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Week 5 Check In

Well, I survived a girls night out and still made progress this week! I didn’t get my weekly check in up on Sunday like I normally do since I wasn’t home, but here it is now!!

This week flew by as they all seem to do and I was a little nervous about going out to dinner and a movie with a friend and then having a vendor event all day the next day. One thing that really helped is I prepared ahead of time. I knew where we were going to go to eat, so I looked up the menu online to figure out what my Keto friendly options were so it made it easier to pick something to eat that night.

For the vendor event, I again prepared ahead of time and took some keto friendly snacks with me from my Keto Krate. Being prepared saved me from a lot of temptations (like the double chocolate brownies) at the event. Instead, to curb a sweet tooth, I ate some sugar free Hemp Brittle from Curly Girlz Candy. You’d never know it’s sugar free!

So after all that, here was my results:

Starting Weight: 308.8 lbs
Last week check-in: 292.8 lbs
This week check-in: 291.0 lbs
Loss for the week: 1.8 lbs
Overall loss since 9/21: 17.8 lbs

Starting overall inches: 489.7 inches
Last week check-in: 468.7 inches
This week check in: 466.4 inches
Loss for the week: 2.3 inches
Overall loss since 9/21: 23.3 inches

That’s pretty impressive for only 5 weeks!! I wouldn’t be able to do it without the help of truVISION. It’s such a simple program. Just two pills, twice a day! Can’t wait to see what next week brings! The 280’s are so close I can almost taste it!

 

Keto Krate – October 2018

I’ve signed up for so many subscription boxes over the years. Some for clothes, some for kids toys, some different food items – some were good, some were bad. So when I heard of Keto Krate I was a bit hesitant to give it a try. I haven’t had the best of luck with previous subscription boxes so I was a bit skeptical this would be much better. Especially with how some Keto foods are – not exactly ‘great’ by any means.

But wow. Was I PLEASANTLY surprised!!

The stuff tasted amazing AND it was KETO friendly!!! Do you know how hard that can be to find? Very!

So I bet you are dying to know what was inside, aren’t you??

Here’s the breakdown of what was in the Keto Krate, how many net carbs it has, and a quick review of it.

Bhu Fit bar – Salted Caramel Pecan flavor: This tasty bar only has 1 net carb and is full of nutty goodness. It’s slight sweet, slightly salty and is almost like a KETO version of a candy bar. Get your own box of these BHU Fit Salted Caramel Pecan bars here.

Pywiack Krackers – Savory Parmesan: Crackers are one thing I have been missing. I love to have a slice of cheese and piece of summer sausage on a cracker. It’s just not the same eating it without. So when I saw crackers, I immediately had to try them. They are great on their own and so good with meat and cheese! They almost taste like a rye cracker but are made with almonds, flax seed, chia seeds, and seasonings. You can get some of those direct from their website here. At only 2 net carbs per serving, I’m back to having crackers with my meat and cheese!

Curly Girlz Candy – Sugar Free Hemp Brittle: Oh my god. This is by FAR my favorite item from this box. The name was a little off-putting. I mean who EATS hemp? Certainly not something I’d ever done and didn’t think I ever would. I find it so hard to believe that this is sugar free. It’s amazingly delicious and I want to know what else Curly Girlz Candy makes and buy ALL OF IT. There are ZERO net carbs in this candy! It’s as close to toffee as you’ll probably get and I could eat the entire pouch in less than 5 minutes. There is no after taste. Seriously, go to Curly Girlz Candy website. NOW. Their candy is hand crafted and made with locally sourced ingredients in Owatonna, Minnesota. Best part? They have KETO candy AND traditional candy for the non-KETO’er in your family.

Macalat Chocolate Wizardry Organic Sugar-Free Dark Chocolate: Ok – this is CHOCOLATE. Do I really need to say more? Oh yeah. It’s organic. It’s sugar free. And it’s only 3 net carbs per serving. Now – this is why it’s important to read your labels. This bar is not very big and there are 4 servings in it. So if you eat the entire bar, you just set yourself back 12 carbs. Granted that is much better than a sugar loaded Hersey’s bar, but you still wouldn’t want to do that. If you are a choc-o-holic like me and want to get some bars to keep on hand, get a box of the Macalat Chocolate Wizardry.

Gorilly Goods – Hillside Pumpkin Seed and Kale: So I call this the KETO trail mix. It’s got pumpkin seeds, kale, and seasonings. Perfect savory snack. It’s only got 3 net carbs in the whole packet and it’s got 17 g of fat and 12 g of protein. Perfect to help fill your macros!! You can get a box of GORILLY GOODS, HILLSIDE or try the Gorilly Goods Variety Pack.

Burn Butter – Hazelnut (Grass Fed Butter with MCT and Avocado Oils): Oh my. I love Hazelnut ANYTHING. And this can be used 2 ways. You can refrigerate it and use it as a butter, or leave it at room temp and use as an oil. One thing a lot of KETO’ers use is bullet proof coffee. This is perfect to put in it and give it that nutty flavor! Best part – ZERO net carbs! Or put it in the fridge and top some toasted 90 second microwave bread with it. Either way, it’s delicious! Get your Burn Butter Hazelnut or try a Burn Butter Sampler .

Landcrafted Food – Original Smoked Beef Stick: Well, you can’t really go wrong with a good ole’ beef stick when you are on KETO. These have 1 g of carbs, but not sure if that is net carbs since it does not say if there is any fiber. These are made from 100% grassfed beef and a perfect snack! Grab a pack of Landcrafted Food 100% Grass-Fed Beef Sticks (Original Smoked) and keep them on hand for when hunger strikes! These are so easy to grab and go.

Mission Meats – Graze Beef Bites: Similarly to the original smoked beef stick, you can’t go wrong with these! These ones are not smoked, but are perfect poppable bites. They come in a resealable bag, which is perfect  so you can grab a few when you need a quick snack! Unfortunately, there is no nutritional information on these ones. According to Amazon, there is 1 net carb per oz, so 4 for the entire pouch. Get your own Keto Sugar Free Grass-Fed Beef Snacks to much on 🙂

Intakt Cheese Lover Original: This is probably my second favorite item in this box. It’s basically a KETO’ers popcorn and has 1 ingredient – CHEESE! In the entire pack, there are only 2g net carbs. Cheesy and crunchy, this is an awesome replacement to cheese popcorn! Make sure you grab a few bags of Intakt Snacks Low Carb Crunchy Cheese Bites for your next movie night!

Natural Heaven – Veggie Pasta Noodles, Spaghetti Shape: These are probably the most impressive item contained in the box. These are noodles made from Hearts of Palm. That’s it, just that one ingredient! And at only 2 g net carbs per serving, you can have your favorite pasta dish again!! AND these require virtually NO cooking. Just heat with your favorite sauce, and eat!! It’s amazing to be able to eat ‘pasta’ again!! Be sure to grab some Natural Heaven Pasta Spaghetti so you’ll be prepared for Italian night and NOT have to skip the noodles anymore!!

This is seriously the best thing I have ever ordered in regards to my KETO diet. Keto Krate really knocks it out of the park. I can’t wait for next months! I don’t usually snack much since changing to a KETO diet, but it’s so awesome to have food you CAN snack on (or make a meal out of!) Thank you Keto Krate!!!

So seriously – what are you waiting for?! Go order your Keto Krate now!


Keto Krate contents

Week 3 Check In

I’ve now been on TruVision for 3 weeks. It has been one of the easiest weight loss programs I’ve ever been on and the weight just falls off. I’m still recovering from surgery, so I haven’t been able to work out AT ALL yet. It’s pretty impressive when you can lose weight while being laid up.

This week was not as difficult since there weren’t any special events to have to prepare for or attend. You don’t realize how non diet friendly food is at get-togethers until you are watching what you eat. If I’m lucky, most of them only have some veggies or fruit tray. And most fruit is not low carb, it’s not an ideal choice for me – so that basically leaves just veggies. Not exactly a big variety!

And how for the results:

Starting Weight: 308.8 lbs
Current Weight: 293.8 lbs
Loss to date: 15 lbs!

Starting overall inches: 489.7 inches
Current overall inches: 478.5 inches
Loss to date: 11.2 inches!

Not to shabby for starting on 9/21 with TruVision. I’ve had way less cravings (hardly any actually) and my appetite is very decreased from what it used to be. Sometimes I actually have to remind myself to eat because I’m just not really hungry. Fingers crossed next week will be just as good! Don’t take my word for it, try TruVision for yourself!

TruVision

Chocolate PB Coconut No Bake Cookies Low Carb, KETO, and Kid Approved!

When you change your eating habits from ‘normal’ and have a family, it can be difficult finding things everyone (or at least most of the family) will eat. I’ve basically made it a mission to find things I love, that are Keto/low carb (since I’m a dirty Keto-er), AND that the family will eat.

Pinterest is my go-to for searching for recipes if I don’t come up with something on my own. The majority of the time, I rely on other things I find since I don’t have time for trial and error in the kitchen . I just make my own tweaks/modifications to fit in with what our family likes.

This recipe only has 5 ingredients and it’s basically of dumping and stirring. Can’t get much easier than that!

Start by combining the peanut butter, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, and melted butter in a bowl. Stir until well combined.

Once that is all mixed together, toss in the coconut and mix well.

Place scoops on baked sheet lined with parchment paper or Silicone Baking Mat . Gently press out slightly. Freeze and then enjoy! Keep stored in freezer.

Tip: If you like things a little sweeter, add in a little Keto approved sweetener. I like to use Lakanto Monkfruit 2:1 Powder Sugar Substitute :
Sweetener

Nutritional info from the Keto Diet app:

No bake cookie nutrition info.png

**REMEMBER, THIS MAY VARY BASED ON ACTUAL INGREDIENTS USED! ALWAYS CHECK YOUR LABELS AND/OR INPUT INTO THE APP**

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Keto Cookies – No bake and kid friendly!!

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups creamy peanut butter (Natural)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp Cocoa Powder Unsweetened
2 cups Unsweetened Flake Coconut
2 tbsp butter, melted
(If you want the extra sweetness, add 1/2 – 1 tsp sweetener)

Instructions:
Get your cookie sheet ready by putting a piece of parchment paper or silicone mat on it. As you can see by my pictures, I like to use the Amazon Silpat mat.

Dump all ingredients except coconut in a bowl and stir until mix. Add in coconut and stir until thoroughly combined. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet and gently smooth with  back of spoon or scoop. I like to use cookie scoops, it keeps it more uniform.

Freeze for a minimum 30 minutes, then transfer to ziplock bag or container.

Enjoy!

Comment below if you make them and what you think! They give a nice texture and peanut butter is just delicious!


*Disclaimer: I am NOT a certified nutritionist and your nutritional information may vary depending on exact ingredients you use. I highly recommend you calculate your own and just use this as a guideline. The links for products are affiliate links so I may earn a very small commission if you purchase through them – but it doesn’t cost you anything additional!

Low Carb Lemon Cheesecake Bars – 1 net carb each!

 

When you’re a girl who likes to eat, but you’re trying to eat healthy, it can be hard to give up sweets. But wait — who said you have to??? Did you know you can diet AND still eat delicious food? Well I’m here to tell you that you can!

These sweet treats are only 1 net carb each, so no need to feel guilty for indulging in one. To make these, get the following ingredients.

1 package sugar free lemon jello mix
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 – 8 oz packages full fat cream cheese
1 cup boiling water

Ingredients for Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Mix the jello mix into the boiling water until dissolved.

Lemon Jello

Then add in lemon juice and cream cheese, mixing well until no lumps remain and mixture is smooth.

Jello ingredients mixed

Pour mixture into 8 x 8 dish.

Lemon cheesecake in pan

Put pan into fridge to chill for at least 4 hours. I cut this into 16 squares.

Lemon Cheesecake bars

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Low Carb Lemon Cheesecake Bars

1 package sugar free lemon jello mix

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 – 8 oz packages full fat cream cheese

1 cup boiling water

Mix the jello mix into the boiling water until dissolved.

Then add in lemon juice and cream cheese, mixing well until no lumps remain and mixture is smooth.

Pour mixture into 8 x 8 dish.

Put pan into fridge to chill for at least 4 hours. I cut this into 16 squares.

When you eat it, it’s almost mousse-like. It’s very light and fluffy and perfect for those times when you want something sweet. This is a very versatile recipe too, you can change the flavor jello, add in a little whipping cream, etc. Comment below if you make it and what you think!


*Disclaimer: I am NOT a certified nutritionist and your nutritional information may vary depending on exact ingredients you use. I highly recommend you calculate your own and just use this as a guideline. The links for products are affiliate links so I may earn a very small commission if you purchase through them – but it doesn’t cost you anything additional!

KETO Low Carb Bacon Wrapped Mozzarella Sticks

Mozzarella sticks have always been my husbands favorite appetizer and I’m game for anything where the primary ingredient is cheesy goodness, but traditional cheese sticks have a carb loaded breading or batter on them. I’ve tried different coatings with almond or coconut flour, but it just wasn’t hitting the spot for me. So when all else fails, add bacon!

Bacon and string cheese

I love simple recipes and ones that don’t require 5,000 different ingredients. This only requires TWO ingredients. Cheese and bacon. That’s it. These are two keto staples I’ve always got in my house, so why not put them together?

First thing, throw the cheese in the freezer for a good hour. I left them in the freezer overnight. Once you’re ready to make them, get some oil heated up in a pan on the stove or turn on the deep fryer. You’ll need two slices of bacon per cheese stick. One thing I would recommend after making these is to NOT use the thick sliced bacon like I did. With it being so thick, it made it hard for the ‘inner bacon’ to get cooked completely without burning the outside. Of course thick cut bacon is my favorite and so that’s what I usually have on hand.

While you are waiting for the oil to heat up, wrap the cheese. You’ll place the cheese in the middle of one slice (lengthwise) folding the ends over the cheese. Then take a second piece of bacon and wrap, starting at the top and wrapping til you cover the bottom. Use tooth picks to secure the bacon.

Bacon around cheesesticks

Once your oil is nice and hot, cook the bacon wrapped cheese sticks until they are nice and brown and bacon is cooked.

When they’re done, remove from oil and drain on paper towel.

Bacon cheesesticks done

Let cool and enjoy the salty goodness!!

These are so filling, I couldn’t even eat two of them for a meal. I input my ingredients into the Keto Diet app and this one registers at  1 net carb per cheese stick. As always, I recommend you check the labels on your food since different brands can run differently.

Bacon Cheesesticks Nutrition

Have you tried these? Let me know what you think!


*Disclaimer: I am NOT a certified nutritionist and your nutritional information may vary depending on exact ingredients you use. I highly recommend you calculate your own and just use this as a guideline. The links for products are affiliate links so I may earn a very small commission if you purchase through them – but it doesn’t cost you anything additional!

KID APPROVED – KETO Friendly – Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fat Bombs!

I don’t know many people who don’t love chocolate chip cookie dough, but if you’re doing a Keto diet, it is not Keto friendly. Everyone in my family loves cookie dough, so I just had to try to find a recipe that the whole family would love. So I scoured Pinterest and tried a few different recipes until I found one we all loved.

There are several recipes that call for almond or coconut flour, but every single one I tried was very BLAH and I just couldn’t get over the taste the flour gave it and they’d end up in the garbage. THEN…I found this one. It’s only 6 ingredients of pure deliciousness.

CCCD Ingredients.jpg

Ingredients needed:

8 oz cream cheese
1 stick butter
1/2 c natural peanut butter
1/2 c powdered sweetener (1:1 sugar ratio) (I like to use this one, but it’s a 2:1 ratio so make sure to only use 1/4 c Lakanto Monkfruit 2:1 Powder Sugar Substitute)
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 c Lily’s Dark Chocolate Chips

CCCD Ingredients in Bowl

Dump all ingredients except chocolate chips into a mixing bowl. Blend with hand mixer until well mixed and no clumps remain.

*Note: Since I used Lakanto sweetener, it is a 2:1 sugar replacement, so you only need to use 1/4 cup. Make sure you read the label of whatever you are using.

CCCD before choc chips

Then add in the chocolate chips.

CCCD Mixed w: choc chip on top

I just hand stir the chocolate chips. Then get your cookie sheet ready. I suggest using parchment paper or a silicone mat if you have one. You can drop by rounded spoonfuls or use a cookie scoop like I did. This makes them more uniform.

Depending how big you make your fat bombs will depend how many you get out of it and ultimately how many carbs are in each. I got 20 out of my batch, so that is what my information is based on. If you use different brands that can also change your carb content, so check your labels.

Once they are on the cookie sheet, pop them in the freezer for about half an hour and they are ready to eat!

CCCD Fat Bomb

They are very creamy and just enough sweetness. If they are too sweet for you, you can always cut back on the sweetener. My family thinks they are perfect and so do I! I divided them up into 4 containers (5 in each) and put one in the fridge and 3 in the freezer. Once in the fridge, they should be eaten within a week.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fat Bomb

8 oz cream cheese

1 stick butter

1/2 c natural peanut butter

1/2 c powdered sweetener (1:1 sugar ratio) (I like to use this one, but it’s a 2:1 ratio so make sure to only use 1/4 c Lakanto Monkfruit 2:1 Powder Sugar Substitute)

1 tbsp vanilla

1/2 c Lily’s Dark Chocolate Chips

Dump all ingredients except chocolate chips into a mixing bowl. Blend with hand mixer until well mixed and no clumps remain.

Here is the nutritional info based on my Keto Diet app:
CCCD Fat Bomb Nutritional Info

Comment below with what you think!

Philly Stuffed Mushrooms

When you’re a self proclaimed carboholic like me, it can be hard to find recipes that filling the missing carb void, and philly steak sandwiches are one of my favorite foods – and how do you have a sandwich without bread? Well – let me tell you – I don’t miss the bread even a teensy bit with this recipe. The mushrooms are so big and meaty and filling is delicious, this recipe really doesn’t disappoint. It’s such a filling recipe too, you can fill up on half of one of these mushrooms! Since starting Keto/Low Carb, this has been my go-to dinner and it’s favorite of mine.

For this super simple recipe, you’ll need:

12-16 oz sirloin steak cut into bite size pieces (feel free to use less or more depending how much you like – or if you are vegetarian, skip the meat and add more veggies)
3/4 c diced onion
3/4 c diced green pepper
1/4 c sour cream
1/4 c mayo
1/4 c cream cheese, softened
3 oz provolone cheese
4 portobello mushrooms

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees, then get the mushrooms ready. These are the ones I usually use. Sometimes there are 3 in a package if they are smaller, but these ones are just huge.

Mushrooms

Clean the mushrooms, I usually just take a wet paper towel and wipe them off. Remove the stems and scrape out the gills. I cut the stems out with a small paring knife and gently scrap the gills with a spoon. Be careful not to break the mushroom and this is going to be your bowl for the filling. Lay them on an 11 x 15 baking sheet – I used a jelly roll pan.

Cleaned mushrooms

Now to get to work on the filling. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat with a little bit of oil (I use olive oil). Season steak with salt and pepper to taste. Add steak to pan and cook about 1 1/2 -2 minutes, remove from heat and place on plate with paper towel to absorb any excess liquid. You’ll want a good size pan for this – Cuisinart 14-Inch Skillet

Once steak is done, reduce heat to medium, add in onion and peppers and cook until soft, about 5-6 minutes.

Pepper and onion

While the veggies are cooking, mix the sour cream, cream cheese, and mayo in a bowl until well mixed. Throw cheese in as well, then mix. You can use shredded cheese, but I just by sliced provolone and tear it up for the cheese to mix in.

Filling and cheese

Once veggies are done, throw steak back in to warm.

veggies and steak cooking

Once that is done, put in the bowl with the rest of the filling.

Cooked veggies and steak

Mix until it is all incorporated.

filling mixed

Now it’s time to fill your mushrooms. And I gotta tell you, the kitchen smells absolutely heavenly at this point – it’s hard not to just eat it right from the bowl with a spoon. But alas, I showed restraint and filled the mushrooms and they were just about overflowing.

Filled mushrooms

Then top with a piece of provolone cheese. This will melt and get nice and browned.

Filled and topped mushrooms

Pop in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes until mushrooms are cooked and cheese is melted. It’ll look similar to this. One of my mushrooms didn’t hold up as well, the sides got weak when it cooked, so a little of the filling came out, but trust me – it doesn’t affect the flavor! These are so yummy.

Done mushrooms

You can see the mushrooms do give off some water, so there will be some in the bottom of the pan when you take the mushrooms out. Don’t worry, that’s totally normal.

And that’s it! Now you can enjoy a delicious philly cheesesteak without all the carbs! Comment below with your thoughts or variations on this recipe!

Finished product

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Philly Stuffed Mushrooms

12-16 oz sirloin steak cut into bite size pieces (feel free to use less or more depending how much you like – or if you are vegetarian, skip the meat and add more veggies)
3/4 c diced onion
3/4 c diced green pepper
1/4 c sour cream
1/4 c mayo
1/4 c cream cheese, softened
3 oz provolone cheese
4 portobello mushrooms

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees, then get the mushrooms ready. Clean the mushrooms and remove the stems. Scrape out the gills. This will leave you with a ‘bowl’ for your filling. Lay mushrooms on an 11 x 15 in baking pan.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat with a little oil.

Season steak with salt and pepper and cook about 1 ½ – 2 minutes. Remove from heat and place on paper towel to absorb and excess liquid.

Reduce heat to medium. Add in onion and pepper and cook about 5-6 minutes or until soft.

Mix sour cream, cream cheese, mayo, and provolone cheese while veggies are cooking.

When veggies are done, throw steak back in to warm. Then remove from heat and add meat and beggies to filling mixture.

Fill mushrooms with mixture and top with more provolone cheese if desired.

Bake for approx. 20 minutes.

Let cool and enjoy!


*Disclaimer: I am NOT a certified nutritionist and your nutritional information may vary depending on exact ingredients you use. I highly recommend you calculate your own and just use this as a guideline. The links for products are affiliate links so I may earn a very small commission if you purchase through them – but it doesn’t cost you anything additional!

Battle of the Diets

Like most people in this world, I am constantly battling one diet or another. Or should I say ‘lifestyle change’. Whatever you want to call it, I’m just going to say it, it sucks. Not being able to eat what you want and when you want – whether you are counting carbs, calories, points, or whatever method of dieting you choose, it just plain sucks. I’ve been dieting on and off for the last 20 years and have tried most of them out there. Since I’m still overweight, it’s clearly not worked out well for me. I’m a yo-yo’er. I’ve never lost more than 50lbs, but every time I lose, I seem to gain it back plus more. 

This constant battle seems to dictate a lot of things in my life. I’ve been overweight since I was a child, but of course I wasn’t as heavy as I thought I was back then. Every time I gain weight, I keep thinking why I was complaining so much when I weighed less and I would be so much happier if my weight would just go back down to what it was. But is that number on the scale what is really going to decide my happiness? No, probably not, but it would be less stress on my body. 

So in an attempt to lose weight right now, I’ve started taking TruVision. I’ve seen lots of success stories and decided to give it a go. Is it going to work? I don’t know, but I’m hopeful. If you look hard enough, you can find successes and failures with any diet or supplement. I’ve tried and failed at most of them. I’m trying to do my research with this one and watch what I eat while also trying to be more active. I created a spreadsheet to monitor my measurements and my weight to see how and so far I’ve lost almost 10 lbs. Hopefully it will continue, but I guess we will just have to wait and see. If you want to check out TruVision, you can do so by going here: http://yabboutique.truvisionhealth.com and if you want to just try a sample, let me know and we can make that happen. Fingers crossed it keeps working and I’ll post updates here periodically.