How do you start?
I started keto because even though I was exercising two hours a day, eating a low-carb diet and limiting my use of sugar, I still wasn’t losing weight. I also had low energy most days, and my fibromyalgia pain was getting worse...Rosanna mentioned this very cool lifestyle called Keto, and I thought why don’t I give it a try, so I did and have never looked back!
Keto and special health considerations
So as mentioned above, I have fibromyalgia which means I need a specific diet, typically one that is high fat, low carb. and moderate protein. Keto is a great option for someone with my condition. I’ve found that Keto is more supportive and nurturing in terms of meeting my weight loss goals. So yes I have adopted keto as a lifestyle, since it minimizes my fibromyalgia symptoms. As a person coping with seizure sensitivity the keto lifestyle makes me feel more secure that seizures are less likely to occur in the future. In fact, I haven’t experienced any seizures since starting keto. This is not surprising since Keto was actually developed for hospital patients who were experiencing frequent epilectic seizures.
Before and after
Before I started keto I felt lethargic even though I was exercising, getting the right amount of sleep and eating a low carb diet. After Keto... I have lots of energy, and am better able to focus on my schoolwork and my attention span is much improved . I am losing the weight that I have always wanted to lose, and am a happier person now...Based on these very positive results, I hope to use my story to inspire others to try this very cool lifestyle as well.
Why keto?
I think the reason is why not keto? Many times, we have this list of foods that we always say, “Someday, I will eat that, someday when I get off this diet I will try that, or someday when I am older I will try that”. But with keto, you get to eat wonderful delicious foods like cheesecake and still manage to lose weight at the same time I hear so many stories of people who practice what’s called lazy keto and have “cheat days”, which I will never understand...Why would anyone want to cheat on a lifestyle like this? It doesn’t make any sense.
What is a typical day in the life.
Okay, so a typical day for me is a little bit different than say the average person. For breakfast, I have a cup of bullet coffee which is coffee with either butter or MCT oil derived from coconuts and half and half or whipping cream depending on which is available. I then exercise for two hours, typically on a treadmill but lately working with aerobic dance videos. I recognize that this may seem to be an intense workout,, but that is what life is like when you have fibromyalgia! Then I will either go to class or go do my schoolwork until lunch. My lunch normally consists of a green salad with a protein such as cheese, nuts, tuna or chicken. After that I work with Rosanna and Philip on Keto Superheroes and have dinner consisting of a source of protein such as chicken, fish or turkey and fresh cooked green leafy vegetables. In the evening, we all exercise together , doing both cardio exercise in the form of a dance routine and strength training using a kettlebell and YouTube fitness videos. That is pretty much what a typical day in life is like for me!
Is keto something sustainable forever?
I do believe that keto is something that is sustainable. I think this type of lifestyle can be adjusted to the life you are currently on, and make your life better! Imagine having fun exercising and eating amazing food, you just need a supportive network to help you on your journey. I know there are a lot of naysayers out there who say this can not be sustainable, but I am living proof that it does work. I am an athlete, student and a person who is facing very difficult challenges in one’s life, and am loving the Keto lifestyle! I do not see any reason why it can not work for others. I know that the keto lifestyle can be challenging and does take work to organize...But I think it’s important to remember that you are worth that amount of time, after all we only have one life to live, so don’t you want to make it the BEST life, where everyday is fun, and you feel like a better version of yourself?
Best advice to someone starting out.
My best advice is first of all find something that you want to exercise! I don’t care if it’s doing tai chi for three minutes in the morning, or taking the latest HITT dance routine and making the moves your own, find something fun to move around too. The second thing is to remove all of the high carb stuff out of your pantry and give it to a nice homeless shelter in your community...They are going to need it a lot more than you will! The next thing I would advise people is to tell their friends and family that you are starting this journey. If they are good people, they will be interested in discovering what it is all about, many may try to join you on the journey, or at the very least will want to know if there is anything they can do to help. If they are in any way not supportive, I think it is time to examine why you have such negative individuals in your life.
Jess' before and present photo
