Officially in Ketosis

Today I am officially in ketosis, according to the test strips we're using. To be fair, I may have been there before, but this is the first day I've actually tested.

I have decided today marks the "official" start of this diet for me, since I am now confident it is something I can stick to. I've taken "before" pictures and started tracking my meals / exercise on another site. (Actual stats are going to remain private, sorry folks!) It's kinda fun, looking at all of these numbers. Reminds me a little of Ogame. Tracking all of these numbers, allocating different resources...

I miss potatoes. I've researched alternatives and mashed cauliflower seems to be a widely accepted substitute, but I'm skeptical. If we try it, I will have to remember to report on the success or failure. (Oh, yeah. I subject jump sometimes. Best to just accept it.)

I tried my hand at making fat bombs for the first time. Fat bombs, for those that don't know, are little bite-ish-sized treats made mostly of some fat that remains solid at room temperature. Believe it or not, it's actually kinda hard to get most of your calories from fat without going over your protein for the day. These help keep your ratios in line.

There are hundreds of recipes around the internet, but I based these on this "Lemon Clouds" recipe. I altered it a little to fit my taste and what I had on hand at the time. These turned out a bit tart, but still good. It is important to note that fat bombs should always be kept cold. They melt fast. I prefer to store mine in the freezer and chomp on them, but I can see the appeal of keeping them in the fridge.

6 Tbsp Butter (Unsalted)
2 Tbsp Half and Half
4 Tbsp Coconut Oil
2 oz Cream Cheese
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Liquid Stevia (to taste, I used ~1 tsp)
Zest of 1 Lemon
Juice of 1 Lemon

Helpful Hints: I highly recommend cutting your butter and cream cheese into smaller chunks before beginning to help them melt more smoothly. I also recommend zesting the lemon over a cutting board or something similar. (Maybe I'm just really bad at it, but there was lemon zest all over the counter.)

1. Place butter, and coconut oil in your microwave-safe mixing container. Microwave for ~ 30 seconds. (Should be mostly melted. If not, pop back in for 10-second increments until it is.) Stir.


2. Add cream cheese and half and half, stir until melted in. If necessary, return to microwave for 10 seconds and stir again until smooth.


3. Add vanilla extract, liquid Stevia, lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir until well combined.


4. At this point, you want to taste a little bit to see if it needs more sweetener. What you have now tastes the way the finished product should, so make sure you like it. ;)


5. I zapped mine for another 10 seconds to make it easier to pour, then poured it into the ice cube tray I was using as a mold. (I don't have a spiffy silicone mold.) (It filled the whole try with them about 3/4 full.) Cover with plastic wrap, then place in freezer. (Make sure it's level, these are messy if they spill.)


6. I left mine overnight, but a few hours would probably be enough for them to firm up sufficiently. Once they're solid, pop them out of the mold (ice cube tray) and store in an air-tight container (I just used a gallon ziploc bag) in the freezer or refrigerator.

Sorry for the lack of pictures. Next time around I'll try to document better.

I made 16, so my macronutrient breakdown ended up looking like this:

	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carbs	Fiber
Total:	1,334	146	6	8	1
Per Serving:	83	9	0	0.5	0

Keep in mind that your numbers may come out differently if you use a different mold.

Begin at the Beginning

I suppose I should start with the usual stuff about me. I'm a 20-something mom of one adorable little girl, and wife of one amazing not-so-little man. I have a house, a dog, and two black thumbs. (I have killed mint. MINT. Anyone that has ever grown mint knows it's practically unkillable.) I have a job that isn't my favorite, but it pays the bills.

I am pretty un-exciting. (Just ask the friends I never have time to hang out with.) My idea of a great vacation is being in a hotel with nowhere to be, no one to take care of, a laptop, and some books. Last week, I had that, and it was glorious.

Back from my week-long vacation, during which I scarfed all of the carbs I could get my hands on, this is the day I begin the "keto" or "LCHF" diet. (Low Carb, High Fat)

My husband tried fasting (10 days) about a month ago, and loved the way he felt. As a method of continuing those good feelings from being in ketosis (and hopefully losing a little weight), we decided to give LCHF a try.

We've both been doing some research online, but he wants to try just winging it for a while. (He does most of the cooking.) Try to get the right proportions in our meals, and not worry so much about counts.

We'll see how it goes...