Getting it Done :D

[ladyfelsham]

The only gadget I've bought that I use for low carb is a waffle maker to make chaffles, but I bought a multipurpose one and the kids use it for paninis too.

Yep that's about the only thing I bought for LC, and mine is the same - 3 different types of plates, used it about 3 times, very handy to have. I have a food processer but haven't used it once - but what has been useful is a hand blender to make cauli mash from defrosted cauliflower. I've also got an electric grater which has been good for things like grating cheese and courgettes - but you can always do them by hand.

interested in making "keto bread" and "keto asian noodles" and loads of other stuff but some ingredients isn't readily available here (ie aldi or tesco) and ones to order online are larger (expensive) packs. plus I want a good range of (not out of date) herbs / spices / seeds etc etc.
Just too much to get setup with everything at once and xmas around the corner plus my brain might explode if I try and look into more stuff.

Aldi haul was boring but I did get some dark choc (totally blaming @ladyfelsham as she was on about it yesterday(?) )

Yeehah on the smear, great news!!!

And sorry about the chocolate lol, but really, we're all human and need something yummy to look forward to . (she says through a mouthful of nut bar lol).

Re keto bread, there are loads of recipes out there, but why not start with the fathead dough recipe - which only uses mozzarella cheese, ground almonds, cream cheese and egg - all of which I can get from Morrisons for under a fiver (and you'll have almonds and cheese left over)

Fathead Pizza Dough

You'll also find this recipe on page 60 of the WTF? Cookbook.

www.ketofitnessclub.com

Good luck!

 

[ChilliQueen]

I've not tried the fathead dough yet, but every other recipe I've tried for bread hasn't been great. When you start I'll send you the recipes I do like, I've one for naan bread - and they're not exactly like naan but they're really nice. They're great to make mini pizza with and have with curry, soup, bolognese etc. I also like my chaffles - which are neither like bread nor waffles but I do like them, I'm not fond of the ones with just egg and cheese, have to have coconut or almond flour in... and I like adding chilli flakes. They're good for making toasties with, mini pizza and having with soup.

 

[GLL]

almond flour is one of the "tescos doesnt do" things (unless its called something else?)

 

[ChilliQueen]

I get it off amazon. It's expensive but I don't use huge amounts often. Coconut flour is cheaper and you use less of it in recipes comparably as it's super absorbent.

 

[GLL]

Hullo everyone

So I got my bp and blood glucose monitors in and have been using them.
Have learned so far 2 x toast is okay but 2 x weetabix is bad. My levels werent happy with that LOL
BP was all over the place but until I get it compared to nurse's readings and make sure I am taking it correctly, not going to worry. All the readings were lower than what I had at last check and not too low etc.

Have found some great basic keto explanations (no frills stuff) that is doable for me (boring foods that I actually like LOL). I've trawled tescos site looking at all sorts of foods for the carbs etc. Happy to find some foods that fit into the daily carb limits as well as some snacks I can buy in any small supermarket/convenience store while out n about.
I will worry about keto "breads" and other stuff later on. I don't know why I was stressing about it all. (I do want a waffle maker tho heh)

Gameplan is now:
just stick within WW points but be low carb this week and into next (apart from planned carbs to check my bloods with certain foods - one food test a day).
This weeks tescos will be to stock up on dried goods and long life products (and supplements / electrolyte supplies / fibogel etc so I have it in the house at least) and hopefully next week will be proper food and make a start.

Quick Q for you keto-ers. Saw thing saying in uk, total carb listings on the nutritional info lists net carbs already (carb total minus fibre)?

I swear I'll get there.

ECG tomorrow at hospital and back to nurse Friday for another bp review. Fun times eh?

 

[ladyfelsham]

All sounds well under control now you're able to monitor your levels properly. Hope all went well for the ECG, I've got mine next week.

Re the net carbs - the Uk labels take off the fibre already, i think, so when you see carbs that's the proper carb reading. I think it's the American labels where they have to take the fibre off - but i could be wrong!

almond flour is one of the "tescos doesnt do" things (unless its called something else?)

It's ground almonds here in the UK, and Tescos does have that. But I'm like Chilli, buy mine off Amazon, it's better value and a bigger 1kg packet.

 

[ChilliQueen]

almond flour is ground finer than ground almonds so it is a bit different. I think LadyF is right about the carbs, in UK the fibre is already taken off so we just count 'carbs'

 

[GLL]

ECG was made brilliant by the lad who did it. Funny and dead down to earth.

Anyway it is all fine and normal (me...normal???...anyway...)

someone send me a link with what almond flour to buy. so many on amazon just say its basically ground almonds in the reviews? or is ground okay for most recipes?

Also after my BGM being shipped with the wrong finger pricker, got a nice half the value of the whole unit refund I did get the correct one ordered so I didn't really "save" but not out of pocket now

Lastly I was able to sit in McDs with just a coffee. I promise you all, it IS possible

 

[ChilliQueen]

that's the stuff I bought last time. I think basic grounds almonds might work for some stuff but this is ground finer and would be better results for any baked things.

well done for sitting with a coffee! My Mcd's concession is to NOT have a thick shake and instead have a diet coke.

 

[GLL]

+2lb...body effin hates me. That is all
(not actually mad, just sad that I'm used to the up and downs and lets face it, have seen worse random ups.)

(totally didnt write this post hours ago and forget to actually post it)

 

[GLL]

aaand another +2lb on top...there is the other half of the normal "up"
one day I might catch a more realistic weigh in.

Had BP review today and it was still up like it was before but I mentioned I got a home BP monitor and was getting much lower readings at home all chilled.
I'm having a phone appointment with nurse practitioner tues to discuss fluid build up as bp tablets done nothing for my bp or in turn, helped shift fluids.
The nurse who I normally see/saw today wants me to do 2 BP readings a day (at home) until the practice nurse appointment so we can see if my bp is in fact elevated/normal vs high just at doctors (requiring less meds).

Had blood test for kidney function (even tho I had one 3 weeks ago and was fine ). Arm is a massive purple mess now

Anyway, onwards and forget about doctors for a few days at least LOL.

Whats everyone got on for weekend? Hopefully quiet one here

 

[GLL]

aaaaand there's some of the the fluid shifted itself a wee bit (get it...wee...I'll see myself out )

-1lb on my best weigh in

 

[ladyfelsham]

LOLOL loving the wee puns, keep 'em (loo) rolling! OK that was bad, I know...

Re almonds, for some reason we now can't post Amazon links in here, but I'm getting one called "yourhealthstore Almond flour 1kg..." for £9.99. Made cheese scones on the weekend - yum!

- 100g grated cheese
- 100g almond flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp double cream
- 2 eggs

Mix together, form into 6 balls and bake at 180 (or 200, depends how hot your oven is) for 12-15 mins - keep an eye on them, they brown quickly. Leave to cool, then cut in half and slather with butter!

​

 

[GLL]

found it on amazon and wish listed it TY
Did the weight watchers calculations on the scones (pro point so NOT current points) and the batch is 31 points so 5pp each (I get 29 points a day but would need to add some butter/marg on that too). Totally doable

Any idea how long they keep for (or don't they last that long haha). I could make half batch if they are only a few days

So today I realised that my new levels of normal have shifted so much. I had a bit of a wobble last night and had sugar free digestives which put me over points....sugar free one...letting that one sink in haha

So today's mission is
clean the kitchen (boo)
pay all the bills and sort my banking (bigger boooo)
(hopefully) get some stuff ordered on amazon if there's any money left
make some soup (mmmm 0 point soups for the win)
cook some baby potatoes so I have some ready to zap and pair with dinners for the next few days
go for a walk around the village
might even do the tesco online shop, or at least make a start on it (we get it delivered on a Thursday so plenty of time but when I leave it to the night before I always forget things)

 

[GLL]

I'm fuming.

So kiddo due back at ortho in feb with her target weight loss of 20kg (shes on track) to get put on surgery list.

Letter in just now pushing it back until May. 3 months more in chronic pain is sadtimes for her

 

[ChilliQueen]

that's awful to push it back so far sorry to hear it poor kid.

I always forget stuff on my shopping ALWAYS lol

 

[ladyfelsham]

So sorry to hear that hun - my best mate's knee replacement surgery has had the same thing happen, except I think she's got to wait another year...is doing the sums to see if she can go private.

The scones - lasted two days in the fridge, but i think I remember someone saying they should last 4-5 days ok. Some people freeze them which is probably wise .

 

[GLL]

Had nurse phonecall this morning. Got water tablet (only took 5 weeks to get there). As suspected the nurse was far more sympathetic to me wanting the fluid shifted so I could focus on the more correct weight loss numbers. Why cant all healthcare peeps take a holistic approach and make sure I'm setup for success.
Got the prescription picked up and did a bunch of running about for sis in law (she drove so can't complain haha).

Going to go and throw a bolognaise together and see if my bloods are okay enough for a wee drop of spaghetti with it Have been super super low carb and sugar all day (high reading on my meter this morning) so hopefully levels will be in a sweet spot by now

Got the almond flour delivered today and got the rest of the ingredients picked up to make the scones. Will let you all know how I get on with them. Hopefully can make them in the next couple of days.

Need a lotto win and would have her knee sorted in no time. She's been on such a long road already (coming on 6 years now). At various points if they offered to just amputate she would have gone for it.
The mental impact has been immense.
I'm so mad at her old doctor. Basically he kept telling her that it wasn't dislocating, it can't be, despite she was pushing her locked out knee back into place. We fought every step of the way to get her the needed care.
Even her referral letter to the new doctor was incorrect. It stated that she re-presented to a&e after a fall that knocked her knee where in fact her knee dislocated causing her to pass out and fall in the bath, leaving her unconscious with a head injury and no feeling in her foot for 3 weeks.
He based his "nothing is wrong" on an ultrasound of her knee to check the viability of last surgery he performed.
He was going to discharge her without a 2nd opinion referral until I bought it up and he tried to dissuade me from seeing someone else.
Her new doctor listened to her and listened to me when I explained what really happened with how she ended up back at her old doctor etc. He also arranged an MRI within a few weeks. He asked her to loose weight as any surgery to fix or investigate etc would have a much better outcome if she didn't have the extra pressure on it and explained how the knee works with the extra weight etc. In all the years this was never explained to her.
Anyway covid hit, appointments were pushed multiple times and she was finally seen in aug this year by one of his team who wanted to see if she had lost weight (spoiler, she hadn't). He said they wanted to do another surgery and improve on the previous surgery. I said she was worried that she would be told there's nothing wrong. He confirmed again there were issues still and it needed to be fixed.
Fast forward to yesterday and when I said about her letter, I suggested I could phone them when she has reached her weight loss target and see if they could get her on the surgical waiting list before her new appointment
her response...
"But what if they say they won't fix it and nothing is wrong"
broke my frikkin heart.
The pain she is in all day every day despite the level of pain meds she is on is incredible.
That one doctor made her think that no one will believe her and her pain isn't valid on its own even thought the MRI has flagged problems.

sorry got all ranty there. Just infuriates me that arrogant doctors like that can get away with causing much mental anguish.

 

[tipperary]

Hi @GLL I have only found your diary now and catching up with all your news. GPs ... honestly who has the time for them. I have found the one thing mine is good at, making a referral...call him and ask for a referral and he will do it. It's true, they aren't experts in anything so I just see them as the middle man whether to a specialist or the chemist with a prescription. In fact I have often gone to the chemist, discussed what is wrong and he calls the GP telling him what prescription to email over.
Anyway, none of that is of any use to your daughter, she needs positive action and now. I hope she gets it sorted and it's great that you jumped in as a buddy to help her.
I'm low carb and IF too (when I'm on plan, I do fall a lot) and have found it the best an easiest for me and once in the swing of it it's easy, no cravings, no hunger. For me the main thing is only two meals a day and make sure they are flavorsome and substantial. I haven't really gone into the low carb baking or snack making, for me that's dabbling with the dark side. For nibbles I have salted nuts or dark chocolate depending on what I need.
Looking forward to more updates and hope you get that fluid retention sorted.

 

[GLL]

half a pound gain for a weird week (well since Saturday when a loss peeked out on the scales...I'll take it

ps. water tablets worked Lost like half a stone this morning and there still some fluid in my ankles but feet feel less puffy

Hey Tipp welcome on into my corner of minis <3

I'm not on "low carb". Lets call it "sensible carb" and "oh hell no carbs" when my blood glucose meter has angry red numbers Still poking away at weight loss weight watchers and just pointing everything.

I've been such an indecisive mess with diet, low carb / keto etc so I literally have just been pointing my food as I was before but choosing better options and portions. (and being more strict if blood sugars are spiking too much).
Weight watchers takes fat, carbs, protein and fibre when working out point values and I make sure stuff is low in sugars and always checking for hidden sugars. I think the newer points system takes sugar into account but I don't have a free app for that. Doesn't matter really, I am aware and check labels now.

I know keto could help my blood sugars come down.
(from what I understand) It could be one of 2 reasons,
1) I am no longer eating many carbs and sugars so my body isn't having to deal with processing it therefore having much better blood glucose levels.
2) loosing the weight reduces visceral fat around my organs and COULD help my pancreas recover somewhat and can function better overall keeping my levels better or normal.

I want to attack the 2nd reason more than the 1st one as (for me), it is far more sustainable long term so I will keep some carbs in my life, just keep them sensible and choose other low/no carb/sugar snacks in the mix (keto recipes heh).
Also it means the medications I am on are at the right dose for where my body is at (that is still being ironed out). The last thing I want is to go onto something very restrictive, end up on lower dose meds and come off the diet only for them to shoot back out of control.
I only get the HBA1c test a minimum of 3 months apart and that is what determines my medications and as it a 3 month average blood glucose test, even if I did 2 months of those 3 on keto, the results would still be off.

So that's where I am at and I am fairly settled with the decision. At least until end of January when I get my next bloods done and see if there are improvements