(Part 2) Best products from r/xxketo

• The heavy cream ice cream is very simple, but I use an ice cream maker. You can make it the old fashion, fun way with the rock salts and baggies, but $80 on an ice cream maker off Amazon was definitely worth it. This is the one I use. It's plenty big enough. I just put in a pint of heavy cream, a tablespoon of vanilla, Truvia (a lot of people say measurements, but Truvia is VERY sweet. So I will say to taste). I also like to take half a bar of dark chocolate and cut it up into tiny little pieces and throw those in there. I have little gilato cups to put the ice cream in. It helps control portion sizes when you have a major sweet tooth.
  
  
• The other ice cream recipe is a little more complicated. This is the recipe. I personally don't use it anymore. It's pretty good but it's VERY sweet and hurts my stomach.
  
  
• The pudding recipe is awesome. It's extremely rich and chocolately and you only need a little to satisfy your cravings. Keto has eternally put me on my period, so I'm always in bitch mode and wanting chocolate. You take 1 pint of heavy cream, 1/3 cup Truvia or sweetener of your choice, 5 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tbsp of coconut oil, 1 tbsp of vanilla, and peanut butter if you want to add that. Or coconut flakes. I haven't tried those. You just heat up the oil, then pour in the heavy cream and whisk gently until it begins to bubble. Whisk in 1 tbsp at a time of cocoa. (It doesn't blend well and forms lumps if you put it in too fast.) Then after it has blended well, add your Truvia, and then your other ingredients. All of this is done at medium heat. When it begins to thicken, pour it into a throwaway 9x9 dish if you want pudding, or into ice cream molds if you want fudgecicles. I use these cute little ones. I like to add one extra tbsp of cocoa powder and half a scoop of chocolate protein powder for the pudding. It's a little more carbs, but it makes it thicker and more grainy. I think it's deliiiicious.
  
  On January 5th, I went on leave from work. I wanted to see if my stomach issues were being caused by work stress, so I quit cold turkey. I only had a few symptoms, like my usual nausea (unknown cause). I came back from leave on January 20th, and started keto on the 21st. All of my symptoms vanished. I was still off my meds, and I felt great. I have brighter moods, no more dark thoughts, almost no anger outbursts, more motivation, less lethergy and less daily exhaustion. I just all around feel like a different person, and I don't think I'll ever go back to the way I used to live. Will I have a drink or cupcake, maybe a slice of cake in the future? Maybe. It's okay to indulge on rare occasions. Am I unhappy? Hell no. I have never been happier.

Inspired by u/epicnormalcy’s delightful NSV, I too went to the salon and got my hair cut. Not quite a pixie cut since it’s the middle of October and my ears need a little coverage, but shorter than I’ve been comfortable having it cut in over 3 years. FH is very excited that this could mean the bows will be returning since skinny!Kate-o was a lover of hair bows in all varieties. They always made me feel pretty and I guess I kind of just... gave up on that as I gained weight. Maybe this weekend I’ll see if I still have any of them.

It’s the tiniest bit of progress, but I did in fact cast on the left sleeve of my cardigan. And that’s the hard part! I could have picked up the edge stitches seamlessly, but I kind of like that it’s sunk in a bit. Hoping to get about halfway done today while binge watching something on Netflix.

Game night may or may not be happening tonight but either way I’m making jalapeño poppers and the chicken broccoli Alfredo soup that u/shakatay29 shared earlier this week. I went ahead and pre-ordered Carolyn Ketchum’s new book Keto Soups & Stews so that I’ll be extra-ready for the cold and also for my new job since for the first couple of weeks I’m hoping to do a batch of soup for lunch prep to keep things easy.

Enjoy your weekend and KCKO, y’all! ❤️

I'm actually doing keto as a vegan, so I might be able to help you out some!

• For butter, I really like either Miyoko's Cultured Butter (you can find it at Trader Joe's if you live on the West Coast) or Earth Balance, which is more readily available at major supermarket chains. I'll also use avocado or olive oil for cooking.
  
  
• For milk, I use either Tempt Hemp Milk or, if I want a little extra protein boost, Ripple, which is made with pea protein. I buy the unsweetened original variety for both; Tempt has 1g net carb per 8 oz, Ripple has 0g net. I find the Tempt at markets like Whole Foods -- I buy my Ripple at Target.
  
  
• I use dairy-free cheeses very sparingly because they are higher in carbs than I'd like, but I've found that Chao (available at WF/some major supermarkets) is kinda the best bet.
  
  
• I eat mayo with most of my meals, usually either Vegenaise (I like the Pesto and Chipotle flavors) or Just Mayo. Vegenaise is another WF kinda find, but Just Mayo is really widely available (even Walmart sells it!). There's also dressings available from the same company that makes Just Mayo -- the Ranch and Caesar are both really tasty.
  
  
• Shelled hemp seeds are fantastic, too -- one 3 tbsp serving has 170 cal - 13g fat - 0g net carbs - 10g protein. I usually mix them in with whatever I'm eating since they have a pretty neutral flavor.
  
  Let me know if there are any dairy replacements that you're really interested in and I can probably point you in a good direction!

2 strips bacon every other day & egg daily (fried in bacon or coconut oil) for breakfast. If it's not a bacon day the coffee also gets the bullet treatment.

Lunch is 1oz of cheese, 1 oz summer sausage, and 10-15 almonds.

The simplicity of the morning routine (make egg, cut cheese and meat for lunch, coffee in mug) is easy for me to do whether I have to work at 8am or 4pm, and fills me up surprisingly well-- I almost never get hungry before 6pm.

Bonus, the mostly/high fat intake early in the day sets me up for a pretty flexible feeling dinner. I try to put everything in MFP before I cook it though, just to check. Last night was cauliflower rice and spinach, with blue cheese sprinkled on top, and some leftover flank steak. It was really good.

Also if you're feeling off, look at your electrolytes (I love these: https://www.amazon.com/Original-Nuun-Active-Hydrating-Electrolyte/dp/B001QW1L72?th=1)

AND remember keto flu is real. It took me appx three weeks to get "over" it. You can do it!

Buy a new scale and keep it in one spot. You're already all over the map when you move it around, so I think your (not ridiculous) fear of the electric one is valid, but misguided. Scales actually read better when they stay in one spot and don't move around a lot. Also, the floor material can change the scale. Don't weigh on carpets, try to make sure the floor is level.

FWIW, I was also terrified about this when I just purchased my new scale which I absolutely love. I was weighing at the gym with one of those sliding balance ones and was convinced there was a five pound difference. Turned out to be half a pound, and easily attributed to user error. Because your scale is all over the map, think about the peace of mind you'll have once you get a digital scale that you will leave in one place to make sure it stays accurate. You got this!!!

I hear the best way to monitor ketones is through blood monitor. It's something I want to monitor to see how my levels are affected after eating certain foods but it's not a must. I am saving up for it because I want to use the monitor that also checks glucose levels. https://www.amazon.com/Care-Touch-Ketone-Testing-Kit/dp/B076VRLBWK

If you are feeling great and feel energized that's what matters the most! KCKO! :D

I recently bought these. I like them a lot.

Pros:

• Adorable
  
• Super easy to fill
  
• Finished pops come out of the mold very easily
  
  Cons:
  
• The little shield part at the bottom fills up and then spills on you if you aren't careful as it is rather shallow. I find I still have to wrap the bottom with a paper towel.
  
  These are the only ones I've tried so far, but I really really like them :)

I've always struggled with weekends too. The weekend overeating gets so sickening, doesn't it? Monday can be so disappointing. The thing that has helped me is that I finally got sick of my own behavior enough to do something about it. I had to really grasp the fact that everything I eat has a consequence. Every little thing. Either it will get me closer to my goal or further away. Having this awareness has helped a lot but that doesn't mean I still don't make choices that take me further from my goals. It happens and probably more than I'd really like - but the most important thing is that awareness has decreased the poor choices. Every little bit helps! Good luck to you. If I had one suggestion I would point you in the direction of Never Binge Again by Glen Livingston. The Kindle edition is free! That book shifted my perspective and helped me a lot. It really could be called, Never Overeat Again, because it's not just for binging.

Awesome! Glad you're feeling better!

I ordered some Nuun tablets. I've heard they're incredibly helpful with salt/electrolyte deficits. They should arrive later today. Can't wait!

If you feel like baking, I made chocolate peanut butter squares that turned out amazing.

I used 5oz chocolate chips sweetened with erythritol, 1 tsp coconut oil, and 4 tbsp peanut butter. All you do is melt down the chocolate, and then add in the oil and PB. Then throw them in the freezer. I ended up with 24 squares and oh my god, so good! Each square was 40 cal, 3.29 fat, .89 protein, and 1.12 net carb. It's a little higher in carb than I wanted but really hit the sweet spot.

I bought this mold from Amazon (https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0083VSST8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) specifically to make these but you could definitely use something else.

Get a Gallon size pitcher like this one.

• Fill it with 3 L water
  
• Add 1/2 tsp table salt
  
• Add 4 tsp Lite Salt (WAAAAAY cheaper at the grocery store, look next to the regular salt)
  
• Add 1 tbsp Mio in flavor of your choice, or other sugar free water flavoring, more to taste.
  
• Stir well to dissolve salts
  
• Fill pitcher the rest of the way with ice
  
• Drink 3 glasses a day with a straw til you're used to salty water. :)
  
  Don't forget to also drink at least as much plain water as "Ketoade", better if its about 3 glasses water to 1 glass ketoade.
  
  

I just looked up KetoChow because I've heard of it, but never really looked into it...and I discovered that they post the recipe for it directly on their site, which I have to admit is pretty cool: https://www.ketochow.xyz/keto-chow-recipe/ From what I can tell, the flavoring all comes from the whey protein powder it's based off of, so you could just order the raspberry cheesecake flavor here: https://www.amazon.com/Dymatize-Nutrition-Elite-Shake-Chocolate/dp/B07MHQZV9D/ if all you're after is the raspberry, and not so much the full meal plan of the keto chow.

Also...I'm really interested in trying the recipe out now. I never had looked far enough to see that it was available, or to see the proving out of the price to mix vs. price to buy. I have a lot of a different dark chocolate whey powder, though, so no need to buy new powders, but could try a new "recipe" with these powders. Hmm...I might end up a KetoChow convert, even though I'm deep into my journey already.

I picked up an ice cream maker awhile back, the Cusinart ICE-21 ($49 atm, when I got mine it was like $36 I think). Now I can have ice cream whenever I want, takes about 25-40 min to make and it's like 5 carbs or less per serving depending on how you make it. No laxative effects, cheaper than the rare-find store low-carb ones, and you can make whatever flavor/addins you want.

Turn it on, pour the recipe you threw together, check on it occasionally and stop when it's as thick as you like. No ice/salt hassle etc. and it's easy to clean.

I've not had the stuff the OP has had. But I do know that the Breyers Carb Smart and I see the Lucerne one, has sorbitol and it can cause a laxative effect...it did have that effect on me. It was creamy though, but do yourself a favor and make sure you use caution and limit the serving size, even the recommended 1/2 cup had my stomach making noises.

ZMA is a zinc and magnesium supplement, like this: https://smile.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-ZMA-180-Capsules/dp/B000GIQS02

Too little magnesium and you may not be able to go to the bathroom; too much and you won't be able to quit going. So, if you supplement it, start with a small amount and find what works for you.

Good luck at the doctor. Make sure they check your A1C and not just fasting glucose. My A1C was 5.9 before keto (honestly, probably higher at some point but I almost never went to the doctor) and is now 4.5. Stable blood sugar is a wonderful thing.

Ugh. No more of that chicory root for me! I ate some Nuti-Light chocolate spread last night for a treat, but it was a trick instead. It has given me much lower intestinal unpleasantness. I even dreamed about needing to take a dump early this morning. Plus, I got to have bonus leg cramps in the middle of the night. Not my best morning, homies.

I'm hoping it's past by tomorrow. I'm planning to go with DH on a work trip, driving our own car, dropping him off at a meeting then going for a hike in the woods nearby. It's likely going to rain a bit, but I don't really care, since I like a nice hike in the rain.

Happy Thursday, y'all!

Edit: has anyone tried these black soy noodles? https://www.amazon.com/GAFELL-Soybean-Noodles-Organic-Gluten/dp/B06Y178SVH/ref=sr_1_32_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1506608104&sr=8-32&keywords=black+soybeans

People’s choice! They have carb free beef jerky. I should caveat that the ingredients include herbs and garlic, so it’s not truly carb free but it’s better than any other jerky I’ve found. A little pricey for me to keep it as a staple, but it’s great for hiking or traveling.

I've been using a scale I got from 'Etekcity' on amazon for $15 (currently at $18) and it's been working wonderful! Definitely one of my more favorite scales, especially for it being so cheap.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F3J9G1W/ref=s9_al_bw_g121_i2

Absolutely! Here you go :-)

I decided to not take any hormones or medications - I do take a lot of natural supplements tho. Since my hashi’s I’ve been taking a high variety probiotic (18 strains), high quality fish oil, collagen, a multivitamin and a product called ZMA (found on amazon )

I hope this is all helpful for you!!

Carbquik and Quest Multi-Purpose Powder both make keto baking amazing. Carbquik makes better biscuits, Quest makes better bread, have yet to try cookies/cakes/muffins.

agree with anbeav, stick to meals of solid food.
i've been experimenting with keto "pastas".. been digging pesto zoodles with chicken lately. i tried shirataki noodles, but the texture is kind of weird and theyre pretty expensive. i bought this and it works pretty well:

I might have to try that extra-thin kind! New texture/thinness to try. Awesome.

For anyone in the keto-friendly jerky market, I'll add I'm a rabid fan of People's Choice Beef Jerky.

Several of their kinds are sugar-free (Old Fashioned Peppered, Old Fashioned Hot & Spicy, and Carne Seca Limon con Chile) and keto friendly with minimal ingredients. For example, the Old Fashioned Peppered is "Ingredients: Beef, Water, Seasoning (Sea Salt, Spices, Garlic)."

I LOATHE all commercial beef jerky, but this stuff is insanely good. I've introduced a couple people to it, who were skeptical due to their own dislike of commercial beef jerky, and now they're requesting it constantly.

It looks like cheapest option for 16 oz of the Cattaneo Brothers is $29 before shipping. (The thin-cut and cowboy cut seem significantly more expensive). People's Choice is 16 oz for $27 including shipping for one-time purchases, but you can get People's Choice as low as like $25-ish if you set up a recurring order which... uh... I admit I might do because I am crazy-in-love with it.

(SIDE NOTE: You can also get People's Choice on Amazon, but you'll pay $2 more, so it's $29 including shipping there, but Amazon is convenient for many people and I often buy it there because I have a giftcard balance on Amazon so it's FREE MEAT OMG.)

Kraut juice would totally be good for electrolytes, it's basically all salt water with minerals. I'm thinking I might try making a batch myself, it doesn't look tough at all.

Yes hemp hearts! They are no net carb, high protein and this delish nutty flavor. I dump 3Tsp (a serving) on my salads. Just as good or better then nuts. Or sometimes just a little handful on my way out the door.

(Yep, I'm good on Vit D. My doc tests it for fertility reasons and I've supplemented for years. It does make a difference for sure)

I just ordered these from Amazon. They should arrive later today. Black soy bean noodles. 7 Net Carbs per serving.

Though I’ve found other ways to prepare the miracle noodles to (supposedly) make them taste better so I’ll be trying those again in the near future.

And these are on my wishlist for next time. Mung bean noodles. 5 Net Carbs per serving.

I got this Eat Smart scale and I love it!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001KXZ808/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It also came with a handy measuring tape tool, which is nice.

I do think water intake could have a lot to do with it. Generally I feel crappy and weigh more when I dont get enough water. Basically if you're not getting enough your body is going to want to hold on to what little it does have--- making you heavier.

As for calories, it all depends on your stats. There are studies out there (at work so i'm not going to link them right this second), but they basically say yes, to lose weight you need to eat less blah blah, but at sometimes if you eat more you lose more. There is a point where too few calories, and too much exercise just becomes detrimental and you won't lose a pound. Not sure if thats the case here, but I'd try upping your calories a few days and lowering them again if you feel necessary. I can tell you i'm 5'8 200 pounds, on days i dont work out i aim to get 1500 calories. On days I do workout I aim to get 2000 calories. There are days that I only eat 1200 calories and days I eat 2200 calories (and often lower on workout days and higher on non workout days). Anyway the point is, I like to keep my body guessing at whats actually happening with calorie intake. I'll have to find that study for you.

If the peanut butter cups are homemade i'm assuming they're find then... You can never really tell by the names of foods in MFP whether its homemade or some type of atkin's replacement food.

I personally dont use a powdered sweetener--- Its all still VERY confusing to me as well (and there are some awesome redditors here that can give you ALL the info on this) but I stick to a liquid sweetener because from what I understand, your body processes a powdered sweetener as a carb where as a liquid sweetener it doesn't. Not sure how true that is, or the science behind it but I've been using EZ Sweetz ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002MO765O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ) found on amazon.

I hope this helped a little!

I've had this EatSmart Precision Scale for a few years now, and have been very happy with it. It's very accurate and reliable. My routine is to step on and get a reading, then step off and get a weight with just one leg resting on the scale, then step back on and get another full weight reading. That way I feel confident it's not just giving me the same number over and over without really checking, if that makes sense.

I fill up on beef during the day and dinner (it keeps me full much longer than cheese, chicken, pork rinds... anything else really), then EVERY night my husband and I make coconut ice cream in our ice cream maker. Honestly, this is what has made keto 300x easier and it's now a staple for us each night after dinner.

This makes 3-4 cups of ice cream for 225 calories TOTAL for each person (that's over a pint per person!). It fills up our cereal bowls... it's a ton of ice cream. We never skip a day without this.

2 cans lite coconut milk (we get ours from Giant)

Truvia to taste

optional: Walden Farms chocolate, caramel, etc. for flavoring


Throw everything into this puppy right here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003KYSLMW/ref=twister_B01H1T6HTK?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

In 20 minutes you will have 6-8 cups of ice cream. It's 225 calories per person!!!

Rinse out the frozen bucket in the machine (we don't even wash it with soap). Throw it back into the freezer for the next night. Done!

It looks like there's one on Amazon for $10! But there are some more expensive options here, here, here, and here. The average price point seems to be around $28, which isn't as bad as I thought!

What do you guys think of CarbQuik? I tried it for the first time last night and made chicken and waffles and had a serious mouth-gasm. I do realize it has basically no nutritional value and is just a sometimes treat, but I'm glad to have something new to add to the roster.

This is the one I use, and I love it.


http://www.amazon.com/EatSmart-Precision-Digital-Kitchen-Silver/dp/B001N07KUE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1406243528&sr=8-3&keywords=Digital+kitchen+scale

Get a food scale. I use mine more often than measuring cups. It's far more accurate. 1 cup of broccoli will never be as consistent as 100g of broccoli, for example. Using a measuring cup will give you different amounts of food. Sometimes you can fit more broccoli and sometimes you can fit less broccoli into a measuring cup.

I use EZ-Sweetz ( http://www.amazon.com/EZ-Sweetz-2oz-Liquid-Sweetener-Servings/dp/B002MO765O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367600656&sr=8-1&keywords=ez-sweetz )

It sweetens fine with none of the normal splenda after taste. :)

I'd agree with other posters that repeat meals make life on keto a lot easier. Here's an example of a day for me:

<-- 11am: Chai tea w/ heavy whipping cream, equal sweetener OR decaf coffee from fresh beans, w/ heavy whipping cream, equal sweetener. (Sub almond milk if calories are a concern)

11am - 2pm: Leftovers OR 1 egg, 4 slices bacon, strawberries. If lifting that day, also 1 isopure protein shake w/ almond milk.

2pm - 5pm: ham, nuts, and mustard, rolled up in a slice of swiss cheese x2 (these little wraps are SO GOOD! I throw in some pickles or cornichones if I've got 'em).

5pm --> ground turkey chili with greek yoghurt or sour cream, thai red curry soup, taco bowls over lettuce, FAT HEAD PIZZA, and now, keto biscuits and gravy are my go to's for easy, quick meals.

Dessert: berries with whipped cream, or low carb ice cream with a dollop of peanut butter.

---------

I aim for dinners that are easy, low clean-up, cheap, and which make enough leftovers for at least two more meals, then I eat those leftovers for lunch as mentioned above. I'm in maintenance currently, but when cutting I eat at 1200kcal, so my meals also need to be lower in calories (hence intermittent fasting).

It's... this one:
http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001KXZ808/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 :)

I use this, 1-2 drops in my coffee and it's like using 2 TSP of sugar

I have had this one for a while and like it. http://www.amazon.com/EatSmart-Precision-Digital-Kitchen-Silver/dp/B001N07KUE/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1413413489&sr=1-3&keywords=food+scale

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/veggetti-spiral-vegetable-cutter/1042545910

Above is the one I bought, I may upgrade soon to this one...

http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-A4982799-Tri-Blade/dp/B0007Y9WHQ

It's amazing how many vegetables work as noodles when they are the right shape.

http://www.inspiralized.com/2014/05/15/the-best-beginner-recipes-for-the-spiralizer/
(Not keto, but for ideas)

My scale cost $20 from Amazon and it changes between grams (and kg) and ounces (lbs). It's the bomb. My husband doesn't think twice about it now, and I've gotten really good about using it.

It's this one.

It came with batteries but immediately needed new ones is my only complaint about it. It's unobtrusive on the counter.

I think you deserve a good scale first of all - I bought this one from amazon and it has been consistent AND is the same one my doc's office uses! http://www.amazon.com/EatSmart-Precision-Bathroom-Capacity-Technology/dp/B001KXZ808/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397011234&sr=8-1&keywords=scales

Take it to your doctor's office and compare (I did this and they were spot-on the same) and go from there. My weight fluctuates crazily, always has and I hate it - I would like to weigh just once a week but I have not that willpower. :)

Beef & cheese sticks (my go-to movie theater snack)
Jack Links All-american Beef & Cheese Combo, 7.2 Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MQ6FLH8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_vD5DybFTT87JR

Peanut packs
Planters Nuts on the Go Salted Peanuts, 1 oz single-serve bags, 48-Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PG8KGU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_pE5DybYFSCSKB

Carbquik
Carbquik Baking Mix, 3 lb. box https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005YVU6FY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_YE5Dyb3MMT4HJ