I started Week 2 with much enthusiasm after the unprecedented success of Week 1 (I lost 2 kilos in fat, by eating fat! And that too with no rigorous exercise). However, the weight loss has been very slow this week. It’s like my body’s trying to hold on to the good old lard and forcing me to go back to my Nutella smeared bagels.
But with a great deal of willpower and the positive vibes from my Keto buddy Rasha, I kept at it. Not a single gram of carb goes through my mouth unaccounted for. Not a single day does my carb intake exceed 25 grams.
And then there were other factors that kept me going:
- People are taking notice: My daughter’s babysitter, bless her heart, has a no-filter mouth and seems to gauge my weight fluctuations better than my scales. And the other day she asks me “What are you doing? You look so slim, and your face looks so small.” Thank-you Keto!
- We did the Keto urine test: Rasha bought the Keto urine test strips from Amazon.ae The only form of urine strips I’ve used before were in a pregnancy test kit, and this was just as exciting! Both Rasha and I scored 8 as you can see below. Our bodies are definitely ketone heavy and going into ketosis! To fool-proof it, Rasha let her Hubby try one and he came clean and clear.
They say it can take up to a month to get the body in the state of ketosis (when the body is starved of carbs, and starts burning fat as fuel), but looks like my girl and I are on a roll here! However, when I posted this result on Keto Nation UAE, a Facebook support group we joined, we got many concerned replies saying we are far too high on ketones and need to hydrate more. I drink over 2 litres a day, but apparently, I am low on electrolytes.
So I’ve started having a special lemonade every morning:
Tezzy’s Himalayan Pink Salt Lemonade Recipe
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup ginger juice (I make a batch of this over the weekend where I boil half a kilo of ginger in a liter of water, strain and store in the fridge)
- 1 tablespoon Himalayan Pink Salt (do NOT try this with ordinary salt. The idea is to feed your body 5000mg sodium a day)
- 1 liter water
I put it all together in a sippy bottle and have this lemonade throughout the day. Hoping to see a milder color result on my next keto urine test strip.
Bullet Coffee
I also started having the much talked about Bullet Coffee!
Supplements
We are depriving our bodies of quite a few essential nutrients on this diet, yet I was skeptical about the amount of carbs or added sugars a supplement might have.
Happy to see my good old bottle of Solgar’s VM 75 is Keto friendly too! I take 1 tablet after my evening meal. Click here for more information.
Eating Out on Keto
One of the biggest challenges when on any diet is eating out. Eating out is a way of life in the UAE. We are spoilt for choice with the plethora of dining options, and it’s the best way to socialize with friends and family. I was dreading these and cancelled quite a few food reviews as well. Life on Keto does not have to be restrictive. Its all about ordering smartly. Here’s some interesting finds:
The Egyptian Feast:
The Burger Bash: I was a Shake Shack with my burger-munching colleagues. Rasha and I ordered the double cheeseburger without the bun. We asked for a lettuce wrap instead. Yes, its Keto friendly! Here’s the Macros:
- Calories 520
- Fat 36 grams
- Carbs 1 gram
- Protein 44 grams
I am planning to fly out for a short break soon, and that will be the real challenge. Hoping to be very good this week, fingers crossed!
The Tezzy Files 