I created this blog for men and women who are curious about the Ketogenic Lifestyle. I know that starting a new diet can feel overwhelming, so I hope that my journey can ease some of your feelings of intimidation. Plus, I always try to provide helpful tips and offer my favorite keto-friendly products and recipes!

If you have done any research about Keto, you have probably read that it is more of a lifestyle than a diet. I agree! I began this lifestyle as a weight loss tool, but I gained so much knowledge in the process. I learned how to make healthier choices regarding what I put in my body.

Prior to Keto, I was unhealthy, unhappy, stressed and tired. I hid my body under large t-shirts, long-sleeves, and pants… Really just any clothes that hid the excess fat on my thighs, belly, arms, hips, and back. I cut my hair to a bob because I felt like it would make me look thinner. I made excuses for not going to the gym. I stood behind people in photos so that I could hide my body or I only took pictures from my neck up. I could not do a single push-up and every time I ate, I ate until I was overly-full. I was angry. I was depressed and yet, I would self-sabotage with food and excuses. My insecurities were in control of my life and I never tried to change. Until Keto.

My Keto Journey
I gave birth to my first daughter in August of 2017 and my second daughter, soon after, in February of 2019. I weighed 178 pounds the day I delivered my youngest. To some, that may be their goal weight. But, for me, that was the heaviest and most uncomfortable I had ever been. It was also the most unhappy I had ever felt. I believe that most moms experience some form of postpartum depression, and I most certainly did. I thought to myself, “How can you bring the most beautiful child into the world but feel so unhappy with yourself?”

In March 2019, one month after giving birth, my husband, Joey, came to me with an idea. He said, “I want to start the keto diet. I’ve done a lot of research and I ordered a cookbook off of Amazon.” I laughed HYSTERICALLY and said, “You can try to diet all day, but I am not going to be counting carbs and stuff.” I cannot believe how naive I was. Just typing that made me cringe.

I needed to lose weight and now I knew that my husband wanted to also. So, I began my own research. From what I understood, I needed to lower my carbohydrate intake and increase my fats. Afterall, the most important part of this keto lifestyle was becoming “fat adapted”. My body needed to start burning fat as fuel! My sister Nicole had been on the Keto diet for some time but I never really listened to all of her great advice. I wanted to believe that my body was still 18 and I could eat ALL OF THE THINGS without any repercussions. But the reality was, everything I ate went to my thighs, hips, arms and face. I desperately wanted this Keto diet to work. I needed to feel happy and losing weight was the first step to finding my confidence again.

The next day, I took to Pinterest! I found the most generic “Keto Foods List” possible and began our grocery list. We decided that having unhealthy foods in the house would be too much of a temptation so we emptied our kitchen of all processed foods.

By this time, my grocery list mostly consisted of green vegetables, berries, meat, and dairy. I wanted to do it right. I wanted to get into ketosis ASAP. I think I googled “Is _____ keto friendly?” 300 times before we left for the store.

One of my biggest concerns was coffee creamer. I had a toddler and a newborn, was barely sleeping, and I relied HEAVILY on coffee with vanilla creamer and sugar to get me through the day. I discovered a facebook group called “Keto for Beginners” and searched for keto-friendly coffee options within that group. Quickly, I discovered that heavy whipping cream and stevia were popular in the Keto community. Thankfully, I also discovered Torani Sugar-Free Vanilla Flavored Syrup. I added these items to my list.

That afternoon, we conquered the grocery store trip with two carts and two babies. But, the next three weeks were challenging. I experienced the dreaded “keto flu” during this time. I had unrelenting headaches and craved sugar and bread constantly. I truly felt like I was in detox. But, I stuck to the diet.

The first few months, Joey and I pretty much ate the same meals in a rotation. I had a coffee as soon as I rolled out of bed. I used heavy whipping cream, liquid stevia, and Torani Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup. What a great alternative! For breakfast, we ate a lot of bacon, eggs, cheese, berries, and avocado. Lunch often consisted of romaine lettuce wrapped sandwiches. However, sometimes I would not be very hungry and opt for vegetables and ranch dressing or a small snack like nuts and olives. For dinner, we ate a lot of bunless burgers, taco salads, chicken, steak and vegetables.

We have used many Slimfast Keto products, although they are considered “dirty keto” (I will go into that below). Slimfast has meal replacement bars and “fat bombs” (below) that we enjoyed for dessert.

By utilizing the free aspects of the “Carb Manager” app, I was able to track my carbs, fats, and protein for the first 2 months, staying under my allotted 20 net carbs a day. I also logged my water consumption and weekly weigh-ins through the app.

My body naturally introduced "intermittent fasting" where I would not consume calories for 18 hours a day at least 3 days a week. My body stopped feeling hungry and eventually I began to only consume 2 meals a day in a 6 hour window. Eating fatty meals instead of simple carbs allowed me to not feel hungry all of the time.

I weighed myself every morning and even when I wouldn't see the numbers on my scale go down, I could still feel the inches coming off. I went from a size 12 to a size 6 in 3 months and after 7 months, I was a size 2! I think I was buying a new pair of pants every month. I wish everyone could have results that quick!

I no longer try to hide my upper arms, my thighs or my belly. I don't feel bloated all of the time. I don’t feel the need to nap after I eat. I truly believe that my pre-keto diet was the root cause of my depression and brain fog. I have energy everyday now and I can run a mile without feeling like my lungs will collapse! Not to mention, 90% of my cellulite and acne is GONE.

I heard a perfect analogy once… It’s like carrying a toddler around the zoo on a hot day… and you finally get a chance to put that baby in the car… 35+ pounds off of my tired body!

My initial goal was to reach 135 pounds and fit into a size 6. I never imagined I would be 116 pounds and a size 2. I haven’t been this size since I was a freshman in high school! While my goal was to lose weight, I had no idea that I would feel a whole new sense of mental clarity and calmness. This journey has been incredible and I am so grateful that I have my confidence back!

My documented weigh-ins using the “Carb Manager” App!

Over the course of this Keto journey, Joey and I weighed ourselves every morning. To the right is a breakdown of my documented weigh-ins:

-I never used ketone test strips or ketone drinks/pills although they are very common.
-Now that I have met my weightloss goals, I am considered to be in “maintenance”. Sometimes I allow myself to consume fruits and vegetables that are not low in carbohydrates and I even have the occasional cheat meal.
-“Fat Bombs” are a snack or dessert that contain mostly healthy fats. Often we eat these if we want a dessert or need to increase our daily fat intake.
-It is important that if you are calculating net carbs to use this equation:
Net Carbs = Total Carbohydrates - Dietary Fiber - Sugar Alcohols

Types of Keto Diets

Strict Keto- This is often the most traditional approach for beginners who want to lose weight. When people are strict, they count net carbs and normally focus on a diet of whole foods. Inflammation is normally at a minimum.

Lazy Keto- This approach allows people more freedom. While you still track net carbs, there is less of a focus on fats, proteins, and calories. Normally, lazy keto dieters still try to stay within their allowed total net carbs.

Dirty Keto- This alternative allows you to eat processed and pre-packaged foods as long as they are low in carbs. While this may help you lose weight, you most likely will not experience the overall health benefits that a strict-keto diet offers, like decreased inflammation. Oftentimes, dirty keto products will lack quality ingredients but may still keep you in ketosis.

products

Benefits that I Experienced
Weight-loss
Improved Mental Clarity
Appetite Control
Improved Skin Health
Improved Joint Mobility
Back Pain Relief
Improved Sleep
Regulated Gut Health
Reduced Sugar Cravings

The Ketogenic Diet has been proven to have many other health benefits! If you are interested in beginning your journey, please consult with your doctor. Keep in mind that Joey and I started our diet with a very basic understanding of meals and products. We have discovered so many more Keto recipes and products that I can’t wait to share with you!