First Time Mom and Losing It

Since our big move to Texas I have been struggling to live a ketogenic lifestyle. I would do good for about 4 days and then eat anything I wanted the rest of the week. This caused me to gain back almost all of the 70 pounds that I lost.

After the holidays and my birthday, I had no more excuses. I joined Maria Emmerich's 30 Day Ketogenic Cleanse Facebook group because I was curious about the cleanse. For a long time I wanted to go back to basics with keto and try to cut out some dairy. The 30-Day Ketogenic Cleanse was the perfect plan because it is nut and dairy free. After a couple of weeks in the group and seeing the success that other members were having, I decided to start the plan myself.


I ordered the Kindle version of the 30-Day Ketogenic Cleanse and decided to start on February 2nd. A few days before I had my grocery list ready and went to Trader Joes, Sprouts Farmers Market and Aldi to find everything I needed.

I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to be able to make it on the plan. I love cheese, heavy cream and snacking on nuts. I also didn't know if I would be able to only eat two meals a day. Day one was a total success with the Bacon & Mushroom Rosti and Umami Burgers. Everything was delicious, fresh and worth the work. On day two of the cleanse I was hit with a painful case of the keto flu. It was so bad that I didn't think I would be able to continue on the cleanse. I was in bed most of the day and kept telling myself it would be better the next day, and it did.


Currently I am on day 19 and am down 12.6 pounds. I have lost pounds, inches and feel so much better. I have a lot of energy and since I am only eating two meals a day, during a short window, I have time to do so much more.


Check out my YouTube channel for videos on how I did on the First and Second week. I also have grocery haul videos for the First and Second week. I highly recommend this cleanse for anyone just starting or restarting the keto diet. The cleanse is also great for people who want to do keto in a cleaner and dairy-free way.

When you are on a ketogenic (low carb, high fat) diet it is super easy to plan the protein side of your meal. Since meat doesn't have carbs we have a huge variety to choose from. The tricky part comes with the sides. Every side I used to make before starting a ketogenic diet was full of starches and sugar. It was always mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, breads and macaroni and cheese.  To get around all of the carbs you have to be creative in the kitchen and substitute all of the starches and sugars with keto-friendly ingredients.

One of the most typical side dish at a Thanksgiving meal would be a bowl of mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes can easily be substituted for my Low Carb Sour Cream and Chive Mash. Instead of potatoes I use cauliflower. Click on the link to find out the secret to my smooth and fluffy mash that tastes better than mashed potatoes!


Macaroni and cheese is another staple side at Thanksgiving. Since pasta is not allowed on a low carb diet I substituted cauliflower again. With all of the butter, cream and cheese in my Low Carb Baked "Mac" n Cheese you will never miss out on the pasta.


Years ago I saw this deliciously creamy brussels sprouts recipe on a Food Network Thanksgiving special. Full of butter, cream and pancetta I knew it would be easy to modify. I "ketofied" the recipe with my Keto / Low Carb Creamy Pancetta Brussels Sprouts.


You have to have some kind of bready side to complete the meal. One of my favorite breads comes from my favorite Keto YouTuber Cooking Keto with Kristie. It has quickly became my go-to "bread" recipe because I always have the ingredients on hand and they are super easy to make. Keto Test Recipe: Low Carb Biscuits.


What Low Carb Sides do you like to make on Thanksgiving?

When I first began my keto journey I was eating lots of eggs, cheese and bacon for breakfast. I was getting tired of eating the same thing so I started researching recipes for something bready I could have as a breakfast sandwich. I found these yummy almond flour mug cakes that I was eating for a while. It was kind of dry so then I started using my oopsie rolls for the "bread" of my sandwich. I wanted something denser so I looked for a biscuit type recipe.


I am a huge fan of the Cooking Keto with Kristie YouTube channel so I had to try her Low Carb Biscuits. The first time I made them they were a hit with my husband and I. I love how easy they are to make and that I could make a batch of twelve at one time.

The recipe is so simple and if you have read my Keto Pantry post you should already be familiar with the ingredients. First you have to take 10 egg whites and froth them up in a big bowl with a hand mixer. I was using a whole container of egg whites to make it easier on myself. Then my local Aldi's never had the carton so I was just separating 10 egg and saving the yolks for a later time.


To make my batter extra smooth I take all of the dry ingredients and put them through a sifter. What ever stays in the sifter I put in my ninja and pulverize it until it is fine. I add that to the rest of the dry ingredients and then mix it into the eggs with the hand mixer. Next to go in is the melted butter and then I fold in the mozzarella cheese.

Evenly divide the batter into a silicone muffin pan and bake for 12 minutes. The biscuits come out golden, dense and crumbly like a biscuit. I love to slice them in half spread on some butter and use them to dip into my sunny side up eggs.

Being a New Yorker one of my favorite indulgences or cheat meals was a nice slice of pizza from my neighborhood pizza shop. As soon as I started keto I knew I had to find a low carb version of pizza and found the cauliflower crust one. While it was ok it didn't taste exactly like pizza. Then I made the Fat Head Pizza and I knew that I found a winner!


Step 1: Take a medium sized bowl and add 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese. I always shred my own cheese because I don't like the added starches and ingredients in pre-shredded cheese. Take two tablespoons of cream cheese and cut into little pieces. Sprinkle on top of the mozzarella cheese.

Step 2: Microwave for 30 seconds and then mix to incorporate the melted cream cheese. Microwave for another 30 seconds and mix again. The mixture should be melted and gooey. Add the almond flour and mix with a spatula. Add the egg and continue to mix. When you feel like it won't mix anymore use your hands to mix. Knead the "dough" by folding it over itself until all of the ingredients are fully incorporated.

Step 3: I place the "dough" in between two silicone baking mats and roll until it is about 1/4" inch thick. Poke all over the top with a fork to prevent bubbles from forming when baking. Place in a 375 degree oven for 8 minutes.


Step 4: Add a 1/2 cup of  low carb spaghetti sauce and all of the toppings you like. I use the Simply Enjoy pasta sauce that I find at Stop n Shop because it is only 4 total carbs per 1/2 cup. I then add about 4 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese, sliced mushrooms and turkey pepperoni. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until melted and bubbly.



What is your favorite pizza topping? 

It's been really cold these couple of weeks with a few snow days in between. When it's cold outside I like to have a nice comfy casserole type dish for dinner. I rather eat something hearty and warm in place of your typical hot and steamy soup. I have been craving chicken pot pie for a while now so I decided to go into the kitchen to experiment with some keto ingredients.




Keto Chicken Pot Pie 

Crust:

• 3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese 
• 1 tblsp cream cheese
• 6 tblsp almond flour
• 1/2 egg
• 1/2 tsp thyme 

• 1 tblsp butter
• 4 medium radishes, diced
• 4 medium baby bella mushrooms
• 3 cups roasted chicken, diced
• 2 cups spinach (or 1 cup frozen, thawed and liquid squeezed out)
• 1 cup bone broth (or chicken stock)
• 4 ounces cream cheese 
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tsp Better than Boullion chicken base
• 2 tsp onion flakes
• 3/4 tsp Himilayan pink sea salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

When I started on my weight loss journey I took the time and did my research. Every time I wanted to look something up, YouTube was always one of the top search hits. I stopped using the middleman and started searching on the YouTube search bar itself. This is how I use YouTube to Lose Weight for free!

Diet Information: I originally wanted to start a low carb diet. When I started doing my research Keto always popped up. I saw tons of different videos and upon hearing all of the information and all of the ailments it could cure I got on board. There was so much information from doctors, experts, nutritionists, people who have been doing it for a while and newbies like me. I started binge watching these videos and writing notes. I am sure you can find videos for any kind of diet you are interested in doing.


Recipes: I have been using YouTube more and more and Pinterest less often now. I have found so many great recipes and it's nice to see the recipe being made step by step. I love to see the recipe get tested and real opinions stated on the taste. I have made so many keto recipes from YouTube including pizza, tacos, pies, biscuits and so much more all on plan and all delicious.


Exercise Videos: Did you know that you can see full exercise workouts for free? There is everyone from Jillian Michaels, to Billy Blanks, to Leslie Sansone. All full length workouts that you can do for free in your home whenever you want. I have a chromecast so it's easy to just cast it onto my TV and get busy working out.


Motivation: One of my favorite types of videos to watch on YouTube are of those doing a keto diet like me. It motivates me to see their weekly progress videos and see them losing. It helps me to see what they eat and to get tips on what is working and what is not working for them.


Do you use YouTube to aide in a healthy lifestyle? 

So I am loving the "breading" I created for my Keto Chicken Tenders and decided to experiment. I added some bay seasoning, lemon zest and parsley flakes to make the perfect coating for some fish sticks. I also served them with a homemade tartar sauce and some Parmesan Crisps to make the chip part of "Fish n Chips"


Keto Fish and Chips 

One of the perks of being a New Yorker is having some amazing Deli's right in my neighborhood. I used to love to go early in the morning for some fresh sesame seed covered bread and cold cuts. I would slather the bread with mayo and pile on the meats and cheese.

Now that I am doing a ketogenic diet bread is a no-go so I started rolling the meat and cheese together and eating it that way. I got kind of tired of eating it this way and craved some bread. The oopsie rolls came to the rescue again when I decided to make some sandwiches with them. First I make the coleslaw and let it sit in the refrigerator. Then I make the oopsie rolls and let them cool. Spread some mayo onto two of the oopsie rolls and assemble my sandwich. This time I used hard salami and lacey swiss cheese.


Coleslaw (Serves 2)

• 1 1/2 cups chopped cabbage 
• 1 tblsp mayonnaise
• 1 tblsp avocado oil (you can substitute any oil you like) 
• 1 tblsp apple cider vinegar (I love the Organic Braggs brand)
• 2 drops liquid stevia
• salt and pepper to taste

Oopsie Rolls (Makes 12 halves or 6 sandwich rolls)

• 4 eggs, separated
• 4 ounces of cream cheese 
• 1 tsp cream of tartar 
• sesame seeds

My husband and I have been on this Keto weight loss journey since August 31. We have both been strictly on this diet without any cheats for over 19 weeks now. I think a huge part of our success is that I search the internet and YouTube to find yummy recipes that we can enjoy. I love vegetables but he doesn't so I wanted to find a way for him to get some veggies in for the fiber. He loves cheese sauce but I didn't like all the questionable ingredients in his favorite jar so I decided to make a homemade one.

This cheese sauce is so decadent, savory and cheesy that a little bit goes a long way. It is perfect to dip broccoli, zucchini or cauliflower in. I have also been known to pour a little over my cauliflower mash. This sauce stores easily in a mason jar in the refrigerator. I like to just take a couple of spoons and put in a ramekin to heat up in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds.



Keto Cheese Sauce

• 1 tbsp butter
• 4 oz mild cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 Tablespoons cream cheese (try to find one with 1g of carbs per serving)
• 1/4 cup parmesan grated cheese
• 5 tbsp heaving whipping cream
• guar guar gum (optional: a pinch to thicken)

What would you dip into this keto cheese sauce?

My husband and I have been on a Keto Weight Loss journey since August 31. We have lost a combined 132 pounds. I lost 50 and he lost 82. I think that this way of eating has been successful for us because we are never hungry and get to enjoy delicious foods. A ketogenic (keto) diet is where you eat 20g or less of carbs, a low/moderate amount of protein and a high amount of fat. Your percentages of food should be 5% Carbs, 20% Protein and 75% Fat.

Since I have been making so many different recipes I have acquired a great keto pantry (and fridge).

Alternative Sweetener:

• Erythritol - I use this whenever I am baking or when a recipe calls for a granulated sweetener. 
• Liquid Stevia - I use about 5 drops in my coffee every morning. 
• Ez-Sweetz - Liquid Sucralose. I use this in all of my recipes that don't call for a granular sweetener. This is what my husband uses in his coffee. It takes a couple of drops to sweeten without an aftertaste. 

Pork Rinds: They are really good to snack on and to eat with dips. They can also be pulverized into dust to substitute for any kind of breading. I have also used them to make keto puppy chow.


Coconut Oil: It's the holy grail in a keto kitchen. I put it in my coffee to make bulletproof coffee. I also use it to make fat bombs. It's the perfect way to get your fat in on a keto diet.


Avocado Oil: I use this oil to fry, for cooking and in my keto coleslaw recipe. It's great to use in cooking because of it's high heat point.


** Please note that I am not a doctor or nutritionist. I just wanted to share what has been working for my husband and I. Please seek advice from your doctor first before starting any diet or exercise program.