How to start Keto and Resources that Help

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Interested in the Keto way of eating and how to start Keto? My first experience following the Keto way of eating was in 2018. I had tried all sorts of different diets and failed at each and every one of them. When I heard about Keto, though, it sounded similar to the diet I had to follow while pregnant with my first son (I had gestational diabetes), so, if anything, I knew that I should be able to follow any restrictions pretty easily. I mean, I had cut carbs in the past, so I should be able to cut carbs again, right?

Ok, so, before I go any further, I need to mention that I am NOT a doctor or health professional of any sort. I am a mom. A mom who’s had success with the Keto way of eating, so I’m passing along my experience and tips to anyone who might be considering “going Keto.” Please research this way of eating to see if it could be beneficial to you and be responsible with your choices while you are researching how to start keto.

Why I started Keto

Since I had Gestational Diabetes with my first pregnancy (but not with my second…whew!), I knew I was already susceptible to developing Type 2 Diabetes later in life. I also have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), so that makes me susceptible to developing Type 2 Diabetes, too. Ugh. These two factors were two of the reasons I decided to give the Keto way of eating a try.

In addition to those two health factors, I knew I could stand to lose a few pounds. At the time, I was at my highest weight ever and that frustrated the heck out of me. I wanted to be able to do things with my kids and not feel exhausted. I wanted to be able to go on amusement park rides (yes, I was over the weight limit for some of them) with my kids. I wanted to be able to shop for cute clothes in my favorite stores. I wanted to break the cycle of being overweight like many of the people on my maternal side of the family.

(If you ask me, weight loss should not be the main reason for starting a new way of eating. When I say that I wanted to lose weight, I wanted to lose weight because, if I lost that weight, my quality of life would improve. I didn’t want to lose weight JUST to see a number change. Please be responsible with your choices.)

In addition to weight loss and to prevent future health complications, I had heard that following a Keto way of eating could help to reduce “mind fog” and result in clear skin. Since I’m a blogger, I need my mind to be as fog-free as possible. I’ve also had my fair share of adult acne, so I was totally interested in having clear skin!

Even after deciding that I wanted to try the Keto way of eating, I still wasn’t sure. I mean, if I had failed at losing weight before, how could I make sure that this wouldn’t have the same outcome?

So, to sum it up, I decided I wanted to start Keto to:

• decrease my chance of developing Type 2 Diabetes
• improve my quality of life
• be able to do more activities with my kids and family
• have fun shopping again (yes, totally a first world problem, but still)
• break the cycle
• have clear skin
• reduce “mind fog”

How to Start Keto

Even after I had decided that it could be worth it to try out the Keto way of eating, it wasn’t until I watched The Magic Pill that my decision was solidified. After watching The Magic Pill, it was almost as if everything had clicked and I was completely motivated to start on my Keto journey. If you’re able to, definitely give The Magic Pill a watch and see if it helps to clear up any questions you might have.

When I decided that I was definitely going to go ahead and start Keto, I started searching for resources. I’ve gotten a TON of recipes and ideas from Pinterest and, over the past few years, I’ve really enjoyed the support and recipes from these resources:

My Keto Results

Once I had the resources, I dived in head first! I officially started the Keto way of eating on May 1, 2018 and had lost a total of 40 pounds by the end of that year. I felt amazing. I could go shopping at some of my favorite stores, was super creative and always thinking of new ideas for my blog and for activities with my family, and was super happy.

While I didn’t follow the Keto way of eating to a T, I was more “dirty keto.” This meant, for me, that I reduced the amount of carbs I ate per day (I aimed to keep it around 30 grams/day), cut sugar out of my diet, made sure to include healthy fats in all of my meals and snacks, and avoided fruits and vegetables that were high in carbs. The first two weeks were tough, but I persevered and it was all worth it. Being a self-proclaimed foodie, I also made sure that I didn’t miss out on special opportunities. For example, I would allow myself to enjoy a small slice of cake at a birthday party and would still enjoy a glass of wine from time to time.

I was able to maintain that weight loss for the entire year of 2019! I didn’t necessarily follow “dirty keto,” but was more aware of my food decisions and made a conscious effort with each meal and snack to eat only if I was actually hungry. I didn’t let emotional eating get the best of me (anyone else do that? ugh!)

Then…2020. 2020 happened and most of my progress when right out the window. I gained back the majority of what I lost. That’s all I’m going to say about 2020 😆

Now, I’m back on track for 2021 and am excited to see how much progress I’m able to make throughout the year. If you decided to give the Keto way of living a try, let me know! Send me an email, post on our Facebook page or Instagram so I can cheer you on!

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