If youโre participating in the year-end Winter Low Carb Challenge here is this weekโs weigh-in thread in the group. You can weigh in there, or leave a comment here on this post with your total number of pounds lost since we started on October 29th.
I look forward to hearing your results so far! ๐
For the last 4 days I have done ZERO cooking, outside of my usual cheesy eggs.
While this may seem like an odd โfood diaryโ or example to you, thereโs a purpose behind it. ๐
The first reason I havenโt done any cooking this week is because I have been nonstop-whirlwind-busy!
But even without cooking at all, other than whipping up eggs real quick, I have managed to stick to super simple keto-approved foods and meals for four straight days.
Thatโs because Iโm doing a โclean testing seriesโ on a variety of โketo foodsโ or foods that people are unsure are TRULY keto-friendly or not.
In order to do that I had to get my body back in ketosis and my blood ketone and glucose levels stabilized after the tricky Dominoโs wings threw me out of ketosis. ๐
I like for my ketone levels to be SOLID for at least 72 hours before another test, and then I eat super clean (already ketone-tested foods ONLY) for another 72 hours after testing a food โ so we get โcleanโ (untainted) results.
I have a whole list of foods I canโt wait to test! From a Bunless Bic Mac to a couple of products in the November Keto Krate that people are questioning.
Stay tuned for the results! ๐
In the meantime, hereโs what Iโve been eating for the last four days โ and more importantly: my last four MyFitnessPal food logs, so you can see how I log my meals and how easily the keto macros work outโฆ
Weโll start back at Sunday, the first full day I was back in ketosis after those dirty wings! lolโฆ I chose to go for a decent hike that day and do some challenging climbs too, as exercise also improves your ketone production.
My Low Carb Meals on Sunday
I took my first day off in quite awhile, but I still had stuff to take care of real quick before I could get out & off the grid for the day, so I had some packaged keto cookies for breakfast real quick with my coffee while I wrapped things up.
Then on my way out of town I stopped at Burger King and ordered โ2 double cheeseburgers plain, no bun please, so just meat & cheese.โ
This comes out to 2 net carbs and under $4, and while itโs not my favorite low carb fast food โ itโs cheap and super low carb. ๐
I ate those plain because: โno dripping & drivingโ ๐ lol.
I headed straight up the mountain for Fall Creek Falls to enjoy the SUNSHINE which finally came out for the first time in over a week!!
The cookies I had for breakfast were Peanut Butter NUI Keto Cookies.
This one pictured is their Chocolate Chip cookie, but Iโve been eating these as a quick snack or to get me by long hours between meals because Iโve already tested them โ they donโt spike glucose or tank ketone levels.
Quite the opposite: my ketone levels have been higher than normal lately!
Our coupon code is LOWCARBTRAVELER for a discount.
I had an AMAZING hike! ๐
I was planning to go to Applebeeโs for a nice big dinner of salmon & green veggies after my hikeโฆ but I was exhausted. ๐
I ended up eating a Macadamia Coconut Fat Bomb packet in the car on the way homeโฆ and I was in bed by 8pm, lol.
Those ^ are SO good! This link is coded with a 20% off discount ๐
My hike was a GREAT workout. I decided to go to the base of Fall Creek Falls this time instead of the topโฆ
I ended up climbing down the steep, slippery bluff to play downstream โ which meant a lot of climbing over huge rocks and fallen trees, all super slick.
That required using a wide range of muscles and body weight leverage for tricky climbing, especially back up the slippery bluff over large boulders!
A better workout than Iโve ever gotten at a gym!
Plus WAY more fun. ๐
Hereโs how my MyFitnessPal diary looked and how my macros worked out for the day:
Keto Macros Made Easy: Simple Explanation & Illustration
How I Get Net Carbs in MyFitnessPal (Itโs Free!)
My Low Carb Meals on Monday
Breakfast was my usual cheesy eggs! ๐
I was running errands later in the day and picked up a quick low carb meal at McDonaldโs. Actually enough for two meals. ๐
I ordered it like this: โ4 sausage patties and 4 round fried eggs, please.โ ๐
That comes to 5.6 carbs according to the nutrition calculator on their website. Their cheese is 2 carbs per slice so I skip it, just FYIโฆ
They charge different for that at every location โ and every time even. Sometimes itโs cheaper to order a la carte, sometimes the deals on their mobile app are cheaper.
At MY McDonaldโs this week breakfast sandwiches were on special 2-for-$4. I ordered a la carte first tho: โ4 sausage patties and 4 round fried eggs, please.โ
If it had been more than $8, I would have said, โIn that case Iโll take two of the 2 for $4 sausage egg mcmuffins, all four with no bread and no cheese, please.โ
But today it was only $7.92 -lol. ๐คทโโ๏ธ
Ohhhhโฆ and for dinner! โค
I should mention btw that this was a 24 hour day for me. I fell asleep early Monday night so I was up at 2am on Tuesday โ and up until 2am that night. Which is why there are FOUR meals. ๐
This is a bowl full of delicious: Philadelphia cream cheese with Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Legendary Foods almond butter (I like it refrigerated) with 60 grams of pecans all topped with Macadamia Coconut nut butter. ๐
Here is my MyFitnessPal diary for Monday:
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My Low Carb Meals on Tuesday
Tuesday was a MUCH shorter dayโฆ
I had my cheesy eggs again for breakfast, and that same bowl of yumminess again for dinner! Iโm eating a lot of the same foods over and over because they are known/tested foods and Iโm getting myself ready for another round of โketo food testing.โ ๐
Here is my MyFitnessPal diary for Tuesday:
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My Low Carb Meals on Wednesday
Umโฆ eggsโฆ again. ๐
I had a quick lunch at my desk.
A fun snack plate actually!
Itโs 45 grams of raw pecan halves, 1.16 ounces of cheddar sliced off the block, 4 ounces of Oscar Mayer rotisserie chicken slices and 18 grams of blueberries. ๐
And YES, those are EXACT measurements. ๐
Iโm a stickler for measuring & tracking! I use this kitchen scale, itโs small and convenient and accurate โ and inexpensive!
I was caught at my desk at dinnertime for a virtual meeting (not video, thank goodness -lol) so I just grabbed some Peanut Butter NUI Cookies and a Fat Bomb Packet and called those dinner.
Again, because Iโm sticking to ONLY known/ketone-tested foods right now in preparation for my next big food test. And both of these keto products test GREAT on blood glucose & ketone levels. ๐
Here is my MyFitnessPal diary for Wednesday:
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I ran into the most interesting snake on my hike the other dayโฆ
Interesting first because it was odd to see it out in December, especially in the cold spray from the nearby waterfall.
But interesting also because it has the exact markings of a harmless garter snakeโฆ but the head is shaped like a viper. A garter snake typically has a narrow head, the same size or even more narrow than itโs body.
This one had a triangular shaped head like a poisonous snake, even before I startled it (lol). See this video:
Iโm still stumped on that one!
Earlier this week I ran across this note I got passed last year while eating takeout during a business conference. ๐
That made for an interesting conversation! LOLโฆ โฃ
My ketone levels are solid and Iโm excited to test out my next โthatโs not keto!โ food that people are unsure about. ๐
Stay tuned for the results!
The glucose/ketone testing kit I use is by Keto Mojo, and it comes with everything in the kit. They were kind enough to set us up with a 15% discount on those. Itโs coded into my affiliate link so when you use this link youโll get 15% off automatically at checkout.
Apologies for the weird choice of foods and lack of any good โmealsโ or โrecipesโ so far this week, lol. Iโm in testing mode!
I actually have several foods I want to test with my blood glucose/ketone testing meter, mainly things that get a โthatโs not keto!โ response โ so we can ALL find out for SURE whether thatโs NOT ketoโฆ or not. ๐
My hike last week was a blast. This week my exercise will be dancing! Iโm off to hear one of my favorite bands in a couple of days. Then Iโm going to plan another fun hike for each of the next two weeksโฆ and end the year with more dancing!
In between Iโm getting back to my home workouts. FINALLY, lol.
How are things going with you this week?
Donโt forget to weigh in this week!
Leave a comment and letโs chat:)
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
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Discount Code: LOWCARBTRAVELER

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I sent the photo of the snake to my son. He teaches ecological biology at a university and his specialty is snakes. He said it was definitely a garter snake. I mentioned the head and he said when theyโre scared they can flatten out their heads and bodies. He also said they can grown up to 4 ft. In length.
Hi Lynn
It looks like a garter snake as these guys try to look as menacing as possible by assuming the appearance of something more dangerous. For your information.
https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2017/jun/12/snakes/432842/
Are you not concerned about rocks being wet and slippery at this time of the year? Anyway take care and stay safe.
Warm regards
Great article! The other odd thing about this snake was seeing it out this time of year, and not just out sunning โ but in a wet shady cold area at the base of the waterfall.
Yes the rocks were wet and slippery! They are year round near waterfalls though of course. I just pick and choose my foot and hand holds very carefully when climbing around off trail. ๐
One reason I love keto is the snack plates! Thank you for sharing! I am on the road 4 days a week, I used to stop for fast food. Reading your post give me ideas to stay on track. Easy things to eat that keep me full and travel well.
Have you tested any of the quest products?
I havenโt tested any of the Quest products yet. I used to love them (many years ago) but I havenโt tried them in quite awhile. I should, I hear people talking about them all the time! Which ones do you like best?
Right now I hate myself. Since my mother died in June and a brother committed suicide in October, I have been eating all the wrong food, just cramming it in and I neither want it or are hungry for it. Shot up to 155 from 122 and I can feel it. Thighs are the size of hams, but slim everywhere else. This morning, made scrambled eggs for breakfast, lunch and a small steak and salad for dinner, no snacks. Trying to again get back on the wagon before am again diabetic. Have read everything you have written, but I have just been out of control.
Iโm so sorry Rebecca, thatโs a lot of loss in such a short time. I donโt even know how I would deal with that. But hating yourself or feeling disgusted is not good either. Just take a deep breath and embrace where you are โ and get focused on moving in the direction you want to go, and on taking care of yourself.
I find when my life is chaos or grief sucks me in, it really helps to have at least ONE point of control โ when everything else feels like itโs spinning OUT of control. I also find it really helps me to be in the best health I can be, to cope with some of lifeโs tougher phases.
Being sick or feeling bad about yourself is one less thing you need in really hard times. *hugs*
I am interested in what was on the chicken. It looked really good. I see avocado and bacon, but what else? What was the dish called?
Ah, yes it was a chicken sandwich without the bun, from Ruby Tuesday โ cheese, bacon & avocado with the mayo on the side. ๐