Category: Keto

Pep-Talk to Myself & Updates

I was having a bit of a woe-is-me type of day yesterday (I’ve been like this the past few days and it could be a few things: Shark Week coming up, not working out since last Thursday after doing so well, probably not fitting into my new bathing suit like I would have liked, and devouring 2 chocolate mug cakes in the span of a week and feeling guilt for it–someone has to taste-test the recipe! 🙄 ), AND it seemed like everything was going wrong regarding everything else in life, so I referred back to a few of my recent Instagram photos and posts on the blog to remind me that no matter how minuscule, I *have* been making progress with Keto, at least.

Weight

I weighed myself this morning on that horror of a scale and it read: 117.4 Which means that I’ve held steady, even though it *had* gone down to 115-116. And I need to realize that maintaining is GOOD. One of my main goals was to go under 119, which I hadn’t been able to do with exercising alone in about 4 years, and I have! So that’s a feat in itself!

It’s incredible how body dismorphia and anxiety always seem to creep their evil little heads out, no matter how well you’re doing. I hate it. They’ve been messing with me, like I said, and I need to kick them in the teeth!

Hair

In one of my posts in May I mentioned that I was in desperate need of a hair cut/style. Well, I finally made it out there (to Jorge’s relief 😆 ) and got it done with a new stylist! I never stray from my usual stylist because she’s the ONLY person who hasn’t screwed up my hair. Well, she was either nrver open, or had too many people ahead of me. My new girl is Marcy and her salon is Curl Up and Dye! I love the decor and the owner is just the sweetest and the best!

She made my hair feel so soft and smell so good!! Now, if I could just get my darn hair from FALLING OUT IN CLUMPS, that would be magical…

Work Outs, Goals & Acne

I’d mentioned that I never had time to work out, but for about 2-3 weeks I actually WAS working out. At…10:00pm or 10:30pm so I wouldn’t end my workouts till almost midnight! My energy levels were at an all-time high, thanks to Keto, but by the end of last week, I couldn’t get out of bed for my morning run on Saturday. It was really disappointing. Then I started helping Jorge out with some of his work, so there went the extra time to work out because by the time we got home, I was exhausted! Then on Sunday, I helped Jorge again and got home and got straight to doing laundry. It never ends!!

Plus, it’s been so dreadfully hot that even cleansing my face and wiping my sweat with a towel instead of the back of my hand caused me to get pimples (including a terrible cyst on my chin!!)! I was so upset–after going through Shark Week last month with very, very minimal new acne, something that I felt was making me feel (and look) so much better (P90X) was causing me grief!! I just can’t win! (Acne deserves a whole post of it’s own!) So, what I think I’m going to do is start working out inside the house, in the living room, instead of in the garage. Although, I will still have to do some exercises in the garage…like the chin-up bars/bands. Bleh!

My ultimate goal for working out was my new bathing suit Jorge bought me. I took “before” photos, and although I didn’t look too “bad,” I still needed to tone up a few areas (saddlebag area, belly, arms, back–the usual). But, since I haven’t worked out this week, I’m going to have to quit beating myself up and buy a cute cover-up. It’s not like it didn’t fit, and I am trying my best: simple as that!

Breakfast – Or Bulletproof Coffee

Staying up late and snoozing in the morning isn’t helping my situation. Well, maybe it is, since I’m sort of doing accidental “fasts.” I’m usually rushing out the door in the mornings so I decided to start making myself some Bulletproof Coffee, or Butter Coffee. I only tried BPC once back in 2013 when I’d first done Keto, and was just too put off by butter in my coffee that I didn’t continue making it. But I’ve done my research this time around (just Google “bulletproof coffee”). I don’t purchase anything from bulletproof.com, nor do I use MCT oil or coconut oil in my coffee (just yet; I’m thinking of using my organic coconut oil and I’d like to purchase collagen in the future, especially for the hair-falling-out-in-clumps problem) and I don’t purchase any newfangled accessories for my coffee in the shape of drops, Ketone powders or anything at all (way too expensive and pointless if you ask me! I haven’t really come by anyone who’s said “it’s life-changing!”). My recipe is pretty simple:

2 tbls. butter
1 tbls. heavy whipping cream (I love the creaminess!)
1.5 – 2 tbls. of syrup (either the Jordan S’mores or Torani Caramel)
And a 10oz.-12oz. K-cup of hot coffee

I toss everything into my Magic Bullet, blend and voila! A frothy, latte-like concoction that keeps me full till lunchtime! I have done the alternative: cinnamon and Stevia, but I much prefer the way I mention above.

Gramma’s Health

I worry about my Gramma a lot these days. Part of the reason my days run late is because I try my hardest to make it out to see her every day after work, especially after her episode with Bell’s Palsy and then later on the strange, irrational fear that she had daily. Well, it turns out the almost-hallucinating type fear of falling was due to a UTI. 2nd time that happens, you’d think we’d all figure it out, including her doctors 🙄 . I’m just glad she’s feeling more peace and that she’s getting the correct medications. It’s such a relief!

Lactose Intolerance

I mentioned back in my post Going Keto…Again that I was wary of Keto due to the “diet” including lots of cheese and dairy, and that I feared for my lactose intolerance problem getting worse. But after being “Keto” for over 3 months I can honestly say I think my lactose intolerance has been reversed, even when consuming large amounts of cheese, heavy whipping cream and the occasional Enlightened bar or Halo Top Ice Cream! Gone are the days of painful bloat all through the night due to having cheese on my burger or having a serving of ice cream. Keto’s been a God-send!

I’m anxious about my yearly exams next month! That means I get to do my cholesterol panel, and I’m really curious to know how it reads this time around. Keeping my fingers crossed that all is well and I don’t have to rely on genetics to determine my future.

There. Read it all back and I feel better already. Since I started this post, things have looked up in all areas. Just got to get the ball of positivity rolling yourself, I guess!

Keto Pizza Dip

Guys. I’m crazy about this Keto Pizza Dip. I’d been thinking about the dip John made for us when he lived here; it was the creamiest, best thing ever. I sorta still remembered the gist of what he did, but I knew he used the stove-top and the oven and ain’t nobody got time for dat!!

It was around 2:30pm when I got home and I was hungry. So I got to work!

This is a really forgiving recipe, as you’ll be able to tell from my ingredients 😆 . It’s very versatile and you can add/omit ingredients as you see fit.

You’ll Need:

A 2-cup microwave-safe dish (I have an awesome little Anchor Hocking one)
A microwave
Either 2 slices of cheese of your choice (I used gouda) or 1/4 cup of mozzarella
2 Tblsp. heavy whipping cream
A few dashes of: pepper or peppercorns, garlic powder, Italian Seasoning, and oregano
2 Tblsp. cream cheese, softened
1 Tblsp. sour cream
1 Tblsp. shredded or grated parmesan
A small stack of pepperonis, about 8-10 slices, cut into 4ths
A small bunch of green onions, snipped into thin rings
A good handful of fresh spinach, chopped
1-2 Tblsp. of nacho jalapenos
2 Tblsp. of bacon pieces or bits
2 Tblsp. Fransisco Rinaldi spaghetti sauce (has 3 net carbs and 2 g of sugar)
A handful of shredded cheese (mozzarella, or your choice) for the “topping”
3 additional pepperonis for the “topping”

Directions:

Place your slices of cheese or 1/4 cup of shredded cheese and heavy whipping cream into your 2-cup bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds.

Mix the cheese/heavy cream mixture and mix in your parmesan.

Then mix in your spices.

Next, stir in your softened cream cheese and sour cream.

Once everything is nice and incorporated, mix in your chopped meats and veggies, making sure to mix well and then “flatten” your mixture with a spoon.

Now, don’t dig in just yet!! Top the “flattened” mixture with a layer of sauce.

Then take your handful of shredded cheese and top the sauce with it (I only had a Mexican Blend on hand, but it worked!).

Top your cheese with the 3 pepperonis and microwave the mix for 1 1/2 minutes. Since microwave ovens vary, check for over-bubbling. You don’t want to burn your dip!

Grab some chicharrones, crispy pepperonis, celery, or even wings and gobble up this ridiculous dip!

Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole

This is a Keto/Low-carb recipe I like to make frequently; mostly because it’s great for Jorge and I and the kids LOVE IT!! It’s really easy, too! I don’t have the step-by-step photos (I lost them somewhere while transferring photos from my phone to my harddrive 🙄 ), but you’ll get the gist of it–it’s that easy!

You’ll Need:
2 lbs. ground beef
1 tblsp. Pink Himalayan Salt or sea salt
1/2 tblsp. pepper (I prefer freshly cracked–just something about it!)
1/2 tblsp. lemon pepper
1 tblsp. minced garlic (or 1/2 tblsp. garlic powder)
1 tblsp. dried onion
McCormick Bacon and Chives seasoning (optional, but I really love this seasoning!)
1 baggie of bacon pieces (Great Value, HEB and Oscar Mayer carry these)
1 8oz bag of shredded sharp cheddar, split in half
(optional) 1 can of mushrooms (I don’t do this one since the kids won’t eat it!)

Toppings (optional):
Jalapeño (nacho) slices
Pickle Slices
Diced green onions
Avocado slices
A dollop of sour cream
A dollop of mayo

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350. Brown ground beef and season with sea salt, pepper, lemon pepper, minced garlic (or powder), dried onion and McCormick seasoning. Once ground beef is cooked through, split your ground beef in half and in a 2qt. dish, make a layer of ground beef, (the layer of mushrooms would go next if you’re using them), followed by a layer of bacon pieces and a layer of sharp cheddar. Repeat your layers. Bake for 10 minutes until cheese has melted. Wait about 5 minutes for casserole to “set” and then serve and top with sour cream, jalapeños, green onions, avocado slices, etc. Easy peasy!!