I started my keto journey in 2018.
Before that, I was using intermittent fasting techniques to lose weight (which is the bomb, yo!).
I had no idea what I was doing, to be honest, but because I was desperately seeking to learn and get healthy, I dropped 48 pounds that year.
It wasn't easy to create new habits.
It took me years to get used to the idea of not having junk food.
I wasn't able to eat all of the high fat because I don't have a gallbladder so I had to modify the diet many times to get it right.
It took me a while to get my macros adjusted to what my body could handle.
I want you to know that it's totally okay to modify something if the standard keto diet doesn't fit your needs. That's what macro or carb manager apps are for.
Self-Discipline Needed
Eating sweets is a bad habit that is hard to break because sugar is more addictive than cocaine.
It is labeled as food so our minds tend to think it is okay to consume as much as we want.
I was normally thin despite this lifelong bad habit. It didn’t bother me as much until I had a hysterectomy.
Then the weight felt impossible to keep off. As weight and health issues increased, the pain increased.
When my Rheumatologist suggested that I may be allergic to sugar, I was blown away. I had never heard of such.
I went home and began to research this oddball thing she had said to me. Low and below, I had all the symptoms of having a sugar allergy!
We are what we eat. True facts.
If we eat foods that cause inflammation, pain is what our bodies will produce.
On the other hand, we can eat anti-inflammatory foods and it will help to create a peaceful environment in our bodies.
The moment I realized I don’t just consume sugar, it consumes me, was the moment my life changed.
Even if you haven't had a dozen surgeries as I have, our metabolism changes as we age. Our bodies tend to slow down. We have to make adjustments in our diet and exercise routines in order to stay healthy.
It's a normal part of growing older. Instead of feeling bad for what you have to give up, learn to be glad for the knowledge and health you are gaining.
We all have things we need to work on and bad habits we need to break. While I eat 100% more healthily now, I still prefer sweets.
Just being honest.
After almost five years of creating new dietary habits and making lifestyle changes, I still want junk food.
Even though this is frustrating, I don’t kick myself for it. There’s no guilt or shame here. It’s a learning process.
Don't Skip the Gym
Some people choose to do keto because they don't want to work out. That's the wrong attitude to have if you want to get healthy.
Dieting should always be combined with exercise, although it may be wise to wait until you're in ketosis to hit the gym due to lower energy levels at first.
We only get one chance to live in this body. Don't blow it.
Working out will help you burn off glucose.
Speaking of sugar, it is in everything nowadays. It is extremely hard to get away from it.
The conclusion I have come to is that we need to protect and nourish our bodies, but we also need to enjoy our lives.
We should eat a bite or two of cake occasionally, not daily (especially not if you're doing keto😉). We should have at least one rest day per week, but we shouldn't be lazy.
Life is all about balance.
Working hard is important to burning off calories and living a healthy lifestyle.
We need to learn to enjoy the little things in life without allowing that pleasure to turn into a bad habit.
With that being said, I’ve done my research and I know from experience what the keto journey is like. It's hard. But it is doable!
Here’s a great way for you to get started on your own low-carb or keto plan…
GETTING STARTED
He also has a free keto calculator so you can see what your macros should be and a free calorie calculator as well.
When I want something to read, I normally refer to The Carb Manager App website. It is one of the most accurate sites I’ve found and the information is up-to-date.
Many online articles have inaccurate information, so don’t believe everything you read online. As a matter of fact, most of it is contradicting.
People will place the word “keto” in their article headlines to get attention, even when the author knows very little about what keto is.
I also found that a lot of store-bought keto products are not really keto-friendly. Be sure to read the labels and ingredients.
Anything that has a high carb count or unhealthy sweeteners is not keto-friendly. Try these sweeteners instead.
Anything that contains ingredients that will kick you out of ketosis is also not keto-friendly. A lot of sweeteners can kick you out of ketosis so heads up.
It is important to learn what can kick you out so that you will know what to avoid.
Just because something is made with cauliflower, that doesn't mean it doesn't also contain flour or sugar. Sugar, flour, and anything with a high glycemic index should be avoided.
Keto is all about eating HEALTHY ORGANIC food.
Stick with natural sweeteners like organic Monk Fruit and Stevia.
WHAT IS THE KETO DIET?
Keto is actually quite simple.
It is a very restricted low-carb diet where you mostly eat cruciferous vegetables, lean proteins, and moderate to high good fats.
It has a Macronutrient ratio of 70% fat, 20% protein, 10% carbs.
The purpose of restricting the carbs is to get into a state called ketosis.
This is where your body burns ketones for energy rather than carbs.
Your body prefers to burn carbs for energy, but it can also run on good fats and healthy protein.
This metabolic state called ketosis is proven to boost energy levels (in most people), produce weight loss, and have many other health benefits.
ARE ALL CARBS BAD?
There is a difference between good carbs and bad carbs.
Simple carbs (refined sugar carbs) cause your blood sugar to spike and cause junk food cravings.
Complex carbs (such as beans & whole grains) convert to sugar more slowly but nevertheless convert to sugar in your body. This is why even complex carbs have to be restricted in order to get into ketosis.
This is why I don't recommend keto for long-term dieting.
In the short term, it is great for fast weight loss but our bodies need a few complex carbs in the long term as they are healthy to eat and provide health benefits.
However, too many good carbs turn to body fat and increase sugar spikes, so restricting all of them is necessary on keto.
GETTING RID OF JUNK FOOD CRAVINGS
The only way I know of to get rid of carb cravings is to stop eating carbs either with intermittent fasting techniques, lowering calorie intake, or eating only keto-approved food.
The best way I’ve found to reduce carb cravings at the beginning of a low-carb diet is to ease into the diet gently.
You can begin by replacing refined carbs with complex carbs and great-tasting smoothies, using light intermittent fasting, and adding health supplements to your diet.
Some supplements can be harmful in high doses so be cautious and get educated.
In order to get your body used to intermittent fasting in the beginning, you can supplement a fast with no more than 50 calories of snacks, cruciferous vegetables, low-carb fruit, or drink things like bone broth (crazy-healthy!), coffee, and tea sweetened with monk fruit or stevia.
Ease down your carb intake. Once you get your carbs down to 50 grams per day, intermittent fasting should be much easier and you can do it without supplementing with food. A true fast is going without food.
In order to not get the keto flu, you need to restrict your carbs slowly. This is where the Carb Manager App helps.
This tool will be a lifesaver when you are new to the diet.
I suggest if you have a hard time with the keto diet, do it temporarily until you lose the weight. Then switch to low-carb to help you maintain.
This is called maintenance mode.
Most people have to continue a low-carb diet in order to maintain weight loss.
These photos were taken in 2018, about 8 months apart. You can find my story featured on Dr. Berg’s website.
A few years later, several physical injuries kept me out of the gym and caused me to live a sedentary lifestyle while things were healing. During this time, my health declined.
My doctor ordered that I add carbs back to my diet when Interstitial cystitis issues wreaked havoc on my bladder and other health issues caused me to feel unstable. I was starting to feel like I couldn't win.
For six months straight I followed her orders but knew that I couldn't continue eating like that.
For me, this has been one crazy roller coaster ride but I'm still determined to stick with the good habits I've created.
IT TAKES DETERMINATION TO GET & STAY HEALTHY!
I put myself back on keto and started intermittent fasting. I drink mostly infused water and eat mostly cruciferous vegetables.
Now that I've learned to manage things better, doing the diet is easier.
I've currently dropped about 14 pounds in the last 19 days. While this is mostly water weight, it is a great victory considering I struggled with so many things over the past couple of years.
I'm excited to be on my low-carb journey once again.
If your body has a tendency to pack on the pounds, this HAS to be a lifestyle change (not a temporary change), in order for it to work.
Creating good habits doesn't happen overnight. Be patient with yourself. Love your spirit because God created it, and nourish your body. And, don't just live but live healthily.
You can do this! I encourage you to begin your new healthy lifestyle today. 💕
Comments