Modified Keto days 19, 20, 21, and 22.

Let’s start with day 19. The day started out normal with my coffee. Nothing to eat until noonish and then it was saltine crackers (unsalted tops) and peanut butter. I know, it’s not on the Keto plan but it was what was quick and easy and something to grab while I worked. Later that evening, my hubby came home with chicken strips and fried chicken. I ate it. I do not feel guilty about it either.

Day 20… Saturday… I had coffee and I had water. And I did not eat anything since 7pm Friday night. We had a get together to go to and I only had water while I was there, nothing to eat.

Day 21… Coffee as usual… Dr. Pepper around noon. Finally ate lunch around 2pm. Lunch consisted of 1/2 of a homemade pimento cheese sandwich and some potato salad. that evening, I had a little bit more of the pimento cheese sandwich. It was good and I did not feel guilty about it at all.

Day 22. I stepped on the scale this morning with a lot of fear… but it was good. I lost another 3 pounds even after eating all the crap, non-Keto approved foods.

But I did learn something over the last 3 weeks. I learned that with my medical history of Diverticulosis, an unrelated small bowel resection, and no gallbladder, Keto is not for me. I cannot do full fat diets. But most of all, I cannot go without my rice and beans and tortillas. I have learned that I do not eat just to be doing something. I learned that I can diet and lose weight without the Keto facebook groups since their way is not a good way for me.

So I’m bidding farewell to the Keto diet and looking for something that is more appropriate for me and my health issues. Sorry, Keto. You’re just not right for me. But thanks for getting me started on this journey that led to a weight loss of 5.2 pounds.

Does anyone have any suggestions on another diet that would include fruit??? Please leave your suggestions!!!

Modified Keto day 18. Definitely not a Keto approved day!!!

It’s not easy when someone in your household is sick. I had to make a run to the grocery store for Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup because everyone knows that it makes everyone and everything feel better. And, of course, so does 7-Up, Outshine fruit bars, and Kraft Mac and Cheese. It’s the little things that help a person to feel better. Plus some prescription medications.

As far as my Modified Keto diet went, well it started out like it does every other day. First cup of coffee with 2 teaspoons of sugar (the real thing) and heavy cream. For lunch I strayed. And by strayed, I mean while I was at the store, I picked up a Smart Ones Chicken Parmesan frozen dinner and a Caesar salad kit. I ate the frozen dinner, which I’m sorry to say was not very good but I was hungry. I may or may not have the salad with some smoked chicken for dinner. It will just depend on how tired I am from doing some cruise prep stuff.

I failed to mention that I have not had any unsweetened tea today, at least not yet. Instead, on my way home from the grocery store, I stopped at Starbucks and got a Venti Java Chip Frappuccino. Yes it was good. No I do not feel guilty about it.

Maybe tomorrow I will do better on my Modified Keto diet journey. But then again, maybe not. I can only do my best. In any case, I’m still losing some weight so I’m not concerned with my progress. I’m only concerned about any negative effects it could have on my health. These are things I watch very closely.

Modified Keto day 17.

Day 17. Just another typical day starting with coffee and yes I had 2 teaspoons of SUGAR along with some heavy cream. Additional refills did not have the added sugar but maybe one had some additional heavy cream. Brunch today was Migas. Scrambled eggs with onion, corn tortillas, sausage, and some hot sauce. Yes I am aware that TORTILLAS are not on the good Keto list. But right now, I just do not care. I have to modify things as best as I can considering the dietary restrictions that come with Diverticulosis. Not to mention my allergy to artificial sweeteners and, apparently, the plant based “natural” sweeteners.

This evening was a repeat of yesterday evening… at least I was thinking it was yesterday. I had some smoked chicken with Ranch dressing to dip it with. And some pickle chips. I have consumed unsweetened ice tea today as well.

Sometimes I feel like I’m in a bubble. I realize I am losing weight but at what cost? Since I have started this diet and modifying it as necessary, I have started having severe abdominal cramps. And I’m only 17 days in. I have joined some Keto groups on Facebook, but I am afraid to post anything. Why? Because there is always someone that say “That’s not allowed on Keto”. Well guess what. I’m an adult and I am perfectly capable of making my on decisions. I am losing weight for myself in an attempt to get rid of the weight I gained while on an steroid inhaler for 2 years thanks to COPD. The groups have not seemed very friendly. Some of the recipes look appealing, but since they all have artificial sweetener, I cannot use them. What a shame.

There are a lot of opinions about this diet, but I’m really starting to question if it is the right one for me. Consuming a diet where the main part is fat does not play well with Diverticulosis and not having a gallbladder. I wonder if these people on the Facebook groups take into consideration that this diet might not be for everyone. Some people in these groups act like you MUST do it by the book. I think it might be best for my sanity to stay away from those groups for the next couple of weeks while I try to figure out how this diet with modifications will work for me. Not how the Facebook Keto police thinks it should.

Modified Keto day 16. Today was real bad.

Today was definitely not a good day in my house. My 19-year old son became extremely ill around midnight and continued for hours!!!! What a mess. We took him to the doctor and found out he has acute gastroenteritis. Not fun at all.

But with all the chaos, my modified Keto started out as it usually does with coffee, but I had very little to eat the rest of the day. Some breakfast sausage that amounted to 2 sausage patties this afternoon. Then later I had some smoked chicken (maybe 2 ounces) and some ranch dressing for dipping. I ended the night with a few pickle chips (for lack of a better term).

I’m definitely hoping tomorrow is a much better day. I’m 100% exhausted. Absolutely nothing was accomplished.

Modified Keto day 15. I can do it, I can do it.

Having a back ache is not how I wanted to start my day. But that is ok. I can deal with it! Today was just another normal day… coffee in the morning. Yes with 2 teaspoons of sugar in the first cup with heavy cream. No sugar or cream added to additional refills, and there were a few. Nothing to eat for breakfast!!!

Lunch time means it was time to eat!!! 2 fried eggs, bacon, and about 1/4 of an avocado. So yummy!!!! And filling. Later in the evening, I had some sausage that my husband smoked, a few olives, and a few Parmesan Whisps. And nothing since then. Well, nothing besides some unsweetened ice tea!!!

I wish it felt energized. I wish I felt like I accomplished something today. But nothing like that happened. At least tomorrow I will have some packages delivered!!!! I’m sure everything coming is for the cruise!!!!

Modified Keto day 14… Family birthdays, and mom’s dementia.

Some days I feel like I’m in a rut. Doing the same things over and over and over. Like my morning coffee. Like deciding on continuing with the diet or try something else. In all honesty, today I didn’t eat anything until around 5 pm. And then it wasn’t much. But I’m just not feeling myself. I’m feeling bloated. And with that feeling comes the feeling of being defeated. Hopefully tomorrow, these feeling will be gone and I will have a much better day and week on my modified Keto journey. At least that is what I am hoping for.

Today was a fun and somewhat productive day. I managed to design our tumblers for our upcoming Carnival Vista cruise. It is the first time I have used my Cricut Explore Air to cut vinyl. I have completed one tumbler and even though it isn’t perfect, it will work perfectly for my needs.

My plan is to put things on the tumblers that are what my family wants on theirs. So the variety includes a cruise ship, a couple of dolphins, a whale, a flamingo, a ships wheel, and a 3 anchors. And each tumbler will also have everyone’s name on them. Everything has been cut but I have not had the chance to put them on the tumblers. Hopefully that will happen tomorrow.

This afternoon was fun. We had family birthday’s at my sister-in-law and brother-in-laws house. We celebrated birthdays for my brother-in-law, my daughter, and my granddaughter Victoria. This is always fun and there is always plenty of food.

On our way home, we had to stop at CVS to pick up a prescription for my mother. She wasn’t expecting us to come over, but when we got there she was happy to see us. She didn’t know she had a prescription ready but she told me she was out of a lot of her medications. My mother’s dementia seems to be getting worse. She hasn’t driven in over, no longer manages her medications, and does not manage her finances. But she thinks she can do anything and everything. Vascular Dementia is sad to witness. We know that one day we will have to make some decisions about where she will be living. But for right now, she is able to take care of her basic needs. She does not cook for herself but we make sure she has plenty to eat.

My mother is very excited about our upcoming cruise. Of course she thinks she needs new everything for the trip!!! While I was at her house, we did some online shopping and got her some casual things to wear in the evening. Now all she needs are some shorts and some dainty things and she should be good to go!!!

My hope for this cruise is that she makes some memories that will stay in her mind for a very long time. My mom, daughter, granddaughters, and I will be making scrapbook pages after our cruise. I hope that will help her with retaining the memories we make.

Modified Keto day 13 and organizing my photos from our 2014 Carnival Triumph cruise.

It has been a very long day, but all Saturday’s are like that. So far today, I have had my usual coffee, and Atkins Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bar, and unsweetened ice tea. I’m currently starving and I had not planned on eating anything else for the rest of the day, but then my son brought me half of an avocado with Tuna. Who can say no to that when they are starting???

This morning while I was working my real job, I was able to sort thru 923 photos from our Carnival Triumph cruise. It is actually a fairly easy process. I order my photos from Shutterfly. I arrange my photos by their identifying number and luckily that is pretty much how they arrive. I then separate them according to the day and then put them in photo protectors. Very easy. So very easy.

Today is Dixie’s 4th birthday. Unfortunately, I was not able to take her to Petsmart like I had hoped, but that’s ok. She’s a Yorkie. I’m sure she will forgive me.

So tell me, how do you keep you vacation photos?

Hello Modified Keto day #12, I think. And I may or may not have done some more shopping online!

I must say, I am glad I cheated on my diet yesterday. Why? Because today, when I woke up, I did not have a headache. Because yesterday I realized exactly how low my potassium levels had become. And because today when I fearfully stepped on the scale, I was pleasantly surprised that weight had not changed. Nothing I did damaged the progress I had made. So yes, I am happy that I cheated on my diet and the next time I feel I am in need of a cheat day, I will not fear it or feel guilty about it.

After a VERY GOOD nights sleep, I woke up and had my normal coffee. I didn’t eat anything until after 11am. At that time I had a brunch consisting of bacon and scrambled eggs with spinach, mushrooms, and onions topped with hot sauce. And I couldn’t eat it all!!! A stayed full for the remainder of the day.

Around 6 I was a little hungry so I fixed a plate of shredded chicken, cheese cubes, olives stuffed with garlic, cucumbers, Parmesean cheese whisps, and ranch dressing for dipping. I ate all of the olives and some of the cheese cubes, a few of the whisps, and just a little bit of the cheese. Once I was full, that was it.

I also realized that today is the beginning of the tax free weekend in Texas. So, I decided to check out Old Navy and Steinmart to see if there was anything I couldn’t live without or that I need for the cruise. I guess only time will tell if I purchased anything!!!

Tomorrow my little Yorkie rescue, Dixie turns 4. At least that is the age that is shown on the papers we received. But our vet thinks she might actually be older due to her health issues. But that’s ok. I do not care how old she is, we will celebrate her birthday by taking her to Petsmart for a new collar and maybe a new shirt or dress and a special birthday treat. She deserves to be spoiled on her special day. Not that she isn’t spoiled any other day, LOL!

What modified Keto diet? Today was a complete cheat day.

I feel refreshed and somewhat guilty about today. It was 100% a total cheat day. I needed it. I needed to get rid of the headache. I needed to not worry about making sure I was eating the right things. I needed to now worry about anything. I needed a day off. I needed a ME day. And I’m not sorry about it. In fact, before I go to bed, I plan on having some vanilla ice cream with Hershey’s syrup on top!!! Tomorrow, I will have my morning coffee and a sensible Keto friendly breakfast then I will fast.

Today was fun!!! Everything started out like normal… headache with a coffee chaser! No breakfast because I knew I was going to have lunch out with my granddaughter Victoria and my hubby. I just did know where we would be eating at. It would be Victoria’s choice.

We picked her up around noon but before we left on our adventure, we spent a little time with my daughter and grandson. Don’t want to leave anyone out!!! When we left their house, we didn’t know if we would go to the AT&T store before or after lunch but we knew that Victoria wanted Mexican food. Good choice!!!! We ended up going to the AT&T store first, mostly to avoid the lunch crowd at El Fenix.

It is always fun going to the AT&T store. We went to take care of Victoria’s new cell phone. Once that was taken care of, we also switched from Uverse to Direct TV at a huge savings for us and we upgraded (???) our cell phone service to unlimited everything. AND we are updating our internet as well. But no new phones.

Next on our agenda of two things to do was lunch. It was an easy drive across the street to El Fenix. As someone who is use to having tortillas, rice, beans, and chips every day, it was nice to indulge even if it was only for one day. I ordered the cheese enchilada and tamale that came with rice and beans. We also had queso for the table. But to be good, I had unsweetened ice tea! But I guess that didn’t really do any good since I bought pralines as we were leaving the restaurant. When I cheat on a diet, I really cheat!

While we were eating, I decided to make a trip to a nearby mall. We needed to walk off our food and it would be good exercise. Plus I wanted to look for some clothes for our cruise. Well… we walked, I shopped. We walked, I shopped. I’m sure you get the picture, right? I only went to 5 stores but only bought at 4. But I only bought stuff that was on sale with the exception of one thing for Victoria, a cover for her new cell phone.

First stop was Old Navy. I was looking for shorts. I really didn’t think that would be difficult. I found 2 pairs. Only. Two. Pairs. And they were nothing I couldn’t live without. But I did buy 3 shirts. I cannot wait to wear them on the cruise!!! Also, Jim found a pair of matching socks he thought would be cute for our grandson and son-in-law.

Next two stops were purchases for Jim. At Sears he found a pair of Wranglers that were regularly $40 something and he paid a little over $18. That was a good buy and he was so happy with himself! At Dillards, he scored a pair of shorts and a pair of slacks that were at a very good price!!! He was very impressed of the selection they had in his size!

Our last stop at the mall was at Shoe Dept. Encore. I left there with a pair of Sperry’s that I have been wanting for a long time. I was thrilled that they had them in my size and for $24.99!!! Definitely another good buy for me!!!

As we started to walk to the car, it decided to rain. Since my mother’s apartment is on the way to my daughters house, we decided to let the rain pass at her place. I figured it would be a good time to do some online shopping for her as she as some clothes she really needs to get. Unfortunately, her electricity kept flickering on and off which would turn off her computer. We will have to complete her shopping later.

The weather finally let up and we left to go to my daughters for a while before we headed home. Now that we are home, we are very tired. But I’m not too tired to skip the ice cream!!!

How was your day? Did you do anything exciting or special?

Modified Keto day 10 plus 3 packages in the mail!!!

I must honest, today started out real rough. I woke up with a migraine that did not go away until around 6 this evening. I managed to drag myself out of bed around 10 and decided to fix myself something to eat. Today’s breakfast consisted of bacon and eggs. And yes, I did have my normal coffee intake. But, once again, no Starbucks.

The cruise countdown cheered me up but didn’t make the headache go away. I wonder if the diet has anything to do with the headaches…

I did receive some packages in the mail today. One from Baublebar, one from Michaels, and UPS delivered 2 Shutterfly orange envelopes. Not only did I get the replacement photos that UPS conveniently misplaced last month, I also received the replacement photos that Shutterfly sent. But since I still had a headache, I did not open the packages.

In the late afternoon, I started getting a little hungry so I had the last of the left over chicken stuff I made yesterday and I also had one hotdog that was sliced and stuffed with cheese then wrapped in bacon. My beverage of choice after my morning coffee was unsweetened ice tea.

Once I started feeling better I started opening a couple of the boxes. Up first was Baublebar. Today’s package only contained one pair of earrings, the Fantasia Drop Earrings. I just love them and I cannot wait to wear them on our cruise. I also received the Lobe Wonder Ear Support patches I want to try and the Devonne Sunglasses in pink which was a gift with purchase. I truly love they way they package their products.

Then I opened the box from Michaels. I could not wait to see the different colors of vinyl I ordered. I’m even more excited to start playing with them on my Cricut Explore Air. I have plans for some tumblers and now that I have all of the different colors of Vinyl that I want, I’m going to really start on the tumblers this week. Maybe even tomorrow!!! These are the colors I ordered: light yellow, red, grape, azure, med blue, caribbean, and flamingo. I’m just so excited!!!

Now about the Shutterfly orange envelope thingy’s… It is obvious that the original one was damaged and so far, I have been afraid to open that envelope. But, I won’t know the extent of things until I do. It didn’t take much to open the original package and I was really afraid that the photos would be damaged but, to my surprise, there was nothing wrong with them!!! I guess now I can organize these photos as well as the photos from our Carnival Triumph cruise and a trip to Galveston. There are plenty of photos to do some large scrapbooks!!!

With the headache finally gone, I feel energized! I think I will use this time to do something productive. I just do not know which productive thing I want to do. I think I will start with the photos so they do not get messed up!