Caroline's Keto Journey

Weight: 196

Blood sugar level: High end of normal but still in range

Today was my trip to a cabin to spend time with some friends. I thought it was going to be a challenge sitting there while everyone else ate, but I was pleasantly surprised. I had one glass of wine because someone else who was there who is also doing keto said that I should be okay. I also had a cheeseburger. I had the meat patty with some mustard, and used two lettuce leaves as my bun. There was potato salad, corn on the cobb, (which I absolutely love), and some kind of rice balls that sounded absolutely amazing, and several different kinds of chips. But, I was really surprised because I had the burger, and I was fine. We all went for ice cream afterwards, and I would have had some of that, but they didn’t have anything without sugar, so I turned that down too. I have very little willpower, but it was a lot easier than I thought it would be.

On the blood sugar front, I decreased my insulin again last night. The dose I took was one third of the dose I gave myself on Sunday night. My morning reading was, as I said above, on the high end of normal. So tonight I’m going to take two more units and see where that leaves me in the morning. My twenty-four-hour average is at 6.0, with 99 percent of my readings within the normal target range. I looked at my lows, and it didn’t seem like I went low at any point, but I don’t know when I would have had any highs either, so I’m not sure what that’s about. But regardless, 99 percent is still very respectable, and the 6.0 is fabulous! I almost hate to even say this, but I’m actually looking forward to talking with my doctor on Friday. Crazy, right? 😊

I said I wanted to talk a little bit about some of the tools I use to help me do what we’re doing. In my first entry, I mentioned a Bluetooth scale that I’m using to keep track of my weight. The days of the old talking scales that either tell you that “you are obese”, or say “oink, oink” are over! This scale is sleek, runs on two batteries, and sends all its data to my phone and watch. I can see my current weight, along with how much I’ve lost overall since I started using the scale back on August 2nd, (3 pounds). And, the app plays really cool sounds so I know when the data has been sent to the phone. It also keeps track of my BMI, and other statistics. Being able to buy an off-the-shelf product that works for me without having to get a specialty item is really empowering.

When following a meal plan, keeping track of food portions is key. I’m one who doesn’t always tend to measure ingredients when I cook, but doing this has now become more important. The recipes I’m working from give me different ways of measuring. For instance, the other night when I made the roasted parmesan cauliflower, it said two cups chopped, or 213 grams. To me, measuring out two cups of cauliflower is a bit hit or miss because it’s not like flower or water that actually fits into a measuring cup. So, I’ve chosen to use a talking kitchen scale for this purpose. I’ve set it to grams rather than ounces, and weigh the food. This gives me a more precise way, (I think), of getting things accurately. Sorry I don’t have a link to my kitchen scale, but I didn’t buy it online, and I bought it about seven years ago. When I bought it originally, I never really expected to use it specifically for weighing my food, but it’s been an invaluable tool.

Well, it’s been another day, and tomorrow is going to be busy, so I think that’s about it for now. More news tomorrow!

Weight, 197.0

Morning blood sugar: irrelevant … well, not really, but it’ll make sense soon

 

I won’t be weighing myself every day, but right now I am because I want to monitor the water weight loss, and I’m told that can be pretty significant over the first week or so. I am absolutely exhausted tonight, so this isn’t going to be the post I’d hoped it would be. I don’t know whether I’m tired because I didn’t sleep well last night or if it’s got something to do with the different way I’m eating, or a combination of both. Whatever it is though, I’m totally ready to go to bed. But, I said I was going to try to write something every day, and don’t want to skip a day already.

 

But, I have news! I’m absolutely blown away. Last night, my blood sugar level was around 9.8 or so. Given that usually around that time of night I’m at a very unrespectable 17 or higher, I knew it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to take my full insulin dose. So, not knowing for sure how much to cut it, I decided to give myself half my usual amount. It turns out this was a really good decision. I didn’t have any lows overnight, and when I woke up I was right around 5. It doesn’t stop there though.

 

I use what is called a continuous glucose monitor,(CGM). The one I use is the Freestyle Libre. I wear a sensor on the back of my arm. It’s about the size of two quarters stacked on top of each other. There’s a little needle under my skin that constantly monitors my sugar levels, and I’m able to get readings as often as every sixty seconds. I have an app on my phone that scans the sensor and keeps track of all the data. I have the option of bringing my phone to doctor appointments, or, if they wanted to, I could share my data with medical professionals online. The stats that are stored in this app are pretty incredible, but they’re mostly inaccessible to me because they’re in the form of charts and graphs. I do get a few stats though, and at the moment, I consider them to be the most important. According to my app, I have now spent more than twenty-four hours in the normal range. It will tell me the percentage of readings that are in target, and for the first time ever, the app is showing 100 percent! I’m absolutely blown away by this. If I’m seeing this kind of difference in two days, what’s going to happen as things progress? I’m going to have to cut the insulin again tonight, and when I emailed  our dietician this morning to give her the good news she said that I’m doing the right thing, but to keep some regular juice on hand just in case. She said that the meds I’m taking during the day could also bring down my numbers, so I’m still being extra careful. I have a phone appointment with my doctor on Friday, and I have a feeling he had plans to talk to me about my latest test results and my high A1C, which is a test that shows the average blood sugar levels over an extended amount of time. My app will also calculate that for me, and when I have a bit more data to work with I’ll have a look at that number too. But, I think I’m going to have some pretty interesting stuff to share with the doctor.

 

We had cheesy scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast, and pizza on a keto crust for supper today. Then we also got a snack of dark chocolate and almonds. I found the best keto snack bars too, although I’d like to find a better way to get them in bulk, They’re GoodTo Go bars. They taste fabulous, and have the consistency of a cookie. They also have so many different flavors. Our meal plan allows us to have these, so in a couple of days it actually calls for them as part of our breakfast. I’ve tried, I think it was the Love Good brand, but we both thought they tasted like sawdust, and even the flavors weren’t all that good. I really do love these though. Eventually I’ll add the bars to my links section for easier reference.

 

But, that’s about all for tonight. Tomorrow is going to be a challenge for me. I’m attending a get-together and I’m sure there’s going to be quite a lot of food. There’s going to be at least one other keto person there, so she and I will be able to stick together, but this close to the beginning I’m sure it’s going to be hard, but I want to be with friends, and I need to get used to this kind of thing anyway. I’d hoped to make some no-bake peanut butter and coconut keto cookies to take with me, but I just don’t have any energy left. So tomorrow evening I’ll let everyone know how it went.

 

Starting Weight: 197.2 pounds

Morning blood sugar level, in range but a little high; not surprising though

Hopefully over time I’ll learn to do more interesting titles. But for now, it’s day one, so I’m not wrong in my title, right?

It’s early days, of course, however I’ve already noticed something. Breakfast this morning consisted of power yogurt, which is a mixture of plain Greek yogurt, coconut oil, cocoa powder, chocolate protein powder, slivered almonds and frozen raspberries, along with scrambled eggs. By the time I mixed all the yogurt stuff, the consistency was more like a chocolate pudding than a yogurt. I love yogurt, but pudding is good too, so it was all good, except that the unsweetened cocoa did make things a little bit bitter. The recipe said that I could add some artificial sweetener if I wanted to, but overall I didn’t find the bitterness to be intolerable, and I suspect I’ll get used to it soon anyway, so I chose not to add any additional sweetener.

Making scrambled eggs is a fairly new skill I’ve been perfecting over time. I have always been an egg hater, except for boiled eggs, and deviled eggs. A while ago though, I started getting into egg whites, and found that they were really good. I discovered that my problem with eggs is a slimy yoke. So, if I can prepare them the way I like, with a harder yolk, it’s all good. Today was a particularly good egg day.

We’ve started off on a two-meal per day plan, so we’re not eating lunch. We’re used to only two meals a day, so we thought we’d stick with it to see how it goes. So, no lunch. I had breakfast about seven hours ago as I write this part, and I’m definitely starting to get hungry, but I’ve managed to go without kitchen scrounging to find some kind of thing to munch on. I want something, but I think I want it because it’s what I do, not so much that I’m actually wanting a snack. Habits are hard to break, and this constant snacking thing is definitely going to be a tough one. I think the key to this is going to be keeping busy during the days so I don’t have time to think about food. This isn’t out of the question most days.

I found that I’ve been really tired today. I don’t know if it’s just my normal tiredness or if it’s the difference in my food intake. I’ve been drinking lots of water, and as always, I’m so grateful to have a water cooler and a tabletop ice maker. I know they say that you should drink water at room temperature, but I just feel like it tastes better when it’s nice and cold.

I’ll be starting dinner preparations shortly, but at just about 4 PM my time, my blood sugar level is at a very nice 5.9, (this is Canada, so don’t panic if you’re from the US. Canada uses different numbers.) My target range is between 5 and 8, give or take a bit, and being at a 5.9 at this time of the day is unheard of for me. So, I’m thrilled. I’ve been taking 30 units of a long-acting 24-hour insulin at bedtime, but may have to dial that down tonight depending on what my sugar level is by the time I head for bed.

Supper is now over, and, wow! It was pork chops and roasted cauliflower. I tossed it in garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil, and put a bit of salt and pepper on it. After roasting it in the oven, I sprinkled parmesan cheese on top. I’ve never actually made roasted veggies of any kind, so I really enjoyed this. The pork chops were done on the stove, which, again, is something I’ve never done. The recipe basically said to put some oil in the pan, and sprinkle salt and pepper on the chops. Then cook them, flipping them every minute until they get to an internal temperature of 135, and then let them sit. That technique made the meat so tender and flavorful! I just can’t believe how things turned out! On most days we’ll also get a snack later in the evening, but today is not one of those days. That’s okay. Right now I’m really truly full. After almost an hour after eating, my blood sugar is right around 7 something, which is absolutely tremendous for this time of day.

So, I think that’s about it for this time. I would like to talk about some of the gadgets that I’m using to help me with the meals, but I’ll get into that tomorrow or Wednesday.

So, here I am again, setting up yet another blog. I have a history of setting up blogs and then abandoning them, but I really want to try keeping this one up, daily. So, what’s this all about?

 

A couple of months back I was having a phone consultation with our dietician, Lisa. Previously Bruce and I had been interested in the liquid diet so I mentioned it to Lisa to get her take on things. I’m a type 2 diabetic taking insulin with an A1C that really needs to come down. After some discussion though, we felt that the liquid diet probably wasn’t going to be the best choice. That’s when she mentioned keto. I’d asked her about that about a year ago but I suspect at that time it just kind of got lost in the shuffle of other things so I didn’t pursue it any further.

 

So, when Lisa mentioned it, I kind of jumped on it. Bruce and I are carnivores, and the thought of going to more vegetables was a huge struggle for both of us overall. With keto, there are lots of things we’re giving up – pasta, rice, potatoes and breads. We both absolutely love all these things, but this is really where the problem comes in. Some people have said that these diet things aren’t really all that good, and that moderation is a better way of doing things. That’s worked for me in the past, and I previously lost close to 50 pounds doing this, and I’ve even managed to keep that weight off. But, we both need to do more. Although both of us will be doing this, this blog is going to focus primarily on me because I feel that if Bruce wants to share things, it’s his right to do that in his own space, not mine.

 

We spent a lot of time discussing keto. We talked about all the pros and cons and did some research. Medical News Today says, in part:

 

A ketogenic diet may help some people with type 2 diabetes because it allows the body to maintain glucose levels at a low but healthy level.

The lower intake of carbohydrates in the diet can help to eliminate large spikes in blood sugar, reducing the need for insulin.

 

Depending on where you look, there are statistics that show significant decreases in blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics. Lisa said that it might make it possible for me to get off my insulin, which definitely wouldn’t be a bad thing at all.

 

So, after doing a lot of research, discussion, and everything else, we decided to start keto. Bruce and I talked to Lisa together, and we decided on September 7, 2020 as our start date. We figured it would give us time to prepare, and to read up on things. And now, tomorrow is that day.

 

I found several web sites who say they’ll calculate your keto plan for you and provide you with meal plans and other things. I chose to go with Keto Custom Plan for a few reasons. First, they were offering me a great price. Second, they weren’t asking for ongoing payment. You pick your duration, and you get your meal plans for that time frame. Third, I have the option of canceling at any time, and get to keep the materials I received. I entered in my height, weight, age, and a few other things, and it did all the number crunching for me. I’m not into the numbers thing, and still use my fingers for most counting, so decided that relying on my very poor math skills probably wasn’t a good idea. Every twenty-eight days I’ll receive a new meal plan with adjustments made as I enter in weight loss and other things. I purchased a scale that I’ve paired to my watch, so will be able to keep track of the losses and make note of them.

 

So, we got our plan. Bruce kept talking about the things that we were going to miss. In response, I found the Wholesome Yum Blog. All I can say about this resource is wow! If you ever doubted that you’d have to give up the foods you love, just spend a few minutes on this site. My few minutes turned into hours over the past few weeks as I got drawn into all sorts of different kinds of recipes. I’ve also found some other recipe book resources, but I just can’t say enough about Maya Krampf’s site.

 

My idea for this blog is to journal daily the way I’m feeling, what I’ve had to eat, any changes that I’d make if I made a certain recipe again, and just a general update to talk about my numbers and other statistics. I’m doing this partly for myself, but also because, as a beginner to keto, I’d love to have a resource like this as I’m getting started. And yes, I can’t be the first one to do this, but I’m the first one to do it with my style. 😊🐱‍💻

 

At this time I have no plans to post actual recipes, but I will post links to them sometimes. I don’t want to get into any copyright situations, so I think that’s probably the best way to proceed.

 

Going into this is exciting and scary and all sorts of other things. I wonder how I’m going to do giving up so many of the things I like, yet I know from research that I don’t have to give it up, just change the content of things. Substituting riced cauliflower for rice, for instance. They call keto a lifestyle, and that’s what it has to become, I think, if it’s really going to work. I have some goals I want to meet, and I’m hoping that this blog will also hold me accountable to those goals.

 

• A target weight of 130 pounds, with benchmarks at 175, 150, and 140 pounds
• A much lower A1C level, although I don’t know at the moment what my doctor would like that to be yet
• To feel better overall
• Hopefully to have less joint pain and be able to move a bit easier
• To maybe be able to decrease or get off of some of my diabetes medications

 

There may be more things as I go along, but these are the things I can think of right now. So, thanks for coming on this journey with me. I know it’s not always going to be fun or easy, but I really do hope that it will make a difference for me, and maybe even help someone else in the process.