Part 3 – My Second Full Week on Keto

If you have missed any of my Keto challenge posts:

Well, what can I say about week 2? There’s some good and there’s some bad. Let’s start with the good.

Food Options

Really, the food options aren’t bad and the quantity of food is better than I would have thought. I do continue to eat a lot of the same things because it’s easy and convenient. The less I have to think about things, the better. I eat a full can of tuna several times per week. I eat ground turkey and shredded chicken a lot. And lunchmeat. Nothing is easier than grabbing 4 oz. of lunchmeat, some avocado, and a couple of cherry tomatoes and calling it a meal.

I broke down and made my first keto dessert, an ambrosia type dish. It was fantastic and helped with the sweet tooth at night. I made sure to adjust my fat and carbs to account for my dessert and it worked out well.

Hunger

I am not hungry that often which is fantastic. The less I have to worry about food the better I do, so keeping my appetite under control is a big deal. For only eating between 900-1200 calories a day, I still eat a lot and am not hungry in between meals.

The Challenge

Going Out

I had my first experience spending all day away from home. I was out with friends from 6am until 10pm. I packed my little cooler with lunchmeat, a protein shake, and some eggs. After a long hike, we went out to breakfast. I was able to order an omelet and did okay. I had to ignore the bread at the table. UGH, what restaurant brings bread for breakfast??!! I managed. Barely. We went out to dinner. I had to turn away MORE bread! Having to ask the server what was in certain dishes, I did get to order a seafood dish. Trying to guess the macros of this dish was complicated though and I’m sure I didn’t guess right. It’s much easier to cook at home and control everything I’m eating.

The major downfall was that I rarely get to go out to eat and I felt so constricted and stressed that I was blowing my macros. Being a foodie, I LOVE to try new restaurants and dishes and I do feel like I’m missing out.

Weight/Measurements

This week, the scale AND the measurements weren’t kind to me. Overall I lost 1.4 pounds and gained .7 inches back. I’m thrilled the scale continues to go down although I’d like it to pick up the pace a bit. Regardless, progress is progress. As far as measurements go, there is so much room for error when taking measurements and I try to wear the same clothes and complete this task at the same time of day. In addition, making sure you measure in the same spot is important. I didn’t get to measurements until later in the evening after dinner. There could be bloat, I could’ve measured a different spot on my arm or thigh, etc. The hardest part will be patience until I measure next week!

Working Out

Crossfit and Keto are a combination from hell. There’s no other way to put it. I get lightheaded, I fatigue early, and I can’t lift at a weight I was lifting beforehand. I’m not too worried about this right now as I’m having surgery next Monday, so it becomes a moot point for a month. However, the conflict is real and when I return, I might have to adapt my eating by adding in more carbs. We will see.

Overall Thoughts

It’s definitely more of a struggle eating out and being social. It’s definitely easier to eat at home. Fighting temptation at two birthday parties wasn’t easy either as I am and always will be a cake person. This doesn’t seem like a way of living for me. I hope to use this as a tool to get my cravings and habits under control and the return to a more modified way of living. I will see it through the entire six weeks and probably until I return to the gym. After that, I don’t know.