hailey-bartrug - Tumblr blog

[hailey-bartrug]

I have been doing keto for 302 days now. I have lost 71lbs as of today. I have 14.4lbs left until I reach my goal. I am down 4-5 shirt sizes. I am down 5 jean sizes. I love myself endlessly. I'm no longer afraid to eat. I'm no longer scared about how I look in something. I don't have an eating disorder anymore (it can still get triggered when people tell me to just go eat things I don't eat). My IBS is gone. My horrible pains are gone. I feel so much better and more alive.

[hailey-bartrug]

Homemade Keto Caramel Frappuccino

I've never been a fan of the "fancy" drinks at Starbucks, but pre-keto I did enjoy an occasional caramel frap.

I've talked about Starbucks choices on here before, but never talked about the homemade versions you could make.

This has been my go to coffee at home when I don't have the time to go by Starbucks (since mine is busy 24/7).

Here's what you'll need:

Stōk Unsweetened Black Cold Brew Coffee

Horizon Organic Heavy Whipping Cream

Splenda Liquid Zero

Torani Sugar Free Classic Caramel Syrup

Sugar Free Whipped Heavy Cream

Here's how you'll make it:

12 fl oz Stōk Coffee (3 net carbs)

15 ml Heavy Cream (1 net carb)

2 squirts Splenda Liquid Zero

1 fl oz Sugar Free Caramel Syrup

Little whipped cream on top

(Add everything as listed in your favorite coffee cup to match the net carbs below)

The regular Caramel Frap from SB has around 74 net carbs...and it's all sugar...yikes.

This keto friendly option has 4 net carbs and no sugar.

The yummy taste with no harmful ingredients? Definitely worth it.

October 8, 2020

[hailey-bartrug]

10 Keto drinks to stock in your home

Besides water, these are some all time favorites in my household. We don’t like to drink these often, but we do enjoy them about once a week. You can get these from Walmart or the Dollar General or really any store that sells canned or bottled drinks.

Main key when looking for drinks = zero sugar

(These are not ranked in any order.)

Coke Zero Sugar (regular, vanilla, vanilla orange, orange, cherry, etc)

Pepsi Zero Sugar (regular, vanilla, vanilla orange, orange, cherry, etc)

Mountain Dew Zero Sugar

Gatorade Zero Sugar (for the kiddos)

Raze Energy Drinks

Zero Sugar Rockstars

Mio Flavoring for water (for kiddos)

Clear American Waters (sweetened and unsweetened)

 Lipton Diet/Zero Sugar Tea (peach, citrus, etc)

Milo’s Zero Calorie Sweet Tea (yellow cap)

These are great options for really anyone who doesn't want to consume a high sugar content in their drinks or in their kid’s drinks.

July 21, 2020

[hailey-bartrug]

Ordering a Keto Coffee at Dunkin Donuts

The other day I went to Starbucks for my usually coffee or Keto Pink Drink. Sadly, they were closed and I was thinking I wouldn't be able to get my coffee fix. Then I remembered we have a small Dunkin Donuts in my town. 

I’ve only had Dunkin Donuts one time. Pre Keto, a few years ago. I got a donut and a Hazelnut Mocha thing that was loaded with sugar. And I hated it. So I wasn't too excited about getting coffee there.

I parked in the DD parking lot and went straight to Google to find their menu with nutrition or any fun Keto friendly drinks. I found some good options that were 5-6g of carbs, but I knew that I would be eating that amount when I got to my fiancé’s grandparents for dinner. So I decided to save one of those for another time.

I ended up getting a large Cold Brew coffee with light ice and nothing added. I went home and added my own Heavy Cream and Sugar Free Hazelnut Syrup. I could have drank it how I ordered it, but I was really wanting hazelnut that day.

Do I recommend DD for Keto lovers? Yes and no. What I got was really good and it was only $3 for 32oz where SB is closer to $4-5 for that size, but I think you'll be more limited on combinations at DD. I haven't tried to customize through the app for DD like you can for SB, but if you can do that in a similar fashion then it might be worth it.

Unless SB is closed I’ll probably stick to them, but I would go to DD again and order the same thing.

July 21, 2020

[hailey-bartrug]

Keto Starbucks Options

Coffee is one of my favorite things and Starbucks was always an easy choice because of the free drinks and the fact that it is the only decent coffee shop in my town. Luckily, making a Keto friendly drink at Starbucks isn't as hard as I originally thought so I can still enjoy coffee without getting a huge amount of sugar and carbs.

Sizes

You can get really any size you like, but I prefer the Venti.

Sugar Free Syrups

These are obviously a better option compared to the regular ones, but remember each pump has 1 carb and that can add up.

Creamers

The best option for creamer at Starbucks is the “Splash of Heavy Cream”. Now this still has around 5-6 carbs so I usually do Light or Regular amounts instead of Extra.

Starbucks Cold Brew Coffee

This is what I usually get because it’s simple and tastes good, but there are two versions that I like to switch between.

Venti, Splash of Heavy Cream (Light or Regular), & 2-3 pumps of Sugar Free Cinnamon Dolce Syrup

Venti, Splash of Heavy Cream (Light or Regular), & 2-3 pumps of Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup

Nitro Cold Brew

This is a rare pick for me because I just prefer the regular Cold Brew, but there's some options in this one too.

Grande, Splash of Heavy Cream (Light or Regular), & 2-3 pumps of Sugar Free Cinnamon Dolce Syrup

Grande, Splash of Heavy Cream (Light or Regular), & 2-3 pumps of Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup

Grande, Splash of Heavy Cream (Light or Regular)

Iced Passion Tango Tea

This is a new thing I’ve tried and it’s pretty good for the non coffee drinkers. This has the most because you can really customize it more when it comes to sweeteners.

Venti, Heavy Cream, Light Ice, 1 scoop of Strawberries, No Liquid Cane Sugar, 2 pumps Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup

Grande, Heavy Cream, Light Ice, 1 scoop of Strawberries, No Liquid Cane Sugar, 2 pumps Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup

Venti, Heavy Cream, Light Ice, 1 scoop of Strawberries, Whole Earth Stevia with Monk Fruit, 2 pumps Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup

Grande, Heavy Cream, Light Ice, 1 scoop of Strawberries, Whole Earth Stevia with Monk Fruit, 2 pumps Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup

Venti, Heavy Cream, Light Ice, 1 scoop of Strawberries, Whole Earth Stevia with Monk Fruit

Grande, Heavy Cream, Light Ice, 1 scoop of Strawberries, Whole Earth Stevia with Monk Fruit

These are some better options to try at Starbucks that still taste amazing.

July 15, 2020

[hailey-bartrug]

Fat Head Pizza Recipe

Start with some shredded mozzarella cheese and a little cream cheese. You’ll microwave those together until nice and melty. 

Stir in an egg and some almond flour (some people use coconut flour instead). Mix together, it will get sticky and thicker.

Drop the ‘dough’ onto a large piece of parchment paper and place another piece of parchment on top. Use your rolling pin to roll the dough out into a 12 inch circle.

The parchment paper is key to success with this recipe. The dough will be too sticky to work without the the parchment.

Remove that top piece of parchment and trim the bottom piece to fit your pizza pan.

You’ll want to bake the crust in a hot oven for about 10 minutes to let it firm up and start turning golden brown.

Do not bake this directly on the pizza pan or it will stick. Bake the fathead pizza crust on a parchment lined pan for best results.

If you really want a sturdy crust, flip the crust over and bake a few more minutes. This helps it hold up really well.

Once you’ve baked the crust, spread on a little pizza sauce (Rao’s marinara is low in carbs and tastes amazing).

Top that off with extra cheese and your favorite toppings. Pepperoni, chicken, or whatever you want.

Pop it back in the oven for about 10 minutes to melt the cheese.

Slice it up and serve!

July 13, 2020

[hailey-bartrug]

Review of Keto Chow

If you don't know, Keto Chow is a nutritionally complete meal replacement mix. You just mix it with water and the fat of your choice (heavy cream, butter, avocado oil, coconut oil, etc) to make an entire meal in a drink.

They have various flavors including Chocolate, Banana, and Strawberry. Their website is filled with so many more flavors, but those are the favorites in my household.

I personally don't drink Keto Chow often because I’ve never been a fan of thicker liquids (like milkshakes, etc). But the few that I have had were really good. I tried Root Beer, Mint Chocolate, and Strawberry and despite not liking milkshake type drinks, I was impressed.

Root Beer

Before I was in ketosis, I used to love Root Beer. Only downfall about that was there isn't a sugar free Root Beer out there; at least not yet. So when I heard there was a Keto Chow Root Beer I had to try it. It tastes exactly like Root Beer in a milkshake form. I wasn't disappointed at all and if you're a Root Beer lover who also likes milkshakes, I highly recommend this flavor.

Mint Chocolate

This one took me by surprise. I love Mint and Chocolate things. Mint Chip Rebel Ice Cream is my favorite and Keto Thin Mints are amazing to me so naturally I wanted to try this one. Usually when companies make Mint and Chocolate products, they either get it right or horribly wrong. Being used to companies getting it wrong, I didn't have high hopes for this flavor. To my surprise it was really good. Tasted just like a Thin Mint milkshake and I was impressed.

Strawberry

Pre Keto Hailey loved one thing after a horrible day at school or work: a Strawberry milkshake from Sonic. Not being a big milkshake fan, finding one I could stand was a big deal and I only got one if I was having a bad day. This Keto Chow flavor is literally a homemade Strawberry shake from Sonic without the high sugar content.

I definitely recommend Keto Chow products to people who like milkshakes, but want to cut out the high amounts of sugar.

July 9, 2020

[hailey-bartrug]

Two lies the internet will tell you about Keto

These are two things I have seen or been sent about what the internet has to say about Keto and I just want to address them.

1. Keto causes an increased risk of heart disease

I’m starting with this one because it is probably the most frustrating one to see. Besides the countless studies that prove a ketogenic diet result in lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and higher HDL cholesterol, which helps protect against heart disease, there are plenty of normal people who can testify the same thing. My grandfather recently had a heart attack. A heart attack that he was warned about before doing Keto. When his levels were checked his doctor went from telling him to follow the Standard American Diet to telling him to continue what he was doing (Keto) because his levels and heart health had actually been improving. The reason he had the heart attack was because he went for a run after not doing that for several years. Keto was and is improving his heart health everyday and has not in any way increased his risk of heart disease.

2. Keto causes disordered eating

Disordered eating is a term used for unhealthy eating behaviors and worries about body image. Some of the most common types of disordered eating are dieting and restrictive eating. Others include self-induced vomiting, binge eating, and laxative abuse. Now when people hear this, they will say Keto is restrictive eating, but as someone who had a binge eating disorder I can attest to Keto not being restrictive at all. Keto has truly stopped my binge eating. I used to eat normal meals and then at night I would eat nonstop to the point of making my IBS act up very badly. And then I would hate myself after and starve myself for days. Keto helped me start eating real food and building a healthy relationship with food. I don't feel like I’m restricting myself, but I did when I was binge eating and starving myself. Because when I was doing that I would feel bad about eating when I was hungry and I would feel bad about not eating. I felt so conflicted all the time around food and it was uncomfortable for me all the time. With Keto, I don't feel uncomfortable and I don't feel bad about eating when I need to. I don't see or treat Keto like a diet, I treat it as eating food I like that just so happens to be good for me. I don't miss the sugar and pasta at all, in fact I really didn't like those things all that much compared to the meats and cheese so I don't feel restricted. 

This is just a reminder to not believe all of the scary things you see on the internet about Keto. Talk to people who have done it long term.

July 7, 2020

[hailey-bartrug]

S.A.D

The Standard American Diet is what most doctors recommend to their patients who are “overweight” or who have health problems, like cardiac disease. The problem with this is the Standard American Diet is causing these health issues. 

The food pyramid from the USDA was created in 1992 and has only been updated once in 2005. That’s 28 years of it being used and 15 years since this information was updated. That should make you wonder how accurate this food pyramid actually is. 

Above is a pyramid that represents the Standard American Diet. As you can see it says that bread, cereal, rice, and pasta should be your main food group and main source of energy. This is incorrect information being put out by way too many people.

Your body reacts to carbohydrates by giving you short bursts of energy and spiking your blood sugar in the process. Have you ever eaten something out of the USDA’s main food group and shortly after got really tired? That’s the carbohydrates.

Above is a food pyramid that represents what your main source of energy should be: fats. Yes, I said fats. The thing your doctor has been telling you to avoid so you don't clog your arteries, but what they didn't know is that the excess amount of carbohydrates are actually leading to heart disease more than fats and red meats.

According to a 2014 article, a study found that the risk of heart disease and diabetes is tied to carbohydrates, not fat. This study found that the carbohydrates in individual’s diets were linked to increased levels of a type of fatty acid linked directly to heart disease and type-2 diabetes.

https://www.livescience.com/48969-heart-disease-diabetes-risks-carbohydrate-saturated-fat.html

The simple fact is, the USDA got it wrong and for almost 30 years Americans have been doing the exact opposite of what they need. But it’s not too late to start reversing the effects of this and changing the definition of the Standard American Diet.

July 2, 2020

[hailey-bartrug]

100 Days on Keto

June 25, 2020 marked 100 days of my Keto journey and I have to say that I don't intend to end it anytime soon. I’ve experienced such positive things in these last 100 days that I’d really love to continue to see more throughout life. I wanted to do this particular blog because I see so many influencers jumping on the Keto train for videos, but they're all “I tried Keto for 30/60/75 days” and most are anti-keto when they go into it so it is very biased. My experience is different because not only is it longer, but it’s not completely biased because I used to be anti-keto. When my father-in-law started Keto in 2016, I was so against it. I didn't believe that it was good for you for the longest time. I eventually did research and talked to him more about it and became educated on the subject which is what prompted me to try it.

In the past 100 days, weight loss hasn't been on my mind as much once learning about the better health benefits. But I’d like to mention it because it is a part of my journey. As of my 100 day mark, I’ve lost 29.8lbs; 30lbs respectively. I went from a 2XL shirt to a medium shirt during this time and it has been a significant part of Keto.

Before Keto, I had a headache every single day. And about once or twice a week I would have a migraine. I never knew why, doctors didn't know, and it was extremely painful everyday. After two days on Keto and actually getting my electrolytes, I had no headaches or migraines. Two days. In the past 100 days, I’ve had two headaches and one migraine. I was taking ibuprofen everyday before Keto and now I've taken it once since I started. This was one of the best things for me to experience because I was miserable.

The mental clarity on Keto is amazing. I didn’t believe it at first, but my decision making processes have been so much easier. For someone who is ADHD and not on medication, finding ways to make choices faster and easier is one of the greatest things I can do. Now Keto hasn't lessened my ADHD, but it has made deciding simple things a little less complex. It has also improved my mental health as far as depression and anxiety. I have found that I can easily push negative thoughts out of my head now that I have this mental clarity.

I want to mention is just being able to tell that my cardiac health has improved. I started to notice that my ability to quickly rebound to my normal heart rate after exercise improved a good bit. During middle school and high school when I was a student athlete and lifting weights regularly this wasn't an issue, but since starting college and working full time my cardiac health has declined. I went from hiking every weekend and lifting weights at least four times a week to not doing anything besides school and work. Yes my job as a CNA is physically demanding, but not enough to replace my workout routine so my endurance and every went down hill. And Keto has helped improve those things by just eating healthy.

Everyone’s experience with Keto is going to be different. I didn't Keto the “Keto Flu”, but someone else might. I haven't had any issues sticking to it, but someone else could. This is just my experience and some of the things that you could experience, but you may not in the same ways I have.

June 30, 2020

[hailey-bartrug]

Documentaries

These are some documentaries that I have watched to learn more about Keto and the standard American diet. These documentaries are filled with information that anyone should want to know. You can find these on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and probably a number of other streaming sites. Not all of these are on Keto specifically, but they do a great job of explaining why everything we’ve been taught is, respectfully, wrong.

FAT: A Documentary (2019)

In this documentary, a health expert named Vinnie Tortorich exposes the history behind widespread myths and lies regarding healthy eating, fat and weight loss. Within 1hr and 35mins Tortorich and a number of doctors break down everything we’ve been taught to do with health. If you want to know more about what is wrong with the standard American diet, this is the documentary you want to watch.

https://youtu.be/z-onXpXUovc

The Magic Pill (2017)

This documentary goes into detail about what low-carb, high fat diets will do for people with Autism and a number of other things. This documentary shows doctors, scientists and chefs around the world combat illnesses with dietary changes, believing fat should be embraced as a source of fuel. And truly proving it. This goes into the details of how sugar effects the body and how all of these illnesses really are, at least, partly caused by it. The Magic Pill is one of my favorite documentaries on this subject because it shows real people making the changes and having a better life because of it.

https://youtu.be/61GitUC_678

Fat Head (2009)

This documentary doesn’t name Keto specifically, but it still has a lot of good information to help educate people. In Fat Head, a comedian loses weight while on a fast food diet to show that the popular opinions on obesity and healthy eating are wrong. He did this as a response to the 2004 documentary, Super Size Me.

https://youtu.be/evcNPfZlrZs

Hopefully you guys can gain some more information from these documentaries. These are no where near all of the ones I could list, but these are a good start.

June 24, 2020

[hailey-bartrug]

Glucose and Ketone Levels

When in ketosis you will want to monitor and pay attention to your glucose and ketone levels. This will not only give you a better idea of what level of ketosis you are in, but it will also give you some information on your health.

There are various methods of testing but, blood ketone monitors are considered the best method for determining if you are in ketosis, at what level, and what your blood glucose level is.

You’ve probably heard of glucose testing before. Glucose testing is commonly used to help with diabetes management, but it’s also useful for when you are in ketosis because it can reveal “trigger foods”; foods that spike your glucose and may adversely affect your ketone levels.

When testing your ketones and glucose levels, you want to test at roughly the same time each day. This is important for tracking your progress. The best time to test is when it is convenient for you on a regular basis. If you choose a time that’s convenient for you, you’ll be more likely to continue testing on time and be able to compare your results to prior days at the same time.

Now, sleep and meals can skew test results, so certain times are better than others. Some examples of good times are in the mornings while fasted, before lunch or dinner, and before and after meals to test food sensitives.

Testing in the morning while fasted, before you ingest anything, but after you’ve been awake awhile helps you avoid the “dawn effect”. The “dawn effect” is an early-morning increase in glucose levels caused by a natural rise in cortisol before you wake up. In the morning, glucose will generally be higher and ketones are generally at their lowest. A fasted test result will give you a good baseline to compare over time. Everyone will need to wait a different amount of time before testing in the morning. For someone without insulin resistance, testing an hour after waking will generally provide a good fasted baseline. But for someone who is insulin resistant, which causes elevated levels of glucose in the blood, it may be better to wait 2-3 hours for your fasted baseline, giving your body more time to adjust to the cortisol spike.

Testing before lunch or dinner will give you the most insightful ketone readings. Test right before lunch or dinner, at least 2-3 hours after you’ve eaten any other food or drink (other than water). The 2-3 hour wait is important because consumption of almost any food, keto-friendly or otherwise, will cause your glucose to go up and your ketone levels to fall a bit. This being said, testing well between meals ensures you get a truer reading of your progress.

There is one reason you may want to test after meals: testing just before a meal or particular food and then 60 minutes and 3 hours afterward is a great way to find out how your body responds to various foods, snacks, and drinks you have consumed. When testing for food sensitivities, glucose strips are a better indication of food reactions because glucose fluctuates faster than ketones.

Another part of monitoring your glucose and ketone levels is your GKI; Glucose Ketone Index. Knowing your GKI gives you a better overall view of your metabolic status and state of ketosis. The calculation is, [Your Glucose Reading (mg/dl) ÷ 18] ÷ Your Ketone Reading = Your Glucose Ketone Index. It is recommended to test your GKI twice a day: after waking and before lunch or dinner as described above.

GKI Levels

GKI </= 1 = Highest Therapeutic Level of Ketosis

GKI 1-3 = High Therapeutic Level of Ketosis

GKI 3-6 = Moderate Level of Ketosis

GKI 6-9 = Low Level of Ketosis

GKI >/= 9 = You are not in Ketosis

There are different recommendations on how often to test your levels, but that is up to you. I try to test about every eight days around 4-6pm. I use the Keto-Mojo Bluetooth ketone and glucose meter. I purchased it on their website along with ketone and glucose testing strips, a lancet device, and lancets. Keto-Mojo also has an app where you can upload your results so you don't lose track of them. It also automatically calculates your GKI when you upload them to the app.

As an example of what your levels can look like, I will share mine. I started the keto lifestyle on March 17, 2020 and started testing my levels on April 14, 2020.

*Reminder that 0.5 mmol/L is considered a light ketosis state.*

My Levels

04/14/2020

Blood Sugar - 88 mg/dL

Ketones - 1.3 mmol/L

GKI - 3.76

04/22/2020

Blood Sugar - 80 mg/dL

Ketones - 1.6 mmol/L

GKI - 2.78

04/30/2020

Blood Sugar - 84 mg/dL

Ketones - 1.7 mmol/L

GKI - 2.75

06/20/2020

Blood Sugar - 68

Ketones - 2.3

GKI - 1.64

I’ve been in a moderate to high level of ketosis since my first test and mac & cheese used to be my favorite food so it is very possible to enter a state of ketosis and maintain it.

June 22, 2020

[hailey-bartrug]

Cream Cheese Cookie Dough Dip Recipe

This is for all my cookie dough and cheese cake lovers! I made this and paired it as a dessert with the Garlic Parmesan Chicken and everyone loved it.

Nutrition Information (per 1/4 cup)

Net Carbs: 2.5g

Protein: 2g

Fat: 10g

Cals: 120

Servings

This recipe makes enough for at least 12 easily.

Total Time

5 mins

Ingredients

8 oz Cream Cheese

1/2 cup Butter

1/2 cup Sweetener (I use Swerve Granular.)

1/2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 to 1 cup Chocolate Chips (I use Lily’s Milk Chocolate Chips, but this can be optional.)

Instructions

Blend all ingredients, except chocolate chips, until smooth.

Stir in chocolate chips and enjoy.

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for 3-4 days.

You can enjoy this as a dip for Keto cookies or enjoy it with a spoon as more of a cookie dough pudding.

June 18, 2020

[hailey-bartrug]

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Recipe

This is a super easy Keto recipe that I have loved making!

Nutrition Information 

Carbs: 3g

Protein: 33g

Fat: 21g

Cals: 331

Servings

This recipe can make around 8-16 depending on how you cut your chicken.

Prep Time & Cook Time

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 45 mins

Ingredients

2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

8 oz Cream Cheese (softened)

1/2 cup Sour Cream

4 tsp Garlic

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Black Pepper

1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese

1 cup Parmesan Cheese (divided in 2 1/2 cups)

Instructions

Combine the softened Cream cheese, Sour Cream, Salt, Pepper, and 1/2 of Parmesan Cheese. Mix well.

Lay chicken flat in a large baking dish.

Spread cheese mixture over chicken, sprinkle Mozzarella and 1/2 Parmesan over top.

Bake at 375°F for 25-35 mins

June 16, 2020

[hailey-bartrug]

Tips for Keto

These are a few things I’ve continued to learn about that I feel would be helpful to anyone wanting to do Keto or for anyone who is just curious about it.

1. Get you electrolytes

This is something I feel that everyone should do regardless of if they're doing Keto or not. And I don't mean getting them by drinking Gatorade or Powerade. Those drinks are filled with sugar and don't give you near as many electrolytes as you need. Not intaking enough electrolytes will definitely increase your chances of getting the “Keto Flu” and just make you feel terrible in general. I suggest getting “No Salt” (this is potassium) and plain salt (I personally like the Great Value Pickling and Canning Salt because there is no dextrose in it). I mix 2-3 1/4tsp of plain salt and 1 1/4tsp of potassium in my water at least 2-4 times a day. For a 16.9oz water bottle I do 2 scoops of salt and 1 scoop of potassium. For a 20oz Blender Bottle I do 3 scoops of salt and 1 scoop of potassium. Getting your electrolytes in every single day is very important for replenishing the water and salt lost during the day and it also helps with muscle cramps, headaches, and a number of other things.

2. Make your own fat bombs

Now this one isn't as important as getting your electrolytes, but if you do choose to eat fat bombs looking up recipes and making them yourself is one of the better choices. This is because there are many, many brands and products marked “Keto” that actually aren't the best to consume or give money to. A lot of these “Keto” products aren't actually Keto friendly and are filled with horrible ingredients that will upset anyone’s stomach. Not to mention they usually have way too many net carbs (Keto counts net carbs, not total carbs). 

3. Don’t get discouraged

I’m putting this one last because if you take anything away from anything I ever post, I hope it’s this. After the first month or so (of any diet or change in nutrition), the weight loss will slow down. This doesn't mean you're not doing good anymore. The fast weight loss is your body losing the water weight, not actual fat. So when it slows down, this is your body telling you that it is now working on removing that weight that comes from fat. Fat is stubborn so it will go slower; that and because you don't actually lose fat cells, they just get smaller. And don't get discouraged if someone else is losing more weight faster than you, every single body is completely different. Keep going, you got this and remember that weight loss is just a bonus to all the health benefits you will see.

June 10, 2020

[hailey-bartrug]

Three things I wish I knew before doing Keto

First, I want to start off by saying this is not an anti Keto post. I have been in ketosis for almost three months and it has been a very positive experience. These are just things I’ve learned over the course of these past few months.

1. Weight loss is not the #1 benefit

In today’s world, losing weight has been the goal of many individuals. There are so many crazy “diets” out there that claim to help you lose those extra pounds you’ve been hating. But none of these diet trends go beneath the weight. They don’t tell you how the effect your actually health; mental, physical, and emotional. I’m not going to lie, I started Keto because I wanted to lose weight. But as I learned more and more about it, I realized that I wanted to feel better in more than just how I saw myself. I realized I didn't care about what the scale said more than I cared about lowering my blood sugar. I didn't care about wearing a smaller size in clothes more than I cared about not having severe migraines anymore. I didn't care about looking good in a bikini more than I cared about bettering my mental health and thought processes. The more I learned, the more I realized losing weight should be and was the last thing on my mind.

2. Keto doesn't equal zero carbs

This is an important thing I learned about Keto. Before researching and actually doing Keto, I thought it was absolute no carbs at all. But it isn't, it is a very low amount, but it isn't zero carbs. Keto is intaking less than 20g net carbs a day. A lot of people get scared off by this thinking they can't function without carbs or thinking they'll go way over, but those are very common misconceptions. Everyone I know that is in ketosis has had no issues functioning without a high amount of carbs, this is including mental and physical functioning. In fact, their functions have improved.

3. It isn’t as hard as everyone says

The main thing that I have seen individuals be scared about is how hard they think it will be. It took me months to adjust to a standard low fat, high protein, moderate carb “diet” in 2017. I couldn't stick to it to save my life, but it took me one week to adjust to Keto. After one week, I was perfectly fine not eating high amounts of carbs and being fat adapted. That’s it, seven days and you really won't miss the hamburger buns or French fries.

June 8, 2020