Why keto?

I have friends and family ranging from those who eat what they want to those that have been actively trying to manage weight ask me why are you on Keto? 

First, I have to say that I am not the healthiest-eating person. I love junk food and love to snack. I am envious of those of you who can have pizza or burgers and fries whenever you want and don’t gain an ounce. When I was younger I was that person. Eating junk every day was not that big a deal. Now, however, I see the effect that eating that way has had on my body. It’s not good. I have to admit keto was not my first option. My plan was to continue eating whatever I wanted and just go to the gym to work off the calories. As it turns out, what I was doing was just working out the food that I was eating the day before and not having any energy to run after my kids.

The hubs being a former heavy person and someone who battled with weight gain, brought up going keto. “Keto? What is that?” When he explained to me that he was going to cut out most carbs and sugar and consume mostly fat and protein I freaked out. “WHAT?! No sugar?! Oh, hell NO!!! We’re talking about a man who LOVES sweets; pies, cakes, strawberry shortcakes, and BEER! I was so shocked that he felt that he needed to do something this drastic. I supported him and after a month of being keto he lost a whopping 15lbs.

I agreed that I would try it out, but I wanted to make sure that this was a healthiest way for me to lose weight. He suggested that I look at the keto calculator to ensure that I was eating the right amount of Fat, Protein and Net Carbs. Net Carbs are the total number of carbs minus the fiber. After doing the calculations my breakdown was:

1266kcal Daily Calorie Intake, 25g Carbs, 77g Protein and 95g Fat 

Sounds drastic but I have to admit, I don’t think I have ever had this much energy in my life (so far). At first was it was a fast way to lose weight and now has become a lifestyle. Meal prepping has become something that the hubby and I enjoy. On Sundays we plan what our meals and snacks will be for the week that will meet our fat, carb, and protein count. At first, because I need variety, I was making five different meals. Now that I have learned what is best to eat I don’t feel so overwhelmed with what to make and pack up.

The only disclaimer that I have is that this diet is not for the faint of heart. It takes determination and a strong will to avoid all things that are yummy (I say yummy loosely) especially for anyone who loves pasta, rice, and bread. Eating keto and cutting sugar completely out of my diet was so rough but I was able to adjust after about two weeks.

Things that I noticed: clear skin, and (TMI) I was using the bathroom more regularly. I have also noticed that my once a month friend from hell doesn’t stick around too long and my cramps have gone away. Its like “she” is here for one day and gone the next. This way of eating has not just become a quick way of losing weight, it has become a lifestyle. No when I do have the occasional sweet treat I quickly notice how sweet it actually is and my body feels sick after it. If your looking for a change in the way your consuming foods, I would highly recommend trying keto. More post to come on what we eat and best ways to stay keto with kids.