Hello, hello everyone, I have been so excited to sit down and write this post. Before I give you all of the details of every single thing we’ve been eating and doing the last two weeks, I just wanted to say how excited/proud I am of Jordan and myself for trying this out and sticking with it this long. I know 14 days isn’t that long, but we both love it so much that we aren’t counting down the days until it ends like we have with everything else. We also have a different outlook on eating this time. We’re trying to make a lifestyle change, and while we both have much more work to do with making sure we’re getting as much nutrients as possible in the food that we eat, we have been doing a really good job for 2 weeks straight.
We kind of just decided to try out Keto on a whim. We both had seen some amazing transformations that people we know were making, so we thought “why not give it a shot?” I spent a couple of weeks prior to starting doing some extensive research through books, websites created by nutritionists/doctors, and reading what people like you and me had to say about it. I felt like I had gained enough knowledge for us to at least begin and take it from there.
Just to give those of you who don’t know much (or anything) about the Ketogenic diet, here is everything I know and some good resources I have been using: The Ketogenic diet consists of low amounts of carbohydrates, moderate amounts of protein, and a high amount of fat. Your daily caloric intake should contain 5-10% of carbs, 25-30% of protein, and 60-70% of fats. I used this website to calculate my daily macros: https://www.ruled.me/keto-calculator/ I also use this same website as a guide and reference almost daily.
I’m sure as you’re reading this you’re thinking “that’s a lot of fat!” I thought the same thing until I started to read exactly what reducing your carbs and eating more healthy fats does to your body. “Dietary fats are actually the preferred fuel of human metabolism, and this can be traced back to our evolutionary roots. One of the keys to long-term weight management and good health is healthy mitochondrial function, and for that you need to get your net carb, protein and fat ratios correct.”
Here are some changes I have noticed over the last 2 weeks:
Inflammation: When my body first began to transition from burning carbs to burning fats, I did feel some slight irritation in my stomach, but after the first few days the irritation almost completely went away and I also noticed a huge difference with inflammation. Bloating after I eat has always been a big thing I’ve struggled with in my life and it has felt so nice to finish a meal feeling very full without bloating. Jordan and I have both noticed our stomachs flattening and our faces getting thinner, which is always something exciting and motivating.
Hunger: Another awesome thing I have experienced is feeling way more full than I did before. Of course the first couple days I was absolutely starving, but after getting over that hurdle there has been such a big difference. I don’t feel nearly as hungry between meals and I also don’t eat as much food during each meal.
Energy: This is one thing that I have been lacking. Having enough energy is honestly the biggest struggle I have had through the last two weeks, but I have read and heard from people that it’s very common in the beginning. I have heard that once your body has fully adjusted to this knew type of eating style, you actually end up having even more energy than you ever have, so I am patiently waiting for that phase to begin. I haven’t been able to start working out on this diet until today, but I do have a physically demanding job coaching skaters on the ice and also training/instructing in ballroom dance off of the ice (this is something new I’ve been up to for those of you that don’t know yet 😉), so I do know that I at least have enough energy to get through my day doing those things. I accomplished a short workout today and I’m hoping that I can start adding small amounts of exercise each day for the rest of this week. I want to start out with some walking/running intervals and circuits with light weights while I build up my strength and energy.
Weight Loss: One of the main reasons I began this new challenge was to help me lose weight. Jordan and I both wanted to lose fat and gain lean muscle and just after 2 weeks, we have already seen awesome and healthy results. The first week Jordan lost 5 pounds and I lost 2 pounds. The second week Jordan lost 1 pound and I lost 1.2 pounds. This is something I have been very happy about because I didn’t want to start doing something that would cause me to lose a ton of weight super fast. I wanted to find something healthy, that I would stick with to reach and maintain my goals. Jordan and I also took measurements this past Tuesday to keep track of that as well.
Ketosis: The biggest goal with this diet is to get yourself into a state of ketosis. When your body begins to produce ketones, that is when the fat burning really begins. There are a few different ways you can determine if you are actually in ketosis. Jordan and I have been tracking it with some keto test strips. I found a pack of 100 at Walgreens. I know it sounds weird that we have been peeing on a stick to determine if we are in ketosis or not, but we are so excited to see that we are in a moderate or large state of ketosis every time we pee on one of those things.
Shark Week: This section includes ladies monthly problems, so if any guys are still reading this, I advise you to go ahead and scroll down until you see the next picture. I mean unless you’re curious or want to help your wife or girlfriend out 😉. So I have had pretty bad cycles since I first started having a period, but I have read that “shark week” is much harder during keto for a lot of women. My shark week started during our second week of keto (of course). I will be completely transparent and tell you that this second week started out very defeating for me because first of all, the test strips started to show that I wasn’t in ketosis anymore, which is very normal. Second, my stomach felt bloated the first 3 days. Third, my energy went down even more. And fourth, I always get light-headed during shark week, but this week was even worse than normal. Instead of letting myself cry about it, I just kept going. I kept sticking to my macro goals, stopped testing if I was in keto, and I only weighed myself a couple of times (really because I was just curious, otherwise I wouldn’t have at all). I was happy to see that I had lost 1.2 pounds and I usually gain 2-5 pounds of water weight. Throughout the end of shark week, I began to feel better and much less bloated. I also had an incredible teammate supporting me and helping me stay positive. In conclusion, if you decide to try keto don’t give up during shark week. Keep pushing yourself and listen to your body!! 
On Easter Sunday, I ran to the grocery store to grab some things for Jordan and I to eat for the first few days of the week.
On the following Monday, I woke up early enough to make some eggs and coffee for Jordan and I to have for breakfast. I made us 2 eggs each (I make sure to get eggs that have 0g of carbs), that I cooked in a little bit of vegetable oil. For the coffee, we added 2 tablespoons of half & half, 1 packet of stevia, and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil (MCT oil is a very important thing to include in your diet doing keto, so look into it if you decide to try it). 
I also cooked lunch for Jordan and I while the eggs were cooking. I made a low-carb Beef Stir Fry, which turned out delicious. I used this amazing recipe for the beef and just added shirataki noodles, some broccoli, and a tiny bit of teriyaki sauce. Jordan and I both loved this meal!!
I didn’t get off of work until 9pm on Monday and I was way too hungry to wait and take pictures before I ate… Jordan made us some lemon pepper seasoned chicken drumsticks and some delicious bacon-wrapped asparagus.
Tuesday morning, I made eggs and bacon for both Jordan and I to eat and then I met him at Frey’s Backyard for some yummy lunch. I ordered their grilled chicken breast, topped with bacon and melted Swiss cheese. I also had some broccoli and ranch on the side.
Jordan ordered their bacon-wrapped chicken poppers with a side of broccoli and ranch as well. 
For dinner on Tuesday night, I made this Cheesy Zucchini Gratin dish as a side. 
Jordan also grilled some delicious Lamb steaks. Both dishes turned out wonderfully. 
On Wednesday morning, I made Jordan and I more eggs and bacon (lol). For lunch, I went to Salata for a chicken Caesar salad. This entire salad only had 3g of carbs!! 
For dinner on Wednesday night, I met Jordan and Brittany at Pappasito’s. Did I mention that Brittany is doing keto with us?? She has also been doing super awesome and is down 5 pounds! The three of us split the shrimp fajitas, which are amazing. We obviously didn’t eat any chips or tortillas, but the shrimp fajitas come with sautéed onions, zucchini, and squash. This meal was so delicious and very filling.
Thursday morning, I baked a low carb almond flour bread that ended up being way better than I expected. I highly recommend anyone to try this, especially if you have been searching for a gluten-free bread option. 
I paired some eggs with the bread. It tasted so good to dip the bread into the runny yolk. This morning I also tried my very first Bang drink. Jordan had been seeing and reading a lot about these drinks and we both decided to try out a few different flavors. These drinks are filled with tons of different vitamins, BCAA’s, caffeine, and super creatine. We love these drinks. Our favorite flavors so far are Lemon Drop and Sour Head. 
For lunch, I met Jordan at Buffalo Wild Wings. We realized that their traditional wings have zero carbs and most of their sauces and dry seasonings are low in carbs as well. I ordered a small traditional wing with spicy garlic sauce. Jordan ordered a small traditional with parmesan garlic sauce. 
Thursday evening, we enjoyed some steak and jalapeño poppers for dinner. 
On Friday, Jordan and I had a wedding to attend later that evening and I wanted to be able to drink some wine, so I had a very minimal amount of carbs throughout the day. I made eggs & bacon for breakfast and then I had some eggs & almond flour bread for lunch. 
A couple of Jordan’s good friends got married at a place called the 2K Reserve, which was really nice. Jordan and I had a fun night dancing and having some drinks.
*Be careful when you drink on Keto, you definitely start feeling the effects of alcohol much sooner than usual. 
They served fajitas at the wedding, so I just got some chicken & beef and added some cheese and guacamole. 
On Saturday morning-afternoon, 4 of my skaters competed at a competition in Sugar Land. All 4 of them skated beautifully and ended up on the podium. I couldn’t have been more proud as their coach. 
During a small break at the competition, I ran over to Whole Foods to grab some lunch. They have so many good options to choose from in their buffet area. I didn’t end up liking every single thing I put into the box, but I loved their broccoli salad, hard- boiled eggs, Brussel sprouts, and chicken. 
For dinner, Jordan and I met with his family at El Tiempo. We decided to splurge in a low-carb, high-fat way by getting their Queso Flamaedo. I ordered their chicken fajita version and also got a bacon wrapped shrimp, but I wasn’t the biggest fan of the shrimp. 
Jordan got the beef fajita version and put it into a lettuce wrap. 
Brittany was wishing she could have a tortilla and chips…. 
On Sunday morning, Jordan, Mila, and I went to Denny’s to have some brunch. I ordered some scrambled eggs w/a little cheddar cheese and some bacon. Jordan ordered an omelet and we both also had a cup of coffee.
For dinner, we went back to Buffalo Wild Wings again. This time I ordered the small traditional wings w/ Buffalo dry seasoning and a side of ranch (which is my new favorite meal there). 
Monday morning, I made some eggs and bacon for Jordan and I. During my lunch break, I ran over to Chili’s to try my first bunless burger. The burger was actually pretty good without the bun. Definitely would eat one again.
I forgot to take pictures of Monday night’s dinner again…. it was another late night at work for me and Jordan prepared some more chicken drumsticks, but this time he seasoned them with Rufus Teague’s Meat Rub and they were even more tasty than the Monday before. 
Tuesday morning, I ran some errands with Jordan after I got off of the ice. We are putting together a DIY coffee/alcohol bar table that I cannot wait to be finished. By the time we were done with some of the errands I was starving, so I went to the Nook Restaurant for some eggs, bacon, and coffee. 
For dinner on Tuesday evening, Jordan and I prepared some bacon-wrapped asparagus, pork steaks marinated in Rufus Teague’s meat rub, and some okra that we seasoned with avocado oil. This meal was delicious and very filling. 
On Wednesday morning, I prepared Jordan and I some eggs and bacon for breakfast and I also made the stir-fry again, but added eggs to it this time. I loved the Stir-Fry even more the second time. 
On Wednesday evening, Jordan and I made some Rufus Teague’s seasoned drumsticks, asparagus, and some cauliflower flower rice that I sautéed with olive oil and garlic salt. I loved this meal and I was very surprised by how good the rice was. I cannot wait to try some cauliflower fried rice soon! 
I didn’t have lunch prepared for myself on Thursday, so I stopped by Buffalo Wild Wings to grab some wings to-go. If y’all can’t tell this is my new go to place. 
For dinner on Thursday night, we prepared a chicken stuffed with mozzarella & spinach, sausage, and okra. I was very pleased with how the chicken turned out, but will try to add a little more stuffing next time.
After dinner, Jordan and I ran to H-E-B to refill our stock of Bang drinks and we also got some Atkins protein shakes to have for an easy breakfast. We got the milk chocolate flavor, which we both love. I would really like to try and make a hot chocolate out of it somehow. Will be attempting it very soon. 
Friday morning, we both had Atkins shake for breakfast and then for lunch I stopped by my new favorite place (lol) to have more wings. I ordered the same thing that I have been getting (small traditional w/Buffalo dry seasoning). 
I also ordered myself a drink. I discovered that Tito’s vodka has zero carbs, so I have been mixing it with water and some pink lemonade crystal light. 
Jordan and I met Brittany at a nearby Tex-Mex restaurant called, El Chaparro. We all shared beef, chicken, and shrimp fajitas with some veggies on the side. 
We have decided to start the beginner phase of a cyclic Ketogenic diet, which means that we have tried to stay at 20g of carbs or below Sunday-Friday and then have a higher carb day on Saturday. Our goal yesterday was to have 80g of carbs or less. I started my morning before coaching with a cup of coffee that had some of my favorite coffee-mate creamer in it. I haven’t been able to use any of their creamers because each tablespoon has about 5g of carbs. 
For lunch, I went to Sante Fe Flats and ordered their jalapeño chicken. I ate the chicken and a few bites of the rice. 
For dinner, we met my grandparents, some of their friends, and Brittany at Alicia’s Tex-Mex restaurant before we all went out to dance and drink. Jordan and I shared some beef fajita meat. We had tons of fun the rest of the evening. 
After accomplishing 30 min of strength training circuits, I drove over the the nearby Buffalo Wild Wings to eat by the pool. It’s a very cool/sunny day today, so I’m going to spend the rest of it relaxing while I soak up the sunshine.
I hope that all of you have a wonderful rest of your Sunday and a great start to a new week ahead. Please let me know if any of you have any questions in regards to the diet and feel free to share your own journey, experiences, and tips with clean, low-carb dieting with me. 😊
XOXO, Paige.
Paige Muse 