I’m excited to report that my first factor order arrived yesterday and I just had my first lunch.
It was absolutely delicious! I think this just might work!
Because I am paid a salary as a teacher, I never really think about how many hours I work, but I’ve been finding myself too tired to cook when I get home lately. I did the math, and apparently, when school is in session, I am working a little over 60 hours a week, coming in at an average of 11.5 hours a day plus weekends once I include meetings, clubs, student hours, parent hours, planning and grading.
Therefore, I did some research to see what I could do to help me stick to keto with an exhausted mind and body. What I found is Factor. It looks like the meals will be enjoyable, and there are SO MANY keto choices, which is rare with these delivery services. Plus… I don’t have to slave in the kitchen! My first order arrives next Tuesday. Has anyone tried Factor for keto? Did it work for you?
I adopted a Go Big or Go Home mindset and ordered lunch and dinner for 5 days for both my husband and me, so we will be getting 20 meals with the first order. I will still cook on the weekends. Fingers crossed that it works out. I will just have a combination of either Kirkland protein bars or Premere Protein shakes for breakfast.
Last night was unexpectedly rough. My FreeStyle Libre meter went off 3 times because my sugar levels dropped too low. At 11 pm it said I was at 68. I waited about 15 minutes and checked it again to see if it was stable or dropping, and it went to 59, so I ate a leftover piece of Christmas chocolate, and I got it back up to 91. At 1, it went off again back down to 60. This morning, I decided not to take my insulin to see how I do and judge where I should be tomorrow. I usually take 80 units of long-acting insulin, so I am monitoring it carefully, and so far, so good. Water weight started to drop off. 243.2.
Good morning world! I am starting today at 245 lbs. with a goal of 160 and a fasting blood sugar down from 250 the day before to 167 after a single day of keto. My second goal is to get my A1C back under 6. Yesterday’s menu was a delicious start!
For breakfast, I had 4 sausage balls made with hot pork breakfast sausage and a nitro keto coffee. I use Starbucks nitro cold brew with a tablespoon of Stevia and a teaspoon of heavy cream.
The macros for this are 407 calories, 4.1 net carbs, 48 protein, 32 fat.
For lunch, I had herb baked salmon.
The macros are 319 calories, 1 net carb, 20.1 protein, 5.18 fat
Dinner was an especial treat. I had bacon-wrapped stuffed pork tenderloin with brussels sprouts.
Macros: 606+170 calories, 2.8+8 net carbs, 30+6 protein, 6+11 fat.
Today, breakfast and lunch are the same, but dinner will be Alice Springs Chicken Low Carb Copy Cat.
If you are unfamiliar with Alice Springs Chicken, it is a dish served at Outback Steakhouse. It is a marinated chicken smothered in honey mustard, bacon, mushrooms, and cheese. I have had the original meal after trying this new low carb copy cat recipe, and frankly, I don’t even like it as much anymore because the copy cat recipe is so good!
So very much has happened in the last few years. My son just turned 10! I have a daughter who just turned 7! I moved to a new state. I gave notice after COVID hit and left my job to return to grad school. I graduated and returned to teaching. All the while my journey through Keto hit its bumps. By January 2020, I had lowered my A1C to 5 and dropped down to 199 lbs., under 200 for the first time since I was in middle school!
Unfortunately, that was not to last. Teaching takes so much time, and raising two kids isn’t any easier, so I fell off the Keto wagon. I gained back all the weight and then some, and my A1C as of 2 weeks ago was 11!!! 😦 That being said, I realized that I just can’t let this go on, and I need to reenter the Keto lifestyle. To do that, I need some way to hold myself accountable, so I AM BACK! I started eating keto today, and I will begin logging my journey here again tomorrow. I am posting a new starting picture to begin.
So far, so good. I’m official down 11 pounds in a month.I’m pretty tall, so my goal is to reach 170. I’ve been on a roll. Every Saturday, I plan out my meals down to the almond. Sunday, I do the grocery shopping. Somehow I’ve even lowered my grocery expenditure. I spend, on average $100/week to feed 2 adults and a toddler.
I have been trying out different exercises. I just found a 30 day yoga program I started last Friday. I can see the changes in my body, and feel the muscle slowly building.
To top it off, as of yesterday, I am off of my insulin. My blood sugar was 80 without taking any! I am still on 1000 mg of Glucophage BID, but that is minor in comparison to where I was a month ago. Three weeks ago my A1C was 13. Two weeks ago it was already down to 10. I see my endocrinologist again tomorrow to evaluate where he thinks I stand.
My cholesterol was high three weeks ago. My PCP wants me to start medication for it, but I am still nursing my son and can’t take it unless I stop, (and he will throw one big fit if he even thinks I am considering that). I want to give my body another month, recheck it to see if my cholesterol improves like I have read it should when eating Keto-style.
Now for the bad news. 😦
Saturday I was carrying my son downstairs. Three steps down, the board popped up and the carpet (which was attached to each stair individually) just pulled right up along with it. Apparently the town-home owners felt one nail was enough to secure the step. I pulled my son to my chest and held him as safely as I could and let my body take the brunt of the fall — fifteen stairs all the way down on my back. I had to call my husband home from work and go to the hospital. I am still bumped and bruised; not to mention, I hurt like crazy. Thank goodness my son was just fine the way I protected him!
Anyway… the point is… no more 30-day yoga until I am feeling a LOT better. I can barely move enough to take care of my son during the day. My husband has been wonderful picking up cooking duties for me. I may look into some arm exercises with easy 2 lb. weights in the next day or two if the doctor thinks it won’t irritate my situation.
Yesterday brought tons of rain, wind, and tornados to my area. With roads flooded everywhere, trees uprooted, and our power out, I was left with a quandary. How can I cook? I simply couldn’t prepare meals that met my new dietary requirements.
My husband, son, and I loaded up and began searching for a place to eat. Everywhere that I knew could serve food on my menu was closed. We even went into one restaurant and ordered drinks before we were told how limited the menu was, and guess what! It was limited to a carbfest, so we had to pay for our drinks and continue the search.
However, before we came to that decision, my husband asked several times if I wanted to just cheat on my diet for one day because of the circumstances. I seriously thought about it and almost gave in. After some wavering, I decided to explain how I can’t cheat on a diet, when I’m not on one. This is, as I have said before, a lifestyle change. Furthermore, as I begin week three, I didn’t want my ketones to go away and start all over.
Luckily we found a fast food burger joint where I could just order a bacon avocado cheeseburger with no bun. It was a little high on the calorie side, of course, but I was able to justify it by cutting back in other places throughout the day.
As we sat in the living room with all of the doors and windows open for light, the power came back on just before dinner time. I was able to cook Keto friendly Swedish meatballs. I cut my serving down and dropped the side dish, so all and all I hit below my numbers by some miracle. In truth, the real miracle was passing another test where I could so easily have strayed from my path.
After one strong week and my doctor’s approval of the lifestyle changes I have made, I was ready to throw myself into week two. I spent the weekend sifting threw keto recipes and doing all of the calculations for week two. The grocery store trip was an adventure yet again. I needed items I had never used before such as xanthan gum, fish sauce, some sort of garlic paste, and ground chicken. To my surprise, even the employees assisting me didn’t know where some of the items were, so it took a while.
When I began this change in my life, I told myself, “If my husband won’t eat what I cook, he will just have to make something for himself.” That being said, I have tried to select recipes he might at least try. However, for week two, I apparently made poor choices. He had no problem with the inside out burger, he just put his together on bread like normal. On Tuesday I had leftovers planned, so he made himself a chicken and rice dish. Wednesday I made shrimp and cauliflower curry that he wouldn’t even try. Thursday I made a slow cooker pulled chicken that was superb. We both enjoyed it very much.
My challenge, however, is in what my husband is eating. For example, I cooked him Red Lobster style shrimp scampi when I had the curry. That’s no big deal because I could also eat that, and actually plan to work out the numbers and have it in the future. He also made himself a salad, which I am always proud of. The problem, though, came with his final request. Red Lobster now sells their Cheddar Bay Biscuit mix, and we have about 5 boxes of it in the pantry. He wanted them to complete his experience. How was I going to keep the strength to cook and NOT eat one of my favorite foods? Somehow I managed, but it wasn’t easy. I kept finding myself eyeballing the biscuits which were within my reach and breathing them in deeply. To make it worse, my husband was ripping off pieces and giving them to our toddler to eat also. As I write this, there are still left over biscuits in the fridge, but at least they aren’t pipping hot with their exquisite aroma assaulting my nose.
Furthermore, I made him Suddenly Salad twice. If you are not familiar with that product, it is a delicious pasta salad. So he has had rice, pasta, bread for his burger, and biscuits while I sit across from him and can’t join in. Even on the pulled chicken day I though, “Mmmm this would be great topping a potato.”
So far my willpower is staying strong, but for how long without my husband’s support? For now, I will take the support my scale is offering. Day 10 and down 7.4 lbs!
So far most of my posts have followed my journey for the first week of my new ketogenic lifestyle which I began to improve my health for my son. With uncontrolled diabetes despite the array of medications I am on, I felt it was time to take my health into my own hands. However, for anyone else he was considering this "diet", I want to share the ways my life has changed in only a week.
1. More energy
2. Easier to focus
3. Losing weight fast (over 6 lbs)
4. Feel cleaner (This is hard for me to explain, but it's like the insides of my body have been thoroughly washed for the first time.)
5. Lower blood sugar levels (from 500 to 150 without any medication changes)
6. Sleep better (I have had insomnia for over 15 years.)
7. Vision improvement (I haven't worn my glasses for 3 days.)
8. Always feel full
The transition went significantly smoother than I expected. Despite having type 2 diabetes, I had an addiction to soda and would drink at least 4 cans a day. (As a side note for people who believe the cost of healthier foods is too much, when you cut out things like soda, you'd be surprised how much money you save in a year. Consider: 4 cans x 7 days = 28 x 52.2 weeks 1461.6 ÷ 12 cans a pack = 121.8 packs x APPROX $3.50 a pack (if you are lucky) = $426.30!)
I did get the "Keto flu" for one day on day 3. I had intense headaches, but that was all.
Because I am diabetic, I decided to get Ketostix to monitor the level of ketones in my body. As expected, there were none at first, but by day 3, they were already showing up.
If you are looking for a healthier way of life but have struggled with diets, talk to your doctor about giving this a try. It doesn't leave you hungry like low fat diets which is a huge step towards success in and of itself. Furthermore, there are so many delicious recipes online that you won't find yourself missing your favorite foods as much as you expect.
If you too are new to the ketogenic lifestyle, let me know how it is going for you. I am excited to share this experience with others, so we can succeed together!
On day 5, most of my menu included leftovers. With my mother- in-law and niece visiting, I didn’t want to spend all day in the kitchen. After their visit, she called my husband and raved about the food. I’m not sure it was that delicious, but I’m glad she liked it. I did throw together a crock pot meal for dinner before they arrived, so dinner would be ready shortly after they left.
The menu:
Breakfast: Keto coffee, cream cheese pancakes, bacon
Snack: Beef and cheese stick
Lunch: Egg salad on Romaine leaves and cauliflower salad
Snack: Raw almonds
Dinner: Cuban style pot roast on a bed of Romaine topped with salsa and cheddar cheese
Dessert: Vanilla latte cookie x2
The pot roast salad was insanely good! Even my husband loved it – although he left out the salad part and ate a side of leftover cauliflower gratin instead.
The cookies were interesting as well. While they aren’t amazing, they aren’t bad either. I had a difficult time finding one of the recipe’s ingredients: erythritol. Erythritol is a sugar substitute. Eventually, I found out that the manufacturer’s website has a feature to find stores that carry the product. Unfortunately, the closest store was on the other side of town. After buying it, we found out that a health food store literally one block away carries it… Oh well. At least we know for next time.
Sadly, I got caught up in everything and missed my daily exercise. However, chasing a toddler is technically exercise in itself!
Totals: 1892 calories, 169 fat, 20.5 carbs, 92 protein
Day 6:
Ketostix 40
Weight 224.8
Exercise: 20 min. yoga
Menu:
Breakfast: 3 fried eggs, 2 slices bacon, and Keto coffee
Lunch 1 c. Cauliflower salad and 4 sun-dried tomato and feta turkey balls
Snack: Beef and cheese sticks
Dinner: Cuban pot roast salad
Dessert: Vanilla latte cookie
Weekends seem to throw off my entire schedule! I didn’t realize I needed to eat until 2 pm and skipped right over my snack to lunch.
Totals: 1848 calories, 155 fat, 20.5 carbs, 95 protein
Day 7:
Weight: 224.2
Blood sugar: 120! Almost where I need to be and no med changes from almost 500!
Exercise: 30 min low impact aerobics
Menu:
Breakfast: Cream cheese pancakes, bacon, and Keto coffee
Snack: 2 string cheese
Lunch: Supersonic bacon double burger with mustard and no bun
Snack: 1/2 avocado with salt and pepper
Dinner: Bacon and mozzarella meatballs x3, 2 c. raw spinach with Italian dressing
Dessert: Vanilla latte cookie
This was the first time I had to eat out Keto style. It pushed my calories, fat, and protein slightly above my goals, but not too far. I tried to make up for it with extra effort exercising.
The bacon mozzarella meatballs were another hit with my husband. In fact, he claims to like them more than my pre-“diet” meatballs. Must be the bacon!
Totals: 2049 calories, 172 fat, 13 carbs, 107 protein
ONE WEEK DOWN! A lifetime to go. 😉
Day 8:
Weight: 223.2
Exercise: 20 min yoga
Menu:
Breakfast: Keto proof coffee
Lunch: Chili spaghetti squash casserole and cauliflower salad
Snack: 1/2 avocado with salt and pepper
Dinner: Inside out burger and spinach salad
Dessert: 1 square Lindt 90% chocolate
I woke up late, so breakfast and the first snack kind of flew out the window, but I made sure to get the coffee in, so I could approach my daily fat needs.
Yoga was a fun adventure today. My son decided to use me as a bridge, so as I held my poses, I watched him crawl under me, around my legs, etc.
On an exciting note, after one week I am down a total of 6.4 lbs! Tomorrow I will see my doctor to discuss the progress and make sure these changes are safe for my health conditions.
I am not listing my totals here as the day is not yet over, and I may make some changes as necessary.
sagmommy 
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