I started keto in April and have never looked back. Aside from losing 20lbs, I also lost the carb addiction and disordered eating patterns that have plagued me for years.
I have energy, clear skin, clear mind, and several stomach issues that have resolved themselves after limiting carbs!
I share my successes through social media, and also to my friends and family. I feel a low-carb lifestyle is the best thing you can do for your health and everyone should know!
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 wanted to give myself a fair chance with keto, so I made a goal of ‘no cheats for 4 weeks’. It wasn’t THAT hard considering keto foods are so delicious, but I think what got me through was experimenting with baking. Some folks don’t see a positive purpose to keto-baking, but I think it helped me tremendously.
I could play with recipes to make foods I was missing – guilt-free! I made bread, cupcakes, nanimo bars, cheesecakes, pizza, and the list goes on and on. I never felt like I was “missing out” so I stayed on track without any issues, and continue to do so for the same reason.
2. What is the most impactful change you’ve made to your diet and why do you feel it’s been the most important?
Eating REAL foods, most definitely. It is a lot more work to buy whole foods and prepare meals from scratch, but I feel so much better eating real food than I ever did with pre-packaged or frozen meals. It’s so important to me, and much more beneficial, to get my nutrients from food sources rather than a handful of the supplements I used to take. I feel I also appreciate the food more when I’ve put in the effort to prepare it. It seems to taste better 🙂
3. What is the best single piece of advice you can give to someone that is just starting out?
Be patient with yourself. It is NOT easy to break habits and beat addictions. Give yourself a break if you fall off the wagon, and don’t wait for Monday, or another date to “re-start” – make your next meal keto and keep on keeping on!
4. How do you feel your life is now that you’re at your goal?
It’s STILL a challenge sometimes and always will be. The difference is now I don’t beat myself up for decisions I consciously make. If I have a few glasses of wine, or I got out for a non-keto dinner, I accept my decision and go right back to the foods that make me feel my best. Sometimes my physical health takes a short trip to the back-burner while I enjoy something for my MENTAL health. Life is all about balance after all!
5. What do you consider the biggest change in your day-to-day life?
How I feel, compared to how I felt. I thought constant stomach pain was normal. I thought my stomach ballooning up to twice it’s usual size was something everyone dealt with after eating! I thought headaches and lightheaded spells were a natural response to not eating for a couple of hours, and my mood swings were okay since everyone else around me gets “hangry” too.
And then after 4 weeks of strict keto, limiting carbs to under 20g/day while I adapted, I realized: I didn’t have to feel terrible. There was a version of me that could eat to satiety and didn’t change at all in appearance, a version that went days without any pain. It was actually life-changing.
6. What did you do to find support throughout your journey?
I listen to A LOT of podcasts. The people I follow on IG are incredibly supportive and wonderfully inspiring.
7. What do you currently do to manage your day-to-day diet?
Right now I’m doing the Ruled Me 30 day keto diet program, but I usually just listen to my body – I eat when I’m hungry, stop when I’m full, and limit carbs. If something makes me feel bad, I avoid it. Because I know what it feels like to feel GOOD…it’s quite startling when I don’t and I try to avoid that as much as possible.
8. What is your favorite keto recipe from www.ruled.me that’s become a staple?
That’s a tough one! I love the shrimp/cauliflower curry, currently. It changes all the time since you guys are adding constantly!
9. If there is one thing that you could do differently during your journey, what would it be and why?
I honestly can’t think of anything. Even all the “mistakes” or missteps along the way were learning experiences. I learned what my body can tolerate, what foods make it feel it’s best, and that it’s okay for me to veer off the path as long as I’m continuously finding my way back on course.
