Keto Diary: Day 19

I have now completed over two and a half weeks on the Keto Diet. It has actually been a blast trying out different recipes. 

So, here is an update...

Week 1: I lost 3 pounds. I was drinking a gallon of water a day, eating a bunch of eggs and had even drank protein shakes when I could not get a meal in and intermittent fasting. I also worked out maybe 3 days out of the week.

Week 2: I lost 5 pounds. I calculated my macros this week using the Carb Manager app and realized I was taking in way too much protein so my body was burning that over fat the first week. I cut the protein and amped up my bacon intake. I also cut the water to half a gallon. I noticed my ankles swelling and the less water I drank, they stayed normal so I assume I retained water. I did not work out at all besides walking through the grocery store as I shopped for groceries for my job and I started taking Keto Drops that help with burning fat. I also continued with the intermittent fasting.

These few weeks have been good. Not always easy, as I craved some junk food but, I found alternatives that curved my cravings. I also had a couple yummy keto friendly meals that were so delicious and satisfying (fathead dough pizza and low carb pancakes). Photos below!

So after 2 weeks, I am down 8 pounds. I didn't measure inches at the beginning (which I should have) but I am taking weekly photos and can tell a difference). Now, to finish out week three and keep going!!

Keto Diary: Day 2

Today, I might be experiencing a little of what's called the Keto flu. Basically, my body is not used to the lack of carbs and it's going through withdrawals. It's not as bad as some experience though. I just had some slight stomach issues and a light headache. Nothing major. Still drinking my gallon (and some) of water. Eating plenty of bacon and yummy chicken breast. I even made Keto cheesecake clouds (pictured below) to help with my sweet tooth!  It's just cream cheese, vanilla extract, lemon juice, 3 packets of truvia and a little heavy whipping cream. So good! Pop them in the freezer and they're a nice little sweet treat when you need it!

I do need to add in leafy greens and keto friendly veggies. I'm going to get a few things tomorrow to help spice up my recipes! 

My food for today was;

Breakfast: 4 eggs and 5 slices of bacon and water. 

Lunch: 3 Turkey butter burger fat bombs and a side of guacamole. Of course more water. 

Dinner: bacon wrapped cheesy chicken breasts. (I didn't prep so I had no veggie sides 🤦🏾‍♀️).

Played outside with my girls and jumped rope for 10 minutes plus some light squats and jumping jacks for exercise. 

I'm getting sleepy a little earlier than normal and besides being awakened by tiny people in the middle of the night because they're climbing in my bed, my sleep is pretty okay. I know it's only the second night but I definitely feel some changes. 

I'll check back in on day seven with a progress report and any updates that occurred in between time. 

Until then, thanks for joining me on this journey back to me, but even better! 

#Day2Done!

#GreaterIsComing

Keto Diary: Day 1 (Join me on my journey)

6/1/2020

Today is the first day of the best of my life! Today I embarked on my second attempt of the Keto diet. The first time I tried the diet was in 2016, a few months after I gave birth to my first daughter. I loved the diet and lost 14 pounds in my first month! I was so excited. I wasn't sure how safe this way of eating was for my breastfeeding baby, and I also had some unusual things start to happen with my body, so I decided to stop after month 2. I really wish I hadn't. I decided to pick it up again 22 months after my second baby. After my second pregnancy, my body seemed to continue to get bigger and bigger and I have had enough. 

So many things have come into play with my excessive weight gain over the last few years. I married my husband in 2015. We just recently celebrated our 5th year anniversary and it was so beautiful, even with having to stay home and stay safe. Just to give a background of how life can happen so fast and stress can build up; after we married, we had our first daughter together exactly 9 months later (not quite in our plans but she is certainly a blessing to our union). During my entire pregnancy, my husband (who had left all he had in another state to come get me where I was, starting completely over from nothing) was working different jobs to bring in money. I already had a stable enough job to support us both until he was back in his rightful position but it was still nonetheless quite stressful. A few months after our first baby girl was born, he landed his career job with the U.S. Postal Service! An absolute blessing! The following year, we purchased our first home. That process in itself takes a lot out of you but we did it! The following year we gave birth to our second baby girl! 

Are you following?? In a span of 4 years, we got married (2015), had a baby (2016), new career, bought a house (2017), and had another baby (2018)! Although these are wonderful things, they still cause stress and they occured back to back! Not to mention we live 2 hours away from most of our family support, so work for me was becoming more stressful due to the fact that we didn't have help with childcare and we had to work to pay for daycare. Can anybody relate? With all of these things going on, on top of new mom lack of sleep, on top of post-partum anxiety, on top of emotional eating, on top of some other familial stresses, it's no wonder how I gained about 60 pounds since we exchanged vows! 

Then in 2019, I decided to leave my state government job of 10 years for a local government job, taking a very significant pay cut but doing a job I absolutely love. Still needing to pay for childcare, now for 2 children, and taking on a different level of stress as now I see clients, build relationships and empathize deeply. The stress of how we'd pay for childcare weekly weighed heavily on me, so much so, I'd privately cry and just beg God for help. He sustained us the entire year miraculously!

The beginning of 2020, my husband and I decided that it would be best for me to leave the workforce for a while to stay home with our girls, in an effort to keep from drowning with childcare bills. That decision has changed my life completely! Although scary at first, it was the best decision I could have made! I am able to work part-time doing grocery delivery (which I love). I can choose to work when I want and I set a goal amount of how much I want to make for the week to help with some of the household bills.

Doing this has greatly decreased my stress level, I sleep better and I am enjoying my family so much more! What better time to finally get back to me!! I am much more motivated to be better, not only for myself, but for my family as well!

I have been so excited to start my keto journey once again! I can see where I want to be and I am confident I will be able to reach that goal! I prepared myself to begin strong and I plan to stay strong throughout my 3 month journey!

Here are some of the things I started today and plan to continue:

My breakfast was 4 scrambled eggs with cheese, a sliver of cream cheese and 5 slices of bacon. I had about a liter of water to wash it all down.

Lunch was a couple turkey butter burger fat bombs (pictured below) along with more water. Great thing about these little yummy balls of goodness is that I can store them and reheat them quickly either to go with a meal or as a quick snack!

For snack I had 3 turkey snack sticks that I dipped in a to-go container of Wholly Guacamole and a string cheese. Water was the drink of choice.

Dinner was tacos with 2 shells made out of melted and hardened cheese with more water of course!

I have not felt hungry at all but this could be from the excitement of day 1...or because I have basically drank over a gallon of water. 

I am also including intermittent fasting with my diet to help get my digestive system properly regulated, so I eat between the hours of 12:30pm and 8:30pm then I fast until the next day at 12:30pm.

I am starting out with very light exercise. 15 squats, 45 second planks, 15 crunches and 45 second jumping jacks along with running around outside with my babies for playtime. 

It's only day one but I am so excited to continue sharing with you my journey! I'll share with you my highs and lows, my victories and set backs then at the end, I'll share my before and after photos. All of this in hopes of encouraging and inspiring other mamas  like me who feel they've lost themselves. Its time to get our groove back ladies! Day 90 will be wonderfully mindblowing! Will you journey with me??