Starting Over

 I have started over a thousand times...this is another one of those times. Will I stick with it this time? I hope so, but then I always hope I'll stick to a new food lifestyle. And the worst part is, I like keto. I can make some awsome dishes, desserts and drinks that amaze even my friends and family. I love to cook so keto fits in perfectly to my love of cooking and my desire to eat healthy. So why did I fail this last time? Grab a cuppa and let me tell you how it happened....

So, after losing sixty seven pounds and feeling pretty good about myself I injured my right foot at work. I tore a tendon and it required two surgeries to repair it. So to make a long story short, I was off work for nine months. I was off my feet for almost three of those nine months. Total non weight bearing on my right foot. I had one surgery stayed off my foot for 6 weeks, eventually went into physical therapy only to find out the tear had not been fixed. So had to get another surgery and pretty much started over. Then Covid hit so I was not able to do light duty because the office staff who would have given me the light duty was all working from home. So what was supposed to be a six to eight week off duty comp injury turned into a nine month ordeal. And with that nine months came Hubby preparing meals and he knew absolutely nothing about keto. So that's how I gained back all that I had lost and then some. Then I made excuse after excuse to myself as to why I couldn't get started back on keto. It was the holidays. It was starting back to work. It was summer. It was winter....It was....whatever I could tell myself and justify it. It was nothing more than another failure and I continued to beat myself up for it. I stayed off keto for over two years.

Yes, this is exactly how I felt, fat and ugly....although I must admit the caterpillar is probably eating better than I did...at least it's eating a salad. I lived on carbs and love them. I ate candy bars and felt guilty with each bite but euphoric at the same time. I admit it, I'm a carb addict. Hello, my name is Debbie and I'm an addict. Yes, even food can become an addiction for some of us. But carbs made me feel comforted as well as guilty. I mean who doesn't see chicken and dumplings as comfort food? Who doesn't enjoy a big plate of pasta and a glass of red wine? Burgers and a beer? These were my go-to comfort foods that helped me feel better about not eating healthy. Yep, food was a comfort and a curse for me. Can you relate? I'm sure you can or you wouldn't have read this far. 

It has taken me until March of 2025 to get back on the keto wagon. I had some bloodwork done, and it was not good. My doctor wanted to put me on blood pressure meds as well as meds for diabetes. I knew I could get healthy again simply by doing keto, so here I am...again.

Since I started this blog I have changed jobs a couple of times and am now an over the road trucker, which is a lifestyle that is filled with truck stop food and mostly sedentary work. While I am a flatbed driver, so I do get some exercise, I don't get nearly enough. I have learned to cook in my truck, but my space is limited so I have to make due with what I have. I guess you could say I live in the original "tiny house". So from here on out, most of my recipes and posts will be from the inside of my truck. I do not have the luxury of special plates that look pretty. Or even a full sized stove or oven to cook/bake in. These recipes will be simple enough for anybody to do and with limited ingredients. I do have a mini fridge. A toaster oven/air fryer/grill, I also have an electric skillet and a lunch box cooker which is basically a square crockpot. I like it in the truck because it doesn't tip over when I'm driving and hit a bump in the road. It's much more stable than a round crockpot. I have an assortment of spices and a cabinet for dry goods.

My current weight, when I was at my doctors office was 299 pounds. I was mortified to say the least. I haven't weighed myself since then, but know I'm losing weight since my clothes fit differently. I think I have a scale buried somewhere here in my truck, I'll have to see if I can find it. If not it's at home and I'll grab it the next time I get there. Until then, let's start this journey again, together. If I can do this, so can you. I don't have the luxury of running to the store when I need something. I have to really plan ahead and have it delivered to my truck on a weekly basis. Sometime in the future I will put together another meal plan. This one will be trucker friendly as well as for the rest of you. 

Welcome back, 

DebbieG