Foods

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First, don’t try to shrink yourself down to a weight that others find appropriate. I had gastric bypass in 2011, and I got down to 130, and I felt awful. I’d lost just over 200 pounds in 13 months, and then I gained 60 back. I’ve been at 189-195 since 2015ish.
I feel better, and my general health is better, but I briefly got sucked into an exciting phase of “OMG I’m a size ##!” or getting on the scale every day and giving that number any kind of power. It was not healthy and certainly didn’t make me happier. I have fat in places on my body that others may not. I also have tattoos on places that others may not. Fat is not a defining factor for me anymore.

We are beautiful inside and out!! <3

I spent so much of my life being told that food was the enemy. You have to starve yourself, you can’t have anything that tastes good. The beige and bland, the plastic LITE and DIET options were better for you. Butter was a sin. I am sure many of you can relate. What I discovered after a life long body image issues, largely in part to a battle with food.

One of the many gifts my chronic illness has given to me – extreme food sensitivities. A little bit of bread and I pay for it for days, and don’t get me started on sweets. Sometimes the intense craving sends me into the arms of an angel aka BAGEL. If I am craving something that is on my personal “no” list and it doesn’t go away after a week. I have a little bit of whatever I am craving. If I am craving something that is on my personal “NO NO NO NO NO” list, I try to find a healthier version of it. Please know that I am not here to tell anyone what to eat or how to eat but I am always on the lookout for something that tastes good and doesn’t trigger flares. If you have some favorites please share them with me.

Here are some foods that I have found not only to be “ok” substitutions but things I would choose if given options.

FOLIOS – I’ve put seasonings on the top before heating them for variety. I have also laid them over chopsticks or bowls to make taco shells or edible bowls. The beauty of the Folios is that you don’t have to “cook” them. You can use them as wraps for things like wrap sandwichs or pinwheels. They are pretty flexible when it comes to what you can do with them.

SmartCakes** – I like to slice them in half and fill up the middle with keto ice cream and whipped cream on top. You can buy them in individual two-piece packs at Netrition.com if you don’t want to buy a whole case just to try them out.

Rebel Keto Ice Cream – This is my favorite chocolate ice cream to date. It is smooth and creamy, it reminds me of Godiva ice cream pints from my college years. I’ve picked this up at Whole Foods and sometimes Sprouts.

Halo Top – There are several flavors I like and some I don’t, but they have a pretty big selection. The texture varies too much for a consistent brand. Pistachio is tasty but has more of an ice milk texture, just not creamy. On the other hand, their strawberry pint is creamy and smooth. The KETO flavors are okay but the texture is more like half-frozen pudding. I have found it at Sprouts and Smiths/Kroger.

Enlightened Ice Cream – I LOVE the Chocolate Glazed Donut. Mint Chocolate Chunk is tasty, but it has chocolate flakes, not chunks, which to me, makes it better.

I have a Whipped Cream Canister** that is almost always full of whipped cream. I use liquid sucralose, but you can use any liquid sweetener (except for honey). I’ve tried dozens of coffee flavorings like Monin or Torani to make flavored whipped cream!! So much WIN it hurt! *WARNING* Only buy the FOOD grade chargers, sometimes in searching for them on Amazon, the kind used in paint-ball guns and such have shown up in the search results.

Torani Flavored Suger-Free Syrup** – My go-to is Vanilla – but Peppermint for hot cocoa is AMAZING.

Lakanto** – I like all of their sweeteners, but their drinking chocolate was not for me.

Swerve** – It has a bit more of the “cooling” effect if you use too much. I cut it in with other sweeteners.

Ice-Chips Candy** – I love sours, but they have about 25 flavors. Do not let your pets get into them; they are pure xylitol. Toxic to furbabies.

Lily’s Chocolate** is a staple in my freezer. From bars to snacks and baking chips – you can pretty much find a tasty chocolate treat.


** Noted links are Amazon Affiliate Links see Disclaimers