll go there again, next time I'll get a double.

Even though I drove a million miles, I was happy to have my car. I was able to get keto supplies everywhere I went. I mostly shopped at local co-ops, the towns I stayed were too small to have Whole Foods. Vitamin Cottage in Grand Junction, CO had lots of tasty options.

Although my ketones have been dropping, they've stayed above .5. Yesterday my glucose reading was 85 and ketones were .7.

I ordered my ketone strips from the Canadian Pharmacy this morning. I'll be good for another 2 months. After that, I may have to stop doing daily checks. Even at $2 a strip, my wallet is taking a hit. I'm getting pretty good at predicting my numbers. I know if I have 2 glasses of wine or more nuts than normal, my number will be low. I'll see how I feel when my next supply gets low. Maybe between now and then, I'll find a bag of money!

Monday, March 25, 2013

Now we're talkin'

Glucose  71
Ketones  2.9

I'm still benefiting from the marathon I completed on Saturday.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

My blood is always screwy

after a marathon or beyond.

I checked my blood at 11am. That morning all I had was coffee.

Glucose  101 (I think coffee raises my glucose)
Ketones  1.3

I predict that tomorrow my ketones will rise.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Quick race/ketone report

then I'm laying in my comfy hotel bed watching mindless sitcoms until I fall asleep.

-At 6am I had coffee, then headed to the race.

-7am Race began
-The course was a loop, I passed my car every 5 miles. At around 9am I ate my breakfast. Two ham and cheese roll ups with a handful of almonds.
-Around noon I had a couple electrolyte capsules. I avoided the bagels/cookies/bananas that were on the table.
-I kept chugging through the ungodly wind and freezing tempts. The start was around 28 degrees, the day topped out at 45 degrees. I should have checked the weather report before I packed, I was under dressed.
-At 2:30 I stopped at my car and ate the remaining 2 ham and cheese roll ups and almonds.
-Around 4:30 I called it quits. The wind/cold and did I mention sand?, got the best of me. I completed over 26 miles so I got in a marathon. I'm happy with that.

Before I went back to the hotel, I stopped at a local place called Milts. They use grass fed beef and local vegetables. I ordered a (bunless) bacon cheeseburger and side salad with avocado to go.

I checked my blood around 6pm, before I ate dinner.

Glucose  81
Ketones 2.7

Tomorrow's reading will be interesting.
Time to turn on the Food Channel and be a couch potato (I mean a couch avocado!)

Friday, March 22, 2013

Today my ketone number is 3.2

and my glucose is 81.

I knew my ketones were good because I literally went all day without eating, with no hunger. Well, almost all day. I ate 3 roast beef/provolone roll ups at 8am. It's now 6pm and I haven't eaten yet. Crazy! As soon as I finish this post I'm diving in to some kale salad with turkey.

Tomorrow morning is my 12 hour race in Moab, Utah. I better eat dinner and sit on my hotel bed for the rest of the night....

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Still streaking

but I noticed that my glucose number doesn't correlate with what my ketones will be.

Yesterday my glucose was 71. Ketones were 1.0.
Today glucose is 77. Ketones are 2.8.

I don't understand it but I'm glad I'm in fat burning mode. I want lots of ketones in my blood for Saturday's race.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Down then up

Yipes, I almost ended my Nutritional Ketosis streak yesterday. I measured in at an anemic .5.

Today I'm rocking again with a 2.0 mm.

It's crazy how one extra glass of wine (yes I had one) or too many nuts (that too) can affect my readings. Some people go beyond their protein requirements. Lucky for me, that's not my problem. Since I was a vegetarian for over 25 years, I'm happy eating smaller portions of protein. But those carbs, those pesky carbs! I try to stick to around 50 grams a day, but I know that I some days I'm higher. I should take a week to track them but I figure as long as I'm in NK, I'll stay flexible.



Saturday, March 16, 2013

Just for the heck of it

I tested my blood after working out. I did a kettlebell class followed with a one hour hike.

Glucose was 91
Ketones .9

I think my ketones were lower because of my elevated glucose. And my glucose is high because I just finished exercising.

My NK streak is still alive so I'm happy.

Friday, March 15, 2013

66 and 2.7

Those were my glucose and ketone readings today, around 3pm.

I'm happy with my numbers, especially with the ketones. I wish I knew why I haven't plummeted below 1mm. I guess I could still be reaping the benefits of the half marathon last Saturday. I felt like Superwoman (Super-ketowoman!) during the race. Everyone around me was relying on energy gels and drinks to go the distance. The finish line table was filled with cookies and bagels and bananas. I had a cup of coffee around 6am and didn't eat until around noon. I felt fine, my energy level was stable, even though I ate at noon, I wasn't even hungry. Hey, maybe I am Super-ketowoman!

Next weekend I'm heading to Moab,Utah to complete a 12 hour trail race. I'll be packing some LCHF food for that one.


Thursday, March 14, 2013

"You've lost weight"

That's what one of my customers said today. He hasn't seen me in about 6 months.
Nice!
Day 4  Glucose 77  Ketones 3.2
Day 5  Glucose 80  Ketones 2.9

My ketones are falling, as long as I stay above 1mm, I'll be a happy camper. In an effort to not drop too low, I'm eating a no to low carb breakfast. Today I had smoked salmon and cream cheese roll up with a hard boiled egg. It was so good I'm having it tomorrow too.

Next weekend I'm doing a 12 hour race in Utah, that should shoot the numbers up again.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

I'm on Day 3

of my Nutritional Ketosis streak.

Day 1 Glucose 71  Ketones 2.1
Day 2 Glucose 77  Ketones 4.2
Day 3 Glucose 71  Ketones 3.7

I'm sure that my high numbers are the result of the half marathon I completed on Saturday. I was able to do the race with only a cup of coffee before the start. I brought some almond and coconut butter with me just in case but I never needed it. I felt great throughout the race.

When I got back to my hotel, I immediately ordered room service. Smoked salmon, cream cheese with onions, capers and avocado. Delicious!

Thursday, March 7, 2013

I'm officially out

of ketone strips.

My order from Canada was shipped on March 1. Hurry up Mr Mailman!

Today my readings were 81 Glucose and 1.6 Ketones. Today is the 4th day I'm in Nutritional Ketosis. I would love to continue my streak, however, I'll begin on Day 1 when I get my strips.

Tomorrow I'm heading to Las Vegas to do a half marathon. I know where all the delicious bakeries are. Even better, I know all the places I can eat to stay in ketosis. My first meal will be the charcuterie plate at Central at Caesars Palace!

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Holy ketones batman!

Yesterday I was still at 1.6.
Today my number at 1pm was 2.9!
2.9!
I wasn't this high after completing a marathon!
The only change in my diet was ditching xylitol. I stopped having my delicious petit-fores after dinner. Salted caramel cake, I'm not sure I can quit you!
One thing I haven't quit is my late afternoon glass of red wine, I'm imbibing as I write.
I'll continue my no-xylitol rule (the petit-fores are in the freezer). If my numbers continue to remain high (for me), I may have to give them away. How can I live without my meyer lemon cake!

They're as good as they look!

Monday, March 4, 2013

71 and 1.6

Those are my glucose and ketone numbers today.

My Nutritional Ketosis streak has begun...

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Hurry up ketone strips!

Still waiting on my order for more strips. Since they come from Canada, it takes time. I have 7 strips left, I stopped checking my ketones this week, to save them.

I quickly learned that checking my ketones on a daily basis keeps me on track. Even if the reading is low, I stay aware of how many carbs I'm consuming. Since I stopped testing, all bets are off!

I haven't completely fallen off the wagon. No grains or sugar. But lots of peanut butter, more fruit than usual, bigger scoops of yogurt, etc. I can tell by how I feel that I'm out of ketosis. I'm getting hungrier than usual and my food cravings are coming back. I"m looking forward to the detached feeling, more like "food is fuel" feeling I get when I'm in NK.

Today, I'm back on track. I may wait a few days before I check my blood. I don't need to confirm that I'm out of ketone range, it may take a couple days to get back in.

In other news, I'm heading to Vegas next weekend for a half marathon. I need to ensure I'm in fat burning mode by then..

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Kettlebells kicked my a$$!!!

I've been less sore after marathons!

And this was only an introductory class!

My next class in on Wednesday. Then next Saturday. I'm determined to learn the correct technique. This afternoon I'm going for a hike, I'll be going very very slow.

Today begins week 2 of my 16/8 fasts. Kettlebells may take some getting used to but fasting 16 hours a day is very easy for me. I was planning on doing it for 6 weeks, then re-evaluating but I think I'll stop counting the days. This is the way I'll be eating indefinitely. It's like how I felt with eating LCHF. At first it was a test, now it's what I do everyday.

My next experiment will be how long I can stay in Nutritional Ketosis. Seems as if I can stay above .5 for a couple days, even a week, then I'll slip back down to .3 or .4. I know the reason is too many carbs, even when I'm only eating in an 8 hour window. It's so easy to eat extra nuts or berries in the afternoon.

I'm waiting on more ketone strips, as soon as they arrive I'll begin my NK streak.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Day 6

and I'm out of ketone strips! ACK!!

My order from the Canadian pharamcy should be arriving any day now. Until then, I can only test my glucose.

Here's today's numbers..

Fasting glucose  100 (I don't believe this is a true number but I'll put it down anyway)
Ketones   .7
Eating window, the usual 11am to 7pm.

Tomorrow I'm going to my first kettlebell class. ACK!!

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Day 5

Despite saying the contrary, I decided to check my numbers today. I was with my boss at 11am so I checked my blood late this afternoon. My numbers were taken about 3 hours after a lunch comprised of a mushroom, cheese omelet with a side of salsa (delicious!).

Glucose  71
Ketones  .8

I knew that yesterday's triple digit glucose number was wrong. It's nice to have it confirmed.

Despite being with my boss all day, I was able to stick with my 16/8 plan. I had a big cup of coffee for breakfast, then we had lunch around 11:30. This way of eating is very easy for me, I don't experience any hunger pangs. Being in nutritional ketosis rocks!

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Day 4

I think my glucose meter is playing a trick on me.

I fasted from 7pm last night until 11am today. I took my glucose reading before my first meal of the day. It was 111.

111!!! WTF!!

I re-tested a few minutes later and the reading came down to 101. It's still too high, I think it's not correct. I didn't want to use another precious glucose strip so I'll just see what happens on my next reading.

On a happier note, my ketone reading was 1.3.

Tomorrow I'm working all day with my boss. He already thinks I'm weird by not eating grains or sugar. I don't want to add fuel to the fire by taking blood samples at 11am. I'll skip a day and resume on Friday.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Day 3

Fasting Glucose   87
Ketones  .7
Eating window  11am to 5:30pm

I was working out of town yesterday and ordered room service for dinner. I had a caprese salad with a steak. I ate too many tomatoes and the dressing probably had too many carbs.

I'm back home now, hopefully my numbers will go back up tomorrow.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Day 2

of the 16/8 experiment.

The ketones are rising!

Fasting Glucose  77
Ketones  1.6
Eating window   11am to 7pm

Onward to Day 3...

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Another experiment

this time with intermittent fasting.

I usually do Brad Pillon's Eat Stop Eat plan. Two days a week I fast from dinner to dinner the next day. Two 24 hour fasts.

I decided to switch things up and do a 16 hour daily fast. I've been doing some research on this type of fasting and am interested to see how it will work for me. I'm going to eat from around 11am to 7pm.

Before I eat my first meal, I'll check my blood. I'll be very curious to see how this type of fasting affects my ketones. My schedule has been eating breakfast around 9am, skipping lunch because I'm not hungry, then testing my blood around 3pm. My ketones have ranged from .8 to 1.4. I'll be interested to see if a daily fast changes my numbers.

I plan to do this experiment for 6 weeks. I'll post my numbers on a daily basis.

Today is Day 1. I finished eating dinner last night around 6:45. It's 10:40am, just coffee until 11. Time to prick my finger...

Fasting Glucose  63
Ketones  .3

Aaarghh...my ketones suck.
Let's see what this daily fasting does to them.

Monday, February 11, 2013

My 24 hour experiment

Inspired by Jimmy Moore, I decided to test my ketones and glucose several times over a 24 hour period. Here's the numbers..

9pm   Glucose  77  Ketones 1.0    Dinner was about 3 hours earlier
7am   Glucose  68  Ketones  .2     Before breakfast
6pm   Glucose  71  Ketones  1.7   Last meal was breakfast at 9am

In about 2 hours I'll check my numbers before I go to bed.

UPDATE...about 2 hours after dinner my glucose was 87 and ketones were .6
My numbers bounce all over the place!

Sunday, February 10, 2013

One week of no baking

and one week of staying in Nutritional Ketosis.

Coincidence? I don't think so!

My blood ketones have stayed in the mid 1's for most of the week. Yesterday I dipped to .8.

My NK mentor, Jimmy Moore, recently tested his blood ketones every hour for one day. It was really interesting to see the fluctuations, depending on the time of day. I don't think I could do an hourly experiment but I may do a 3 times in a day one.

It's time for another race! Actually a couple of them. In March I'm doing a half marathon in Las Vegas. A couple weeks after that, I think I'll be heading to Moab, Utah to do a 12 hour one.

Time to get off the couch!

UPDATE...I just signed up for kettlebell classes....ACK!!

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Day 1 done

Having a low ketone number yesterday gave me the resolve to say no to making keto-cheesecakes. I did spend some reading keto-chocolate mousse recipes...

LATER THAT DAY...ketones are up from .4 to 1.0. I'm moving on up!


Saturday, February 2, 2013

It's Groundhog Day!


A perfect day to begin my no sugar-like substitute challenge.

I changed the rules a bit. My challenge will be No Dessert Baking for 4 weeks. That's where I get into trouble. Too much tasting batter and licking bowls.

If I don't bake, my sugar substitute consumption plummets. The only dessert I buy is these petit-fores. I'll still have an afternoon fat bomb. The ones I make are with 100% chocolate, no sugar substitutes.

I packed away my muffin tins and moved the Swerve and Xylitol to the back of the pantry. Maybe I'll go for walks instead of baking...

UPDATE..I tested my blood for the first time in a`week. I was braced for a bad reading and I got one. I was .4, just a measly .1 above being out of ketosis. I'm determined to get the number back up.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

No sugar-like stuff

I quit eating sugar last July 4th.

So I said good-bye to sugar and all it's cousins like honey and agave. I replaced all that sweetness with the low carb ones. I started using stuff like xylitol and stevia. My favorite has been this one...



Swerve doesn't have any bitter after taste or give me stomach troubles like some alternative sweeteners.

I've been baking cookies and brownies and cheesecake with Swerve. Baking and then eating them.

I'm developing a low carb dessert habit just like I had when I was eating high carb ones.

Time to get this low carb cookie monkey off my back.

For 28 days I'm not eating any low carb desserts. If I want something (I know I'll want something) after dinner, I can have a piece of my 100% chocolate bar with some coconut oil or a few nuts. Or maybe a small bowl of berries with whipped cream.

I'll keep checking my blood stuff too. When I eat too many low carb desserts, I stay in NK but my numbers drop. Yesterday I was at .9.

This won't be easy although I'm confident it won't be as bad as kicking the real sugar habit. That was tough!

Since Feb has 28 days, it's a no-brainer to start on the 1st. I'll use the days leading up to Feb 1 to wean off of the sugar-like substitutions that I've been (kind of) abusing.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

My ketone numbers

they've been going up and down.

Although I've stayed above .5, the minimum to be in NK, the numbers correlate to how I feel.

When I'm at .5 to about 1, my hunger is gone. My energy remains consistent all day, no afternoon slumps.

When I'm at 1 to 2, my hunger is gone plus I have zero cravings. You could shove a tray of brownies in my face and I wouldn't take a bite. I love this feeling.

When I'm above 2, I have no hunger or cravings. I'm also experience bouts of euphoria. It's kind of freaky, I can be doing a mundane task and all of a sudden, I feel giddy and really happy. It feels strange, I'm going to need some time to adjust to feeling this way.

I wonder what would happen if I get into the 3's. My head may explode...

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Intermittent fasting

this time I think it will stick.



Keeping my ketones above 1 makes skipping a couple meals pretty easy.

On a normal day I've been eating breakfast around 9am. This week I'm having an egg/prosciutto muffin with a couple nuts and berries. This keeps me going until late afternoon.

On a fasting day, I've just been skipping my 9am breakfast. My first food comes in the late afternoon. I'm not counting the time but I'm usually in a fasted state for about 22 hours. With no hunger, it still amazes me!

My goal is to do a twice a week fast.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

I've been cooking!

I'm not one to spend much time in the kitchen. I would rather pick up a roasted chicken from Whole Foods than actually do the work myself.

I have been googling keto and LCHF recipes. This weekend I decided to dust off the stove and try a few...


Peanut butter cookies! With stevia sweetened chocolate chunks!

An egg and cheese muffin with a prosciutto crust!


Lemon cheesecakes!

I feel like Martha Stewart if she was in Nutritional Ketosis!

Sunday, January 13, 2013

The experiment continues

I just ordered more ketones strips from Canada.

I'll have about 50 more days to test my ketones and glucose. I was going to do this all year but I may stop earlier than anticipated. Even at $2 a strip from Canada, my wallet is still hurting.

I'm also concerned that ketone testing is evoking the same emotions as getting on the scale every morning. My mood can change based on the number. For example, yesterday my ketone reading was .9. I was disappointed that it wasn't higher and ate some extra carbs. I was in the "what the hell" frame of mind. I pulled myself back before I did major damage, however, I don't like to be on an emotional roller coaster.

On the other hand, getting daily ketone readings identifies a slip before it grows into a full blown bad habit. When I was staying in the 1.5 to 1.7 range, I ate a almost no carb breakfast. That kept me full until dinner. I would have a glass of wine in the late afternoon but it didn't kick me out of ketosis. I think the no carb breakfast and no snacking was the key.

The last day or so I've been eating some carbs in the morning. Instead of my usual turkey and cheese rollups, I've had full fat yogurt with heavy cream and coconut and nuts (it's so good!). Those extra carbs may have been the reason I've been doing a bit of mindless eating before dinner. Couple pieces of cheese, a handful of nuts, small things that add up. If I didn't see my ketones dropping I would have stayed in denial. I can't do so when the lower number pops up. Now I'm back on track.

Bottom line is that daily ketone testing will continue until my new keto-habits are firmly in place. They are..
-No or very low (5gr or less) carb breakfast
-No snacking

Speaking of turkey roll ups, it's time for breakfast...




Saturday, January 12, 2013

Plans, I got some.

Some people on line shop. I like to browse race calendars. I usually see 20 or 30 that I want to complete. Unfortunately  my wallet and legs prevent me from doing so.

In an effort to be (somewhat) fiscally conservative, I'll limit myself to races that are the easiest on my budget. I'm mostly going to do timed events, I love not having the pressure of doing a certain number of miles in a certain amount of time.

I love doing Joyce's races around Las Vegas. Last year I earned her Slam award, 4 marathons or longer in 12 months. I want to earn her Half Slam award, 4 half marathons in 12 months. She has a half in March that I want to complete. She also has a half in June.

There are a series of 12 and 24 hour events that are within driving distance. Moab, Utah, 2 in Silverton, Colorado and Boulder, Colorado. I want to do those races.

The one splurge may be Nanny Goat in June. It's in California. I need to make a decision because it fills up.

And I'm sure I'll be back to Across The Years on New Years Eve.

Between the races and Nutritional Ketosis, it's shaping up to be a fit year.










Tuesday, January 8, 2013

I was tempted to stop pricking my finger everyday

Ketone sticks are expensive. And sometimes it's inconvenient to get a reading every afternoon. There have been a few days when I prick my finger in my car ( I usually have all my blood reading stuff in my purse).

On the other hand..

My ketone readings have been averaging around 1.5. This must be my Nutritional Ketosis sweet spot. I feel terrific all day long. I've been eating a mostly no carb breakfast consisting of some type of meat/cheese combo. Today I had some chicken with swiss cheese and mayo around 8am. I was busy all day with no dip in energy. Dinner was at 6, I could have pushed it back, I wasn't even hungry yet.

No cravings. No growling stomach. Pricking my finger everyday is a small price to pay for feeling so good.

I better order more ketone strips....




Sunday, January 6, 2013

Back from Phoenix

without a 100 mile belt buckle.

I'll get that $%*& belt buckle someday!

I did complete a 100K. That got me a pretty etched glass mug.

Here's a quick recap of the fun..

I flew into Phoenix the day of the race. After picking up my rental car, I headed to Whole Foods to stock up on keto-groceries. I hit the mother lode at the location in Scottsdale. Grass fed cheese and bison. Turkey and salad stuff. I even found some sugar free chocolate. I was stocked and ready to go.

The last stop was to eat lunch at Smashburger..


Smashburger is based out of Denver and they're terrific. I had a lettuce wrap burger with avocado, swiss cheese and a fried egg. Delicious! I was now fueled and ready to walk in circles for many hours.

I arrived at Camelback Ranch around 2pm. The loop is 1.03 miles, a chip that attaches to your ankle records your distance. Every 4 hours, the route is reversed. That keeps you from losing your mind.

Camelback Ranch is really pretty, there is a lake and trees and best of all, a real bathroom! With toilets that flush! I never had to use the dreaded Port-a-Lets.

After about 11 hours, I went to my car to take a nap. Despite being in Phoenix, the temps were in the 30's. I cranked the heat until the interior was toasty and piled all my clothes on top of me. I was surprised to find I slept for about 5 hours. When I woke up it was almost 6am!

The next day I had a hotel room (hot showers and a comfy bed!). I alternated between the Ranch and the hotel for the remaining 48 hours.

Despite having tables of food, all I took was water. I only ate the groceries I bought and felt great. At one point in the race, volunteers were standing on the track with open pizza boxes. People would take 3 slices and roll them up like a burrito. The only thing that was tempting was when the big vats of cherry cobbler arrived. I averted my eyes.

Since the race, my ketones have stayed around 1.5 mm. I feel great at that number, no hunger and consistent energy. My goal is to stay around that number for the rest of January.

I'm researching my next race, I think it will be a half in Vegas in March.