Llamapalooza53's Journal, 28 Feb 19

Congratulations, and I love your user name! It cracks me up!! 😊🎈 

@Llamapalooza53, we're the same age, weigh about the same, and have the same weight goal, so I can realte. LCHF/keto does generate a quick loss, and it's very motivating! If you look at my journal posts (got to my profile or search "Journals" with my name), you'll be able to benefit from distilled research on "LCHF/keto tips," "weight-loss after menopause" or "weight-loss stalls for women over 40." It's really important to understand how our bodies behave on LCHF/keto WOE ("wayof eating"). It really helps me to plan my meals a day ahead. It's the only way I can tweak my carb count. During the day, I know what my choices are. Even better, I *know* what the impact of "wandering" will be on my plan and on my body. 

(That was weird: the "Post comment" button disappeared when I tried to click it!) ANYWAY... @Llamapalooze53, I looked at your "recent food choices," next to your profile essay. As a fellow '53 Boomer Baby, may I be frank? You need to make a few adjustments that will bring you closer to your daily keto "macro" targets. Caramel Coffee Creamer, at 6g carbs per tbsp., is "low-fat, low-calorie" but not "keto-friendly." Use heavy (or heavy whipping) cream in your coffee. It'll raise your fat grams --which you *want* to do -- but has only 1g carbohydrate per tbsp. Jif "natural" peanut butter is 8g carbs -- 6g net -- but 3g that is from added sugar. In other words, you've used up 12g net (14g total) carbohydrate in exchange for very little nutritional value.  

I forgot to say congratulations with your weight drop. That is really amazing. You are doing things right for you when that happens and that is what counts.  

Looking at your food log again, a measly quarter cup of "Nature Valley Granola Crunch Oats & Honey" has 19g carbohydrate but only 1g fiber. That's 18g net carbs for, basically, what amounts to a handful of sugar. You'll only be hungry and stay fat eating that. Make no mistake: "Granola" is "junk food" disguised as "health food."  

Absolutely fantastic! 

You are not consistently logging your food, which I have found to be essential to LCHF/keto eating, and you don't appear to be reading labels ahead of choosing your foods. Or maybe you're just trying to eat what's in your kitchen. If you use the food diary as a planning tool, you'll be able to use your available carbohydrate allowance in a much more satisfying way.  

First, though, if you're going to do LCHF/keto in the most advantageous way, go to www.ruled.me/keto-calculator and easily figure out what your target grams of fat, protein, and carb, and total calories, should be for your age, height, current weight, and the rate of weight-loss desired. Then, plan your meals around those numbers in the FS food diary, adjusting as necessary to get the right "mix" of macronutrients. 

Go to DietDoctor.com for food lists, recipes, and menu plans, and tons on articles, videos, and success stories using LCHF/keto. It really helped me re-educate myself about nutrition in general and this WOE in particular. And it gave me HOPE! Most of all, DO NOT QUIT. You will "stall" (that's life at our age) even if you are being 100% faithful to your plan. Ignore what looks like "failure." Measure your waist once a month, and pay attention to the fit of your clothes. You'll find that, even at the same weight or with little weight loss, your body fat will be disappearing! GOT FOR IT, HONEY! 

@Miraculum: I appreciate your comments and your help. I'm certainly grateful for everybody on here that know what they're doing. And you are correct inasmuch as I am trying to use up stuff in the fridge. I live alone and I hate to waste food. Growing up in the 50s and 60s, you did not waste food in our house. I kind of fell apart yesterday when I went to Walmart and I bought the granola because I'm missing my fruit so much. I think I can probably eat fruit later but right now I want that fast weight loss and I'm amazed that I've lost seven pounds since starting exactly one week ago. That's a pound a day. Who doesn't want that? I have that site you posted www.ruled.me/keto-calculator. I have pinned it so I can go back and fill out and use it. Since I was last on this site, I bought a pressure cooker, a scale, new kitchen things. And you know how it goes, you're ready when you're ready. I quite drinking 19 years ago because I was finally "ready." I quit cigs almost nine years ago because I was finally "ready." And with the help and suggestion from my new doc and with her really stressing that I need to lose weight, I'm finally "ready." @Laraae: Thank you. And Llamapalooza is because I love llamas. I've had this as my email for years and years, and I've used it for passwords and usernames. It's got some spunk but it's a pain in the membrane when I have to always give it over the phone. And sometimes three times to the same person. LOL.  

@Llamapalooza53, I don't want to forget to congratulate you for a *great* start on your weight loss journey! It's exhilirating! And, yes, "you're ready when you're ready." Keep up the good work! You'll get there!  

We never had food to waste at our house, either. You wouldn't eat spoiled food. Don't eat the food in your kitchen that will SPOIL YOUR LIFE! It's okay, really, to discard poison that is masquerading as "food." 

It's a monumental thing, to quit drinking and smoking. My husband has been clean and sober for 38 years and smoke-free for 36 years -- quitting long before I knew him. He put on some weight and consulted a bariatric specialist who said that "addictive personalities" will always find a substitute, and his is sugar and chocolate. (I skipped right to sugar and chocolate, at about age 7, since no my parents wouldn't let me drink at that age! LOL!)  

And I just read about you losing your friend of 50 years. I am so sorry. That has to be hard. I bet you have some great memories of your times together. 😔 And as far as llamas, how do you feel about “The Emperor’s New Groove”? 😀 We love it and have “Kronk’s New Groove”, too (not as good/sarcastic, but still a worthy follow-up).