How I Lost 30lbs On The Keto Diet

I lost 30lbs on the Keto diet, and I am incredibly proud of my accomplishment! Believe me when I say that I am NOT here to brag. On the contrary, I want to tell you that if I can do it, you can too! This weight loss has been elusive since I gave birth to my two beautiful children. My kids are 17 and 18 years old, for Pete’s sake! I needed to take my life back and start my self-care journey in a big way. Better late than never!

At the beginning of 2021, I decided to take control, make a plan, and execute it. If you’re anything like me, you may have made similar plans in the past but got nowhere. Been there, done that! It was time for a change. This mama wanted her body back. No, let me rephrase, this mama NEEDED her body back. And even though this change is here much later in life than I would have hoped, I embrace it wholeheartedly!

I want you to feel how I feel now. The sense of accomplishment is overwhelming and even euphoric. Why? Because the entire process was REALLY hard! But I stuck it out, I did the work, and now I am reaping the rewards. My self-esteem is up, and I feel great. And at my age, I really just needed to do better with my health.

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) says that even a modest weight loss of 5 to 10 percent of your body weight improves blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. Read the full article here. I want to stick around on this beautiful earth for a while, so here’s to making that happen!

What is the KETO DIET?

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to be used as medical advice. Before starting any diet, consult your doctor.

The Ketogenic Diet, better known as the Keto diet, has become increasingly popular over the last several years as a way to lose weight. The word ketogenic in medicine means that ketones are being formed. The basic idea of the diet is that it is low carbohydrate (5%) and high-fat (75%). The remaining 20% typically comes from protein.

On the Keto diet, as mentioned, most of the calories come from fats. Therefore, carbohydrates (carbs) are limited to 20-50 grams a day. As a result, when your body runs out of this limited supply of carbs, it begins to break down fat for energy, producing ketones. Ketones now become the body’s fuel instead of glucose. As a result, the body produces less insulin in response to these lower blood sugar levels. Decreased insulin, in turn, leads to several health benefits of the Keto diet:

• increased levels of the “good” cholesterol HDL

• lower levels of the “bad” cholesterol LDL

• lower blood sugar levels in diabetes

• control of epileptic seizures (this was one of the first uses of the diet)

• possible decrease in acne breakouts (more research needed)

• possible protection against some cancers (more research needed)

Nutritional Ketosis vs Diabetic Ketoacidosis

These two different entities undoubtedly confuse many people. Therefore, it is important to consult with your doctor before beginning any diet. Such consultations provide clarity and factual information. Together, you and your physician will decide whether the diet you are considering is right for you.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis is a potentially fatal condition in patients with Type 1 Diabetes.

On the other hand, nutritional ketosis is the ketosis that a low carbohydrate diet induces.

Read more about this here

Dieting Tips For Success

Be mentally ready

If you’re anything like me, there have been countless times in the past that you decided that it was time to start some sort of diet. This time was different. Why? I had motivation. There must be something driving your decision, something that will motivate you to keep at it when the going gets tough.

Here is mine: I am 45yrs old. Aging is something that occurs whether we want it to or not. For a control freak like me, it’s a bit unsettling when there is nothing you can do to stop something from happening. I decided that losing weight was a way of exerting some control over my life. I want to look good, and I want to feel good about myself. But above all, I wanted to do something that would contribute to both my physical and mental health. Hello, weight loss! Hello, self-care!

Have a diet buddy

I realize that this isn’t always possible. Hence, I was incredibly grateful and delighted when my sweet husband decided to diet with me! Having an accountability partner in an endeavor such as this is really important. I’ll tell you, having my husband by my side making the same food choices as I did ensured my success. He was there to talk me out of quitting. He was there to slap my hand if I reached for something I should not have! But most of all, he was my biggest cheerleader. Whenever I saw a change in the numbers on the scale, he showered me with praise and words of encouragement. That is everything!

More helpful tips!

Cook your own meals

That was a daunting thought for me at first because I am not a fan of cooking! My husband took the reigns on this one and has continued to deliver keto-friendly meals for us time and time again! I am very thankful that my husband knows his way around the kitchen and loves cooking for the family! I am truly a fortunate girl!

You can eat out, but I wouldn’t do it without extensive research into menu items and their ingredients. Plan ahead! Avoid making unnecessary mistakes that can kick you out of ketosis.

Here is an article that provides simple tips for eating out on the Keto diet.

Keep it simple

Social media is inundated with everything keto. Dieting tips, recipes, secrets for success, and opinions are everywhere. Consequently, social media can take you down a rabbit hole if you’re not careful. As long as you understand precisely what the diet is all about, you don’t need to get overwhelmed by everything coming at you on social media. You can make your own educated choices on what should be on your plate. Also, there are many versions of the keto diet, so you don’t want to be misinformed or misguided by someone you don’t know who is offering you advice but may be following a different version of the diet.

Stick to the plan that you came up with during your consultation with your physician. In my case, I found what worked for me. I settled on a few dishes that I loved and had those regularly. Sure, you run the risk of becoming bored with certain meals, so have enough options available, and you should be fine.

Some more tips for success

The keto flu

The keto flu is not recognized by modern medicine. It, however, seems to be a common occurrence in many people who are in the initial stages of the Keto diet (usually 2-8 days after starting the diet).

Symptoms include:

• headache
• fatigue
• constipation
• irritability
• nausea
• vomiting
• difficulty sleeping
• dizziness

I am happy to report that the only symptom of the keto flu that I experienced was fatigue. Your experience may be different.

Exercise

While exercise is not required while you’re on the keto diet, I encourage you to do diet and exercise simultaneously. If you’re just getting started with the diet, you may notice a decrease in your strength and overall performance. This decrease happens as your body adjusts to the changes in nutrients that you are providing it with. It is usually a temporary occurrence, and once your body has fully adjusted, you may regain the capacity for exercise that you once had.

Carbohydrates are the primary source of fuel for high-intensity exercises such as swimming or sprinting. Since the keto diet is one in which carbohydrates are restricted to 20-50 grams a day, these exercises may prove challenging to do. Try incorporating different exercises such as jogging, walking, dancing, and yoga. These are lower-impact exercises that may be easier to do while on the keto diet.

Having said all of that, you know your body best. Try different things and see what works for you. I was able to do a mix of walking on the treadmill and weight training. If on some days, I felt that my energy level was low, I just stuck to walking. Most importantly, do exercises you enjoy, and put on your favorite playlist to make the time fly by. Click here for one of my go-to playlists!

Count your calories

First, you have to determine your calorie intake for the day on the keto diet.

Use this calorie calculator

The basic idea remains that you must create a calorie deficit to achieve weight loss. I learned this the hard way my first time doing keto, which was unsuccessful. My food choices were good, but I was not counting my calories, so my attempt at losing weight was a bust!

Track your progress

I use the MyFitnessPal app on my phone.

Here is why I like this app ( I use the FREE version, and it is more than enough)

• easy to use
• scan barcode feature to find nutrition information of packaged food items (gives comprehensive nutritional breakdown including calories; quantity of carbs, fat and protein)
• large database of nutrition info for both groceries and restaurant menu items
• food diary to input breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks
• easily change serving size for accuracy
• record exercises
• connect with many different apps (including various health apps) and devices such as Amazon Alexa
• track progress with weight recordings and pictures (and a cool graph which is exciting to see when there is a downward trend)

Learn to read food nutrition labels

I found the carbohydrate section of these labels to be the most useful while on the keto diet. Why? Because my main aim was to keep my daily carbohydrate consumption to 20-50 grams a day.

Net carbs = Total carbs – (dietary fiber + sugar alcohol)

Of course, the lower the net carbs, the better.

What is sugar alcohol?

It is a type of sweetener used in foods that tastes sweet but is NOT digested and metabolized by the body like other sugars we are familiar with, such as fructose and sucrose. Sugar alcohols can also occur naturally in foods such as fruits and vegetables.

Examples of sugar alcohols are xylitol, erythritol, mannitol, sorbitol, lactitol, and maltitol. Avoid maltitol on the keto diet because it causes a spike in blood sugar. Also, when calculating Net Carbs, maltitol is not subtracted from Total Carb, resulting in a higher net carb value. Avoid sorbitol on the keto diet because of its high calorie count (2.6 calories per gram). Sorbitol occurs naturally in fruits and berries. It is metabolized very slowly by the body.

I haven’t tasted the sweet goodness of raspberries in forever! I will again; it’s just a short-term sacrifice. You, however, may choose to eat keto-friendly fruit while on the Keto diet. However, moderation is key because the carbs in these can add up quickly.

Here are your best options:

• Raspberries: 5 net carbs in 100 grams (3.5oz)
• Blackberries: 5 net carbs in 100 grams (3.5oz)
• Strawberries: 6 net carbs in 100 grams (3.5oz)
• Watermelon: 7 net carbs in 100 grams (3.5oz)
• Cantaloupe: 7 net carbs in 100 grams (3.5oz)

The second component of the nutrition label that I found most helpful was the number of calories per serving. Since I wanted to maintain a caloric deficit to achieve weight loss, knowing the calories contained in the foods I ate was of utmost importance.

Find a keto-friendly sweetener that you like and stick with it (for the coffee drinkers out there!)

Here are some available options:

• Erythritol (love this one but unfortunately had terrible side effects of abdominal pain, gas, bloating and diarrhea)
• monk fruit
• stevia (personally I don’t like the taste)
• sucralose in its pure form and NOT in Splenda
• xylitol (I avoid because it is highly toxic to dogs and other pets)

You’ll need these cute miniature scoops for your sucralose:

And when you’re having Keto waffles or pancakes, sprinkle some of this! Yum!

Beware of sugar-free claims

As mentioned above, not all sugar-free sweeteners are okay on a keto diet. Ask questions and do your research if you are trying something new. Erythritol is by far the best and most widely used sugar alcohol. Again, say no to anything with maltitol and sorbitol. While they are not harmful, you can easily sabotage your diet. That sucks when you’re trying really hard. Better to be safe than sorry.

Try intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting has become quite popular over the last few years. It is basically alternating periods of fasting and eating. Many use it to lose weight, while others use it to achieve a better, healthier lifestyle. There are various versions of this way of life, and I honestly just created my own to suit my own needs.

When my weight plateaued and I needed to jump-start the weight-loss process, I incorporated this method a few nights per week. I would eat my last morsel at around 10 pm and not eat anything again until the following day, 12 hours later. I found this very helpful because once I decided to do this overnight fast, my calorie intake was less, and my cravings were less because my mind was in control. Your mind really can do incredible and mighty things if you let it!

Find a keto-friendly treat that you love

Yummy treats are the ultimate reward for your hard work! I typically saved my treat for the end of the day when I craved it the most and when I needed to feel a sense of accomplishment. Over the months, I have found several favorites, many made by the Quest Nutrition company. They have many great options for anyone on the Keto diet. These snacks were game-changers for me!

Here are my absolute favorites!

Invest in a Ketone Meter

Being in ketosis is required to reap the benefits of the Keto diet. You can test your ketones via three different methods: Urine testing strips, Breath tests, and Blood tests. There are many choices of Ketone Meters out there, do your research to figure out which one best suits your needs. I opted for a breath test Ketone Meter, even though a device that tests the blood is more accurate than both breath and urine tests. It was easy, quick, and convenient for me, the price was right, and I didn’t want to do finger pricks regularly.

Here is the Ketone Breath Meter that I used:

Invest in a modern scale

This particular scale is incredible if not only because it automatically synchronizes via Wi-Fi with the free Health Mate app. on your phone. It measures weight, body fat and water percentage, and muscle and bone mass.

That’s a wrap!

So there you have it! I’ve spilled all my secrets. But that was kind of the point of my article! I hope I have provided you with helpful information that could benefit you or someone you know considering starting the Keto Diet. This diet isn’t for everyone, but it has proven successful for weight loss. And then there are those excellent health benefits I mentioned before. If you’ve been wanting to change the way you eat, making conscious, mindful choices while being on a diet such as this can promote positive eating habits and choices in the long run.