My 30 Day Keto Challenge Update

What’s the Keto Diet and How Does it Work?

The Keto diet is a low carb, moderate protein and high-fat diet which puts the body into a metabolic state known as ketosis.

When your body is in a state of ketosis, the primary energy source for the body becomes ketones. This means your body is directly breaking down fat stored as energy instead of slowly converting fat and muscle cells into glucose for energy.

The way you enter ketosis is when your body doesn’t have enough glucose (carbohydrates) available.

The idea of burning fat for fuel, instead of addictive sugars and carbs made all the sense in the world to me.

Why I Decided To Try The Keto Diet

I have been struggling with the ability to stay focused and complete my tasks for years. As well as difficulty remembering important details and an overall unmotivated lethargic feeling.

This year I have made it my mission to live my best life, and the first thing I did was ask my primary doctor for a referral to see a psychologist. I thought, hell maybe they can prescribe me a magic pill, and I will become the superwoman I know I can be.

After one hour of answering the questions from a checklist, the diagnosis was clear; I have four kids, and there was no pill I could have taken to avoid this condition.

My girls were the only reason according to the therapist I couldn’t focus on one task at a time, and her suggestion was to get help with them and or to wait for them to get older. The first thought when those words left her lips were, “Wow, what a waste of time that was.”

The idea that my girls are the reason I cant focus and get stuff done doesn’t ring true to me, yes they make everything more challenging, but the truth is my life has only gotten better with each one of them.

 My dreams and ambitions have multiplied, and they give me the confidence that nothing else gives me. I refuse to blame them for my struggles, doing so feels like an excuse.

Now that the possibility of an “easy” fix was out of the picture I decided to push myself and better my life without the help of a magic pill.

I started to work out which has helped me greatly, and I also downloaded apps like ’30/30′ and every other productivity app that seems to work for others.

While in some aspects of my life I started to notice improvements, I still did not feel great and was still struggling with my ability to stay on task.

 I  tried the No Sugar Challenge with some success, but the benefit was more noticed on the scale than in my brain.

After some more research, the Keto diet kept popping up, and every video I watched, blogs I read and people that I spoke to about the Keto Diet raved about its benefits and how it changed their life for the better.

For many starting the Keto diet, the focus was on losing weight, but the one benefit that caught my attention was that they all claimed their mental focus and productivity level increased making them feel better than ever.

This was enough for me to want to give the Keto Diet a try and see if it helped me better my lifestyle.

My First Month Of Keto Diet

I did my research, and after getting the basics down, I started my challenge but not before doing some binge eating the weekend before.

It might sound crazy to most, but I find that making myself feel sick from eating what I most need to cut off helps me transition better.

My first week of Keto was as expected, I felt exhausted and had no energy to work out or even clean my house. I decided to take it easy and day by day.

The second week was a pretty much the same, except for the headaches. I was so miserable, but this was not a surprise, in fact, I was expecting all the flu symptoms to show up at any point, but a headache and tiredness were as severe as it got.

My third week was the most challenging. I had so many cravings for sweets that it was hard to be around the kitchen. I was still very much feeling the same exhaustion but was able to complete my workouts.

Week 4 is when it all came together for me; I woke up headache-free and with more energy. I noticed each day getting better, and I started to gain the strength to push thru a workout and complete my daily tasks with more energy and a clear mind.

A month into the Keto diet and in all honesty the thought of going back to eating bread, and some of the desserts I used to obsess over makes me feel sick.

This month has been an eye-opener for me, and I started to look at carbs and sugar for what they are; empty calories. I also enjoy food so much more now.

I eat for fuel now, and no longer do I feel like I need to take a nap after a meal or the guilt that I used to feel after certain foods.

Eating Keto helps me provide my body with a more reliable and stable energy source helping me feel more energized throughout the day.

 I have lost a total of 10 pounds in the past month, and my muscle definition is better than it ever has been. I do though want to gain back some of the lost weight in muscle.

What’s On My Plate?

If you follow me on Instagram, then you probably have seen some of the meals I eat, for breakfast I keep it simple my go to are eggs, bacon, and avocado for the perfect start to my day.

For lunch or dinner, I have whatever protein meat or fish I make for the family and substitute the carbs for healthy Keto approved options like leafy greens.

On week 2 I downloaded the ‘KetoDiet App,’ and it took the guessing game out of choosing what to eat, I highly recommend it to anyone starting the Keto diet.

It wasn’t until week three that I started to add coconut oil to my tea, and I also invested in some other Keto supplements that I will share with you once I have a full review for them.

Now that I am confident with my new lifestyle I will start to share my favorite recipes. Pinterest has been a lifesaver, and I get most of my meal ideas there.

Foods to Eat

• Meats- fish, beef, lamb, poultry, and egg
• Leafy Greens – spinach, kale
• Above ground vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower
• High-fat dairy – hard cheeses, high fat cream, butter
• Nuts and seeds – macadamias, walnuts, sunflower seeds
• 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.

Foods to Avoid

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

So Whats Next?

I have to admit that very few things in life feel as gratifying as completing a challenge, especially when it involves such a drastic change from what I grew up eating.

 I can’t speak for the future but for now, I plan on sticking to my Keto lifestyle, the benefits have been so positive for my mind and body that the thought of going back to my old diet does not make sense.

Living Keto has become an essential lifestyle tool for me. I feel better, think better and feel more confident. All these are enough reason to never go back to sugar and carbs!

Would you go Keto?