September of 2018 I was weighing over 300 pounds. I got to the point that it was hard for me to even tie my shoelaces…it was uncomfortable to walk and I know I was just getting too big.
I stumbled across Keto. Ruled.Me to be exact. When I was trying to find something to get me going…I never knew that it would be so life-changing. I started going low carb near the end of September. Once I got past the initial stages and into Keto, the fat just started falling off! Soon I was to the point I could work out in the gym and not feel so self-conscious. Once in the gym, it was all downhill from there.
My anniversary date of September 2019, I was down to 182 pounds and feeling healthier than I have in my life. Keto changed my life forever, and now that I am at a healthy weight, I have no desire to be anything but Keto…it’s not just a diet, but a lifestyle. I love it and have no intention of ever going back to a carb diet.
Thanks everyone in the Keto community for support, great recipes and such an amazing amount of information. I lost over 120 pounds because of this community and diet 🙂
1. What tactics did you employ to help you get to your goal? What did you find helped you get to your goals best?
I used a combination of apps, exercise, dieting, and websites to achieve my goal. I started by using the calculator on ruled.me, then fed those macros into the app Myfitnesspal. I used that app to track my macros as it came in handy with the barcode scanner and a fairly decent library of prescanned items.
2. What is the most impactful change you’ve made to your diet and why do you feel it’s been the most important?
The elimination of soda and sugar. It is amazing how just cutting soda out of your diet can almost immediately make you feel so much healthier.
3. What is the best single piece of advice you can give to someone that is just starting out?
I find sugar and processed foods to be the big enemy. Try your best to remove those from the equation. I found using sweeteners such as Erythritol and Stevia to be a godsend. Also, trust yourself.. don’t judge your success by the scale but by how your clothes fit.
4. How do you feel your life is now that you’re at your goal?
I honestly feel like years of my life have been added. I do not get as fatigued as I used to, feel stronger and more flexible. It’s amazing how much your body improves in Keto besides just weight loss.
5. What do you consider the biggest change in your day-to-day life?
I am no longer chained to the table. I don’t watch the clock waiting for the next time I can eat.. everything is at my time. I eat when I want, because I no longer feel the hunger.
6. What did you do to find support throughout your journey?
Honestly, most of my friends and coworkers did not understand the Keto diet…at the time it was fairly unknown. I did find a lot of support from strangers on websites such as Ruled.me, bodybuilding.com and myfitnesspal.
7. What do you currently do to manage your day-to-day diet?
I stay away from sugar and anything with an extensive ingredient list. I keep everything simple with my food and as natural as possible.
8. What is your favorite keto recipe from www.ruled.me that’s become a staple?
Soooooo many good recipes!! One of my favorites: Instant Pot Smothered Pork Chops. These are by far the best pork chops I have ever made…even before I did Keto!
9. If there is one thing that you could do differently during your journey, what would it be and why?
I would stay away from the “diet” items that cater to the keto / low carb crowd. A lot of the packaged “low carb” items you can buy…microwavable meals, snacks, etc.. might be low carb but are so processed they always made me feel horrible. So I would definitely shy away from those if I could do it differently. Just simple, non processed foods.
