Keto Diet Results & Recipes

[Headhammer]

I know there are a number of people on here who are on the keto diet so I thought I would start a thread to discuss what is & isn't working for you and have a place to share keto friendly foods/recipes. My hope is that this thread can assist newbies and lifestylers alike to reach your goals while providing different keto foods & snacks so the diet doesn't get boring. 

With that, here is my first keto friendly meal. Bell peppers stuffed with Steak-Ums and topped with provolone cheese. I add salad pepper rings to give the dish a little tanginess. It's a pretty simple and very tasty. Just fry the steaks up in a pan, you can add onions and/or mushrooms if you are out of induction, place in a green pepper, top with provolone and bake at 350* until the peppers reach your desired level of doneness. I usually go 15-20 minutes because I like my peppers to have some crunch. 

Edited January 26, 2022 by Headhammer

[Tom the Golf Nut]

I have all the ingredients, I'll have to try it. Thanks.

[JFish350]

" you can add onions and/or mushrooms if you are out of induction," 

 

What am I missing as I haven't read anything about mushrooms or induction.

 

Yes a Keto noob

[Tom the Golf Nut]

On 1/26/2022 at 4:26 PM, Headhammer said:

I know there are a number of people on here who are on the keto diet so I thought I would start a thread to discuss what is & isn't working for you and have a place to share keto friendly foods/recipes. My hope is that this thread can assist newbies and lifestylers alike to reach your goals while providing different keto foods & snacks so the diet doesn't get boring. 

With that, here is my first keto friendly meal. Bell peppers stuffed with Steak-Ums and topped with provolone cheese. I add salad pepper rings to give the dish a little tanginess. It's a pretty simple and very tasty. Just fry the steaks up in a pan, you can add onions and/or mushrooms if you are out of induction, place in a green pepper, top with provolone and bake at 350* until the peppers reach your desired level of doneness. I usually go 15-20 minutes because I like my peppers to have some crunch. 

Very tasty. I made it for dinner tonight.

[edingc]

9 hours ago, JFish350 said:

" you can add onions and/or mushrooms if you are out of induction," 

What am I missing as I haven't read anything about mushrooms or induction.

Yes a Keto noob

Not OP, but generally I believe he is referring to the "induction" period as the initial period in which you are beginning a low-carb diet. I have not read the book but I believe that is a term that comes from the original Atkins diet. 

During the first few weeks of a low-carbohydrate diet you really want to keep your carbohydrates to below 20 grams to help your body transition. Once you have been keto'ing for a while, many people can add back some additional carbs without weight gain. Mushrooms and onions have more carbs than a lot of other vegetables, so they are not always easy to fit into the initial phase of the diet.

[Headhammer]

@JFish350 What @edingc said. In order to throw your body into Ketosis you need to limit your carb intake to approximately 20 carbs per day for the first 2 weeks, similar to Atkins. Onions have a lot of sugar and are frowned upon during those first two weeks, mushrooms are dependent on the varietal.  

[Headhammer]

Dinner last night was Keto Chicken Egg Foo Young. The pancakes are a little on the dry side, but have good flavor and the addition of sour cream & homemade guacamole make them very tasty. 

https://nomnompaleo.com/post/5568966009/egg-foo-young-ish-spinach-egg-ham-coconut

Edited January 28, 2022 by Headhammer

[Headhammer]

An update on my weight loss: I'm down 12 pounds currently sitting at 182 lbs. I always seem to stall at some point as I edge closer to my target weight. Don't let a stall, or slight weight gain, deter you from sticking to your diet & exercise plan. Eventually you will start losing again, stay the course!

[JFish350]

1 hour ago, edingc said:

Not OP, but generally I believe he is referring to the "induction" period as the initial period in which you are beginning a low-carb diet. I have not read the book but I believe that is a term that comes from the original Atkins diet. 

During the first few weeks of a low-carbohydrate diet you really want to keep your carbohydrates to below 20 grams to help your body transition. Once you have been keto'ing for a while, many people can add back some additional carbs without weight gain. Mushrooms and onions have more carbs than a lot of other vegetables, so they are not always easy to fit into the initial phase of the diet.

Interesting as I didn't even think an onion or mushroom had carbs or enough for them to make a difference. Typical noob not checking everything. 

I have cut the most normal carbs out now I am wondering if there is anything else I may be missing.  I try my best to track what eat in my Fit Bit app.  Some things are very hard to find as I modify meals. I really don't want to list every single ingredient separately but may need to.  

 

Thanks for the info. 

[edingc]

29 minutes ago, JFish350 said:

Interesting as I didn't even think an onion or mushroom had carbs or enough for them to make a difference. Typical noob not checking everything. 

I have cut the most normal carbs out now I am wondering if there is anything else I may be missing.  I try my best to track what eat in my Fit Bit app.  Some things are very hard to find as I modify meals. I really don't want to list every single ingredient separately but may need to.  

Thanks for the info. 

I wouldn't sweat the small stuff too much. My wife and I have been keto for almost 10 years now, but that's not to say I haven't eaten some carbs now and then (especially around holidays and such...). I think the key to long term success is having a flexible approach to things - in reality the differences between 20 and 40 carbs is pretty minimal once you've moved out past the first few weeks. But every person is different.

[Headhammer]

4 hours ago, JFish350 said:

Interesting as I didn't even think an onion or mushroom had carbs or enough for them to make a difference. Typical noob not checking everything. 

I have cut the most normal carbs out now I am wondering if there is anything else I may be missing.  I try my best to track what eat in my Fit Bit app.  Some things are very hard to find as I modify meals. I really don't want to list every single ingredient separately but may need to.  

 

Thanks for the info. 

I only sweat the small stuff when I'm in the induction phase then a few extra carbs here and there aren't going to bother you if stick to the plan. This downloadable Atkins carb guide is a good resource for checking foods/recipes. 

https://files.atkins.com/1501_CarbCounter_Online.pdf

[Headhammer]

It's best to avoid processed foods when possible, but every now and then we need a little something to get us over the hump. Picked these up at Wally World today only 1 carb for each cup. They have a similar texture to Reeses, but taste nothing like them. Not great, not bad, but might satisfy those of you with a sweet tooth.  

 

[Headhammer]

Dinner last night was sockeye salmon with a vodka, tomato & bacon cream sauce with a side of horseradish cauliflower mash. It was quite tasty, but a lot of work and destroyed the kitchen with how quickly you need to make the sauce so the salmon doesn't get cold. I doubled the bacon in the recipe, because no one ever said "Hey, that's too much bacon!" 

https://www.lowcarbmaven.com/salmon-bacon-tomato-vodka-cream-sauce/

 

[Headhammer]

I recently switched from a creatine powder to a capsule form. This morning while taking my capsules I happened to notice the directions say for best results take with carbohydrates. Wondering if the creatine was hurting my diet or I was wasting money taking it while on a keto diet I did some research and found this article. Basically, the jury is out whether taking creatine supplement while on keto help, but it may be wise to experiment with a lower dose to see if you are still getting the same results. 

https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/ask-the-supp-expert-is-creatine-ok-with-keto.html

Edited February 2, 2022 by Headhammer

[Headhammer]

Probably my favorite winter keto meal is this pizza topping casserole, Mrs. H. also loves this one. It's a great stick to your ribs meal while keeping carbs low. I couldn't find the link to this recipe, there are a number of them on the web, but this one comes with a recipe for diet sauce. Let me know if it's of interest and I can scan the hard copy of the recipe. 

[Headhammer]

Here is my current keto diet plan as of this morning I'm down 13 lbs since I started on 1/9/22. I also drink about 48 oz of water each day in addition to what is listed. Water is an important part of any diet so make sure you are getting enough each day. 

[edingc]

Here's something I've been eating a lot of lately. I've been trying more of a protein sparing modified fast approach for a few days each week. I typically eat something very high protein (usually just deli meat or shrimp) earlier in the day, and then have this at night as my "meal." It's very filling.

Also note, this is very, very salty as written. Within the confines of what I'm shooting for on PSMF, it's supposed to be. I will add some recommendations to reduce the salt below.

Old Bay Chicken and Vegetable Soup

• (2) 12.5oz cans chicken breast, undrained
• 1 cup water
• 12oz frozen cauliflower rice
• 4oz frozen broccoli florets
• 1/4 cup canned, sliced carrots
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1 tsp powdered chicken bouillon
• 1/2 tsp Nu-Salt salt substitute (as a potassium supplement)
• 1 Tbsp white wine vinegear or lemon juice
• Bay leaf
• Dried parsley, for garnish

Steam the frozen cauliflower rice and broccoli florets in the microwave until cooked.

Bring one cup water, onion, garlic, Old Bay, bouillion, Nu-Salt and bay leaf to gentle simmer for a minute or two, until onion and garlic has softened.

Add canned chicken and all vegetables to the pot, simmer until chicken is warmed through. Remove bay leaf and stir in dried parsley and vinegar/lemon juice before serving.

Now, to reduce the salt I'd recommend the following:

• Remove the Nu-Salt
• Halve the Old Bay (though it adds a nice flavor)
• Drain and rinse the canned chicken prior to adding it to the soup. You will need to add back 1/2 cup or more of water if you want to maintain the "soupiness," however.

Works out to be about 700 calories, 120 grams protein, 13 grams of fat and 11 net carbs.

[Headhammer]

Sounds like a perfect winter meal. Also, some people on keto require more salt than normal in their diet, of course if you have hight blood pressure or other medical issues you should consult with your physician. As an FYI, my last check-up, when I was carrying around all that extra weight, showed my blood pressure was very high. Since I've lost a good portion of that weight my BP has returned to better than normal levels.

Edited February 2, 2022 by Headhammer

[Headhammer]

One of my go to snacks on the diet is beef roll-ups. It's a simple 4 ingredient snack providing fat and a bit of protein. 

You'll need:

8 oz of cream cheese

1-2 tablespoons of horseradish 

3-4 dashes of Worchestershire sauce

2 Packs of beef rounds

Mix everything together, and place on the font edge of the beef, then just roll 'em up. I usually eat 2 as a snack when I get hungry in the afternoon. 

 

[Headhammer]

Big back & leg workout in the gym this morning so my pre-workout meal is a keto egg McMuffin. Keto bread will never taste like real bread, but this toasted almond flour muffin adds some different textures to the diet and serves as a good vehicle for your egg.

 

 

[Headhammer]

Dinner last night was a Brussel sprouts bake that was fabulous and a way too large porterhouse steak. That's the largest meal I've had since i started back on the diet, so I skipped breakfast this morning before I hit the gym. 

[Headhammer]

Diet Update: I'm now down 14 lbs with 5 lbs to go to my target weight. Unfortunately, my gut is still my biggest challenge as most of the weight has come from muscle loss in my chest, shoulders and arms. This is not new for me, as the gut is always the hardest and last thing to go. The diet & muscle loss are also impacting my workouts with at least a loss of 1 rep in each set. Again, this is not a deterrent, it's just part of the process to get where I want to be. Don't let initial muscle loss and/or workout struggles dissuade you from your goals. 

Edited February 6, 2022 by Headhammer

[Headhammer]

Dinner last night was baked red snapper with a chipotle in adobo butter and cooling cucumber salad to tame the heat from the peppers. It was an easy, tasty light keto meal.

https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/baked-snapper-with-chipotle-butter

[RickyBobby_PR]

On 2/6/2022 at 10:31 AM, Headhammer said:

Again, this is not a deterrent, it's just part of the process to get where I want to be. Don't let initial muscle loss and/or workout struggles dissuade you from your goals. 

But shouldn’t the goal be to lose fat while maintaining as much muscle as possible? If one is losing muscle they are more than likely losing weight but not losing fat.

i cut 16 lbs last year and wither maintained strength on some compound movements or gained it on another. I had several powerlfiting meet prs or prs in general in a lighter weight class than the previous year

[Headhammer]

@RickyBobby_PR Absolutely, maintaining muscle should be the goal! Firstly, we are all different and respond to diets, exercise and lifestyle changes differently. Secondly, the older we get the more difficult it is to both build muscle & cut fat, and I ain't no spring chicken any more! Finally, for me personally, I don't care how much I weigh, I care about how my pants fit and how flat my stomach is. While one can target a specific area of their body for growth through exercise, the same cannot be said for reducing a specific stubborn fat area (men-guts, women-butt & hips) Doing endless sit-ups and crunches won't make your stomach disappear, if it did bodybuilders would have much easier time getting into competition form & I'd have lot less problem getting into my jeans.

Edited February 8, 2022 by Headhammer

[RickyBobby_PR]

24 minutes ago, Headhammer said:

Absolutely, maintaining muscle should be the goal! Firstly, we are all different and respond to diets, exercise and lifestyle changes differently. Secondly, the older we get the more difficult it is to both build muscle & cut fat, and I ain't no spring chicken any more!

This is true for any age. Unless one has a lot of weight to lose building muscle while in a caloric deficit isn’t easy. However consuming proper amount of protein and having that protein come from sources that contain all 9 essential amino acids or ensuring thru supplementation that the body is getting them in the amount of muscle loss is reduced compared to someone who doesn’t. Along with proper resistance training and to some extent cardio. This will help in making sure that while the scale is going down it’s coming from the harmful fats and not just a weight loss. They are two totally different things. 

Sayin one shouldn’t be dissuaded by muscle loss isn’t telling an accurate story. Most people myself included for a long time considered fat loss and weight loss the samething and as long as the scale was going done that’s all that mattered when in reality it’s not that simple.

 

29 minutes ago, Headhammer said:

While one can target a specific area of their body for growth through exercise, the same cannot be said for reducing a specific stubborn fat area (men-guts, women-butt & hips) Doing endless sit-ups and crunches won't make your stomach disappear, if it did bodybuilders would have much easier time getting into competition form & I'd have lot less problem getting into my jeans.

Agree here as well. Target fat loss is a myth busted long ago. To the point of bodybuilders my points above are why when they cut for their shows they still have large amounts of muscle left despots dropping weight.

 

[Headhammer]

Dinner last night was a smoked salmon frittata. The eggs and cream cheese gave it a very interesting texture, but it was quite good. I added an additional egg and doubled the black olives to give it a little more substance and topped with green onions. 

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/71928/smoked-salmon-frittata/

[Headhammer]

Any diet can get pretty bland after a while so eating and drinking things with different textures and flavors can help. I love the zero calorie sparkling waters from LaCroix and keep multiple flavors on hand at all times. 

[Headhammer]

Dinner last night was grilled tuna with a loaded cauliflower casserole that was rich and delish! Mrs. H. had 3 helpings of the cauliflower and she's not even on the diet, though she may need to be after eating her normal junk food diet with all these keto foods. 

[Headhammer]

I had my first drop of alcohol in 6- weeks last night with some wings. There are a lot more low carb alcohol options now available for keto folks including the seltzers, skinny cocktails and beer. I am not a fan of most of the no carb/no flavor beers, but Slightly Mighty from Dogfishhead is a great tasting IPA that come in at only 3.6 carbs.