Got off track with the flu that’s going around and was taking Manuka honey to try and keep it from going into my lungs. It definitely felt like my metabolism was slowing down when I introduced sugar back in. Recovered from the bug and on the wagon again. So far looks like I lost 5 lbs already. Also doing low carb and intermittent fasting. There’s some dizziness at times but wifey tells me it goes away in a few days. We started at the same time and she never took a break, so now she’s already over the difficult part.

For bodybuilders, it's very common to get sick during your diet. What we do is "soup it" and go off diet for a few days.  You can eat as much soup as you want for the sodium.  For non bodybuilders, people still get sick in the early stages of their extreme dieting. IIRC it's called the "keto flu".

That's good you and  your wife are doing it together. What sucks is watching the other person enjoy food.

For bodybuilders, it's very common to get sick during your diet. What we do is "soup it" and go off diet for a few days.  You can eat as much soup as you want for the sodium.  For non bodybuilders, people still get sick in the early stages of their extreme dieting. IIRC it's called the "keto flu".

That's good you and  your wife are doing it together. What sucks is watching the other person enjoy food.

That’s great to know. I also broke out with a rash on my chest on like day 2 or 3. My theory is that it’s all the toxic crap in my fat getting released.

Found a motivational video

Sent from my SM-A102U using Tapatalk

With all the wonderful desserts and cookies my family will be making the next two weeks are going to be a nightmare with my resolve.

With all the wonderful desserts and cookies my family will be making the next two weeks are going to be a nightmare with my resolve.

To each their own. Sweets was nothing for me. I missed white rice. Mrs.CMO on the other hand doesnt eat rice, bread, potato, but has a major sweet tooth.

Today to my wife:

Hey give me a hug.

“What? What are you talking about?”

Just give me a hug and put your arms around the middle.

“Fine okay whatev……HEYYY!”

Yeah right?

“Yeah! That’s great!”

 

Today to my wife:

Hey give me a hug.
“What? What are you talking about?”
Just give me a hug and put your arms around the middle.
“Fine okay whatev……HEYYY!”
Yeah right?
“Yeah! That’s great!”
 

   OK, I finally watched the whole vid , then your "Motivational" and then read your wifey comment so I guess I'll go on a sugar jones.
After the New Year 
(Unless dropping off dozens of Banana Bread Muffins at HPD and HFD counts cuz I didn't eat them  )
Too much breads, desserts, cookies and such, I'd get murderized if I did not please the ladies by eating their goodies. 
Good news is my g2 beer has only 4.6 calories !


   In the meantime, my present "stature" will continue to act as  "active retention " for my passive retention AIWB Holster. 

   OK, I finally watched the whole vid , then your "Motivational" and then read your wifey comment so I guess I'll go on a sugar jones.
After the New Year 
(Unless dropping off dozens of Banana Bread Muffins at HPD and HFD counts cuz I didn't eat them  )
Too much breads, desserts, cookies and such, I'd get murderized if I did not please the ladies by eating their goodies. 
Good news is my g2 beer has only 4.6 calories !


   In the meantime, my present "stature" will continue to act as  "active retention " for my passive retention AIWB Holster. 

We have lots of fresh lilikoi at the moment and she’s trying to get me to make a cheesecake with it for Christmas.

We have lots of fresh lilikoi at the moment and she’s trying to get me to make a cheesecake with it for Christmas.

We get choke too and mine just made Lilikoi Mousse 

We have lots of fresh lilikoi at the moment and she’s trying to get me to make a cheesecake with it for Christmas.

TFTI

We have lots of fresh lilikoi at the moment and she’s trying to get me to make a cheesecake with it for Christmas.

I love cheesecake.  One of my many weaknesses for dessert.  I never tried lilikoi cheesecake.  I would imagine it would be fricken awesome........

I think all desserts are awesome, lol!!

I love cheesecake.  One of my many weaknesses for dessert.  I never tried lilikoi cheesecake.  I would imagine it would be fricken awesome........

I think all desserts are awesome, lol!!

There are a lot of sugar-free dessert recipes online and on YT.  I made some cheese danish last week that were the bomb!

If you haven't yet, I'd recommend buying a selection of sugar-free sweeteners, and try them in a variety of recipe types.

I found Monk Fruit with Erythritol is a good starting point.  To me, the powdered version works best for cooking whenever powdered sweetener is called for, but it has a weirdness that's hard to describe when used in larger quantities (3/4 cup +).  Some call it a "coolness" as if the product has a cooling effect when eaten.  I think it's more or an artificial or plastic type sensation that reminds me of saccharin.  I believe Splenda's Allulose works much better in batters.  YMMV.

If I were to use the cream cheese topping and drizzle from the Keto recipe on a regular flour-based dough, it would be impossible to tell the toppings are sugar-free.

i tried making an Entenmann's type of danish, but the amount of sweetener used -- all with erythritol --  was overpowering.  i'll try again by mixing up the two danish recipes and switching sweeteners.

Cheesecake is probably one of the few desserts that is easy to make close to the sugar-laden version.  The biggest hurdle is the crust, but there are plenty of variations on that to find a favorite.  Since the majority of the recipe is cream cheese, which is low in carbs, the flavor of the filling will be pretty much the same as the regular cheese cake. 

As for topping, berries are a good choice.  Most of the sugars are reduced when cooked.  blueberries, strawberries, blackberries -- all can be incorporated into the cake and/or drizzled on top when cooked down into a syrup.

Thanks Flapp I was hesitating on the sugar bomb so the monk fruit might be a great solution. Too bad you can’t carmelize it so no apple pie, but it looks like the cheesecake riddle is solved.

TBH, I'm not a fan of sugar substitutes. If you diet well and workout, then you can have a piece of dessert here and there. Like don't eat the entire pie. So moderation is key.  You need to enjoy life a little.  I did use Stevia though for shoyu chicken.  There's a lot of people who claim they can taste stevia, but I can't taste the diff between that, Splenda, or monk fruit. All taste just sweet.

And if you're strict on your diet, then 1 slice wont hurt is the same concept about working out. If you workout 4-5X a week, you can skip a day here and there.  Or end your workout early by skipping a set or exercise every now and then. Mrs. CMO doesn't like this. She likes to get her full workout in.  As I get older, the joints hurt more, so I look for an excuse to skip an exercise.

Thanks Flapp I was hesitating on the sugar bomb so the monk fruit might be a great solution. Too bad you can’t carmelize it so no apple pie, but it looks like the cheesecake riddle is solved.

Unfortunately, almost all fruits contain high levels of natural sugars, so high carb count.

Berries seem to be much better for keto, even though you are eating more than "zero carbs."

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto/fruits

I like the frozen strawberries from Costco for smoothies.  Not a big fan of blueberries, but i'll alternate or mix them with strawberries for smooties.

if you keep the berries frozen before blending, you won't need as much ice.   

Simple recipe; 
- 1 cup heavy cream, heavy whipping cream or half & half
- 1/2 cup berries -- too many, and the carbs get too high and the smoothie is way thicker from the frozen ingredient.  Just adjust for taste.
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- Sweetener ... i use Monk fruit with erythritol, about 2 tbsp (one scoop ...  I keep it in the bag)

Sometimes i add 2 tbsp cream cheese for that strawberries and cream blended taste.

Biggest problems I found on Keto logistically:

-  Same thing every day gets boring.  Have to research, shop and experiment to find a variety you like.  i can take a week or two to get the ingredients, especially if shopping online.  Luckily, many recipe videos link to the products on Amazon.
-  Can't have non-Keto stuff in the cabinets or fridge.  Too quick and easy to prepare/open high carb foods.
-  Portion control.  After fasting for 18 hours or so, it's easy to eat more than is good for you.  However, the more healthy fats you ate the day before, the less hungry you'll normally feel.  Also, a glass of water with lemon juice and salt before eating (kind of like DIY Gatorade) can reduce the hunger.  That also is supposed to help remedy a fatty liver and provide excellent hydration.
-  Don't have an ingredient a recipe calls for.  Requires planning and effort to gather what's needed to cook the keto dishes.  i just made some tortillas that required Whole Psyllium Husk and Unflavored Whey Isolate Protein, things i never had in the pantry pre-keto.  Other recipes need Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum and one needs Sodium Citrate.  Once you get in the groove with the recipes you like, having the right ingredients will be easier if you already bought.  Not really different than running out of shoyu or ketchup, just harder to find in a pinch sometimes.
-  I have a lifetime of experience making and cooking what i always ate.  These new recipes require more work, like writing down the ingredients, measurements, cooking/baking instructions and process. Just saying the learning continues.  Once you have the recipes down and can do from memory, this won't be a problem.
-  Avoiding over-buying food.  With the reduction in number of meals per day, i don't need as much food.  Buying most things in bulk knowing it will get used before it expires isn't a sure thing now. 
-  Many things you used to buy are now off the diet.  Replacing them with low carb alternatives often means having to make it DIY. ... like the tortillas.  Convenience takes a backseat to eating fewer carbs.
-  Piggybacking on that item, I have to read every label when shopping.  That includes all the Keto and "sugar free" items.  Many of them advertise with words that make them sound keto friendly, but they may contain ingredients that are chemically similar to the sugars we know to avoid.  Cauliflower pizza crust is a biggie, as are non-flour tortillas.  The store-bought brands are often loaded with carbs, even when bragging about what they don't have in them.  Much safer to make your own pizza crust and tortillas.

Those are just some highlights.  I try to focus on all the things i can have, and not dwell on all the things i'm not supposed to. 

I'm a grown-ass man, and i can have whatever I want!  The secret is to want the right things without thinking you're being deprived of anything.   

TBH, I'm not a fan of sugar substitutes. If you diet well and workout, then you can have a piece of dessert here and there. Like don't eat the entire pie. So moderation is key.  You need to enjoy life a little.  I did use Stevia though for shoyu chicken.  There's a lot of people who claim they can taste stevia, but I can't taste the diff between that, Splenda, or monk fruit. All taste just sweet.

And if you're strict on your diet, then 1 slice wont hurt is the same concept about working out. If you workout 4-5X a week, you can skip a day here and there.  Or end your workout early by skipping a set or exercise every now and then. Mrs. CMO doesn't like this. She likes to get her full workout in.  As I get older, the joints hurt more, so I look for an excuse to skip an exercise.

All depends on the kind of diet you want to be on.

If you're doing keto, then (as we know) that requires you to force your body to burn ketones produced from stored and ingested fats and proteins.  When you cheat with that "moderate' slice of pie, you're throwing a monkey wrench into the process.  it can take days to return to the same level of ketosis just because of that one sugar-filled treat.

Yes, enjoy life, and don't get discouraged if you take a 'cheat' day. Get back on it, and don't make cheating a habit.

Just know what that choice you're making is doing to your diet beyond that few minutes of pleasure.

I did the Adkins Diet and was being very strict about it.  Eating bacon, steak, burgers (bun-less), chicken, fish. shrimp, eggs, and so on was not depriving me of much.  Went to a movie and had a popcorn and soda.  I'd been tracking my ketone levels with test strips, and that one short 'cheat' threw me out of ketosis for almost 5 days.  It took that long for my body to start burning something besides carbs for fuel.

Just saying .... it's your choice.

So far lost between 10-12 lbs. Almost back to shortboard weight, lost the puffiness in my face, and joints feel much better.

Here’s the recipe for keto holiday lilikoi cheesecake I made.

https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/keto-cheesecake

It came out pretty good. The erythritol is not as sweet as sugar but anything that’s not meat and veggies tastes amazing at this point. Mrs Barrels reported that her stomach did feel a little funny but only after she ate a LOT. Instead of mixing in lilikoi I just made the butter/curd the normal way with erythritol as a straight substitution and spread it  on top like a glaze. That actually turned out way better than expected. As Americans we are used to overpowering sweetness but when you dial it back a bit it makes the experience more pleasant and not as decadent. Bonus points for no sugar crash!

I want to keep going until I fit back into my xl wetsuit which is probably about 25 lbs. She said If I find more recipes like that she will support me by sticking with it as well. I’m sure that having me do more of the cooking also has something to do with it 

There are tons of videos and sites that offer good keto recipes, but this one has to be the most creative and entertaining.

He also approaches recipes scientifically most times, leading to improvements over the majority of similar recipes you might find.

#Because_Ants

Artificial sweetener is one of those products that won't taste 100% the same from person to person.

I still can't believe people actually liked the taste of Tab cola when it was the only non-sugar soda on the market.  Yet, I know people who couldn't get enough.

We were one of the few families i knew that used saccharine tablets to make iced tea.  We'd brew a gallon at a time, and sub 1/2 the sugar with saccharine.  Reduced the aftertaste most people hated about it.  My mom was a diabetic, so we never had sodas in the house, only tea, water and milk.

I found the liquid monk fruit sweetener for my tea can be used in other things, like the drizzle on cheese danish and the frosting on keto lemon pound cake.  That avoids any side-tastes other than sweetness erythritol might cause, but it's a lot more expensive.  it's very sweet and concentrated, so a little goes a long way.

Like i said, try one type/brand, then use another next time just to get a feel for what tastes right for you.

i found adding lemon to my tea is a good way to use less sweetener.  That's saying a lot, since i grew up in the land of Sweet Tea (Southern US).