Lifestyle changes *updated*

I recently am attempting a lifestyle change. It wasn't in a 'new year, new me!' vein, but I just wanted to get healthier. I was tired all the time and growing tired of feeling tired all the time. All I wanted to do was eat sweets and snacks. My husband told me if I kept it up, I was going to become diabetic. He's probably right. A friend turned me on to Keto diet. I've been on it for a few weeks and can already start to see body changes. My energy level has gone up. I can't say how much weight I've lost as I don't have any means of weighing myself but I'm not looking for a number. I'm judging by how I feel. I've been asked by a few friends about my lifestyle change (because it's not a diet, let's be honest) so I thought I would write up some tips and give a few recipes.

What is keto? Keto or ketogenic diet is a low carb diet targeted to turn your body into a fat-burning machine. Diet Doctor has been one of my favorite resources so far. Highly recommend the site. Also Keto Dash is great too. Keto has been proven for weight loss and even recommended for diabetics. It has been known to increase mental focus, energy, lower blood sugar, help with cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as weight loss. I have a friend who says her skin has never been clearer since she went on keto!

On average, it's best to keep your carb count to under 20-30 g a day to get optimal results. Obviously the lower the better. Also be careful with protein. Moderate protein is key. Avoid protein bars that can be high in sugars anyway. Ideally, you want 5% carbs (or lower!), 20% protein, and 75% fats.

Make sure you keep count! Keep track on your total carbs and net carbs. Net carbs are your total daily carb intake minus total fiber (and don't quote me, but I think sugar alcohols as well). Make sure you are measuring your servings too. Just because you can eat almonds doesn't mean you need to eat the whole can in one sitting. I use an app called MyFitnessPal

You want to keep your carbohydrates limited, coming mostly from vegetables, nuts, and dairy. Don’t eat any refined carbohydrates such as wheat (bread, pasta, cereals), starch (potatoes, beans, legumes) or fruit. The small exceptions to this are avocado, star fruit, and berries which can be consumed in moderation.

Do Not Eat

• Grains – wheat, corn, rice, cereal, etc.
• Sugar – honey, agave, maple syrup, etc.
• Fruit – apples, bananas, oranges, etc.
• Tubers – potato, yams, etc.

Do Eat

• Meats – fish, beef, lamb, poultry, eggs, etc.
• Leafy Greens – spinach, kale, etc.
• Above ground vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
• High Fat Dairy – hard cheeses, high fat cream, butter, etc.
• Nuts and seeds – macadamias, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc.
• Avocado and berries – raspberries, blackberries, and other low glycemic impact berries
• Sweeteners – stevia, erythritol, monk fruit, and other low-carb sweeteners >
• Other fats – coconut oil, high-fat salad dressing, saturated fats, etc.

It's actually been easy for me, mostly. I get to eat things like bacon, eggs, and cheese! Not eating so much processed foods either. Health Line is another fantastic resource that helps break down what to eat and what to avoid. There is a Facebook post that even breaks down what you can eat at several fast food places! Rule.me has been invaluable to me as well.

Giving up bread hasn't been too hard for me. Potatoes have been the hardest, but there are alternatives available. BUTTER IS YOUR FRIEND! I cook a lot with butter and coconut oil instead of vegetable oil.

Think you have to give up pizza? NOPE! There are TONS of inventive keto pizza recipes! My favorite has been fathead pizza.

Miss meatloaf? Try this. It's been my favorite meatloaf recipe I've tried. Period. And yes, that even beats my mac and cheese stuffed one.

There are tons of keto bread recipes too. I have tried a few and liked them, but my husband says it just makes him miss 'real' bread so I stopped. He does like a low carb flat bread we've found at Wal-mart that helps him feel like he's eating a 'real' sandwich and doesn't miss it as much. I'm also trying this low carb Tortilla recipe soon.

You don't have to give up caffeine! Regular coffee is actually highly recommended, just avoid adding lots of sugar and cream. Water is the best thing to drink on keto. If you find it difficult to drink water all day, try adding half of a fresh lemon or some keto-friendly fruits (raspberries are a go-to for me especially in the mornings). Be careful of diet sodas. Often the sweeteners used to make it are worse than regular sugars. Diet Doctor breaks it down very well.

I am going to try intermittent fasting. Read about that here. Click here to read about supplements that will help.

Visit my Pinterest page for tons of recipes which I update quite frequently.

Above all, HAVE FUN with it. Make bacon taco shells. Fry up broccoli in butter (it's SO good!) Make a pizza where meat is the crust. The less like a 'diet' you make it, the more likely you'll stick to it.

Please hit me up if you have any questions!