How I lost 40lbs in 2018 thanks to Keto

Every year would start with the same New Year’s resolution: I wanted to lose some weight and start eating healthier. In 2017, I swore I was serious about it – got the gym membership, and I was on a good streak.

Then, by mid February, that was out the window and I was back to my old ways.

Finally, at the beginning of 2018, I realized how much progress I could’ve made if I stayed consistent one year ago. I wish I could share something magical that makes you motivated. Nothing does –something just has to click inside of you mentally and you’re just OVER it and READY.

Disclaimer: I hinted on a previous post about how healthier eating and exercise has improved my mood. I’ve been hesitant to share my weight loss journey because I’m not a nutritionist or a medical professional. I’m just sharing REAL girl advice that has helped and worked for me. I’m not an expert, and I’m still fairly new to this and learning as I go through trial and error. It’s important to run any “diet” by your doctor and always do your own research. I’ve included some resources at the end of this post to get you started!

The following are the changes I started making this year and what I experienced.

First 6 Months of 2018: REGULAR “DIET”

In January of 2018, it started small by just making “healthier” choices. I stopped eating out so much, and when I did, I would try to get the healthiest item on the menu. I tracked my calorie intake and began going to gym at minimum 3 times a week, but mostly I was going more.

Results: June 2018

This regular “diet” lifestyle continued for the first half of the year. I’d lose some weight, but then it would creep back up with the cheats. The most I had lost was 15 pounds, but with those fluctuations, by the start of June I had only lost a total of 11 pounds since January.

I was happy with that progress, but I knew I could do better. Hunger was still an issue ALL THE TIME, even though I was eating 3 full meals a day with snacks in between. (For a total of 5-6 meals altogether)

I would still have moments where I crashed and binge ate or had “cheat days” and ate pizza and french fries. My cravings really never went away, I just suppressed them.

The most positive thing about this portion of the journey was creating a exercise habit – I started to enjoy going to the gym and made it a priority! Even when I ate like crap, I always managed to get my butt in the gym.

Once June hit, I knew I wanted to take it up a notch. My goal was to lose 50 lbs by the end of this year and here we were, halfway there, with only 11 pounds to show for it. (I realize now that goal was pretty big and the number on the scale doesn’t matter, but that was my frame of mind at the time. Spoiler alert: my mindset has changed.)

Last 6 Months of 2018: The Keto Lifestyle

That’s when I started to look into the KETO lifestyle. I’d heard so many success stories and started seeing so many people talk about it on Youtube. I spent an entire weekend watching and googling everything about the diet, and decided to start it that following Monday.

Halfway through the first DAY of the diet I was so excited and giddy about it. When I had my first meal of the day: a simple egg quiche recipe, (here!) with a coffee + heavy cream + stevia, I KNEW this was the lifestyle for me. I felt SO FULL. My former oatmeal & banana a day always left me thinking about lunch right after. I couldn’t believe this small baby quiche made me feel STUFFED like I just had Thanksgiving dinner!

The reason I was experiencing this? HIGH FAT, low carb. When you make (healthy!) fats the number one factor in your diet, you don’t experience cravings or that HANGRY feeling. You’re feeding yourself real food and not empty carbs and sugar. With lower carb intake, your body has no choice but to turn to fat for fuel instead and you begin burning fat more efficiently.

I didn’t even THINK about food the rest of the day. Before I knew it, it was close to 2pm and I STILL wasn’t ready for lunch. I forced myself to eat lunch because I was afraid to undereat. Come dinner time, it was the same story. Not hungry, I just ate to get the calories in.

As the weeks passed, my energy skyrocketed, I turned into a fat burning machine and the weight just melted off!

And, this is how its been ever since.

Results: December 2018

December marked 6 months since I switched to Keto and I’ve lost another 29 pounds, without any hunger and way less exercise/effort!

In total. I’ve lost 40 pounds for the year 2018! Not 50, but pretty darn close! I’m so proud of myself and I’m so excited to crush my goal in 2019!

Oh – and did I mention I exercised way less and ate DELICIOUS food while doing it? I’m having so much fun on this “diet”, I’m not even worried about the scale anymore – the weight will come off when it wants to.

DIET COMPARISON:

So, lets compare that for a second:

JAN 2018 – JUNE 2018: Regular dieting + Weekly cheat meals + Gym 3-4 times a week + always HUNGRY = 11 lb weight loss

JUNE 2018 – DECEMBER 2018: Keto Lifestyle + Rarely cheat due to no cravings (MAYBE once a month) + Gym 0-2 times a week + NEVER HUNGRY = 29 lb weight loss!

My Thoughts:

Keto is by far the better and more efficient option for me! I have been yo-yo dieting for the past DECADE and never have I been this consistent nor felt as great before on a diet. I prefer to call it the Keto lifestyle because Keto doesn’t feel like a diet at all! It’s not restrictive to me, its freeing!

Honestly, the weight loss is now just a “nice side effect” of the diet. I really enjoy the benefits of being in ketosis most! I have increased mental focus and I get a lot more done in the day.

This was just an overview of my weight loss story, if you want me to do a deep dive into how I do keto, or just learn more about it general, I can definitely do that if you’re interested!

Like I said before, I’m not perfect, and I like to give practical, balanced advice that is sustainable. So if you’re cool with that – I am so down to share!

In the meantime, some Keto Resources that helped me:

Youtube: Keto Connect: Watching these two vloggers share their tips and recipes has been invaluable! You can also keep up with them on Instagram at @keto.connect

Netflix: The Magic Pill: This documentary on Netflix really opens your eyes to how healing Keto can be for the body!

Websites: Diet Doctor’s Keto Guide for beginners: A great basic guide to get you started!

Fast food guides: Ruled Me and No Bun Please have saved me so many times when I have no choice but to grab fast food. They tell you exactly what/how to order keto at each restaurant!

What do you think? Would you try Keto? Do you have any questions about the diet or would you be interested in me adding more Keto topics on the blog?