If you’re new here 👋 I’m kinda starting over. I’ve been eating very low carb (keto) consistently for 11+ years, but I have a whole new set of health challenges since I got sick in 2020. Before that, I got in the best shape & health of my life through an active low carb lifestyle. 🤸♀️ I have years worth of archives, daily food diaries & hiking adventures here on my blog…
Sometimes life sets you back.
That just gives you an opportunity to show life what you’re really made of. 💥✨️❣️
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I’m really proud of the action I took on my summer goals, and the progress I made over the last month. 😊 My weight has held steady minus maybe 2-3 pounds, but I can definitely tell a difference in my body composition and overall health!
Weight loss wasn’t a primary goal for me short term, given I’ve been consistently eating very low carb throughout my long (20+ months) recovery. My body has been in complete distress, so I am practicing patience and grace on that.
I fully expect the weight and inflammation will melt right off once I’m well, considering I’m eating very basic meals and very low carb – and less than I was at my lowest weight before I got sick.
But I do think some of the things next to try on my list will fast-track weight loss and get me back to my healthy weight, so stay tuned to find out what I’m trying and hear the results along the way. 😉
📌 B2G1 Perfect Keto sale this week: Buy 2, Get 1 FREE!
As a quick recap, I have Long Covid Dysautonomia (basically: my nervous system malfunctioned) which has caused a debilitating cascade of bizarre symptoms that have made daily life quite challenging. Which feels like a very big understatement. 😜
Here’s an excerpt from my Summer Goals post from last month:
“I’m dealing with a lot of health challenges right now, but I have a list of small changes to try, things I can test to see if they improve my current condition, and my overall health and well-being. Your goals may be way more ambitious than mine, and that’s awesome! I just want to get myself back to a solid baseline (ie consistently functional). Then from there I’ll set more specific goals.”
I’ve seen progressive improvement over the last 6 months, starting with a consistent supplement protocol (I finally found the right combination that works for me!), followed by consistent weekly acupuncture treatments.
More recently I’ve added in compression garments and electrolytes. Both really help with the fatigue & brain fog. ✅
I have picture & video updates about that in my last post at: Video Update: I’m Almost Back! 🙌
It’s still a work in progress, but that got me back on my feet and even able to drive again most days. Which meant I could start basic PT (physical therapy) in the swimming pool over this past month.
That’s been AMAZING! 🌞💦 It’s helped SO much with mobility and circulation already.❣️
Now that I’m up more often, and having more clear-minded days (or at least hours) between the brain fog and neurological symptoms, I have so much to share with you!
I’m sick again unfortunately, I tested positive Thursday night after coming down with crazy symptoms out of the blue late Wednesday night, so for now I’ll share some quick updates I posted on Facebook this week that you may have missed…
I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling pretty fatigued with social media lately!
My daily routine for awhile now is to start my morning with a collagen coffee, have a protein bar most days around lunch, then a simple low carb dinner later in the evening.
Daytime is when my symptoms are worse and I don’t tend to have much appetite, so I’m just going with the flow – and eat when I finally get hungry. 😉
Tonight (Friday) I ate pretty late after spending most of the day in bed. I still didn’t have an appetite until my daughter sent this take-out meal home to me via her friend. I enjoyed every last bite!
It’s a double cheeseburger (no bun, just two burger patties with cheese) with steamed broccoli. 🥦 I love that she eats low carb too, so she knows how to order for me!
Thursday I had crispy bacon & cheesy eggs in the afternoon. 🥓🍳
I didn’t really feel like eating anything else the rest of the day. That’s the first full day I felt SICK. I did end up having half a pint of Rebel sugar free ice cream later to soothe my burning throat – and that knocked the edge off the tinge of hunger.
I’m in love with their Peanut Butter Chocolate pints!
Wednesday I had “Everything Chicken” with roasted broccoli. 🥦😋
I shared the ingredients for this meal & how I cooked it in this video 📲
I had my usual collagen coffee in the morning ☕️ and a protein bar for lunch 🍫 then had a great 30 minute swim 🏊♀️ (PT) in the beautiful sunshine! 🌞 I’m able to walk a little further now, so I parked at the far end of the parking lot to get a few extra steps walking in & out from the pool.
It’s those little things! 💥
Every day I try to make deliberate choices and look for any opportunity to do just a little more, toward my goal of full recovery – and becoming the happiest, healthiest version of myself.
It’s not just about the goal, or the future… but all those little things make me feel great TODAY too! 💖
That practice of “mindful living” gives me a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment at the end of the day. Not just with diet and exercise, or health & weight loss, although: your health is your greatest asset. 💯‼️ But eating healthy and finding physical activity you enjoy are things that will easily become habit over time…
Another thing I shoot for is to do something meaningful every day, or something that brings me JOY, or brings joy to someone else. 💕 I try to check “my happy box” every day! ✅️
Tuesday I had pork tenderloin breaded in almond meal + seared green beans with onion for dinner. And yes, I’m going backward through the week 🙂 lol…
That doesn’t look as great as it tasted, ha. Here’s a better picture of it, from the last time I had it – because it’s a meal I’ve enjoyed on repeat lately:
Monday and Tuesday were both rough days with longcovid symptoms: extreme fatigue, extra rest, tremors off & on, wearing compression garments, electrolytes, acupuncture appt, serious brain fog, keeping my legs elevated, etc. 🤪 I just take it one day at a time…
I don’t really know what to expect with this second bout of covid. It’s way worse this time, these first few days at least: chest burning cough, fever & body aches, and the pounding headache, ugh. 🥴
My first case in 2020 was really mild, until it hit my guts and my nervous system malfunctioned. But the actual flu part wasn’t bad at all like this time.
I’m okay with just staying in bed and sleeping through it, but I’m most disappointed about missing the last full week of the pool being open – and my lymphatic massage (MLD therapy) on Monday.
I was really hopeful that therapy would get me over the final hump toward longcovid recovery! Terrible timing. 😑 But we’ll reschedule as soon as I’m well…
You know what I love about going to the city pool? 💦
Being around all the people! with NO filters: all ages, all sizes, all body types, just being real people… doing real things. There’s something so deeply refreshing about that. 😊 It’s like a come-as-you-are summer party where anyone is invited and everyone is happy & having fun. 💖
I’ll have to share more with you in another post soon, about what I’m doing for physical therapy, and about my VERY ungraceful landing off that slide – lol.
The pool has been SO good for me, both mentally AND physically! I got in two good “swims” this week, and three last week. 🏊♀️ 🥰 It’s been a process, from finding the balance & coordination, to getting a good knee brace, and taking it slow engaging different sets of muscle groups.
Some days I just walk the 4′ swim lane and try to walk a straight line without falling. 😅 When my legs won’t cooperate I do an easy back float and engage my core (that’s new!!) and work my arms. I do it all with the biggest smile though! 😁❣️
It’s only been the last couple months I’ve been able to engage my muscles again, which feels like a huge WIN toward recovery!! 🙌 You know how some people can’t flare their nostrils? 👃 That’s what I compare it to. For a long time I wasn’t able to get brain-to-muscle to work.
It started coming back with my arms first 💪 then my core (I can sit up again now! vs “roll out” – and yes, I sing it 😅 ) – then my glutes, and last: still working on leg control.
I can do glute squeezes now, sit up (but not sit ups), lift things over my head, all kinds of fun human-like stuff. 🙃❣️ I still have the tremors, cognitive dysfunction, euphoria, joint & muscle pain, heartrate & circulation issues, yada yada yada…
But I’m SO happy to be able to do even a little water exercise now. 🥰‼️🥰‼️🥰
I am appreciating my body, respecting my limits, and will never EVER again take mobility or ABILITY… for granted. 💝
That’s pretty much it: my low carb week and keto food diary. Nothing fancy, just real life, what I’m eating – and a personal update on how my recovery and life is going.
I’ve been feeling REALLY encouraged with my recovery progress, and SO happy to be able to get out a do a few things again – after not even being able to drive from August to May of this past year.
Just being able to go to acupuncture, go to the pool, get in a little “exercise” now, etc – those are all HUGE improvements after being homebound and non-functional most of the last year!
I felt pretty sure I’d even be back to hiking, or back on the easy trails at least I mean, by fall. 👣🥰 We’ll see how that goes. I’m hoping this second case of “the flu” passes quickly, and I can get right back on a good roll again!
A year ago June when I caught a basic cold from my daughter, she was over it in 3 days – and I was SICK for 7 weeks. My immune system is kinda shot from that 2020 version.
When I did get well though, I felt AMAZING for 15 straight days after that – like my old self, with ZERO longcovid symptoms! That seems to be a common trend in my support group, that it maybe “shocks your immune system” like a reset. But it’s temporary for most people. The third week all my longcovid symptoms returned – and stayed.
Regardless, I’m already looking forward to those two GREAT weeks once I’m past this. 🥳
Gotta look on the bright side! 😉
I would love to hear how things are going with YOU as summer winds down, and what your goals are this month. Leave a comment and let’s catch up!
Like I said earlier, I’m feeling a little fatigued with social media – and would really love to bring the conversations back here to a “less noisy” space where we can actually connect. 💕
~ Lynn, aka
@LowCarbTraveler
p.s. If you need to restock collagen, or want to try anything new from Perfect Keto, now thru Sunday 8/14 they have a B2G1 Sale: Buy 2, Get 1 FREE! or my code LYNN20 will get you 20% off 1 or 2 items.😉 A lot of their popular bars & snacks are still 💥45% off💥 on this secret bundle page too.
My daughter loves their Cinnamon Toast collagen powder, but she only gets it when it’s on sale like this. Just like her mother. 😉 She adds that plus whipped cream to her coffee:
Since my taste test video 😝😅 (where I mixed it a little too strong lol) I’ve been using the Black Cherry electrolyte powder mixed with watermelon bodyarmor lyte over crushed ice. 🍒🍉🥤
That’s my new go-to summer drink! 😍
The electrolytes are helping a lot with energy & mental clarity! I’m impressed with the difference that makes. ✨️ Brain fog & fatigue are NO fun on a daily basis. 🤦♀️🤪👎
If you only need 1 or 2 items from Perfect Keto, use my code LYNN20 for 20% off anything instead of the current B2G1 sale: 📲 https://perfectketo.com/lynnterry That way you’ll still get a discount, and a great deal! 🙂
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