My results so far and is keto for the long haul?
I wanted to take some time and give the people what they want!!!! Okay, maybe it will be 2 of you, but here is an update on my keto journey and my life because whatever this is my blog and if you don’t like me then you probably haven’t gotten this far on my page yet or you have and then maybe you will like me now. WHATEVER, keep reading, this is a super vulnerable DL time 😉
I am in the middle-end of week 11, Sunday will mark 12 full weeks. I have lost 15 pounds so far, which is what I lost after week 10 actually…. In that first week I lost 5 pounds and then in the second week I lost 2 pounds and then slowly I have lost anywhere from 0 to 1-ish pounds a week. I even have fluctuated back and forth on a few of those. Eh.
So you’re probably thinking wow 5 is a lot and then wow, 0 a week is nothing, literally that’s nothing…… Yes, that’s because life happens. Life happened for me in Vegas, in the Bahamas and even in Cabo, when I came back I always gained a little and then would work my butt off to get back to the weight I left. It’s been a lot of work and it hasn’t just been my diet (80%) but also working out and my mind set. I have only lost a few ounces these last 2 weeks because I had my first real cheat day and then chilled and then my sister came to visit and I chilled again, at Diddy Riese 😉 Which was life again, but I continued to workout regularly.
Those first 5-7 pounds lost brought me back to the weight I had been for the last 2 years, that felt great but I knew there was more to lose. I felt so fluffy, which was kind of crazy to me because I work out pretty intensely every week and I walk to work, the gym and walk my dog weekly. I always felt like my body didn’t match who I was and the things I believed in or did. Like there was so much more to me and it wasn’t showing. Such an internal struggle I was having with myself that truly messed with me.
Well, I still work out a lot. Just about every day I do something. It’s very rare that I have a full day off from walking/running or Orangetheory but I have been trying to listen to my body more and take a full-on relax day per week and one mild workout day per week. That leaves 5 days for hard workouts that leave me breathless and where I have burned anywhere from 500 to 600 calories within 52 minutes. This is something that I do for me, because it makes me feel good, it makes me feel strong, and it allows me to eat more calories. I am 5’2 on my very best day and I like food and I will NOT eat less than 1,500 calories a day if I don’t have to. So I burn more. Also, eating higher fat and lower carb has, I swear on my dog, given me even more energy (who knew I could have more), more strength and I run like a fast bad-ass mad woman now. I even sleep hard and for 8 plus hours a night. I drink a ton of water too, but that was always my thangggg.
It’s actually quite funny too, when I was younger I was incredibly active and “sporty” but then high school came along and I dropped both sports that I was decent at. It wasn’t until I took up running 4 years ago and Orangetheory came into my life 2.5 years ago that I realized I am SUPER competitive with MYSELF and that it makes me SO happy. Sometimes when I work out I tear up…… legit, I almost cry or I do cry because I feel so lucky that I get to use my body in this way and that I get to be stronger and stronger with each workout…… I don’t know if I am crazy but if I am then I feel so grateful to be this kind of crazy.
Starting in the middle of January, Orangetheory had an 8-week long weight loss & fitness challenge that started while I was entering my 3rd week of keto. The rules were, you had to weigh-in right before the first day of the first week and take pictures. Weigh-in after 4 weeks, weigh in on the last/final 8th week and take pictures again. You also had to pay to enter and go AT LEAST 3 times per week for 6 of the 8 weeks. So I went to about 3-6 classes per week and lost 10 pounds in those 8 weeks and won 2nd place for all of the women that signed up at my Brentwood studio. That’s been a pretty incredible feeling to know that my hard work has paid off in some way and that it is being noticed and recognized by others. I got a $250 Lululemon gift card so I am not mad about it and can’t wait to continue losing and sharing that with the people I workout with everyday.
The big change for me these past few weeks has been food aka my diet and simply how I view food. Keto/very low carb has truly helped me to appreciate food, cooking, being social with food and being creative with food. It’s really changed my entire outlook on life (remember that scene in The Grinch?) But really, my whole life has changed and I know it’s for the better and I know that keto is hard and that I have to say no to a lot, but I am also saying YES to being healthy, YES to making positive changes, YES to helping others (if they ask for it) and YES to my future. I am going to slowly add in a few more grams of carbs per week to become more low-carb and not strict keto just because eventually I will want to have a slice of Red Velvet Susie Cakes or a bowl or Ramen without ruining my entire week and feeling so sluggish and tired.
So please, ask me anything you want or don’t, but know that if I can do it, you can do it too. You also don’t have to workout like a maniac like me, which is why keto is so popular because to see changes you don’t have to workout at first, but I was already deep into that part. I also highly encourage being active so why not do it if you can. Also, you don’t have to be keto, just cutting carbs here and there will help or doing healthy swaps when you can. Right now, Josh isn’t eating chips, which was something he would do everyday at work……. that’s huge. It’s the little things each week that will add up to the big things and make the changes you so eagerly want.
Also, I kind of have this really cool blog that I upload my recipes to and I even have my Instagram where I usually share whatever I am making that day or a cute video of my dog. If you ever want the recipe let a girl know, I got you. Tip: Download and use MyFitnessPal, it will do everything for you. This photo represents my transformation in the Orangetheory Challenge from January 18, 2019 to March 17, 2019. You can tell I have been de-puffed and tightened up. I have odd light shining through in my apartment so I tried to brighten up the pictures but I did not want them to look weird so body shadows and brightness from the windows are there obviously. Oh, and I got a TAN, haha!
I am so excited for the next few months of my life (lots of things I am working towards and changing) and for me to hit my goal, so stay tuned y’all!!
Cooking on the DL 