vanilla-minto

[vanilla-minto]

Oatmeal Muffins

Oatmeal To-Go Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

one bowl blueberry banana oatmeal muffins

carrot oatmeal greek yogurt muffins

CHOCOLATE CHIP BAKED OATMEAL MUFFINS

Raspberry, Almond Butter & Banana Oatmeal Muffins

BANANA OATMEAL MUFFINS

chocolate chip oatmeal cookie muffins

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY BAKED OATMEAL MUFFIN CUPS

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[vanilla-minto]

12/12/17

Starting Weight (as of 9/15/17): 200 lbs Current Weight: 157.6 lbs

As the day draws closer for my follow up blood test, my body is CRAVING everything it shouldn’t. T_T I went without carbs and sugar for so long but for some reason it’s only now my cravings are hitting full on BULL RUSH. 

I lost so much weight but I’m so hungry all the time! I’m still keeping within my calorie deficit and doing my daily exercises, but now I’m just constantly hungry. I’m up to 11 cups of water a day trying to quench this ridiculous hunger but it continues. It’s honestly been way worse than it’s ever been. And the worst part is that my weight has been the same for the past couple days! ARGH! If anyone has any suggestions on what’s going on I am very much all ears on this one!

So I found a new awesome keto snack that helps with my jonesin’ for more sugar. Keto Madeleines! I got a new madeleine pan and the first thing I did was make a few. They’re SO GOOD. It takes everything I have to not chow down on all dozen of them! They also help with the temptations while I’m making regular madeleines for my husband. XD

Ugh, so hungry. T_T Let’s keep this weight loss going!

[vanilla-minto]

12/6/17

Starting Weight (as of 9/15/17): 200 lbs Current Weight: 159.4 lbs

I FINALLY LOST 40 lbs! Yes!!

The dreaded TOM is almost gone, so I experienced the huge WHOOSH effect after gaining almost three pounds from water weight in the past few days. Man water retention is just the WORST.

But I am finally past one of my goal hurdles! I thought it would be impossible to lose 40 before my doctor’s deadline of mid-December, but I did it! Now I need to lose 20 pounds more then I reach my ultimate goal! Then it’s time for maintenance mode...beautiful, beautiful maintenance mode. T_T

Welp, let’s keep this weight loss going!

[vanilla-minto]

12/4/17

Starting Weight (as of 9/15/17): 200 lbs current Weight: 161.4 lbs

So on Saturday, I achieved 160 lbs! Hooray! But today I am not 160 lbs...Ah, the BS of life called water retention during the TOM. T_T I know I’m going to lose it, I know it technically doesn’t count, but it’s still a bummer. Bleh. This kinda sucks because last month I didn’t suffer through the water retention but the month before I did. I guess that shows how random your body can get?

I’m having a heck of a time trying to find erythritol at the stores around me. I don’t want to order it off of prime because it’s pretty pricey on amazon (and I want to cook NOW lol). It is annoying to see a ton of splenda wherever I go. Didn’t they debunk splenda as having the same effect on your blood sugar as sugar does? Ho boy.

On the plus side, I found sugar free reeses peanut butter cups at the store yesterday! *angels sing*. It does have malitol in it (which isn’t the lowest GI sweetener, I know) but at least it’s better than sugar. Plus it’s a bit of a life saver during the TOM when I crave chocolate so badly. Don’t worry, I’m not planning to eat the whole bag lol! I got this far with my calorie deficit, not gonna start losing to it now!

Let’s keep this weight loss going!

[vanilla-minto]

11/30/17

Starting Weight (as of 9/15/17): 200 lbs Current Weight: 162 lbs

As the three month deadline approaches, I’m hoping that my new lifestyle will result in a good blood test with lowered blood sugars. I’m still super nervous because there is a percentage of people where weight loss doesn’t do anything for their blood sugar levels.

On a positive note, my weight loss is finally coming back (I think because it’s the week before TOM and those calories burn all week, WOO!). That last plateau was a little too long for me.

I’m still concentrating on strengthening my core and my arms through Yoga...so far my favorite video is Adrienne’s Core and Arms workout. The first day I could barely hold myself up because the arm exercises are all in a row, but I can definitely tell I’m progressing because it’s getting easier to stay in plank pose.

I got some fish cakes from the Korean grocery store because it was on sale and even though they have some carbs (7g of carbs per serving), they’re so low in calories and so delicious!! I just pan fry them or I put them in a dashi broth. So yummy!

Let’s keep this weight loss going!

[vanilla-minto]

11/28/17

Starting Weight (as of 9/15/17): 200 lbs Current Weight: 163.4 lbs

I FINALLY broke free from my plateau! I was stuck at the 165-166 range for two weeks and I finally got out of it! I was really vigilant with my calorie count throughout the weeks, but I think the lack of exercise (due to my injury and sickness) was what kept me stagnated? I was so good for Thanksgiving (avoided all carbs and starches!) and it’s been disappointing to step on that scale and see nothing. Either way, super happy to finally push through that wall I never thought I’d break through!

So another food that I’ve recently rediscovered a love for...Asian Chives. They were on sale at the Korean grocery and I had to grab a huge bundle of them (even though all I wanted was a few stalks lol) but it turns out to be a good thing because they’re DELICIOUS. You can make keto Buchujeon (Korean chives pancakes) with cream cheese pancakes. I make a simple omelet and sprinkle chives on the eggs and taste is enhanced 100%. I put chives in my soup broth and it’s AMAZING. I strongly recommend trying asian chives if you can get a hold of them. It’s like a slightly sweeter green onion, and the carb content is very low!

Another awesome modified Korean/Japanese recipe I keto-fied is Beef Curry Doria. Doria is basically a dish where a meat sauce and cheese is baked on top of rice. Obviously I can’t do real rice, but cauliflower rice made an awesome compromise. And instead of using the carb/sodium heavy curry roux, I sauced up my meat with just using straight curry spice powder, chicken boullion, apple vinegar, natural peanut butter, and some packets of stevia blend. It’s SO GOOD. The beef obviously makes it a bit calorie rich, but I gobbled the whole thing down after I was done.

Let’s keep this weight loss going!

[vanilla-minto]

11/21/17

Starting Weight (as of 9/15/17): 200 lbs Current Weight: 165.8 lbs

So I’ve been plateauing around 166 for the past week. It’s been really frustrating. But not much I can do when me and my entire family is sick with a cold (downgraded from the flu ugh) and I haven’t been able to exercise for several days. Also I’ve noticed from my history that I tend to plateau two weeks before my TOM. So I guess I gotta rough it out until the burning time begins.

Two days ago my husband bought a box of donuts and I relented and ate half a chocolate glaze...and then had the WORST stomach ache I’ve had in a long time. It was supremely painful. I don’t know if going low carb for so long made my stomach react the way it did or if it was other factors at hand, but now I’m a little traumatized by donuts.

Thanksgiving is coming up and I’m going to stick to my guns and stay away from the potatoes! Please give me strength for resisting those delicious starches and sweets!

Let’s keep going!

[vanilla-minto]

11/15/17

Starting Weight (as of 9/15/17): 200 lbs Current Weight: 166.4 lbs

So I definitely had the flu...and in turn my husband got the flu. Luckily the kids did not get it because they both got their flu vaccines last month and our doctor was out of the vaccine *sigh*. 

I did drop some weight but flu weight loss should be taken with a grain of salt because it basically puts the body into starvation mode and you lose so much water. I was chugging water for the past couple of days even though it was painful and nauseating to do so. Also, I haven’t exercised for three days now (because of the awful soreness) so I’m pretty sure this weight MAY come back.

Meanwhile, I found some awesome low carb things to eat while sick! Korean kimchi mackerel stew is AMAZING for me while I’m sick...just omit the potatoes! SO GOOD. Again...SO HAPPY TO BE KOREAN. 

Another bad thing that happened: I have a minor ankle sprain. A couple days ago I was feeling well enough to take the dog for a walk and unfortunately I tripped on a rock in the leaves and my foot twisted when I fell. But good news is that it’s not a bad sprain so it’ll probably be better within the week. The bad news is that I can’t exercise until it heals...so again, no exercise >_<

Let’s keep this going!

[vanilla-minto]

11/11/17

Starting Weight (as of 9/15/17): 200 lbs Current Weight: 169 lbs

I reached the 30 lb loss milestone!

I’m super excited that I made it into the 160s! I’m now lighter than I was when I got married 8 years ago! Once I get into the 150s, I’ll go back to the weight I was before I started dating my husband lol!

So yesterday my body was incredibly sore and I was super fatigued. I wondered if I was going through keto flu, (at least I was HOPING for it to be keto flu), but today I still have soreness and a sore throat...so it looks like I caught a cold or a minor case of the flu. Bleh. 

My husband refused to let me go out and exercise because I was so fatigued (and I didn’t have enough energy to fight him hahaha) so I ended up skipping the day without exercising...which has been the first time in two months. Luckily I did stay within my calorie limit, (thank you MFP!), so I stepped on the scale and saw the small loss. Any loss is a good loss, right? XD I think I might have to take another rest day today since I’m still feeling a little gross, but working out when you have a fever does your body no favors. 

Yesterday I went back to the pho restaurant with the family and again got the vermicelli bowl (without the vermicelli!), but this time with the beef. The pork is definitely more savory, but the portion for beef is more reasonably small (like 4 oz). To save a few calories I think I’ll go with the beef next time too.

Also, I got the new sweater I ordered online (because I’m freaking cold all the time now). Because it’s from China, I was prepared for the fact that it wasn’t going to fit me because the sweater comes in One Size and Chinese sizes always run small. But I put it on and was super happy to find that it fits me! The buttons don’t even bust out! It looks reasonably good on me! I definitely think it wouldn’t have fit me two months ago...so I’m grateful that it does. 

Let’s keep this weight loss going!

[vanilla-minto]

11/9/17

Starting Weight (as of 9/15/17): 200 lbs Current Weight: 170.8 lbs

I’m so close to the 30 lb loss! SO CLOSE! 

I made an unpleasant discovery. Costco does sell cauliflower rice (Goldcoast brand) so I bought a bag last week. WORST DECISION EVER. Not only was it incredibly mushy (not in the good way after steaming, but just kinda that “dead” mushy), but it tasted awful. Also it smelled TERRIBLE. It stunk up my freezer/fridge, it stunk up our house, and it stunk up our garage after I tossed out the bag in the trash. Maybe I got a bad bag, but I think if a bag of cauliflower rice goes bad after a couple days in the freezer, I don’t think it was a good bag to begin with. Here on out, I’m just going to stick with buying the smaller bags from the grocery...it’s more expensive but it’s better than wasting by tossing out most of the bag. Bleh.

My core/arms yoga is slowly beginning to show a difference. Today I definitely noticed my arms were a tiny bit more slender than before. It’s difficult, but I’ll keep at it!

My TOM has ended and I’m a little disappointed I didn’t get the “whoosh” of weight loss like I did last month lol. But I crazy lost 5 lbs from the week before so I shouldn’t be too ungrateful to my body. XD

Let’s keep this weight loss going!

[vanilla-minto]

11/6/17

Starting Weight (as of 9/15/17): 200 lbs Current Weight: 171.8 lbs

Straight up girl talk: Even though it’s the TOM, I’ve been losing a little bit at a time. I’m pretty surprised at that. Last month I stagnated at the same weight for a week because of water retention, but apparently my body is more forgiving this month. Either way, I’ve lost 28 lbs so far...the weight of my 18 month old son! I pick him up and go “oof”. I can’t believe I lost that much weight!!

Yesterday I tried the edamame pasta that I found at Costco the other day. Made out of only edamame, a ton of protein and only 11 net carbs per serving! The dry noodles remind me of vermicelli. The verdict: It’s SO GOOOOOOD. It’s the consistency of thin pasta noodles! I had it with the pasta sauce I made for my husband and kid’s ravioli. It’s way more fulfilling that zoodles. 

I hope the next few days go fast! I hate water retention T_T

[vanilla-minto]

11/3/17

Starting Weight (as of 9/15/17): 200 lbs Current Weight: 172.4 lbs

So I suddenly shaved off another pound yesterday? Normally I wouldn’t question it, but the first two weeks of the month my weight loss was very slow (a pound a week), and suddenly this week I’m down 5 lbs. I guess I can attribute it because the week before TOM, your metabolism increases? Also, I went full keto the past few days so maybe that contributed?

I did some research on how to get rid of saggy skin (without surgery). It looks like my best option is to specifically build muscle in the areas that are sagging so it tightens up. So I found a 30 day challenge of arm exercises targeting bingo wings so I’m going to try this! I’ll have to add this to my core strengthening yoga exercises. 

I finally got my oat fiber from amazon, so I’m excited to try making keto bagels! I miss bagels like CRAZY. 

So apparently my husband lost 5 lbs just by being near me! He hasn’t stopped eating carbs or sugar, but he somehow just lost the weight because he piggybacked on eating whatever I was cooking. Grrr...must be nice to be a dude. =T

Let’s keep this weight loss going!

[vanilla-minto]

11/2/17

Starting Weight (as of 9/15/17): 200 lbs Current Weight: 173.6 lbs

26 lbs down! I love the week before the TOM! Burn, calories, BURN!

I was worried about gaining weight because I only did 55/90 minutes of my daily workout. But I guess my body was chill with a small break in regimen. 

This morning I looked at myself in the mirror and saw the skin around my belly and armpit area were saggy...ruh-oh. I’m going to have to do some reading on non-surgical ways to lose that...

Yesterday I discovered the awesomest food! So I mentioned before my daughter’s favorite food is pho, vietnamese noodle soup. Unfortunately for me, as much as I love pho, there is a TON of carbs in vietnamese food because of the rice noodles. She’s been begging for pho for the past week, so we decided to go there for dinner. The last time I ordered take out at the restaurant, they didn’t understand me when I ordered “No Noodles” for my meal...so here’s attempt #2!

Instead of ordering pho, I ordered the vermicelli bowl with grilled pork. I asked the waiter if I could have no noodles and opt for more veggies and he simply nodded...and came back with a vermicelli bowl with no vermicelli! Woo! With the fish sauce (sodium city but soooo good), it was delicious! Vietnamese grilled pork is normally cooked with some sugar so it’s not completely lacking in carbs, but it’s amazing. It’s also nix half the amount of calories without the rice noodles.

Let’s keep this weight loss going!

[vanilla-minto]

10/31/17

Starting Weight (as of 9/15/17): 200 lbs Current Weight: 174.4 lbs

Happy Halloween!! I lost 25 lbs! Hooray! For the past week my weight has been trickling down by a quarter pound every day but yesterday it suddenly whooshed down a whole two pounds. I’m not sure what I did differently...I did spend a few hours carving a pumpkin but I was sitting for most of it? Oh well, a loss is a loss! XD

Today is my husband’s birthday, and my daughter’s been super excited to go trick or treating. I’m looking forward to it since I can get my walking exercise in! 

Yesterday I tried making low carb cream cheese pancakes...surprisingly REALLY good. I’m not a fan of huge hotcakes, so these were crepe like and delicious. I also prefer savory toppings over sweet, so i smeared more cream cheese on them with spinach and bacon and it was AMAZING. This is definitely going to be my new meal staple!

Because of Halloween, I’m going to allow myself to eat a piece of candy *gasp*. I know, I know...it’s not good if you’re on a diet, but I don’t want to live in a world where I can’t indulge in a peanut butter cup! Hahaha XD

Let’s keep this weight loss going!

[vanilla-minto]

10/28/17

Starting Weight (as of 9/15/17): 200 lbs Current Weight: 177.4 lbs

So...I weigh myself every day cuz I love to see progress, even if it’s small progress. Yesterday, I weighed 176.8 lbs *claps*, but today I gained about half a pound. I’m actually not too upset about it, because I have a feeling the extra weight isn’t from me straying off the path, but poop weight (lol).

One of the bad things that came from me eating less is that I go to the bathroom less frequently. It’s not easy to get it done either. I’m normally used to going at least twice a day...now I’m lucky if I go once. I notice a woosh in my low weight on the days my body finally decides to let the #2 go free. It is frustrating that I’m eating as much fiber as I can (including supplements!) and I’m up to eating about 20g of fiber a day, but it doesn’t seem to go for me. Sigh, sucks to be me, I guess.

The weather here has gotten super cold lately so I had to forfeit my dog’s walking time for two days and just used the elliptical. My dog seems kinda depressed about it since she freaking loves walks, but I don’t think my weight loss is worth her freezing her paws off on icy ground!

Halloween is coming up and I’m going to allow myself to eat a few treats that I’ve been denying myself for the past several weeks! Motivation people!

[vanilla-minto]

10/24/17

Starting Weight (as of 9/15/17): 200 lbs Current Weight: 178.6 lbs

I lost the big 20! *party balloons everywhere* I made it to my doctor’s goal! 

My ultimate goal is to lose 50 lbs, so I’m definitely keeping this going!

Like I mentioned before, last week I kept hovering around the 180-181 range. But it seems my body finally decided to lose the extra pound that kept me from the big 20 goal. 

One huge downer about losing weight is that lately I’ve been freezing cold all the time...my feet and hands are constantly cold, which is a huge change from just last month they were hot all the time! Apparently when you have a low caloric intake, your body compensates by shutting down the “warm your extremities” function. I really sucks because I’m constantly huddled inside a blanket nowadays! 

So I rediscovered my love for certain Korean foods that help with weight loss...kimchi (spicy pickled veggies) and ssam jang (seasoned soybean paste). I read an article a while back that Korean spicy foods are great for weight loss because 1.) Spicy foods are proven to help speed up your metabolism and 2.) kimchi and ssam jang are probiotics that also help with weight loss! I recently cooked up some plain chicken and wrapped it up with green leaf lettuce with a little ssam jang and kimchi (Koreans call lettuce wraps “Ssam”), and it was AMAZING. I’m truly happy I was born Korean in moments like these XD

Let’s keep this weight loss going!

[vanilla-minto]

10/20/17

Starting Weight (as of 9/15/17): 200 lbs Current Weight: 180.4 lbs

Since my last post, I had some really bad constipation, which was weird considering how much fiber I’d been eating! My weight kept going up little by little every day and my #2 (ahem) was super painful. So I tried going extra high fiber but no change. Remember that episode of King of the Hill where he couldn’t make? That’s what I felt like, ugh.

So I caved and got some laxative. I didn’t expect much because I felt so stuffed up, but it really did the trick! I weighed myself this morning and FINALLY saw a loss. Surprising how much your poop can weigh, amirite?

Because I’ve been having some really bad back problems, I’ve been concentrating on Yoga that works on core/abs. It’s definitely not as relaxing as normal yoga, but I definitely feel the burn. Not to mention, reducing the size of your belly area is apparently proven to improve blood sugar levels...so abs we go!

I think my weight loss is slowing down a lot...which is proof that I’m lighter than I used to be! The closer you get to the normal zone, the slower the pounds shed off. Sucks, but progress is progress.

My calorie allotment each day is still between 1000 to 1300. I wonder how crazy that’ll look if I go full keto lol.

Let’s keep going y’all!