I feel lost

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #21

You make it work for you… I have the same coffee now that I was having before keto but with cream instead of a sugar free french vanilla creamer that I had before.

Getting organized and meal prepping is very helpful.

(Marianne) #22

We get our meat at a discount bulk place like Sam’s, BJs or Costco (we don’t belong to Costco). I am really surprised how far meat goes. As soon as we get home, I cut it up into individual portions and then put it in baggies and freeze until needed. Love hamburger and it is cheap and goes far. I could eat hamburger every day. We buy gouda cheese at BJ’s and it is very reasonable for the amount you get. I eat that a lot. It has a lot of protein and a lot of fat.

Good luck; it’s not easy to get out of a funk. As hopeless as you feel, is it as bad as when you were powerless over your food addiction? Before I started keto (only a month), I sincerely prayed for deliverance. It is a horrible thing.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #23

I’ve never used MCT oil or stevia, and when I stopped using cream I lost more weight. I am at maintenance after one year on keto, but I only had 20 pounds to lose. Pretty much every day I have bacon for breakfast and a big salad. Dinner is some kind of meat and more veggies. I sometimes eat cheese. That’s about it, and that is what is keeping me at maintenance. If keto were not simple, for me it would not be sustainable. You don’t need any of those extras. Just enjoy simple food. Most days I only eat twice a day (sometimes three) and we are definitely saving on groceries.

(PSackmann) #24

Keto is truly not dependent upon things like keto coffee or mct oil. As for stevia, I can relate, I’ve been using sweeteners for decades in my coffee. I kept justifying it, until I realized that it was a justification. I stopped yesterday and, while it’s not the same, it’s not horrible. In fact, without the sweetness I can taste the coffee itself. Challenge yourself for just one week to do without and see what happens.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #25

Look for the cheap meats. If you don’t overcook it, liver is tasty and nutritious, as well as cheap. Pork picnics (shoulder joints) are delicious and usually available for 99¢/lb. Even with the bone, you can get meals for several people out of one picnic, for a really great price per serving. You can use the bone to make your own bone broth. Get family packs of chicken legs & thighs (with the skin on, natch), and freeze meal-sized portions. Get the cheap, fatty cuts of beef that no one else wants. Get the cheap, fatty ground beef, you can make gravy from the fat that renders out. Sometimes frozen ground beef is even cheaper than the fresh stuff. For cooking fat, if you can’t afford bacon (bacon grease is great for cooking with), you can buy pork fat or beef fat for a ridiculously low price per pound and render your own lard and tallow. Sometimes your butcher will just give you the trimmed fat for free. Eggs are the perfect keto food; buy the white ones, because they are just as good as the brown ones and a whole lot cheaper. If you keep chickens, they will give you free eggs and fertilze and turn over your back yard for you, and you will never have a problem disposing of leftovers. (Be sure to mash up the eggshells real finely, however; you don’t want them to start pecking their eggs.)

I happen to like the taste of black coffee, but you don’t need all the ingredients for Bulletproof coffee to have a tasty cup. I learned to put heavy cream in coffee from this forum (it’s okay, but I still prefer black), but you could use milk, if cream’s too expensive. Sure whole milk has more carbs, but when all you’re getting is a teaspoon or two a day, does it really matter?

(Empress of the Unexpected) #26

Dinner was cheap fatty hamburger, an onion slice, and guac. The avocados were on sale.

(Allie) #27

Taste buds adjust, lots of us actually add a little salt to coffee. You don’t even have to drink coffee. I’ve used several bottles of MCT over the years and honestly it is not essential, in fact it seems to have no benefit at all.

(Becky) #28

Good morning ma’am,

Let me first start by congratulating you for deciding that you are worth the effort, time and energy to change your way of life! For 10 seconds put all the stress away and tell yourself how amazing and beautiful and worthy you are! We have all decided that we are going to set ourselves as priority number 1, and for some of us that was not an easy decision, but we are doing it! I for one can understand your struggle. I will not stress to you the importance of grass fed and organic, i myself know, as well as you, that those are our best choices. I also know that i have a family to feed as well and that those choices are sometimes not an option.
I have a very strict grocery budget, i am feeding a family of 4. I do tend to buy the “managers special” meats…as long as i go home and freeze them they are perfectly fine and half the price. I have learned over time that my kids will not eat leftovers so i try and divide the meat into more manageable portions. I was very fortunate last week and found a ginormous pork roast on sale for .79 a pound. It did have a bone so i wasnt able to cut it into smaller roasts, so it was placed in a roaster and cooked, my family enjoyed roast rice and gravy while i simply had roast (amazingly yummy if i do say so myself :sunglasses:). Luckily i was able to trick them the rest of the week into eating the leftovers in the form of pulled pork sandwiches, pork carnitas casserole and jambalaya, none of which i could eat in that form, although i did eat a ton of pulled pork and eggs. My point being, i try and cook to where i can at least eat the same protein as them. This saves a lot when you arent worrying about preparing 2 meals. I am also easting a lot of cabbage, it was on sale for .29 a pound…i love the stuff.
When i began, 3 1/2 months ago, i fell into the keto food trap, and to be honest i exceeded my budget. Well now i am stuck with an entire cabinet of ingredients and items that i can’t even pronounce much less use. Im a rebel and use the dollar store sweet n low when i need sweet coffee, at 1.00 a box its not bad.
You CAN and WILL be successful, just remember the scale isnt the only measure of success! We can do this and we deserve this, dont forget that…
P.S. i have come up with sooooo many ways to dress up weenies and vienna sausages lol, desperate times call for desperate measures :joy::joy:

(Lisa marie t) #29

I honestly try to get meat in biggest deals I get money once a month disability I get 1097 a month I get child tax 450 my rents 800.00 hydro 100.00 or more n cable
Gas for car , as I drive my mom around n son when he needs ride but he buses mostly
I did keto successfully until my gallbladder issue I lost 70 inches n got down 70 lbs
I did keto like I was told by my friend n felt great
This surgery n recovery has put me in a funk n I hate it the keto made me feel amazing
My mom often helps but her money is also dwindling n I carry huge amounts of guilt.
I’m 90 lbs from my weight goal I will do it I’m just struggling right now and I hate it
Shit hits me at once it seems
I’ve been fat 40 years
I’ve struggled with depression 40 years
I’m 50 n I’m done being fat
I’m going to do it I just need to figure out how because at this moment do I pay bills or food
So I’m very hopeful I sell some art
N can get back on track

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #30

Have you considered signing up for food stamps or contacting a Free Store Food Bank? Every little bit helps. I shopped at Aldi when I was on disability with cancer. I got the same amount and after rent and bills, there wasn’t much left over for food. I used tactics like soup to fill my belly, chicken bullion cubes, and drinking a lot of liquid like iced tea (teabags are cheaper than other things) and bought generic everything, on sale everything and bulk when I could afford it. I had to cut the condiments and things maybe didn’t taste as good as they would have with extras, but I just needed to be fed. I know what you’re going through, I raised a kid on $7 an hour and worked extra shifts when kid was at dad’s.

You sound like a fighter, you’ve made it this far. Sort out one little challenge at a time. (Instead of staring at the big picture, it can make us feel helpless.)

(Lisa marie t) #31

We don’t get food stamps in British Columbia Canada we have food bank but very rarely fresh produce canned stuff n breads
I think most of this site must be in USA lol
Example how expensive say fresh veg is … I was at save on I was craving celery n some pb
Tellers rings it up 7.10 for a stalk or bunch I looked at the guy n said seriously 7? Ya uh no thanks
I think I got a good deal on pork chops 8 for 16.00 cheapest in whole piles
I got disability today but as soon as I get money I’m getting the stuff i was shown to get n helped me lose because I’m confused how ppl are doing keto so dif
Like keto coffee helps get ur fat n fills u up then u have couple boiled eggs
Keto coffee cleans ur bowels
I’m glad I have this group to reach out
I’m seeing therapist on Friday so hopefully I can get in better mind set n doing keto with get rid of brain fog or I call in dead head

(Cindy) #32

I don’t use MCT oils or stevia either. My food today, so far, was a couple of Applegate hotdogs (don’t have any bacon cooked right now), 2 eggs with some mozzarella cheese. It doesn’t get much cheaper than that!

Hopefully, your therapist will help you get to a better place mentally and emotionally. I know what it feels like to deal with depression…it’s not an easy thing!

(Bunny) #33

You gained ten pounds over night, wow!

Monosodium glutamate maybe[1]?

Almost like water retention?

I always shave 5 pounds off the scale as water weight! If I lose 10 pounds I count it as 5

Notes:

[1] “…MSG does contain sodium which can cause fluid retention in individuals who are sodium sensitive or have heart failure or kidney disease. …” “…Fluid retention can show up on the bathroom scale as weight gain. MSG or monosodium glutamate is a flavor enhancer found in Chinese food, canned and processed foods. …” …More

(Lisa marie t) #34

No I didn’t gain it in one night
Actually 3 months because I had to do low carb 2 months before gallbladder surgery and I’m now healed up
The Chinese was my last meal type thing first time in a year n no more

(Empress of the Unexpected) #35

Today I had bacon. two cheap pork chops with butter, and a slice of onion. Eventually your hunger will go down.

(Robert C) #36

Did you think about the alternate day fasting to cut your portion of the food bill in half.

Saves time on fasting days, saves half your bill and fat loss is pretty much assured (and assured to be faster than Keto if you stick with Keto on your feeding days).

Start out skipping breakfast every other day.
Then, after a while - skip breakfast and lunch.
Then, after another while - all three - ease into it.

(Lisa marie t) #37

I don’t get hungry skipping breakfast n lunch would be easy esp with spring coming
Weird thing one of my triggers is at 11pm I recognized why being when the sexual abuse accused so I changed sleep time most times I’m in bed 9-930 pm
I am a emotional/stress eater big time
But keto was helping me get over it for most part
Tomorrow is my start day I’m gonna slow slide into it