A Big Lifestyle Change

I never thought I could live without carbs, especially fruit. I’ve never overindulged in pasta, bread, rice, potatoes, refined sugar, etc. I ate everything in moderation, so I didn’t really understand why I was not losing weight regardless of my consciousness about what I put in my mouth and going to the gym regularly. Elliot decided to do keto while he was away for a course for a few weeks and told me how great it was and how successful he was at losing weight eating that way. I literally turned up my nose, said he was crazy and went on eating all the things I liked in relatively small portions. But like I said, I still couldn’t understand why I wasn’t seeing the scale move or my body change very much.

Fast forward a few months, I was still feeling frustrated with my ever-tightening pants and my husband was away again. I researched keto a bit and happened to bring it up to a friend of mine. She said she had been doing it for a while and really encouraged me to give it a try. She recommended that I take a quick free online course to learn what exactly keto is, its benefits, and how to calculate my macros and grocery shop so that I could be successful. I told myself I would just give it a try and if I didn’t like this way of eating I would just stop. I didn’t ease into it at all, I just made the decision one day, jumped in head first and I have never looked back.

I lost 4 lbs in just a few days and although I knew that was just water weight, it kept me very motivated. It took me around 8-10 weeks to go from 146 lbs to 130 lbs and being comfortable in a size 6 jeans to now wearing a size 2. I still wear my 4s, but I’m constantly pulling on them. WHAT A GOOD FEELING after hating my muffin top for months! This change came solely from the way I was eating. I had surgery on the bottom of my foot and I could barely walk on it, much less hit the gym. I have only recently added exercise back into my routine and am now on my second week of Burn Boot Camp. I am anxious to see what adding exercise will do for my body composition. At this point, I am satisfied with the number on the scale, but I would like to trade some of my fat for muscle.

Final Thoughts on Keto:

I don’t feel that insatiable starving feeling that I used to feel and I definitely don’t feel deprived. I also don’t like that many people think of keto and assume that people who eat that way just shove bacon and butter in their mouth all day. I’m certain you COULD do it that way, but it definitely wouldn’t be very healthy. My meals consist of protein, veggies and healthy fats – and yes, a little cheese, butter and bacon too, but they are not my primary sources of nutrition.

I thought I would miss carbs and sugar, but I’ve found that a piece of 85% cocoa chocolate and 2-3 strawberries satisfies my sweet tooth now that my taste buds are not used to having any sugar. I have not been completely perfect for 3 months (HELLO, DISNEY WORLD!), but I’ve been consistent overall. I also like that you can also have a glass of wine or two and not totally blow it. It’s all about having a plan!

I wish I had taken better before & after photos to show my progress, but I feel like these will give you a pretty good idea. I know I can definitely see a difference in these pictures.

Before:

That selfie with my girls was taken on Mother’s Day and I remember thinking, “Gosh, does my face actually look that puffy in real life?”

After (trying on size 26/2 jeans at Madewell was so exciting!):

It’s been a very long time since I felt this comfortable in my own skin and I’m excited to see even more change as I add exercise back into my life. I’ll be sure to keep you posted as I progress!