Another New Low and More New Clothes

This is the second time that I've hit a new weight loss low and received a delivery from Stitch Fix on the same day. Maybe I should increase the frequency of my subscription! You can see my post about the first happy coincidence here.

First, apologies for the wretched sound situation on the video, if you decide to watch it. Equipment malfunctions! Second, some of the clothing pieces appear larger in the video than they do in real life. (The same can be said for me.) A couple of subscribers to my YouTube channel questioned the sizes. But it is an optical illusion. The clothes are pretty small. Amazingly small, considering where I started out. That, or I'm just not a good videographer and don't know how to stage things. 

Ignore the horrendous lighting and my puffy eyes. That's me with some 22W jeans, so smaller than those I wore when I started the ketogenic diet. The photo is from several months, and about 15 pounds ago.

My history with clothes was not so much of a love/hate relationship as a hate/detest relationship. I've never been one to feel bouyed by retail therapy. Just not my thing. And this goes for even grocery shopping. Don't love to go to stores. Pair that with being very heavy and the result was my clothes came from tables at Costco. I simply bought the largest jeans and cotton blouses available. See the before photo at the top of the sidebar of this site for an example. Those are 24Ws straining across my ample backside. The blouse? I believe it was a XXL. So, more than not want to shop in general, buying clothes in any manner was excruciating. The result? My uniform of giant jeans and $13 blouses was pretty much all I owned. Those and Dansko knockoffs because my very wide feet couldn't fit in the real things.

There are downstream impacts of hating the clothes you own and the body those clothes cover. Social invitations are declined. Going out with your Lovely Mate feels like being put on exhibit, a cautionary tale to anyone who fears they'll be next in the fatty parade. Formal occasions? Forget it. I didn't even buy decent clothes for my daughter's wedding. And seeing photos of myself from the happy day sent me in to a true emotional tailspin. One of the deepest and longest lasting bouts of depression I've ever had. And I felt I ruined the day. Of course, no one was paying attention to me, as is proper. But we all struggle to see things from anything other than our own perspective. And the view from mine was miserable.

But as I lost weight after starting the ketogenic diet, that began to change. I not only needed to get new clothes, the ones I had being simply too large, I wanted new clothes. Something about my self-image was transforming from self-loathing to self-love. Sound sappy but it's accurate.

A friend suggested I try the service of having clothes not only delivered to me (no retail stores! Huzzah!) but chosen for me as well. And so started the building of my wardrobe, one box at a time.

There's more to all this, but it will have to come another day. I'm preparing to meet a friend for cocktails at a nice bar, and I'll be wearing snazzy clothes and probably some sassy pumps. No more clunky shoes, dumpy shirts or humongous jeans for me. BTW, I continued to buy jeans from Costco as I lost weight, always the same brand and style, in progressively smaller sizes and each new purchase was a victory. The first one was when the size wasn't followed by a "W". The next when I fit into size 14s, that of the average US female. I don't buy them there anymore. They don't carry a size small enough, size 6 being the smallest. True story.

And, oh yeh, as of this morning I've 93.3 pounds. Maybe I WILL up my Stitch Fix shipment schedule!

Here's the unboxing.....

Another New Low & Stitch Fix Unboxing! For more information on the ketogenic diet and links to items mentioned in this video, see below.

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Disclaimer: I’ve been fortunate to have had the time and resources to research the ketogenic diet, also known as LCHF (low carb/high fat). The information I share is based solely on my understanding of that research. We are all responsible for our own choices, including what we put in our mouths and there’s no substitute for each of us checking things out ourselves. And I’m not a medical professional in any way. Go Keto With Casey is not a medical site. “Duh,” you might say. But best to make it clear to all.  I welcome questions, comments and even civil criticism. I’m still learning. So, if you have something to add, go for it. Links in this post and all others may direct you to amazon.com, where I will receive a small amount of the purchase price of any items you buy through my affiliate links. Thanks!

Keto Super Bowl Wings

Sports, Friends, Food & Drink. But No Carbs

Apparently there's some kind of sporting event happening on Sunday. Is that correct? Some kind of team thing where people gather round the tube as an excuse to have delicious food? Yeh?

Well, here's my contribution to that great cultural happening known as Super Bowl Sunday: hot wings.

The way we do them around here is pretty simple. You take un-breaded, frozen chicken wings, put them in a cast iron skillet, pour hot sauce on top. Voilá! Hot wings!

There's really barely more to it than that. Make sure the wings you purchase are indeed zero carb (ours come from Costco - the other great unifier of society) and that the sauce has no hidden sugars. We like Frank's Redhot Sauce. The cast iron skillet isn't mandatory, but it helps. Even better if it's about 50 years old, like ours. 

Here's a short demo of how we roll in the Durango household. BTW, we save the bones in a bag in the freezer to make bone broth. That story will be coming soon.

Here's how we cook hot wings around here. No carbs, lots of heat. Yum! For more information on the ketogenic diet and links to items mentioned in this video, see below.

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Disclaimer: I’ve been fortunate to have had the time and resources to research the ketogenic diet, also known as LCHF (low carb/high fat). The information I share is based solely on my understanding of that research. We are all responsible for our own choices, including what we put in our mouths and there’s no substitute for each of us checking things out ourselves. And I’m not a medical professional in any way. Go Keto With Casey is not a medical site. “Duh,” you might say. But best to make it clear to all.  I welcome questions, comments and even civil criticism. I’m still learning. So, if you have something to add, go for it. Links in this post and all others may direct you to amazon.com, where I will receive a small amount of the purchase price of any items you buy through my affiliate links. Thanks!

What About Exercise on Keto?

So, this morning, I woke up at 4:40. Bam! Just awake. For some, this is normal 'getting out of bed' time. Not so for me. Not that I haven't had times when I was an early riser. But not now that the household is blissfully clear of school schedules, jobs that require an actual starting time, puppies that need letting out before they burst and all the other things that make younger adult life different than older adult life.

Sheesh. I'm an older adult.

The thing is, I'm digging being the age I am. I don't know whether I would enjoy where I am now this much if I had  been thinner, fitter, healthier and (internally) happier ten, fifteen or twenty-five years ago and so wouldn't have such a drastic comparison to make, but I sure am pleased as punch now. Lovely, bubbly sugar-free punch. That's me.

Since losing 92.1 pounds - yes, I count to a tenth of a pound - on the ketogenic diet, things have only improved for me. I got my brains back after the hiatus they took, clouded by the fog of carbohydrates (It's a thing. Believe me) and the inflammation that made nearly every joint in my body ache cleared up within a couple of weeks of getting into ketosis. The weight loss was only the most visible result of essentially eliminating carbs. And all this came from the food. Exercise is not a required component of the plan. It's not discouraged. It's just not the point of things. So I got all these great benefits without following the decades old recommendation to 'move more and eat less'. In truth, I moved hardly at all.

Well, that's an exaggeration. I now move more than I did because I'm able to and it's certainly more fun t do so. And, not for nothing, but being seen in public is less embarrassing for me now. Consequently, I get out more. One thing leads to another....

I was all goofy laughs when with someone...

But formal, regular exercise just hasn't been my thing. I gave it a real go, years before losing the weight. Trained for and participated in four sprint level triathlons. Wow. Nothing like seeing a very fat person haul herself around a swim/bike/run event.

Don't get me wrong. I admire the hell out of anyone who is comfortable at their size and who do what they want, when they want and feel confident doing so. That just wasn't me.

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..This is how I felt.

I participated. But it took everything I had to emerge on the scene in a bathing suit. I only recently saw photos of myself from the first triathlon, a women's only sprint level. I'm glad I didn't see them then or there wouldn't have been enough tequila bottled to get me through it. 

The events were well run and I made a wonderful friend whilst training for them. But I sucked at it. And I was miserable most of the time. So that Summer was pretty much the last time I did any regular exercise.

But as I lay there in my comfy bed this morning, hearing the grandfather clock chime 4:45, I had the urge to run. To put on my vibrant orange sneaks and go run around the neighborhood.

So I did. Not far - 1.15 miles. And I've 'run' further before. Over the last year or so I've managed to jog about three times. But those times were more of "I've GOT to get some exercise in", not "I want to go run!". I know moving is good for me, separate from the weight loss part. We now know exercise is not an effective weight loss tool. It's a fitness tool. And I want to be fit. So those other times was me making myself do something that I hoped would get me on that path. I was proud of myself the few times I jogged. But I didn't love doing it. It was a chore.

This morning was not a chore. And it went by so quickly! With my earbuds in and Pandora on my iPhone, it was one Adele song, one Fun and one Five for Fighting. Not bad, eh? 

The bottom line for me in all this is that, just as the ketogenic diet has allowed me, in my late 50's, to lose a boat load of weight, feel better than I have in years and has convinced me I'm nearly invincible, I now see that I can become a person who likes to get up before her dogs, put on orange sneakers and run. So while exercise is not a part of the ketogenic diet, it may now become part of my life. 

Will wonders never cease? Here's a video for those who like 'the talkies'

Will wonders never cease? Life is changing, again. And it's great! For more information on the ketogenic diet and links to items mentioned in this video, see below.

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Disclaimer: I’ve been fortunate to have had the time and resources to research the ketogenic diet, also known as LCHF (low carb/high fat). The information I share is based solely on my understanding of that research. We are all responsible for our own choices, including what we put in our mouths and there’s no substitute for each of us checking things out ourselves. And I’m not a medical professional in any way. Go Keto With Casey is not a medical site. “Duh,” you might say. But best to make it clear to all.  I welcome questions, comments and even civil criticism. I’m still learning. So, if you have something to add, go for it. Links in this post and all others may direct you to amazon.com, where I will receive a small amount of the purchase price of any items you buy through my affiliate links. Thanks!

Had Coffee With 50 Friends Today.

I just have to share that I had a "Coffee Klatch" with 50 people this morning. All of them were right in my kitchen. On my computer.

We did i! Hopefully, there will be more! For more information on the ketogenic diet and links to items mentioned in this video, see below.

We had a virtual meeting, thrown together pretty last minute, to tell you the truth. Some of you may have been there. It was fun, wasn't it? And we're going to do it again. Maybe we'll have a "Wine Klatch" one evening. I'm working on how to arrange all that...

The thing is, there is so much wisdom out there. So many experiences from people whose health and happiness have been enhanced by merely changing their food. I think the star of the confab was Miriam who joined from Canada. She had suffered pain in her joints and had been tested for everything the medical professionals could think of. They couldn't figure it out or give her any relief. She heard about and started following the ketogenic (low carb/high fat) diet and, bingo, inflammation subsided. Pain gone. She advises she's now truly pain free.

Because of food. 

And Cindy who, once a pastry chef, now eschews carbs successfully. How about that? And she's lost 10 pounds in the last 6 weeks.

Renia asked a question about glucose readings and Jenn was able to give her the probable explanation. Awesome.

Collective wisdom. Generosity of spirit. And humor. All were present. Gotta tell you, it made my day. And we need as much of all three of those things as we can get these days.

Here's a link to the food list I followed, referenced in the video. Just do what the guy says. It really works! 

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Disclaimer: I’ve been fortunate to have had the time and resources to research the ketogenic diet, also known as LCHF (low carb/high fat). The information I share is based solely on my understanding of that research. We are all responsible for our own choices, including what we put in our mouths and there’s no substitute for each of us checking things out ourselves. And I’m not a medical professional in any way. Go Keto With Casey is not a medical site. “Duh,” you might say. But best to make it clear to all.  I welcome questions, comments and even civil criticism. I’m still learning. So, if you have something to add, go for it. Links in this post and all others may direct you to amazon.com, where I will receive a small amount of the purchase price of any items you buy through my affiliate links. Thanks!

A Ketogenic Lunch. Photogenic, Too!

Just a quick video about friendship, lunch and what may be the nearly perfect hamburger.

Another tip on how to eat out and stay on the ketogenic diet. For more information on the ketogenic diet and links to items mentioned in this video, see below.

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Disclaimer: I’ve been fortunate to have had the time and resources to research the ketogenic diet, also known as LCHF (low carb/high fat). The information I share is based solely on my understanding of that research. We are all responsible for our own choices, including what we put in our mouths and there’s no substitute for each of us checking things out ourselves. And I’m not a medical professional in any way. Go Keto With Casey is not a medical site. “Duh,” you might say. But best to make it clear to all.  I welcome questions, comments and even civil criticism. I’m still learning. So, if you have something to add, go for it. Links in this post and all others may direct you to amazon.com, where I will receive a small amount of the purchase price of any items you buy through my affiliate links. Thanks!