January Nutritional Ketosis...Are you in the zone?

[shelley]

Originally Posted by Yvonnem2000

Shelley, is the Skaldeman book Lose Weight by Eating? Searching on Amazon, want to make sure I found the right one. Thanks.

That's the one....ships out of England I believe....says to expect 4-8 weeks for delivery, but mine took 2 weeks.

I also pre=ordered the recipe book Skaldeman will release this spring to get the "set price" as I assume the price will probably go up.

ETA....both books were ordered on amazon

[MerryKate]

Checking in..0.8 ketones and 85 bs this morning, so I'm still in the Zone, despite a rough week (lotsa tummy troubles). I have a long weekend to look forward to, so tomorrow I'm heading to the gym, where I intend to lounge in the sauna like a sloth. After doing my weight training, of course. ;D

[UnstrungHarp]

Originally Posted by shelley

That's the one....ships out of England I believe....says to expect 4-8 weeks for delivery, but mine took 2 weeks.

I also pre=ordered the recipe book Skaldeman will release this spring to get the "set price" as I assume the price will probably go up.

ETA....both books were ordered on amazon

I got the free sample on Kindle (well, the Kindle app for iPad; I don't have a Kindle) and read it yesterday. I liked it but was afraid that the book was going to end up being heavy on recipes and light on science. I am not a cook and only rarely eat something made with ingredients as opposed to being an ingredient... ha ha.

But...the Kindle version is only $8.39, and it will be worth it if there's plenty of info about the whole "this won't work for 1 in 4 women" thing.

[UnstrungHarp]

Originally Posted by MerryKate

Checking in..0.8 ketones and 85 bs this morning, so I'm still in the Zone, despite a rough week (lotsa tummy troubles). I have a long weekend to look forward to, so tomorrow I'm heading to the gym, where I intend to lounge in the sauna like a sloth. After doing my weight training, of course. ;D

I've never been in a sauna but just wanted to say that sounds amazing!! I've been freezing around the house lately and have been daydreaming about shutting myself up in the bathroom with a space heater and electric blanket.

Hope your tummy troubles are getting better!

[BigRunner]

Good morning everyone.

Weight: 201 --> 199 --> 198 --> 198 --> 197 --> 197 --> 196--> 197.5--> 195.5
BK: 2.1 --> 2.8 --> 3.2 --> 2.8 --> 2.6 --> 2.2 --> 2.4--> 1.7 --> 3.0

Obviously, this is not a rigorous scientific experiment, but a couple of items that I am paying more attention to:
1. Non dairy creamer - I know this is chemical crap. Since I have given up artificial sweeteners, all I drink is coffee and water. At home, I drink my canned coconut milk creamer stuff. However, when I am out, I can not bring myself (yet) to drink my coffee black. So, I have used the non dairy creamer from the liquid dispenser. Both times, I have used it my ketones were much lower the next day (with food basically being the same).
2. Mixed vegetables. The rest of the family is not eating anything close to how I am eating. Sometimes I just do as best I can with what has been made. A couple of times had a good sized serving of mixed vegetables that seems to correlate with a downturn in ketones (not nearly as drastic as the creamer). The mixed vegetables include: corn, peas, carrots, and green beans. Normally, I don't ever have corn. The good news from this is that in the future I could have a "reasonable" serving of sweet potatoes and have a similar reaction.. maybe.
3. Just an observation: If I am not weighing my protein, my "eyeballing" skills are very poor. For now, I will be weighing the protein portions. It's not a big deal since for now that is all I am keeping track of.

[UnstrungHarp]

Today's update! Don't want to get too excited, but this is my third consecutive day of a slight drop on the scale. The info below starts with the day I started using the new digital scale (January 21).

Weight
145.2 --> 146 --> 145.8 --> 145.6 --> 145.2

Ketones
1.9 --> 1.9 --> 2.7 --> 1.9 --> 3.2

Today's reading is my second highest ketone reading ever (I had a 3.5 once). Had a great leg workout yesterday afternoon and am feeling a little sore today.

Also, I've been feeling like I might be fighting off a cold or something for the past few days...waking up with a sore throat that kind of tapers off throughout the day. My sinuses are neither congested nor runny, but they kind of "hurt." The day before yesterday, I started feeling really bad, no way to describe it other than kind of flu-like...tired/can't focus on work/just want to lie down/can't get comfortable/a feeling of dread ("Oh no, I'm coming down with something!!"). But it came and went during that afternoon... now I just feel the sore throat and sinus pain. I had this exact thing happen several weeks ago around the time that it seemed our whole town had the flu. I'd like to think that all this is just a sign that my immune system is doing a great job of fighting off bugs, thanks to NK. That in itself is a good enough reason to keep going!

[mom2zeke]

everyone! I've been trying to keep up, but I haven't been able to post much.

Congrats on the losses Lindsay & Bigrunner!

I seem to be back in the .8ish range of morning ketones, weight hovering between 145 and 147. I guess a 4 pound range is normal so 2 pounds isn't so bad.

My goal is to set my diet on automatic while trying to take care of other things that are pressing right now (work, finances, taxes).

Sunday marks 5 months since I hit goal using NK! Starting Monday I'm going to every other day testing ketones. Hopefully I can continue with my success so far.

[portcop01]

Skaldeman book I just down loaded it,,great book!

[Deb34]

Just thought I'd post that I've discovered that I hate the taste and smell of commercial mayo now. I've been a devoted Hellmans eater for a couple of decades now but since starting to get into NK or close, I can't stand the rancid smell or taste of even my beloved Hellmans. I'm guessing that my scent and taste receptors have been 'cleared' by this hi fat WOE, and i'm getting the true smell and taste that was always there but not distinguishable by me.

So, tonight I have to find a super easy home made mayo recipe using olive oil instead of that nasty canola. What a horrible rancidness! I can't believe I've been eating it for so long and thinking it was delicious!

anybody have a foolproof delicious super easy mayo I can make with my stick blender? thanks ahead of time..I'll check out the recipes pages too

[shelley]

Originally Posted by portcop01

Skaldeman book I just down loaded it,,great book!

Glad you also liked it...me too....helped my brain understand.

I think you are leaving tomorrow...with your goal weight in hand. Congratulations!! Have a wonderful time!

[UnstrungHarp]

Originally Posted by mom2zeke

everyone! I've been trying to keep up, but I haven't been able to post much.

Congrats on the losses Lindsay & Bigrunner!

I seem to be back in the .8ish range of morning ketones, weight hovering between 145 and 147. I guess a 4 pound range is normal so 2 pounds isn't so bad.

My goal is to set my diet on automatic while trying to take care of other things that are pressing right now (work, finances, taxes).

Sunday marks 5 months since I hit goal using NK! Starting Monday I'm going to every other day testing ketones. Hopefully I can continue with my success so far.

Thanks

Congrats to you too, on your successful 5-month-anniversary! Testing every other day at this point sounds like a smart thing to do. By now, you mostly know what will kick you out of ketosis...plus you know what it takes to get back into it!! And it will be half as expensive...

[KnotDreams]

I apologize for appearing on the forum and then promptly disappearing. I didn't feel like I had anything meaningful to report yet.

Using the keto calculator suggested earlier in this thread, I came up with macronutrient goals of 100g each of protein and fat, and 25g of carb for 1400daily calories. That seemed like a reasonable starting point, but it's proving to be harder than I'd guessed. I made fat bombs, but have moved them to the freezer in the basement because they're just too tempting and really bump up the fat total. It's not as hard to control protein and carb levels, but this is a work in progress.

My free ketone meter arrived yesterday, but I admit it's a bit intimidating. I'm still waiting on the strips I ordered from CVS to arrive. And then I think I will still wait a few days to test, or at least until the urine strips are changing color.

I thought I was well on the way to ketosis until we went to dinner last night with neighbors. (Two glasses of wine and a slice of crusty bread were certainly not on the plan. I tried to order as low-carb as possible, but restaurant meals are hard to pin down nutritionally.)

No low-carb flu to report, but I did feel quite tired after doing some weight lifting at the "Y" yesterday. Had planned to do some interavals on the arc trainer afterward, but ended up quitting after 5 minutes and just did 10 minutes on a stationary rowing machine instead.

Not much going on this weekend, so I'm planning to really watch the carbs and protein levels, and maybe not worry if fat goes a bit over until I achieve that "magic place" of ketosis.

Thanks for being patient with me as I try to get this all sorted out. Have a great weekend!

Karen

[KnotDreams]

Originally Posted by Deb34

Just thought I'd post that I've discovered that I hate the taste and smell of commercial mayo now.
So, tonight I have to find a super easy home made mayo recipe using olive oil instead of that nasty canola. What a horrible rancidness! I can't believe I've been eating it for so long and thinking it was delicious!

anybody have a foolproof delicious super easy mayo I can make with my stick blender? thanks ahead of time..I'll check out the recipes pages too

I've made mayo twice using a recipe from "Buttoni" who posts often here on LCF's. If you do an advanced search on her posts with mayo in the search line you can find her, and she gives her recipe blog site address in her signature. The recipe is basically egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and light olive oil. I made it using a mixer, but I imagine a stick blender would work fine. I think it's quite tasty, and I only use the Hellman's now if I run out of the homemade.

(Sorry for the round-about way of giving you the recipe. I really don't know what the rules are on what we can post from other sites...)

Good luck!
-Karen

[portcop01]

Thanks Shelley I leave Sunday.im so excited.my weight is 154.6 after reading that book ill be very careful in PR eating fat and meat mostly..I no I'm going to have a rum and diet coke rum has no carbs but it will burn before fat or protein does but that's ok I just don't want to feel bad..

[MerryKate]

Originally Posted by KnotDreams

No low-carb flu to report, but I did feel quite tired after doing some weight lifting at the "Y" yesterday.

Welcome back! The low carb flu is a pretty good indicator if you're getting keto-adapted. If you haven't felt it, you're probably not there yet. It takes at least 2 days on induction-level carbs to deplete the glycogen stored in your liver, and that's when the symptoms start kicking in. It's a great motivator for sticking with low-carb...knowing you're signing on for feeling fluish for 3 days if you binge on carbs is a great deterrent.

If you can, stay away from restaurants until you're fully keto-adapted. There are so many hidden carbs you never know what you're really eating.

Originally Posted by KnotDreams

Thanks for being patient with me as I try to get this all sorted out. Have a great weekend!

You too! Stick with it, and you'll get there. The first days are hardest, but once your past day 3 your appetite will drop off and it gets easy.

[MerryKate]

Originally Posted by UnstrungHarp

I've never been in a sauna but just wanted to say that sounds amazing!! Hope your tummy troubles are getting better!

My tummy is finally back to normal (PTL!) and we had a warm day for once, so I didn't get to the sauna. Our local gym has both a wet and a dry sauna, so on days when I can't face the rain and clouds, I hang out there. Now I wish I could have one at home!

My ketones were down slightly this morning to 0.5, which I think was due to being on the slightly high side with both protein and carbs. It might also have been due to my eating a "low carb" tortilla for dinner - I don't entirely trust those things, as much as I love the convenience of them. There's a part of me that cannot believe they've somehow decarbed wheat. :/ I got a tortilla press for Christmas, so I'm going to go try making some low-carb tortillas for dinner tonight. At least I'll know for sure what's in the them.

Portcop, have fun in Puerto Rico!

[JMCM1]

Originally Posted by Deb34

Just thought I'd post that I've discovered that I hate the taste and smell of commercial mayo now. I've been a devoted Hellmans eater for a couple of decades now but since starting to get into NK or close, I can't stand the rancid smell or taste of even my beloved Hellmans. I'm guessing that my scent and taste receptors have been 'cleared' by this hi fat WOE, and i'm getting the true smell and taste that was always there but not distinguishable by me.

So, tonight I have to find a super easy home made mayo recipe using olive oil instead of that nasty canola. What a horrible rancidness! I can't believe I've been eating it for so long and thinking it was delicious!

anybody have a foolproof delicious super easy mayo I can make with my stick blender? thanks ahead of time..I'll check out the recipes pages too

This was posted by solarpluvia in the "High Fat, Low to Moderate Protein Recipes?"
I've made it several times (I cut it in half) and I really like this recipe.

Easy Two Egg Mayonaise

2 large eggs (at room temperature!)
2 Tbsp vinegar (I prefer plain cheap white)
1 Tbsp dijon mustard (more or less, to taste)
dashes of salt and pepper
2 Cups oil of choice
(I use light olive regularly, but I've switched in MCT oil and macadamia nut oil for about 1/2 a cup sometimes. The MCT makes it emulsify less well, but I've got a bunch to use up. But I didn't like the mac oil even at less than a quarter, so I've stayed away from other nut oils as well. I don't want my mayo to taste nutty, it tastes wrong to me but YMMV.)

For stick blender: Add ingredients in order to vessel of choice (I use a quart size mason jar so that I don't have to move the mayo). Put the stick in all the way to the bottom, turn it on and hold it there for about 20 seconds, until you can see the emulsion has taken over the bottom of the jar. Then move it up and down until all of the oil is incorporated.

For other methods: I wish you all of the luck I never had.

Note: Per the cookbook Nourishing Traditions, I also add about 2 Tbsp of whey from yogurt or sour cream at the end and let it sit a while on the counter, but this is totally optional. The whey is for durability and adding a bit of lacto-fermentation is never a bad thing.

About light olive oils, if they aren't processed with hexane, that fact will probably be somewhere on the label. Non-hexane processed light olive oil may be a little more golden, but it tastes just as neutral as the hexane processed stuff. And if you can't find a non-hexane processed oil, you're probably still better off using light olive oil than any other similarly priced oil simply because of the fatty acid profile. Everything else has signifigantly more PUFAs.

[UnstrungHarp]

Originally Posted by KnotDreams

My free ketone meter arrived yesterday, but I admit it's a bit intimidating. I'm still waiting on the strips I ordered from CVS to arrive. And then I think I will still wait a few days to test, or at least until the urine strips are changing color.

Don't worry - a lot of us were intimidated by the meter at first! Not sure if you were talking about the idea of pricking your own finger... but that's what intimidated me (and several others here, according to their stories). I was too afraid to do the first prick myself, so I had my husband do it. He was laughing at me because I had "turned green." (And I have to get multiple vials of my blood drawn frequently by a nurse due to participating in a clinical trial for a new medication!) It was just the fear of the unknown, I guess. But as soon as he pressed the button, I was shocked at how minor the "prick" sensation was, and I was completely embarrassed for throwing such a fit.

Originally Posted by KnotDreams

No low-carb flu to report, but I did feel quite tired after doing some weight lifting at the "Y" yesterday. Had planned to do some interavals on the arc trainer afterward, but ended up quitting after 5 minutes and just did 10 minutes on a stationary rowing machine instead.

I have missed reading where you may have mentioned how long you've been attempting to get into NK. You have probably already heard that being too tired to do your typical workout is very normal. A lot of people advise that you don't attempt working out until you are sure you've adapted. Of course, I never heeded that advice... ha ha. Can't remember exactly when I started feeling more like myself again, but I do know that drinking a can of chicken broth daily has really helped.

Good luck!!!

[clackley]

Good morning. Tested yesterday and today... 1.9 and 3.3 - have no clue why the big fluctuation. B.g. 5.1 and 5.4 respectively.

[BigRunner]

Originally Posted by clackley

Good morning. Tested yesterday and today... 1.9 and 3.3 - have no clue why the big fluctuation. B.g. 5.1 and 5.4 respectively.

[luigi_uk]

ketone checking in today

fasting blood ketone this morning 1.0

been struggling with chronic pain, looking into going on low dose naltrexone, going to talk to my gp next week. been taking co-dydramol and omeprezole to help with pain...

although being in ketosis has helped my energy levels it has not helped at all with chronic pain.

[Yvonnem2000]

Lindsay, thanks for sharing your "first prick" story. I got my meter, still waiting for strips to arrive, but I definitely fear it. I'll take courage from your experience!

Luigi, I hope you can find some help with the pain. I haven't had to experience that but I don't think I'd handle it well. Good luck.

[Buffy45]

I'm still around but haven't been posting much. After all the trouble I have had this month with my blood pressure, which is finally doing better on different meds, we just found out on Thurs. that my grandson, who is 13 has type I diabetes. I know he will be fine but i am just so upset over it, such a change to his life.

[clackley]

Buffy, so sorry you are having such troubles. Life is a 'witch' sometimes.

Blood ketones 1.9 and b.g. 4.9 (88.2).

[BigRunner]

Buffy. So sorry to hear about your grandson.

Weight: 201 --> 199 --> 198 --> 198 --> 197 --> 197 --> 196--> 197.5--> 195.5 --> 195
BK: 2.1 --> 2.8 --> 3.2 --> 2.8 --> 2.6 --> 2.2 --> 2.4--> 1.7 --> 3.0 --> 3.3

Down another half pound.
BK reading of 3.3 is the highest yet.

[clackley]

Originally Posted by BigRunner

Buffy. So sorry to hear about your grandson.

Weight: 201 --> 199 --> 198 --> 198 --> 197 --> 197 --> 196--> 197.5--> 195.5 --> 195
BK: 2.1 --> 2.8 --> 3.2 --> 2.8 --> 2.6 --> 2.2 --> 2.4--> 1.7 --> 3.0 --> 3.3

Down another half pound.
BK reading of 3.3 is the highest yet.

[mom2zeke]

Good morning everyone!

Buffy--I'm glad that your BP is doing better--hopefully you are also feeling better! And I'm sorry to hear about your grandson. Of course he'll be fine, and there have been so many advances in treatment for type I, but it is a huge change and something to have to deal with for the rest of his life. We have friends who have dealt with this and their toddler (now preschooler). They have said that there's a huge increase in cases of type I and I wonder what's going on??

Yvonne & Karen--it's easier to prick than you think. Just follow everyone's tips and you'll do fine!

Luigi--I'm sorry that you're still experiencing the chronic pain. I am thinking about you and hope that you get it under control with your new medications.

Cathy--great ketone readings! How is the weight-loss coming along? Any movement?

Judy--thanks for the mayo recipe! I also didn't like the mac-nut oil in mayo. And Deb, don't use EVOO in mayo either, it takes on a really unpleasant taste for some reason. I will always love Best Foods (Hellman's) but I don't eat it anymore for health reasons

MerryKate--I'm glad that your tummy is back to normal. I don't eat the tortillas because I don't eat wheat at all. I am also suspicious of foods which claim that you can deduct large amounts of carbs from the totals. They seem to either make me crave or make me gain.

Becky--Have fun on your trip!!

Wow BigRunner! You're doing amazing with both weight loss and ketosis!!

I have nothing new to report. I've been in ketosis for the past 3 days and my weight continues to fluctuate but within a reasonable range.

[NKSL55]

Originally Posted by JMCM1

This was posted by solarpluvia in the "High Fat, Low to Moderate Protein Recipes?"
I've made it several times (I cut it in half) and I really like this recipe.

Easy Two Egg Mayonaise

2 large eggs (at room temperature!)
2 Tbsp vinegar (I prefer plain cheap white)
1 Tbsp dijon mustard (more or less, to taste)
dashes of salt and pepper
2 Cups oil of choice
(I use light olive regularly, but I've switched in MCT oil and macadamia nut oil for about 1/2 a cup sometimes. The MCT makes it emulsify less well, but I've got a bunch to use up. But I didn't like the mac oil even at less than a quarter, so I've stayed away from other nut oils as well. I don't want my mayo to taste nutty, it tastes wrong to me but YMMV.)

Thanks. I just made a half batch of this. Not sure what it needs? A little more vinegar? I discovered I was using a teaspoon, instead of a tablespoon. So I added 2 teaspoons of vinegar, instead of 3 to a 1/2 batch (1 cup of oil). That could be it.

Anyway, much closer to Hellmanns than my other attempts:

Virgin Olive Oil. Vile.
Bacon fat. Tastes okay, different from mayo, but okay. But it solidifies into something not mayo-like at all.
Avocado Oil. Blech!
I also tried the Spectrum Canola Oil Mayo. Almost a Miracle Whip like taste to it. But some extra "high-pitched" taste was just terrible after a while.

--
Phillip

[luigi_uk]

Originally Posted by Yvonnem2000

Lindsay, thanks for sharing your "first prick" story. I got my meter, still waiting for strips to arrive, but I definitely fear it. I'll take courage from your experience!

Luigi, I hope you can find some help with the pain. I haven't had to experience that but I don't think I'd handle it well. Good luck.

thx yvonnem

omeprezole helps keep the pain down, so i guess its acid realated
i got ultrasound next week, not that i think they will find anything, also seeing my gp as well regarding low does naltrexone.

anyway back to ketones, i have 3 blood ketone strips left, pooh.

blood ketones this morning, 1.0 (fasting)
weight last night 67.3kg

didnt fill in my food diary yesterday, i struggle to maintain it even though its a great idea, gonna do todays now

[clackley]

Originally Posted by NKSL55

Thanks. I just made a half batch of this. Not sure what it needs? A little more vinegar? I discovered I was using a teaspoon, instead of a tablespoon. So I added 2 teaspoons of vinegar, instead of 3 to a 1/2 batch (1 cup of oil). That could be it.

Anyway, much closer to Hellmanns than my other attempts:

Virgin Olive Oil. Vile.
Bacon fat. Tastes okay, different from mayo, but okay. But it solidifies into something not mayo-like at all.
Avocado Oil. Blech!
I also tried the Spectrum Canola Oil Mayo. Almost a Miracle Whip like taste to it. But some extra "high-pitched" taste was just terrible after a while.

--
Phillip

I would add about 1.5 tsp. of lemon juice and a dash of salt.