Nine months ago, I was feeling pretty down. Couldn’t keep up with the kids, the wife, the housework, anything. I was a heavy smoker for almost 20 years. So I finally decided to quit in late January 2015.
But I didn’t stop eating. Got up to 321 lbs…not good. Then had some changes in our life. Needed to feel better about myself. So a friend told me about the keto diet and Ruled.me. He had lost 67 lbs in 12 weeks. And it seemed so easy, for the most part. So I had one last stuffing breakfast on May 16th and started May 17th. Got into ketosis quickly, lost 14.6 lbs the first week and haven’t looked back since.
It’s now been 17 weeks. I’ve lost 58 lbs!!! After several weeks of losing, I started exercising with Focus T-25. There have been a few bad weeks, no loss or slight gain, but I’ve been pushing through. Every day is a challenge because the cravings for bad food are still there.
I have a very supportive wife, although she hasn’t been dieting or exercising as religiously as I have, but she has been very encouraging and motivating. My kids tell me they are proud of me and I am able to do more with them, especially in the brutal southern heat. My back doesn’t hurt as much after walking around the zoo the other day for several hours. My knees hardly hurt anymore. I feel good, I look better, and I feel a bit better about myself. My real issues now are wardrobe. I hardly have any clothes that fit, because they are too big!!!
Sadly, in a few weeks I am losing my job, being laid off after 16 years with the same company. Things look bleak. But, I have my family and a little bit better health. Hopefully I can keep it going. Thanks Ruled.me for being a great guide to success. Lots of good recipes to throw in occasionally to my usual eats for the day to hit my numbers, so I don’t go crazy eating the same things all the time. Sometimes its difficult to change what you eat all the time, so I’ve been sticking with pretty much the same thing. It gets tiresome, but an occasional good Ruled.me recipe does the trick to keep me on track. My goal is to get under 200 lbs, preferably 175. I hope I can get there. Long way to go, but I have a good start, thanks to Ruled.me.
Thanks,
Jared Baldo, from New Orleans.
(How I avoid all the good food here I don’t know. It’s very tough)
What is your favorite recipe from Ruled.me?
CHEESE STUFFED BACON WRAPPED HOT DOGS!!!
What is your favorite ingredient to use when making ketogenic recipes?
BACON AND CHEESE! I can’t decide which!!!
What is/was your motivation to keep on track?
My wife and my kids deserve a good looking, healthy, and good father capable of doing the things they love to do, playing outside, riding bikes, etc.
Did you ever encounter a stall? If so, how did you get over it?
Only a couple that lasted only a week. Just didn’t stop the diet or exercising. Kept chugging along and started taking measurements in addition to weight. Seeing losses in inches also was a good motivator.
How did you hear about keto, and why did you start?
A close friend had lost 70 lbs in 15 weeks. I hadn’t seen him since he had started. Was floored at the results and grilled him with questions about the diet. I wanted to look like he was beginning to look and his success was great motivation. I was 321 lbs and did not feel good at all. Hurt everywhere, couldn’t breathe almost after minor activities, and I couldn’t keep up with my wife and kids.
In what aspects have your life changed since going keto?
I feel better, more energetic, better self-esteem – my wife looks at me differently, my daughter tells me how proud she is of me. It’s a nice feeling. I have lost my job after 16 years, but have a good amount of money saved until I find another job. Will add bike riding to my regimen and hopefully put my weight loss into another gear!
What piece of advice would you offer to people that are just starting out on keto?
While it is tough to give up carbs, it is the best way and easiest way to lose weight quickly, safely and effectively. It helps you build confidence in yourself because it is a major accomplishment to do what myself and many others have succeeded in doing with this diet. Don’t give up on it because it won’t give up on you.
What did you personally do in your first 2 weeks of keto? (i.e. Drink broth, go for a walk, throw food out, etc.)
Once I figured out my macros, I picked four things that fit into my macros and had the same thing every single day. Eggs, Cheese and bacon for breakfast, two bun-less burgers with cheese for lunch, a grilled chicken Caesar salad and a Atkins snack bar for a snack. When I lost 2 18 pounds the first two weeks I told myself I would never look back. Took a picture at the end of week 1 after losing 14.6 lbs!!!!
