Back again,

(Ketoviking) #1

I’m back. I’ve been off of keto for about 6 months. Gained it all back after having my first child and the holidays. I was doing low carb (oatmeal, beans) with IM. Then I just figured i’m Doing IM already I might as well do keto along with it. We’re doing the Ramsey pay off debt thing so any pointers on cheap keto is welcome…yay eggs!!! I’ll be lurking and sulking in the shadows of the threads wishing I was where I was 6 months ago feeling like a champion and looking almost like one as well.

(Paulene ) #2

Congratulations on your first baby! If ever there was a good reason for gaining weight, thats it!

As for cheap options - eggs, ground beef and, of course, OMAD!

I find I spend way less on keto than my previous diet, but I keep thinks fairly simple.

(Katie) #3

Yay, welcome back! I just wrote a comment on a similar question. Help With Keto Meal Plan

(Lazy, Dirty Keto 😝) #4

Yep bearing children will do that to ya :joy:

But there’s actually aboard dedicated to keto on a budget, you should check it out!

https://www.ketogenicforums.com/c/food/budget

You did keto before so I’m sure you’ll get back on the horse with no issues. Best of luck!

(Jill F.) #5

Welcome back! Be patient with yourself after having a baby. Just remember it took 9 months to gain it, and it may take a while to get back to where you want to be. Glad to hear you are giving keto a try again!

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #6

:rofl:

(Jane) #7

Your wife is so lucky you gained weight while she was growing a baby!!!

The men will be scratching their heads but I bet the women here totally get it!!! :laughing:

Not laughing at you - sorry. I hope you get back on track soon. Congrats on the new bundle of joy!!!

(Little Miss Scare-All) #8

No sulking. Would you like me to sing to you? Surely there will be no sulking after that. Silly dances can also accompany, depending on the depth of the sulk.

I’ve f’d up for a bit on keto a handful of months ago, and I was eating and consequently feeling like garbage. But guess what? Just guess. Yes, now I’m back to it and doing physically better than ever. I’m not rubbing it in, I’m saying it because you’ll be fine and making up ground really blows, but we just gotta suck it up and make shit happen, homie.

(Ketoviking) #9

I agree, keto when looked at as a diet alone may seem expensive but after running a few numbers it’s actually cheaper than a regular processed food/ carb heavy diet. Taken along with OMAD as you mentioned and the fact that you’re paying for more satiety and less eating, it really isn’t that bad. Unfortunately i’m still trying to convince my wife to switch over with me. Until then we’ll have two grocery lists.

(Ketoviking) #10

She actually commented on that during her pregnancy. God bless every woman who has ever carried a child because it does an absolute number. My wife was the loveliest creature on earth and 4 months in I had a no choice it was join or die. Fortunately for me and unfortunately for my keto she craved chick fil a, that was right about the time they came out with the Mac and cheese.

It was all worth it, fatherhood is amazing.

(Windmill Tilter) #11

:rofl::smile::joy:

Yup.

(Alex ) #12

(When I’m doing keto properly) I find having a freezer full of frozen fish, chicken, pork and beef from the cheapo supermarket breaks the back of most of the food needs, obviously you need to factor in preparation too.

Jars of Bockwurst (hot dog sausages) can be quite cheap to buy as well, and obviously keep pretty well in the cupboard, just watch out for nasty additives, and carbs.

The hardest and most expensive thing for me is the snacking side, when you need a food hit quickly out of the fridge / cupboard / or on the road - cheese is the easiest thing to reach for, but for whatever reason stalls me quite badly, so if you find any cheap keto food fixes, that dont require masses of prep - let me know!

(Windmill Tilter) #13

My budget-keto hero is pulled pork from pork shoulder (aka picnic shoulder, pork butt, Boston butt). It’s typically $1.50/lb, and its generally >30% fat. It’s the cut of meat that all great sausage comes from. I buy it when it goes on sale for $1.00/lb, and I buy two 10 pounders. When it goes on sale, they typically leave a 1" thick “fat cap” on it. Always buy one with the fat cap! Trim the fat cap, render it in a frying pan, and add it back in after the pork is pulled.

If grilling isn’t your thing, a conventional oven does a damn fine job of pork shoulder. The bacon trick I’ll discuss below will add plenty of smokey flavor all on it’s own. If you want to experience a bonafide ketogasm however, and have basic grilling skills, read on…

I smoke mine on a plain ol’ Weber kettle grill at around 250-300 F for 6-8hrs. To get a cook time that long, you can simply use the “snake method” so that your charcoal burns slowly like a fuse to keep the temp low and the cook time long.

The secret ingredient to mind-blowing pulled pork is bacon. I buy a 3lb package of Wright’s “bacon ends and pieces”. I bake this in a sheet pan for ~25 mins. Chop up the bacon into a fine dice, and pour the fat and “bacon bits” into the pulled pork. It’s amazing.

It freezes unbelievably well. Out of the freezer, the taste and texture is indistinguishable from when it just came off the grill. I divvy it up into 1lb freezer bags. Fried up in a frying pan, it’s better than sausage or bacon, and it costs 1/3rd of the price. For under $30 you have a months worth of calories. I typically use 1lb or two a week.

Here is a video of the “snake method” if you haven’t done it before. With a couple hunks of hardwood for smoke, it’ll blow the doors off of any pulled pork you’ll find at a smokehouse or bbq restaurant. Apple, hickory, or cherry chunks are available at Lowes or Home Depot. Once you realize how easy it is to smoke meat, it opens up a world of possibilities.

(Paulene ) #14

Right with you on that one, buddy. My husband doesnt want to give up bread or rice. I told him today that he can’t eat any of the food I’m cooking if he has carbs in his system or he’ll get real fat real quick. So he’s thinking about coming on board.

(Ketoviking) #15

You are brilliant! Thanks for this advice. I was considering the pork butt approach but was unsure of how well it would freeze for future uses.

(Ketoviking) #16

Ultimately she just anxious about it I think. I’m a bit of a pit bull with things like this. Once I determine to do it I throw all my energy and thought behind it. She doesn’t want the hassle of having to think about what she eats. I suggested to her that I would meal plan and make her lunches and dinners and it would allow more time with baby. However that’s where my struggle is because I can eat the same meal 30 days in a row and be totally happy. My wife likes variety, so if I can convince her i’ll Have to up my game on discovering and preparing new keto dishes.

Also for me it will rid the home of lingering carbs just sitting on the cupboard shelves.

(Paulene ) #17

Yeah, but if she’s going to do it she really should want it and own it.
It’s taken 3 months for my husband to get to the point where he’s almost ready to reduce carbs. I’m not convinced he’s ready for keto tho.

(Windmill Tilter) #18

Budget keto hack #2 is Restaurant Depot. This is where restaurants go grocery shopping. Everything is sold at actual wholesale prices. Ordinarily, they won’t sell to you unless you own a restaurant and bring your business license. They won’t sell to consumers. The amazing work-around is simply to join the Kansas City BBQ society. The members are typically hardcore BBQ guys who grill semi-professionally and who tour the BBQ competition circuit. You can join for $40/year with no questions asked. That gets you unlimited day passes to any Restaurant Depot in the country.

The “meat section” there is like a keto wonderland. It’s a 20,000 sqft refrigerator with pallet bays reaching 25 ft towards the heavens. Bring your jacket and some tissues. Your first visit will be over-whelming. Grown men have been know to cry. Ever wanted to buy a whole 15lb Atlantic salmon for $4.50lb? They got that. How about a 25lb carton of chicken thighs for 49 cents a pound? There’s 10 pallets of it. NY Strip for $4.25/lb? Yup.

The specials are mind boggling. Last month it was Grass Fed New Zealand Angus Ribeye for $6.99lb. You’ve got to by the whole 20lb rib-loin and cut your own steaks, but I prefer that anyway. When you realize how much fat butchers trim off the premium cuts to please fat-conscious consumers you’ll never go back to a grocery store. Buy yourself a vacuum sealer and you’ll eat like a king for a month. Seriously, if you live near one, they can’t be beat.

Here is a link to the membership page to the KCBS:

https://www.kcbs.us/join_now.php

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(Marianne) #19

Pork, hamburger and chicken in the large packages from the big discount stores (Sam’s, BJs, Costco, etc.). Bring home, package in meal size ziplock bags and freeze what you don’t need right away.