Welcome! I’m just on day 30, but it’s been a very satisfying 30.

I'm fixing to start my diet back up and could use friends to help keep me on track.

I don't know about where you work but maybe promote a food drive and bring in those foods or donate to a local food bank. We did and it was actually satisfying to give away those items. I can't eat those boxes of pasta or stuffing but maybe it will help a family.

On the flip side we didn't buy a whole lot to start out. Just a few new basics and kept to a pretty similar budget. We check the manager specials on protein, buy the deals and freeze them immediately and that saves us a good amount at the register. If we can, we also buy in bulk, portion and freeze items for dinners down the road. We have a small chest freezer and we have filled it with great finds.

Lastly we plan our menu for the week and shop to only the menu and that saves a lot of stress and pressure because we focus on the list and we avoid the center aisles in the store.

Anyway that's just my 2 cents and how we shifted our kitchen to keto.

pendennis wrote: »

I don't know about where you work but maybe promote a food drive and bring in those foods or donate to a local food bank. We did and it was actually satisfying to give away those items. I can't eat those boxes of pasta or stuffing but maybe it will help a family.

On the flip side we didn't buy a whole lot to start out. Just a few new basics and kept to a pretty similar budget. We check the manager specials on protein, buy the deals and freeze them immediately and that saves us a good amount at the register. If we can, we also buy in bulk, portion and freeze items for dinners down the road. We have a small chest freezer and we have filled it with great finds.

Lastly we plan our menu for the week and shop to only the menu and that saves a lot of stress and pressure because we focus on the list and we avoid the center aisles in the store.

Anyway that's just my 2 cents and how we shifted our kitchen to keto.

This. Our grocery ads come out on Wednesday and I spend a fair bit of time on Wednesday night or Thursday morning going through them to make grocery lists and plan a week of meals based around the best sales. I’m feeding myself on a keto diet, a teen who eats like a fairly typical teen, a middle schooler who is on a med to control seizures that unfortunately absolutely tanks his appetite to the point that it’s difficult to get more than a couple of bites into him at a time so he needs very nutrient and calorie dense foods, and two younger boys who are competitive soccer players and seem to each eat more than the rest of us combined, so that grocery/meal planning and trying to keep it affordable are a big process here. I’m thankful that we have 5 different varieties of grocery stores that are all within about a 5 minute drive of the house - I typically shop at at least 3 if them every week.
Planning ahead is definitely the way to go, both for budgeting purposes and for having an easier time staying on track.

gamesngrades wrote: »

The financial cost of starting it up is making me anxious, but I know that once I actually get going the cost will even out! It's just getting rid of the things I can't eat now and buying things I can.

I am a sale shopper. Every Wednesday when the ads come out, I make a list (as mentioned by someone above). We eat by whatever is on sale. Always have. I really don't think my grocery bill has gone up but I don't have it as a budget. I'm just eternally thrifty. If I think about all the things I DON'T buy now, I think it balances out. Plus, I just eat less. My hunger is under control and I eat at maintenance calories which equates to less food than when I was gaining.

I realize olive oil is more expensive than canola or meat is pricier than potatoes but I want to say...I'm prime example of someone who has lost weight and maintained long term without buying "specialty keto foods" (like almond flour, coconut flour, etc). I eat/buy: meat, fish, eggs, dairy, vegetables a little fruit/nuts/seeds/oils. I generally buy the plain ol', plain ol' stuff. Land o' Lakes butter works just fine for me. I stock up when it is $2.49/pound versus the regular $4.99 or $5.49. Butter freezes just fine.

You're right. It will even out. Stick with the basics and if you have a burning need to try something new you can do that slowly. For my taste, every "specialty thing" was a waste of money.

I just started keto this week!! It’s been hard but I’ve lost 2 lbs already. Would like some keto buddies

Hey I started Keto last week (for the second time) and been very successful in the past and seeing similar results now.
I eat pretty simple: chicken, mixed greens, eggs, avocado, grass fed butter, olive oil and that’s it.
If you do clean food and not play around too much with artificial sweeteners that can spike insulin (it does for me) you will get to ketosis fairly quickly. I’m not planing on being that strict for the rest of my life, but I know it’s best to give your body time to adapt. Also be carful not to over do your proteins.

Add me as a friend if you want

I definitely don't base my actions and opinions by what I read on WebMD but this article wasn't real favorable for DHEA. My aging heart would not favor some of those side effects and Lord knows I've already sprouted more facial hair than I want.

https://www.webmd.com/diet/dhea-supplements#1

Glad it works for you though-That's one sweet little baby-Waving from Cary-Welcome @tyeisah

I am 11 days in, just looking to reduce body fat %.... not finding it hard to stick to the diet but am finding it hard to get fats higher than protein....