Keto II (1 Viewer)

[SFBayDuck]

My wife went onto some site and baked me keto peanut butter cookies and made some chocolate macadamia nut thing for Valentine's day tonight. She even figured out that the cookies had 4 carbs each and the chocolate was basically 1 carb for 3-4 pieces. 

I had to have 2 cookies and a chocolate piece. I'll be out of ketosis tomorrow won't I. 

As one of the goals of keto is to keep insulin down, and insulin is suppressed during physical activity, the shark move is to eat the cookies and chocolates while having teh secks.  

 

[John Bender]

I love Gyros.  I've been eating a greek salad every day this week with Gyro meat on top at a local restaurant - Apparently, they use breadcrumbs to bind the meat together I found out today.  

 

[SFBayDuck]

I've totally stalled on weight loss the past 4 days.  Been tracking everything on MFP, and staying below or right around my total calories and carb goals.  And I've run or hiked between 30 minutes and 1:45 each day.  Perhaps to be expected after losing 14 pounds in 10 days right out of the gate, but still a little frustrating.  I even mixed in some IF for a couple of days, not eating until after noon, but nothing.  Body comp scale at the exact same weight all week, and the fat pounds number is staying the same +/- 1/2 pound.

Not ready to bail on this or anything as the initial plan was 6 weeks and I'm coming up on the end of week 3, but I hope that I push through this soon and am able to drop at least 5 more in that time.

 

[baymen]

Picked up some chicken meatballs at Costco. No breadcrumbs in them and net zero carbs. Coleman organic is the brand. Made some sauce and added the meatballs then paired them with zucchini noodles. 

Pretty, prettay good. 

Chicken meatballs.

 

[shader]

Is week 2 and 3 typically the “adaptation” phase?  I really should just junk my scale for a few months.  Just irritates me more than anything else.

 

[shader]

I've totally stalled on weight loss the past 4 days.  Been tracking everything on MFP, and staying below or right around my total calories and carb goals.  And I've run or hiked between 30 minutes and 1:45 each day.  Perhaps to be expected after losing 14 pounds in 10 days right out of the gate, but still a little frustrating.  I even mixed in some IF for a couple of days, not eating until after noon, but nothing.  Body comp scale at the exact same weight all week, and the fat pounds number is staying the same +/- 1/2 pound.

Not ready to bail on this or anything as the initial plan was 6 weeks and I'm coming up on the end of week 3, but I hope that I push through this soon and am able to drop at least 5 more in that time.

Seems normal.  There is usually a phase where you don’t lose weight for a week or two I believe. Look at it overall.  3 weeks, 14 pounds lost.  Not bad..

 

[Otis]

Picked up some chicken meatballs at Costco. No breadcrumbs in them and net zero carbs. Coleman organic is the brand. Made some sauce and added the meatballs then paired them with zucchini noodles. 

Pretty, prettay good. 

Chicken meatballs.

Looks awesome.

 

[SFBayDuck]

Seems normal.  There is usually a phase where you don’t lose weight for a week or two I believe. Look at it overall.  3 weeks, 14 pounds lost.  Not bad..

Not planned but I ended up cheating a little this weekend - 3 small pieces of sourdough bread (to dip in the sauce the mussels came in, it was just too good to waste,) on Friday, and a little bit of black beans in my tacos (with romaine lettuce as the shell, that was delicious) last night.  Down 2 1/2 pounds since Friday morning.   

With a couple of restaurant meals over the weekend I didn't try to enter everything in MFP, but obviously ended up over 50g carbs each of the past two days.  Still relatively low carb though, which is where I want to end up at the other end of what I see as a "keto reset" of my diet and metabolism.

 

[John Bender]

Keto meatballs - good! https://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/low-carb-meatballs-alla-parmigiana/

 

[Otis]

Keto meatballs - good! https://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/low-carb-meatballs-alla-parmigiana/

drool 

 

[mr roboto]

I've totally stalled on weight loss the past 4 days.  Been tracking everything on MFP, and staying below or right around my total calories and carb goals.  And I've run or hiked between 30 minutes and 1:45 each day.  Perhaps to be expected after losing 14 pounds in 10 days right out of the gate, but still a little frustrating.  I even mixed in some IF for a couple of days, not eating until after noon, but nothing.  Body comp scale at the exact same weight all week, and the fat pounds number is staying the same +/- 1/2 pound.

Not ready to bail on this or anything as the initial plan was 6 weeks and I'm coming up on the end of week 3, but I hope that I push through this soon and am able to drop at least 5 more in that time.

Drop the running/hiking altogether for a week and see what happens. 

I’m not a fan of daily moderate to strenuous exercise while greatly cutting carbs. 

 

[John Bender]

(a portion of) You guys shouldn't focus so much on weight loss. And for the guys who REALLY struggle with their weight their entire life, you shouldn't even be focusing on macros or my fitness pal IMO.  You should have a rough idea of what things look like carbohydrate wise and just eat that way.

We've heard this 500 times, but it's just a lifestyle change.  Anyway, that's my philosophy.  The dietician I see and I both agreed, that I could be so neurotic that if I tracked food with MFP down to every last quarter carbohydrate, I'd likely just fail in the end (especially if I weighed myself often).  I started last September and have not cheated because there is no need to cheat when it's just the way you eat.  You will lose weight this way, I've lost 60 lbs and no longer need insulin. 

And I basically follow a basic rule list so I don't need to get caught up in counting macros:

Drink a ton of water
No fruit other than berries (and even then sparingly)
Keep sugar free candy in the cupboard for when I am really craving something (The Hershey's minibars they sell at CVS are awesome, and I keep Sugar Free Jolly Ranchers as well - honestly, I don't even eat them often - it's once or twice a week and just a small portion). I don't even mess with the stuff like Halo Top ice cream because I know just having a little bit will turn into me devouring the pint, if not in one sitting, over the course of 3 nights and then I'll be dependent on it.  The Low Carb/Atkins brand fudgicles are found everywhere and do the trick if I REALLY need something (I've had an unopened box in my Freezer for 2 months though because with the way I eat, I don't crave them)
No pasta, rice, flours, grains, sugars (the usual Keto Diet stuff - we all know what it is by now)
Be mindful of high sugar vegetables and eat less or none at all (onions, carrots, beets, root veg, etc)
Always have your go to stuff (the stuff you know you'll never get sick of in the kitchen) for me it's: string cheese, low carb wraps with tuna fish, almonds, pickles and cucumbers
Treat yourself on the weekends, but treat yourself within the confines of the diet.  i.e. the meatball recipe I posted, the pizza recipe I posted for the superbowl, etc.  All that stuff feels like you're eating like the old you - it's rich and full of calories, but it just takes a little bit of effort (researching recipes, going to the store and getting the ingredients, and cooking them).

That's really all I pay attention to and it's stopped me from driving myself crazy on the Atkins or Keto diets of the past.  I tested this morning and I'm still in Keto. EZ

 

[Zegras11]

(a portion of) You guys shouldn't focus so much on weight loss. And for the guys who REALLY struggle with their weight their entire life, you shouldn't even be focusing on macros or my fitness pal IMO.  You should have a rough idea of what things look like carbohydrate wise and just eat that way.

We've heard this 500 times, but it's just a lifestyle change.  Anyway, that's my philosophy.  The dietician I see and I both agreed, that I could be so neurotic that if I tracked food with MFP down to every last quarter carbohydrate, I'd likely just fail in the end (especially if I weighed myself often).  I started last September and have not cheated because there is no need to cheat when it's just the way you eat.  You will lose weight this way, I've lost 60 lbs and no longer need insulin. 

I don't understand how people can do that.  It would drive me crazy.   Glad you are doing well!    I'm at the end of week 2.  Not eating until noon on the weekdays. Small breakfast on the weekends.  Like snacks like pickles, cottage cheese, yogurt around 3 pm.  Lost 12 lbs week 1. 2 lbs this week. Checking only Sun AM.  Had to eat dinner out twice this week showing homes. oh well.   I ate breakfast everyday of my life until 2 weeks ago. I'm having no problem getting to lunch.  Really not even that hungry.

 

[baymen]

@John Bender

Mind sharing what low carb wraps you use?

 

[John Bender]

@John Bender

Mind sharing what low carb wraps you use?

I think the current brand I use are Totura - but there are soooo many of these out right now just go to grocery store and find the ones that have 4 or 5 grams of net carbs.  Usually 11g carb, 7g of Fiber = 4 g net carbs.

You can make sandwiches in them, quesadillas and even small pizzas just right on the stove top.

 

[AcerFC]

OK, so explain how something like this is bad for me to eat. Because Im sure it is

La Banderita Low Carb Soft taco tortilla

81 calories

2 grams total fat

11 g total carb

6 g fiber

for a net 5g of carbs per tortilla

I like these. 

 

[SFBayDuck]

Drop the running/hiking altogether for a week and see what happens. 

I’m not a fan of daily moderate to strenuous exercise while greatly cutting carbs. 

Totally get what you're saying, and in principal agree that it would likely help with the weight loss plateau.  But I'm doing this within the context of training for ultramarathons as a way to 1) quickly lose some initial weight (yes I'm a chubby runner) and 2) increase my body's ability to fuel with fat to reduce the amount of exogenous carbohydrate I need to consume during long efforts.  I knew my training would suffer for a couple of weeks as I transitioned, and it definitely did, but the energy returned in week 3 to near normal levels.  I've also been very careful of keeping things aerobic/moderate using heart rate, and most of my "trail runs" consist of as much or more hiking as running.  But since I'm in the middle of ramping up training right now, I can't really take a week off.  I have put off any planned intensity in training until I'm ready to reintroduce higher levels of carbs strategically around workouts.

 

[John Bender]

I only post recipes of things I've made/tested or created...

I posted a meatball recipe last page that is the best Ive ever had (we had it last night for dinner).  My wife, who is not Keto, thought they were better than most other meatballs she's ever add and happily enjoyed "Zoodles" in place of pasta.  Maybe I'll try to group all the recipes I've either come up with or found and tested in one place if you guys are interested.  Would it be better to have it in the first post or in a new thread or just whatever post in here?  And does anyone really care?

I know it's a pain in the ### to cook but I have a wife who is super super supportive and every weekend (since I cook during the week) will ask me to send her a recipe of whatever I want, go out and shop for the ingredients and cook it - no matter how time consuming it is.  So I've gotten to try a lot of cool Keto recipes.

 

[Tecumseh]

Might as well officially check in. After several fits and starts after the new year, I started keto for real on Feb 8. I'm down about 8 lbs or so since then. I'm sure it would be more, but I eat a metric #### ton of cheese, so my calorie load is probably a little high. Once the water weight is done falling off, I'll check my progress and adjust from there.

Best things I have made so far:

- Fathead pizza

- A kind of fajita chicken with salt, pepper, cumin, peppers and onions, then added jarred queso and salsa verde.

- Parm crisps

- Cauliflower mac and cheese

- Homemade ground pork and turkey meatballs

For quick throw together meals for work, I like to strip down a rotisserie chicken or buy shredded chicken and make a quick chicken salad or buffalo and blue cheese chicken that I'll just throw onto a bed of greens.

I do have a huge sweet tooth, so I bought some Atkins peanut butter cups. I have one of those every day or two, and they do the trick at 2g net carbs.

 

[Tecumseh]

I'd like to see recipes in the first post.

 

[SFBayDuck]

I'd like to see recipes in the first post.

Agreed.

 

[shader]

Travelling is definitely hard.  I've so far had to travel quite a bit since starting for work, and it's been tough.

Like...in a way it's not tough...I mean when you get your meals paid for, you can afford to get a nice ribeye or something substantial (which may be hindering my weight loss a bit, but is keeping me in keto)

But you're definitely faced with temptation much more on the road.  A restaurant is a tough place to be if you're starving.

Fortunately I'm rarely starving which is why this is a great way to eat.

 

[got_nugs]

I only post recipes of things I've made/tested or created...

I posted a meatball recipe last page that is the best Ive ever had (we had it last night for dinner).  My wife, who is not Keto, thought they were better than most other meatballs she's ever add and happily enjoyed "Zoodles" in place of pasta.  Maybe I'll try to group all the recipes I've either come up with or found and tested in one place if you guys are interested.  Would it be better to have it in the first post or in a new thread or just whatever post in here?  And does anyone really care?

I know it's a pain in the ### to cook but I have a wife who is super super supportive and every weekend (since I cook during the week) will ask me to send her a recipe of whatever I want, go out and shop for the ingredients and cook it - no matter how time consuming it is.  So I've gotten to try a lot of cool Keto recipes.

Hmph.  I didn’t know you were married!  

 

[Tecumseh]

Sun-dried tomato meatballs

Recipe

 

[John Bender]

Looks real good Tecumseh. 

Travelling this week from work but was able to follow the plan with no issues. Just had a delicious salad with loads of cucumbers topped with grilled octopus and calamari. 

Unfortunately, I had to sit out the catered lunch however (Italian food). 

 

[pack100]

My wife whipped me up some meatballs for dinner tonight. She served them in a basil alfredo sauce. Good stuff

 

[John Bender]

Here are my recipes that I've either invented, tested from other recipes out there, or tested and adjusted to make them better.  More or less these are original, tested multiple times and (to me) perfected.

@Nugget a few guys mentioned they would like to try to compile recipes on page 1.  I'll put them in spoilers.  Maybe instead of copy and pasting them, just link to this post so I can update it.

Warning - I use a lot of "eyeballing" with measurements since I know my way around the kitchen and can usually measure by eye, or adjust based on what I'm cooking looks like.

TSP = teaspoon, TBS = tablespoon

Gonna have to reformat this post.  All my spoilers are nested and I can't unnest them. Neat board.

BENDER'S KETO SAUSAGE AND BEEF CHILI (and every other ####### recipe I've posted)

Spoiler

- 1 lb Ground Beef (85/15)
- 1 lb hot italian sausage (out of casing)
- 2 tbs olive oil
- half a medium onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- half a small can of diced green chilis
- 1.5 cups of low carb Marinara Sauce (just use Raos)
- 1/2 cup of Beef Broth (I use bone brother) to deglaze
- 2.5 tbs chili powder
- 1.5 tbs cumin
- 1.5 tsp oregano (dried)

Garnishes:
Avocado
Sour Cream
Shredded Sharp Cheddar

1. Throw the meat, onions, garlic and peppers into a pan and cook until all meat is browned (if you want to take your time and brown the meat in small batches to give it more flavor, that's fine, but this is a weeknight, 30 minute recipe)
2. drain the meat/veg mix and return to pan
3. add green chilis, spices and mix well, then add the Worcestershire
4. add the tomato sauce and bring to a light boil
5. drop the heat to low and cover - simmer for anywhere from 5 to 60 mins

I topped with all 3 suggested garnishes.

It makes roughly 6 servings - and each serving is roughly 7.5-8 net carbs (I don't measure, as I mentioned above, but eyeball most items)

Thai Asian Lettuce Wraps


 
- 1 lb. of ground chicken
- 2 tsp of sesame oil
- 2-3 TBS of Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos
- 1 TBS of Sambalt or Chili Garlic Paste (asian section of grocery store)
- 1 tsp of Fish Sauce
- 1 tsp of Rice Vinegar
- 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
- about half a package of white mushrooms - cut into small pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1-2 tsp of grated ginger
- optional - Slivered almonds to top
- optional - Siracha to top
- 1 head of bibb lettuce (romaine works too but Bibb lettuce wraps easiest)

1. put sesame oil in frying pan and heat, add bell pepper and ground chicken - break apart chicken until browned through
2. drain the extra liquid and return to pan
3. add onion, mushrooms, ginger - saute for a few mins
4. add all the liquids, garlic powder, and chili garlic paste and saute for a few mins
5. scoop into bibb lettuce wraps and top with slivered almonds and siracha

Keto Italian Meatballs

Spoiler

- 1.5 lbs of ground beef or preferable meatloaf mix (ground pork, veal and beef)
- 2 TBS fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup of grated parm
- 1/2 cup of almond flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- 1 tsp dried onion flakes
- 1/4 tsp of dried oregano
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup of warm water - you have to eyeball it, start with 1/4 cup, if it looks good, leave it, if it's too dry, add the other 1/4 cup

1. combine all and mix well in large bowl
2. fry in olive oil for 5-10 mins until crispy for better texture (you can skip this step)
3. transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 15 mins if you fried them, 20 mins if you didn't
OPTIONAL step - after putting in baking sheet, top each meatball w a 1bs of low sugar marinara sauce and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top - this is the preferred method and really not optional in my opinion but it's fine without it as well

Asian Beef Chow Mein

Spoiler

Ingredients:
Half head of cabbage - sliced VERY thin (as close to matchstick consistency as possible)
One red bell pepper - sliced very thin into matchsticks
4-5 tbs Coconut oil - you could do butter instead, but I've tested butter, coconut oil and olive oil and coconut oil is the winner - it adds a sweetness (yet has zero carbs) that I really enjoy
2 tbs - White Wine Vinegar (I tried rice wine vinegar but preferred this)
1 tbs - Sesame Oil (you can add more but I personally dont like very pronounced sesame oil flavor)
3 tbs - soy sauce
1 tbs - grated ginger
1 tbs - Sambal paste or Chili garlic sauce (you can find this in every grocer now)
2 cloves garlic - minced
3 scallions - chopped fine
1.5 lbs - lean ground beef
OPTIONAL - I've never tried this, but I think some thin sliced mushrooms could be added to this as well, or water chestnuts, or celery to make it more chow mein style

Direction

Slice the cabbage and pepper really thin, melt half of the coconut oil (it usually comes coagulate in a jar).  Saute the cabbage and red bell pepper for about 15 minutes (be sure to salt the cabbage in the beginning).  Use tongs to really soften it up, you want it to be "noodles" basically.  Do NOT brown it, but you want it to get extremely soggy/soft - it's just better this way.  When its about at its maximum softness add the White Wine Vinegar, salt and pepper, the sesame oil, and 1 tbs of the soy sauce.  Saute another minute.

Remove from pan.

Add the rest of the coconut oil to the pain, the garlic, green onion, and the ginger and cook for no more than about 90 seconds, then add your beef, break it up until completely browned.  DRAIN it - it's way too fatty if you dont drain it.  I dont use a strainer either, a plate with 4 layers of paper towels is better so you dont lose your onion and garlic. Put the beef back in the pan and add the rest of the Soy Sauce, Sambal Paste and ground pepper.  Stir quickly and add back the cabbage.  

Toss it all together and serve - I top with Siracha if you like it spicy.  I also think, topping with slivered almonds might be pretty damn good but the cabbage stays crunchy enough so you dont need it. 

My wife who is not Keto but loves chinese food loves this.  It's basically a 100x better version of a chow mein dish.  I think adding mushrooms and celery would definitely be cool but I love cabbage and dont want to overdue it on the veg.

This is what it looks like (sorry it's in Tupperware) https://i.imgur.com/6B9MoVR.jpg

Keto Pizza Bites (these are super addictive)

Spoiler

Low moisture part skim mozzarella cheese (sliced or shredded, doesn't really matter)

Tomato sauce

Pepperoni or other pizza toppings of choice

Preheat oven to 350°F and take out a nonstick muffin tray or two.

Place about 0.4 ounces of cheese (about 1/2 T) on the bottom of each muffin hole. Top with 1/2 T of tomato sauce and place 2 pepperonis in each "muffin." Top with another 0.4 ounces of cheese or 1/2 T of cheese.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the bottoms are slightly crisped. Let rest for 5 minutes and enjoy!

adding more tonight as I go through my recipe book

Keto Indian Butter Chicken over Cauliflower Rice

Spoiler

This one was a big winner.  It's almost exactly the same as a recipe I found online with very minor adjustments, so no credit to me for this one.
It's also super quick and simple to make

-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (could use thighs instead)
-1 package "steam in a bag" Cauliflower Rice
-1 cup heavy cream
-2 TBS butter
-1.5 TBS tomato paste
-2 cloves garlic, diced
-1/4 of a medium onion, diced
-1.5 tsp turmeric
-1 tsp ground ginger
-1 tsp salt
-3/4 tsp chili powder
-1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon

1. mix the spices together
2. cube up the chicken and toss it in with the spices, rubbing each piece and let sit for 1-20 minutes
3. skillet to medium and melt the butter, add onions and garlic and cook until translucent
4. increase pan heat to med. high and add the chicken
5. cook until almost totally cooked through
6. add cream and tomato paste and stir around until the paste is complete absorbed into the cream
7. heat to med. low, and cover, cook 7 mins
8. remove lid and cook another 2 mins to thicken sauce
9. serve over cauliflower rice.

Can add chopped cilantro to garnish.  

This is VERY good, VERY easy and VERY satisfying.  
Makes 4 servings, 6 grams of net carbs per serving.

I really encourage anyone who likes indian food to give this a try.  It's the best thing I've had on this diet (I love indian cuisine)



Spoiler

 

[Nugget]

Here are my recipes that I've either invented, tested from other recipes out there, or tested and adjusted to make them better.  More or less these are original, tested multiple times and (to me) perfected.

@Nugget a few guys mentioned they would like to try to compile recipes on page 1.  I'll put them in spoilers.  Maybe instead of copy and pasting them, just link to this post so I can update it.

Warning - I use a lot of "eyeballing" with measurements since I know my way around the kitchen and can usually measure by eye, or adjust based on what I'm cooking looks like.

TSP = teaspoon, TBS = tablespoon

Thai Asian Lettuce Wraps

Spoiler

- 1 lb. of ground chicken
- 2 tsp of sesame oil
- 2-3 TBS of Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos
- 1 TBS of Sambalt or Chili Garlic Paste (asian section of grocery store)
- 1 tsp of Fish Sauce
- 1 tsp of Rice Vinegar
- 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
- about half a package of white mushrooms - cut into small pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1-2 tsp of grated ginger
- optional - Slivered almonds to top
- optional - Siracha to top
- 1 head of bibb lettuce (romaine works too but Bibb lettuce wraps easiest)

1. put sesame oil in frying pan and heat, add bell pepper and ground chicken - break apart chicken until browned through
2. drain the extra liquid and return to pan
3. add onion, mushrooms, ginger - saute for a few mins
4. add all the liquids, garlic powder, and chili garlic paste and saute for a few mins
5. scoop into bibb lettuce wraps and top with slivered almonds and siracha

Keto Italian Meatballs

Spoiler

- 1.5 lbs of ground beef or preferable meatloaf mix (ground pork, veal and beef)
- 2 TBS fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup of grated parm
- 1/2 cup of almond flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- 1 tsp dried onion flakes
- 1/4 tsp of dried oregano
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup of warm water - you have to eyeball it, start with 1/4 cup, if it looks good, leave it, if it's too dry, add the other 1/4 cup

1. combine all and mix well in large bowl
2. fry in olive oil for 5-10 mins until crispy for better texture (you can skip this step)
3. transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 15 mins if you fried them, 20 mins if you didn't
OPTIONAL step - after putting in baking sheet, top each meatball w a 1bs of low sugar marinara sauce and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top - this is the preferred method and really not optional in my opinion but it's fine without it as well

Asian Beef Chow Mein

Spoiler

Ingredients:
Half head of cabbage - sliced VERY thin (as close to matchstick consistency as possible)
One red bell pepper - sliced very thin into matchsticks
4-5 tbs Coconut oil - you could do butter instead, but I've tested butter, coconut oil and olive oil and coconut oil is the winner - it adds a sweetness (yet has zero carbs) that I really enjoy
2 tbs - White Wine Vinegar (I tried rice wine vinegar but preferred this)
1 tbs - Sesame Oil (you can add more but I personally dont like very pronounced sesame oil flavor)
3 tbs - soy sauce
1 tbs - grated ginger
1 tbs - Sambal paste or Chili garlic sauce (you can find this in every grocer now)
2 cloves garlic - minced
3 scallions - chopped fine
1.5 lbs - lean ground beef
OPTIONAL - I've never tried this, but I think some thin sliced mushrooms could be added to this as well, or water chestnuts, or celery to make it more chow mein style

Direction

Slice the cabbage and pepper really thin, melt half of the coconut oil (it usually comes coagulate in a jar).  Saute the cabbage and red bell pepper for about 15 minutes (be sure to salt the cabbage in the beginning).  Use tongs to really soften it up, you want it to be "noodles" basically.  Do NOT brown it, but you want it to get extremely soggy/soft - it's just better this way.  When its about at its maximum softness add the White Wine Vinegar, salt and pepper, the sesame oil, and 1 tbs of the soy sauce.  Saute another minute.

Remove from pan.

Add the rest of the coconut oil to the pain, the garlic, green onion, and the ginger and cook for no more than about 90 seconds, then add your beef, break it up until completely browned.  DRAIN it - it's way too fatty if you dont drain it.  I dont use a strainer either, a plate with 4 layers of paper towels is better so you dont lose your onion and garlic. Put the beef back in the pan and add the rest of the Soy Sauce, Sambal Paste and ground pepper.  Stir quickly and add back the cabbage.  

Toss it all together and serve - I top with Siracha if you like it spicy.  I also think, topping with slivered almonds might be pretty damn good but the cabbage stays crunchy enough so you dont need it. 

My wife who is not Keto but loves chinese food loves this.  It's basically a 100x better version of a chow mein dish.  I think adding mushrooms and celery would definitely be cool but I love cabbage and dont want to overdue it on the veg.

This is what it looks like (sorry it's in Tupperware) https://i.imgur.com/6B9MoVR.jpg

Keto Pizza Bites (these are super addictive)

Spoiler

Low moisture part skim mozzarella cheese (sliced or shredded, doesn't really matter)

Tomato sauce

Pepperoni or other pizza toppings of choice

Preheat oven to 350°F and take out a nonstick muffin tray or two.

Place about 0.4 ounces of cheese (about 1/2 T) on the bottom of each muffin hole. Top with 1/2 T of tomato sauce and place 2 pepperonis in each "muffin." Top with another 0.4 ounces of cheese or 1/2 T of cheese.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the bottoms are slightly crisped. Let rest for 5 minutes and enjoy!

adding more tonight as I go through my recipe book

Link to recipes in the first post.

 

[Peak]

Ran this for a week in Feb and lost 10lbs.  For the last 3 weeks I've been watching what I eat, but not as strict and levelled out at 215.  Need to force myself back into this again.  When I'm stressed, my habit is to just pick up something and eat.  I'm trying to fix that, but it's a rough go.  Work and Family lives aren't balancing and I'm constantly stressed out.  I noticed that while I begin the process, the first couple of days try my patience and I have a short fuse with everything, which in turns impacts my family situation causing more stress.  I know it sounds like excuses, but it's what I'm living in right now.  Really rough to keep this going. 

 

[Craig_MiamiFL]

8/5/17: Been really strict on this since March 2  Down 107 pounds (285->178) in those 5 months. I had no plans to re-weigh myself again til end of year but am visiting the folks and they forced me to look at scale when I jumped on it. Knew had lost a lot and figured down to 200-225 but was pretty amazed with the results. Went from eating LOTS of carbs/rice/sugary drinks + lifting heavy weights/low reps to Keto + 2-3 hrs hiking/everyday + lighter weights/heavy reps.

 First day was a ##### with caffeine withdrawal but the easiest diet I've ever been on. Diet consists of LOTS of water, sugar free lemonade, hot/parmesean wings and breasts, lots of meat, hot dog+melted cheese slice+shredded lettuce+hot sauce, caesar salads, sugar free parfaits/whipped cream and pork rinds + dipping sauce when in mood for something crunchy.

Celebrate 1 year Ketoversary (?) today  . Can't believe a year has gone by. Eating lately has mostly consisted of  Buffalo wings,Turkey Sausage, Lettuce & Parmesan Cheese, Parmesan Crisps/Pepperonis, Hot Dogs, Sugar Free Jello Parfaits, and lots of ice water & sugar free lemonade. Those Parmesan Crisps are addicting.   

Have weighed myself 3 times over the year. Next weigh-in probably in August. Goal is 155. Will probably have cut out some of my consumption to get there but that's the plan. Hoping to do a few trail runs when weekend schedule frees up in August. I would say the biggest differences I've noticed is the increased energy and how much better I sleep.

March 2 2017: 285

Aug 5 2017: 178

Dec 28 2017: 167

JohnBender had a great post on Feb 18. Agree with all he said with approach and sustaining. 

 

[Zegras11]

ending week 4 of IF.  Mondays I go 18 hours to 4pm.   Tu-Fr 14 hours to noon.   Very light meals if I have something to do in the AM.   Down 16 lbs. Hopefully broke through a plateau this morning.

 

[Gachi]

I'm down 25 pounds this year. 

I lift 3 times a week, my shoulders/arms are starting to tone up nicely. 

I'm gonna be so friggin' sexy by Christmas.

 

[John Bender]

Making Keto Indian Butter Chicken tonight for those that like it. If the recipe turns out OK, will post here. Smells promising. 

Recipe added to my post above.  10/10.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

starting this up again

last year after the superbowl I did well and dropped liked 20 lbs...then summer hit and the beer drinking got the best of me.....

I'm about 5 days in......and I'm really jonesin...kids just got pizza......must stay strong....had a salad.....sigh

btw Ive done OK, eating fruits like grapes and tomatos  bananas and oranges

 

[John Bender]

starting this up again

last year after the superbowl I did well and dropped liked 20 lbs...then summer hit and the beer drinking got the best of me.....

I'm about 5 days in......and I'm really jonesin...kids just got pizza......must stay strong....had a salad.....sigh

btw Ive done OK, eating fruits like grapes and tomatos  bananas and oranges

Bananas on this diet?  You might as well eat a candy bar.  And I'm not being a smart ### but oranges and especially bananas are not ok for Keto.  Maybe you're just doing the version that works for you but it wouldn't be keto.

You can have berries in small quantities.

 

[AcerFC]

Officially hit 20 pounds lost yesterday. Not bad for 2 months. 

After reading about the fasting, I have gone to 12-8 every day for the past 2 weeks. 

Not sure how much longer I'll stay with it though.   a quick look back at the Otis contest from last year only puts me at a few pound difference and I ate whatever i wanted to. This was never going to be a permanent thing for me.

 

[ragincajun]

Ok ladies, i’m In.

 

[pack100]

Celebrate 1 year Ketoversary (?) today  . Can't believe a year has gone by. Eating lately has mostly consisted of  Buffalo wings,Turkey Sausage, Lettuce & Parmesan Cheese, Parmesan Crisps/Pepperonis, Hot Dogs, Sugar Free Jello Parfaits, and lots of ice water & sugar free lemonade. Those Parmesan Crisps are addicting.   

Have weighed myself 3 times over the year. Next weigh-in probably in August. Goal is 155. Will probably have cut out some of my consumption to get there but that's the plan. Hoping to do a few trail runs when weekend schedule frees up in August. I would say the biggest differences I've noticed is the increased energy and how much better I sleep.

March 2 2017: 285

Aug 5 2017: 178

Dec 28 2017: 167

JohnBender had a great post on Feb 18. Agree with all he said with approach and sustaining. 

Holy crap!!!! This is incredible. Keep it up.

 

[pack100]

I have been eating Keto since September 4th

Starting weight: 255

Current Weight : 203

4 pounds until under two hundred for the first time since 1999

17 pounds until goal

 

[shader]

First month in the books.  Started on Feb 5 at 224.5, weighed in today at 213.  

After 3 weeks I had a week-long training course where I knew I was going to be unable to go keto.  I knew that from day 1, so I made a "contract" with myself that for that one week I'd eat "bad" for one hour at lunch and then eat keto the rest of the day.  Definitely delayed weight loss, but I didn't seem to really gain weight.  In any event, I'm back on the train now hardcore and am relatively content with 11.5 pounds lost in the first month.  I feel it would have been closer to 15 if I hadn't had that week in the middle.

A bit disappointing.  I remember going paleo once about 5-6 years ago and losing 20 pounds in a month, so I guess as I'm getting older it's taking longer for the weight to come off.  But hey I'm not going to be disappointed just yet, especially when I cheated right in the middle of the month.

I'm starting to hit the extreme "boredom" phase.  Last night I was not prepared for dinner so ran up to the store.  Literally nothing looked good.  Nothing.  So I went home, made me a coffee with full cream (I knew I was gonna stay up late last night), and then had a handful of almonds late last night.  

I flat out refuse to eat stuff that I find revolting.  Which knocks out MOST salads.  I also have developed a distaste for "fast-food" burgers with no bun, a typical go-to for on the go Keto folks.

 

[shader]

I was wondering if any of you can give me your thoughts on this chili recipe:

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/25370/habanero-hellfire-chili/

It's literally my favorite chili of all-time, even surpassing the Judge Smails legendary chili.  One reason is that I love spicy chili and this is insanely spicy.

My thoughts are that I need to cut the amount of tomatoes in half, eliminate the beans, add in extra meat, and replace the beer with a tad more water and then a few shots of Jack Daniels to get some of that flavoring.

Any concerns with any of the other ingredients?  I'd imagine peppers are practically all you can eat?  

 

[Zegras11]

Day 30.  down 20.

starting to actually see the results.

Not hungry at all in the mornings. Still weekdays I eat at noon to 1pm.  One of the days eat at 4pm.   That's 14 to 18 hours without eating.  Weekends just have scrambled eggs for breakfast and light lunch and dinner.  Snacking on pickles and yogurt and strawberries.

My energy level is way up. Only had 5 hours sleep last night and I'm fine.  My goal was to drop 50 by my WSOP event on May 31.  At this pace, I'll shatter it.

 

[John Bender]

Ok - I've fine tuned a chili recipe to just the way I like it and that is still low on carbs.

I'll post here than add to my post above with my created and tested recipes.

This is another VERY good recipe. If you like chili, you will not miss the beans. I really encourage you trying it.  It only takes 30 mins to make, great for a week night

KETO SAUSAGE AND BEEF CHILI

- 1 lb Ground Beef (85/15)
- 1 lb hot italian sausage (out of casing)
- 2 tbs olive oil
- half a medium onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- half a small can of diced green chilis
- 1.5 cups of low carb Marinara Sauce (just use Raos)
- 1/2 cup of Beef Broth (I use bone brother) to deglaze
- 2.5 tbs chili powder
- 1.5 tbs cumin
- 1.5 tsp oregano (dried)

Garnishes:
Avocado
Sour Cream
Shredded Sharp Cheddar

1. Throw the meat, onions, garlic and peppers into a pan and cook until all meat is browned (if you want to take your time and brown the meat in small batches to give it more flavor, that's fine, but this is a weeknight, 30 minute recipe)
2. drain the meat/veg mix and return to pan
3. add green chilis, spices and mix well, then add the Worcestershire
4. add the tomato sauce and bring to a light boil
5. drop the heat to low and cover - simmer for anywhere from 5 to 60 mins

I topped with all 3 suggested garnishes.

It makes roughly 6 servings - and each serving is roughly 7.5-8 net carbs (I don't measure, as I mentioned above, but eyeball most items)

 

[pack100]

First month in the books.  Started on Feb 5 at 224.5, weighed in today at 213.  

After 3 weeks I had a week-long training course where I knew I was going to be unable to go keto.  I knew that from day 1, so I made a "contract" with myself that for that one week I'd eat "bad" for one hour at lunch and then eat keto the rest of the day.  Definitely delayed weight loss, but I didn't seem to really gain weight.  In any event, I'm back on the train now hardcore and am relatively content with 11.5 pounds lost in the first month.  I feel it would have been closer to 15 if I hadn't had that week in the middle.

A bit disappointing.  I remember going paleo once about 5-6 years ago and losing 20 pounds in a month, so I guess as I'm getting older it's taking longer for the weight to come off.  But hey I'm not going to be disappointed just yet, especially when I cheated right in the middle of the month.

I'm starting to hit the extreme "boredom" phase.  Last night I was not prepared for dinner so ran up to the store.  Literally nothing looked good.  Nothing.  So I went home, made me a coffee with full cream (I knew I was gonna stay up late last night), and then had a handful of almonds late last night.  

I flat out refuse to eat stuff that I find revolting.  Which knocks out MOST salads.  I also have developed a distaste for "fast-food" burgers with no bun, a typical go-to for on the go Keto folks.

I went through a phase similar to this. I just found food not very enjoyable. Plus I am never hungry so I eat because I have to. If i looked at an egg I could vomit. But I have to eat. I started mixing in some kielbasa, Italian sausage, taco meat and experimenting with different cheeses. Started buttering and cooking pecans so they taste awesome. Started intermittent fasting and just eat twice a day. Variety has helped. Food is becoming more of a necessity than a want. I think this is good for me. Keep it up!

 

[Bull Dozier]

Starting this back up today.  I was off for the last several month as I was coaching basketball, and between my schedule, the kids schedule, and spending most weekends in a gym all day just wasn't condusive to being able to stay on plan.  I'm not coaching anymore, so staying on plan is a lot easier.

Need to go back and do some reading and recollection of what my go to snacks were so I can restock the house.

 

[Binky The Doormat]

Rave Sashayed‏ @_sashayed Mar 10

anything can be paleo if you eat it with your hands while crouching in the dark

 

[AcerFC]

My wife made a pizza crust for me last night that was a million times better than the cauliflower

Canned chicken, egg and parmesan cheese. 

Was so awesome. 

 

[Hov34]

 

[joker]

In the last week I've had the cauliflower rice as a substitute for mashed potatoes in a dish, and then substituted as the rice in a shrimp skillet dish. Both times it was awesome and close enough to the real thing that I have zero issues substituting it. I know it's not for everyone, but for me it's totally in my wheelhouse.

 

[Bull Dozier]

In the last week I've had the cauliflower rice as a substitute for mashed potatoes in a dish, and then substituted as the rice in a shrimp skillet dish. Both times it was awesome and close enough to the real thing that I have zero issues substituting it. I know it's not for everyone, but for me it's totally in my wheelhouse.

I do a lot of cauliflower rice as well.  I have a box of frozen mashed cauliflower in the freezer I have yet to try.  I love mashed potatoes, and I doubt this is going to be a very good substitute, but I am hoping for the best.