Nadine

This post is a novel, and if you are only here for the recipes, you can scroll to the bottom! I tried to section this out and keep my thoughts from going all over the place. I am not sharing before and after photos today, as I am still on my journey. One day, I hope to be brave enough to put my before pictures out there. The real ones, not the ones where I am hiding under over-sized clothing. Here we go….

The What and The Why

For me, I have struggled with weight my entire life. I get stuck on a loop of some kind of diet, falling off the train, trying to get fit, finding balance, etc. For the most part, I lived by an 80/20 rule, or more like….be good all week and free for all on the weekend. I have done several rounds of Whole 30, meal replacement protein shakes, slim fast, low fat, Weight Watchers, MyFitnessPal, Body Beast, T25, several Julian Michael’s programs. You name the diet, I have probably tried some version of it. And you know what? I am sick of it all.

Keto is certainly not a sustainable diet. Not for me, anyways. But I have seen so many people lose a significant amount of weight on it. And I needed that. I needed to see some major change in a short amount of time to kick my ass into gear.

In conjunction with Keto, I joined in Thomas DeLauer’s Intermittent Fasting Challenge. (I highly recommend his videos if you are researching IF or Keto. He gets all science geek about everything and I love it.) Thomas says you shouldn’t do IF every day, you should do it every other day, or find a way for it to work for you. Now, there have been a few weeks where I have done it every day since it is just easier for me to not eat breakfast in the morning. But I have also done a few days where I don’t fast because I wanted to eat with Zoe, or I was just really hungry or feeling off. On days I fast, I typically fast for 16 hours and have an 8 hour eating window.

If you would have told me a few months ago that I was going to be all into Keto and IF, I would have told you that you were crazy! I was so against IF. How can you go so long without eating???? I get hangry!!!! I will get all shaky and pass out. I wake up at 4am and work out, how can I wait until noon to eat?? Now that I have done my research and do it right, I don’t really run in to any of those problems. Sometimes I even crave that feeling a few hours before I break my fast. My body is so aware of everything that is going on because I am not digesting anything. I can basically feel it burning fat.

The Results To Date

I am down 17 pounds since January 6th. That is a significant loss in a short amount of time. (For me anyways.) I know some of that is water weight, obviously. But I have had two people who haven’t seen me since Christmas comment on how much weight I have lost. And Chris said he can definitely tell too. A lot of my clothes are big and falling off of me. I went to buy some new pants the other day, and every pair I took back were too big!!! Huge non-scale victory for me!

Other benefits include stabilizing blood sugar, anti-aging benefits, improved digestion, uses stored body fat as fuel, help manage hunger, stabilizes mood. I have seen signs of all of these things.

What I Have Learned and My Thoughts

I am very much aware of how many carbs I was consuming before. Way too many. Keto has killed the sugar monster in me. I finally don’t have that itch at 3:00 pm to grab candy or eat mindless snacks. After drinking black coffee for over a month, I can’t stand anything sweet in my drink either. If I am having a second coffee in the day, after I break my fast, I may add a little heavy cream to it. But flavored creamer or syrups, nope. Can’t do then anymore. My new favorite drink at Starbucks is a Flat White, no milk, add half heavy cream half steamed water. Delicious!!! I don’t need the calorie ridden, sugar filled butterscotch latte. Even though it used to be my absolute favorite. I can enjoy my new flat white just as much.

I have found so many ways to make meals a lot healthier/low carb. We have enjoyed onion rings, cookies, burger sliders, zucchini fries. I don’t really feel like I am sacrificing a ton when I make a meat and cheese board on a Saturday, and it is all keto compliant. Or when I have my homemade roasted pecans/walnuts on my drive home in the evenings. (To die for!!!)

There is constant research in the health and fitness world, and sometimes what we used to think isn’t what is best. Our bodies are constantly evolving, but we also have to remember that we were hunters/gathers at one time. We were told growing up that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Well, IF sort of tells you that you can skip it completely and benefit from that. Not every diet is going to work for everyone, and we all have to figure out what will work best for us.

I am the kind of person that needs to go all in and do something drastic to make a change in my life. So, doing something like Keto and IF was best for me at this time. I have tried, unsuccessfully, the last year or two to be consistent with anything. When something takes too much effort, like tracking with Weight Watchers, I start getting lazy and not being honest about how much I am actually consuming. Oh, I don’t need to count the 20 goldfish I had when I was getting Zoe’s dinner ready, do I?. Keto and IF is easy for me. I know what I can eat and when I can eat it. There are rules and I can follow. I need rules.

The Cons

The thing about a diet though, is just that. It is a diet. And eventually, you have to stop. I know there are people who have done Keto or IF for a long time and it works for them, but it is not something I ever meant to keep up. It was a jump start. I am terrified to start eating carbs again, but here is the honest truth about some of the side effects of Keto.

I am tired AF. Not having any carbs to fuel me, no matter how I tweak my macros, is not really working for me. When I get up in the morning, it is sooooooo hard to make myself get dressed and go workout. There have been several days where I just skip my work out or half-ass it because I am too tired. I feel like I am not gaining the benefit of energy you supposedly have with IF because I am not consuming carbs. But at the same time, Keto and IF go so well together.

Also, we are going to get personal and I am going to tell you that this has messed up my period so bad. I lost it for a month, and when I did have one, it wasn’t normal. So I caution anyone who may be trying to get pregnant or regulate their period to stay away from keto and IF. There is research on both that show that this could happen, so I am not sure if one or both are to blame for me.

My hair has changed. It looks more damaged and I notice a lot more fall out. My skin is dryer as well, and I am having to compensate with more moisturizer. I will say that a lot of people recommend collagen protein for this, and while I do have some and use it sometimes…it is hard for me to fit it in every day since most people do it in their coffee and I cant because I fast in the mornings and that can break your fast.\

I never felt like I had keto flu. There are ways to ease yourself into keto that this shouldn’t really be an issue. But some other side effects are bad breath, constipation, dehydration, sleep problems, drowsiness, dizziness, reduced strength and physical performance. I haven’t really had any issues with sleep, but I have experienced most of the other side effects at some point.

The Future

I am still working out how I want to come off keto, and what my long term plan will be.

I want to be able to live life. I want to be able to order a cheeseburger if I want one, or take Zoe out for ice cream and enjoy my life. The keto diet really doesn’t allow for those things. While I don’t place happiness on food like I used to, I do enjoy socializing with family and friends and lets be honest, that usually revolves around food. I am still working on my view on food, and I am trying to eliminate words like bad or naughty when it comes to food. There is no good food or bad food, it is all food. Everything is ok in moderation, and it should be more about you making better decisions for your optimum health and wellness. To fuel your body with nutrients to be able to take on your day and live your life. I think that is a hard concept for a lot of us to grasp.

I have considered macro counting, but I hate logging every single thing I eat. So I am still up in the air on this. I have started doing research into the 800 gram challenge after watching a Tedx Talk on it last week. Have you heard of it? Basically, you eat 800 grams (about 6 cups) of fruits and vegetables every day. It is more about adding that to your diet, and not eliminating any one food group. The idea is that you will fill up on the healthy foods and not have room for much else. You can take it a step further and set a protein goal for the day as well, and then eat anything else as you like. This seems more of a lifestyle change, and one that would be more easily obtainable.

Recipes

I know this is why you are really here. Link will follow each picture.

Cheez-Its

Caramel Cookies

Zucchini Fries

Pizza Bites

Buffalo Chicken Fingers

Everything But the Bagel Chicken

Street Taco Meatballs

Chocolate Chili

So tell me, have you ever tried Keto or IF….or considered trying it out?

It is a holiday, is it not? Our production team is shut down today, so I am calling it a holiday for me! That and I have been sick, so I don’t want to be the asshole that spreads my germs around the office when I don’t have to be there. Gotta love cold season, am I right? In all fairness, we went from 71 degrees to 27 in the same day. My body didn’t know what to do.

This was the first weekend in a long time where we didn’t have anywhere to be. It was much needed, as I was feeling under the weather and we have been going 100 miles an hour since we moved in back in November. On Saturday, we did go out for breakfast at Metro Diner and hit a up a few discount stores before calling it a day and heading home. I spent the rest of the evening in Zoe’s playroom playing “barbies” with her. Her imagination is so funny.

Valentine’s Day was good. Chris surprised me with presents this year! Other than our first year together, we normally just exchange cards and I made homemade lasagna. This year, he got me a beautiful basket full of locally made bath and body products that smell incredible. (Forgot to take a picture before I ripped it all apart, bad blogger.) He also got me the Canon Selphy printer so I could send photos from my phone to be printed. I am awful about prints, and hardly have any from the last 10 years! It was easier when we were using disposable cameras, right??? I am quite impressed with the ease and quality of the photos. If you are in the market for something, I would definitely check it out!

Zoe had a Valentine party at dance and school, plus we always like to get her a few things to make her feel special. She basically lived in her Elsa dress all weekend. I took her for a donut before school on Friday too, and she asked if we could take some to all of her teachers. So sweet.

Last weekend, Chris took Zoe to a Princess Ball. Zoe dressed up like Belle, got her first corsage from Chris….and got to meet Elsa and Anna!!! She had a BLAST and has talked about how much fun it was pretty much every day since. It was soooooo cute seeing her leave with Chris.

Chris has been working hard on the theater room downstairs. We have a collection of arcade games now, and he got some lights to go around them all. Here is one wall of them, it looks so cool!!!

I have gotten a lot of compliments on my nails lately, something I am so not used to. Still loving Colorstreet! My girl through in some petite ones that I want to try with Zoe.

Finding fun low-carb recipes has been an obsession of mine over the last several weeks. I can’t really say that we are sacrificing a ton when it comes to dinners, anyways.

I want to do a post soon on my thoughts on Keto and Intermittent Fasting, my plans long term, and share some delicious recipes that anyone can appreciate, low-carb or not. I am writing you today 17 pounds less than I was last month. So obviously, it works.

I hope that you all have a fabulous week! I am about to go get Zoe up and take her to school….and figure out what I want to do with my free day?!?!

Linking up with Steph and Jana for SUYB! I am actually starting the year out pretty strong, and am ahead nine books according to Goodreads. Lets see how long that lasts. Last year I made a goal to read 60 books, but I fell short by a few. This year my goal is to finish one per week.

Parental Guidance by Avery Flynn

I think this is my first Avery Flynn book. I am in love! This was so cute! I love the characters, I love the story line, and who doesn’t love a dog in a book? Anchovy is such a cute name for a dog. I was just slightly annoyed with Zara towards the end of the book, I wont say why to ruin anything. But outside of that, there were the right amounts of fun, build up and steam. Definitely can’t wait to get my hands on the next one.

Bottom Line: Read it!

I’ll Have What She’s Having by Rebecca Harrington

This was about a woman who is obsessed with fad diets and what celebrities are eating. I cant imagine following any of these diets that she talks about. I believe she writes columns on this topic, and that might be more how this book reads. I will say, this book could be a trigger for people with eating disorders. And I hope that people don’t actually take it seriously.

Bottom Line: This book is really short, so I wouldn’t suggest purchasing it. I borrowed the audio version from my library to entertain me in the car. I sort of got a little bored after the first few diets, because really it is all the same. I would probably pass.

Love Handles by Gretchen Galloway

Where do I start with this one?? I love the premise. Bev inherits an athletic wear company from a grandfather that she barely knew around the time that she loses her job as a preschool teacher. She has to then run it with a guy that thought he would be getting the company and was close to her grandfather and a load of employees who she cant trust.

But then there were parts of the book that got on my nerves. Like the fact that Bev wasn’t exactly athletic and it was constantly pointed out throughout the entire book. Liam even tells her she needs to work out. WTF? He seemed a little too controlling and I didn’t really click with him. I liked Bev, but didn’t like how she was a bit of a doormat at times.

Bottom Line: I am not sure what I want to say about this one, it passed the time fine and I gave it three stars (probably should be 2.5), but I got annoyed about parts. I picked this one up for free on Amazon and its about what I expect for a book that is free.

You Complicate Me by Isabel Jordan

I really liked this one! I loved watching Nick and Grace fall for each other, but also, I really loved the bat shit crazy family antics as well! We spend a week at Grace’s brothers wedding festivities with an uptight mom, a crazy grandma, an ex husband, and a sarcastic cousin. What could go wrong? This one had me laughing and swooning. I do love some family drama…when its not my own.

Bottom Line: Read it!

Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

Third Grave Dead Head by Darynda Jones

Continuing on with this series and still loving it! I think that the third book might be my favorite so far. It was packed full of action and snark and I cant wait to get the forth one.

Bottom Line: If you are into cozy mysteries and like the Stephanie Plum books, give this a try. I actually think I like this better than Plum!

Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

This book was a short one, but man was it packed with beautiful writing, emotion, class, race, family hardships, discovery, love and loss. The characters were so well fleshed out in such a short book. This is one that will stay with you a little while.

Bottom Line: Read it!

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

I read the 20th Anniversary edition of this book, and it could have been written today. I think we all went to school with the very characters in this book. I loved the message behind the book about using your voice. I think this is a book that should be required reading in high school.

Bottom Line: Read it!

Doctor Dearest by RS Grey

You all know my love for RS Grey by now! This is a great workplace romance. I loved the relationship between Natalie and her brother, and watching the relationship change with Natalie and Connor.

I felt like there wasn’t some huge thing to overcome in this one. I mean, there was, but it wasn’t that big of a deal. It didn’t take away from the book, perhaps it made it feel more real? I also liked more of the inner monologue of Connor. This one was definitely cute and hilarious.

Bottom Line: Read it if romantic comedy is your thing.

Did Not Finish

Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist

So I am not going to say to not read this book. The reason why I quit, was that I had two other books come in at the same time from the library, plus a ARC that I promised an author I would finish by release day. But the main reason I quit was because I wasn’t really resonating with the author. She has her own business and the privilege to travel a lot and visit her lake house and can take all summer to take a break from life. I am an average mom who works a full time job for an international company. And while I am grateful for the flexibility that my job offers….it isn’t anywhere near to the extent of her life. This read more like a memoir and didn’t really offer any practical or inspirational advice for me.

I 100% appreciate the title of the book and the concept behind it. I just wanted something different from it. Maybe if I stuck with it I could have gotten there, but I don’t think so.

Currently Reading

Center of Gravity by Laura McNeill

Linking up with my girl Kristen for a little check in action. I am tired AF right now. We had some severe storms roll through here last night. Nothing like getting woken up by tornado sirens at 2:30am and being told to take cover in your safe space. Luckily, after looking at the map I realized it was heading right for our old house…and that we were just on the line of it where we are now. The thunder and lightening were insane and it was raining so hard so fast, I know there has to be some flooding in our yard right now. I will know more when the sun comes up. It is hard to go back to sleep after something like that, you know?

Zoe’s daycare is on a 2 hour delay this morning since they follow the school schedule, so I decided it was a great day to work from home! No sense in driving in that crap all the way down to my office when I can do everything right here. In my pajamas. With no shower or makeup. Can I get an amen?!

Reading – I just finished Doctor Dearest from RS Grey last night, it is available to purchase today!!! Such fun banter and a cute story if romantic comedy is your thing. I should also be wrapping up Third Grave Dead Ahead today and starting on Center of Gravity.

Watching – We are catching up with some of our shows since they have started back after the holiday break. We are also still binging New Amsterdam. Do you watch it??? It is so good!!!

Listening – I have been listening to so much good stuff while I work. I have started listening to Women n Wellness podcast, as well as Jillian Michaels podcast.

Did you know that chamomile is part of the ragweed family?????? I had no clue but it explains so much!!! That stuff is in everything from tea to lotions and potions to face products and everything in between. Thanking Jillian for that discovery. I used to use this all natural bath stuff on Zoe that had it in, and I could never figure out what was causing her skin flare ups. Now I know why that product wasn’t working for us.

Eating/Health – Today marks the one month mark of doing Intermittent Fasting and Keto. I have lost 14 pounds and gained perspective on how many carbs I was actually consuming before. Is Keto a sustainable lifestyle? No. It comes with some cons for sure, and I don’t plan to stay low carb forever. I don’t think carbs are the devil. I do think that they can trigger lots of cravings though. Let me tell you, before doing Keto, I had massive cravings. For sweet, snacks, savory things, salty things, all the things. I felt hungry all the time. Now that I have been doing IF and Keto, I realize I can go 16 hours without eating and I am totally fine. That I don’t in fact need a snack or something to eat every couple hours. And that I can survive without candy or crackers and be content.

We have been having a lot of black coffee, taco bowls, chicken, meat and cheese trays, asparagus, zucchini, celery, brussel sprouts, etc. When we go out to eat, we mostly order steak with salad and a steamed veggie. It is nice to still be able to enjoy a meal out on this plan. It is totally doable with some modifications.

The things I don’t like on IF and Keto include it messing up my period, still feeling bloated from time to time, and being limited on what I can eat. I feel like I am not getting a balanced diet, and that if I kept it up long term (which was never my intention) my vitamin deficiencies will come back. Also, my skin is dry AF. I have been taking collagen, but it is still really bad.

Researching – I am looking into carb cycling, counting macros, and focusing on whole foods for the long haul. Not sure which way I am going to swing at the moment. It is one of the reasons I have been listening to a lot of health and wellness podcasts lately. I want to live and enjoy my life, and not be obsessed about food all the time. Pretty much my entire adult life, I have been on one diet or another and always fall off the train and then go to extremes to come back. It is a cycle I want to stop for good. I wanted to drop some weight in the beginning to get my motivated, and then find my long term lifestyle to stick with. At the end of the day, eating less and moving more is the answer. No matter how you want to wrap it up. And I know that. And you know that. We all know that.

Working – Chris and I have been doing a lot of work around the house lately. We have been setting up the theater room, and Chris has added some arcade games to it over the last week!!! Cant wait to play those! I have been working on getting my office together, and organizing little areas. I still need to paint my office, and I would like to paint the dining room. I absolutely hate red walls. It doesn’t flow with the rest of our house either. We have nice calming, soothing colors everywhere but there. It has really started coming together and we have even got to enjoy the outdoors last weekend!

Excited – Zoe has a father/daughter Princess Ball this weekend!!! She doesn’t know about it yet, but I know when she finds out…she is going to be so excited!!! They get to dress up like princesses and have dinner and dancing and come home with a goodie bag. I will be curious to see which princess she chooses to be.

I hope that you all are having a great start to February!

It has been awhile since I have shared some Amazon finds! I just love seeing what other people are scooping up on there.

Dry Brush

I ordered this to help exfoliate my dry skin and reduce cellulite. Now, I am not sure how long it will take to see the effects of cellulite, but I can already tell that my skin is in better shape after a short use. I really like that this one came with a carrying case and a hook to hang it.

Elderberry

I took Zarabee Elderberry Gummies the last two years and I LOVE them! They taste amazing and they have worked pretty well at keeping away the nasties if I used them consistently. Now that I have started Keto though, the carb/sugar content was not ideal for me. I have switched over to these. You suck on them, instead of eating them as a gummy. There is still sugar/carbs but not near as many! They taste good and I use it as an afternoon “sweet” treat.

Bonus: They are half the price of Zarabee! 

I still buy Zoe the Zarabee kids gummies. She loves the tastes and thinks she is getting a piece of candy, so we never have an issue with her taking them.

Purse Organizer

I am so sick of my tote being a black hole where my items go to die and be lost forever. I purchased this inexpensive purse organizer (in size medium for my Kate Spade tote) and I am going to call it life changing. Do yourself a favor and get one!

Back Seat Car Organizer

Speaking of life changing, this back seat car organizer is incredible!!!! I have this in the middle seat in the back next to Zoe’s car seat. It holds so much and has enough sections and pouches to be completely organized. I have crayons in the front little mesh pouches, her snack cup and some toys in the front half, books and coloring books and bigger things in the back half. Some extra hair ties and barrettes in the middle mesh things. PLUS it has a hook on the back to buckle it in so it doesn’t go flying when you slam on your breaks. You guys, this thing is incredible and great quality for the price.

Hiccapop Inflatable Toddler Bed

This thing was a life saver on vacation last month! Zoe loved it, slept through the night every night and it was so easy to blow up and deflate.

Light Up Gloves

We purchased these for our a few of our nieces and nephews for Christmas. and they are pretty damn cool. 

Be Yummi Princess Pretend Jewelry

I did the Glam Bar at Zoe’s princess themed birthday party with these. Everyone loved them, there was plenty to go around and they have lasted many days of dress up. I even had a few moms from the party ask where I got them from so they could get more. 

What have you ordered and loved lately?