DUSTI
1.....2/18/16: 219.4
2.....2/19/16: 217.8
3.....2/20/16: 218.4
4.....2/21/16: 216.0
5.....2/22/16: 215.6
6.....2/23/16:
7.....2/24/16:
8.....2/25/16:
9.....2/26/16:
* CN...2/27/16:
DAY 1......2/28/16:

Good morning. Down a little more today. Interesting too that I am getting stinky keto breath. I have a lot of trouble entering ketosis. Even biological zero carbs for weeks didn't ever register on the keto sticks or kill my appetite. Maybe I just needed a little break afterall.

Nothing exciting planned for today. I work full time and go to school full time so it will be a typical long day. I had coffee with cream, 2 eggs scrambled with about an ounce of melted cheese and about 6 oz of my yogurt. For lunch I'll have a big chicken breast covered in melted cheese and a chard salad with flax oil and vinegar, then for dinner I'll have ground beef with 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce (6 nc) and a kale salad with flax oil/vinegar. Probably pushing it on the carbs a bit, but I think I'll be ok. Great vitamins and fiber in chard and kale. We brought in cupcakes for a co-workers birthday, but I'm confident I'll be able to avoid them.

Ok, I'm off to read what y'all have posted this morning. Such busy morning posters!!!

Have a good day.

CRICKET - I hate daily weighing! But if you guys are willing to do it, I figure I should be too. It's great when I'm losing, but sure is hard when in a stall or gaining. I hate the scale during those times!

Yogurt is actually really easy to make and if you have access to grass fed cow milk out there in the country it would make for some delicious yogurt!

Funny how we all react differently to carbs. A couple weeks ago I flat out cheated at a friend's potluck dinner. Like big time cheated! and I was so sick. I'm actually kind of dreading CN because I don't like that feeling.

I've thought of a veggiematic too! I imagine veggie noodles would taste better than kelp noodles, but it all depends on preference. If you get one, let me know how you like it and I might get one too. I just don't want another appliance to have to store.

I don't think I could eat chicken livers plain and cold because of the texture, but I absolutely love chicken liver pate. Do you ever make that? I can eat it cold by the spoonful. Yum. I might have to make some.

You lost .8? That's great! It is evidence that this is really going to work. Great job, fearless leader!

I don't know anything about that. I literally just post on this thread and nothing else. Maybe I don't have enough posts yet? I'll see if I can figure anything out.

PAULETTE - Best of luck on your surgery! I had a full hysterectomy in my late 30's and it was the absolute best thing! You will feel so much better!

I was going to ask if anyone else made minute muffins. They are so good and a great way to get those Omega 3's in.

It's encouraging to hear that the CN's don't cause cravings to return for you. I think that may be a lot of people's biggest fear about trying this diet.

Do you make kombucha as well? Fermented foods are so good for us. I think they might be worth the minimal carb content. I bet it helps you get your pep back in your step!

I've had a Veggetti for months now but only used it for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Love this thing and it doesn't take up much space at all - about as much as a glass. I've only tried making zucchini noodles and I think that's what I will be staying with. My 14 yo daughter tried them and loves them as well. All I do is fry in coconut oil or bacon grease for about 5 minutes or so. I season with Himalayan salt, pepper and garlic powder as they are cooking. Amazing straight out of the pan. I've also tried with pasta sauce and it was delicious too. This is one kitchen gadget that I would highly recommend, especially for us low carbers.

I would love to try a Muffin in a Minute made from flax. It is high in fiber and the net carbs would be minimal. And Omega-3's are always welcome.

LIANNE - I am also using Himalayan pink salt! I got a bag of it from a friend and I have been using it ever since! I like the idea of the natural minerals it contains. Vitamins and minerals are something I have been paying close attention to this past year.

The Veggetti contraption sounds interesting and a great idea! But, sadly, I am a veggie hater and veggie noodles sound icky to me. If not for that, I would also get one! I am glad I found the tofu shirataki noodles and that is good enough for this old veggie hater.

By the way, my surgery went well. I am painful now, but have good drugs for that. I am very curious to see how much the weight will go up tomorrow! It will not depress me as I know it will be from post-surgery swelling. But it must be tracked regardless.

You all have a great night!

HI YA!... Dusti:... Everytime I see your name I think about PURE COUNTRY!! love George Straite! ANYWAY... If you were with me in the PEEPS, you would have been told.. 20 carbs and under.. not zero will get you into ketosis. I rarely register more than small..was in trace the entire time I lost 190 pounds in less than one year....so, there are hidden carbs in your things and maybe SA as well. BETCHA I lived and breathed ATKINS for decades and there is always a reason for not staying in ketosis... AHH that good ol Dragon Breath Even in ketosis we get hungry. PAULETTE is usually the deepest maroon there is on the chart.. so is Jodi and they have days where "FAT PAULETTE" has to be beaten back into the cage!
JODI is here and sharing that she is scared stiff of carb nite. She has one month to get back into her long show boots and coats. So she says she is right there with all of you!

FERMENTED..ewwwweeeee.... re:chicken livers.. I make chopped chicken liver.. diced onions, celery, HB eggs, S&P& paprika and garlic powder..the livers are sauteed until done and then chopped up with the rest of the stuff.. and Mayo. I miss Miricle Whip.. tastes better with that seaoning..but cannot have it with the LC...
If having MIM be sure to have a lot of extra water.. it will constipate .

LIANNE... I am SOOOO tempeted to get that gizmo.They did not have it a t WALLYWORLD or it would be here. I am pretty sure I would use it one time and then it would be in the closet with all the other really handy great gizmos. I have decided that I would be happy towait for CN to have real pasta

TOday I bought a huge bag of Magic Charms and a box of sugared Shredded wheat..add to that the farina and one hot cake and egg for my breakfast again. That is the menu. I miss cold ceral and FArina! Then the desserts from last week are still here...ICE CREAM and cheese cakes. So Jodi and I are fine with this and 2% milk as well.

Dusti.. we all hate weighing in..WE are used to this from the team and it is our comfort range to know what is going on. NUMBERS are not the end all as long as the meals are legal.Jodi's measurements are reducing but mine not since day 4. Cannot really see any difference that matters. Do not expect the 9th wonder of the world here LOL!

POLLIE~~ HUGS XO

That veggeti sounds good. I think I would like zucchini noodles. I'm envisioning frying them in olive oil until they are crispy like hash browns. I might have to pick one up!

Glad surgery went well, Paulette. Sleep well and feel better soon.

Cricket - thanks for sharing that you don't register on keto sticks either. At least I'm not alone. Maybe I was in ketosis afterall. I'm comparing things to when I first did Atkins when I was about 25. I ate hamburger, cheese, cream and lots of nuts and the weight poured off. That's NOT how things happened this time, but it is 20 years later so maybe my expectations were off. I just keep on keeping on like I have done for the last two years. The longevity of the members of this group is great. Everyone keeps going even through the ups and downs. The power team!

I'm a bit discouraged because I got my blood work back from my doctor. My cholesterol is up. Total is right at 200 which is the supposed cutoff. I know to check the different types. My HDL is up a little bit to 68 though. I won't stress it. I have read all of the newest research on cholesterol and how the numbers don't mean a whole lot.

More concerning to me is that my A1C is up again. I was 5.6 two years ago then got it down to 5.4 and now it is 5.8. That is with (very imperfect) low carb and metformin.

I'll quit whining now! I'm off to my biology class. Fun fun! Hope everyone has a great night.

PAULETTIE.. we doubled.. you may enjoy the MIM with morning coffee and SF jam It has a spongy consistency that lends itself to a topping or more sweetener for a pancake deal;;yummy,,rest well!

DUSTI.. yes, as long as you are in the ponk a tad is all.. I once did an experiment.. 30-45 mins after having heavy fats and hwc I did a test.. it darkened..big deal... so about that cholesterol.. that is OK really as long as the tyglicerides and HDLs are good. The TOTAL is deceiving. My HDLs are off the chart so the first glance sends the doc into orbit..UNTIL he looks at all the numbers LOL! A1C is another matter and that is not my area of expertise.. bet PAULETTE can help there!

As soon as I find some eggplant, I want to try that recipe my friend told me about..pizza crips... and with the speghetti squash too!!

Heading to bed and gettting ready for a fun time in probate... my name is messed up and it goes in circles...see team for my notes on that one!

PAULETTE:
DAY 1.....2/09/16: 209.2
2.....2/10/16: 208.8
3.....2/11/16: 208.4
4.....2/12/16: 210.0
5.....2/13/16: 212.0
6.....2/14/16: 210.2
7.....2/15/16: 210.4
8.....2/16/16: 208.6
9.....2/17/16: 206.6
* CN...2/18/16: 207.4
DAY 1.....2/19/16: 209.6
2.....2/20/16: 208.6
3.....2/21/16: 208.4
4.....2/22/16: 207.6 (surgery day)
5.....2/23/16: 212.4

The swelling took me up 4.8 lbs. It is not as bad as I feared. I expect it to hang out inside me for a while, so I am not going to fret about it.

I am still planning to have my 2nd Carb Nite on Thursday, so I'm sure it will go up even more after that. But I expect some whooshing after that! It better whoosh!

My test strips had always been in the dark purple, but the past couple days they are only light pink. I am always way below 20 carbs a day, so I am not worried about ketosis. It is there.

And my cholesterol is up, too. My HDL is always too low. Don't know why, but it has always been that way.

HW - your A1c is considered normal!!!! 5.8 is like the same as 5.6!! Congrats on that! Now, if it went up to 7, then you may say it is "up"

I decided that spaghetti and meatballs will be my CN dinner. Cream of Wheat first, spaghetti 2nd, and a dessert? before bed. I am thinking of making LEMON BARS, but if I am lazy, I may just make some popcorn instead. I have not had that in a couple years and I WILL make it one of these carb nites! As we all know, the menu can change in the blink of an eye once the CN actually starts!

Today I am going to buy some flax meal and perhaps try the MIM tonight.

Good morning!

All the comments about carb nite food (cereal, ice cream, spaghetti, etc.) makes me think maybe I will have my next carb nite at home rather than going out. I have a big bag of stuffing mix in my cupboard. I think that would be really good to enjoy too.

Last night Doug and I ended up going out for wings. I found a pub downtown that has a wing special on Mondays - $5.99/lb and the wings are not breaded. Between the 2 of us we polished off 4 pounds - buffalo, lemon pepper, salt and pepper and blue cheese flavours. They were really good and really meaty. That was a lot of food last night - more than I normally eat. Today I brought some protein powder to make up a shake for lunch.

Have a great day everyone! Off to work I go.

DUSTI
1.....2/18/16: 219.4
2.....2/19/16: 217.8
3.....2/20/16: 218.4
4.....2/21/16: 216.0
5.....2/22/16: 215.6
6.....2/23/16: 216.0
7.....2/24/16:
8.....2/25/16:
9.....2/26/16:
* CN...2/27/16:
DAY 1......2/28/16:

Good morning!!!!

Paulette - so glad you seem to be feeling well. 4.5 pounds is nothing. I imagine they pumped that much fluid into you through the IV bag alone. My doc says 5.6 is the high end of normal for A1C. Even so, I guess that just puts me slightly into the pre-diabetes range. Spaghetti and meatballs sounds pretty good for cn. I haven't come up with anything that really appeals to me yet. I still have a few more days to drum up the appetite for it.

Cricket - eggplant pizza crisps??? Mmmmmm. Do share! Have you made a cauliflower pizza crust yet? That is delicious too. I fed it to my son and didn't tell him it was cauliflower and he assumed it was just a thin crust pizza. Fooled him completely! Haha. Good luck with probate. That doesn't sound fun at all!

Lianne - those wings sound great. Nothing like good hot wings! They've saved me many time when I've gone to a restaurant that doesn't have a lot of low carb options.

Nothing new and exciting for me to report. Just work and school again. I'm up .4, but that's no biggie. Just a flux!

Have a good day everyone.

Hi LIANNE I would not eat out unless I was going to the Chinese Buffet!!! Otherwise I could make everything here
I enjoyed being at home on CN and just snacking my way through and changing things as I went as I could not eat everything. I would worry about the wings with sauces..they are made with sugars I would think. OK carb nites but F&P days? Not too sure about that.

PAULETTE~~~ did my pee stix today.. dark maroon..have no idea why.. but the ring was LOOSE and clothes nice fitting and my face looks thinner to me.. so I was looking forward to getting on the scale even if it was hours earlier than usual... well it was UP 1.8. SOooo I am re weighing later!!! IF the weight stays up I guess the dark purple is due to more ketones maybe.. all pure speculation and wishful thinking. If I can eat one CN a week and be this size I would be OK with that too. My weight is misleading to my clothes sizes. Ta Tas are too big and I would LOVE to have a reduction and plumped up I cannot see my feet

Will make the livers today to eat and have a shke today as well. Had a couple of large mugs of WF choc syrup in water w/ hc for my hot choc drinl. LOVE IT and thinking back a bit. it may be a reason for gain.. have no idea why it should but maybe???