Okay friends, the Keto Diet Week 1 results are in!

Keto Diet Week 1:

When I was deciding to live the ketogenic lifestyle, I knew that it wasn’t going to be easy. Thankfully, I was wrong! It was so much easier than I thought it would be. The first week I went easy on myself. I knew that I didn’t have enough food in the house to work within my goals, so I decided to simply cut out all gluten. No bread, crackers, nothing, nada, zip, zilch. Okay, you get it.

I was amazed by the results of cutting out gluten. After a few days, I noticed that my belly wasn’t swelling after every meal (something that started this past year), and I felt full of energy. I was always full after every meal and didn’t feel the emotional desire to eat. I did crave sugar a little, but it wasn’t that bad. If I craved sugar, I would just eat frozen fruit or an apple.  This seemed to work very well for me. I also noticed that I wasn’t swelling anymore. Before cutting out bread, I had experienced swelling in my hands and feet. I don’t really know what was causing it, but it was annoying and painful. My guess is that bread and the fake sugars in the sodas were causing me to swell and retain water.

After one week of cutting out the bread, tortillas, and crackers I lost 4.8 pounds. I attribute most of this to water weight, and I’m assuming that 1/2 to 1 pound was actual fat.

Either way, my clothes were fitting better, and I wasn’t bloated, so I was pretty happy with those results!

I can’t really remember what I ate or how much I ate, but I did fill full for longer periods of time, and I had more energy. The only side effects I really noticed was the occasional dizziness when I would stand up.

Week By Week Stats: Keto Diet Week 1

Starting weight: 121.00

Weight Loss: 4.8 lbs

Measurements: (I didn’t take these until the end of week 1)

Waist: 25 1/2
Hips: 34 1/2
Thigh: 20
Arm: 10
Calves: 14 (doubt this will ever change)

End Weight: 116.2

You can read my weekly updates learn more about the changes I’ve made and the results I’ve experienced.

Weekly Experiences:

Start Here: Deciding To Live The Ketogenic Lifestyle  (Starting Weight 121)
Then Read: Keto Diet Week 2 3.2 lbs Lost (Fat) – End Weight 113 & 3 inches down
Finally, Read This: Keto Diet Week 3 2.6lbs Lost (Fat) – End Weight 110.4 & 4 inches down

Today I want to take some time to share my story and tell you why I am Deciding To Live The Ketogenic Lifestyle.

My First Weight Loss Experience:

Since my first major weight loss experience, I have loved learning about the human body. When I lost weight after gaining 50lbs with my first two children, in my mind I had done the unimaginable. I never believed I would lose the weight, and thought I was destined to be overweight for the rest of my life. I made a lot of unhealthy choices during my pregnancy, but my weight loss experience changed me thinking about food and exercise.

When I was overweight, I was miserable and hopeless, and the articles and books I was reading weren’t helping me any. I remember reading a book about post-pregnancy and the body. It explained that after having a baby, you could kiss your body goodbye. I believed it, but I never accepted it with open arms. It wasn’t until I started to understand why I ate the way I did, and how exercise (specifically weight lifting) changes your body that I saw a light at the end of the tunnel.

My Divorce Weight Loss:

Like any person who chooses to make changes in their lives, I have had some ups and downs with my eating habits and my workout routines. When I got divorced, I lost even more weight (due to stress), but I also started working out in ways I never had before.

I started weight lifting and training for my first fitness competition, and I was addicted. Working out was like breathing for me but I still indulged (often overindulged in foods like cupcakes, ice cream, and fast food). The fat just wouldn’t come off and I couldn’t understand why.  Sure, I was slimmer and more muscular, but there was some fat that just wouldn’t melt.

Deciding To Live The Ketogenic Lifestyle: My Remarriage Weight Gain  

In February of last year, I remarried my ex-husband, and the weight started to creep back on. At first, I was fine because I still worked out, though not nearly as much. What changed the most was my eating habits. When I lived alone, I ate what I wanted, and other than the foods I mentioned above, the meals I cooked at home were pretty healthy.  Being back in the house with my carb loading, southern food eating, husband proved to be a struggle for me. I eventually found myself eating a pint of ice cream every day the week before shark week, and guzzling Diet Dr. Pepper like they were about to retire it. I went from weighing 113 to weighing 121. Sure, not that big of a difference, but I was miserable.

With the start of the new year, I planned to make some much-needed changes. I knew what I needed to do, but I didn’t want to do it. I was happy with what I was eating but unhappy with the aftermath of my binges. So a few weeks ago I started digging back into my research. I read  Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It and I couldn’t put it down! After re-learning what I already knew, it confirmed in my mind that it was time to take the plunge. Deciding to live the ketogenic lifestyle was a no-brainer but could I do it? That was the question.

Deciding To Live The Ketogenic Lifestyle: The Beginning Of The End 

I started living the Ketogenic Lifestyle at the beginning of 2015 and other than a few learning curves I have been in ketosis ever since. I wouldn’t change a thing. This is the first time in my life I have been able to not only abstain from foods that I knew weren’t healthy but had no desire whatsoever to eat said foods. Sure every once in a while I will get a whiff of bread from Texas Road House or a Strawberry wedding cake and think it smells delicious but it passes just as quickly as it comes, and I carry on with my day.

My goal now is to continue trying delicious new ketogenic diet recipes, continue weight lifting five days a week, and just enjoy each day as it comes. I have no idea what the future holds, but I know I enjoy the days more when I am happy with my body. I don’t want to be a supermodel or even a fitness model, but I do want to love my body and take care of it.

Are you wondering what it’s like when you first start the keto diet? You can read my weekly experiences here:

You can read my weekly updates learn more about the changes I’ve made and the results I’ve experienced using the links below.

Weekly Experiences:
Check It Out: Keto Diet Week 1  4.8lbs Lost (mostly water weight) – End Weight 116.2
Then Read: Keto Diet Week 2 3.2 lbs Lost (Fat) – End Weight 113 & 3 inches down
Finally, Read This: Keto Diet Week 3 2.6lbs Lost (Fat) – End Weight 110.4 & 4 inches down 

Update October 2016: I wanted to share a quick update for anyone who may land on this page. I now weigh 111, and deciding to live the ketogenic lifestyle was the best decision I could have made for my health! I can not imagine living a life where carbs or sugar rule over me. Do I have the occasional slice or pizza or ice cream from time to time? Yep! It’s usually to celebrate one of the kiddo’s birthdays, but I wouldn’t change a thing! This lifestyle is perfect for me, and I feel amazing!

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