Rosanna’s Keto Journey

I really started my Keto journey, and I guess conceived of the core idea for Keto Superheroes.com for that matter, when I was eight years old. Okay, well I didn’t know about Keto yet, but I did know I wished magically to be able to eat everything I liked, all the delicious foods in the world, not feel hungry all the time and lose weight. Yes, at age eight I had already cultivated a toxic relationship with my own body. I had a lot of help though - My (horrible, maniacal, control freak) mother and her venomous sister, and their mother, made sure I knew DAILY  how fat and undesirable I was physically because I was not as thin and petite as my eldest sister who epitomized my mother’s standard of beauty. 

People who are overweight are often bullied-I was not, at least outside my HOME-I was actually a bully destroyer. Taking on the bullies and scaring them off the victims they choose in my neighborhood. I was really strong, fast, smart, and courageous and thought I was there to protect the weak, innocent victims of bullies. 

But my mother bullied me daily-At every turn, mocking me when I was hungry and making me feel guilty for not starving myself, and making me feel great when starving. In high school, weak and listless but thin after a very fast weight loss on a protein and water diet, my mother praised me while another doctor stated that I needed to be admitted to the hospital. 

Over time, my self hate grew, as I struggled to be the person who deserved to be loved, the thin person, the chic girl in tiny clothes who looked good in a two piece bathing suit. This dieting/over eating/starving/binging/thin/fat cycling fueled a lifelong obsession with diets of every description.  I  certainly had some short-lived success by the time I was in high school. I gained and lost fifty pounds multiple times, then in College my weight went from unhealthy low to elephantine high.  My weight cycled up and down at least three times by 100-150 pounds as I became a mother.  I even won an award at a local gym once for my outstanding success at one point, only to gain every pound back plus more within six months.

As happens, each loss and restart taught me little except to hate myself a little bit more as my metabolism got slower with each passing year…It was a disaster!  Clearly, I know how to diet, how to exercise, hydrate, etc-and lose weight. I did it over and over. But keeping it off and staying fit, so I could move on and enjoy my life as a fit healthy person, that eluded me!~

What was missing? The truth is, what I realized is that I could be successful at weight loss, especially fast, crash dieting pointed at a specific goal - a prom, a wedding, to impress someone, and most of all to make my mother, and then others,  love me.  NEVER, not once was all that effort, sacrifice and hard work EVER for me, for my happiness, my fitness, my health, my fun.  When I got to my goal, cranky, starved, exhausted, after abusing and neglecting myself for whatever period it never seemed to work out that I got the attention, support, love, admiration, romance, or recognition I thought I would.  Whatever praise wore off quickly and my need for love from external sources was never fully satisfied.  So what did I do to treat my disappointment, sadness, loneliness, and self hate - you got it - I ate! I dismissed all exercise, ate, drank and was merry till every pound and more piled back on.  And oh the bullies, like my mother jumped right in to make sure to deliver some additional blows to my fractured ego.  AND so the cycle went. Terrible relationships, two failed marriages later, I realized that if I did not do something different and better, I would spend the rest of my life in this god forsaken cycle.

I would like to say here, this is where I found KETO - but actually this is the point where I actually found ME.  in a moment of enlightenment, when I realized that it was no one’s job in the entire universe to love me, or care for me, except for ME  It's my job to take care of me.  I am responsible for my own happiness, health, fitness, mental stability, security and everything else.  My mother passed away as did most of the other toxic bullies of my life, but I was still acting  the victim of their disgust and seeing myself through their cold dead eyes.  NO MORE! Just like on my computer, I hit reset - and decided to see myself and the world differently. It really is THAT SIMPLE.  I decided to pick a lifestyle that would allow me to get fit and stay fit forever, that allowed me to eat very well, never be hungry, give me energy, build up my body, support lots of activity, and maintain my health well into old age.That is when I found KETO. 

Or I should say it found me - my dear friend Karen, met me for lunch when we worked for the same company for awhile, and although she always ate differently than me (she is carnivore, I am vegetarian), she seemed to be eating quite weirdly to me, and yet was clearly dropping weight quite successfully.  Karen was always beautiful, but she was getting downright foxy! She generously shared her keto journey and success, gave me some tips and I did a lot of research.  And voila! Keto became my lifestyle, forever, with a weight loss of 118 lbs.  But to be clear my success at weight loss was supported by KETO for sure, but it was made possible ONLY by my decision of self love.   Understanding and accepting that you are worth it, and making decisions on your own behalf, are key, as is planning.  You don't even need self control if you have planned your life properly for your own ups and downs, pain points and triggers.  I have become a master at this - and have so much to share.  This is why I coach others on the journey.  Just like Karen did for me. I want to help assist people like me who suffer needlessly based on their self images and food abuse, break the cycle, divert the energy, and pivot onto a better road - FOREVER.  

I have studied KETO and am dedicated to its science, its impacts on people’s lives, at any age.  I learned about intermittent fasting which has worked very well for me. I often practice OMAD (one meal a day) with zero hunger and the highest energy levels ever in my life supporting a 60 hours work week and 1 hour of exercise in which I delight in every day 7 days per week. (In the past I would have hated the thought - and now I am miserable if something interferes with my exercise time - which includes, zumba, core exercises, kettlebell, and long walks whenever I can fit them in). I use  MCT oil, drink bullet coffee and eat like a king, enjoying every minute of it. I have totally adopted a Keto lifestyle. I have absolutely no interest in “cheat or treat” days or neglecting my exercise or changing my food choice OR gain back the weight that I have lost. I bake magnificent keto cakes, make gorgeous fat bombs, cook sumptuous rich balanced meals every day, and plan excellent brunches and breakfasts for myself and my family - all keto - all the way - I want for nothing. 

And I will not. 

Why am I so sure this time? I realized that this is my passion-

Not just losing weight and loving myself but helping others on their journey. The most wonderful thing is that my whole life up to this point has brought me to this Moment-My wish has always been me to be a good listener to others and help others To bring  out the best in them and help them to their own goals. My education, professional experience, training and teaching skills come into play every day in my work as a certified Keto coach.  Interestingly my life has required me to develop the very skills I needed to help others to succeed in overcoming one of the biggest ones people face every day. 

I Say: Keto= Self Love.

Rosanna's before and present photo