I did drink diet soda and use artificial sweeteners throughout my weight loss. I drank diet soda before the diet. I gave up a lot of regular foods when I went low carb. I didn't have to give up my diet soda habit, so perhaps it even helped me stay the course. I know it isn't good for me so I am planning on giving up diet soda as my 2017 New Year's resolution.

I never used keto strips. I just tried to keep my net carbs under 30. I didn't always succeed, but on average I did hit that mark. I did take a multivitamin and vitamin D supplements for a while. I'm not sure that they did much, so I don't anymore. I do take fiber (psyillium powder in water) twice daily. I started taking it for its effects in lowing cholesterol. But I found through testing my blood sugar that it also dampens the impact of the carbs that I do eat - slowing digestion. Early on, I could still get significant BG swings from even a tiny amount of sugar. I have longer lasting satisfaction from a meal if I get a slow rise and fall in my BG. The fiber helps make that happen.

Starting in January 2015 I started logging my food in this forum in the MY PLAN section. I have not been as diligent about it in 2016, but the 2015 data is fairly complete. Here is a link to the My Meals section. You can flip through the days using the calendar on the upper right of that page.

Examples from my meals from this forum's MY PLAN