My "Why" about my 'private surgery'

I promised you a "Part 2" to my surgery post and the "why" I didn't share things with you until after the surgery. So, here is the part 2 you've been waiting for - or maybe you haven't been waiting for it, but it's here now anyway!

Like I said in Part 1, I knew I was having surgery months before it happened. I knew it was going to be two surgeries with two different surgeons that would have to coordinate their schedules to perform the surgeries back to back. I knew the urologist was going to be doing quite a bit of "stuff" while I was "under the knife." Yes, I knew all of that. But, I chose not to share it with anyone. Well, I shared it with a handful of people, maybe 15 in total but only about 5 of them knew the DETAILS. Why? Let me tell you why.

Wait! Before I get into my "why," let me tell you something about my surgery real quick!

After each surgeon finished their part of the surgery, my husband got a call from that doctor. The gynecologist called and told him all went well for her part. Another few hours later, my husband got a call from the urologist. He told him, "Everything went well. All looks great on the inside. Your wife's insides are tip top."...something like that. It's not every day you're told your insides look great, right?! They wanted to keep me overnight to make sure everything was going well since it was such a long surgery.

Everything is going well Tuesday. I'm just super tired and just want to sleep. Don comes and visits me that evening. As he's leaving, since I'm obviously super tired, he tells me he'll come by in the morning before he heads to work. Where I am is 20 minutes North of where he works. I told him I'm so out of the way, to not worry about it. He insists he'll be back in the morning. WELL...THAT WAS INSPIRATION. The next morning he shows up. They bring me my liquid breakfast. Yay me - not! Just before I grab my broth the nurse comes in to give me a shot. I asked him what it was. He said it was an anti blood clotting medication. He said they normally give it in the stomach but since I just had laparoscopic surgery, he'd give it to me in my arm. "Ok. I hate needles so be nice." He gave me the shot and left the room.

I reached for my broth, picked it up, and get it just about to my lips when I put it down quickly and look at Don and say, through soft, ragged breathing, "I can't breathe! I can't breathe! Go get the nurse!" He quickly gets the nurse. The nurse checks my monitors but doesn't know what the problem is. After about a minute I'm able to breathe normal again. The nurse has no idea what caused that. Although my oxygen levels were good, he put me on oxygen "just to be safe." I suggested it may be the meds he gave me. He said, "I don't think that would do it but let me know if you have any other issues." Um, ok.

The nurse leaves and I look at Don a few minutes later and say, "I can't breathe!" I hit the call button and I hear a nurse say, "Can I help you?" Well, duh! That's why I pressed the call button. I say, "I can't breathe" but she can't understand me because I could barely speak. Don runs to get the nurse again. (See why I said it was inspiration on Don's part that he decided to see me in the morning??? Who knows what would have happened if he wasn't there to help me?) When he (the nurse) enters, I tell him I'm having chest pain, too! He gets the emergency response team in there right away and the on call hospital doc. They decide to do a chest x-ray, blood work to check my heart enzymes, an EKG and also a CT scan to make sure there's no PE (pulmonary embolism).

After all is said and done, I get a "clean bill of health" and am released five hours later than I was supposed to be. I had told the rapid response team lead nurse that if they kept me another night there was no way I was taking that shot in the arm again the next day (it was a daily shot). I told all of them that I thought it was due to the meds they gave me. They just couldn't accept that. When I looked it up at my follow up appointment 10 days later...SOME of the side affects of Lovenox (the med I was given) is DIFFICULTY BREATHING AND CHEST PAIN!! It's noted in my chart that I will never have that drug again.

Now, back to my 'why'....

My "why" goes back a few years - 2016 to be exact. As I write this I hold NO HARD FEELINGS TOWARD ANYONE AT ALL. No. Seriously. I don't. However, some of you may take this personally. I can't help that. I'm not asking anyone to beat themselves up for it. I'm simply stating my WHY. I'm not trying to make anyone feel bad. If you CHOOSE to feel bad, stop it. I've moved on, for the most part. My mind still has a bit of PTSD, though.

In November of 2016, two days after Thanksgiving, Mom passed away. She had lived with us for seven (7) years. Everyone in the neighborhood knew her. Everyone at church knew her. She was actively involved in our ward (church geographical area for our congregation) and attended many non-Sunday church events. Even after her passing I had people tell me things I never knew about her. Like one friend told me, "I loved that your mom would mail me books that she had read. We started mailing books back and forth to each other." Another friend told me, "I enjoyed coming over and doing her nails every once in a while." And yet another friend, "Your mom always made me laugh. She was a funny lady."  Ok, I knew my mom was funny but more in the "Dad joke" kind of way. But, that others found her friendly and funny? I was happy to hear that about her. I mean, she could be cantankerous when she really wanted to be. Perhaps that was just with me. Ha! I digress.

Anyway, my point is, Mom wasn't a stranger to anyone around here. Mom passed on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. (Side note, I was so happy she chose to spend Thanksgiving with us. It was her last Thanksgiving...with me and my family and a few other family members. Happy memories right there!) I chose to attend church the next day. It wasn't like I could do anything. Mom was "on ice" waiting to be transported to the funeral home and all that stuff. So, I went to church. That Sunday the bishop (ecclesiastical leader) announced my mother's passing. I was given the obligatory "Sorry for your loss" by people and hugs here and there. Then I went home to prepare for funeral stuff.

I was so consumed with preparing the eulogy, getting the announcement in the newspaper, putting the service together, securing a church building to have the services, arranging to go to the funeral home to pick out the casket, flowers and burial plot as well as having to "tread lightly" around an aunt that proved to not have Mom's best interest at heart (but that's a WHOLE other story about her stealing Mom's money that I don't want to go into). Plus, I had to arrange a time for Mom's children (my siblings and me) to meet at the funeral home to help dress mom for the funeral/burial.

I ended up getting sick. I mean, lose my voice kind of sick. My plate was so full and I felt like I was drowning. I did everything I could to keep my head above water. I was an emotional wreck.

What does this have to do with my surgery? Well, I'm glad you asked.

See, during this time very few people even acknowledged my grief. I can count on ONE HAND how many people reached out to me to express their sorrow for my loss. One friend dropped off flowers and a hug. Another friend came by and gave me a plant...and a hug. Another friend brought me homemade chicken tortilla soup. That same friend had her young women class from church (14 year olds?) come by and Christmas carol to me and bring me a blanket. The day of the funeral? ONE FRIEND from our area attended the funeral, which was about 50 minutes away.

Again, WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH YOUR SURGERY, DEBBIE?? 

Ok! Relax. I'm getting there. 

I was so, super hurt by the lack of love and support I felt from my friends, knowing they knew my mom personally, I started pulling away from my "church family." I didn't want to be around people that didn't care about me or how I felt. The obligatory "sorry for your loss" really doesn't mean too much. It's just four words. I had about five people SHOW me that they were "sorry for my loss" and that they loved me. I would go to church and feel alone. I hated that feeling, but I was so hurt. It took me a few years to release the hurt feelings and work through the pain I felt.

I was "afraid" if people knew about my surgery and no one bothered to send a get well card or a text or flowers or SOMETHING to show they cared, I would hurt all over again. I wasn't willing to put myself through that. I told Don, "Honey. I have PTSD from Mom's death. I just don't want people to know." I was setting the bar low...low expectations meant I could protect myself from being hurt. If no one knew I was having surgery and had to be down for 6 weeks then I wouldn't be hurt if no one sent a card or flowers, etc.  It's not that I wanted to keep it private. Good gravy. Like I keep ANYTHING private. Haha! I just didn't want to feel that hurt, that pain, that loneliness again. As it is, I'm supposed to be down for 6 weeks. After 3 weeks I decided I didn't want to be "forgotten" so I jumped back into life. It's not FOMO (fear of missing out). It's more like "Hey! I'm still here. Please see me! Please don't forget about me!" I love life too much to go through it alone. Sure, I have my husband - the BEST person to experience life with - but we all need friends. I just didn't want my friends to forget about me. So, 3 weeks post surgery, I resumed my "regularly scheduled life."

I still have limitations. I can't lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk. I can WALK on the treadmill but not run. I can't do any abdominal exercises. I can't "disturb" the surgical site in any way, shape or form until the doctor gives me the "go sign" on November 30th. And if you're reading between the lines, you'll know what I mean by "disturb" and "way, shape or form."  Hahahaha! See? NOTHING is private with me!!! My poor husband!

I have to say, I am very thankful for the love that I felt from friends. You are all wonderful. I kinda wish I HAD told more people because it felt so WONDERFUL to feel the love I felt. The cards, the texts, the calls, the flowers, the balloon and book, the chocolate and even a few dinners, a lunch and some super sweet visits. Even the students and their aides I sub for a lot in their classes made cards and a banner for me and delivered them to my home with flowers and chocolate. I even had one sweet friend pop in to see me at the hospital after my surgery. I looked like I'd been run over by a mack truck but felt loved because my friend went out of her way to come see me. I could go on and list everything and everyone but I know I'd leave someone out. But, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the stuffed cow that I was given...by some anonymous friends.

The prayers you all prayed for me...I felt them. Honestly, I did. What I felt missing when Mom died seven years ago was replaced 10 fold this time around. 

I am sorry if any of you feel slighted because I didn't tell you about my surgery beforehand. That was not my intention at all. It was just a matter of "self preservation." I didn't think I was strong enough to feel that hurt and pain again. I'm glad I didn't feel it. If anything, your love proved to me that I am really never alone. Thank you. Thank you for loving imperfect me and helping me remember that I am NEVER ALONE.

Hugs!

Debbie

You Don't Have to Just "Live With It."

As many of you know, I recently had surgery.  I didn't post or blog about it beforehand for personal reasons (to be addressed in part 2 of this blog post).  What you don't know is the why or what.  Since this would have been a VERY LONG Facebook post, I chose to do a blog post about it instead. Let me just forewarn you, I will be sharing some very intimate and personal details in this post.  If you are uncomfortable with "details" or you're uncomfortable with "TMI" then I encourage you to STOP READING THIS NOW.  I'm submitting this post so that other woman that are experiencing this or have experienced this know that they are not alone.  After all, the name of my blog is NEVER ALONE.  With that said, here we go!

First, I will admit that at 56 years old, I am not as familiar with my body as others are with theirs.  I know we, as females, have "three holes," as it's said. One for peeing, one for pooping and one for sex or tampons or birthing babies.  That's about all I knew or needed to know, so I thought.  I would suggest women become a bit more familiar with their female bodies. I am NOT suggesting anything weird or kinky so don't go there. I'm simply suggesting you know what parts are what parts.  For instance, I thought the vagina was everything. Well, it's not. The vagina is simply PART of our pelvic region.  It is actually the canal from the uterus to the outside of the body. The uterus is above the bladder and the urethra is the tube that carries urine out of the body from the bladder. And, of course, the third "hole" is the "butthole" where the rectum (just on the inside of this "hole") stores stool until a bowel movement occurs.

Yes, you needed to know all of that before I begin my "pelvic floor" journey.

While at home one Sunday in March of this year (2023) I went to the restroom. As I wiped (I had peed) I felt something that I have never felt before. Again, remember, I was not "familiar" with my body but this was something very abnormal. I called my husband upstairs and said to him, "Don, I have something terribly wrong going on "down there". I feel like I have BALLS! I need you to look."  He said, "Uh, sure! I'll look." Such a man thing to say. Then he registered the concern and looked. Then, the poor guy, says something a woman never wants to hear, "I wonder if it's a tumor?" Well, if I wasn't panicked before, I was DEFINATELY panicked now!  

We were leaving to take our daughter and then fiancé, now husband, to the airport for them to fly back to Idaho.  I didn't want to alarm them so I didn't say anything about it at the time.  Meanwhile, after dropping them off and getting home, I decided to Google my issue. It was a Sunday...what else was I going to do?? So, I type in 'Why do I have balls hanging from my vagina?' Let me tell you, I was soooooo concerned that I was going to get porn popping up on my cellphone, but I just had to know. I closed my eyes and pressed "search." After a moment, I peeked and saw 'Vaginal prolapse.' I was SOOOOO relieved that nothing else populated my screen except articles of vaginal prolapse. I read the first article and found that I fell into the category of a woman with vaginal prolapse.

There were several criteria one would meet to be in this class of women. I met MOST OF THEM.        

1. Large babies - I had three vaginal births with the smallest being 8.9 and the largest being 10.1
2. Constipation - I had been having a difficult time recently pooping and had been pushing a LOT
3. Over 50 years old - yep! That's me! 55 at the time
4. Menopause - I was halfway through in March. Hit "full menopause" last month

With that info in hand, I called my gynecologist the next day, explained my situation and they got me in the very next day.

At that appointment the doctor did an exam and told me that I did indeed have vaginal prolapse. That was my uterus poking out of my vagina. She introduced me to a disk like object. I've never used a diaphragm for birth control but that's what you can compare it to. It was, apparently, firmer than a diaphragm and would help keep my uterus up and in. I would have to take it out before having sex. Well, there goes the spontaneity, right?! "Oh wait, honey...I have to remove this huge disk from my vagina before we continue on."  Anyway, she inserted one and it popped right out. She tried a larger one. Yep, it popped out, too! She tried two more and then looked at me and said, "You need to have a hysterectomy. None of these are going to work for you."

ALSO, at that appointment I was informed that my rectum had herniated into my vagina!! That would need to be fixed as well. Remember, that's the third "hole" and is super close to the second "hole." That also explained why I was having such a hard time pooping lately!!!!!!

This story can get longer and longer if I give ALL the details. So, let me try and sum this up sooner.

About 10 years ago I had a bladder lift. All those women that have to cross their legs when they laugh or sneeze or cough because they "pee a little" need to have a bladder lift. It is a game changer. I would wear a pad when I went running and by the time I got home I could wring that pad out with pee! It was horrible. I consulted the doc and was eligible for the bladder lift. And for 10 years, it was wonderful...until my uterus tried to escape!

I tell you that because once the uterus dropped, the bladder decided to follow suit! So, now I was back to "peeing a little" and it was very frustrating. Besides walking around with the feeling that a tampon was falling out (you ladies know that feeling) but it was my uterus instead, I now had to deal with wearing a pad again because my bladder was acting up. It wasn't as bad as 10 years ago but it was going that direction.

Our Europe trip

My gynecologist and my urologist had to consult and schedule a day where they could do a dual surgery. They had decided on a day in June. I told them I couldn't do it in June because I had a 5 week trip planned in Europe this summer and I couldn't cancel. The recovery time was 6 weeks so I just couldn't have it in June. After the doc reassured me that my uterus wouldn't "fall out" while touring through Europe, we agreed to do the surgery in October, after my daughter's September wedding. So, I went about SEVEN MONTHS with a "hanging uterus" and finally had the surgery on October 10th. 

I ended up having my uterus and fallopian tubes removed by the gynecologist and my bladder lifted and held up with a mesh/sling as well as had the herniated rectum fixed, reinforcing the wall between the vaginal canal and rectum by the urologist. More about the surgery and recovery in my next post.

I'm two weeks today post surgery and doing well. I had follow up appointments with both doctors/surgeons last Friday and they both said everything went well with surgery and I appear to be doing well in the healing process.  I still need to refrain from heavy lifting and running or hard exercise for the next 4 weeks but all in all, I'm on the road to good health. I had heard of women that had hysterectomies and how some were up and about days later. I asked my gynecologist if I was being a wimp. She said, "Your surgery was much more extensive than "just" a hysterectomy. You need to recover slowly and properly." I felt better after she said that.

Ladies, there's something you NEED to know. Remember when you had a baby? Remember when the doctor said to do Kegel exercises? Remember that? Well, may I suggest that you DO IT. It's sooo easy to do it. Sitting at the dinner table, watching TV, driving the car. Heck, even sitting in church. Just tighten those pelvic floor muscles!!! If I had done that, especially after having a 10.1 baby, I may have been able to avoid the vaginal prolapse. Just maybe. The doc did tell me that it just may have prevented future problems. If we don't exercise other muscles in our body they go weak. It's the same with our pelvic muscles.

I'll share more about the surgery, problems and the "why" behind me not telling anyone in my next blog post. Until then, SQUEEZE those pelvic floor muscles every darn day!!! And remember, you DON'T have to live with this. It can be rectified. You are NEVER ALONE...others are experiencing this same thing but my doctor told me they just accept it as "old age." Don't do that. Most problems can be fixed.

Here's to happy health!

Debbie

Fix the Little Things Before they Become BIG Things

It's been a while since I was last here to do a blog post. I was busy taking care of our son's mission blog and neglected to keep up with my own blog. Ah, the sacrifices one makes for their children.  But, alas, here I am!

I've had MANY blogging ideas in the last year and a half but just never took the time to share these thoughts with anyone.  So, let's give it a go and see what happens. This one may be exceptionally long but I hope you'll take the time to read to the end where I summarize and "make my point".

If you follow me on FB then you will know about my recent medical journey.  For the last few years I have had MANY UTI's (urinary tract infections).  I just figured my body was weird and I was just suseptible to UTI's.  So, at LEAST four times a year I was on medication for UTI pain, sometime six to seven times a year.  Well, last summer things came to a head. In August 2019 I was with my daughter and her friend. We stayed the night in Ontario, CA because they were joining me in a race the following day.  My husband was coming up after the race to pick up our daughter to drive her up to Idaho and her friend and I were driving back home.

The night before the race I told the girls that I would probably be walking the entire race (I NEVER walk in a 5k!) because I was having such pain. I was doubled over in pain but I'm so cheap I didn't want to not do the race because I'd lose my entry fee!  Anyway, my daughter was so concerned that she barely slept that night...making sure I didn't die in my sleep.  A little dramatic but that's the kind of compassionate daughter we have!

I woke up the next morning ready to run and actually DID run the entire 5k. The pain had subsided enough that I was able to run with no problems. After the race we went back to the hotel for breakfast and get packed up so my husband could get our daughter and go. As I said my goodbyes the pain started up again but I didn't say anything. I drove the hour home while my daughters friend talked the whole way.  I was never so grateful to have someone in the car with me as I was getting so tired that I wanted to just close my eyes and sleep.

After dropping her off I ran a few errands and then went home.  At this time we were empty nesters so I went home to an empty house and just dropped into bed.  I spoke to my husband and told him I was feeling awful but just wanted to sleep it off hoping I'd feel better. He was flying in the next morning so I wasn't too worried. Friends.....I didn't move from that bed for almost TWELVE HOURS.  My body was fighting something but I didn't have the strength or energy to call anyone, including 911.

When my husband arrived home he took one look at me and knew I was seriously ill. I told him to just go to church and I would sleep some more and shake whatever it was. When he came home from church he was even more concerned.

The next day I ended up in the ER because the pain was too much to bear and I wasn't getting any better. I had fever and chills. They did tests and hydrated me via IV and sent me on my way.  They figured it was due to the race and dehydration.

Fast forward one month - Sept 17th. I left work but was in pain again so I stopped into the urgent care thinking they'd give me muscle relaxers for the side pain. They gave me meds for a UTI and sent me on my way. I ended up there the next day again in more pain. They took one look at me and told me to go to the ER immediately. My temp was high and I looked awful (thank you very much!). So, off to the ER I went. They did more tests and hydrated me with fluids and gave me IV antibiotics and sent me on my way. The very next day, less than 24 hours later I was in the ER again. I told them I wasn't leaving this time until they figured out what the problem was. 

In fact, the first night when I went to the ER we thought the problem was taken care of. HOWEVER, this second visit to the ER? The one that was less than 24 hours after the first visit? Well, the reason I went back to the ER the second night is because I was freezing so I got in bed as I was casually talking to my husband about a trip we were planning. When I laid down to try and get warm, I couldn't breathe. I began hyperventilating.  My husband called the ER and they said to bring me in right away.  As we would come to find out - I was going into SEPTIC SHOCK! My body was fighting SEPSIS! If I had just curled up in my bed and gotten warm and fell asleep perhaps this blog post wouldn't be written. 

Hence, I was admitted into the hospital for a few days until my fever was down and the pain was gone.

Why do I tell you all of this?  I mean, who wants to hear about all this medical jargon and what is the purpose?  Well, let me tell you.....

It was determined that I had a "kink" in my ureter (the 'tube' from the kidney to the bladder). If there was a stone in the kidney it couldn't get through the kink so that could be the cause of all my pain/problems. Since I had had kidney stones as a child it was likely that THAT was the issue here.

A month after all this went down I had an outpatient procedure/surgery.  The urologist inserted a stent into my ureter to straighten out the kink and help any stones pass that may be hanging out in the kidney. Needless to say, no stones were present but the doc left the stent in there anyway....the stent that was supposed to be there for SIX WEEKS that lasted for almost SIX MONTHS.  The first six weeks were uneventful. In fact, I had heard so many horror stories about the pain people experience having a stent that I wondered if the doc had actually put in a stent.

I had a follow up visit the first week of December. We couldn't find a day until January to have the stent removed but I didn't care because it was like it wasn't even there.  I was even able to run my 5k's without any issues.  Long story short, the January surgical procedure date got postponed by the facility. Then the next one in February was canceled because I had a UTI (surprise!) so the doc put me on antibiotics and I had to wait another couple of weeks before I could have the surgery.

You may be thinking, "So, big deal. You had to wait a bit longer to have the stent removed. It wasn't causing any problems so big deal."

Let me tell you this, you couldn't be more wrong if you tried. I was in pain almost DAILY once January hit. I was begging the doctor to remove this stent before I grabbed some tweezers and removed it myself (stop the visual thought!). He informed me if we did the surgical procedure and removed the stent while I had an infection then it could cause more problems. His exact words, "I have never lost a patient during this procedure and I won't let you be the first."

With that said, my surgical procedure was scheduled for Monday, March 16, exactly seven months from when this ordeal first began and five months since the stent was inserted. The night before the procedure I received a call from the doctor. I was almost in tears when I realized it was him because I was sure he was calling to cancel the procedure as COVID-19 was getting into full swing. He was actually calling to verify that I was doing fine and not sick. He said, "We need to do this tomorrow because they will consider this an elective surgery and they won't let me do it once that mandate is handed down."  About three days after the stent was removed it was mandated that elective surgeries would be stopped. I made it! I got it done just before the deadline! To be honest....I don't know how ANYONE could classify this as an "elective" ANYTHING since I was in constant pain!

Again, you are probably asking, "Why all the info? Why is this such a big deal that you need to do a blog post?"

I'm glad you asked because here is why...

This picture shows how thin this stent was. It was about 11inches long and a little bit thicker than dental dental floss (white string next to the stent). This TINY, THIN piece of cord was causing me so much pain and distress. When I saw how thin it was I couldn't believe the pain it caused me, and I'm talking SERIOUS pain the last three months.

I was pondering on this one night and thought, "How many little things in my life have caused or can cause big problems if they go unchecked?"  How is my relationship with my spouse? (Mine is great, by the way!) How is my relationship with my children? my friends? my coworkers? That saying "A stitch in time saves nine!" means if you fix the hole in your clothing when you first notice it, no matter how small it is, you can save it from getting bigger and having a bigger sewing project to take care of. If you notice your lawn needs to be mowed it's best to do it NOW before the grass grows so high that it takes you longer or you have to higher a professional to do it. When we see our "problems" when they are small and then we take care of them, we can avoid more serious problems later.

Even that small grain of sand in my running shoes (you know what I'm talking about...all you runners have experienced it at one time or another) causes me to have to stop and take off my shoe and get rid of that grain of sand otherwise it not only bothers me the entire time I'm running but it can cause a blister and perhaps even bigger problems. 

So, don't let a "stent" bring you down. Get that grain of sand out of your shoe. Fix that small problem while it's small...don't let it ruin your happiness.

Even in the "little things" we are NEVER ALONE.

Much love,

Debbie

The loooong journey with Keto eating

Hello again, friends!!

I make no excuses for not writing sooner....just apologies.  So, let's dispense with the small talk and get right to it.

Many of you have contacted me asking how I do "this Keto thing".  You've seen me post on FB about my journey and how I am losing weight and you want "in on it".  Let me first be up front and honest with you. I have not gone back and read my previous posts so I may repeat myself, but that's okay. Repetition is a good teacher.  I am NOT the guru of Keto.  What works for one may not work for another.  I have NOT sought a doctor's order and/or approval (nor disapproval for that matter) for my Keto eating lifestyle. And lastly, I am NOT the poster child for Keto OR weight loss.  I am simply a woman that stepped on the scale back in December of 2018 and decided that I NEEDED to lose weight.

With that said, I've had MANY friends tell me that I don't need to lose weight.  Well, like I've said in one of my previous posts, I just kept putting on weight.  I'd stuff a chocolate bar in my mouth and decide that one just wasn't enough....so I'd have another one.  I was able to wear clothes that disguised my excess weight but I knew I was heavier than I wanted to be.  As of today's date, May 28, 2019 - less than six months since I started this journey - I have lost 19 pounds.  I have gone down a size in pants and I FEEL good when I look in the mirror.  I don't feel like I'm too skinny or too fat, although, I'd love to lose another 10 pounds.

I know, I said we would dispense with the small talk but I just needed to share that little bit with you.  Now, let's get to the meat of the matter here (no pun intended!).  I'm just going to break it down for you as to what I have done with this Keto eating (remember---IT IS NOT A DIET---it is HEALTHY EATING).

The first two weeks I was pretty religious with eating a lot of the fatty foods that people are worried about eating.  For breakfast I'd have eggs (scrambled or an omelet) with shredded cheese and bacon. LOTS OF BACON.  For lunch I'd eat slices of cheese and luncheon meat.  For dinner I'd have salads. Salads with some sort of meat....chicken, steak, even fish.  NEVER JUST LETTUCE. I mean, I'm not a stinking rabbit! You need SOMETHING substantial.  And water, LOTS OF WATER.  I even discovered some of those sweetened, bubbly waters like a sparkling water. Dang it. I can't recall the name right now. Anyway, those add a little pizazz to just drinking straight water.

I know, some of you are saying "No way! I can't do that."  I'm saying "Yes you CAN!" If this chocoholic can, then you can, too!  During those two weeks I DID find my sweets; sweets that were Keto friendly, of course.  I just looked up recipes for chocolate....CHOCOLATE ANYTHING!  I suppose it's like the smoker or drug addict. I just couldn't give up chocolate cold turkey, duh. I relied on the "Fat Bombs" a lot.  They have chia seeds and even coconut in them so not only did I get the needed energy but they filled  me up, too. I usually had one before a workout and another one again throughout the day.  That recipe is in a previous blog post. Go check it out. I still make those on occasion.

I also discovered chocolate mousse. That wasn't such a good thing.  As much as I enjoy chocolate, that just didn't taste good.  When I found the peanut butter mousse recipe, well, I fell in love with that!

Anyway, after the first two weeks I saw that I had lost my first five pounds or so.  It took about a month to lose my first 10 pounds.  HERE'S A LITTLE HINT.....weigh yourself the day before you begin your Keto journey. Then weigh yourself again about two weeks in so you can track your progress. BUT THEN DON'T KEEP WEIGHING YOURSELF, and especially DON'T WEIGH YOURSELF EVERYDAY.  I started doing that. Once I saw the weight falling off I got excited and weighed every day. THEN I started saying, "Well, that was easy to lose two pounds so I can eat this junk or that junk and just lose the weight again. EASY PEASY. I can do this."  I didn't put the weight back on but nothing was coming off, either. So, it got kind of discouraging. Don't do that to yourself.  There were times when I'd eat some ice cream or chips and salsa and weigh myself the next morning and see that I DIDN'T GAIN ANY WEIGHT. That is dangerous because then you trick yourself into thinking it's ok to eat chips and salsa again the next night or the night after that, etc. Then you fall back into the same habits that got you into your overweight, unhealthy situation. DON'T SABOTAGE YOURSELF OR YOUR PROGRESS.

So, after the first two weeks what did I do?  I backed off the bacon, for sure.  I still eat bacon, just not like I did the first two weeks.  I started having Keto shakes for breakfast. I buy my Keto shake powder from Sprouts. It's called Dr. Formulated Keto (I think!). It comes in a red container in vanilla or chocolate. I put ice in my mixer cup, fill it 3/4 with water, add 1 tablespoon of MTC oil (a coconut type of oil) and then top it off with about 1/2 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I shake it up and then drink that. It's not a Krispy Kreme donut but it satisfies me.

Then for lunch I would have either more luncheon meat (fresh cut from the deli - I like it better than the prepackaged stuff) with cheese - usually Swiss cheese, or leftovers from last nights dinner.

"Last nights dinner" was baked chicken or pot roast (minus the veggies!) or even steak. We ALWAYS have a salad with dinner. I discovered dinner rolls (see previous blog post) which satisfied my bread cravings.  These rolls are sooooo delicious. We also had baked asparagus sprinkled with butter or Parmesan cheese. Sometimes we would have steamed broccoli, too.

After the first two months I had lost 12 pounds-ish but was stuck.  Then I read, and heard testimonials from friends, that fasting helps kick start the Keto process. So, as much as we have heard that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" I discovered that THAT isn't as "true" as we have been lead to believe. I'm not telling anyone to stop eating breakfast, of course.  I'm just saying, fasting has a way of helping you help your body.

With fasting in mind, NOW I USUALLY fast until about 10:30 AM. Then I eat a string cheese and some luncheon meat as my snack. It is very satisfying TO ME.  You may not agree but that's ok. This works for me and it makes ME happy.  So, I can't really give you breakfast ideas because I fast more than I don't fast for breakfast.  However, I've already posted my pancake recipe which my husband and 18-year old son loves. Make those and you and your family will be happy.

Here's a sample of my up-to-date eating schedule:

Fast until 10:30 (on most days)
If I don't fast then I'll have a Keto shake with the MTC oil (from Sprouts or Costco)
Morning snack - one string cheese wrapped in two pieces of luncheon meat (just regular ham, NOT honey, maple or anything fancy)
Lunch - small portion of fish or meat leftovers from dinner and a salad. Keep in mind, I put tomatoes, cubed mozzarella cheese, sometimes cut up strawberries, sliced salami and other Keto friendly veggies that are low in carbs in my salads. I never eat a boring salad.
Mid day snack - handful of walnuts with some cheese - right now I'm eating those babybel cheese wheel things. I try different cheeses so I don't get bored.
Dinner - any kind of meat, we usually do chicken because it's easiest, salad, asparagus or broccoli, and maybe a Keto friendly dinner roll.

I've found some Atkins/Keto friendly snacks that I am addicted to. The chocolate bars I've fallen in love with are similar to a Baby Ruth candy bar but they have 3 NET CARBS. Okay, we could go into the "net carb" issue but I won't. Basically, if something says there's 15 carbs in it you're supposed to look at the alcohol sugar and protein content and minus it from the TOTAL carbs and that gives you your NET carbs. I DON'T DO THAT ON EVERYTHING. If I did that then I'd end up eating more carbs than is "allowed" in order to lose weight. I just try hard to keep my carb intake below 20. "They say" anything under 20 carbs and you can lose weight, 50 carbs and you can maintain weight and anything over 50 carbs - well, you're gonna gain weight.  I don't mess with the "net carb" calculations because it can get easy to overeat on carbs. Haha - I say that but in reality, I DO consider the net carbs ONLY when it pertains to those 'fake' Baby Ruth bars from the Atkins plan. Basically, just watch your carb intake.

When I've told people that I'm eating Keto I've received many different responses. The main one being, "That can't be healthy for you. You're consuming too much fat." I guess you can say I'm on a "modified Keto eating plan." Like I said, the first two weeks I was pretty good and eating the "good" fatty foods. After that, I just changed my old habits into new habits. When we go grocery shopping we don't put graham crackers or chips or cookies into our basket. We don't have a fridge filled with ice cream.  Our cabinets don't have boxes of noodles or Top Ramon anymore. Our snacks consist of Cheese Whisps or Atkins bars or other Keto friendly foods.  My craving for chocolate has become ALMOST non-existent (thanks to those Atkins bars for filling that void!).

I work out at least four days a week. I'm trying to get AT LEAST seven hours of sleep because sleep is when the body rejuvenates and restores itself. Lack of sleep DOES prevent weight loss and may even contribute to weight GAIN. I also try to never eat past 6 PM.

I've given you a lot of food for thought tonight and I'm sure I haven't even touched on some things you were hoping I would.  Please feel free to message me on FB or comment here if you have any questions.  I'll find some more recipes for you - like the crust less quiche I made. It was delicious!! There's more to Keto eating or healthy eating than just meat and cheese. It is a way of life that can enrich your life as you become more healthy. Don't give up. Just know when you've reached that plateau that you're NEVER ALONE....I'm just a message and an encouraging word away.

Here's to a happier and healthier you!!

Debbie

Staying the "Keto" course

Another week here and gone....another pound here and....well, it didn't go like I'd have wanted. BUT, it's because I fell off the keto wagon. I went to a conference that I attend every year and KNEW there would be chocolate and LOTS of it. So, I was prepared to NOT lose weight because I KNEW what I would be eating.  In fact, I knew NOT to step on the scale for at least a week after returning from the conference. I didn't want to get discouraged. Actually, I chose to not step on the scale because if I had miraculously lost weight then I would have "justified" eating like I used to and in the end, I may have fallen back into my old eating habits. So, I was being kind to my future self. OBVIOUSLY I didn't lose weight but I didn't put it all back on either.  Sure, I gained a few pounds but that's because I didn't exercise even ONCE that week and I ate chocolate like it was going out of style.

With that said, that's what HEALTHY eating is all about. Hence, why I consider Keto eating a way of life instead of a "diet".  Pre-Keto I would grab a Snickers bar or a Reece's Peanut butter Cup to snack on. If I was craving salty stuff I'd grab a bag of chips....a FAMILY SIZE bag....or a handful (or two) of Cheez-Its.  I would fill my body with stuff that I couldn't even pronounce some of the ingredients!

Now I've found recipes where not only can I pronounce the ingredients but they are easily accessible, healthy and DELICIOUS!

Before I get to the recipes let me share some things with you regarding my keto journey.

First, the first week or so when you see the pounds melt away remember that it is mostly fluid, water weight, that you are losing. The numbers on the scale will tell you that you've lost weight but it will creep back on if you stop right there thinking, "Oh, I've lost 7 pounds. Yay me!" and head back to your old eating habits.

Second, I WORK OUT 4 DAYS A WEEK.  I know people that have lost the weight eating Keto and haven't exercised a day of their weight loss. That's fine. But for me? I like the feeling I get when I'm on the treadmill for 30 minutes and lifting weights another 20-30 minutes. Keep in mind, I'm not WEIGHT LIFTING mega tons. I'm doing light weight to tone my muscles. When you exercise by weight lifting (no matter how light) your body is burning more fat/energy even when you've put the weights down. If you don't have time to work out, add a 10 minute walk to your day. Just do SOMETHING to mix it up from your normal routine. You'll thank yourself later.

Third, you WILL HIT A PLATEAU. Do NOT get discouraged. I'll talk more next week about what I've done to mix it up. I want you to stay the course before I share my other little tricks with you.

Last, when you get frustrated or discouraged or think you're "limiting yourself" remember what your end goal is. Then remember that you're treating your body better by feeding it better than you were before you began your keto eating life. You already know what that chocolate cake or rocky road ice cream tastes like, so if you skip it now, no big deal. Not like you've never had it before. Now you're training your body to like other things...HEALTHIER things!!!  Again, you'll thank yourself later when you're out shopping for a dress that's two sizes smaller than what you're wearing today!!

I already shared with you the Keto pancake recipe so here are some pictures for you now:

    

Like I said last week, my husband puts berries on top of his pancakes.  I keep them stored in a zip lock baggie so he has them all week and has quick and easy access to a keto breakfast.

I couldn't find anything that I really liked that satisfied my bread craving. After those first two weeks of eating eggs, lunch meat, cheese and salads I REALLY wanted to sink my teeth into something "bread-like". I was chatting with a friend and she mentioned something about keto rolls. My ears perked up....BREAD??  Well, yes and no. It's a roll made mostly of CHEESE with almond flour, cream cheese and a few other ingredients. I made some that evening and fell in love with them!!

Keto Rolls
Ingredients

Melted cheeses

1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese (I used Mozzarella my first time and switched it up and used     Pepper Jack the next time. My husband and son liked the Pepper Jack rolls better...more flavor?)
1 oz cream cheese
1 cup almond flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1 egg
1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 400 F
Line baking sheet with parchment paper (I use silicone baking sheets)
In medium bowl, melt cream cheese and mozzarella together (microwave about 1 min)

Stir cheeses together until smooth, add egg and stir until combined

Sticky dough

In separate bowl combine almond flour, ground flax seed and baking soda
Mix cheese and egg mixture into dry ingredients and stir until dough forms soft ball (it will be sticky)

Using wet hands, (you may have to wet them a couple of times - and DON'T dry your hands! They need to be wet as the dough is really sticky) gently roll dough into 6 balls (I make mine small enough that I make about 8 balls)

Roll tops in sesame seeds (I use Everything Bagel spice for the salty taste) and place onto lined baking sheet
Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown

YUMMY finished product

These are super yummy and will satisfy your bread desires, I promise!!









I definitely have a sweet tooth. Next week I'll share my chocolate peanut butter bites with you. My friend, Joanne, made some for me when she knew I was on the Keto plan and she knows I LOVE chocolate. I fell in love with these after the first bite! She gave me the recipe so I credit her for those little gems!!  But until then, let me introduce you to PEANUT BUTTER MOUSSE. As much as I love chocolate, when I made Keto chocolate mousse I was deeply disappointed. I found this super simple recipe on line and well, I actually love it more than chocolate mousse, surprisingly.  I just made some tonight and can't wait to have another one tomorrow!! Be sure to limit your intake of these keto treats because even too much of a good thing can be bad for you....

Peanut Butter Mousse

All mixed up

Ingredients
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
4 oz cream cheese
2 Tbls natural peanut butter (no sugar added)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
7-10 drops stevia extract (I use 1/3 cup of confectioners Swerve. Stevia has too much of a weird after taste to me)

Whip your whipping cream to stiff peaks in a medium bowl - set aside
In another medium bowl, beat together cream cheese, peanut butter, vanilla extract and stevia (Swerve) until smooth and creamy.
Add in whipped cream and mix on medium speed for about one minute or until the resulting mousse is light fluffy and no lumps remain.

Finished product

Serve peanut butter mousse immediately or store in fridge up to a week.
Top with sugar free dark chocolate shavings - if desired

I serve mine topped with sugar free whip cream and sugar free dark chocolate shavings (duh!). I don't add the whip cream topping until just before eating. I put the mini sugar free chocolate bar in the picture so you can see what I use. I find these in the candy aisle near the bagged candy at Walmart.


Last week I told you I'd share my taco pie recipe.  Don's niece is eating Keto, too. She sent me this recipe so, all credit goes to Jeannette.  I've only made this twice and it's a family favorite. Actually, our 18 year old son could eat this all day every day. I put a little too much spice in it this time and used pepper jack cheese just to spice it up a bit. He had his first piece and said, "Mom, you just can't mess this one up. This is sooo good!" So, here it is:

Taco Pie
Ingredients

Simple ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning (I use a homemade recipe - I'll include it at the bottom)
3 green onions thinly sliced
1/4 cup salsa
1 cup Mexican blend cheese finely shredded (use whatever cheese you want)
4 large eggs
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp sea salt

Ready to pour

Preheat oven to 350 F
Prepare a 9" pie pan by greasing with butter or spraying coconut oil
Brown ground beef, breaking up into small pieces with a spoon or spatula 
Drain beef and add taco seasoning and cook according to package instructions

Set aside and allow to cool while continuing with the next step
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and heavy cream. Stir in green onions, salsa, 3/4 cup of the cheese and the salt
Stir prepared taco meat into the egg mixture. Pour this mixture into the prepared pie pan. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
Bake pie in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until the top is brown and the pie is set.

Ready to bake!

Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

There are 2 grams of carbs per serving (1/8th of the pie)

I add a bit more cheese just because I can and I like it cheesy.

DELICIOUS!!

Here's the taco seasoning recipe:

4 Tbls chili powder

1 Tbls garlic powder

1 Tbls onion powder

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp dried oregano

1 Tbls paprika

3 Tbls ground cumin

1 Tbls salt

1 Tbls black pepper

Mix ingredients together in a bowl and store in an airtight container.

Use about two tablespoons per pound of ground beef

(In the taco pie recipe it says when you add the taco seasoning to cook according to package instructions - I add a little water to the meat when I add the seasoning, about 1/2 cup, and let it simmer for a few minutes for the meat to soak up the water and seasoning)

That's it for this week, friends. Like I said earlier, I'll share some more tips and tricks I've done to keep me "on the course".  DON'T GIVE UP!! You're NEVER ALONE on this Keto journey. I am seriously right here with you!!

Let me know if you have any questions!  Happy eating!!

Hugs!

Debbie

From REAL Chocolate chip cookies to KETO Chocolate chip cookies

Hi Friends!

So, as most of you know chocolate was (still kinda IS) a staple in my life. Actually, it was (IS) one of the main food groups for me!  In fact, chocolate is such a part of my life that many people wondered HOW I was going to be able to "go Keto".

If I'm being honest, and I have no reason to NOT be honest, I have to say....YES, it was difficult at first. Sure, I had my goal in mind. I want to lose the weight so I can enjoy my upcoming summer vacation and not balloon up to 200 pounds. But that doesn't make it any easier to not eat chocolate like I am used to. Christmas 2017 I bought a big bag of Hershey's chocolate kisses at Costco. I was going to use them to make Christmas goodies.  Well, that never happened. "Christmas life" took over and I got too busy to do a lot of baking like I had planned. BUT, I have the cutest red chocolate kiss candy dish by my front door. So, of COURSE I filled it with the chocolate kisses I had purchased. And of COURSE I couldn't just leave them there to rot away so I'd take a handful (or two or three) in the evening and grab a jar of peanut butter (not the healthy stuff...but the peanut butter filled with all kinds of preservatives and other garbage) and a spoon and eat my kisses dipped in peanut butter. Oh was I in heaven!!!

My gift card from Christmas....still
waiting to be used!!

I tell you that because it was THAT easy for me to enjoy my chocolate AND put on weight without even realizing it.  I mean, really now, how much weight could I POSSIBLY gain by eating a handful or two of chocolate dipped in peanut butter?  Did I mention that I did that EVERY evening and MORE THAN ONCE AN EVENING?  Ya, the pounds collected very easily AND quickly.

OK, enough of my "past". Let's get to the now.

Many of you have asked for my food menu and what I've done to switch to Keto eating. Now take note. I DO NOT CONSIDER THIS A DIET. I will not refer to Keto eating as "my Keto diet". Diet is a "4 letter word". Well, besides it LITERALLY being a 4 letter word, when I hear "diet" nothing good comes to my mind. Hence, I refer to it as Keto EATING. It is a healthier way of eating ALWAYS, not just until "I reach my goal".  Healthy eating should be a lifelong DESIRE and not just a goal.

With that being said, I am NOT the poster child for Keto eating. I am not your typical person.  What works for me may not work for you. You need to adjust things to fit your lifestyle and your body. What I'm sharing with you has NOT been approved (or disapproved, for that matter) by any health provider and I am NOT under the supervision of any doctor.  I have NOT researched Keto eating to know the science behind how our body goes into ketosis (which ketosis is a GOOD thing) or what goes on inside our body to make it react the way it does when one turns to Keto eating.  I just know what it's done for me and my family.

With that said, here's what I have been doing since December 30, 2018:

I get this from Costco

Oh, and ANY items I mention here are NOT endorsed by any company. I don't get paid for mentioning specific products. I'm just telling you what I use.

Some foods you'll want to "stock up on" are:
cream cheese (I get mine in the two pack at Walmart)
almond flour (Costco)
coconut oil - it's in the baking oil section and looks like Crisco oil rather than liquid oil
eggs
sugar free whipped cream (found some at Walmart - with the purple cap)

The first two weeks I ate a lot of protein in the form of eggs and chicken. For breakfast I would have scrambled eggs. I would make them different each time by what I would mix in with them but I ALWAYS used cheese. I'd put in chopped tomatoes or olives or fresh spinach or bacon bits.  I did it different each day so I didn't get sick of scrambled eggs.

I'd boil eggs at the beginning of the week so I could have a hard boiled egg for snacks between meals. I also had string cheese sticks on hand. String cheese is still my favorite "go to" snack.

Our family typically eats dinner between 4 and 5 so I never really eat a 'real' lunch.  Around lunchtime I would eat some cheese slices (there's this DELICIOUS lite Swiss cheese we get from Costco) with lunch meat rolled inside. Regular forest ham or baked ham slices are more Keto friendly than any of the maple or other flavored hams. Turkey or chicken lunch meat is better.

Dinner time was always the most anticipated meal of the day!  Since all three of us (our 18 year old son, my husband and myself) were doing Keto we were 'excited' to sink our teeth into something hearty and delicious. Well, you may be disappointed but dinner usually consisted of a green salad with tomatoes and cucumbers and Blu Cheese dressing. Toss a little feta cheese on that salad and it's even that much more yummy! We'd also have some chicken or steak with our salad.

That may sound a bit 'blah' for some of you and even a bit like we were starving ourselves. But, let me tell you, we WEREN'T starved and it WAS yummy.

I'm not gonna lie, though. The first night I was concerned about my chocolate withdrawals and how I was gonna deal with that. I found a "Fat Bomb" recipe that pulled me through.

FAT BOMBS
2 Tbls coconut oil
2 Tbls unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 Tbls xylitol or your favorite sweetener (I used liquid stevia)
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

INSTRUCTIONS
Melt coconut oil
Put all ingredients except melted coconut oil and shredded coconut into a bowl and mix well
Add melted coconut oil and mix until combined. Place mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes to allow the chia seeds to soak up the excess liquid and the coconut oil to set.
Spread coconut on flat surface.
Take a spoonful (about the size of a very large grape) and shape into a ball. Roll in coconut until ball is completely coated.
Place completed fat bombs on wax paper lined baking tray/plate/sheet and place in fridge for one hour.
Keep stored in fridge in a container with a lid.

These kept me going the first two weeks. I'd pop one in my mouth just as I was heading out the door for the gym. Even my finicky husband likes these!

After about the first two weeks my family was tiring of eggs. I looked up a recipe for Keto pancakes. I'm here to tell you, these are DELICIOUS!!

Here's that recipe:

KETO PANCAKES
1/2 cup almond flour
4 oz cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs
1 tsp lemon zest (I used a few drops of lemon essential oil - which is safe for consumption)
Butter for frying and serving

Walmart

INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, cream cheese, eggs and lemon zest until smooth.
In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Pour about 3 Tbls of batter and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook other side two minutes more.
Keep going until batter is gone.

It says to serve topped with butter but I also put sugar free whipped cream on top. My husband tops his with Keto friendly berries (black berries/strawberries).  DELICIOUS!!

The mornings I'm in a hurry I have a Keto drink.  I bought a Keto brand mix at Sprouts a month ago. You can get any kind of Keto "shake" and it should be fine. It says to use two scoops in water. I usually use ONE scoop with about 4 ounces of unsweetened almond milk and 8 ounces of water. I definitely add ice to make it super cold. It keeps me going until I have my mid morning string cheese or whatever Keto friendly snack I'm having.

I've given you a little to think about this week so I'll close for now.  But I'll end with this......

KETO CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (I usually double this recipe!!)
1 egg

From Sprouts

3 Tbls maple syrup or honey (I use half sugar free maple syrup AND honey)
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup cashew butter (I use straight butter but will try almond butter on my next batch)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbls unsweetened almond milk
1 1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon (I do a tiny bit more!)
2-3 Tbls collagen (optional) - I use this only because I found it on sale at Sprouts
1/2 cup (I use more, of course) sugar free chocolate chips (I use Lilly's chips. The BEST!)
1/4 tsp sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
Whisk egg in large bowl
Add maple syrup, melted coconut oil, cashew butter, vanilla extract and almond milk.
Whisk again - I whisk...I DO NOT USE A MIXER
Stir in almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, collagen (if using collagen) and sea salt
Fold in chocolate chips
It suggest using parchment paper on a baking sheet...blah blah blah

The silcone pan that I just LOVE!!

I use a silicone mini muffin pan because when I made my first batch on a baking sheet they were flat and blah. Using a mini muffin pan is great because I just drop a small scoop (fill about half way in the muffin pan) of mixture in the muffin pan and bake for 10 minutes. I let it sit in the muffin pan another minute before popping them out of the pan. A silicone muffin pan is AWESOME. You can use a regular one but be sure to spray it with non stick spray.
I keep them sealed in a zip lock baggie on the counter for a day or two or in the fridge, if they last longer than 2 days since we usually eat them all before then!!

NOTE - I just made some cookies tonight. I used almond butter (found in the peanut butter aisle) for the first time. I like them better when I use regular butter, not margarine (salted or unsalted, doesn't matter). Just an FYI.

These cookies are ALMOST better than my regular chocolate chip cookies.  In fact, I have to go now. I'm headed downstairs to throw a batch together. When my 18 year old son found out I was making a batch of these tonight he was super excited!

Next week I'll share a muffin recipe with you as well as a chocolate peanut butter bites and taco pie recipes, too!! I'll also share some insights I gained when I hit a plateau and some adjustments I've had to make to keep the weight coming off!!

Remember, this is a FUN journey and you are NEVER ALONE because I'm right here with you...eating Keto just like you!!

Happy eating!!!!

Debbie 

Confessions of a Chocoholic and how my Keto journey began

Hello friends!  I've posted quite a bit on Facebook about my weight loss journey.  I was not 100 pounds over weight.  In fact, many people asked me WHY I was on a "diet".  I was told that I looked great.  Well, be that as it may, I was heavier than I wanted to be. Truth be told, my husband and I are going on a one week cruise this summer and then touring around Europe for an additional two weeks. So, my desire to lose weight was more aimed to being able to enjoy my cruise/vacation and not come home looking like a two ton pickup.  Hence, I wanted to lose weight to be able to gain weight, if that makes any sense.



We recently went to a family Christmas party.  My husband has been wanting to lose weight for a while. I'm not being mean when I say he looked like he had swallowed a basketball.  Seriously, he needed to lose weight and it showed.  While at this family party we both noticed a family member that looked great!  He didn't need to lose weight because he LOOKED heavy, because he WASN'T, but we noticed that he looked thinner and he looked good. So, we talked to him about it.  He said he was doing Keto.  I had heard of the Keto diet before.  In fact, I looked into it once and saw all the restrictions of what I could eat and what I couldn't eat and said, "No way! I can't do that! I WON'T do that!" Dieting alone is one thing but the keto plan was a whole different story.  There was no way I could do Keto without the help of my husband especially being under so many "restrictions". Keto was totally out of the question.  But now, well, now my husband was intrigued and decided to look into it.


My husband decided to start the Keto "diet" the last week of December.  Um, who DOES that??  There was still a boatload of chocolate and sweets that needed to be eaten so I, of course, threw myself on that grenade and finished off the Christmas sweets before I joined him on our new "diet".

The first five days, my husband lost FIVE pounds.  I figured he was losing weight fast because he had more to lose than me.  Like I said, I wasn't OBESE but I needed to lose weight (even if I wasn't going on a super vacation this summer).  So, December 30, 2018 I stepped on the scale......

A few years ago I was in the 155 pound range.  I always said to myself, "OK. Just don't get to 160 and you're doing good." I, of course, hit the 160 range and said to myself, "Just keep it under 165."  As the tale goes....I hit 165 and then 170 and then 175.  I didn't much care because I wasn't going up in pant sizes (probably because I had stretch jeans - NOT elastic waistband jeans but stretch jeans nonetheless) and I didn't LOOK too bad.  It finally got to the point where one morning I was in the shower and looked down....I saw my belly had grown out past my boobs!  THEN, on that dreaded day on December 30th when I stepped on the scale.....it showed 180!! WHAT?  That just CAN'T be right!  I stepped off then stepped back on and it still showed 180 pounds.

I went downstairs, looked at the chocolate in my kitchen and finally said, "That's it!" and my Keto journey began.

I haven't looked back.  I am down 16 pounds since that day.  I was told it may be difficult for me to exercise or run races (I run in a 5k or half marathon once a month) due to being on the Keto "diet". I haven't felt this healthy in years!!  I have run in two 5k's since I started Keto eating (I call it Keto EATING rather than the Keto DIET - which I'll explain later) and I exercise at least four days a week.

I will share with you my journey and even give you some recipes of the foods I eat that help me maintain a Keto lifestyle while eating what I enjoy and still losing weight.

If you are interested in what I have done to lose weight and want to follow along, please stay tuned for my next post. I PROMISE to not leave you hanging.  I want you to decide if you really want to do this. And if you do.....you are NEVER ALONE, because I'm right here with you!

Much love,

Debbie

P.S.  This blog is NOT sponsored by any company.  I do NOT get paid for any food sources I mention. I am simply sharing with you what I've done to lose weight and feel great!!