The Keto Diet, and How I Make it Work

I’ve been on the Keto diet for a while now and have learned several hints that can help you. I’ve done each of these and find that every one makes a difference in my losing weight.

Track Calories – with too many calories in your diet, your body gains weight. Period. So, even though you are watching carbs to get healthy and lose some fat, keep your calories in check. Here is a way to see how many calories you need per day to maintain your current weight. Just go below this number significantly each day to lose.

Step 1: Find your current body weight in kilograms (if you live in the US, just divide your current weight in pounds by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms).

Step 2: Multiply your weight in kilograms by 0.9 if you are a woman or 1.0 if you are a man.

Step 3: Multiply by 24.

Eat Keto – Low carb – like 20 grams or fewer per day (I know, it’s a very low number, but it works). Aim for moderate protein and higher fat. See how to keep up with these numbers in the next paragraph.

Log Your Progress – Load the app on your phone called “Carb Manager.” It will tell you everything you need to know about starting this program. It also has a vast food log to choose from when you are logging. 😊

Get Sugar OUT of your diet – Low fiber and high sugar is a recipe for disaster! Try eating the opposite of this. Too high of sugar can also mess with your hormone levels and intestinal balance.

Drink More Water – try for at least 64 ounces per day. I’ve noticed time and again that sometimes I want a snack – bad. But if I drink some water, the “hunger” goes away. I was thirsty instead! It’s a strange phenomenon but it’s true. Thirst can mask itself as hunger.

Get Enough Electrolytes – When you eat Keto, especially in the beginning, you will lose a lot of water from your body. You’ll need to replace electrolytes you are losing. Add these (buy on Amazon) to your drinks once or twice a day, and you’ll not experience the headache, fatigue, and general “keto flu” you hear about when beginning this way of eating.

Start Lifting Light Weights – Strength training is very important for all around body health. At home, grab some light to moderate weights and just lift. Try this link to see how to lift properly: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/fitness/a40035772/how-to-start-lifting-weights-for-beginners/

Get in Low Carb Veggies – Don’t ignore vegetables just because you are watching carb intake. There are plenty of low carb choices out there. Try this site for a few ideas: https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/low-carb-fruits-and-vegetables

Include good fats and remove others. Vegetable oil has been linked to inflammation in the body. So have corn, safflower, sunflower, and soy. Stay clear of these and choose either olive oil, avocado oil or coconut oil.

Getting healthier is a mind change. Unless you decide to really devote your energy to changing and improving your eating, this won’t “stick” with you. I know – from experience.

I’m making beef jerky today. I bought a food dehydrator and meat slicer (I didn’t have to have this part. LOL). Below is my recipe for marinade and making the jerky. It’s a good snack for those on a low carbohydrate eating plan. Don’t go crazy with it, though. Remember . . . moderation is the key.

Beef Jerky – Makes about a pound of jerky

Take 3 lbs. of eye of round (the leanest I could find) and remove the excess fat. Discard the fat. Freeze the beef for 1-2 hours to make it easier to slice. (If you have had the butcher slice your beef into 1/8- ¼ in slices, no need for this step). Tenderize meat with a mallet but not too much. You don’t want mush. Marinate in layers in a med/large bowl for 4-24 hours in the fridge. (Marinade ingredients below.) After this step, remove meat and lay it on paper towels to take away excess liquid. Shake some coarsely ground black pepper on the slices (if you want black pepper style jerky). Place beef in a pre-heated 160-degree dehydrator for 4-6 hours. Rotate trays if needed to evenly “cook” the jerky. Remove when the meat is to your liking. Don’t overcook or you’ll have shoe leather. 😉

Marinade –

½ cup soy sauce

4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

4 Tbsp brown sugar

4 tsp salt

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp liquid smoke

1 cup beef stock

Time to Journal!

Hello, friends! It’s only been a few days since my last post but I find myself struggling! This huge winter blast of sub temps and lots of snow has me homebound and finding it difficult to stick with my eating plan.

I decided today to make sure to journal every bite I put in my mouth. That’s not something I’ve been very good at doing. Toward the end of the day, I tend to forget my journal even exists.

Do you have issues with this?

I also am going cold turkey with the NO SUGAR. I started eating only one chocolate per day. Then I moved to two. Then it became as many as I wanted. I can’t “eat just one.”

I’ll still check back in with you on Saturday to share my loss for the week. If you have comments that might help me stay on track, please share. I’m sure I’m not the only reader who will benefit. I see that I have many followers who are in the health and physical ed fields.

((hugs)) on this freezing day. Spring will soon be here, and I need to be swimsuit ready!

Lea

Paradise – Haiku Sugar Mill – Maui, Hawaii

Dave and I took off for Haiku, Hawaii today (on Maui). Owner, Sylvia Hamilton-Kerr, has completed a restoration of the old grounds. The once-thriving mill had sat crumbling and was a historical loss to all. However, it is now protected and able to be enjoyed by visitors. A tour is given to a limited number of guests a few times a week. You get a dose of entertaining history, amazing tropical horticulture, and breathtaking photo opportunities. Their fresh mango lemonade at tour’s end isn’t too shabby, either. Note the Breadfruit tree and its fruit. Its uses are many.

It is starchy and sugary when ripe and can be baked, roasted, fried, or boiled. I’ve had it as potato chips and as a thickener in a Hawaiian preparation of an octopus dish. Both were tasty. Interestingly, the sap from the Breadfruit tree (see the white drip above) may be used as a latex in caulking waterproof boating vessels, homes, and in chewing gum. That was new information to me.

Ms. Hamilton-Kerr has made a garden of Eden under a mango tree that is approximately 150 years old. Cool breezes blew through my hair as I soaked up the ambiance and beauty of it all. Vintage French ironwork and woodwork adorn walls, decorates walkways, and even hangs from the tree. My senses were overwhelmed in this area of the mill tour. Bird songs in the background and sweet scents from nearby blossoms were a treat for everyone present.

The actual old mill structure is only 1/3 present but in what a presentation it is offered! Old World Europe meets Island Tropics. Sylvia married these elements into a unique and delightful piece of Maui that seems a million miles from the “real world.”

As a side note, Haiku Mill is a perfect wedding venue. I have seen many settings, as I am a registered wedding officiant, but none so much a paradise as this.

Vines and other lush vegetation cling to the old mill’s stone facade. The inside of the entry wall is as beautiful as the outside.

Our tour group of eight lingered after the presentation was shared. We took photos, chatted, and drank our mango lemonade. We were excited to be offered for purchase a fresh star fruit and a jar of homemade mango jam. This gem of Maui should not be missed. Escape the tourist areas, and enter a world steeped in island history and a place of peace and tranquility ~